Avery Boulware,sports editor, reflects on the benefits of acting classes.
Avery Boulware, Campus Carrier sports editor
Sometimes, while watching a guest speaker or in a CE lecture that is particularly awkward or unengaging, I’ll wonder how much better the speaker would be at getting their point across if they had ever taken a few acting classes.
Some speakers, while they might be certified geniuses, lack any understanding of stage presence or communication skills. When something goes wrong, whether they mispronounce a word or their PowerPoint malfunctions, they freeze and make the situation even more uncomfortable instead of acknowledging the mistake and rolling with the punches.
A public speaking class might also do the trick in this situation, but I don’t think it goes quite as far as an acting class would. Public speaking skills simply help speakers convey information to their audience. Acting classes help the speaker feel comfortable in their own skin while conveying the same information in a more interesting manner.
Many companies require employees that will be interacting with the public and with other businessmen to take acting classes. The benefits go beyond a knowledge of stage directions and the ability to memorize lines.
One of the advantages to taking an acting class is to gain a “stage presence.” Being comfortable in your own skin and in the space you are presenting in is crucial to getting information across in the most efficient and engaging manner.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, acting teacher Jessica Stuart discussed her methods and the growth she has seen in her students.
“One of the main things I’m trying to do is break patterns,” Stuart says. “To learn how to change in an instant is wonderful for salespeople who have to adapt to different things quickly. It really helps (a person) get over shyness because you step outside yourself, you really have to know yourself. That’s why I got into (acting) to begin with, to overcome shyness.”
Another advantage involves teamwork. A friend of mine who teaches acting once conducted a class full of middle-aged businessmen from a local company. She had them play improvisational games with each other.
Not only did they have to think quickly and stay focused on the task, but they had to communicate with each other as simply and efficiently as possible, or the scene fell apart. The skills learned while participating in a scene directly correlate with the skills needed to conduct a meeting or presentation with fellow employees.
Of course, one of the most obvious benefits of becoming a better actor is verbal communication.
Jennifer Oleniczak, founder and artistic director of The Engaging Educator, wrote an article on the education blogging site Noodle about the educational advantages students gain from drama classes.
“Theater allows students to practice their emotional range while experimenting with pitch, projection, cadence and dramatics,” she said. “On top of the value of experimentation in general, there is little immediate risk in the context of a class: this isn’t a presentation that’s getting graded after one go.”
Actors rehearse a simple monologue countless times, analyzing each word and the enunciations and inflections necessary to perform the monologue as believably as possible. Public speaking is essentially performing a monologue. But it’s hard to know how to rehearse and perform your own words, which is why analyzing and performing a character’s words is an excellent starting place.
Like many things, the ultimate reason to take an acting class boils down to self-betterment. Refining your communication skills and gaining self-confidence is invaluable, no matter your career path.