There are many professions where hands-on practice and experience are greatly important. Acting is one of these, particularly when people want more than theoretical knowledge about it. The opportunity to act, to work with peers, and to network are all vital parts of education for an actor, and in many cases these are sharply limited in any type of online forum. It’s suggested that people who seek training as an actor seriously consider doing this at a bricks and mortar school, but if they are interested in drama as a profession, perhaps for the purposes of teaching, they could look at some of the online acting school possibilities available.
Some students are certain to insist they don’t have time for anything but an online acting school, and should students choose this route, there are a few things they should consider. In exploring the different schools, students might want to find out how classes are conducted. Some online schools could have real-time classes that allow people to present monologues from their computer, or that alternately allow students to submit acting samples via tape that can be critiqued by students or instructors.
Another possibility would be an online acting school that allows students credit for participating in local theater. Such participation might have to be taped and graded in order to get credit. This gives feedback on acting skills and gives a person a way to improve.
The degree of networking can range depending on each school. Strong student boards that allow people to talk to one another regularly should be part of a good online acting school. Instructors need to be available to their students too, and should be prompt in answering emails or phone calls.
An additional option for some students is to take online acting classes that aren’t affiliated with any form of college. Some of these classes are specifically to get critique on present skills and suggestions on how to improve. These may be of use to those who feel their acting acumen is not what it should be, and who don’t have access to a nearby school or workshop.
For the person interested in drama studies or theoretical introduction to acting, it may be easier to find a good online acting school. Prospective students should look for accredited schools that offer a good introduction to drama or acting with emphasis on teaching it in a classroom setting. Programs might lead directly to master’s studies or teaching credentials.
Even with theory, people still need to find a way to learn to act. Fortunately, an online program tends to have flexible scheduling, and students should plan to participate as much as possible in local theater endeavors. They can thus approach teaching from an experiential and theoretical viewpoint.