Glenn English talks about building a character from without, Part of 1 of 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R44FHJhzr8 ..read more

(Crafting the Perfect Monologue, Part 3 of 3) In this series we've talked about how to score a monologue, finding material that fits you and ways to make your work tridimensional. The last couple things I want to touch on are working with original material in a monologue, as well as some practical tips in the audition room. We should also remind ourselves that monologues come into different shapes and sizes, as in short, medium and longer. In terms of basic math, what that means is 30 seconds, 60 seconds and 90 seconds. For certain academic auditions you may be asked for something a bit longer ..read more

(Crafting the Perfect Monologue, Part 2 of 3) Like we've said before, having a handful of perfect monologues in your back pocket is one of the actor's most essential tools. They are polished, prepared work that's designed to show off both your strengths and your range. They can also be used in a variety of circumstances, with a variety of industry people like agents, casting directors and producers. If your monologues are well chosen and well prepared, they can only enhance your chances of being cast and time devoted to them is well spent. Beyond formal casting situations, monologues can also ..read more

(Crafting the Perfect Monologue, Part 1 of 3) Now there are several aspects to an actors training, not all of which have a lot to do with acting. What? Say that again? Yes, I did say that and it's true. Sure, a big part of it has to do with learning the craft of acting, no doubt, but there's also the business of acting. Some of that has to do with agents, contracts, understanding how things work at HBO/Showtime or navigating the Labyrinth of Broadway. However, before you get to those lofty places, you need to master the skillset of "getting the job" and what those things entail. You need to be ..read more

Ever watch an actor like Daniel Day-Lewis in a film and wonder how he manages to pull off the range of roles that he plays? Have you ever taken a close look at Charlize Theron's work in Monster and been stunned by her detailed physiology and how it's nothing like anything else she's ever done? Ever get a good look at DeNiro's Raging Bull and wonder what he's working with to get that kind of intensity and how did he sustain it? Well, there isn't one single answer to these questions but there is one thing that all these actors have in common in their approach to these roles: ,Animal Work., So wh ..read more

An actor’s training is a cumulative thing, regardless of the discipline, be it Method or Meisner. Every element of your training has inherent value, as it transforms you from the Novice actor, to the Journeyman actor and eventually to being a Master of your craft. It’s all building blocks in that sense and they all proceed from a series of foundational exercises that you learn in the early part of your training. As you advance, these things are internalized and as time passes they become second nature. Now not all exercises carry equal weight with every actor, we all don’t work in the same way ..read more

As you might expect, much of what we talk about in acting class tends to be about, well, acting. That probably comes as no surprise, there’s a lot to talk about - exercises, scene work, relaxation, all that Method stuff. We do, however, get into some of the more mundane but nevertheless important topics like representation and casting. Getting someone legitimate to represent you is something that all actors have to contend with but what happens if you don’t have an agent or a manager? How do you get seen for roles in films or TV if you’re not repped by ICM, Paradigm or CAA? Does anyone even kn ..read more

So I’ve written some on this subject but since it seems to keep coming up for young actors, I think it’s worth revisiting. What exactly can you or should you expect from a good online acting class? Let me start by saying that I’ve been having this conversation with a number of acting teachers that I know, not to mention more than a few acting students. We’ve been talking about this for a while for the obvious reason that online acting classes are not exactly the standard, though they have become the norm in the last year. As with anything, there are pluses and minuses to working remotely, so l ..read more

So I’ve been asked questions by newbie actors lately that I’ve heard before but are worth addressing for the very reason that they keep coming up. Now the questions didn’t come in any particular order and I’m likely paraphrasing but this is how they stuck in my mind. “Do I have what it takes?” “Am I wasting my time with acting?” “How beautiful do I need to be to act?” “If I’m not thin, can I still be an actor?” “My voice doesn’t fit my body, am I out of luck?” “I don’t have an agent, will anybody put me in a movie?” OK, so there were more but let’s stop there and try to focus on these. First o ..read more

Lately, I’ve heard some young actors asking about the value of being in a play reading group, so I think it’s worth talking about for a few minutes. Over the years I’ve been affiliated with a half dozen or so theater companies and all of them had reading groups as well as writing workshops. I consider the many hours spent working with them invaluable, both for what I learned and the friendships those groups fostered. Of course, there are pros and cons to everything, so let’s take a look at all to be fair. First off, being a member of a reading group pretty much guarantees that your acting cho ..read more