Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the class I should take if I'm just starting out as an actor?
Yes. Whether you are just starting out or want to improve your acting skills, a good scene study workshop is the place to be. In scene study, you learn techniques that will serve you well regardless of how you carve your acting career. It is a safe atmosphere in which you can stretch your acting muscles and receive professional feedback.
I want to act in movies and television. Does scene study train me to be a stage actor instead of a film actor?
Though there are technical differences between stage and film. Acting is acting. There are differences in technique but not in the fundamentals.
How many people are in the class?
Enrollment is usually from seven to fourteen students. Size can vary, due to a students life situations. One day in class, next three weeks on set or more personal a job loss. One must go with the flow.
Is a couple of months long enough for me to learn how to act?
You'll be learning how to act for the rest of your life if you are serious about it. Working thru three or four scenes, I can get a sense of his/her level. In that time, I can tell if he/she has particular acting problems or assets, and will communicate my perspective on their acting in a unique way that they are able to understand it.
I'm an experienced actor. Am I going to be stuck with a bunch of beginners in this class?
This is a mixed-level class, and I make a specific point of assigning scene work to each students specific needs of growth. I work with each individual so they can benefit as much as possible from the scene. In other words, on set you will have to work with various levels of acting, so the same goes for class.
Do you do a lot of exercises in the class?
If you mean relaxation exercises, sensory exercises, vocal stretching, NO. I believe the best way to teach acting is to get people involved in scene work as quickly as possible -- even if they are novices. This trains them for auditions, script changes, and other variables thrown at them while on set.
What makes your acting class different from others I see advertised?
Our goal is to teach principles and techniques that lead to a career as a professional actor. I presume that the people who enroll in my classes want to be paid to act. I am also not here to say one class is better than another, for each of us respond differently to different methods. I have found that working with the basic principals of the Meisner technique to work the best for me and my students.