Tips On Selecting A Summer Acting Program
- CHARLIE SANDLAN
- May 21, 2017
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 3
[Last Update: May 21, 2017] Summer is coming fast, so if you are interested in enrolling in a summer acting program (like a Meisner Summer Intensive), now is the time to do your research and set up an interview. I know that for us at the Maggie Flanigan Studio, we have been taking applications and interviewing prospective students since November.
How do you select a summer acting program that is right for you?
Here in NYC, there are plenty of options. Most acting studios use their summer programs to make as much money as possible, in order to take them through the slow time of August before fall classes start. So its important to know what you want, and what questions to ask so that you don’t end up as just a number among hundreds of naïve students. If that happens, you will have wasted your money, and come away with nothing of value. Below are some things to consider:
1. Check the studio website
Do your homework before you apply. Really look at their website thoroughly. I believe that the content and aesthetic look of a studio’s website says a great deal about their artistry and vision.
Do you get a real sense of their mission and their integrity in teaching?
Do they say anything of real substance, or is it a splash of superficial cliché’s, or content stolen from another site in an attempt to attract the naïve or non-serious?
Does the site come across as an ego party for their main teacher?
Does the website seem student centered with a focus on the entire studio and its standard?
Who do you meet with during your interview?
Are you told to buy or purchase anything as a requirement to interview?
These are all questions and red flags that can reveal a studio’s purpose. I believe any good program puts the students first.
2. Go visit their studio
You can get a real sense of a studio’s integrity and mission by visiting their studio.
Does the physical space match the feel of their website?
How are you greeted?
Is their support staff helpful and engaging?
Does it feel like a friendly, welcoming environment, or one of arrogance and elitism?
What is their aesthetic?
Are you offered a tour of their space?
Does it feel like a nurturing place you can call your artistic home for the next two months?
3. Ask other actors and industry professionals for recommendations
Ask people you respect about their recommendations on where you should train. A studio’s reputation is not built on flashy ads or catering to the phony notion that studying with them will make you famous. Word of mouth can help provide you with an important perspective. Make sure you talk to people you respect and who seem committed to craft and artistry.
You can’t learn real technique in a 6-8 week class. However, it is possible to leave with something of real substance if you have chosen the right program. I can say that the goal with our Six Week Meisner Summer Intensive is to provide you with an understanding of what real MFA level professional training is, to introduce you to the brilliant technique of Sandy Meisner, to provide you with the important fundamentals that any real actor should possess, and a greater appreciation of acting as an art form.
Good luck in your search.
Get more information about the Meisner Intensive
If you want more information about the Meisner Summer Intensive program, call the studio to set up your interview, call (917) 794-3878.
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