Professional actress offers coaching at Jeter Backyard Theater in Pine

Actress Trisha Simmons extols Pittsburgh as the perfect training ground for aspiring actors of any age.

Simmons, whose resume includes recurring roles on the TV shows “Desperate Housewives” and “Nip Tuck,” plus guest roles on “West Wing” and “Will & Grace,” cited Pittsburgh's weather, traffic and ethnically diverse population as great teachers.

“You have to learn to adapt to a lot of environments and people every single day, and that's acting,” said Simmons of Sherman Oaks, Calif.

A graduate of Point Park University and Langley High School, Simmons grew up in the Sheraden section of Pittsburgh and came home to attend the Sept. 4 premiere of her TV show, “The Chair” on Starz, at the SouthSide Works movie theater.

Simmons, who declined to give her age, also came home to lead a training camp for young performers at the Jeter Backyard Theater in Pine.

“She has a unique ability to push a child to do their best work, in a nurturing way,” said Christie Jeter, director of the Jeter Backyard Theater.

Leila Jolene, 10, of Richland — one of Simmons' cyber-coached protégées — recently landed the lead role in a motion picture set to begin filming next month in Belgium.

Other local child performers coached by Simmons include Ashlyn Boots, also 10, of New Brighton, Beaver County, whose credits include two 2014 films: “The Painting” and “Special Delivery.”

Both Leila and Ashlyn met Simmons when the actress taught a 2013 seminar at the Donna Belajac Actors Studio in downtown Pittsburgh.

“She's a great teacher and has a lot to offer students. … She knows the business,” said Donna Belajac, a local casting director.

Simmons, one of six children, is the daughter of Julia “Judy” Simmons of Sheraden, and the late Jim Simmons.

“I'm so proud,” Judy Simmons said. “When she was 5 and watching TV, she made up her mind. She wanted to be Miss America.”

When she isn't acting or auditioning for roles in movies and TV shows, Simmons specializes in schooling children in the art of “giving more and taking less” — her mantra — when it comes to acting.

Simmons also teaches young people about the importance of becoming a good listener and learning how to speak clearly and use voice inflection or body language to convey an unspoken feeling or emotion.

“We start every class with vocal and physical warm-ups,” she said. “Then we work on teamwork. We do improvisational exercises to help build group energy and listening skills.”

Simmons expects to return in December to the Jeter Backyard Theater to teach a weekend class for parents and young people interested in making commercials.

“What makes my students different is they actually can converse in actor language,” said Simmons, who has been teaching young performers for 20 years.

“A lot of people think that young actors just fall out of the womb and can act,” Simmons said.

“In every great sport, whether its adults or kids, everyone has a coach. You don't see people at the Olympics who just fell out of bed and ice skate like that one day. They trained with a coach.

“People in acting seem to want to hide the fact that they get coached. I don't understand it and I intend to change that.”

Simmons offers in-person, private coaching, or coaching via Skype. To learn more about Simmons' future workshops at the Jeter Backyard Theater, write to her at LAKidsAct@aol.com.

Deborah Deasy is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-772-6369 or ddeasy@tribweb.com.