Jim VanValen
Education
- M.F.A., Acting, University of Iowa
- M.A., Theatre, Stony Brook University
- B.A., English, Stony Brook University
Teaching Interests
As an acting teacher, I teach courses in Acting Process, Meisner, Voice and Speech, Solo Performance, and Healthcare Simulations. I continue to train with renowned voice and presence teacher Patsy Rodenburg, OBE, the Emeritus Director of Voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and I am a registered PRA Voice and Presence Associate in the Rodenburg work. As a Meisner teacher, I am grateful to have studied with Terry Knickerbocker at TK Studio in NYC, and I completed my Meisner Certification at the True Acting Institute. Over the last 6 years, I have partnered with the Rehabilitation Sciences at Moravian University developing a Standardized Patient program for Muhlenberg actors to collaborate with Moravian healthcare students in order to promote greater compassion, communication, and empathy throughout the world of healthcare.
Whether through scene and monologue study, ensemble development, or audition preparation, I try to establish an environment that encourages discovery, curiosity, and possibilities. For me, all of these celebrate a common thread of building connections through our shared humanity – seeking to be truly present with one another and within ourselves, listening and responding actively moment-to-moment, and embracing the magic of the Here and Now with the trust that “You Are Enough.”
Research and Scholarship
As a professional actor, I have been a member of Actors’ Equity Association for over 25 years and have performed in such regional theatres as Barter Theatre, Fulton Opera House, Florida’s Riverside Theatre, Riverside Shakespeare Festival, Old Creamery Theatre, Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble, and Iowa Summer Rep.
As a director, I directed the Muhlenberg productions of The Play That Goes Wrong, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Haunting of Hartfield Hall. Prior to coming to Muhlenberg, I spent 9 years as Head of Acting at Cornell College where I directed such productions as Waiting for Godot, Cabaret, and The Elephant Man.
In 2025-2026, I was invited to be a part of the Patsy Rodenburg Associate Programme in Portugal which has shaped the workshops I provide on Voice and Presence. As an educator, coach, and director, I work with both actors and non-actors in helping individuals and ensembles reconnect with their unique power, presence, and creativity. Bringing the work of the actor beyond the stage and into other spaces and careers is something I greatly enjoy. For we all have a story to share – and, I believe, it’s in appreciating each other’s stories that we discover our shared humanity.
- Acting Process
- Intermediate Acting: Meisner
- Methods of Performance in Healthcare Simulations
- Spc Top: Int. Acting: Movement (Williamson Technique)
- Spc Top: Int. Acting: TKS Specialty Class
- Spc Top: Int. Acting: Voice (Alexander Technique)
- The New York Theatre Experience: History, Context, and Critical Analysis
- Theatre Independent Study/Research - Faustus Directing Study
- Voice & Speech for the Actor
- Recipient of the Crossette Family Fellowship for International Research, 2025
- Outstanding Advisor to First-Year Students, 2022
Theatre
Theatre & Dance
Contact: [email protected]