The Inspiration for MANITU STUDIO
Lynn Bright
Founder, MANITU STUDIO
MANITU was created from a blend of influences.
As a young woman with a newly diagnosed disability, pain and physical limitation was a confusing combination, especially for a student of dance aspiring to become a dance therapist. After studying everything from ballet to interpretive movement since the age of five, I was removed from the dance department in my first semester of college.
Forced to let go of my plan, I enrolled in a theater class. That intro to acting class changed my life. No matter how limited my movement or weak I felt, when I participated in the acting exercises, I left the pain behind and was able to tap into something that allowed me to “become” beyond my physical limitations.
Soon after moving from Michigan to Los Angeles, while studying at the Lee Strasberg Institute and becoming a member of Lonny Chapman’s Group Repertory Theater in North Hollywood, I was referred to the Claremont Institute in Berkley and a cancer surviver who was doing groundbreaking work in hypnotherapy and the mind’s ability, if not to cure disease, to apply self-care that can presumably lessen its effect or stall its progression. The guided relaxation and visualization, when combined with the sensory exercises of The Method and continuous theater work, gave me a unique freedom to create, an approach that has become the Manitu process used to coach actors, and anyone really, especially the artist, to apply an extraordinary tool that allows the individual to immerse his/herself in a world unencumbered by fear, (free-floating or specific) tension and blocked physical or emotional discomfort; all elements that can keep us from living our best life, whether real or imaginary.
For the actor, writer, sculptor, painter or musician, an open instrument is essential. For everyone, it is the key to physical pain relief and added peace of mind that is my joy to help the serious and seriously curious discover.
After acting in dozens of plays, writing and producing for theater and then various production companies such as Fox Television, and Saban Entertainment, Bright founded the Actor’s Workout in Michigan where she taught hundreds of actors of all levels for over a decade while taking the lead as head of creative for a fortune five hundred advertising company. Now back in California, Bright brings The Actor’s Workout to Orange County where she is passionate in her support of those wanting to deepen their understanding of the art and develop their craft.
Testimonials
“Lynn has been conducting her classes and workshops for me for over ten years. She expertly combines her first hand experience in the business with her love of the craft to offer the insights and skills for “what it takes.” Whether you’re an aspiring beginner or a seasoned veteran, Lynn’s workshops offer a wealth of knowledge that you can’t get anywhere else!”
“Lynn Bright is totally devoted to the crafts of acting, teaching and writing. Her humor, brilliant talent for communicating, creativity and inspiring attitude makes her a rare commodity in the present world of entertainment.”
“Take a knowledge of the Industry, combine with a dash of communication skills, mix in a lot of humor, wit and a joyous persona, add a pinch of passion for perfection, mix well, and you have a Lynn Rosen-Bright acting class. What could be better? Lynn loves what she does, and no one does it better!”
“I have worked with Lynn in the theatre for over twenty years. From the business, to the craft, Lynn brings her unique approach to acting — getting to the bottom of a role and knowing what it takes to survive and thrive in the business. From relaxation to expression, she helps actors find a way to live, authentically, in the heart and behavior of the character.”
“Lynn Rosen-Bright is a wonderful acting teacher and performer in her own right. In Hollywood, she performed in many plays, including musicals, and was given the finest reviews. As a teacher, her warmth, knowledge, ability to communicate and wonderful sense of humor helps the student to relax and discover their own talent in order to reach their true potential. I highly recommend her acting classes. Any actor would be lucky to partake in her knowledge.”