Hear what Brooke's students and actors have to say.
AS A DIRECTOR
"I worked with Brooke on a scene from Tigers Be Still and enjoyed every second of it. Brooke gave me the freedom to collaborate and contribute to the creative process, which made me feel connected to my character and my scene partner. I also loved Viewpointing the space and getting to play around the set; it truly made me conscious of how important it is to be aware of how I'm moving and how it affects the meaning of the story. I've grown so much as an actor because of Brooke's amazingly playful directing style and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to work with her!" --Katelyn Scott, Actor/Student at UGA
AS A TEACHER
Check out the anonymous feedback from Brooke's undergraduate acting students at the University of Georgia. All feedback came from students enrolled in her Introduction to Acting course during the Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, & Spring 2021 semesters.
Brooke McCarthy's enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. I have gained a new love and appreciation for acting and performing, and I have new skills I can use to further my performing career.
Brooke was a great teacher. She created a really accepting environment for students to act, and she explained concepts well.
I think the class enabled us to open up a bit more than what I am accustomed to. That is, obviously, the point of these kinds of classes. I enjoyed the exercises, I found them useful, relevant, and eye-opening. Especially Meisner.
The Meisner exercises really made me look at acting a different way. I hated them at first because it was awkward, but it really helped me grow as an actor by the end.
This course always made me feel excited for class and everything about it was fun and engaging.
Brooke was a great and very attentive teacher.
I enjoyed how a non-acting person like myself felt supported throughout the class. This was due to the curriculum, projects, and kind classmates that were a part of the course. Professor McCarthy knew how to play to everyone's strengths!
I love acting but have never taken an actual acting class before introduction to acting basics (theories, approaches, etc.) in a low pressure environment. Everyone really put work into the showcases of their acting and it was a class where everyone wanted to have fun and learn. The class appealed to people who liked acting and people who just wanted to try something new. The class addressed how lessons of acting can benefit people going into multiple different careers. I think students would be able to gain more from the class in-person, but given the crazy nature of this Fall semester I was highly impressed by how the structure of the class allowed us to work in groups and also focus on individual improvement really effectively.
I loved how Brooke had projects assigned that not only engaged us in an online environment, but also brought us closer as a group. I also loved the work sessions we had online as they were very productive.
I really enjoyed this course and my teacher. I felt like I consistently improved in every project that we did. She let us meet one on one, groups, and as a class so that we all individually got exactly what we needed. By far, my favorite class and teacher so far. I did not think it would be very possible to do an acting course online/over zoom.
I think the strong points for this course is the openness for interpretation. I really enjoyed the way Brooke decided to present the information to us in a fun and exciting way, which could have been very different from another professor.
The instructor was very kind and helpful given the circumstances that she was teaching in.
The teacher was amazing. She made me want to be an actor. 10/10
This course allowed us to learn by doing acting versus just learning theories. Loved the projects. Brooke McCarthy is an amazing instructor and she truly cares about her students and the subject. She adjusted to the virtual format in a way that was organized and enthusiastic.
Very engaging assignments and projects! Infectious enthusiasm for course.
Brooke is an amazing professor! She was clearly very invested in us and our success and very passionate about the subject. She was always very encouraging and helpful!
Brooke was such a fun teacher! She brought positive energy to class on MWF, and was extremely intentional with her students. I looked forward to her class because it was a guaranteed good time! Even though this course was not required for my major, I do not regret taking it at all!
Brooke was such an incredible teacher. She has such a strong passion and excitement for acting and it made the class fun and engaging! I was very happy with the amount that we accomplished, even though our time was cut short. The online portion of the class was really great, because Brooke made sure we never felt overwhelmed with the workload, but rather let us participate at our own pace.
Great energy provided by the instructor.
I enjoyed Brooke's enthusiasm and ability to spark interest in the students. She was always incredibly welcoming and upbeat, and could turn around even the worst days! There was the occasional basic acting concept or term that some people did not understand that she never went over. Since this is a beginning acting class, maybe just the slightest bit more coverage of these terms. However! She was always willing and open to accept questions and make time to answer them, I just think some were embarrassed to ask.
I like how the readings prepared us for what we were doing in class, so we didn’t have to waste class time explaining. This allowed us to spend class time really working and improving. I liked how we checked in with ourselves at the beginning of class with the one word check-in. The games were nice because it helped all of us bond. One of my favorite parts of the class were the open scenes. It was fun to both perform and watch those. There was nothing this class could have done better. There was not too much homework, but there was enough to keep us engaged. The class was entertaining and informative. Overall, there is nothing I would change.
I thoroughly enjoyed the social nature of the class, stretches and check-ins before hand, and all of the different activities.
The instructor was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Very fun course.
The small class size was great for learning and getting questions answered in a timely fashion.
I enjoyed the exercises in this class and I felt that they really helped me learn while doing something. I also enjoyed working with everyone in the class.
I liked getting out of my comfort zone and getting a chance to act.
I liked the collaborative nature of the class and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
I liked the number of assignments because each one counted for less out of the total grade. The instructor was very enthusiastic and gave good individualized feedback.
I loved the interactions and exercises we did. It helped us tap into different aspects of ourselves that we can later use for characters.
I really learned a lot from this class. I really like the hands-on application of acting ideas. I also felt more in shape after all the yoga we'd do each class period.
This class was so energetic and really helped me get out of my head during a stressful semester.
CREATIVE KIDS
Brooke co-taught a Creative Kids class during Fall 2021 with Marlon Burnley (a fellow UGA alum). This course is part of Out of Hand Theater's after-school theater training for schools serving a high-poverty student population. The Creative Kids program is aimed to close the income gap through arts experiences. Brooke is very humbled to be a part of this opportunity. You can read more about Out of Hand and the Creative Kids program by clicking the button below.