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Is Drama School Necessary?

Thu, 3 July 2003, 07:57 am
Walter Plinge13 posts in thread
Hi I've been wondering about this for quite some time.

Is it necessary to get into a drama school to be an actor? I spend quite alot of time training myself and doing as much short films and plays as I can so I can put my theories into practice.

I go to paid classes I try to do as much as I can without going to Drama school because it is so hard to get in, so I try to learn as much as I can through my own endeavours. I am my own drama school.

People who don't get in are considered talentless, but I think if you let them affect you like this and give up your dream then you have lost eveything.

How important is Drama School? Is it the be all and end all of acting?

Me I don't think so, I think it all depends on your committment and effort you put in, but it would be nice to be in one.

What are your thoughts? Experiences?

Cheers

Re: Is Drama School Necessary?

Thu, 10 July 2003, 02:04 am
Personally I would have to lean to a no. Having spent too many years in a University degree, that was frustrating and degrading, where I felt trapped, and sidelined, and for a lot of the time learning nothing of use to me. I was never interested in the whole flattering of ego of thing, nor the pointless flattery of others.

Experience and learning is more useful than schooling, and that come from many things, whether it be workshops, performance or unviversity classes, whatever suits you. I suppose another question is what happens when you overtrain yourself? Is it better to be raw but more individual, or more refined but less individual. I'm not saying that the two things are mutually exclusive, but from personal experience...

Oh yeah if a director is foolish enough (this is a personal opinion), to judge someone purely on the fact they went to NIDA, all they can really gurantee themselves is this person was seen as suitable to be in a NIDA degree, not neccesairly suited to the production.

Thread (13 posts)

Is Drama School Necessary?Walter Plinge3 July 2003
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