Information Menu

CB Online

No Users Online

Member Login

Administrator

CB Workflows

You are not authorised to view this resource.
You need to login.
Home arrow Information arrow Advice arrow Acting Articles arrow New Comer to Acting
New Comer to Acting

So you are asking yourself where do I start?  We would like to give you some give lines and the best place to start is with self-examination.  Ask yourself these questions in order:

  1. Why do you want to act? If it something like, "I don't know. It just always interested me." Then you might want to think about an answer more like "I wanted to act all my life."
  2. What is your goal?  If is fame, money, performing or maybe just self-exploration.  Then you may want to think in more of the lines of conquest.
  3. How do you feel about the idea of performing in public or auditioning? Well, if it terrifies you, then go back to question #1 and do some real soul-searching. Today’s acting is something that always involves auditioning and performing in front of people. It occurs on a stage in front of an audience or in front of a camera with dozens of techs around. Acting is in front of people!

Next it’s time to discover HOW YOU FEEL IN THE ACT OF ACTING. How do you do this?  Get some coaching or acting classes.


The brand-new actor should consider coaching rather than taking a class--unless he can find a class composed solely of serious adult newcomers like himself--not dabblers. Being in a class with younger or experienced actors can be overwhelming. This is the most vulnerable stage in a newcomer's acting life. Avoid discouragement at this step.  Discouragement awaits us all, but hopefully by the time it hits we'll have enough confidence to not crumble. A newcomer's confidence level is notoriously low. So go the coaching route rather than the class route. There's less stress and more personal attention.

Another way to start acting is in community or church theatre. Volunteer. Talk to the head of the acting group. Tell them what you would like to do and ask their advice. 

SO WHAT NEXT?

What are the really basic necessities?

One absolute necessity is knowledge of the vocabulary of acting. You have to know Stage Right, Down Stage, ad lib, upstage left, close-up, hit the mark, and...Action! 

You’ll realize the importance of a basic vocabulary during the first coaching session.

Say your reading a short monologue from "Homicide, Life on the Street." At some point during the session someone said to him, "OK, let's start from the top." You don’t want to have a blank look because it will speak volumes. "The top???" Vocabulary is a basic.  Therefore, find a book containing basic acting vocabulary.


Another "must" for a newcomer is to start working on material immediately. The most basic acting requirement is the ability to say a line and sound real. It's hard to imagine an audition or a scene without having to speak. This is BASIC.

If you cannot learn to sound real, then acting is not for you.

It's best to discover your level of sounding real before spending too much money and building up great expectations. You MUST find out if you can say a line believably. THAT IS THE BASIC OF THE BASICS.

To summarize, if you are an adult who has always wanted to act, begin either with community theatre or with coaching sessions. After several lessons you can then decide, based on an intelligent assessment of your potential and an honest evaluation by your coach, if you want to spend the next several years following the dream.
 
[ Back ]
Creative church in Houston www.iam-community.org