Director & Choreographer
“I find Janet really enjoyable to work with. She’s flexible and blends professionalism with the ability to work with a community-based organization. She strives for the best possible product, in a situation that has some natural limitations, but that doesn’t hold her back. Janet gets all she can out of people and they love working with her.
When we announce a new show, we get lots of calls from people who want to join the production because they enjoyed working on the last Janet show. And Janet is able to convince people—professional people—to work for little or no pay just because they appreciate the chance to work with her. That’s a huge asset for the theater, in terms of delivering a high-quality performance.”
Robert Myers, Former Producer for James Armstrong Theater
and Cultural Services – City of Torrance (Torrance, CA)
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“Janet is a terrific director, and I especially appreciate her attention to detail and her tremendous preparation for a show.
She was very ready for my cast and had very little time to work with them. It was a great show and a great experience. The show sold very well for us and the production was so well received, we extended the run and had Janet back to restage the piece in another space.”
Joe Dulin – Former Managing Director,
Community Circle Theater (Grand Rapids, MI)
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“My company is a group of professionals who create custom-written sketch comedy shows for corporate clients. I call Janet in and she’s able to take our raw material and shape it into a tight show in one or two sessions.
Janet’s real genius is her ability to get absolutely the best work out of everyone. She can take whatever is available and create such a strong bond with the actors that they push themselves to give their best possible performance. Janet has a magical ability to motivate people—not by being threatening, but out of sheer commitment to the work. She’s unwavering—and people spontaneously rise to meet her standards. It’s an incredible thing to watch.
Janet matches this big picture thinking with an equally masterful grasp of detail. Nothing gets past her and everything matters: the nuance of a movement, a double-take, a single line reading.”
Patricia Negri – Owner, Producer, Writer & Performer –
Brain Brew Entertainment (An Interactive Entertainment Production Company)
Acting Coach
“Janet has made an incredible difference in my career. In fact, I fly her all around the world to work with me—she’s that important to my work.
Many times I use Janet’s coaching in a rehearsal and the director will say, ‘well, I don’t know what happened, but that was fantastic!’ And that’s what keeps the calls for work coming in. It’s what Janet does: gets the results and improves you as an actor.”
David Burnham, Equity Actor;
has coached with Janet on more than 20 shows.
Show Doctoring
“Janet saved our necks on an original musical. She very quickly won the trust and confidence of the cast and worked with people incredibly well. And her new choreography had much more to do with supporting and extending the theme of the show. It wasn’t just ‘oh, here’s an idea I have for a move’—which is something you get a lot. She created movement to help clarify and move the story along. And she had to do this all very quickly.
If I needed a rescue, I would definitely call on her again.”
Brian Mulligan, “ingenious” (L.A. Times)
Writer and Director of multiple television, video and stage projects
Educator
“I have had the pleasure of working with Janet as both a director and choreographer for our Spring musical. Janet brought in new ideas and energy. She is a warm, energetic person with a true concern for the well-being of both the students and staff. Her work in the classroom has demonstrated clear and precise communications skills, well planned and executed lesson plans, effective classroom management and excellent knowledge of subject matter.
Janet’s moral integrity and values are of the highest standards. She has always been honest and straight forward in her communication and willingness to express ideas and to agree to disagree at times.
I feel Janet would be an asset to any teaching staff.”
Joslynne Blasdel – Music Director,
Woodbridge High School (Irvine, CA)
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“Janet is my secret weapon for auditions. In fact, she helped me get into college, into a musical theater program where 800 kids were fighting for 60 spots. Since she’s a director, Janet knows exactly what they want to see. She helped me choose the material and prepare it with a lot of discipline.
She’s the one who inspired me to go into the field and she’s been with me the whole way. She taught me what it means to really prepare for a role—the research, diagramming, character analysis. As a director she gives much more than other people I’ve worked with. My friends might think my performance was great, but Janet will come backstage and ask me if I’m willing to hear what it would take to make it a Broadway-level performance.
She’s supportive but she doesn’t hold back: she’s really honest and very detailed when she gives me notes. And that depth means you’ve got a shot at giving not just a good performance but a great one.”
Chris Fore – Actor & Graduate,
UCLA Musical Theater Program, Class of 2006