Training Young Actors #1: TRIALS

A few weeks ago, I participated in a brief discussion via Twitter with friend David S. Hogan about teaching tips and what works (and doesn't work) when teaching teens. As usual, David is so masterful at inspiring further examination and a closer look at something to gain more insight. In the last blog series, I looked at the concept of PROFESSIONALISM and for this series I am diving into the tumultuous world of teaching and training young actors.  This is the first in a three part series on TRIALS, TIPS and TRIUMPHS of teaching teen actors.  Enjoy.

TRIALS

"I've got a confession to make. Being young is rough." The opening line from my play REACH really couldn't be a better way to start out this post on teen acting. Over the past 10+ years of working closely with teenage actors, I've learned that life is not as simple or smooth as we think it often is for today's 21st Century teen. There is a stigma with many young people that is simply not fair: many people feel that these kids just don't care about anything or are lazy video gaming zombies who have nothing important to offer society. While there are certainly individuals who fit this bill, if you look around and work with enough of these teens you will see that is not always the norm. Many of these young people are stretched and worked as much as adults. I know many of my acting students go to school full time, then off to work or some sporting event only then to have time for family and friends. In many regards, they are over scheduled and under rested. They are shown and told to be responsible for their life without really knowing what responsibility looks like. There is an expectation to get good grades, get a good job, be popular/successful socially all while finding time to stay active with the things they love to do. 

Furthermore, they are in a strange limbo of sorts that we all remember if we are honest; that stage between adulthood and youth. At times they act too childish and they are told to stop acting like one. Then they may act more mature and they are told to act their age. In many respects, they are stuck in these two distinct dimensions and often are left to figure it out themselves with the media, friends and if they're lucky a family member to help them navigate it. 

Over my years of teaching teen actors, I've discovered that acting can be one of the best methods for navigating their often tumultuous and confusing adolescent years. Acting at its core is about expression: of self, of others, of emotions and of behavior. All of those concepts are an oasis to the teen actor's desert life. When they enter my class, I make it essential for them to first discover and express who they are. As mentioned earlier, many don't know who they are or deny who they really are to "fit in" or "save face," so this step is crucial in starting their acting journey. There is so much power in this simple (but challenging) exercise because it forces them to speak up for themselves and start that important journey of awareness and honest expression. This is perhaps their biggest trial: to look at themselves honestly and truthfully and learn to accept all of their strengths and faults as the definition of who they are so they can then communicate the best and most authentic rendition of their true self. They don't have to share everything to the class. They share what they feel comfortable sharing. There is strength and freedom in that choice. They learn to empower themselves to speak out on their own terms without yelling, screaming or defending themselves. They are allowed to just be. 

After this occurs, they are ready for the tips and the triumphs that come with acting. More on those later.