Are Acting Classes Worth It?
When beginning the journey to become an actor the options and opportunities seem overwhelming and the advice is varied and often contradictory. One question I encounter from actors is,
“Are acting classes worth it?”
Being an actor and an acting coach you’d expect my response to be a resounding “YES!” So you might be surprised then to hear that my answer is actually, “sometimes.”…
In every market, large and small, there seems to be no shortage of places to enroll in to train as an actor. Couple that with the internet and the choices are endless. Actors should be honest with themselves in exploring the many opportunities available to them by answering a few questions.
Acting Class is for Actors…and EVERYONE ELSE.
It is commonly known that a wide array of people have a deep, overwhelming fear of public speaking. The very thought of standing in front of an audience feels deadly impossible. The stage, the camera, microphones, spotlights, and lecterns represent extreme danger and unimaginable risk. And yet, much of our daily routine involves playing certain roles in order to navigate our lives through unplanned, risky, complicated, spontaneous events while seeking (hoping!) to successfully survive the choices we make.
William Shakespeare understood these various roles we all play, as conveyed by Jaques in Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
There is comfort in these roles. That familiarity feels safe. However, there is more to be found beyond the boundaries of “safety”. There is more to be discovered. And the place to find it is in…an acting class.