As an actor, your education, inspiration, and maybe even a job opportunity can be found by going to the theater. But how do you choose what to see wisely in order to make the most of your time and money?
Training and teaching at the Esper Studio in New York, I always remember Bill Esper saying that actors are not in the audience just to be entertained. He said that when actors go to the theater, we’re always studying our craft. So in that way, we’re all part of what’s going on onstage. We’re like painters visiting a museum—we analyze the works and see what we can learn and carry that back into our own craft.
When deciding what to see, one should give thought to not only which play is going to be the most entertaining, but also which play will be the most educational. An actor may choose to see a play that has a particular role in it that they might want to play one day. Or, a particular actor they admire may be performing and so seeing them onstage would act like a master class in how they approach a role.
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An actor that’s not a singer may decide that great character-driven comedies or dramas are more applicable to their craft than musicals. It doesn’t mean that musicals are not illuminating in regard to character development and stagecraft, but a non-singer may get more of an opportunity to study what’s directly applicable to their career while seeing plays. Additionally, one-person shows can be fascinating and demonstrate many creative approaches to performing, but again, if you’re not interested in doing a one-person show it might be seen more as entertainment or be something to see on occasion.
Choosing what to see can also include specific writers whose work you connect with and want to perform yourself. Becoming familiar with a playwright may lead to a greater understanding of their work and how to best approach their characters. Another factor to consider when choosing what to see is the specific style of work. The Classical Theater in New York does classical works, so any actor who sees their productions is going to learn more about classical language and style.
The conscious, thoughtful approach to what you choose to see makes the theater your extended classroom and makes you an active participant in the process. So before you buy your ticket or plan your next visit to the theater, think about what would give you the greatest opportunity to learn and to apply those lessons to your career and craft.
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