Learn Acting your way with a TakeLessons expert

Becoming an actor takes hard work, dedication, passion, and drive. For high school students thinking seriously about a career in acting, now is the time to prepare for the training you will need to help you succeed. After all, high school is a time when you have opportunities that may be harder to find or simply will not exist later on. Most of the actors you see on television, film, and even the stage have gone through years of education and training, and getting into one of the best acting s

If you're an aspiring Broadway performer, the steps you take during high school play a significant role in your success on the stages of New York shows in the future. Sure, you sometimes hear stories of people who book amazing lead roles in shows after a single audition, but that’s not a realistic view of how it all happens - for most actors, at least. Ask any working Broadway performer – New York is not a city that hands you success simply because you’ve just moved there. Hard work, disc

Emotions are at the heart of the craft of acting. But how do you tap into your emotions as an actor? How do actors laugh, cry, and respond truthfully in the moment, using real emotions that aren’t just fabricated? What are some tips on emotional acting and emotional acting techniques that will help you tap into those real emotions, so your performance is believable to audiences? In this article, we’ll look at some of the best, tried and true emotional acting techniques used by perform

Are you wondering how to remember lines for a play? Wondering what the best techniques are make sure you're off book when the time comes? Memorization can be tricky business.  When it comes to acting, memorizing lines is a necessary evil. Having your lines down quickly and early on in the rehearsal process is helpful not only for you, but also for everyone around you. The sooner your lines are memorized, the sooner the real work can take place.  In order to really connect with the

What are the best acting books to hone your craft? It is widely believed that the best way to learn how to act is by acting.  However, there are a myriad of excellent books out there that can help any actor hone their craft and grow in confidence, creativity, and ability.   “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” ― Oscar Wilde Human beings act ever

Has it always been a dream of yours to earn a living by using your voice? With so many tools at your fingertips, it's never been easier to learn how to become a voice-over artist. But it's not simply a fantastic voice that makes great talent; it requires a person with unlimited drive, refined talent, and good business acumen. If you've always wanted to try your hand at voice acting, you're not alone. This career is one of the most exciting and fulfilling job options out there, especially w

Writing your college admissions essay can feel intimidating. How do you relay your life story and impress the admissions board in so few words? Check out the sample essay excerpts below, written by New York teacher Jasmine B., and her tips for writing your own winning essay: Writing a college entrance essay? Here are a few helpful hints, along with examples from my very own entrance essay for The Juilliard School. I applied for, and am currently a part of, the Drama Division. LET THEM

There’s a classic saying in theater, “acting is reacting”, meaning it’s not about reciting lines, it’s about listening to your fellow performers, and making your lines a response to the other characters. Which is all great advice – but what if you’re doing a monologue and you have no one to react to? Does that mean monologues aren’t really ‘acting’?  Fortunately, there are a few warmups and tips you can utilize to make your monologues just as believable, character-driven,

Actors are an incredibly diverse group of people, but because we love to act, we actually have a lot in common! Whether you're working in theater or film, you probably have more than one of these funny quirks and habits... You have headshots everywhere. If your acting career is important to you, you know that having headshots that accurately reflect what you currently look like is mandatory. Did you get a haircut? Time for new headshots! You are a master of the quick change.

We’ve all seen that classic TV trope of the actor who goes ‘Method’. They are usually clad from head to toe in black silk, their ensemble finished off with a French beret, choosing to live and breathe their craft. This, of course, is a stereotype. Actors prepare in many different ways, but this trope makes fun of the Method actors in the industry. Marlon Brando, Robert Di Niro, and Dustin Hoffman are three of the most well known Method actors. Still, what does it truly mean to be a Method