On-camera acting, private audition coaching, and executive speaking training with working actors, directors, and industry professionals Nicole Appleby and Ellen D. Williams.
Whether you're stepping in front of a camera, preparing for an audition, or presenting to a room of decision-makers, your work deserves clarity, confidence, and connection.
Our practical, in-person training draws on professional acting, directing, and storytelling to help you make stronger choices and communicate with impact.
Five weeks of in-person practice designed to help actors build grounded, camera-ready performances. Explore scene work, listening, eyelines, framing, and working with direction.
Northwest Portland · 5 weeks
$100 nonrefundable deposit · $250 balance before class one
Reserve your spotTurn your space into an audition-ready self-tape setup. Learn how to choose a clean background, position your camera, shape flattering light, capture clear sound, and frame your performance with confidence. Practice the essentials of recording and submitting a polished self-tape that keeps the focus where it belongs: on your acting.
November 22 at 6:00 PM · Northwest Portland · 1 in-person session
Workshop details and payment instructions provided upon enrollment acceptance.
Workshop inquiryTaught by Ellen D. Williams
Focused, individual coaching for auditions, callbacks, and self-tapes. Refine your choices, sharpen your storytelling, and prepare to walk into the room ready to work.
By referral only · Northwest Portland
Session details and fees provided individually.
Referral inquiryTaught by Nicole Appleby
From the TED stage to the boardroom. Command the room, own your message, and make an impact. Whether you’re preparing for a keynote, executive presentation, media appearance, or high-stakes meeting, great communication is about more than what you say—it’s about how you connect with your audience.
Nicole Appleby brings her experience as a professional director and producer to executive communication coaching, including directing and coaching internationally renowned relationship experts Drs. John and Julie Gottman for their TED Talk, How to Fight Right.
Through personalized, one-on-one coaching, develop a more confident, compelling, and authentic presence while learning to deliver your message with clarity and impact.
Northwest Portland · 5 private sessions
$500 nonrefundable deposit · $1,500 balance before session one
Request private coachingLimited Scholarships Available
We believe financial circumstances shouldn’t be the only thing standing between an actor and great training. Appleby Williams Studio offers a limited number of need-based scholarships for our five-week On-Camera Acting classes.
If cost is a barrier, we encourage you to reach out. Scholarship inquiries are considered individually and kept confidential.
Email a scholarship inquiry or select Scholarship Inquiry in the registration form below.
Actor · Director · Producer · Educator
Nicole Appleby is a SAG-AFTRA actor, director, and producer with screen credits including Kidding (recurring), 9-1-1, Winning Time, CSI: Vegas, S.W.A.T., Lucifer, Dear White People, and the film Quiz Lady.
Her work spans television, theatre, and directing original media. With a theatre degree from UC Irvine and graduate training in education, Nicole brings a distinctive blend of performance craft, directorial insight, and practical teaching to the studio.
View Nicole's IMDb →
Actor · Director · Audition Coach
Ellen D. Williams is known for her recurring roles as Patrice on How I Met Your Mother and Nicole Baskets on FX's Baskets. Her television credits also include Barry, Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mindy Project, and Criminal Minds.
An alumna and former director of the ABC Talent Showcase, Ellen brings extensive insight into professional auditions and casting expectations. She has coached actors who have booked roles from co-stars to series regulars.
View Ellen's IMDb →Register your interest in the group acting class or request private coaching.
Once your enrollment is confirmed, you’ll receive payment instructions to secure your spot. On-camera acting requires a $100 nonrefundable deposit; corporate speaking requires a $500 nonrefundable deposit. The Self Tape Workshop is $200, payable in full.
Pay your remaining tuition before your first class. The exact Northwest Portland address is provided with confirmed registration.
Tell us a little about yourself and the program you're interested in. Complete the secure registration form to send your inquiry directly to our studio. Your information will be saved in Wix Forms for follow-up.
Contact: directornicole@gmail.com
Registration & Payment: Submit your registration inquiry to get started. Once your enrollment is confirmed, you’ll receive payment instructions to secure your spot.
Deposits and tuition are nonrefundable after payment, except where required by law or when the studio cancels a program without providing an agreed replacement. Full payment is required before your first class or session. Please wait for confirmation before sending payment.
Complete the form below and select Submit Registration Inquiry. You will see a confirmation after it is received.
Having trouble viewing the form? Open the secure registration form.
All programs take place in person in Northwest Portland, Oregon. The exact address and arrival instructions are provided upon confirmed registration.
Complete a registration inquiry, receive acceptance and payment instructions, then pay the $100 nonrefundable deposit using the instructions provided. The remaining $250 is due before the first class.
It is a private, one-on-one, five-week program priced at $2,000. A $500 nonrefundable deposit reserves your approved enrollment; the remaining $1,500 is due before the first session.
AUDITION! Private Coaching is available by referral only. Please mention your referral in your inquiry message. Pricing is discussed individually.
Deposits and tuition payments are nonrefundable, except as required by law or under the studio-cancellation policy. Deposits apply toward tuition. Any remaining tuition is due in full before the first class or coaching session.
The Self Tape Workshop is scheduled for Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Other class dates and schedules will be announced when enrollment opens. Please inquire to express interest.
These policies apply to Appleby Williams Studio classes, workshops, and private coaching. Please review them before making a payment. Enrollment and payment are subject to the terms confirmed with you in writing.
All programs are for participants age 18 or older. By enrolling, you confirm that you are at least 18.
All deposits and tuition payments are nonrefundable once paid, including if a student withdraws, misses a class, or changes plans, except where applicable law requires otherwise or under the studio-cancellation policy below. Deposits are credited toward tuition. Any remaining balance must be paid before the first class or session. Enrollment is confirmed only after studio acceptance and required payment.
Please notify the studio as soon as possible if you cannot attend. Missed group classes and workshops do not automatically qualify for a makeup session, credit, or refund. Private coaching rescheduling is subject to instructor availability and written confirmation; a requested change is not guaranteed. Tuition remains nonrefundable, subject to applicable law.
If the studio must reschedule a session because of instructor illness or other circumstances, we will notify enrolled participants as soon as reasonably possible and offer a replacement session when feasible. If the studio cancels a paid program and cannot provide an agreed replacement, affected participants will receive a refund for the undelivered portion. Applicable legal refund rights are not limited by these policies.
Training and coaching do not guarantee auditions, casting, representation, employment, bookings, speaking engagements, or any particular professional outcome.
Recording may be part of on-camera acting and self-tape instruction. Instructional recordings are used for class-related feedback and learning. The studio will seek separate permission before using identifiable student images, video, or audio in public advertising, social media, or other promotional materials. Students should respect the privacy of fellow participants and not post their recordings without permission.
Need-based scholarships are limited to the five-week On-Camera Acting program, subject to availability and individual review. Applying does not guarantee assistance. Please share only the information necessary for your inquiry.
We welcome accommodation requests. Email directornicole@gmail.com before your session so we can discuss your needs and available arrangements.
Registration inquiries are submitted through Wix Forms and stored in the studio’s Wix dashboard. If you choose to email your inquiry, we use the information you send—such as your name, contact details, program interest, and any scholarship or accommodation information—to respond, coordinate enrollment, and administer your participation. Please avoid sending sensitive financial or medical records through the inquiry form. We do not publish scholarship inquiries or use student recordings for promotion without separate permission. Your email provider and website hosting services may process technical or message data under their own policies. For questions about your information or to request deletion of inquiry correspondence, contact directornicole@gmail.com, subject to any legal recordkeeping obligations.
Questions about these policies? Email the studio.