For those of you that are beginning your acting lessons training it is important that you understand the differences between an acting class and an acting workshop. Both serve specific functions, but they are by no means the same.
Let’s start with acting workshops. There are a variety of workshops and acting classes Orange County that are offered throughout the year. On-Camera, scene study, audition technique, Meisner Technique, Musical Theatre, voice over, are among the many that are offered. Workshops provide prospective students with an opportunity to experience what is being offered by a particular teacher. Many of these workshops are participatory so I highly recommend a workshop that provides you with an opportunity to work during the session. The time varies depending on the areas being covered, anywhere from to 2-4 hours. After sampling several workshops you will get a feel for the specific technique that best serves your needs. The workshops will enable you to see the teacher at work. By all means take notes and write down those qualities in the teacher that appeal to you. Knowledge of the subject matter, ability to communicate clearly and concisely, responsiveness to questions (how do they interact with the students?), level of patience, ability to command the attention of those in attendance, passion for the craft, a winning personality, are all criteria that make for good teaching.
Once you have found a teacher that is the right one for you by all means audit one of their classes before making your final decision. In this way you will be able to determine if the teacher’s approach is consistent with what you experienced in the workshop you attended. In an ongoing acting class you will be able to get a feel for the students in regular attendance. These are the people you will be working with over a long period of time, unlike those in a workshop that you may not work with again. Positive energy is a must for learning. If the energy in the class you audit is negative you may want to continue to search until you have found the right mix. Ultimately you are not taking an acting class to make friends, but a class that is rife with abrasive personalities is a warning sign of things to come. In many cases the students in attendance are a reflection of the teacher’s demeanor.
Although workshops are very important they are by no means a substitute for ongoing classes. Mastery of any technique requires time and effort. An ongoing acting class will give you the opportunity to work on your craft on a consistent basis. Some classes meet once a week, others twice a week. Prices for ongoing classes are higher than workshops. Ongoing training will require that you are financially able to attend over a long period of time. In the case of the Meisner Technique there are many stages of the “repetition exercise” to work through before you complete the program (in most cases two years). There is no way that you will get the full benefit of this, or any other technique by sporadically attending workshops. Attending class on a weekly basis will help you to develop a discipline that in time, assuming you have the drive and some degree of talent, will yield results. You will also find that there are less people in attendance in an ongoing class.
There are some that think that taking worships or attending seminars is the same as studying the craft on a consistent basis, but that is not the case. To achieve excellence you will need to work at your craft. Take your craft seriously, not yourself.