Equity Foundation Podcast

Actors live and work in an environment that asks a lot of them. Auditions, rejections, financial uncertainty, intense rehearsal periods, performance anxiety, public scrutiny, relationship dynamics, creative vulnerability, and the challenge of sustaining a career in a highly competitive industry all place unique demands on actors. As a psychologist who works with artists and performers, I’ve often noticed that the framework we hold for performers has a specific difference. When people outside the performing arts experience stress, they’re often encouraged to step back, do less, or find fulfilment elsewhere. But performers rarely want to care less about their craft. They want to keep creating, keep striving, and keep showing up for the work they love. The question becomes: how do we develop the skills to manage high levels of stress sustainably? In this conversation, we’ll explore the psychological realities of life as an actor. We’ll discuss the thoughts that can undermine confidence, the emotions that come with putting yourself on the line creatively, the physical demands of rehearsal and performance, and the challenge of balancing the pressures of work with the realities of everyday life. Most importantly, we’ll look at practical ways to build psychological flexibility and resilience so that stress doesn’t consume the energy you need for what matters most: telling stories, connecting with audiences, and bringing your creative work to life. Whether you’re navigating the stress of auditions, managing performance nerves, recovering from setbacks, or simply trying to sustain a long and meaningful career in the arts, this session will offer practical insights and plenty of opportunity for discussion. Bring your questions. The world of performance is demanding, but there are many skills we can learn that help us meet those demands while continuing to grow as artists and as people. Dr Shona Erskine is a registered psychologist in private practice with 30 years’ experience working in the arts sector. After graduating the Victorian College of the Arts (Dance, 1994), she spent decades working as a dancer while qualifying as a psychologist. She has an expertise in psychology for performing and visual artists and work through professional companies, universities, and in private practice. The focus of her psychology work includes performance and creativity as well as communication and complex systems. She has a keen interest in best practice models for artists that attend to the whole person with compassion and curiosity.

Dean Drieberg is an acclaimed creative with almost three decades’ experience in theatre, advertising and events. He recently directed Nine for NIDA and Dial M For Murder for Smoke&Mirrors Productions. Dean is Resident Director for Disney's The Lion King and was Resident Director of Hamilton for the Australian, New Zealand and International tours from 2021 to 2025. He directed Promises, Promises at Hayes Theatre, the Australian Premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (nominated for Best Musical in the TimeOut Sydney Arts & Culture Awards and 3 Sydney Theatre Awards) for Darlinghurst Theatre Company, the Australian Premiere of Passing Strange (nominated for 5 Green Room Awards including Production of the Year) for Antipodes Theatre Company, co-directed Colour And Light: The Art of Sondheim (winning 2 Green Room Awards) and Sunday In The Park George (Green Room Award nominee for Best Direction and Best Multimedia Design) for Watch This - Australia's Sondheim repertory company for whom he is Co-Artistic Director, directed and designed bare the Musical and the Australian Premiere of Memphis the musical for StageArt. Dean has worked on over 20 national tours and has produced advertising campaigns and major events across Australia, New Zealand, in Tokyo and New York. Dean is an advocate for theatre that is inclusive of Indigenous, Bla(c)k and people of colour, artists with a disability and LGBTQIA+ artists.

An opportunity to hear from the Sydney Theatre Company's Artistic Director Mitchell Butel who will talk to actor Danielle Cormack about the actor-director relationship, the steps that artistic directors take to choose productions, the casting process and STC's plans for the future. Mitchell Butel is a multi-awarded director, performer, writer and producer and Sydney Theatre Company’s Artistic Director and Co-CEO. Mitchell holds four Helpmann Awards, four Sydney Theatre Awards and two Victorian Green Room Awards for his work as a director and actor in Australia. He has worked extensively for State Theatre Company South Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre, Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin, Malthouse, Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Pinchgut Opera, The Production Company, The Hayes Theatre and for the Sydney, Adelaide and Perth Festivals on over 200 professional productions.

Learn how to deliver under pressure with actor, WAAPA grad and founder of The Resilient Actor, Damien Strouthos. This practical session gives you the tools to stay grounded in high pressure auditions, emotionally connect to character and give your best work even when the stakes are high. And maybe even a cheeky crying hack or two. Damien Strouthos is an award-winning actor, best known for his work in the Foxtel series The Twelve and HBO Max/BBC’s The Tourist, with a career spanning film, television, and theatre. On screen, he’s appeared in Heartbreak High(Netflix), One Night (Paramount+), Last King of the Cross (Paramount+), Home and Away, and Pieces of Her (Netflix). His feature film credits include Transfusion, directed by Matt Nable, I Am Woman, and Peter Rabbit 1 and; 2. Damien is also an accomplished theatre performer, having worked with Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir, and Sport for Jove, most recently appearing in Death of a Salesman opposite Anthony LaPaglia.

This is a chance to work with Katherine Beck on what it takes to master NOT mimic the US accent. Attendees will work on the placement of sounds and how to achieve the accent authenticity in just 66 days. Katherine Beck is a leading voice and dialect coach who works regularly with actors at The Actor’s Hub, The Actor’s Pulse, Screenwise, International Screen Academy and on film and theatre productions. She is the co-founder and co-author of Hollywood Speak: The Australian Actor’s Resource Guide to Creating an Authentic American Accent. Born and raised in Chicago, Katherine is a native American accent speaker.

The role of intimacy director is now a familiar one - so where are we now? Given the impact and significance of the role this is a chance for an update by one of the most successful intimacy directors, Chloe Dallimore AM with Helen Dallimore in the interview chair. Topics discussed include: - How to work effectively with your intimacy director (ID) - What can you ask the ID when you are on set… - How you can go with not knowing how to work with an ID to realising that you can’t work without them. - What can/does the ID director bring to the set? - What can actors and crew do to ensure correct protocols on set without an ID