"Learning should never stop," director Ezra Stone told a graduating class of a prominent drama school a few years ago. "Every master carpenter sharpens his tools regularly while he is looking for work and even more regularly while he is on the job." Actors have always studied. But the necessity for constant training is even greater today than it was 20 years ago, for the virtual disappearance of the old-time stock companies has deprived us of an important source of on-the-job training, and the growing popularity of the musical play has made versatility increasingly necessary. Today, almost all dancers also sing; almost all singers dance and act, and many young actors of serious purpose work to perfect their abilities at all three. A Labor Department survey conducted several years ago showed that most professional performers spend up to 14 hours a week studying or training from nine to 12 months a year. And they spend more than several thousand dollars a year to finance this training.
The advantages of a college education are as obvious in the acting profession as they are anywhere else: a broadening of your intellect, the development of your personality, a deeper appreciation of culture and its importance in your life. In college, you have to take such subjects as English literature, sociology, mathematics, languages--the things that may end up feeding you and your family at an unexpected time. For these reasons, and because the competition for good jobs in every field is growing more intense, a college education is essential. The history of the theatre, the study of plays and traditions, the exposure to all dramatic forms and backgrounds--these are offered only in college, and knowledge of them creates greater opportunity for diversified theatrical activity. The actors who also function as successful directors, writers, designers, and producers are the ones who know more about their business than just acting.
Additionally, theatre classes taken in college are important for two reasons: they give the student general knowledge that all liberal arts students are supposed to acquire in college, and they provide a hands-on environment providing training, experience, and skills that can be valuable in any number of careers. In short, a theatre degree can be important both for students committed to a career in theatre and to those interested in other areas that require communication skills, such as public relations, or sales. It is also very likely that even the person highly committed to a career in theatre will have to seek non-theatre employment at some time during his or her career, either permanently or for "survival."
It has been said that there are two types of jobs: "professional work," that requires special training, such as law and medicine, and "trait-oriented work," for which an employer looks for special traits, such as communication skills, imagination, reasoning ability, and judgment. Theatre training can be valuable for many careers that fall into the second category.
Skills and personality traits that can be developed as a result of theatre training classes include: oral communication skills, creative problem-solving abilities, a willingness to work cooperatively, initiative, promptness and respect for deadlines, ability to learn quickly, adaptability, ability to work under pressure, acceptance of disappointment, self-discipline, concentration, leadership skills, and self-confidence.
Once again, Dramatics Magazine can be very helpful. It publishes an annual college theatre directory, with profiles and audition information on scores of schools throughout the country. Each entry contains information about scholarships, admission requirements, auditions, deadline dates, and program characteristics.
Another useful publication is the Directory of Theatre Training Programs. This also profiles, in some detail, college, university, and conservatory programs across the United States. This directory is available through the mail from Theatre Directories, Dorset, VT 05251.
Today, too, many colleges and universities have professional theatre groups right on their campuses. In these, there is a unique opportunity to work in a professional company with professional actors and directors while at the same time obtaining a degree and pursuing other areas of study. The Huntington Theatre Company at Boston University, the Pioneer Theater Company at the University of Utah, Yale University, McCarter Theatre at Princeton University, and Syracuse Stage at Syracuse University are but a few of the college-based professional theatres operating throughout the country.
An organization called University/Resident Theatre Association, Inc. negotiates with Actors' Equity Association establishing-wages and working conditions for professional actors to work with students in university theatres. Members of U/RTA include University of Alabama, University of Arizona, Florida State University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Purdue University, and University of Wisconsin, among more than 25 others.
Information on college and university theatres can also be obtained from the National Association of Schools of Theatre in Reston, VA 22090.
Choosing the right school is important. First, as with any course of study, you must decide if you want a small school or a large one; urban or rural; close to home or out of town. More specifically, if you are planning to study theatre, do you want a concentration in theatre, or do you want a liberal arts education coupled with an opportunity to take some theatre courses? After making the initial decisions, it will be necessary to examine both the faculty and the curriculum. Who on the faculty is currently working professionally? Do they bring in guest directors and other personnel? Is there an opportunity to work with a professional theatre during the school year? How many productions will you be involved with during the school year? Is there an alumni network? What are recent graduates doing? How many are currently working in theatre?
Actor Hume Cronyn in his autobiography, A Terrible Liar: A Memoir said this about training:
I believe it is desirable to have it. You can of course get by-even prosper-without it, but if your schooling gives you no more than a rudimentary sense of your instrument-the control of your body, voice, the power of your imagination, perhaps even a peek into your own soul-then you've made a fortunate start.
