"I had the pleasure of working with Rana on many projects in my time at Berkeley Playhouse. As a performer, she brought grace, professionalism, and amazing talent to our professional shows. As a teacher, she showed positivity, effectiveness, and caring to our young artists. Rana is good at everything she does. And she gives everything she does 110%. I feel lucky to have worked with Rana, and I'd gladly hire her or collaborate with her in the future"
-Jerry R. Foust, Executive Director at The Actors Gymnasium
TESTIMONIALS - DIRECTING, COACHING & TEACHING |
TESTIMONIALS - ACTING, SINGING & PERFORMING |
"Rana does a remarkable job of making every kid feel valued in the play. She sets high expectations and give the kids the leeway to reach them in their own creative way, no matter their part." -Cindy Lou, Berkeley "Rana fell to the floor saying 'I'm dying. I'm dying. You guys are too loud.' We all ran to her and gave her CPR and tried to "save" her life. Rana is a great director who makes shows and rehearsals fun AND funny." -Olivia Leung-Brown, Berkeley "Brilliant casting. My daughter, of course, wanted to be Ariel. Rana, however, saw an opportunity for growth for my girl, and cast her as Prince Eric. Rana nurtured my daughter through her first solo, and supported her in her explorations of a part that was not what she had in mind. As her mother, I can say that this was her best performance, and the one that really broadened her outlook on performing. She grew into the part, and came to understand what a plum role it was." -Wendy Kaufman, Berkeley "Rana integrates a full range of technical support with her critical approach to performance. Not only have I noticed a drastic improvement in bridging my "head" and "chest" voices, my approach to vocal technique has dramatically changed and my range significantly improved. She focuses on helping her students find their own voice while pushing them to explore new genres and stretch their mental and vocal limits. She is a pleasure to work with..." -E. Hyun, Oakland "My son worked with Rana in preparation for several auditions, and we found her to be a terrific coach. Jesse had a lot of fun and learned a great deal in the process. Rana was enthusiastic, patient, and innovative. She understood my son's needs and was willing to try various approaches until she discovered the ones that worked. Thank you Rana for helping Jesse develop as an actor and as an artist." -Heidi T., Berkeley "Rana directed my then 9-year old daughter in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Jr. What she was able to accomplish with her and the other girls in the cast was amazing. Not only did Rana lead the girls in putting on a really fantastic show... but she gave them the responsibility of taking ownership over their roles, which engendered a tremendous sense of pride in their work, and in themselves. Rana believed in every kid in her care and gave them all a chance to shine. Under Rana's leadership, the cast really bonded and still, a year later, many greet each other by the character names they had in that play—even though they've been in other shows since. My daughter got such a confidence boost from working with Rana and it has spilled over to other areas of her life. I can't say enough wonderful things about Rana's directing and the impact it had on my child." - Lynn B., Berkeley "My daughter is very inspired by Rana! She's more of the shy, quiet type and not the first to jump on the stage. Rana brought out the best in her with just the right balance of fun, artistry, and encouragement. She gained confidence, grew her musical theater skills, and above all, had the time of her life. Thank you, Rana!" - Mother of a Little Mermaid cast member "Rana is one of my favorite Directors! She is good at teaching us acting, singing, and dancing. She makes us feel like a family. Rana is super fun. She's super duper fun! And, she's really good at braiding hair. She braided all of our hair very fancy for the Little Mermaid shows." - Malia Lee, age 9 |
FILM
I have had the pleasure of working with Rana on two projects, and both times she has made my jaw drop. When I first worked with Rana she was so in character that, when I worked with her the second time, I did not recognize her... Rana has a range that is unparalleled. I saw her play a weathered drug addict in one film and a sarcastic literary agent in another... if it wasn't for the credits, you would never know that it was the same person. It is truly rare that a performer can be so funny and so intense. I would hire or recommend Rana in a heartbeat. She is an amazing talent who is the utmost professional. Rana is going places and I cannot wait to see what she does next." - Ferguson Saove-Rogan, Director and Editor [excerpted from an email] "I'm reviewing our footage from the shoot, and I wanted to tell you how awesome you are! Great physicality, fantastic expressions-- But maybe more than anything, I want to commend you on your generosity; being game for all the stuff we asked you to do, certainly, but also for your generosity with the other actors. Watching these clips, it's clear how you made it a point to do regular eye-contact check-in with [your scene partner] before takes... Then, when working with the other grannies, you snapped right back into ensemble.... You were a real pleasure to direct and you made everybody--the other actors, the crew, yourself, and hell, even me--look good. Many thanks for it all & hope to work with you again!" -Ken Grobe, Writer/Director "Rana is a joy to work with -- a talented & creative professional who arrives on set prepared, relaxed & ready to work. She brought fun & focus to her leading role as the pill-popping femme fatale in the comedy feature "Confrontational French". I hope to work with her again on future projects, and wish her all the bucketloads of crazy success she deserves." -John Lucas, writer/director "Confrontational French" THEATRE "Rana Weber is one of the most deliciously talented character actors I have ever worked with - she's open, flexible, funny, always professional and intelligent. I have cast her in many shows at the Playhouse - she is a gem to work with." -Elizabeth McKoy, Artistic Director Berkeley Playhouse "Rana Weber is funny, smart and one hundred percent dedicated to making the most of any role she plays: ...she'll research her back story and motivate every line, she'll mine a moment for gold, and she takes direction to heart, ensuring all that splendor illuminates your show exactly the way you wanted it to." -Stuart Bousel, Artistic Director No Nude Men "Rana has a God-given voice, a natural dramatic and comedic sense, and is truly invested in the work she performs." -Michael Golden, Director at Yetiboy Productions |
