Is Drama School Necessary?

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

I think that formal training helps some but true performers can also be those who gain valuable personal and professional experience from the 'real world'. Experience is a valuable education tool and indeed some people who never go to drama school do suceed on a higher level than 'formally trained' actors. However this is circumstantial and purely depends on the individual, his/her motivation, his/her raw talent and the experience gained, also (I believe) the exposure to the art form throughout younger years. Each to his own, people learn in different ways.

It is as important for an actor to explore and learn different performance techniques as it is for the actor to have an in depth awareness of his or her own self and this is where the expression and interpretation of roles truly comes from. Acting is about exploring emotions and situations sensitivly and truthfully - it is not formulaic.


Thou surly hedge-born haggard!

Passion is necessary.
Dedication is necessary,
and a little bit of pizzaz.

Jones.

ps social skills help too!

You'll get a few diverse opinions on this.

Personally, I would say no. There are too many stories of people with even no training what-so-ever getting professional work. I know of someone involved in a profession show where a fellow cast member had for all intents and purposes simply walked into the producers office and said "I wanna act" and was hired based purely upon his audacity. I don't know if this person went on to anything BIG mind you.

When it comes to Drama school, most of the time their looking for people with POTENTIAL, training potential. If you some talentless nutter of the street, forget it. On the hand, if you have talent and skill Ooooozing from your fingers, you won't get in either. Why?
A. What can they teach you?
B. Why aren't you working already?

This sort of happened to me, problem is, they didn't tell me straight away. I had to probe and inquire as to why my auditions to WAAPA weren't good enough. I was told that, basically, I was too skilled. Over-qualified. To me that simply means that I was too set in my ways but I've been told that's a negative way of looking at it.

The trick is to not let knock-backs like that put you off. Something I wasn't very good at doing.

Jeff "Knocked Out" Watkins

[%sig%]

Monster wrote:
>
> 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


Monster,

I believe Drama schools do aid in the development of an actor by mainly providing networking or in other words connections,which are extreamly important in theatre. I agree that not getting in to a drama school does not mean the end of the world but perhaps it means that acting aims will be harder to achieve. Of course drama schools arnt everything and as long as people are as dedicated and persistant as you sound it shouldnt make much of a difference.
I was recently in an audition for St.Martins theatre and I felt so nervous as everybody else were attending some prestidious drama school or uni course. The only person that wasnt, already knew the director and was as confident as everyone else. The director made an important statement whilst all of us were auditioning which really lifted my spirts. He said that no offence was intendend but all those currently in drama school or at uni doing a drama course may be able to extensivley anilise scripts ect but when in auditions it all comes down to acting and actiong alone and all the 'extra' skills are thrown out the window.
I myself dont attend any drama schools or extra drama courses but i am currently optaining more experience and begining to expose myself to the larger theatre community. The largest auditon i have ever done was the one mentioned above for st. Martins theatre and yes i did feel degraded and 'lower' after discovering the level of experience and the drama schools the others were attending. although i began to realise these schools arnt everything and perhaps are over ratted promoting the idea that the school is everything, which it isnt!, and therefore people feel obliged and feel a nescessity to attend these schools.

i really dont know were i'm heading with this letter but i hope i have outlined my thoughts that these schools arnt the be all and end all of acting. i agree with you that it depends on the individuals commitment and effort. so dont lose hart ! ^_^

TC

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.

I'm currently at an acting school and I'm finding that it's helping me to become a better actor. That said, I really think it depends on the type of course that you do and what you're looking for in it.

The course that I am doing is a non-university course and is more paractical based with just a few theory based subjects that cover things like 'planning strategies for acting as a business' which looks at legal/financial and other business related aspects that are important to know and analysing scripts (non-analytical analysis)....

But then again I do know some actors that have had no training that have been reasonably successful. What I would suggest is maybe looking at some courses to see what they offer and if what they offer could be of benefit to you... The biggest thing that I have found is that if you attend an acting/drama school you need to find one that will work for you, not just the one with the biggest name to it. And if you do decide to go that way ask for recommendations, ask students that are currently enrolled there or that studied there what they thought of the school.

