Top working actors from Canada, the US and abroad train with Benjamin Ratner at Haven Studio.
On-camera and scene study classes for beginners and up-and-comers are also available.
We keep our standards high, our class sizes small, and our prices fair.
“Ben – you have kept the integrity of my work brilliantly — and I love you for it.”
“Ben is a treasure – a rare combination of instinct, intelligence and compassion…”
“[Ben]’s a remarkable teacher and man. Seriously take his class.”
“I credit many of my ‘breakthroughs’ to Ben’s insight, support, and trust, and highly recommend him to any actors seeking to go deeper into the work…”
“Ben Ratner is an amazing teacher and mentor…and an inspiring talent.”
“After too many years of lazy television acting, Ben reminded me what my tools are, provided an environment where I felt safe to take risks and gave me permission to jump!”
“Working with Ben is an incredibly deep experience for me as an actor. I feel challenged to ground my work and find truth.”
“Thank you Ben for instilling the habits of professionalism, commitment, belief, and discipline – teachings which have not only influenced my approach to the craft, but what I believe has also contributed to me having a career in acting.”
“Ben’s class is an artistic sanctuary. He cultivates an atmosphere based on kindness, professionalism, and integrity where actors feel inspired to offer their craft the focused discipline that will bring out their best.”
“Ben’s the real deal who sees each student as a potential world class contender in the boxing ring of our industry.”
“I can draw a straight line between Ben’s class and the next few jobs that I was cast in…I’m having a ball, I feel more empowered in my work and that journey was kick-started at Haven.”
“Ben Ratner has guided me through years of training, he’s enabled me to break through many barriers and enabled me to fly with confidence and vulnerability.”
“He is, without a doubt, one of the finest teachers I’ve worked with.”
” I can’t recommend Ben’s classes at Haven Studio highly enough.”
Classes
Scene Study
with Benjamin Ratner
PREREQUISITE:
Ben works with actors with previous training and professional experience.
DESCRIPTION:
Students are assigned scenes from stage plays, and are expected to be off-book and rehearse with their scene partners between classes. There are 5 classes per session. There are 3 scenes per night, and each class is 3 hours long, so each scene works approximately 1 hour per class. Every scene works every week.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Ben before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
***MAXIMUM 8 STUDENTS PER CLASS
MONDAY NIGHT SCENE STUDY:
Aug 3 – Aug 31 | 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm ***WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $360 including gst for 5 weeks of class
WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCENE STUDY:
June 24 – July 22 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm ***WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $300 including gst for 5 weeks of class
Aug 5 – Sep 2 | 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm ***WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $360 including gst for 5 weeks of class
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the class and day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“I wish I had known Ben Ratner when I first decided to become a professional actor. Such a relationship then would have spared me a lot of heartbreak and a lot of money… Ben is a treasure – a rare combination of instinct, intelligence and compassion…”
~ Brian J. Smith
Tony Award, Olivier Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for The Glass Menagerie, and star of Netflix series Sense8
“The combination of the demanding material, the commitment and talent of my classmates and Ben’s forceful yet passionate direction and guidance made me into the actor I am today – a confident and working one! He’s a remarkable teacher and man. Seriously take his class.”
~ Ali Liebert
Strange Empire, Lost Girl, series lead Bomb Girls,
Canadian Screen Award & Leo Award-winning actor
~ Jadyn Wong
series lead Scorpion, Rookie Blue, Spun Out
Online Audition Breakthrough
with Nelson Wong
MASTERING YOUR SELF TAPES FROM HOME
PREREQUISITE:
This class is for actors with previous acting training.
DESCRIPTION:
In this fast-paced online audition workout led by seasoned actor Nelson Wong, you will learn and refine the vital skills necessary to deliver unique, confident, well-prepared auditions that will help you break through your fears and enjoy the casting process.
