You know the feeling. The first run through where everything clicks or the moment an actor suddenly understands their character. That is what mental forge focuses on. We work directly with directors, actors, and crews to build solid performances, not theoretical ones.
We come in and direct your show whether it's a school musical, a community theatre production, or a professional run. The blocking serves your story. We're looking at what makes sense for your stage, your cast, and what the audience actually needs to see.
Directors never work alone. Designers, technicians, choreographers, music directors, everyone needs to be pulling toward the same vision. Production meetings can scoff at rehearsals if they are not organized. So, we structure them to be clear and decisive.
Actors come to coaching with material they're actually working on a scene from rehearsal, an audition monologue, a role they're nervous about. We're looking at their specific character, their specific scene, the specific thing they're struggling with.
Everyone is not an actor. But some people want to get up and speak to a crowd. Teachers presenting at conferences, executives giving pitches, students doing TED talks at school, community leaders at fundraising events. We coach people in realistic conditions.
Stage presence and camera presence aren't the same thing. Some great stage actors look stiff on camera. We always go to work with those creators, educators, and performers who love to look natural on video, YouTube, TikTok, streaming and course recordings. We assist performers in figuring out where to look and how to move.
Technical crew learn by doing real shows, not hypotheticals. A lighting tech learns on your actual board, with your actual lights, running cues for real performances. Sound engineers work with your equipment. Stage managers learn on your stage, with your actors.
A good technical team doesn't just know their job, they know how to talk to each other and they feel like part of something. Onboarding new crew members properly actually saves time. Cross-training means you're not dead if someone's absent. Building a real team culture means people want to come back.
We shape performance training around your venue, cast, and schedule to build practical, realistic support that strengthens every production from the very first rehearsal.
Training matches your stage setup, cast size, and technical equipment precisely.
Simple cue sheets and crew notes keep rehearsals smooth and organized.
Coaching aligns with classroom goals, linking theatre work to learning outcomes.
Each show builds reusable tools that improve future stage productions.
Basically, all the stuff that happens in the rehearsal room and backstage. Direction, blocking, actor coaching for character and confidence. Public speaking coaching if you need it. Technical training for your lighting, sound, and stage management people. You can book the whole package or just the parts you need.
If you're running a play or musical or school show and you'd like expert direction, want your actors to feel more confident, or need to get your technical crew trained, this works for you. Could be a theatre company, a school, a university, a community theatre, or independent producers. If you don't have specialists in-house, this fills that gap.
Anything that happens on stage. For example, plays, musicals, ensemble pieces, devised work, student productions, and festivals. And coaching extends beyond theatre, public speakers, people doing presentations, and creators who need to learn camera presence.
You call, we talk about what you're doing and what you need. We put together a plan. Then we're there in rehearsals. Coaching sessions are scheduled, and technical training happens on a timeline that makes sense. We keep you in the loop about what's working and what needs adjustment. Then the show opens and we're still there making sure things run.
Yes. Every theatre is different. Different stage, different experience levels in your cast, different equipment, different schedule. School musical looks totally different from a professional production. We build the plan around your reality, not around what we wish your situation was.
