Act Acting » Acting Agents » I FOUND A COACH: HA HA HA

I FOUND A COACH: HA HA HA

Question:

#2: There’s no THINKING in ACTING! You need to study Meisner. Come down and audit my class. Real, professional actors come to the Sunday class but you might need the intermediate level.

That right there tells me that that Coach has no idea what he is talking  about!!!!

Response:

        Study, Raindog, but be selective.  It’s been a while since I worked in Chicago, but one TAS actress works both Colorado and Chicago and she tells me there are some excellent studios in your area…. so shop around…. it’s a buyer’s market, if you know who’s who, and know what questions to ask.

For what its worth …   Uta Hagen in the NY TIMES about a year ago said "Never study acting with someone you’ve not seen on stage." I understand the spirit of her message. I’ve found myself much more willing to trust the sense of truth from an actor/or director whos work I’ve admired previous to our student/teacher relationship.

Response:

The thread regarding the importance of studying with a coach and the option of misrepresinting oneself and one’s theatre history, including areas of study got me remembering this . . .  . . . . but I had never studied and never been cast in a professional theatre.  The coach absolutely refused to work with me until I had taken a class or two.

        I’m impressed by this coach.  Now that you’ve taken a Meisner class, and done another show or two, you might want to decide whether it’s time to re-visit the coach to see if he/she will accept you.  Not that this is you absolute guage of artistic or financial success as an actor, mind you.           Raindog, there are some coaches out there who operate by integrity, versus those who simply want to fill their classes, workshops, private classes for profit.         Study, Raindog, but be selective.  It’s been a while since I worked in Chicago, but one TAS actress works both Colorado and Chicago and she tells me there are some excellent studios in your area…. so shop around…. it’s a buyer’s market, if you know who’s who, and know what questions to ask.   Break a leg, Bill — THE ACTING STUDIO http://gvtg.com/theactingstudio

Response:

I think they all missed the mark. I think I’m going to start lying about never having trained to see what responses I get. Acting experience should count, whether it’s in a class, or on a stage or in front of a camera. The reason you study is to get a job. I just want to work.

I hear your frustration, Bob, but I’d strongly advise against lying.  Here in Chicago, where we have a very lively theatre scene, the acting community is not so much small as it is highly active.  You see the same folks over and over.  Every show I’ve been in, and they’ve all, up until now, been on the community theatre level, there has been at least one actor who knew another actor that knew me and that I knew.  (Kinda like that Kevin Bacon deal.)   Actors get to know one another and they get to know and be known by agents and directors and casting people and coaches.  I would protect my reputation at all costs.  Even though you say you’re lying just to see what the responses you get are, word gets around and your reputation suffers. Trust me, your reputation is all important.  Don’t compromise your integrity.  It can’t help you either personally or professionally.   And what would be so wrong with taking a scene study class?  Check out a Meisner class, or a theatre games workshop, or take a few classes with a coach. It couldn’t hurt, you might learn something, you’ll make some more theatre connections, your craft might improve, and then you can honestly say, "I studied with  . . . " All advantages in my book. Raindog740

Response:

The thread regarding the importance of studying with a coach and the option of misrepresinting oneself and one’s theatre history, including areas of study got me remembering this . . . Having done a lot of community theatre here in Chicago I was feeling the need to take my acting to a higher level and start auditioning for bigger and more well known theatres, I realized I needed to get a monologue together.  I contacted a well respected monologue coach.  She asked me where I had studied.  I told her I had done lots of community theatre work . . . . (As a quick aside, I need to say that community theatre here in Chicago runs the gammut from very, very good to very, very bad.  Because very few actors here benefit from Actor’s Equity a lot of really good actors are free to do community theatre when little else is available.  I’ve been cast in shows with actors who were head and shoulders above the regular community theatre folks, myself included.)  . . . . but I had never studied and never been cast in a professional theatre.  The coach absolutely refused to work with me until I had taken a class or two.   Initially I balked and thought "Who the hell does she think she is?"   She explained that yes, she could take my money, and yes, she could get me up and running with a couple of good monologues that would get me cast in professional theatre but it was highly probably that I’d fall flat on my face when I realized that I had been cast over my head.  Then what?  Not only would I be disgraced and humiliated but I’d no doubt throw her name around too, thus sullying her reputation as an acting coach.  Folks would say, "He studied with XXXXX???? She must not be much!"   She gave me the names of few places to contact where I could take some classes and she said goodbye. I came away from that conversation with a great deal of respect for the woman.  I took her advice and called one of the names she recommended and made an appointment to be interviewed as a prospective student.   I got in and I took a scene study class based on Meisner that was just great.  Loved it.  It was eight weeks of doing everything I love about acting.  Working with a partner, stretching, getting feedback, reading the plays, learning  about being in the truth of the moment, making some connections. Hated to see the class end.   Had every intention of taking the next level but I had commited to doing a play and couldn’t make the time.  I found that my level of performance in that production was 100% more satisying than in any of the previous productions in which I had been cast.   Eventually I’ll get over there and take the next class but I was recently cast in a show at Victory Gardens Theatre.   Raw talent is a beautiful thing and absolutely valid but nothing replaces shining it up a little with good, solid study.   Raindog740

