Acting Class Blog Posts

Michael Shurtleff was a major force in casting on Broadway shows during the 1960s and 70s. His casting work includes “Chicago” and “Becket,” as well as the films “The Graduate” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Shurtleff’s instruction on auditioning has been… Read More

The Chubbuck Technique is a 12-step method used by performers, writers and directors across the globe in their quest to bring their characters to life. Acting teacher Ivana Chubbuck created the process, and she details each step in her bestselling… Read More

“The Kids Are All Right” star Annette Bening shared a personal story with a group of theater students about her difficulty with listening early on in her training. An acting instructor had critiqued her performance with a scene partner, telling… Read More

Internationally renowned acting and voice coach Mel Churcher has coached Daniel Craig, Angelina Jolie, Kiera Knightly, Michelle Yeoh, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Turturro, Jon Voight as well as countless students attending drama schools. She also runs workshops and has authored two… Read More

If there is one skill actors simply must learn to develop, it’s their ability to memorize lines. However, individual actors take charge of just how thoroughly they know their lines and how strictly they feel the need to stick to… Read More

The craft of acting requires thespians to have a command of physical, mental, facial, vocal, and emotional expression. To promote fresh and responsive performances, actors can warm up their minds and bodies with a wide assortment of games. These exercises… Read More

Some actors in cinematic history portray such spine-chilling villains, it can be hard to separate the actor from the character. How do they do it? As Leonardo DiCaprio once said, “Don’t think for a moment that I’m really like any… Read More

“If you were teaching an acting class, on day one, how would you start out with the students? What would be your first lesson?” That was the question five prominent actors were asked during an Actor’s Roundtable with The Hollywood… Read More

Albert Mehrabian is famous for his research on verbal and nonverbal cues, namely his findings known as the 7%-38%-55% rule.  As a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA, his research suggests that body language accounts for a whopping 55% of… Read More

Commercials are a great way for actors to break into the entertainment industry. Although they might not seem like the most glamorous part of the biz, commercials allow performers to earn income as they work to expand their careers in… Read More

How do you fill a potentially awkward moment in the audition room when you’ve run out of dialogue, but the camera is still rolling? It’s not the job of the actor to determine when the scene has ended, so it’s… Read More

“Listening is with your blood, with your heart, with your talent, with your life … streaming through to the person who’s talking to you, who is communicating with you.” —Stella Adler Tony Award-winning actor Reed Birney who stars in Fran… Read More

Viola Davis’ life story is certainly inspirational. After growing up in a small town in South Carolina in abject poverty, she graduated from Juilliard School and became an acclaimed theater, film, and television actress. Davis is celebrated for her consistently… Read More

The process of character development serves to make a character more well-rounded, relatable, and compelling. It helps an actor to better understand, appreciate, and connect with the character—and audiences are much more likely to feel engaged when they can relate… Read More

When it comes to learning the craft of acting, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Indeed, what works for one performer may not be helpful for another. Here are three famous acting techniques thespians can use to connect with their characters more… Read More