Training is the Key to Success

Have you heard this -- “The talent pool of experienced actors available for broadcast pilots has become so limited....” And this, “Crisis in American Acting.” In a recent Entertainment Weekly article, Jeff Labrecque writes that U.S. actors are losing acting jobs to better trained British actors. I would add to this that the growing number of Australian actors hired to play the role of U.S. characters is also alarming. The biggest difference between us and them is TRAINING. For years, we, American actors, have taken training for granted. If we want to keep our place in the industry, it’s time to get back into the class room. Just as an athlete has to train daily to be great at his/her craft, we too must train. Our craft is no different from that of a dancer, artist or athlete. To compete at the highest levels training is key. Relying on natural talent is not enough. In an article entitled, “What it takes to be Great, Fortune Magazine writer Geoffrey Colvin writes that the secret to success is “painful and demanding practice and hard work.” Colvin goes on to say -- It's nice to believe that if you find the field where you're naturally gifted,

you'll be great from day one, but it doesn't happen. There's no evidence

of high-level performance without experience or practice. Now, what is this hard work the article speaks about? It’s consistent deliberately targeted practice. Simply reading plays, watching film, conducting text analysis or taking a movement class once a week is not enough. The Fortune article reports that -- The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours

to what the researchers call "deliberate practice." It's activity that's

explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives

just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results

and involves high levels of repetition. Remember that old adage, “practice makes perfect.” Well, practice may not make you perfect, but you will certainly improve your craft with the right kind of practice. If you want to take your training to the next level, get serious about refining your skills and technique by targeting identified objectives in areas like breath, voice, movement and technique. If you want next level acting, seek out next level training. I have developed next level training that will unleash your untapped potential. Here’s what a few students who took only an abbreviated version of my workshop had to say:

"I've never done imagination work to the extent that we did in class, and I feel like it helped humanize the characters and situations that they were in. It gave me another approach to inhabiting various characters."

"I learned so much from your instruction and felt that you created a very encouraging and supportive environment for learning."

"Thank you for helping me start to become more aware as an actor and as a person."

"She [Lolita] constantly gives constructive criticism and support which she seems to be able to instinctively tailor to be maximumly helpful to each individual in the class." The next level is within your grasp. Unleash to the next level with us!