Thursday, November 3, 2011

A Safe Place for Vulnerability - Two Year Acting Program in NYC A Safe Place for Vulnerability - Two Year Acting Programs

By Maggie Flanigan


Two year acting programs are commonly known as the conservatory approach. These two year programs are targeted towards professional actors who recognize their need for continual study and improvement. The tradition of a master training an apprentice has been in practice for centuries. In NYC, student actors who are looking to improve themselves in their craft should certainly consider a two year program.

Learning never ends for true actors. When an actor appears to act without trying, it is a sure bet that they have spent years training. Great strength and dedication is required of actors who decide to focus years of their lives solely to improving in their art. In order for professional actors to separate themselves from the hobbyists, two year acting programs are a must.

The Meisner technique fits in quite nicely to two year acting programs. This method is a sequential one, meaning that the students first learn basics and then build their skill sets from there. Meisner training can have almost a boot camp feel. Students have to face the stripping and rebuilding of their identities and beliefs.

The goal of military training is to repurpose the soldier's identity around the military. These programs draw actors out of themselves so that they are better able to analyze their thoughts and beliefs. This allows actors to become one with their characters instead of allowing their own emotions to hinder their performance.

Every person has their own needs, emotions, personalities, and compulsive behaviors. These qualities can be both an advantage as well as a disadvantage to actors. Acting requires that actors understand their personalities and be able to control them so as to better portray their intended character.

It is all too common for actors to develop poor habits. In short classes, actors might be able to partially address these habits. In contrast, two year programs give actors the time and opportunity to completely address these issues and form better habits. This whole process is certainly not an easy one as students are required to strip away their exterior and reveal their more vulnerable sides. Attending a two year acting program helps actors to better understand themselves so that they are well equipped to portray their characters and bring them to life on stage or on screen. Two year programs allow students to correct bad habits and build more effective ones so that they can work well with fellow actors and create believable characters.




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