Acting Classes Are Great. Reps Matter More.
I’ve taken hundreds of acting classes over the years. I’m not exaggerating. They’re all a little different, but they’re also kind of the same.
There are Method acting classes, which I think have value. There are cold-reading classes, which definitely have value. My personal favorite has always been scene study. But regardless of the type of acting class you take, you’ll usually hear some version of the same questions:
Who is your character?
What do they want?
What is their relationship to the other characters?
What are they trying to accomplish in the scene?
What happened immediately before the scene started?
Those questions are important, especially when you’re preparing for an audition. Before you start obsessing over memorizing every single word, spend some time understanding what is actually happening in the scene.
Ask yourself:
What is my character’s relationship to the other person?
What does my character want from them?
What happened right before this scene?
What happens immediately afterward?
What is my character trying to change, accomplish, or avoid?
Once you understand those things, start thinking about your acting choices. There is usually an obvious way to play a scene. Figure out what that choice is first. Then try to find something a little more interesting.
That doesn’t mean making a weird choice simply because it’s different. The choice still has to make sense for the character, the relationship, and the story. But if every actor auditioning for the role makes exactly the same choice, finding something slightly unexpected can help your audition stand out. At the same time, know how to perform the obvious version too.
Sometimes actors spend so much time trying to make an audition unique that they completely overthink it. A director or casting director may simply want the scene played straight. Being able to take direction and adjust quickly is just as important as coming into the room with a strong choice.
You can understand character development, objectives, relationships, and scene study intellectually, but eventually you have to actually perform. The more reps you get, the easier the process becomes.
You’ll probably always feel some nerves before an audition or performance. That’s normal. But the more prepared you are—and the more often you practice—the easier it becomes to use that nervous energy instead of letting it control you.
That’s one of the biggest reasons I believe actors should continue working on their craft. Whether you’re taking acting classes in San Antonio, practicing cold reading, working on scene study, doing self-tape auditions, or getting regular on-camera audition training, the goal should be the same:
Keep getting reps.
Keep experimenting.
Keep watching your work.
Keep adjusting.
Because the actors who decide, “I’ve been taking classes for years. I’m good,” are sometimes the actors who stop growing.
There’s always something else to learn. Thanks for reading. Interested in learning how you can work on your auditioning skills every week? Click here or call me. Mike.
