PEM 9-Week In-Person Acting Intensive | Los Angeles

Biological emotional training for stage and screen, culminating in two live Los Angeles showcases

For actors seeking acting classes in Los Angeles, this 9-week in-person intensive trains you in PEM’s biological, nervous-system-based approach to emotional access; culminating in two live showcases.

The program culminates in two live performances:

  • One invited industry showcase for casting directors and agents
  • One public performance, presenting the same curated material under different audience conditions

In Person · Admission by Audition · Enrollment Limited to 16 Actors

Curriculum & Program Structure

This program is structured as a progressive training arc, ensuring emotional access is safe, reliable, and repeatable before being applied to performance.

Training is delivered through group instruction, individual mentorship, and professionally guided performance preparation.

The curriculum is divided into two integrated phases.

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PART I — INSTRUMENT REFINEMENT

Foundation, Safety & Capacity Building

Weeks 1–6

The first phase focuses on developing a flexible, resilient acting instrument while prioritizing emotional and physical safety.

PEM Emotion Work

Actors are introduced to PEM’s approach to emotional access through physiological entry points in the nervous system.

Actors will:

  • Learn to access authentic emotional states without reliance on personal memory
  • Expand emotional range safely and progressively
  • Identify and release emotional blockages
  • Build stamina for sustained emotional work
  • Learn to transition between emotions organically
  • Explore emotional mixtures for nuanced performance

This work establishes emotional reliability, which supports repeatable performance.

PEM Voice

PEM Voice restores the voice to its natural biological function, allowing emotional expression without strain or forcing.

Actors will:

  • Reestablish functional breathing and vocal coordination
  • Develop resonance without pressure
  • Maintain vocal freedom during heightened emotional states
  • Integrate voice with emotional and physical impulses
  • Support long-term vocal health

PEM Character Work

Character creation is approached through physiology rather than psychology, engaging the nervous system to generate authentic physical and emotional life.

Actors will:

  • Build characters using biological principles
  • Expand range beyond habitual casting
  • Create emotional clarity without overload
  • Maintain safety while working with unfamiliar or heightened material
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Individual Founder Mentorship (Integrated)

Perdekamp, founder and director of the Perdekamp Emotional Method.

Each accepted participant receives at least one (1) one-on-one coaching session via Zoom with Stephan Perdekamp.

This session supports:

  • Personal calibration of emotional access
  • Individual feedback on the actor’s instrument and emotional patterns
  • Guidance on range development, resistance, and integration
  • Alignment of the actor’s work with core PEM principles

The individual session complements the in-person training and ensures the work remains precise, personalized, and method-aligned, rather than generalized.

Sessions are scheduled subject to availability.

PART II — APPLICATION TO PERFORMANCE

Text, Embodiment & Professional Practice

Weeks 7–9

The second phase integrates emotional training into scripted performance, shifting focus from internal access to external application.

Monologue & Scene Work

Actors apply emotional access directly to text, learning to process material through the body rather than intellectual analysis alone.

Focus areas include:

  • Releasing preconceived ideas of how a performance “should” appear
  • Developing instinctive, embodied performance choices
  • Establishing authentic relationship and history with scene partners
  • Applying emotional transitions and mixtures to scripted material

Showcase Material Selection

To ensure clarity, balance, and professional presentation:

  • Actors submit three (3) monologues
  • The instructional team selects one (1) monologue for performance
  • Each actor is assigned one (1) scene

Final material selection is made at the discretion of the instructional team and is intended to support both individual strengths and overall showcase cohesion.

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Testimonial

“I sent Sarah pages from the script. Together, we talked about my character, Emberly, and which emotions would serve as anchors for exploring her. It was like my body became a map. I could simultaneously trust the emotions in my body, and was also constantly surprised by the sensations, impulses, and voice that followed. Emberly emerged quite naturally.”

Cam Frontain, Actress

Industry Showcases

Professional Presentation

Week 9

The program culminates in two professionally directed live performances, presented across July 5–6:

  • Invited Industry Showcase (attendance by invitation only)
  • Public Performance (same material, open audience)

The showcases are educational and integrative experiences and are not auditions.

Industry attendance is by invitation only, outside the program’s control, and cannot be guaranteed.

Admission Requirements & Application Process

Prerequisites

Audition Requirements

Applicants must submit:

  • A link to their showeel or a 1min monologue
  • Headshot & resume

Applications assess readiness for advanced PEM training, emotional regulation, and suitability for ensemble-based work.

Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance.

Program Details

Program Dates: April 16 – June 11

(Includes nine (9) instructional weeks delivered across the program dates)

Live Showcases: June 10-11

Schedule:

Thursday: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Sundays: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Location: Los Angeles, California; offering one of the most intensive acting classes Los Angeles has available for serious performers

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Tuition & Payment Options (USD)

Pay-in-Full

$2,725 USD

Installment Plan

$3,140 USD total, payable in four (4) installments of $785 USD

  • Deposit due upon acceptance and applied toward total tuition
  • Remaining installments scheduled during the program
  • All tuition must be paid in full prior to showcase week

Tuition is not due until acceptance is confirmed.

All prices are listed in USD; any bank or processing fees are the responsibility of the participant.

Tuition Includes

Enrollment includes:

  • Full 9-week in-person PEM training
  • Integrated founder mentorship (two 1:1 Zoom session)
  • Monologue and scene work with curated material selection
  • Structured rehearsal process and showcase preparation
  • Eligibility to participate in two live showcases, contingent on attendance, preparation, and professional readiness
  • Ongoing faculty guidance and feedback

Attendance & Make-Up Policy

  • Consistent attendance is required.
  • Participants may miss no more than three (3) class days.
  • If a class is missed, a make-up session may be requested, subject to faculty availability.
  • Make-up sessions support continuity and do not replace missed in-person training hours.
  • Missing more than three class days may result in ineligibility to participate in the showcases.
  • Missed classes do not constitute grounds for refunds or credits.

Refund & Withdrawal Policy

  • The deposit is non-refundable.
  • Tuition payments beyond the deposit may be refunded if written cancellation is received no later than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the program start date, minus the deposit.
  • Written cancellation requests must be submitted via email to [program email].
  • Once the program has begun, all tuition payments are non-refundable, regardless of attendance or withdrawal.
  • Ineligibility for showcase participation does not entitle a participant to a refund.

Enrollment constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of all policies.

Media, Safety & Participation Notice

Live classes and performances may be photographed or recorded for educational and promotional purposes.

Participation requires agreement to a standard media release.

The program includes physical, vocal, and emotional exercises.

Participants are responsible for working within their personal limits and should consult a healthcare professional if needed.

Enrollment Capacity

Enrollment is limited to sixteen (16) actors.

This limit supports:

  • Individualized instruction
  • Emotional safety and regulation
  • Adequate rehearsal and showcase preparation
  • Clear visibility for each participant

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Admission is selective and enrollment is limited to 16 actors. This is the most rigorous acting class Los Angeles offers in the PEM method

Apply Now

9-Week In-Person Intensive

An immersive training in PEM's biological, nervous-system-based approach to authentic emotional access for stage and screen — culminating in two live Los Angeles showcases. Program Details →

Applications Open

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