Acting Class Blog Posts

The Power of Voice and Speech Training
“Red leather, yellow leather. The tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips. Unique New York, unique New York, unique New York.” Sound familiar? At any given moment, from training programs to household self tape setups, actors are working on… Read More

Four Casting Directors Share Audition Advice and Audition Mistakes Actors Should Avoid
Whether you’re in the room or submitting a self tape from home, the audition process can be stressful. And although you’re making sure you hit your mark and deliver a strong performance, there’s a chance you’ve made a mistake without… Read More

Mastering Authenticity: A Guide to Captivating Audiences and Landing Dream Roles
At face value, authenticity and acting may seem at odds. Acting is, at its core, pretending to be someone you’re not in a story that doesn’t belong to you. How can that possibly be authentic? The truth is, authenticity and… Read More

Tips for Performing Your Best Monologue
At an open house event hosted by Spotlight, our sister site, Joe Richardson of the Guildford School of Acting led a wonderful session on auditioning for drama school. Here’s a recap of Joe’s sound advice on how to get your… Read More

Acting Coach Caryn West on the Importance of Knowing Your Character’s Function
What is your character’s function in the role and the scene? According to Caryn West, the answer to this question makes all the difference in giving a great performance. West is an acclaimed acting coach and teacher who is known… Read More

Teachings of Master Vocal Coach Patsy Rodenburg
Patsy Rodenburg is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voice coaches with over 40 years of experience of bringing people “into the center of their voice and presence.” She served as the Head of Voice at the Guildhall… Read More

How to Seem Natural When You’re Acting
When you find yourself completely absorbed in an actor’s performance, you’ve witnessed natural acting. It feels so real, you forget you’re watching a person who is acting a part. That’s the goal for actors—to “become” the character, seemingly without effort,… Read More

Master Acting Teachers on Authenticity
Actors often hear how important it is to be authentic and to give authentic performances. As we’re always busy going about the world seemingly being ourselves, how is it that we need a lesson on authenticity? With the daily bombardment… Read More

Chris Gethard’s Lessons on Improv
Chris Gethard is an actor, comedian, and writer who is known for his 2017 HBO stand-up special “Career Suicide,” based on his off-Broadway show of the same name. In the genre of self-disclosure monologues, Gethard delves into the topic of… Read More

Acting Coach Eric Morris’ Vulnerability Exercises
“If you’re an actor, you sell emotions for money, and your emotions should be the entire spectrum of human emotions,” asserts Los-Angeles based acting instructor Eric Morris. “You should be able to access every single human emotion known to mankind…. Read More

Tips to Enter a Scene Powerfully
Whether performing onstage or on-set, auditioning or creating self tapes, never underestimate the importance of the first few seconds of a performance. That moment has the potential to make or break a performance. Indeed, the transition from the actor being… Read More

Insights from Performance Coach Anna Reynolds
Performance coach Anna Reynolds has a fascination with understanding how people function at the deepest levels. Trained in neuro-linguistic programming, she uses methodologies and coaching practices to support her clients to embrace uncertainty and express complexity. “My skill lies in… Read More

Legendary Acting Teachers on Being in the Moment
Audiences turn to theater, television, and film when they want to take a break from reality and tune into someone else’s story. A fine performance leaves viewers feeling as though they’re witnessing something real—a genuine interaction full of all the… Read More

The Power of Observation as an Acting Tool
Acting is a study of human behavior, and one of the most accessible and powerful ways to learn about people is through keen observation. Acting instructors emphasize the word “observe,” knowing that life provides a steady stream of creative inspiration… Read More

Acting Coach Miranda Harcourt’s Approach for Actors
Top acting coach Miranda Harcourt’s specialty is screen naturalism. The New Zealand native bases her approach on years of experience writing and performing verbatim theater, as well as her on-set coaching work with acclaimed actors and directors across the globe…. Read More