FOUNDATION
MDS Actors' Studio  ·  Global Intensive Tour
The FOUNDATION Intensive

"The best performance of your career — every single time."

6
Days
32
Actors
2
Sessions / Day
Secure Your Place Partner With Us
Your Guide
Michael David Simms
Michael David Simms
Artistic Director · MDS Actors' Studio · "The Professor of the Pandemic"

One of the most respected acting coaches in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Michael David Simms taught actors worldwide entirely free of charge for over 18 months during the global pandemic — earning a title that has followed him ever since. His mission: to bring Darryl Hickman's transformative process to the global acting community in person.

"What drives actors crazy is the lack of process. Why did it work last time, but it's not working now? That's not process. That's talent with a bullet and a bit of luck — and actors can't count on it."

— Michael David Simms

Experience
44+ years in film & TV
Credits
70 major screen credits
Coaching
21 years of elite instruction
Inaugural Intensive
Cairo 2025 — sold out instantly
Cape TownJohannesburgSydneyAucklandMumbaiPragueLondonTorontoMontréalParisStockholmNew YorkLos AngelesAtlantaBuenos AiresSão PauloAlgiersCairo
The Intellectual Foundation
The Unconscious Actor by Darryl Hickman
The Book Behind the Process
The Unconscious Actor;
Working Out of Control in Full Command
by Darryl Hickman

Developed by Hollywood actor and master teacher Darryl Hickman through a lifelong quest rooted in Stanislavsky principles, this book is the definitive written expression of the process you will live inside during the intensive. It represents the most original contribution to the literature of acting craft in a generation — a complete, learnable system that takes the actor from technique to truth.

The Foundation Intensive is built from this foundation, taught by one of its foremost champions. Many participants find that reading the book after the week deepens and crystallizes everything they experienced in the room.

What They're Saying

The Industry Speaks.

Watch — Industry Professionals Speak

Student Interviews · MDS Actors' Studio  ·  Watch on YouTube ↗

"Not often does one have an opportunity to tap into the knowledge and experience that an industry veteran such as Michael can provide. I can speak to that knowledge first hand, as I've seen it in action my entire career. Breaking it down to the basics, Michael will set the foundation for success."

Sean Cossey
Casting Director · Sean Cossey Casting Inc.

"Michael's passion for the craft is palpable, both as an actor, and a teacher. We are fortunate to have an industry veteran in Vancouver with his wealth of knowledge and drive to help others succeed. He sets a high bar, and his teaching style is challenging and invigorating."

Candace Elzinga
Casting Director · Candace Elzinga Casting
Hudson Williams
Star of "Heated Rivalry"
Watch Interview on YouTube ↗
Hudson Williams
Actor · Star of "Heated Rivalry" · MDS Alumni

"MDS can direct a Neil Simon play like nobody else I've ever seen. He knows all the rules of comedy, and how to make a scene truly fly."

Lucie Guest
Director / Actor
The Method

Out of Control.
In Full Command.

A rigorous physical, emotional, and analytical journey built from Darryl Hickman's lifetime of research. Not a philosophy to admire — a discipline to inhabit.

01
The Physical Foundation

Name & Bow, The Numbers, and the Characterization Exercise — daily work that frees the instrument and enforces the core principle: Acting is Physical.

02
Scene Immersion

Scenes from celebrated playwrights, assigned in advance. You arrive off-book, having rehearsed — ready to work from day one, not learn lines.

03
Daily Personal Coaching

Michael works with every scene, every actor, every day. No passive observation — you are in it, or learning from watching others in theirs.

04
The Unconscious State

The destination: full command in which technique becomes invisible and only truth remains. Not mystical — systematically built, day by day.

05
Outside Work

Partners continue working between sessions throughout the week. The process lives in you between the rooms — not just on the floor.

06
The Showcase

The week closes with a final showcase for industry, family, and friends — the most developed scenes performed for real stakes, for a real audience.

Structure

Six Days. 32 Actors.
No Shortcuts.

Morning Session
10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Evening Session
5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
1
Day One
Process intro · exercises · instrument opening
2
Day Two
Scene work begins · emotional access
3
Day Three
Deepening behavior · assignments
4
Day Four
Personal coaching · integration
5
Day Five
Full scene runs · refinement
6
Showcase
Industry, family & friends · final performance
Enrollment is strictly limited · 32 actors maximum

Your Best Work
Has Not Yet Happened.

Actors who have done this work describe it as the first time they felt completely in command of their instrument — every time, not just when luck was with them.

Apply Now — Send Picture & Résumé Host This Intensive
mdsacting@gmail.comnbsp;