This weekly workout seeks to demystify the audition process and help actors own their creative space. Actors will receive feedback and practice while exploring camera technique, genre, character choices, and personal stakes with the goal of being able to create a confident and creatively dynamic process for every audition. Classes will be conducted on Zoom.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Nelson before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
TUESDAY
July 21 – Aug 11 | 10:30 am – 1:00 pm ***WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $200 including gst for 4 weeks of class
Aug 25 – Sep 15 | 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Total $200 including gst for 4 weeks of class
THURSDAY
July 23 – Aug 13 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm ***WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $200 including gst for 4 weeks of class
Aug 27 – Sep 17 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Total $200 including gst for 4 weeks of class
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the class and day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
For all Audition Breakthrough registrations, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“Nelson’s class exceeded my expectations in every way. He creates a comftoralbe and welcoming space for everyone to come in and do the work in a relaxed but focused environment. He offers an absolute wealth of knowledge, and really opened my eyes to numerous tips and techniques that weren’t even on my radar prior to learning from him! I thoroughly enjoyed the material every week, and his unique approach to recreating the audition process creates a very fun overall class dynamic that keeps everyone engaged and involved.”
~ Lauren Maynard
SIX, Man in The High Castle
“Auditions have always been a bit out of focus for me. Nelson has acted like a perfectly crafted pair of prescription glasses, opening my eyes to the audition process and presenting all of the wonderful possibilities a scene can offer in a clear, creative, and fun way. Nelson challenges you to take risks, dares you to bring your true, authentic self to the audition, and gives you the confidence to handle the many curve balls your auditors will likely throw at you. Since studying with Nelson, I walk into the room with complete confidence in my preparation, and my call back ratio has leaped to over 70%! Nelson gives you the tools to create a lasting impression that will get you seen over and over again.”
~ Jesse Carroll
Travelers, Untold Stories of the ER, Morning Show Murders
“Nelson books a lot of acting jobs. He’s clearly doing something right in those audition rooms, and he’s eager to share his experience, passion and insight with his Audition Breakthrough students. I respect and trust Nelson completely and I’m very glad to have him teaching this class at Haven Studio.”
~ Benjamin Ratner
Raising the Bar
with Benjamin Ratner
PREREQUISITE:
This is an advanced class by invitation only.
DESCRIPTION:
Raising the Bar is a scene study class for actors with considerable training and/or professional experience, especially those who have worked extensively with Ben in his on-going scene study classes. It is by invitation only. Students are assigned scenes from stage plays, and are expected to be off-book and rehearse with their scene partners between classes. There are 5 classes per session. There are 5 scenes per night, and each class is 5 hours long, so each scene works approximately 1 hour per class. Every scene works every week.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Ben before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
***MAXIMUM 6 STUDENTS PER CLASS
SUNDAY NIGHT RAISING THE BAR:
TBD | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Total $300 including gst for 5 weeks of class
~ Brian J. Smith
Tony Award, Olivier Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for The Glass Menagerie, and star of Netflix series Sense8
~ Ali Liebert
Strange Empire, Lost Girl, series lead Bomb Girls,
Canadian Screen Award & Leo Award-winning actor
“BEFORE I met Ben, I didn’t feel or consider myself to be an actor. AFTER I met Ben, I jumped and took the plunge. Thank you Ben for instilling the habits of professionalism, commitment, belief, and discipline – teachings which have not only influenced my approach to the craft, but what I believe has also contributed to me having a career in acting.”
~ Jadyn Wong
series lead Scorpion, Rookie Blue, Spun Out
Workshops
“Breathing on Camera”
2-Day On-Camera Scene Study Workshops
with Brian Markinson
exclusively at Haven Studio
PREREQUISITE:
These workshops are geared toward experienced actors. Please submit your current headshot and resume. Enrolment is limited to 12 students.
DESCRIPTION:
This is a chance to be closely guided by internationally established actor Brian Markinson, exclusively at Haven Studio. Brian has over 150 film/TV credits including Fargo, Mad Men, HBO’s Angels in America, most recently CBC’s Unspeakable and CBS pilot Surveillance.
For over 30 years, Brian has collaborated with many of the best actors, directors, writers and teachers in the industry, and he has now joined Haven Studio to share what he has learned about the fine details of creating world-class work in front of the camera.
FORMAT:
Each student will be assigned two contrasting scenes, one for each day, and will be reading both on and off-camera with an assigned partner.
All scenes will be recorded, downloaded, and sent to you by Dropbox.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with an instructor before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
Breathing on Camera
2-Day On-Camera Scene Study Workshops with Brian Markinson
TBD | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Total $250 including gst for a 2-day intensive
*Maximum 12 students*
These workshops are geared toward experienced actors.
