Since 1980, Sharon has been teaching ongoing acting classes and working extensively as a private coach in Los Angeles and New York. From 1980-1988 she spearheaded the Sharon Chatten Studio in NYC while also teaching at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute as well as for Warren Robertson andLarry Moss. In 1988, she permanently moved her studio to Los Angeles.
Before committing full-time to teaching, Sharon had leading roles as an actress in numerous plays including Sharleen in Hillbilly Women directed by Arthur Penn, Cassandra in The Chain written and directed by Elia Kazan, Marie Garga in Jungle of Cities with Al Pacino and directed by Liviu Ciulei,James Purday & the Works directed by John Stix at Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, and Special Family Things opposite Lois Smith at The American Place Theatre. She toured the U.S. for a year with The National Shakespeare Company playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Viola in Twelfth Night, and Constance in She Stoops To Conquer in repertory. Sharon was also part of the ensemble touring company at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco devoted to original plays developed by the company. She acted in leading roles in scores of original plays both regionally - including Cheryl inWhen You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? by Mark Medoff at the Cincinnati Playhouse, Hennie in Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets with Ron Silver directed by Jeffrey Hayden at The Actors Studio - and in New York at The Actors Studio, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Dramatists, The American Place Theatre, Circle In The Square, Playwrights Horizons, and many other venues. Among featured roles in film and TV, Sharon was critically acclaimed for her portrayal of Jan Stennis, the female lead in the film Over-Under, Sideways-Down produced by Cine Manifest and directed by Steve Wax and Gene Corr. Sharon was also the mystery woman in the Peter Yates film Eyewitness with William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, and Irene Worth, was featured in The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow directed by Jack Clayton, and guest starred often on the CBS TV seriesThe Equalizer as well as projects for the wonderful PBS.
Sharon was made a lifetime member of The Actors Studio in 1975 and a lifetime member of Ensemble Studio Theatre in 1980. She participated in the founding two seasons of the Sundance Film Institute as a resource artist at the personal invitation of Robert Redford. She has lectured at Yale, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, USC School of Cinema, and has spoken on numerous panels including those for SAG and AFTRA.
Sharon has had the honor and delight of working with master talents Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan, Arthur Penn, Harold Clurman, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, William Ball, Nikos Psacharopoulos, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Woodruff, Liviu Ciulei, Robert Redford, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Shelley Winters, Estelle Parsons, John Stix, Larry Moss, and Al Pacino.
Partial Client List
(alphabetically)
Lexi Ainsworth * Keegan Allen * Krista Allen * Laura Allen * David Archuleta * Brandon Barash * Julie Marie Berman * Justin Bieber * Michelle Borth * Jacqueline Bracamontes * Michael Buble * Nathin Butler * Jim Carrey * Shawn Christian * Eddie Cibrian * Jeremy Davies * Paz De La Huerta * Cameron Diaz * Kim Dickens * Matt Dillon * Vincent D'Onofrio * Elise Eberle * Sherilyn Fenn * Amanda Foreman * Jorja Fox * Rick Fox * James Gandolfini * Janeane Garofalo * John Getz * Tamyra Gray * Eddie Griffin * Camille Guaty * Tracey Heggins * Marg Helgenberger * Mariel Hemingway * Catherine Hicks * Tyler Hilton * Lauren Holly * John Driskell Hopkins * Charlie Hunnam * Billy Idol * Vincent Irizarry * Amy Irving * Chris Kattan * Catherine Keener * Nathalie Kelley * Li'l Kim * Beau Knapp * Christopher Lawford * Sheryl Lee * Courtney Love * Elle Macpherson * Joel Madden * Patrick Mapel * Shirley Manson * Kevin McKidd * Josh Meyers * Matthew Modine * Patrick Monahan * Annie Monroe * Alanis Morissette * Rita Ora * Megan Park * Sarah Paulson * Cecilia Peck * Amanda Peet * Piper Perabo * Evan Peters * Kellie Pickler * Nicole Richie * Eden Riegel * Alan Rosenberg * Keri Russell * William Sadler * Richard Schiff * Lisa Sheridan * Grant Show * Will Smith * Jordin Sparks * Scott Speedman * Jordana Spiro * Ben Stiller * Lili Taylor * Jason Thompson * Jeanne Tripplehorn * Robin Tunney * Aisha Tyler * Alanna Ubach * Mark Valley * Kate Walsh * Barry Watson * Robin Weigert * Pete Wentz * Vanessa Williams * Alex Winter * Robert Wisdom