How to ACT in an Acting Class

How to ACT in an Acting Class

Most actors, both new and working, take acting classes periodically to improve their abilities.

They learn new techniques, perform monologues they've prepared, pair with a partner, break down their scenes and often make beautiful and smart choices during their performance.

They do this because they are actors, it isn't just what they do, it's who they are. They've chosen this as their career. When you choose this as your career, every time to perform or 'become', whether it's in a class or a paid gig, you are professional at all times because YOU ARE WORKING.

That being said, I sit in on about 3 acting classes a week and a few days ago I sat in on one with new teachers and a host of new actors I had never seen before. I was like a kid in a candy store!...Only to find out that I wasn't in an 'Advanced Acting Class' at all, but instead had traveled back in time to 1995 and was back in my Drama 101 class, stuck in a room filled with grown men and women behaving like children with an advanced case of A.D.D.

So 'actors', let's have a refresher course on how you should behave in an acting class:

BE QUIET! If the instructor is not talking directly to you about your performance, SHUT UP. I'm not an actor, but if I was and I was paying $40 - $100 a week and had to hear you cracking jokes every five minutes for three hours, we would have a problem. So shut up and listen, you may learn something!

PREPARE AND STUDY: Breakdown your scene/monologue line by line. Know your character's backstory, their objective in the scene and what ultimately happens to your character in the end.

BE PROFESSIONAL: Steer clear of other actors that want to joke and chat with you during class. Don't listen to their meaningless chatter, in fact, don't even look in their direction! Stay focused, be quiet and learn!!!!

Remember, your acting class is not just a place you go to practice acting, it's the place you go to become a Professional Actor.

STUDY WITH A PRO: TASHA SMITH

STUDY WITH A PRO:
TASHA SMITH

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I love, love, love actress Tasha Smith ("Why Did I Get Married", HBO's "The Corner"). She's strong, charming, funny, intense, sexy, relatable, welcoming and intimidating...sometimes all at the same time. A true talent. I say all that to say that this amazing actress also shares her wisdom, techniques and acting secrets with fellow actors in Los Angeles. The Tasha Smith Acting Workshop or TSAW, is based in Los Angeles (Santa Monica & Wilcox to be exact) and meets every Monday -Wednesday. She also periodically has workshops in other major cities, so check out TSAW.com for a workshop near you.

If you are an Industry Professional looking for multi-ethnic talent of all ages, you can contact Tasha and her other instructors to arrange an audit:

E-mail: info@tsaw.com
Phone: 818.725.2902
Fax: 818.474.7678

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Have you taken Tasha's class? Share your stories with us!

ACTOR'S TIP - Picking The Right Photographer

ACTOR'S TIP - Picking The Right Photographer

Okay so you're ready to pursue an acting career...The first thing you need to have before you can begin auditioning, is a headshot. Picking the right (and affordable) photographer is no easy task. There are literally hundreds of photographers at your disposal in every major city. But how do you find the right one?

RESEARCH - View as many photographers' portfolios as you can find, to get an idea of their level of expertise, style, use of color, lighting, etc.

BARGAIN SHOP - Photographers can range anywhere from $100 to $1000 per shoot. So shop around and find a photographer that's both affordable and has an impressive portfolio.

Personally, I highly recommend MIKE QUAIN. He's affordable and, in my opinion, the best in the business. Here are some photos from Mike's website:

www.quainphoto.com

What do you think of the photos?

Have you shot with Mike?

Send your photos to me at TalentOverstock@gmail.com!!