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How do I Choose the Best Acting Courses?

G. Melanson
G. Melanson

Whether you’re interested in pursuing acting as a hobby or career, the first step toward choosing the best acting courses is to define your motives for studying acting. Once you’ve determined exactly what you hope to get out of the acting courses, the next step is to ask family, friends and colleagues if they can recommend any acting classes or programs that match your description of what you’re looking for. Finally, after you’ve acquired a few leads, the last step is to perform some background research on the acting courses and their instructors, to ensure they are reputable and have a solid, trustworthy track record.

If you’re interested in pursuing acting as a hobby, there a few questions you can ask yourself in order to find the best acting courses to suit your needs. For example: are you interested in meeting new people? If so, then courses at a local community theater group might not provide you with as large a group of new social contacts as acting courses offered by a big city talent agency or college. If you’re interested in studying acting because you want to pursue it as a career, you’ll need to determine in which medium you’d like to perform, whether it be live theater, film, or TV.

A postage stamp with a portrait of Constantin Stanislavski, the creator of the Stanislavski method of acting.
A postage stamp with a portrait of Constantin Stanislavski, the creator of the Stanislavski method of acting.

Those who pursue a career in theater acting often take a combination of local community theater courses and acting courses at colleges and universities, which are sometimes offered as part of a bachelor’s program in fine arts. Those interested in acting professionally for TV and film are typically more drawn to acting courses offered by talent agencies, as they offer more commercial tips for landing acting gigs versus the intense focus on acting techniques studied in theater.

Someone who has been through an acting course might offer a recommendation on which courses a prospective actor should take.
Someone who has been through an acting course might offer a recommendation on which courses a prospective actor should take.

Asking associates if they can recommend any acting courses that might suit your needs will not only give you potential leads, but also help you weed out any courses with a negative reputation Whether the courses are offered by a playhouse, theater, agency, college, or university, hearing other people’s success stories or horror stories about the courses can provide you with more information than their website and promotional material. That said, checking out the official website for the organization that offers the acting courses is also important in the selection process, in addition to researching a bit about the instructor’s acting experience and credentials.

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    • A postage stamp with a portrait of Constantin Stanislavski, the creator of the Stanislavski method of acting.
      By: rook76
      A postage stamp with a portrait of Constantin Stanislavski, the creator of the Stanislavski method of acting.
    • Someone who has been through an acting course might offer a recommendation on which courses a prospective actor should take.
      By: Edyta Pawlowska
      Someone who has been through an acting course might offer a recommendation on which courses a prospective actor should take.
    • Actors interested in TV and film work may want to seek out acting courses offered by talent agencies.
      By: oneinchpunch
      Actors interested in TV and film work may want to seek out acting courses offered by talent agencies.
    • Some acting courses focus on more intense techniques like method acting.
      By: kmiragaya
      Some acting courses focus on more intense techniques like method acting.