This two-day intensive acting workshop teaches PEM’s acclaimed, body-based approach to accessing authentic emotion through the conscious, artistic use of your innate biological emotion system.
Rather than relying on emotional recall or personal trauma, PEM trains actors to work physically, allowing emotion to arise safely, quickly, and repeatably—under real performance conditions.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
Through carefully developed, body-focused exercises, you will open your instrument, release habitual blocks, and expand your emotional and expressive capacity—without emotional burnout.
PEM Intensive I focuses on the foundations of PEM emotion work, providing actors with a clear, physical pathway into emotion.
You will learn how to physically access all six core PEM emotions:
Aggression
Happiness
Grief
Lust
Fear
Revulsion
You will also learn how to transition organically between emotions,unlocking greater nuance, flexibility, and creative possibility in performance.
PEM’s approach extends beyond performance technique alone.
By working directly with the body’s emotional system, this method supports:
The result is not only stronger work on stage and screen, but a more sustainable emotional practice for life as an actor.
“Just the small amount that I have had of PEM has given me an ocean of depth to explore.”
Jenny Ledel
Actor, Playwright
No prior experience with PEM is required.
All actors must be approved via a short interview with Sarah Victoria, Master Instructor, prior to attendance.
This workshop is designed for actors and performers who want reliable, embodied access to emotion without relying on emotional recall or personal trauma.
PEM Intensive I is particularly well suited for:
No prior experience with PEM is required. This workshop is appropriate for both emerging and experienced actors who are ready to deepen their emotional craft in a safe, structured environment.
This workshop may not be the right fit if you:
PEM Intensive I prioritizes safety, consent, and craft over shock or emotional provocation.
PEM Intensive I offers a clear, physical pathway into authentic emotion—designed for repeatability, safety, and artistic depth.
All actors must complete a short approval interview with Sarah Victoria, Master Instructor, prior to attendance.
👉 Apply now to request an interview and secure your place.
No prior PEM experience is required. Actors of varying experience levels are welcome, pending approval interview.
Yes. PEM uses a physical, body-based approach designed to avoid emotional mining or personal trauma.
The techniques taught are designed to support both subtle and intense emotional work for stage and screen.
“From my first contact with PEM, I knew it was a game changing approach to acting – one that foregrounds the actor’s health and wellbeing without sacrificing rigor and expansion. I’m honoured to be the first certified teacher in the United States.”
Blake Hackler
Actor, Chair and Head of Acting,
SMU, Dallas,
Director of Yale University’s Summer
Conservatory for Actors, Certified PEM Instructor
