Acting class this past Wednesday was fun for not only the students, but also for the teachers. Don Brakeman and I team-teach acting class. I start the class with acting games and improvisation exercises. Don finishes it with in-depth acting techniques. We both call this our best unpaid job ever.
Between Don and I there are 96+ years of experience. His experience comes from the film industry in Southern California and live-theater experience in Las Vegas. I have theater experience from Chicago and New York and improv experience in Phoenix, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Along with our team teaching there is a stage to practice the learned stage-craft. Frankly, the more time spent on the stage the better you get. That is called stage-time. Actors desire stage time for they know the more they are on stage, the better it is for their craft.
This past class we gave students 30-second commercial ‘sides’ (scripts) to practice auditioning for commercials. The audition is the first step to getting a job on a commercial. To get one that airs frequently, can yield a nice chunk of change. We feel it important to gain audition skills for that avenue of paid work.
The next session of acting classes begins in the month of May. Wednesdays is the day for adult acting classes. Thursdays are for kids and teens. Sundays are reserved for pure improv for 5-10 people.
Don and I have a body of knowledge we are willing to share for free. No one pays us. We do it for the love of transferring our knowledge to those who want it.