Time elapsed since finishing Drama School: 4 months
Letters written this year: 200+
Agent interest: 2
TV Castings: 1
Theatre Auditions: 2
Jobs: 0
Guess what guys! Being an actress is hard. Some of you aspiring actors may be reading this blog to nurture your naïve belief that drama school is the springboard to guaranteed success, but I would like to shatter that belief right now. Don't get me wrong, for some lucky few there are jobs and agents waiting for them on graduation - or even before. Yet however talented you may be, most of the luck is based on having the right look to fill a hole in an agent's books, being in the right place at the right time etc. and that's just the way it is. Now I don't want my introduction to be all doom and gloom in my first entry, because believe it or not I'm quite a cheery person! Which is why I know that however hard times may get, I'm never going to give up believing that I can do it. And that is the most important thing I have learned over the past four months, and something that drama school can never teach you.
The importance of attending drama school in order to become a successful actor was never questioned in my mind, and judged that without the former you could not become the latter. Yet it is becoming increasingly apparent that many other factors can lead to one becoming a successful actor, bypassing the 'essential' training completely. Take for example this weeks article in The Stage on Eddie Redmayne. Whilst studying at Cambridge, his old drama school teacher suggested he audition for the 400th anniversary production of Twelfth Night staged by the Globe, got the part of Viola, was watched by other agents seeing their own clients and then signed with a prominent agent. A succession of good fortune later, he was filming in Hollywood with big A-listers, and is now back in the UK currently in BBC's Tess of the D'Urbervilles and this week is performing at the Royal Court! Now that just makes me sick with envy, and I defy any other unemployed actor to not feel the same. You could put his success down to a natural intuitive gift which with a lot of luck has resulted in a CV to die for. Nevertheless, there is also another route into showbiz that is as equally sickening, and successfully avoids the drama school route, and that is Family.
If your surname happens to be Redgrave for example or other such dynasty your career is pretty much laid out in front of you, because genius is in the blood and contacts and a ready made network are at your finger tips. Take for example Rafe Spall, son of Timothy Spall. Did his grounding at National Youth Theatre (as do thousands) and from there went into film and TV and put in a brilliant performance in Wide Sargasso Sea (when I first saw him on TV) and then another cracking performance in Room With A View, starring alongside his father. A talented actor not suffering at all from any lack of drama school training, but probably benefiting a lot from his father's connections.
However it could be pointed out that the untrained actor's forte is screen work. This is of course because theatre is a completely different kettle of fish, and demands a different skill set to that used in front of the camera. A skill set that I believe I competently possess as a direct result of my drama school training. Physical awareness, a sound understanding of safe use of voice, textual analysis and understanding (from various practioners Stanislavski/ Chekov/ Hagen) are all essential elements of any acting course. A lot of this information is contained within accessible books that could be self-taught. Yet the practical application of these methods, being able to observe others and receiving constructive criticism is invaluable and could not be replaced.
One of the unique elements of drama school is the group of people who start out as strangers in September, and three years later you know them better than any of your friends at home, or even your own family. You know their insecurities, their strengths, see them at their weakest and most vulnerable, and then see them flourish and succeed in an art that you are all equally passionate about. Drama school is definitely not a bed of roses by any means, but it's the people who understand exactly how it feels to strive for your dream who make the hard times easier. The people who I consider to be my friends I know will be my friends for life, and for that reason alone I would not swap my drama school experience for anything else.
I didn't go to drama school, but have been actively pursuing acting work this year, from 2008, as a professional. My tally for 2008 thus far:
Agents interested: 3
TV Castings: 4
Theatre Castings: N/A (not applied for any)
Jobs: Still O
And I live in Scotland which has much less tv/film production work than the south, definitely.
My background is theatre (including courses from my nearest drama school regarding textual analysis, lots of breathing techniques over several years of classes, Shakespeare studies with folk from the RSC, dance classes, singing training etc etc), but I haven't even tried getting pro theatre work as I think that without conservatoire training, as a newbie, they basically wouldn't even bat an eyelid at me. So I am consciously focusing my efforts on film/tv. This is made more difficult precisely because I don't have much interest moving to London, and there is so little work up here. If it looks like a big name casting director wants to meet with me, I will go down however. One such meeting is on the cards at the moment.
However, altho I appreciate the measured approach to the discussion in this blog, I would like to add that I think acting technique for film/tv is underrated. I know most drama schools do not dedicate a lot of time to screen acting, it's mostly tacked on in one block. I remember reading an interview with the RADA (I think) trained Jodie Whitaker. She said in an interview, that when she went on set for Venus she didn't know you don't have to project your voice, and was acting at great volume. Someone had to tell her. How can you go through drama school and then not know the most basic thing of all - a microphone will amplify for you? It's not even "technique", it's just basic information. Some of the most amazing performances have come from the screen, as well as the stage. I have read course descriptions that say, essentially, as long as you have been trained for the stage, you can act for the screen. But they are two very different mediums, and require different methods of presentation.
Even tho I may not be directly part of it, I am proud of the UK's strong theatrical training, but, as has been said, apart from the lucky few, it's not an automatic entry to instant success. And it doesn't necessarily make you a "better" actor, just different.
I agree being a actress is so hard,i remember before when im in theater i feel so nervous but when you saw the audience that they can relay in your acting you feel the fulfillment in life.
by: matthew