ABSTRACT
Training is a vital, ongoing necessity to maintaining both an actor’s career and craft. In this chapter, the authors address readers’ questions pertaining to both college programs and independent professional training. Specifics include what to look for in a college acting program, whether there’s an advantage to attending college in a “hub” city (such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago) where there may be opportunities to start cultivating career opportunities, how to spot and avoid scams sold as “educational opportunities,” what to look for in commercial classes, the merits of training in improvisation, the question of whether comedy can be taught, the search for a theatre company or other ways to “work out” as an actor, and how to deal with challenging acting teachers or scene partners.
