105. Unlocking Dreams Through Acting & the Arts.
Richard Lawson
August 9, 2018
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Today we’re speaking with actor and educator Richard Lawson about the inner workings of his programs Where Art Can Occur (WACO) and Richard Lawson Studios. Both are community and youth oriented programs aimed at helping younger people find and realize their dreams. During our discussion, Richard also talks about the incredible work he and his wife, Tina Knowles Lawson of Tina’s Angels (and mother of Beyonce’ and Solange) have accomplished together, and how they inspire each other to turn ideas into realities.
Topics include:
What inspired Richard and Tina to start WACO
Getting funding and financially securing their projects
The importance of dreams in Richard’s schools and (how he helps manifest them)
The scope of these projects and how he measures success
Different schools of thought and the tools that Richard uses in his education
Learning how to create without restriction and attachment
How Richard approaches technology in the classroom as well as device dependency
Program selection, application, and how classes are chosen
Richard’s work in helping those with addiction problems
What’s on the horizon for Richard and Tina
Richard Lawson has had a long and distinguished career as a film, TV, and theater actor, as well as a master teacher. Some of his films include Poltergeist, Streets of Fire, Stick, The Main Event, Coming Home, Wag the Dog, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, For Colored Girls, and Chicago Story. He also played the part of ‘Lucas Barnes’ on the soap opera All My Children. Before acting, Richard worked as a Combat Medic in the Vietnam War, and enrolled at Chabot College in Hayward, California after returning from a tour of duty.
As an acting and teaching protégé of one the finest and most respected acting teachers in the world, Milton Katselas, Richard went on to create one of the most forward-thinking schools in existence—the Richard Lawson Studios (RLS). The RLS uses motivational and cutting-edge computer technology to impart Richard’s 46 years as a successful actor, teacher, public speaker, and drug counselor for the National Basketball Association to empower artists and professionals to achieve their dreams.
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