Back Stage: Should a potential student have a natural aptitude for hosting, or can anyone learn it?
Maureen Browne: I don't think anyone can learn hosting. Students should have a natural interest in others and an outgoing personality, and we work on the levels to achieve.
Back Stage: What makes a good host?
Browne: A good host is someone who can tell a story but know it's about the show and viewer and not about them. They have to have an outgoing personality. and great improv skills. They have to be able to listen and have a passion for connecting to others.
Back Stage: Where's the work these days?
Browne: I cast for television shows, so there is TV work out there. There's a lot of work on the Web.
Back Stage: What are your three top tips for successful hosting?
Browne: (1) Know who you are, (2) know who your audience is, and (3) be able to connect to the material.
Back Stage: What are your three top tips for successful auditioning to host?
Browne: (1) Make sure we (the casting directors) see your personality right off the bat, (2) always be working on your hosting skills (reading copy, using a teleprompter, taking an improv class), and (3) prepare for your audition.
Browne's students call her talented and caring. Back Stage reader Pamela Carey comments, "Her dedication makes you feel accepted. Her knowledge makes you feel invincible." Reader Lorna Clarke notes, "She's patient, offers great constructive feedback, teaches a variety of hosting styles, and even helps you develop your brand."
Maureen Browne, www.initiativetalentgroup.com
Runners-Up:
- Suzanne Sena, (310) 933-1466, www.suzannesena.com
- Marki Costello, (310) 207-7333, www.cmeg.com
- Joseph J. Pearlman, 917-754-2221, www.josephpearlman.com