I Don't Need an Acting Class

You have to give yourself permission to fail. If you’re too afraid of being bad, you’ll block your creative energy. Like Venessa Redgrave, indulge yourself in all the worst, most cliche choices first. Get them out of your system, and once they are, then go back and really get to work. But most of that work is done at home. Between rehearsals. It’s about the creative, imaginative research. Talking out. Getting more specific— like “the tear in the curtain.” And you’ll know it’s a good choice because you love it. It excites and fuels you in the part. 

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Or we should say: everything must be magical. To YOU. This week’s episode is a lesson in connecting. We hear a student, Grace, go from “reporting” to “experiencing.” A big part of “getting it” is understanding the purpose of talking out. Once you understand what it’s for, then it becomes easier to make a good choice and “go there.” And when that happens, you no longer have to work so hard. The impulse of the character and circumstance take you over and magic happens. 

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Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

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Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Talking out or improvising text helps us connect to what we’re talking out, sometimes by way of letting us know we are lying. In that sense, talking out is like a lie detector. It’s a way of self-assessing our own work. For example, if we’re bored, that means we’re not bringing ourselves to life, which means we haven’t earned it. Will don’t believe it and neither will anyone else. Milton also makes it clear what talking out isn’t: it’s not performing, it’s not standup comedy, it’s not telling a story. It’s solely meant to connect, or begin experiencing the character and circumstances.

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Milton will be teaching a week-long acting workshop at Clap Class in Marseille! The class will be held in English. Must have experience in film, television or theater, and be fluent in English.

Monday, November 18th to Friday November 22, 2024; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To register: go to clapclass.fr

Two topics are covered in this episode: our tendency to be disconnected from what you’re talking about, and our tendency to be disconnected from what’s going on with you in the scene. We shy away from being truly connected because it means vulnerability, it means “going there.” Even if you’re talking about something simple or you’re in a moment that’s not particularly heightened, when we’re connected, we’re revealing ourselves. It’s why we fall back on an analytical tone. Because it keeps us removed. Milton also talks about the importance of being active at all times, whether we’re speaking or not. A great way to listen actively is to talk out your reaction to what another character is saying. This creates an internal monologue so that something is always “going on” with you, whether you’re listening or looking out of a window. 

*This episode is in audio and video format. To watch the video version, find it on the Spotify app.

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Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Milton gives another round of notes to Chris who is doing a monologue from All My Sons.

This week, Milton coaches Chris on a monologue from All My Sons. This episode is both audio and video. You can watch the video version on Spotify.

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This week’s episode calls to mind the Steve Martin quote: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” You want to make choices that are so inventive that they have no choice but to hire you.

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In this longer-than-usual episode, Milton coaches the class through Jed’s audition for a TV series in which an out-of-control robot is stealing children. You’ll hear how Milton talks out the entire scene several times. This includes his dialogue, the dialogue of the others in the scene and his response to the others in the scene, as if telling someone a story of what happened. In doing so, he finds choices he loves, which makes the scene more than being a mere plot device. He finds a clear action, gives himself obstacles which help him play that action, and starts getting a sense of who this person is.

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Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