I was at my favorite neighborhood watering hole not too long ago, and as it always happens, I had a lovely couple start a conversation with me, “What do you do for work?” The brown-haired woman with a crooked smile asked. “I’m an actor.” With those three words the entire vibe around the bar changed and I was suddenly found in the middle of a question tsunami:
“What’s it like?”
Have you worked with any famous people?”
“Do you have a real job?”
“Can you actually memorize all those lines?”
“What do your parents think?
“How much money do you make?”
While I was more relectunt to answer some of these questions than others, one in particular stuck out, “I can’t afford acting classes, but I want to strengthen my ability. What can I do?” This is a question that I feel must be answered as far too many aspiring performers wish to take acting classes, but don’t have the means or accessibility to attend a class.
Practicing the art of acting from home is doable if you take the time to research acting, purchase a video camera and have the heart to view yourself critically.
Research
The first step in practicing the art of acting from home is to research the art of acting. Visit the library, or read throughout my other articles, to discover the various acting techniques and exercises you may do to practice acting. There are hundreds of excellent books that you may use as a “syllabi” for your home acting course.
Setting Up a Video Camera
In order to truly benefit from practicing at home you must be able to watch yourself, which is done through videotaping your “performances.” Let’s say you have a monologue you’ve been working on. To truly analyze your performance and determine your current strengths and weaknesses, you must view yourself acting as a third-party.
Ask Your Friends or Colleagues
While you may not be able to afford or attend an “actual” acting class, I’m sure you have friends or coworkers that are also interested in practicing acting. Gathering a group of friends can be a fun and exciting experience as you can work in a group and watch others perform. Group acting exercises may also be great within this type of environment.
