A Few Things to Consider Before Committing to an Actor Training Program

“Hunt quality.  It’s getting harder to find, but you’ll stick around if your name is associated with quality.” – Frank Langella

On August 16, 2005 I packed my bags and headed to New York City to study at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. I know it was the second week of August because I wrote it on a Subway Sandwich napkin above the words, “Here we go.” 

Just a few hours later I found myself not- so-subtly sobbing during a conversation with my ex-girlfriend who was back in California. 

I was convinced that moving back east was the biggest mistake of my young life.

Hopefully, your transition to higher learning or visiting the Big Apple won’t be as dramatic. But the decision on whether or not to invest in graduate school for anything, let alone acting is an enormous one that deserves careful consideration, particularly with the exorbitant cost of college these days.

Of course, many of my friends in New York and Los Angeles are actors. Their training backgrounds run the gamut and are as varied as their tastes in food. 

For instance, some did not attend a graduate or undergraduate drama program, but would have if they could. Others did but were underwhelmed by the experience.  

In the end, each actor forged his or her own path based on what environment they felt would give them the best training.

Before choosing an MFA program I would consider the following:

• The cost
• The investment of time
• The location of the school
• Whether a conservatory is the best learning environment for the way you lear
• The opportunities having a Master of Fine Arts degree might provide you down the road if you decide to do something else (teach, coach, become a public speaker, etc.)
• If graduate school is something you can see yourself committing to all the way through to the end
• The connections and networking opportunities a university might provide.

In the end, I likened attending a graduate school for acting the same way someone who aspired to be a physician or lawyer might. I wouldn’t just walk into a room and try to operate on someone, nor would I saunter into a courtroom orchestrating an argument without the tools and knowledge on how to do so.

Suffice it to say I'd be promptly escorted out if I tried.

Once again, this was my approach and need not be yours. There are lots of ways to develop your skill set outside a conventional learning environment. 

For what it's worth, nearly all of the actors I admire most did not train at 3 or 4-year institutions, and the ones that did often left after a semester or two. 

Attaining an MFA or BFA is NOT the only means to a successful career in the performing arts.

It's merely an option. 

Carefully weigh the pros and cons of attending a conservatory and figure out what you think will give you the best chance of becoming great at your craft.

Mistakes are Encouraged

One bit of training that was really hit home to all the teachers in my summer program was that mistakes are a beautiful thing. "Teach the kids that messing up is always welcome. It's the only way we learn. Encourage them." 

If only we could have all been taught how wonderful mistakes are at such a young age. Perhaps we'd all fear failure a great deal less.

Still, the greatest gift the acting industry gave me was learning to have no fear of not getting it right. Instead, I discovered the power of leaning into my fears and developed a “fail fast” mindset. In time, I learned to build up my recovery time and gradually became more and more resilient.

Remember, failures are an essential part of success. The two need each other. And the more you can learn to reframe setbacks into opportunities to solve bigger problems most people won’t dare take on the further ahead you'll be. 

You'll learn to become less daunted by setback and take satisfaction in starting and finishing something important to you, regardless of what other people think or say.

So fail fast. Fail often. 

Lessons Through a Webcam

This afternoon my 4-week teacher training came to a close. Strangely, it was a bit emotional. For nearly a month 35 soon-to-be instructors stared through a webcam, yet managed to construct a sense of community.  

Many of my classmates will go on to graduate school and pursue careers in teaching full-time. For others this position will merely be a summer job, something to pay the bills in the middle of a transition. But we all share a love of reading, stories, and spirit for sharing that very passion.

Our instructor ended our final session by telling us how much the work meant to her, which had a profound influence on me. I sensed how important her time at this institution was and immediately decided I would do anything not to disappoint her. But most importantly the students deserve our very best.

What I learned today was well-worth the 4 weeks and perhaps the most poignant lesson of all:

Always show up. Always go to the fear. Always do what you can.

Stamina

We all lead busy lives. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Even in the rare moments where it seems we have a moment to catch up with a friend, or finish up that book something tugs at us, once again demanding our attention.

After completing another week of intense teacher training and still finding some way to pursue my creative projects, I'm appreciating more and more the importance of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical stamina. 

Coasting on fumes for a while might seem like a nice trick at first, but I assure you it's not sustainable. Your body may be up, but your focus will wane and the quality of your work will plummet. 

Self-care is crucial to the well-being of an artist. It entails eating right, getting enough rest, protecting your mind from a toxic environment, and having a strong "why." The need to take care of ourselves seems painfully obvious, but as someone once said, "What's easy to do is easy not to do."

Prioritize your health otherwise nothing else matters.

Be Vulnerable

For the past 3 days I've been participating in a rigorous training program for a summer teaching position. We go from about 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and are required to watch several instructional videos before and after class.

This afternoon the organization's president paid us a surprise visit via an online webinar. He shared his background, his history with the company, and how he came to work for the organization. 

He also shared personal stories and aspects of his life, which I especially appreciated since he'd never met any of us in person. His candor humanized him and through his sense of vulnerability he build trust and cultivated a sense of community. 

There is great value in being vulnerable. It brings people together, while reminding each of us we aren't alone.

