"After twenty years in the darkness away from acting, Joya Cory coaxed me back into the light of her class with these kind words,
"Just try it. What could it hurt?" Joya's genius is in her openness and love of exploration. She reintroduced me to the fun of being on stage. And after that, she pointed the light in the direction of a life in theater. After spending three years at the Bennett Theatre Lab, I moved to New York and was eventually awarded a 2006 New York Innovative Theater Award Nomination for Best Actor and Best Ensemble. I have signed with a manager. I am exposed to projects I never thought possible. And I have never been happier.
All of this opportunity-all of it-would not have happened without Joya's belief, her trust, her encouragement. "Just try it. What could it hurt?" "

Jess Draper
New York, Actor


"Last night, I gave a reading in Alameda, and it's really so amazing how well I did. The improv has helped so much. Standing before the group, I was able to stay in the moment, and even while reading my piece, I could listen to the audience and feel them listening to me. Really an amazing experience; I'm so very happy to have taken your classes. What magical work you do, Joya "

Jennifer Mills Kerr, writer


"Joya used her magic to train our staff in easy and fun theater games that we'll be able to take back to our students. Joya is a powerful and effective teacher with a real gift of creating a safe environment to work and play in peace."

Vicki Abadesco
Teacher, Soul Shoppe Elementary Peace Program
www.soulshoppe.com

"I look forward to Joya's class each week because its a place where I can express myself and feel comfortable knowing that I won't be judged. From an acting or performance art perspective her class is extremely helpful in feeling comfortable on stage as well as being able to think on your toes. Joya has broken down improv into specific excercises that anyone can understand and use from simply warming up to applying them to a performance setting. Her method of improv deals with the fundamentals of acting itself such as physical life, emotional life, and the relationships of characters. Every week I learn something new and every week I have a great time. I can't recommend her class enough."

Nathan
Student of Joya Cory's for the past 2 years
Filmmaker, Art School T.A.
B.A. Film and Television UCSC

"What I gain from Joya's work is the feeling you get when you travel to a new place in which you stretch and challenge yourself to meet the new reality. You discover pride and satisfaction in your response to the new geography. The long term effect is you feel changed forever. The lingering effects of even one of her weekly classes are subtle, powerful, freeing and, again, long term. The simplicity of her work is deceptive. You feel like you're just playing around, but in fact you are doing serious, amazing work, the effects of which you feel only later in 'the real world.' I unequivocally recommend Joya's classes."

Deborah Alstad
Ex-business executive

"I have loved my work with Joya. She covers a lot of territory in her classes, requiring you to bring out and express all aspects of your being. She is not afraid to experiment and venture into new territory,  which is where real growth happens."

Vinit Allen
Director
Sustainable World Coalition
musician

"Joya's class has shown me that the deep, dark secrets I've kept hidden at great cost are nothing but feelings to express, stories to tell, movements to dance and sounds to play with. I am beginning to think of my self and my life more in terms of a range of possibilities than a set of limitations. And the fearsome people I meet are magically transformed into unique and varied playmates."

Carol Sheinfeld

"Joya's class is enlivening, entertaining and expansive. She creates a supportive atmosphere in which to explore ones' creativity and generously shares her expertise in this wonderful art-form. The training has been helpful in many aspects of my life. And why shouldn't it be? Life is, after all, improvisational!"

Padma Moyer, LCSW

"I get a big jolt of JOY taking Joya's classes and it is great for my morale, heart and spirit. Taking these Improv classes helps me deal with daily life also."

Louise Vogel

"As a student of Joya Cory's Full Spectrum Improvisational Workshops for over a year I have tapped into and awakened my creative self within. Joya encourages us to explore and trust our feelings and intuition using movement ,voice and emotion. Since warming up these muscles I have decided to take a chance and pursue my love of theater and performance. Learning to trust myself allows me to take chances, translating into a more genuine and emotional performance. Joya's class has taken the fear out of taking a risk. These lessons provide me with an actors advantage, to absorb the moment and use all the emotion and experience I have, resulting in a genuine and unique theatrical piece."

Oriana Macgrego, acting student