College theatre is one of the last proving grounds left to the actor- one of the few places where he or she is still able to learn by trial and error, to make mistakes, and then to correct them without bearing an additional burden of fear for a job, family security, and a future as a performer.
But a college education alone does not offer enough straight acting training. Rather, it is the first step in the endless process of study. After college, one needs to study acting with a teacher or at a school that concentrates on acting and acting only. (This kind of training should be undertaken after college, not in place of it.)
So you need the acting school because college drama courses are not derivative of professional theatre (and shouldn't be); but you need college first, because acting schools don't offer any other kind of education, and you'll need it.
Not too long ago, a survey taken of 24 Broadway singers and dancers showed that more than one-third went to college, one fourth spoke foreign languages fluently, and almost all attended weekly singing, acting, and dancing classes.
Let's assume you've finished college and are ready to continue your study of acting. What next? Naturally, the big centers of commercial theatre-New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago-offer the widest choice, since most actors congregate in these cities, and many teachers also work as actors or directors.
How do you find out where you should study? Perusal of the telephone book or examination of the ads placed in trade papers can be a confusing experience. Literally hundreds of teachers and schools vie for your hard-earned dollar. Some of them are scams; others, while sincere, offer nothing of significant value; some may be too highly specialized to suit your particular needs; others may work in a manner alien to your personality. But there will be several, you may be sure, that can help you sharpen and perfect your talent.
You will get no list of recommended schools from the actors' unions. They can't and won't endorse specific teachers. In choosing a school or teacher, it is well to consider the people who teach there and what their experience has been. Also, who has studied there recently and what do they have to say about it? Other actors are a good source of information. So is the school itself. As a prospective customer, you should shop carefully, and you should never enroll in a school without first having had an interview with a member of its staff. Don't be afraid to ask what that school has to offer. Also, you have a right to sit in on a class before enrolling. Find out for yourself how the teachers work, and see what you think of it.
Some schools offer a complete curriculum, including acting, dance, voice, and speech. Whether or not you want to study all these things at once depends upon the extent of your available time and money. Some people can afford only one course at a time. Don't let this discourage you. Assuming you have a qualified teacher, you'll get as much out of your one course as you put into it. Actually, you may be better off by starting out with a single course; for you may decide that you don't like the school and want to change.
Acting classes probably will cost a minimum of from $90-$ 150 for an 8-12-week course, consisting of from one to three classes a week. Sometimes, the cost is considerably higher-$300-$500 is not unusual. Individual instruction usually runs a minimum of $15-$20 an hour, $30-$50 being common. Only in rare instances, such as coaching for a specific part, is individual instruction more valuable than class work. On the contrary, working with a group is generally the more valuable experience, since acting demands the presence of other people both onstage and in the audience. Most singers and dancers spend an average of $50 to $100 a week on classes.
Even after careful inquiry, you may find that the school in which you've enrolled is not for you. This happens frequently to young actors, for the relationship between teacher and student is a very personal thing, and there are many different approaches to teaching and acting. It's quite probable that a certain method can help you during one stage of your development and do nothing for you at another. There is no sure way to avoid mistakes in choosing your first school or teacher, and even if you land in the wrong place for awhile, it's seldom a totally wasted experience.
There are certain dangers, however, that should be avoided:
- Never enroll in a school that guarantees to get you an acting job, a union card, or an agent. No school can do these things, and this kind of representation is downright dishonest. I have never seen a reputable school or teacher advertise in this manner.
- Never succumb to the "teacher" who tells you that "for $100, I can arrange a showcase so that you'll be seen," or who promises "a screen test." Hundreds of gullible young actors fall for this routine every year, and none of them has ever landed a job as a result.
- Be suspicious of teachers who do not have legitimate credentials and who claim to produce TV shows, movies, or theatrical productions.
- Verify the claims before signing contracts for lessons or paying cash to anyone.
- Fraudulent training schools often advertise, using photos of former students whom the school claims to have placed in high paying entertainment jobs. Like phony agents, these kinds of schools may demand exorbitant registration fees for worthless instruction and demand that you have photographs taken by their photographers.
- In the case of fly-by-night acting schools, classes often don't begin on schedule and sometimes will not begin at all. Suddenly, the "school" or "teacher" will disappear and can no longer be reached by telephone. If and when classes actually do begin, they may consist of little more than the student reading over and over from a script and being assured by the "teacher" that there is improvement.
If you have any doubts about the school in which you're interested, feel free to check its references with the unions. While they cannot express a preference for particular schools with respect to the quality of instruction, these organizations certainly can tell you whether or not the advertising is ethical or whether their members have complained of misrepresentation.
