Olli Haaskivi
Oppenheimer (SAG Ensemble Award); recurring “Widow’s Bay”
"I feel so lucky every time I work with Maria Dizzia. When I prepare material with her I'm always positive that not only will I walk into the audition room or onto the set with a performance that's inventive and detailed and alive, I also know that she and I will have a total blast putting it together. Coach with her, reap the rewards, and I guarantee you will want to write me a thank you note. And I will want write you a congratulations letter."
Annie Baker
Playwright
"Maria Dizzia has a way of existing in the world both as an actor and a coach that I think is pretty miraculous. She's a wonderful combination of calm and curious and controlled and also capable of letting go of all her inhibitions at a moment's notice. She's also brilliant at text analysis. Most importantly, she knows how to embrace her own particularities and idiosyncrasies and channel them into the work. It's so rare to work with someone this at ease. I adore her and would recommend her to anyone who is looking to catch a little of her magic."
Joshua Salvador
"Maria is a wonderful acting coach. She draws the best work out of me in a nurturing yet demanding way. She has a way of asking the right questions that lead me to discovering exactly what the character wants. I worked with Maria in preparation for an audition for Julius Caesar at The Public Theater, and I booked it!
She helped me get to the next level in my material by giving me physical [and] imaginative...exercises to work with. Maria is all about the work and will work with you until you get it. She is well-versed in all genres and styles. Whether it's Shakespeare or a contemporary playwright, Maria helps you find the simple humanity in the work. I am grateful to have her as an acting teacher."
Clara Wong
Bunnylovr; recurring “Billions”
“I found Maria Dizzia at a time when I felt lost and frustrated with traditional acting technique. She introduced new modalities to me that quieted the panic that I would never be the actor I wanted to be.
Maria’s approach is multifaceted. She offers valuable nuggets from different acting schools of thought while supporting you as YOU lead the mining for what will spark YOUR imagination and make the material resonate most soundly with YOU. She nurtures the subconscious mind while arming you with reliable, repeatable things you can do in an audition room; it is both a leap of faith and a grounded practice.
I use the tools that Maria has taught me in every scene I prepare, and I am a more connected actor because of her.”
Steven Badalamenti
"Maria Dizzia changed my life. I had never taken a scene study class, and my booking rate showed that. Maria teaches the actor to find small bits of themselves in her technique that show up in the scene. She brought the best out of me and other actors in the class. Since taking Maria's class my auditions were stronger and I booked two films (DEMOLITION, THE WAIT) and a recurring role on a TV show ("Public Morals," TNT)."
Kara Overlien
Maria’s approach to coaching is a breath of fresh air. While others stay purely technical, Maria puts the imagination first, allowing the actor to truly embody a character. Through working with Maria, the technical aspect blends seamlessly with the creative, and by the end of your time together, you’ve built a fully realized human being. This was essential for my graduate school auditions, where it’s necessary that the audition is strong, but most importantly, that the schools are able to get to know you on a personal level through the materials you select, and how your individuality supports and strengthens the playwright’s vision.
I recommend everyone to Maria, not only is she a fantastic coach, but she is a wonderful human being. The atmosphere she fosters, whether in person or online, gives you the confidence to fail boldly and to feel like a kid again… which, for me, goes hand-in-hand with being an artist.