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Mel is a highly regarded pioneer of Canadian theatre, a director of international reputation and an innovator in acting training technique and philosophy. In a career spanning 55 years, he has performed in dozens of plays, founded 9 theatre companies and has directed over 300 shows across Canada. He headed the acting department at Ryerson University in Toronto for 13 years, originated and ran the Gastown Actors Studio conservatory in Vancouver for 12 years, and taught at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for 3 years. For the last 18 years he has been teaching advanced scene study in Vancouver. Mel holds a BFA from the University of Alberta.
Mel teaches advanced scene study in Vancouver, continuing in the tradition of Stella Adler's text analysis and language flexibility combined with the psychological approach developed by Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner's preparation training.
Mel has taught, coached and mentored thousands of Canadian actors across the country spanning three generations. He has been gratified to watch his students gain exposure and win awards in the North American film industry, including Eric McCormack, Barry Pepper, Molly Parker, Jared Keeso, David James Elliott, Nia Vardalos, John Pyper-Ferguson, Hiro Kanagawa, Steve Bacic, Scott McNeil, Ian Tracey, Martin Cummins, Teryl Rothery, Barclay Hope, Matt Hill, Paul McGillion, Daniel Bacon, John Cassini, Brent Stait, Ben Immanuel, Roger Cross, William MacDonald, John Novak, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Roman Podhora, Peter Bryant, Lynda Boyd, Rachel Hayward, Nicholas Lea, David Cubitt, Jill Teed, Johannah Newmarch, Mark Brandon,Ken Tremblett, Lynne Griffin, Jed Rees, Jeff Wincott, John Destry, Bart Anderson, Eli Gabay, William S. Taylor, Larissa Laskin, Tom Pickett, Noah Beggs, Troy Ruptash, Gary Hetherington, Bronwen Smith, John Prowse, Nancy Sivak, Danny Wattley, Bill Marchant, Robert Wisden, Maurice Godin, Christianne Hirt, Tannis Burnett, Chad Willett, Linda Ko, Rick Tae, Jennifer Clement, Akiko Morison, Karen Elizabeth Austin, Saraphina Joachim, Morgan Brayton, Scott Heindl, Debbie Podowski, Kaaren de Zilva, Mercedes de la Zerda, Max Lloyd-Jones, Andrew Herr, Rob Raco, Anna Maiche, A.J. Buckley, Keenan Tracey, Brendan Riggs, Drew Henderson, Alexia Fast, as well as award-winning casting directors Candice Elzinga, John Buchan and Jon Comerford.
