ABOUT CARLA HOWEY
Carla is from a military family. Her father, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force retired in Denver, Colorado. Carla went to Cherry Creek High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from Colorado State University. While at CSU she lived at the Kappa House as a Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister. She taught preschool in Denver until she wanted more adventure and became a fight attendant with Braniff International.
While flying she met Bill Howey in a mall in San Antonio, Texas. They married in 1975. They moved from Texas to Los Angeles and started their “acting class” lives working at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.
Carla had a few other jobs: She was the Executive Secretary to the Academy Award, Bafta and Emmy winning Lon Bender of Soundelux for three years. And Executive Secretary to the Emmy winning, David John West, of West Productions for two years before moving back to Denver.
Carla was primarily the manager of the acting classes. She did and still does all the financial work. She handles all the problems students come up with. And emails out the class scenes. Student actors need a variety of scenes to work on in the classes, she has compiled over 6000 scenes. But in October 2020 she had to take over all the classes. Bill Howey had a medical issue that kept him from teaching. Carla has taken over all the classes until Bill recovers enough to continue teaching the scene study classes.
Below are endorsements of Carla Howey’s teaching ability:
On February 27th , 2019, I attended my initial class at the Howey Acting Studio. That evening I learned two things about myself; I needed to grind hard if I wanted to be a working actor and I was finally in the right place. Bill Howey was at the helm my first seven months in class before he had to take some time off. Instead of canceling class, Carla stepped in for Bill and continued to push those of us who were serious about our craft. I’ve always appreciated Carla’s input along side Bill.Carla has a different way of critiquing our work than Bill but still makes quite an impact. Since October, Carla has taught class and I’ve drastically grown as an actor because of her prospective and teaching style. I wouldn’t be where I am as an actor today without the help of Bill and Carla Howey. While I miss the teachings from Bill, I am fortunate that Carla was able to step in so I could continue to grow as an actor.
Thank for continuing to push us Carla.
–David W Rice
Bill and Carla Howey have been an unrivaled teaching team for decades, and Carla is an incredibly gifted coach in her own right. She uses her unique, un-apologetically honest perspective to provide constructive and encouraging feedback to her students. Her infectious energy is welcoming and positive, but make no mistake: she is there to push actors out of their comfort zones and challenge them to put in the work. Carla knows her students well and is invested in their professional – and personal – growth.
I have been extremely fortunate to have taken classes led by Carla at The Howey Acting Studio. She has helped me work through my “acting problems” and have confidence that the most powerful choice I can make in any scene is the most personal one. Her guidance has been invaluable to me, and I will be forever grateful for it.
-Kate Prescott
If I had to pick two things that Carla has really helped me focus on that have transformed the way I approach a character, it would be intention and intensity. In everything that you do at the core of it, is you. People think you have to pretend to be someone or create a character, but Carla has helped me learn that no matter what you do, you are the base of everything. You are the best selling point you have, so taking you out of your work is sabotaging your business and your art.
As an actor, you always hear be different and to take risks. Well how do you do that? Carla has helped me change my mentality of who I am as an actor, who I am as the character, and who I am within my character. Think about that moment in life where you were too scared to tell a person how you truly felt, too beaten to feel like you had any fight left in you, or too sad to ever think you would smile again. These moments and places in general are hard to be in and can be difficult to recreate as an actor but Carla helps you find ways to connect and create these characters in a way that is not traumatizing for the actor but is effective for the audience.
Carla’s teaching style highlights on you living as the character with their emotions and bringing the audience along with you as you work your way through each moment. Having this kind of practice and guidance creates consistency in learning how to confidently make strong choices in order to play every character to the height of their ability every time.
As an actor, you get the opportunity to be that person inside you that you’re scared people will judge or the person that you don’t get to be in real life that you wish you could. Carla helps you get yourself to a place where you are able to give yourself permission to be that person and all the other parts of you that you may be afraid to show. This only widens your imagination and sharpens your ability to add depth to every character you play. Carla is such a warm, welcoming person when you walk through the door but is honest and strong in her critiques. I enjoy class and have definitely grown not only as an actor but also as a person.
–-Vania Anane
To those of you interested in taking an acting class that lets you develop your acting skills , creative flow , emotional awareness in a scene and lets you know the honest truth about your acting then The Howey Acting Studio is the place to study. At the moment Carla Howey is taking Bills place until he recovers from an illness and she follows the same guidelines and uses the same coaching methods as her husband Bill Howey. Carla just like Bill wants to make believable actors who work with passion and act from the heart.
–Marie Sylvia Chimbo
I think Carla is the best acting coach in the state of Arizona. If you’re serious about learning how to be a great actor then there really only is one choice, and that’s at Howey Acting Studio with Carla. I’ve studied with Carla since she took over for Bill and can’t even begin to describe how far I’ve come as an actor. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of repetition. It takes a lot of getting over yourself and having real feelings and emotions. I doubt there are many coaches or studios left who have the years of knowledge and work that Carla has, and the ability to teach this. There are certain things you need to realize and you need to be shown if you want to be a great actor who can affect and audience. Carla is one of the few left who has the ability to guide you on that journey.
–Casey Yontz
Carla is an INCREDIBLE teacher. Most teachers will let you off easy, which is a huge hindrance to growth as an actor/actress. Carla is not afraid to be honest. She isn’t afraid to push you to be better, and she isn’t afraid to tell you when you are acting out of fear. She has helped me grow so much, and what is more is that she loves every single one of her students. Carla has more experience with the industry than any other teacher in Arizona, and there is absolutely no one else you want to go to study acting if you live here. I’ve had a few acting teachers and I have not grown as much as I have with them as I did with Carla in just under a year. She pays attention to your scene, has great ideas and knows how to prepare you for any audition so that you stand out.
–Vai Patri
I have been a product of great coaching and there are no words to express the truth. My gratitude for Carla is on a level of degree that cannot be surpassed. Carla’s ability to be honest and truthful when assisting you to become the best version of yourself as an actor is uncanny. Carla understands truth and authenticity and works to help you produce it from yourself. My continued growth and experience have been a product of The Howey Studio.
–Gabe John