“It all boils down to nature versus nurture,” says Ivana who’s been teaching acting for 30 years now. “Some are good actors because of genetics, some become good because of proper nurturing.”
So what makes a really good actor? “The important thing is you’re always willing to learn, to educate yourself, and you should have a strong work ethic to become a great actor. Some have innate talent but they still really work hard to grow and achieve more great success. It’s not enough that you have good looks and high cheekbones, you should be fearless, willing to take risks, push the envelope and cross boundaries. What I do is I empower actors, carrying a message of hope that you can change your life and use whatever pains and issues you had in your life to grow and evolve with as an actor.”

Among those who express excitement for being chosen to attend Ivana’s new workshop are Bela Padilla, JC Santos, Christian Bables, Joseph Marco, Myrtle Sarrosa, Enzo Pineda, Diego Loyzaga, Leila Alcasid, Jameson Blake, Nash Aguas, Loren Burgos, Elmo Magalona and brothers Aljur and Vin Abrenica who said they are all ready to learn from Ivana. Has Ivana seen any improvement on the acting of the previous participants of her workshops?
“Oh yes. It’s so miraculously inspiring to see the changes. Because of them, I don’t just wanna come back but I felt I need to come back. The actors I’ve worked with here are so open to me and helped me to grow as well on how to teach and empower them as a better educator. I learn a lot when I come here. Usually, when I’m invited to conduct workshops in a certain country, I just go there, conduct it, and leave right away. Here, I stay longer, ten days, and I even attended the ABS-CBN Ball and I really enjoyed it.”
Ivana’s Master Class will be held at the Dolphy Theatre this weekend, October 6 and 7. For inquires, visit Star Magic Workshops at facebook.com/starmagicworkshops or call 415-2272 local 5234m 5244 and 5142.