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the workshop and dates in which you are interested.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“Brian brings a wealth of experience and big-heartedness to the work, empowering the student while challenging them to reach deeper.”
~ Craig Erickson
The Man in the High Castle, Supernatural, Backstrom
“I was completely blown away by Brian’s ability to get actors to work at such a high level in such a short time. His script analysis is remarkable and he gives practical, easily accessible tips to use to make a scene come alive. Brian also creates an extremely warm and generous environment to learn and explore in. It is such a privilege to be coached by someone of his caliber. I will take any class this man has to offer!”
~ Teresa Riley
Legends of Tomorrow, Unmasked, Jaguars
Improv Workshop
with award-winning actor
Veena Sood
exclusively at Haven Studio
Veena has taught Improv workshops to the animators of Lucas Film & Disney, has been an TV/film on-set coach, as well as teaches improv at Capilano University’s Acting programme. You can see Veena in numerous television & film productions such as Twilight Zone, Loudermilk, Charmed, Riverdale, Salvation, & The Murders.
Recently Veena was honored by The North Shore Fund for the Arts for a Distinguished Artists’ Award. In 2017 Veena was honored by UBCP/ACTRA with The Lorena Gale Woman Of Distinction Award. UBCP/ACTRA also awarded Veena the Sam Payne Award for her contributions in humanity, artistic integrity and encouragement of new talent.
Veena is a 3-time Jessie Richardson nominee/winner for her theatre work, as well as a 2-time Leo Award nominee/winner for her film/television work over the years. Currently Veena is the Artistic Director of Keith Johnstone’s The Life Game (Vancouver), which she co-produced 10 episodes for CBC.
www.veenasood.com
PREREQUISITE:
This workshop is suitable for both newer, and veteran actors. Please submit your current headshot and resume. Enrolment is limited to 12 students.
DESCRIPTION:
This workshop will focus on using Improv exercises to allow oneself to be more present, accepting your impulses, and give you valuable tools to assist you in your scene work, auditions and on set.
There is no pressure to ‘be funny’ but rather the focus will be on learning how to free your mind, unleash your imagination, and release your spontaneity.
This workshop is suitable for both newer, and veteran actors. Enrolment is limited to 12 students.
Improv Workshop with Veena Sood
TBD | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Total $250 including gst for a 2-day intensive
*Maximum 12 students*
This workshop is suitable for both newer, and veteran actors.
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name and dates of the workshop in the subject line.
Please also attach your current HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“Improv skills are an essential tool to have in your back pocket during the audition process. Learning how to quickly think on your feet can put you a step ahead. What a great fortune to have in our own back yard one of the founders of TheatreSports, Veena Sood, available to guide actors towards excellence using the world of improv.”
~ Coreen Mayrs, Casting Director
Actors’ Cross-Training
with Loretta Walsh
PREREQUISITE:
This 2-day intensive is designed for students new to Haven studio and for those existing students looking for an extra challenge
DESCRIPTION:
Actors’ Cross-Training will have you on your feet, participating for most of the class, pushing past technical and emotional boundaries. You will leave the class refreshed, invigorated, and ultimately more empowered and confident in your craft.
Designed for new students to Haven studio and for those existing students looking for an extra challenge, Actors’ Cross-Training is a place where you can build your ‘acting muscles’ with exercises to develop voice, listening, physicality, imagination, personalization, and above all, fearless commitment to your instincts. By strengthening your foundation, you’ll feel authentically prepared to bring your true creativity to your next scene study class, audition, or acting job. The class will also include condensed scene study work, making it perfect preparation for any newer actors who aspire to work in Ben’s or Loretta’s scene study classes.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Loretta before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
Actors’ Cross-Training:
Next dates TBD | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm*
Total: $250 including gst for 2-day intensive
*Class may run to 5:00 pm depending on number of participants
**Maximum 12 students**
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the class and day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“Working with Loretta has been a wonderful experience. She is constantly pushing you to strive for honesty and challenging you to push limits in your craft. Her passion for acting has inspired me to pour 110% into my work. Loretta creates a safe and open environment to explore aspects of yourself as well as characters. She creates a feeling that you are among friends, while guiding you to step outside of your comfort zone. I felt like I really learned what it means to jump into things without hesitation and to let go of my fear of judgement with her. Her support and encouragement have given me so much confidence!”
