Tina Marie Realmuto is a New York-based actress and playwright. She is currently teaching acting classes at the Southampton Cultural Center to both children and adults. In her classes, they work on various material from plays, musicals, television, and films. The classes focus on scene work and monologues from different genres and acting mediums. Ms. Realmuto said, “The students learn the skills necessary to analyze a script, build the development of their character, and create an authentic and truthful role. In both the children and adult classes, I make sure to create a safe and judgment-free environment for the students to learn and develop their craft, which allows them to explore and take artistic risks.”
Ever since she was a child, Ms. Realmuto has had an interest and passion for acting and the arts. She performed in her first musical in middle school and took drama classes in high school. She was her high school Valedictorian and received the “Excellence in Theater Award” upon graduation. She said she knew she wanted “… to major in theater, so I attended Connecticut College graduating magna cum laude with a BA in Theater in only three years. I then attended the prestigious Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City, where I received my MFA in Acting degree. My highlights are becoming a member of the Actors’ Equity Association, portraying the lead roles of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker and Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and writing my published play The Power of Love: A Play in Three Acts, which is based on the true story of my beloved grandparents’ courtship and marriage (available on Amazon).
Her biggest surprise teaching acting classes at the SCC so far is, “… the desire of these students (both the kids and the adults) to learn and grow as artists. Their thirst for knowledge and their enthusiasm to learn is remarkable. Also, the sheer joy of working with them and seeing their confidence expand and witnessing the progress they make in the duration of the course is astonishing. I feel so much pride in their growth and development as their teacher and guide.”
Known as a great communicator, Ms. Realmuto always tells her students that she is a guide to help them discover their true selves and to help them delve deep into their own artistic alchemy. She said, “We are all individuals on our own path seeking to learn and discover our own truths as an artist. In the process, we learn how to become our most authentic selves. Another wonderful surprise is how much I am learning from my students. Their courage to explore and their enthusiasm to learn is so inspiring to me.”
As Ms. Realmuto’s program of courses expands and grows, she hopes to include final performances of the students’ work that will not only be open to the students’ families and friends but open to the general public and the East End community as well. She said, “In my fall session this past year, my adult acting students presented the current stage of their work in a final class presentation, which their family and friends were invited to attend, and the response was fantastic. I wish to continue that in the future. It is instrumental in giving the students a sense of pride and accomplishment of their progress and work, and it also gives them the opportunity to act in front of a live audience, which is vital in the learning process of any performer.”
Tina Marie Realmuto says she has many goals that she would like to accomplish with her acting program at SCC. “ First of all,” she said, “MY goal is to bring New York City caliber acting classes to Long Island. While at the Actors Studio Drama School, I trained with the esteemed former Associate Artistic Director of the Actors Studio, the late Elizabeth Kemp.” Ms. Kemp studied directly alongside Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan and even collaborated with Tennessee Williams on one of his later plays. Ms. Realmuto proudly said, “Elizabeth was the acting coach for the 2018 film remake of A Star is Born starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Ms. Kemp is my inspirational teacher and mentor. My classes are created and founded from Elizabeth’s teachings and mentorship.”
In conclusion, Ms. Realmuto said her mission is to offer classes that embody the teachings of the iconic Actors Studio and provide them to children and adults willing to learn and develop their craft. As an actress with her foundation in Long Island community theater as well as exclusive training from one of the world’s most influential acting institutions, she believes she is able to teach a unique style of acting technique to children and adults that other teachers and professionals have not offered them.
She said, “I aspire to continue Elizabeth’s teachings and legacy, along with those of the Actors Studio, and to share it with artists in the East End community.*
For more information, visit https://scc-arts.org/acting-classes-2/
