Total immersion in summer acting classes: A great experience!
I now know the difference between taking classes one at a time and totally immersing myself into the craft that I love for six full weeks of eating, sleeping and breathing acting.
Well, I kinda knew what it was like shortly after I had begun studying acting a few years ago. I first started studying in a theatre company in Milan, Italy. At the time I was working more than a full-time job and could only go to class in the evenings. Class hours were from 9 - 11pm, three days a week. It was better than nothing, but often I arrived at class and I was tired. I probably could have gotten more out of it if I had had more energy. Nevertheless, I'm glad I had that experience.
Then, I took a ten-day workshop in Italy with an American acting coach and teacher. That was a mini-immersion for the ten-day period. The workshop was five hours a day of instruction for then straight days and then rehearsals. At the time innovativeactors.com, I had already saved enough money and quit my full-time job to pursue acting full-time.
And then...
I went to New York for a three month period and had put together my own program of all the different classes I needed so that I could totally immerse myself and have a full experience of concentrating on my craft. I put together a schedule of classes, a mix from different schools. I took acting classes in technique, sensory work, scene study, improvisation, audition technique. In addition I took mini workshops in different areas such as corporate videos, soaps, prime-time television as well as yoga classes, and I went to the gym regularly. That was my first sort of real immersion.
My Experience With Intensive Summer Acting Classes
I continued to study and then took the best set of summer acting classes to date. I had met Wendy Ward at the Ward Studio in New York back in 2003 when I was investigating schools to attend. At the time I couldn't attend her school, because of time constraints on my part. It wasn't until eighteen months later, that I would be able to take her summer intensive.