~ Melissa Roxburgh
Star Trek Beyond, Valor, In God I Trust, Travelers
“Loretta is such an exceptional teacher and no wonder, she was taught by the best, Ben Ratner. I am grateful to have the pleasure of studying with Loretta in her Actors’ Cross-Training and Scene Study classes. She is such a talented and lovely human being that is so nurturing and caring to the point of guiding you until you get what is needed to fulfill your objective as an actor. She is so supportive and encouraging in a way that guarantees to bring out your best in any circumtances in a very safe environment. Loretta’s classes are invalualbe to any actor. Much Respect. Highly recommended!”
~ Jerry Trimble
Supernatural, The Flash, iZombie, Heat,
Green Hornet, Charlie’s Angels, The Package
“Loretta is uncompromisingly passionate about taking herself and the actors she works with to new heights. I am totally confident that anyone who studies with her will be well-prepared to take on the challenges of my scene study class and the realities of what’s required to compete as a professional actor.”
~ Benjamin Ratner
Online Creative Activation Workshop
with Benjamin Ratner
PREREQUISITE:
Ben works with actors with previous training and professional experience.
DESCRIPTION:
Due to many requests, this is a new online class, led by Ben, being offered though Haven Studio.
Actors come to Haven Studio first and foremost to work on the craft of acting, but also for inspiration and a sense of community. “The Activation Workshop” is a safe place to discover and share the more personal reasons for why we find ourselves unable to break old patterns and ways of thinking in order to take our creativity and careers to the next level.
The inspiration for this class are the countless hours of group conversations that have taken place in Ben’s acting classes over the past 25 years – conversations that ultimately lead to people making choices that affect not only their acting craft and careers, but their entire lives.
It has been seen time and time again – acting challenges spawn directly from life challenges. Identify your blocks, get out of your own way, align your passion with your work ethic, and good shit happens.
This is a career and creativity-focused class, designed to uncover blocks as they directly relate to your goals and professional effectiveness. This is not a place to deal with serious emotional trauma but it is a place to get real, dig deep, and speak your truth. Courageous is contagious, and by sharing in a group setting we inspire each other to do our best and hold each other accountable. The goal is to emerge from the class with a revitalized idea for how to keep growing and thriving as an artist, despite the many ways the current state of the world has changed what we do and how we do it.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Ben before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
THURSDAY:
July 2 – 23 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm *WAIT LIST ONLY
Total $200 including gst for 4 weeks of class
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
~ Brian J. Smith
Tony Award, Olivier Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for The Glass Menagerie, and star of Netflix series Sense8
~ Ali Liebert
Strange Empire, Lost Girl, series lead Bomb Girls,
Canadian Screen Award & Leo Award-winning actor
~ Jadyn Wong
series lead Scorpion, Rookie Blue, Spun Out
Audition Breakthrough
with Nelson Wong
PREREQUISITE:
This class is for actors with previous acting training.
DESCRIPTION:
In this fast-paced on-camera audition workout led by seasoned actor Nelson Wong, you will learn and refine the vital skills necessary to deliver unique, confident, well-prepared auditions that will help you break through your fears and enjoy the casting process.
This weekly workout seeks to demystify the audition process and help actors own their creative space. Each class will resemble the casting process and actors will be asked to participate in the various roles within the audition room as well as work from assigned sides and tape their audition reads in a working environment. Actors will receive feedback and practice while exploring camera technique, genre, character choices, and personal stakes with the goal of being able to create a confident and creatively dynamic process for every audition.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Nelson before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
THURSDAY NIGHT AUDITION BREAKTHROUGH (On-Camera):
TBD | 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Total $285 including gst for 4 weeks of class
*Pay only $225 if you enroll by April 12th
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the class and day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
For all Audition Breakthrough registrations, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
~ Lauren Maynard
SIX, Man in The High Castle
~ Jesse Carroll
Travelers, Untold Stories of the ER, Morning Show Murders
“Nelson books a lot of acting jobs. He’s clearly doing something right in those audition rooms, and he’s eager to share his experience, passion and insight with his Audition Breakthrough students. I respect and trust Nelson completely and I’m very glad to have him teaching this class at Haven Studio.”