Priority & Poise

My schedule just had a wrench thrown in it. I'm excited to be teaching this summer but it's already left far less time for me to pursue my creative endeavors. But there may be a silver lining in all of this.

After a very long day of teacher training, I discovered I still have the time to follow through on projects of value. I just need to do two things:

1. Prioritize
2. Keep my poise

When we say we don't have time for something what we're really saying is it's not a priority. You'll move mountains to get something done if it's important enough to you. We do it every day.

Glaring at an endless to-do list can be daunting but the more we keep our poise and gradually chip away at each task, a funny thing starts to happen - it gets done. 

Conversely, when we look at the list as a whole it's easy to get overwhelmed. As a result, we often throw in the towel without even trying.

But when you break it all up into small pieces with a heightened sense of focus on each task your confidence builds and you start to see the finish line. Just don't look up too soon.

The Benefits of Reading Stories

I'm getting ready for a summer teaching job. In a few weeks I'll go through roughly 120 hours of training all in an effort to give me the tools to teach kids ages 4 - 17 how to fall in love with reading. I'm looking forward to the skills and techniques I'll be taught because I believe I'll be able to use them in other arenas of my life.

I spent a great deal of my time reading biographies, self-development and entrepreneur books, that I sometimes forget that fiction expands your imagination in remarkable ways. 

But what I've learned by reading the required books, The Cricket in Times Square, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Lord of the Rings is falling in love with fictional stories has many benefits. 

You learn to think critically, identify broad themes, and take solace in knowing you're not alone. Storytelling is the oldest form of cultivating community. And as readers, we have the opportunity to focus on our shared bond as creators, adventurers, and dreamers. 

Three things you're never too old to be.

Is Broadway Still Relevant?

Last night I met up with a group of friends I first worked with nearly 10 years ago at the Guthrie Theatre's Summer Experience for Actors Still in Training.  

We reminisced about that summer, looking back with great fondness. "That was the funnest summer of my life," a friend told me.

After a few minutes someone asked the relevance of Broadway. "Does is still matter in America and how?"

The three of us fell quiet trying to answer this question seemingly out of left field. But it was important, particularly for three men who'd dedicated much of their lives to performing on stage, and now that one of us was a teacher hoping to shed light on it's value to his students on a weekend trip to New York from Tennessee. 

Eventually we all concluded that it did matter. It mattered because it served as the "mecca" of stage performance, for better or worse. And though we may not have been fans of all the productions that graced its stages, we recognized it served as something to strive for. 

The goal was really not the point, but rather who you became in it's pursuit. When you know there is a place filled with hardworking and like-minded people who already do what you want to do it puts a bounce in your step and hopefully turns your will into an outward force. 

That's something we can all benefit from.

IBD's 10 Secrets to Success

Investor Business Daily has spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life. Most have 10 traits that, when combined, can turn dreams into reality. 

1. HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2. DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. TAKE ACTION: Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.

5. BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

6. LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7. FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY: Don't let other people or things distract you.

8. DON'T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE; BE DIFFERENT: Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity. 

9. DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10. BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: Otherwise number 1-9 won't matter.

Seek the Insight of Non-Artists

Last night I spent about an hour speaking to a good friend from high school who now works as an attorney in Austin. Despite being in a completely different line of work he'd always shown a strong interest in my career as an actor.

We'd often talk about films we'd seen, new and exciting television shows, and actors we admired. At the end of our talks I was convinced he knew more about the industry than I did. I half wondered where he found the time to keep up all the various mediums while juggling a full-time job and the responsibilities of having a family.

Our conversation also reminded me of the importance of reaching out to folks who have nothing to do with your creative pursuits, or even any real knowledge of your medium. His insights on the story I was trying to write were poignant, introspective, intelligent, and unique. It reminded me of the times I'd asked non-actor friends to read over a pair of sides with me as I prepped for an audition. Invariably, non-actor friends would offer a point of view that seemed so obvious, yet frustratingly hidden to my actor sensibilities.

I discovered the longer you're an actor and the more training you have there is a propensity to start looking at the work as just an actor. You think in terms of "objective" and "obstacles," while your friends are simply looking at the work as human beings.

Try and seek feedback beyond your immediate circle of artists. They may surprise you with what they find.

Read Widely

By most accounts, I was a pretty good kid growing up. I never had much interest in getting into trouble, sparing my parents a headache or two.

This is not to say I was the perfect son by any stretch. One source of great anxiety for my mom and dad was my refusal to sit still and finish a book. I'd never seen my father come so close to weeping as he tried everything short of a seance to get me to fall in love with literature.

It took some time, but their efforts paid off. Books have become something I can't live without. They also played a very important role in making me a better actor.

By reading widely I was able to consider perspectives wildly different from my own. When taking on new projects, I began to think as a playwright, director, or producer might. Characters now leaped from the page becoming three-dimensional.

Discovering more about science, history, philosophy, and current events enabled me to connect a heightened sense of humanity to the plays and scripts I read. I began to rely less on just my technical training as an actor and get more in touch with what it really meant to be human.

Books pushed, stretched, and nudged me to think bigger.

They've served me well in my pursuit to become a great storyteller and beyond.