Member/Community News

When she was a child, Aviva Meyrowitz was so shy she didn't open her mouth. Then at 9, she had the opportunity to sing "Part of my World" from The Little Mermaid at camp. "That was my first taste of what theater had to offer us as a whole person," she said. She parlayed that love into her company, Lights, Camera, Acting!, where she teaches 400 children and adults life skills through acting. Aviva shared her journey, life lessons and her philosophy to a packed house at the April Women's Business Forum meeting. She also helped attendees to deliver their 10-second intro more confidently so others will fall in love with their business. Aviva started her company four years ago with a table at Del Val's A-Days, where 60 kids signed up for her brand-new classes. (She is proud to say nearly 70 percent of her students take additional classes.) Aviva received a B.A. in theater arts and an M.A. in education from Rutgers, worked in New York and acted in small theaters and independent films before starting her own business. She attributes her success to her "Improv Rules": •Always say yes •Trust your own judgment •You're not being loud enough •Work as a team - it's not about you •Keep doing it everyday •Fake it 'til you make it Aviva did an exercise with the attendees in which they introduced themselves to the person beside them. Then she asked them to look away and see if they remembered that person's eye color. Most didn't. "Focus on the other person," she said. "Look them in the eye. Know their eye color. "Be a great listener. The best actors are the best listeners."