We had the good fortune of connecting with Faline England and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Faline, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Great actors make it look and seem so easy – In fact when we are in the presence of a great storyteller, the last thing we are thinking about is acting – the entire craft and vocation of acting is the willing participation in another person’s fiction and making that your truth, which is an act of empathy. Most people don’t realize that we actors are professional Empathizers.

I have studied acting with my mentor Diana Castle at The Imagined Life for two decades and have taught under Diana for ten years. Diana describes her teaching and philosophy as “Acting as the Art of the Empathetic Imagination”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“I am my best work – a series of road maps, reports, recipes, doodles, and prayers from the front lines.” Audre Lorde

This quote is really a reflection of what I do. As an actor I am on the frontlines of what it means to be a human being. I love being an actor. I love daydreaming, creating, and imagining what it’s like to be other people. I love being a professional empath. I don’t think that there is anything more important at this time in our world than the willful decision to empathize. It is a decision. That decision, that choice, that action on a daily basis, is my art, my craft. It is my greatest joy to get a script and be lead by the heart of the writer into the world of a story and be gifted with the opportunity to meet this part of myself.

I love teaching, collaborating and coaching other artists. I feel such deep fortune to continue to study and also teach under Diana Castle at The Imagined Life.

In the future, as an actress, possibly next season (when theatres reopen?) I have been cast in an upcoming play, for which I am so excited – “Shadowlands” by William Nicholson. This is the love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman and it explores the unwavering power of commitment and friendship. It also explores love, mystery of faith, and the pain and simultaneous beauty of loss. It is such a cathartic story in our present world of uncertainty, isolation, illness and unrest. I am so thrilled to once again be co-staring opposite Joe Spano after our wonderful run of “Heisenberg.” This will be a co-production between The Rubicon Theatre Co. and the Laguna Playhouse. I also have been very busy doing Zoom table-reads with theatre companies in Paris and London. It has been so wonderful to be able to collaborate without getting on a plane. This is also true for my students at The Imagined Life. We now have students in class participating from their home bases all over the world! It has been so incredible to be able to share the teaching well beyond Los Angeles!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Diana Castle has been my mentor for over 20 years. She is a genius. And a revolutionary acting teacher, coach and philosopher.  She and her husband Steve Tietsort started The Imagined Life Studio over 30 years ago. I am so fortunate to be teaching under Diana and also telling stories as an actor, and bringing this work to the world.

The Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura has been an artistic home for me for many years.  Their work is stellar.  They are in the midst of finding creative ways to bring theatre to communities.  They recently featured me in a digital podcast reflecting on my work.   https://www.rubicontheatre.org/podcast-faline-england

The Rubicon is also offering free digital viewings of Arlene Hutton’s “The Nibroc Trilogy” starting August 30th on their website.  I am the in the third play, “Gulf View Drive” being offered September 12th and 13th.  Link below:

https://www.rubicontheatre.org/nibroc-trilogy

Website: https://www.falineengland.com
Instagram: @falineengland
Twitter: @Faline_England
Facebook: Faline England
Other: Manager: Bohemia Group – Alison Buck https://www.bohemiaent.com (323) 462-5800 Agent: Andreadis Talent Agency – Michele Peacock https://www.andreadistalentagency.com (212) 315-0303 Diana Castle’s The Imagined Life Studio – Teacher/Coach http://www.theimaginedlife.com (323) 936-6818

Image Credits
Photographer: Yves Bright @photos_x_yves Photographer: Nick Agro

Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.