tuesday nights.

my acting coach is nuts.  he's also just nuts enough to be good.  this wiry, new york cultured, woody allen-esque man says whatever he thinks, and i love it.  he yells, i yell too, lots gets done and undone.  

reasons why i chose this class:

1. when i audited, i watched the other actors in the class and i believed that most of them have potential to have an acting career.  this is not always true.  in many of the other classes i audited, the people were mostly there for therapy.  yes, acting class is therapeutic.  no, i don't need to be around all that emotional instability.

2. the class is filmed.  every performance/reading etc that you do, he tapes it.  that way you have a record of what you've done, can watch yourself, and also remember everything he yelled at you afterwards.  very helpful, also horrendously self depracating.  hell-o, ms double chin. 

3. he gets whatever he wants out of you, however he can.  he has made me dance around the studio to loosen up, picture people naked, etc to place me in the emotional state of the character i'm playing.  he has also spontaneously put a prop gun to my head in class, trying to get a sense of urgency out of me.  i did not know it was a prop gun.  i felt urgent to say the least.  it worked. 

4. he does not blow smoke up my ass.  there are no promises of stardom, no connections being offered, no comments on appearance/marketability.  it works for me because i do not do well with coddling.

5. he invites an industry guest to watch class every month.  not only do i get exposure this way, but i am also learning a lot about how the industry works.  

tuesday nights are a highlight, and a dread all at once.  I consider this a good sign.