I think drama school isn't absolutely necessary. I think it depends on what you want to do in your acting career and what you think you need to improve. For example, if you're hoping to do musicals, you might want to enrol in a university course on musical theatre to help you learn more about voice and dance. If you're looking more at doing film, you're probably better off doing paid drama classes and learning the necessary techniques for screen acting. You might want to do theatre, film and television, but you might need more training in television acting. It really comes down to what area of acting you think you need to improve on and gain more experience in. It also depends on what kind of class or course is more suited to you personally and will help you learn best.

Don't feel bad about not getting into a university course. I think half the actors that have made it big haven't had professional training. Take a look at Rose Byrne. She started acting at a young age. She auditioned for NIDA and other various institutions, but was rejected. However, her career is currently sky rocketing. She is a very good and versatile actress and she developed her talent, not by going to university, but by doing small roles in films and gaining practical experience in the industry; she learnt that way. If you think you can develop your craft on your own and by taking paid acting classes, then that's fine. Only you can decide what's best for you, and what can help you improve your acting.

Don't give up Monster!

I am still young, it is my first year out if high school this year, so i can't pretend im some great authority on the subject. But i thought i might putmy two cents worth in.

At the beginning of this year, i thought that it would have been absolutely essential to train at waapa in order to be a succesfull actor. After eight months in the real world i have found that this is not so. Firstly there are countless examples of actors who have trained themselves through experience. The thing about acting schools is they give you that platform to gain that experience i.e. you spend all day acting and working with professionals. Outside of an acting institution we can still get this experience its all about your drive how much you want it. I still want it bad, and as a result at one point of the year i was acting abt 30hrs a week under professional directors , i've stage-managed a show under a professional director and in october i am forming my own theatre compnay at my old high school and am directing samuel beckett's "Waiting For Godot". I have gained experience on an exponential curve. I think that, without trying to boast, that i am a good example of what you can achieve when you have the "drive" to get what you want. I think the only advantage that an acting school would have over gaining your own experience is that at acting school the opportunities for learning are given to you on a silver platter. I know i still have a long road to walk yet, but i will get there one day, keep postv keep ur drive and so will u.

cheers,
Gazz

What does Drama School REALLY give you?

Contacts in the industry that you would hve to root out yourself otherwise. In otherwords, you're going to ask someone do put you through the hoops in the hopes that they will think you're good enough to progress further. Bella gerant alii, getting others to work on your behalf and paying them a lot of money to do so without guarantee of any return for your efforts.

Out in the real world, you have to stand up and really fight for yourself. Learn how to advertise and sell your own skills to agents, producers, directors, etc. A real aut vincere aut mori battle.

What's the difference? It's who fights the battle. Are you prepared to fight for yourself or shall you take advantage of the resources available and trust another to stand up for you?

Tough call. Why would I go to Drama school? For the sheer enjoyment and oppertunity to learn something I may not already know.

Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Fortune Favours the Brave

Jeff "All for Learning" Watkins

[%sig%]

I think drama school isn't nessacary. And if you want to be an actor power to the people. I think if you believe in your self than you shall suceed. All you need is to believe the power to believe is very strong.

Drama school isnt necessary and the acting world is littered with actors who are doing well for themselves without drama school. Look at Colin Farrell,he dropped out of Drama school and made it himself, keira knightley also has no drama school training and she is huge at the moment. If you want it bad enough then you shall succeed

I agree with pretty much everyone comments. I have some formal training in theatre, tv and film through a respectable acting school. It has helped me a bit. But has everyone says experience counts...definately no questions asked. I have done a theatre play, and have been in a tv commercial and was in a tv series for a day shooting. All of this has been great experience which in someway these experiences have taught me more then in formal training. And yes a lot of very world known actors never had formal training when they started. Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger to add a few...they did not go to NIDA and still they are big. At the end of the day and this is what I have learnt through experience you can be greatest actor in the world but if the script doesn't require your looks, mannerisms etc then you won't get the part. You are not what the producer is looking for, and is no fault of you. I have learnt that take auditions seriously e.g if it is a well known play then do as much research as you can on the play so you feel it, and do your best. But if you don't get it then don't beat yourself on it. I was watching an interesting interview with Johnny Depp in it, and he basically said one day you can be on the A list and the next day your not, because the producers are looking for something else.

I hope I have added something constructive in my answers.

Cheers
Greg Coglan