~ Benjamin Ratner
Scene Study
With Nelson Wong
PREREQUISITE:
These classes are geared towards actors newer to Haven Studio looking to get a solid foundation before joining Ben’s scene study classes.
DESCRIPTION:
Since 2002, Vancouver’s top working actors have been training at Benjamin Ratner’s Haven Studio. Many of Ben’s students, past and present, are working in lead and recurring roles on film and Television projects, as well as stage productions, across North America, and abroad.
Haven is also home to a great many ambitious up-and-coming actors, and this Scene Study class with Nelson Wong is your chance to see for yourself what makes Haven so special. This is an intensive scene study class, every Tuesday night for 5 weeks in a row. You’ll be performing long scenes from great contemporary plays, with a maximum 12 students in class. You’ll be working on the key steps to becoming a solid, strong, prepared actor – ready to face the realities of working professionally.
You’ll be challenged to work on clearly understanding the story you’re telling, developing the techniques required to deliver your part confidently, and you’ll be encouraged and guided as you discover the freedom and creativity that follows a lot of hard work.
As a student at Haven, you’ll also be able to audit one of Benjamin Ratner’s classes and see many of Vancouver’s top actors honing their chops.
FORMAT:
Students are assigned scenes from stage plays, and are expected to be off-book and rehearse with their scene partners between classes. There are 5 classes per session. There are 4-5 scenes per night, and each class is 4-5 hours long, so each scene works approximately 1 hour per class. Every scene works every week.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Nelson before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
TUESDAY NIGHT SCENE STUDY:
TBD | 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Total: $370 including gst for 5 WEEKS of class
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the name of the class and day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
“Nelson is knowledgeable, fun, humble, kind-hearted and totally passionate about the craft. I trust him completely to guide his students in an always challenging, but totally safe atmosphere. That’s what Haven is about, and Nelson fits right in.”
~ Benjamin Ratner
Online Actors Ensemble
with Benjamin Ratner
PREREQUISITE:
Ben works with actors with previous training and professional experience.
DESCRIPTION:
Let’s keep our community together and stay accountable, inspired, and empowered as actors in these unprecedented times.
These online classes will be 2.5 hours in length, with 6 people in each group.
With Ben providing specific one-on-one coaching for each actor, and also directing the ensemble as a group, we will be working on powerful and timeless monologues from film and theatre.
You will be given text to memorize and rehearse over the week, then we will begin to work the pieces as a group, online.
Memorization and rehearsal will be required. This is a class that requires hard work and commitment, designed to help keep us on track day by day, week by week.
AUDIT POLICY:
To maintain the safest and most focused atmosphere for the students in class, drop-in audits are not available. If you want to speak with Ben before signing up for a class, however, we are glad to arrange that.
MONDAY:
TBD | 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Total $250 including gst for 5 weeks of class
Email havenstudio@benjaminratner.com and specify the day in which you are interested. Include the start date.
If you are new to Haven Studio, or you haven’t attended in a long while, please also attach your HEADSHOT and RESUME, with your first and last name as the beginning of the file names for both.
~ Brian J. Smith
Tony Award, Olivier Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for The Glass Menagerie, and star of Netflix series Sense8
~ Ali Liebert
Strange Empire, Lost Girl, series lead Bomb Girls,
Canadian Screen Award & Leo Award-winning actor
~ Jadyn Wong
series lead Scorpion, Rookie Blue, Spun Out
As a writer-director, Ratner has helmed two award-winning, theatrically released feature films: Down River (9 wins and 12 nominations, including Best World Feature at the 2014 Soho International Film Festival, NYC) and Moving Malcolm (4 wins and 1 nomination, including Best Feature Film at the 2003 Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival). His latest film is Ganjy, a hard-hitting short drama, starring, written by, and directed by Ratner. Now being developed into a feature, Ganjy premiered at The 2016 Vancouver International Film festival and will next be seen at The Kerry International Film Festival in Ireland, and on CBC television in Canada.
A committed acting teacher for over 20 years, Ratner offers scene study classes to a great many of Canada’s top actors, as well as up-and-comers, at his Haven Studio in Vancouver.
Loretta formerly taught acting at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre and for Arts Express in Toronto before moving to Vancouver 8 years ago where she began studying with Ben Ratner. She teaches scene study and Actors Cross Training at Haven Studio.
www.kindredentertainment.com