Response:

I think they all missed the mark. I think I’m going to start lying about never having trained to see what responses I get. Acting experience should count, whether it’s in a class, or on a stage or in front of a camera. The reason you study is to get a job. I just want to work.

Of course real acting experience counts, therealbob.  The credits you mentioned attests to some combination of talent combined with patience and perseverance. I’m clear that you’re at a point where you recognize that training can help you hone skills, thereby increasing your marketability. You’re doing the right thing…. shopping around.  But it’s a waste your time to lie about your background, as a means of either "testing" the coach, or enhancing your chances to be accepted into a more advanced class.   IMHO, you’ll achieve more by being frank and honest upfront.  By all means, start the interview by providing the coach with a detailed resume of credits and then stating what your needs and goals are.  (I might add that I’ve caught most of the actors who have lied on their resumes, and don’t blink an eye when showing them to the door.) I dropped out of the "audit" debate because I’m comfortable that other coaches will do things their way, while I prefer my audition approach. However strong the resume, I still insist on auditing an actor’s prepared monologue, or setting the actor up with a cold read.  This gives me a clearer sense of the actor’s skill level, and also provides the actor with a sense of how I coach.  If I accept the actor and the actor accepts me, we map out a verbal contract of goals and training tailored to the actor’s needs.   Go for it, my friend. Find a coach suited to your needs. Break a leg, Bill — THE ACTING STUDIO http://gvtg.com/theactingstudio

Response:

Great…see how it goes… Justin I’m not really a man, I’m a frog. — GIF89a

Response:

I spoke/met with 2 teachers and 1 private coach. They all asked me the same question: Have you ever studied acting? My answer: Not really. They all said I needed Basic Acting/Intro to Acting. Note: They never asked me what I’ve DONE. So I told them I’ve been acting for 3 years and I’ve done these things so far:      3 Nat’l SAG commercials      Lead in SAG indie feature (4/97)      Lead in Off-Off B’way play (8/97)      2 staged readings (1996)      6 student films/lead in 3 (1996)      1 non-union TV sitcom pilot (1995) These are the answers they gave me: Teacher #1: Well, maybe you’re ready for  Acting Level 2. Teacher #2: Why haven’t you trained? Me: I’ve been WORKING. #2: You’ve just been lucky. You probably always play yourself. Me: (Growing defensive) I’ve played a lot of characters. I think about the role and what I want to do, then I do it. #2: There’s no THINKING in ACTING! You need to study Meisner. Come down and audit my class. Real, professional actors come to the Sunday class but you might need the intermediate level. Coach #1: You must have a good intuition. Now you need a good, solid technique. I would start you on commercial copy, they’re like mini-monologues, and I also teach an improv class. You need to learn to work in a class environment. For $40 I will give you a commercial copy package to work on and for $100 I will supply you with unlimited monologues. Me: I just bought Ed Hooks’ monologue book (I did!). I can find my own. I think they all missed the mark. I think I’m going to start lying about never having trained to see what responses I get. Acting experience should count, whether it’s in a class, or on a stage or in front of a camera. The reason you study is to get a job. I just want to work. therealbob

Response:

Today I went to a coaching session in NYC. I learned quite a bit. It was audio taped and the work was videotaped so that I could see the improvements. I’m bringing a monologue next week and I’ll let you know how it goes. PS My name isn’t really Bob. I’m a girl. therealbob

Response:

Related Posts

Leave a Reply