Name:
Deepti Gupta
Year Graduated:
2004
Degree:
M.F.A. in Acting
Favorite Memory of T&D:
Falling in love with Larry Pontius. We got married in 2005.
Influential Professors or Classes:
At the risk of sounding like a suck–up, I would have to say that all the professors were influential to my growth. One could say that I was new to the country and didn't know better. But I would argue that I came to the department without any specific expectations. All I wanted to do was learn. So, Fran Dorn, Lucien Douglas, Pam Christian, Barney Hammond, Jim Hancock, Andrea Beckham, Lee Abraham, Kent De Spain, Stephan Gerald, Amparo Garcia Crow were all instructors I learnt from.
- I always looked up to Fran as my God Mother. She was always there when I needed her. I missed her graduate Shakespeare class, and I will always regret that. I remember coming to her office very early on, because some breathing exercise in voice class had me crying uncontrollably. She was like a parent to this foreigner.
- Lucien was someone I could discuss my doubts with. He gave me sound advice more than once. And he would practice his Indian accent with me. I learnt so much from his classes. He is always very excited to hear from his students.
- Pam helped me with my American accent and asked me the most important question: "Do you want to change how you speak or just learn an accent?" Well, what I have now is more of an American accent, with a little hint of Indian. Thanks, so Pam, I have a better ear for listening to accents now.
- I always appreciated Barney's patience with me and my class. He took time with the voice work, and his before–audition–warm–ups have helped me so much.
- Jim helped me feel grounded when I need that. His teaching method was gentle, and I wish he had stayed with our class till we graduated.
- It took me a while to understand Andrea, but I did. She asked me to be in a short dance piece with her during a department festival. I felt so honored. I still practice Pilates. Everyday Pilates.
- Lee and I worked on Heartbreak and our M.F.A. Showcase. He had such an acute eye for seeing where the actor needs help. I enjoyed his coaching.
- I enjoyed Kent from the day he gave his Master class. Kent's classes always left me feeling playful and excited. Except when I sucked at an exercise in class. He also coached me on my Thesis Performance.
- I was never taught by Stephen, but he and I had many conversations about minority actors in the industry and he generously shared his contacts with me.
- Amparo taught us in our first year, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing Rhythms in class. It was such a great way to explore a character's emotional life. She provided a very different kind of energy in the faculty we had.
These are just a few reasons all these professors will always be special to me.
Current Hometown:
Sunnyside, Queens, New York
Current Profession:
Still working as an actor. Also teaching Hindi on the side (I never thought I would be teaching Hindi.)
Biography:
I grew up in Delhi, India. Finished my undergraduate studies in Delhi, and then moved to Singapore do pursue an M.A. in Theatre Studies. After 2.5 years in Singapore, I moved to Austin, TX, USA to join UT for an M.F.A. I moved to New York after graduating from UT.
My parents still live in Delhi. My younger sister lives in France. She is an artist/painter/dancer, and much more. My husband and I have had 3 wedding ceremonies. First in New York, second in Normal, IL (my husband's parents live there), and third in Delhi, India. It was Larry's first trip to India. He is writing an episodic blog about our trip to India. Here is a link: myspace.com/larrypontius
I have been doing all kinds of work in New York. Luckily, I have been able to sustain myself and continue to work as an actor. I have just started working on a Documentary. More information on that is available on my blog and Myspace page.
Film/TV:
NBC–Kidnapped (Special Delivery), ABC–Knights of Prosperity (Caught On Tape), NBC–Third Watch (Too Little Too Late), Abhidya (Short), Quarterlife Crisis (Feature), The War Within (Feature), Maney Na Dil (18 part Pakistani TV Series), Pehchaan (13 part Pakistani TV Series), New York Stories (13 part Pakistani TV Series).
Theatre:
Merchant of Venic (American Globe Theatre), Ivanov (Mint Theatre & NAATCO), Baghdad Burning (Sixfigures Theatre Company), Julius Caesar (National Black Theatre), Spontaneous Combustion (Manhattan Theatre Source).
Personal or Related Websites:
www.deeptigupta.com
blog.deeptigupta.com
myspace.com/deeptigupta
