TEACHING STATEMENT:
Being an immigrant chasing what seemed like a fairy-tale dream of becoming an actress, I found my artistic home at HB Studio. It embraced me, not only transforming me into a professional working actor but empowering me to dream even bigger. HB Studio gave me the incredible privilege of sharing the beautiful, transformative art of acting with others.
For over 20 years, HB Studio has been my sanctuary. A place where I’ve had the honor of learning from some of the most remarkable master teachers in the field. My teaching is profoundly shaped by the brilliant Hagen approach to acting, and it is deeply inspired by my mentor and dear friend, Master Teacher CAROL ROSENFELD. Carol’s dedication to the craft has left a legacy that keeps me, as a teacher, in a constant state of “Living in Discovery.”
I am privileged to teach Carol Rosenfeld’s extraordinary creation, “The Double Destination Exercise,” a sophisticated evolution of Uta Hagen’s renowned “Destination Exercise.” These exercises, along with Uta Hagen’s timeless techniques, have taught me that the journey of an actor is a continuous process of self-discovery and creative exploration.
In addition to the Hagen approach, my teaching style is enriched by the Sense Memory and Meisner techniques I studied during my years with Carol Goodheart and Rochelle Oliver. Each of these influences weaves together to create a dynamic and immersive learning experience for my students.
In my Acting 1 class, I introduce students to the Hagen exercises—but with a twist. I use them out of sequence as tools for self-discovery, helping students answer the fundamental question: “Who am I?” From there, we delve into the essential elements of acting: relationship, space, time, objectives, and obstacles.
For my Acting 2 and Scene Study classes, we dive deeper into the play’s world, using Hagen’s “Six Steps” as a framework for text analysis. Here, the Destination Exercise evolves, helping students embody their character by weaving together the text analysis, research, and table work they’ve developed throughout the process.
In Acting with the Camera 1, we take the foundational questions, “Who am I?”, “What do I want?”, and “What is my destination?” and apply them to the unique challenges of on-camera work. This intensive course explores not only staying fully present and alive in every take but also navigating the technical aspects of working with a camera. Students learn to stay connected to their scene partner and adapt to different shots while bringing authenticity to every frame.
The required text for all my classes is Uta Hagen’s A Challenge for the Actor, and I highly recommend Carol Rosenfeld’s Acting and Living in Discovery for additional insight.
Each class is a journey, a chance for students to explore their potential and connect deeply with the art of acting. Whether it’s in the classroom or on stage, my goal is to guide my students in discovering their most authentic selves while mastering the tools to bring characters to life. Acting, after all, is not just a craft. It’s an adventure, a privilege, and a way of living in discovery every day.
Bio:
Julissa Roman is an actress and voice over artist from Peru. She has been working professionally in NYC for more than ten years. Julissa has performed leading roles (in English and Spanish) at some of the most renowned Off Broadway theaters. She interpreted LUZ at the legendary La MaMa Theatre, collaborating with the award winner playwright and activist Catherine Filloux and directed by José Zayas. She was part of the cast of NANAS, directed by Tatiana Pandiani, presented at the IATI Theater and at LATEA Theater. NANAS had two sold out runs and was widely covered by the Spanish media. Julissa has worked at the Westport Country Playhouse Connecticut in a residency developing the new play TORERA by Monet Hurst-Mendoza. Julissa won an HOLA Award for outstanding cast performance in NANAS and was nominated for an ACE and an ATI Award for Best Actress for her role as Mishna in LA NIÑA QUE MORIA A CADA RATO presented at Repertorio Español.
In film, she performed next to Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in the feature film EXPOSED (Lionsgate). She is part of the TV Series WE SPEAK NYC directed by George LaVoo (Real Women Have Curves). She was part of NUEVA YORK produced by Discovery Channel. Most of her short films have been featured at film festivals, including TriBeCa FF, HBO Latino IFF, San Diego LFF, Human Rights FF Argentina, Latino FF Belgium, Short Shorts Festival Mexico, FEMCINE Chile, among others.
She is proudly part of the HB Studio alumni as well as a graduate of the Hagen Teacher’s Lab and feels very passionate about teaching Uta Hagen’s techniques. She teaches part-time on faculty at The New School.
Julissa is represented by DDO Artists and is working with Irene Cabrera to take her career to the next level.