Learn Acting your way with a TakeLessons expert

Do you have a child who loves to "playact"? Or perhaps have a child who is shy and reserved? Maybe you know a child who fits either description, or maybe you're a teacher with children like this in your class? Have you wondered how you can engage a child through theater? Why Theater? Studying theater, either through viewing performances or by playing acting games, offers many benefits in cognitive, intellectual, and behavioral development. According to theater educator, Gai Jones, “Theat

What do Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Natalie Portman all have in common? They all began acting professionally at a very young age (and have successfully maintained their careers into adulthood). Young people are naturally drawn to the excitement of pretending to be someone else; but do young people who dream of an acting career really know how to prepare for the life of a professional performer? As an actor, especially when you start out, you’ll spend much more time looking for r

Are you looking for scripts to practice acting at home? If so, you're definitely in good company. While there might not be open theaters to perform in these days, that doesn't mean young actors can't keep their skills sharp by practicing their acting craft at home. By the looks of Backstage.com, perhaps the best known resource for actors looking for acting opportunities, the prevalence of zoom readings, online workshops, and social media acting challenges has exploded. There is no shortage o

Performing a monologue is much different from acting as part of an ensemble! Make sure you're ahead of the pack with these tips from New York City actor and teaching artist Jasmine B...   We all want to be that actor that everyone wants to work with. I’ve been in quite a few ensembles (one I’ve had the pleasure of being in for four years!) and have found some keys to working well with others and producing quality work. Here are a few simple ways to improve your ensemble acting an

Actors often draw their audience in through strong and seemingly authentic emotions.  Perhaps you watched a particularly emotional scene in a movie or play and wondered to yourself whether or not the emotion the actor was showing was truthful.  Perhaps they were crying and you could see the tears falling.  Are those real tears?  The answer is, probably, yes. Crying on command is tricky business and like everything else, takes preparation and practice. However, there are some tips and tri

Struggling to find that perfect audition monologue? It can take some time, so be prepared to be patient! Read on as Courtney P., one of our acting teachers in the Orlando area, offers her advice: Let's face it, most actors HATE monologues. They are tedious, and most of the time, it's ridiculously hard to find the right one. Monologues are, however, necessary in the entertainment Industry, and many times your monologue can make or break an audition. The process of perfecting your monologue

Professional actors often can’t help but feel a little powerless when it comes to the process of auditioning and booking jobs. Sure, from the outside people think that actors have some say in creative aspects, but your input and personal preferences are really quite insignificant in the process (well, not until you're on a Brangelina level at least). So while you're on your way to superstardom, it's smart to leverage the opportunities at hand. The first area you have control of as an actor is

We are all here for the same reason, to tell dynamic stories through our performances. “The Method” is a way to get there. Keep in mind, it is not the only way, just a way. For a sneak peak at Method Acting I highly recommend checking out Emily Meredith’s article on the subject. I am not going to discuss the history or evolution of The Method. This article is going to focus on how to make it work for you, in theory. This article is meant to be an overview of the basic Method Acting techniq

  If you dream of pursuing an adventurous career in acting, you'll definitely want to learn how to source and work with scripts for auditions. And with the near-infinite number of screenplay genres to choose from, you'll also need to determine which acting scenes to practice to improve your talents. On your search for scripts to practice acting, it is advisable to narrow down the type of scripts you desire. For instance, if you're interested in a comedy-acting career, look for amusing

As vaccinations start to roll out, we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But, it’s still going to be a long time before live theater returns fully. Holding a virtual performance may feel like a sad substitution – no applause or audience response, no interaction with fellow cast members, no fun backstage rituals -  but it’s what we’ve got for now. At least it gives us a way to continue honing our craft and expressing ourselves, and there are lots of possibilities.  S