Dr Tanya Gerstle
Dr Tanya Gerstle
Master Performance Coach
Dr Tanya Gerstle is an award winning acting teacher and theatre director and an Honorary Senior Fellow in performance with the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Tanya has been training business professionals and performers for 40 years in both Europe and Australia.
Tanya is an Honorary Senior Fellow with The University of Melbourne. She has received a coveted award for ‘Teaching Excellence’ and holds a Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts. She has taught internationally in many Conservatoires as well as University programmes such as Penn State University, USA, The University of York, UK and The University of Caen, France.
When based in Amsterdam for several years she pioneered a new approach to communication and presentation training, which she designed and delivered to business management and executives across Europe.
For 15 years Tanya trained actors as Head of Acting (2007-2013) in the Theatre School of the Victorian College of the Arts, one of the leading acting schools in Australia. She has taught some of the most successful Australian actors this decade.
Tanya is currently on the performance coaching faculty for the Australia Bar Association’s Advanced Advocacy Intensive. She has been involved with this course for the past 13 years and has taught for the Singapore Law Society’s equivalent course.
Tanya is the founder and Artistic Director of OpticNerve Performance Group, an international ensemble based in Melbourne, which has been nominated for six Greenroom Awards, including one for Best Director for Tanya’s work. Her body of work as a director includes adaptations of texts by Barker, Brecht, Lorca, Churchill, Chekhov, Kushner, Wertenbaker, Tolstoy, Shakespeare and conversions of film and radio texts to the stage.
Tanya is an Honorary Senior Fellow with The University of Melbourne. She has received a coveted award for ‘Teaching Excellence’ and holds a Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts. She has taught internationally in many Conservatoires as well as University programmes such as Penn State University, USA, The University of York, UK and The University of Caen, France.
When based in Amsterdam for several years she pioneered a new approach to communication and presentation training, which she designed and delivered to business management and executives across Europe.
For 15 years Tanya trained actors as Head of Acting (2007-2013) in the Theatre School of the Victorian College of the Arts, one of the leading acting schools in Australia. She has taught some of the most successful Australian actors this decade.
Tanya is currently on the performance coaching faculty for the Australia Bar Association’s Advanced Advocacy Intensive. She has been involved with this course for the past 13 years and has taught for the Singapore Law Society’s equivalent course.
Tanya is the founder and Artistic Director of OpticNerve Performance Group, an international ensemble based in Melbourne, which has been nominated for six Greenroom Awards, including one for Best Director for Tanya’s work. Her body of work as a director includes adaptations of texts by Barker, Brecht, Lorca, Churchill, Chekhov, Kushner, Wertenbaker, Tolstoy, Shakespeare and conversions of film and radio texts to the stage.
Her book titled' Physical improvisation for Theatre makers and Directors' is published by Bloomsbury and will be out in January 2026.
Dr Tanya Gerstle
Dr Tanya Gerstle
Master Performance Coach
Dr Tanya Gerstle is an award winning acting teacher and theatre director and an Honorary Senior Fellow in performance with the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Tanya has been training business professionals and performers for 40 years in both Europe and Australia.
Tanya is an Honorary Senior Fellow with The University of Melbourne. She has received a coveted award for ‘Teaching Excellence’ and holds a Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts. She has taught internationally in many Conservatoires as well as University programmes such as Penn State University, USA, The University of York, UK and The University of Caen, France.
When based in Amsterdam for several years she pioneered a new approach to communication and presentation training, which she designed and delivered to business management and executives across Europe.
For 15 years Tanya trained actors as Head of Acting (2007-2013) in the Theatre School of the Victorian College of the Arts, one of the leading acting schools in Australia. She has taught some of the most successful Australian actors this decade.
Tanya is currently on the performance coaching faculty for the Australia Bar Association’s Advanced Advocacy Intensive. She has been involved with this course for the past 13 years and has taught for the Singapore Law Society’s equivalent course.
Tanya is the founder and Artistic Director of OpticNerve Performance Group, an international ensemble based in Melbourne, which has been nominated for six Greenroom Awards, including one for Best Director for Tanya’s work. Her body of work as a director includes adaptations of texts by Barker, Brecht, Lorca, Churchill, Chekhov, Kushner, Wertenbaker, Tolstoy, Shakespeare and conversions of film and radio texts to the stage.
Tanya is an Honorary Senior Fellow with The University of Melbourne. She has received a coveted award for ‘Teaching Excellence’ and holds a Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts. She has taught internationally in many Conservatoires as well as University programmes such as Penn State University, USA, The University of York, UK and The University of Caen, France.
When based in Amsterdam for several years she pioneered a new approach to communication and presentation training, which she designed and delivered to business management and executives across Europe.
For 15 years Tanya trained actors as Head of Acting (2007-2013) in the Theatre School of the Victorian College of the Arts, one of the leading acting schools in Australia. She has taught some of the most successful Australian actors this decade.
Tanya is currently on the performance coaching faculty for the Australia Bar Association’s Advanced Advocacy Intensive. She has been involved with this course for the past 13 years and has taught for the Singapore Law Society’s equivalent course.
Tanya is the founder and Artistic Director of OpticNerve Performance Group, an international ensemble based in Melbourne, which has been nominated for six Greenroom Awards, including one for Best Director for Tanya’s work. Her body of work as a director includes adaptations of texts by Barker, Brecht, Lorca, Churchill, Chekhov, Kushner, Wertenbaker, Tolstoy, Shakespeare and conversions of film and radio texts to the stage.
Her book titled' Physical improvisation for Theatre makers and Directors' is published by Bloomsbury and will be out in January 2026.
Read more about our experts…
Contact Us
Be part of our community
Be inspired with tips and ideas on voice, leadership and influence.
Serving clients throughout Australia | US | Asia | Europe
Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 Cornell Voice Pty Ltd