My name is Melissa, but those who train with me call me “PK” — short for Professor Kollwitz. The name stuck, but the career path changed, when I left academia in 2020 after a decade serving as a Theatre professor. 

I am a proud multi-hyphenate and believe that artists should not have to limit themselves to one area of expertise. In addition to coaching for acting and voice, which are my favorite areas of teaching, the breadth of my artistry includes experience as a playwright, director, choreographer, actor, and producer (resumés available upon request).

The PK Method

I created the PK Method to address the gaps in learning that traditional academic settings failed to address, both for me as a student and a professor. My mission is to inspire actors and artists, through hyper-practical techniques, to find the most efficient and economical way to use their voices and bodies expressively. The PK Method is all about empowering performers by demystifying acting and voicework through concrete, repeatable techniques to help them feel more confident in building and maintaining an artistic practice. We are, after all, what we do consistently. 

Career & Mindset Coaching

I am passionate about teaching artists self-regulation strategies to cope with performance anxiety, and promoting autonomy and resilience in their practice so they can show up more fully and authentically as themselves in the room. I provide career coaching to actors so they can practice growth mindset and begin to unpack the ways their socialization has limited them from showing up fully as themselves in their work.