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A key component of our job as actors has always been overcoming obstacles. In the 1600s, Shakespearean actors overcame so many obstacles: the bubonic plague, rehearsing without the entire script, and trying to connect with each other while groundlings heckled in the audience. Now, more than 400 years later, 2020 actors are still facing similar obstacles: Covid-19, rehearsing with barking dogs and screaming kids in our home workspace and trying…

#1 Audiobook narration is all about acting. Audiobook narration is about acting. Acting training and experience is fundamental. Having a gorgeous voice is great, but without the essentials of experience and training, you won’t have the skill to narrate with the grounded emotions that all authors want to get across. There are typically several characters that you alone will need to narrate and express as real, tangible people. It’s important…

…A Conversation with Cole Doman by Noah Glaser In my interview with Cole Doman, I asked if – either during his time in school or at any point throughout his acting career – he had encountered a phrase that had stuck with him. A mantra or piece of advice that he finds himself repeating every so often, be it: on stage, on set, at an audition, or at home. Cole…

With the present state of the COVID 19 pandemic, while we are safe-at-home, one of the things actors can do… is read plays!  Reading plays is a fundamental skill for the actor. I spoke with Acting Studio Chicago Faculty Member Adrianne Cury and she advised, “There is something we can do with all this time; that is to further educate ourselves.” As an actor and playwright in training, I asked…

By Donna Simon Dunn Imagine your mind is a garden. You get to choose which seeds to plant. So why not plant seeds of positivity, joy, opportunity and success? Why not have a giant patch of dirt, void of nutrients, where your bad seeds: rejection, self-doubt, worry, go to die?  What’s stopping you from waking up every day and stepping into your purpose? Your initial response to this might be,…

Wow! January really flew by and here we are in the middle of February — and if we’re being honest, some of our New Year’s resolutions have probably flown right out of our minds — and ready to replace those resolutions, are old habits that just won’t let go. Don’t lose hope though, there’s still plenty of time to course-correct. After all, this is the start of a new year,…

Auditioning is mostly a solo career. Yep, preaching the truth, friends.   As actors, we spend a lot of time by ourselves on the train, in the car, on the bus, in an Uber, on the way to, or returning from an audition. Sure, people might be sitting next to you on the train, but usually, you are self-focused, in your audition zone. It’s rare that an actor will go with…

Misconceptions of Movement, Dang It!  There’s a misconception about on-camera acting out there in the universe that I think needs to be dispelled. There’s this general feeling/idea/thought that you have to stay frozen and barely move, and talk really, really quietly. Actors want so badly to come off as real and authentic, that I’m finding that some actors get locked into an unmovable position once they hit their mark and…

WHY VOICEOVER WORK? There are more reasons than you think! Written by Jeff Lupetin Author of  Ultimate Voiceover Why voiceover work? People come to the voiceover business for a few common reasons. One: They want to make more money. Two: Someone told them they have a great voice. Three: They want to do cartoon voices Four: They want to do audiobooks. The good news is having a voice over career…

You got the part and it’s your first time cast in a television show! You’ve worked hard and you’re excited about this first day. But you’ve never been on set before and you aren’t sure what to expect. Here are a few guidelines to get you through that first experience. 1. Don’t be late. There’s nothing that sets a bad precedent more than holding up production because you didn’t arrive…