NEW Classes
Cody Kearsley
Starting September 30th
Wednesdays 3-6pm PST on zoom
Starting October 5th
Mondays 5-9pm PST In Person
Join the new cohort to deepen your acting practice through a non-dominant, somatic approach to presence, scene study and camera work.
Not every class is right for every actor.
This class is for you if…
You want to deepen your craft without picking objectives, tactics and beats.
You’re hungry for meaningful, relevant material and bold character work.
You can’t get to a studio—or you’re tired of ones that drain your joy.
You’re ready to train with actors from across the globe and bring new perspectives to your work.
You’re craving structure, artistic stretch, and creative permission
Frequently Asked Questions
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ONLINE Class meets every Wednesday at 3pm PST on zoom.
IN PERSON Class meets every Monday 5-9pm at the Crash Acting Studio
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through one one of our “apply to audit” forms on this page so we can schedule a quick 15 min zoom with you for the online class, or an in-person audit for the in-person class —we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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Our Non-Dominant Approach to Acting centers the humanity of the character. Removing character-dominating language from the process, the actor is brought into greater equality with characters and restores a sense of their autonomy in this work. It’s freeing. Finally.
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Class is $250 every 4 week pay period. A one-time, $300 deposit up front ensures a student’s place and is applied to their last month of class (you are also granted access to our online, self-paced course The Acting Class, which is a deep dive into our process with lessons, exercises, demonstrations, and more). To protect the quality of the room, a $25 payment is required to audit.
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Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.
What People Are Saying
“As a teacher, Cody has a beautifully calm and inquisitive energy that encourages his actors to explore and dive deep into the work without fear. Cody has an eloquence that effortlessly translates theory into practical tools for the actor, as well as the ability to create a safe space for any developing actor to play, fail, and learn how to use those tools.”
-Phoebe Miu (Riverdale, Upload)
“Truly one of the best classes I’ve had the pleasure of attending in a very long time. Cody creates a space that is playful, specific, generous and deeply rooted in the work. He led us through embodiment exercises as we examined the context, time and setting of the play we were working on. By the time we got to the actual text, we were so connected to the story that the emotion poured out effortlessly. It was a beautiful reminder to stay curious, playful and open for discovery when working on a piece. I’d recommend his class to actors at any level.”
-Bethany Brown (Murder in a Small Town, The Good Doctor, The 100)
Meet Cody
BIO:
Cody Kearsley is a Canadian actor, filmmaker and acting instructor best known for his roles as Moose on Riverdale (The CW) and Clay on Virgin River (Netflix), with additional credits including Daybreak (Netflix), Guilty Party (Paramount+), and Shadow of the Rougarou (APTN). A graduate of the Theatre of Arts Conservatory in Los Angeles and recipient of the Michael Chekhov Award for Most Promising Actor, Cody has over a decade of professional experience in film, television, and theatre.
Beyond acting, Cody is an accomplished writer, director, and producer. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Vagrant Players Theatre Society, where he produced, directed, and performed in numerous contemporary theatre productions while championing emerging artists. He is also the founder of Persephone Pictures, through which he has produced numerous film projects, including his award-winning short film Breathe, which he wrote and directed. The film screened internationally and earned multiple honors, including Best First-Time Director at the Brussels Capital Film Festival and Vancouver International ShortFest, as well as Best Short Film at the Titan International Film Festival in Sydney. Cody has also served as a producer and production coordinator with Crazy 8s Film Society, helping bring more than a dozen short films to life. In 2023, Cody was selected for the prestigious Whistler Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship where he began developing his upcoming feature film, Burning From Both Ends.
Cody has taught acting classes and workshops for students across Canada and the United States, helping actors strengthen their technique and build the confidence needed for auditions, callbacks, and on-set work. Using Ben’s Non-Dominant approach to acting as a foundation, Cody’s process focuses on excavating the text, bringing the world of the story into the actor’s body and imagination, and using somatics and play as tools of discovery.
Cody is currently completing a BA in Liberal Studies at Antioch University with a focus on Creative Writing and Literature.