Tips For Choosing A New York Theatre Workshop

By Deanne Shepard


New York NY is a place that is world famous for theatre. While most people dream of appearing on Broadway there are ways to get the experience of theatrical acting. A number of companies offer a New York theatre workshop and this can be beneficial in a number of different ways.

A lot of developments in acting styles in recent years have come from New York. This was where Lee Strasberg studied the work of Stanislavksy. It was Strasberg who then perfected what we now know as the Method school of acting, so called because it makes an actor consider how they would react in the moment in a realistic way as opposed to a more theatrical style of acting that while powerful may be less naturalistic.

A workshop can cover a number of different possible topics. It may look at certain types of acting. Using the example of method acting they may go into the origin of the craft. Furthermore they may show clips of actors such as Robert De Niro or Marlon Brando who were students of the Method approach.

Other classes may cover other aspects. For example improvisation is a tool that can be useful in both comedy and drama. While a lot of people associate improvisation with comedy it can also be used for dramatic effect. A classic example is the speech in Taxi Driver where the character Travis Bickle questions himself in the mirror.

It can also help people to focus. Whether you are at school or work in an office the chances are you have to spend long periods of the day having to concentrate on what somebody says. Being able to learn how to focus in the moment and take direction can be vital in life.

There are also different types of skills that can be covered in a number of different workshops. For example improvisation is a skill that is worth learning. While people often associate this with comedy it is a skill that can be useful for exploring characters. For example imagining how a character brushes their teeth or orders items in a store can make it easier to apply that approach to a script.

In order to get the full benefit it helps to find the right workshop. This is in terms of both the skills you learn and the person instructing. Ideally you want to go to a class where the teacher has the appropriate skills and experience. As well as someone who has extensive acting or directing experience ideally they should also have the patience and experience in order to teach people as well, something that is not necessarily the same as being able to direct people.

In order to do this effectively you should look for the right theatre and teacher. Check online for background information. As well as experience in acting and directing ideally the people running the workshop should have some form of teaching background or have been running workshops for a number of years. For more information and feedback use your regular search engine to find theatres in your local area.




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