Whether it be medicine, law, or bricklaying a first-rate education in the principles of any given trade is essential. The field of acting is certainly no exception. But for the young actor, finding a legitimate training ground can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. While in the area of medicine or law there are obvious credentials and background necessary to teach these subjects, when it comes to the teaching of acting, anyone can throw up a sign and go into business. So what does a young actor do to make sure that his time, money, energy, and good faith are placed in the right hands?

Research

A good beginning to the solving of this puzzle would be to do some serious research. There are many books that deal with the beginning actor and how to approach the business. A very good example of this kind of book is All You Need To Know About the Movie and TV Business, by Gail Resnik and Scott Trost. Books like these give suggestions on what might be clues to the better schools for actors. And there are other types of books, like The Working Actors Guide in Los Angeles, which lists all acting schools and teachers, and gives thumbnail sketches of what they offer. A study of these kinds of references will help the young actor get an overall picture. They are available in bookstores that specialize in theatrical materials and in some cases in the more general bookstores as well.

Another kind of research would be a serious study of theatrical history and the biographies of finer actors. This would serve to acquaint the young aspirant with ample background about his craft, and prevent him from falling prey to the frauds of the people who market acting training. For instance, when I was young I read voraciously about the actors who I admired, and I knew by the age of 15 that I wanted to begin my training with Stella Adler since she was the teacher of Marlon Brando. I also knew that Harold Clurman was the founder of the Group Theater, one of the most acclaimed theaters in American history. So, soon after beginning with Miss Adler, I enrolled in one of Mr. Clurman's classes. This was all the product of reading and research.

The Word On the Street

While the above-mentioned research is vital, there is another and perhaps more essential thing you can do. Talk to other actors. Talk to people in the business: directors, agents, casting directors, etc. The more you talk to the better. When certain places start turning up on everyone's list it might mean they're worth checking out. Some of the larger agencies have what is known as "a short list" of acting schools. They know first-hand from their own clients what training in town is producing the working actors.

What's in a Name?

This might be a good time to mention that I worked with Stella Adler personally, not in a building with her name on it. I would not put too much stock in whose name is on the building. It certainly appears that over the years, as the giants of American acting teaching either died or retired, there was no scarcity of those willing to capture their names and continue to trade on their reputations. While some of these may be legitimate teachers in their own right, it must be up to the young actor to ascertain that for himself, before naively signing up for classes because it has a famous name attached to it. One young actor told me a story of having interviewed at a school, and was told by the teacher trying to sign him up, "The name on the building speaks for itself." The name on the building cannot talk and will never watch you act or explain to you what needs correction in your work.

Beginning to Look

Once you've gotten to the point of feeling ready to look first-hand at the schools, it's time to make some calls and set up some appointments. Some classes permit "auditing." This is sitting in on an actual class in progress. Other schools permit only an interview, in which the student is told about the school and is then expected to make a decision on that basis. There can be a lot of pressure to enroll in both of these situations. Remember it is your career and life. Wait until you are genuinely enthusiastic before you commit yourself. It should go without saying that the "audit" is the preferable situation since it allows you to actually see what you'll be buying. Imagine if cars were sold not by going to the showroom and seeing them and taking test-drives, but simply by having a salesman describe all the features to you and then expect a down payment sight unseen.

What to Look For

An acting class is made up of four elements. Let's look at each in detail.

1)The Technique

There are many approaches, methods, and techniques to the craft of acting. Stanislavski was the first to attempt to codify what all good actors had in common and devise a training system for actors out of those commonalities. Several Moscow Art Theater actors, who remained in America after the theater's first Broadway engagement in 1913, introduced this technique. They became the first teachers here of the Stanislavski system. Among the young Americans who studied with one or more of these teachers were Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and Harold Clurman. This approach to acting had its first real trial and success on Broadway through the work of the Group Theater (1931-41). Out of the group theater came all of those recognized in the forties, fifties, and sixties as the premier teachers of acting in this country, who devised their own approaches to teaching out of the principles they learned and practiced in the group. These included Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, and Robert Lewis. It is difficult to find a major actor of that period who didn't study with one or more of these teachers. Brando and Deniro worked with Adler, Pacino and Newman with Strasberg, Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall with Meisner, Meryll Streep with Bobby Lewis. The point of this little history lesson: Is the technique that you are offered in class a proven one with a track record of success?

2)The Teacher

Once you're aware of the technique being offered the next obvious question is, "Does the teacher know anything about it?" What is the real background of the teacher with this technique? Did they study personally with experts? If so, for how long? Does the teacher have a track record of success? Can they produce a list of names of real working actors who were in their classes for a significant amount of time? And, there is an old cliche, "those who can't act, teach." It contains a certain truth, but about poor teachers not good ones. Lee Strasberg directed Pulitzer Prize winning successes on Broadway, and in his later years acted to great effect and acclaim. Stella Adler was one of the top actresses on Broadway. Sanford Meisner acted successfully on Broadway and in films until a throat operation limited him to just teaching. Robert Lewis also acted on Broadway, and directed successfully for years. These were not teachers "who can't." They worked in and around the theater for years, and their teaching came out of first-hand knowledge of working in the profession. It is a sad truth that those professing to teach acting today have rarely, if ever, had a real acting job. They have not been paid to act either on stage, in film, or television, except perhaps in very minor ways. Their interest in teaching has sprung out of their failure in the profession. Would you really want to learn your craft from someone with no first-hand experience or success in the field in which you hope to work?

3)The Students

This is a vital element in every class. Acting is a group endeavor. It is something always done with others, working as a team. It is common knowledge in sports that if you play with others who are better than you, there is a tendency to improve, for you are challenged and have good role models before you. You will find in your search for classes that good people have a sixth sense, and they know where to go. They can be recognized because they work hard, have a professional discipline, always come to class prepared, and are seriously in the profession (they have agents and work). They are well groomed and their demeanor tells you they're serious. You can't make good progress if you are in a group which doesn't take their work seriously. So you will want to study and examine the student body and determine if these are real professional people or flaky dilettantes.

4)The Program

What is offered in terms of some progressive situation, which constantly challenges the actor and forces them to grow? Does the class remain at the level of simple exercises, or does it progress to scenes and plays? Does it offer contact with leading actors who come in and do seminars, as well as agents and directors who might come in and offer advice, or is it just limited to the one teacher? Are you given the opportunity to try out what you're learning in front of audiences, or do you just remain in the protective hothouse arena of the classroom? These and other like considerations should be looked at.

5)Time To Begin

You've found a class. The teacher has a real background and a record of success. The technique is a proven one. The students you'll work with are serious and talented. The program offers progressive and continuous growth. But you must do your part now. The old axiom, "you get out of something what you put into it," is no more truer than in the student actor situation. You must give your professional best to the situation. Devote all your time and energies to the learning process. Rehearse diligently and always come fully prepared for class. Take notes. Read every theatrical book you can get your hands on. Study every piece of good acting you can find, on-stage and in the old classic films. Study all art, for all is relevant to you as an actor. Give it your absolute all and pay the price for success, and who knows--we may be watching you someday soon.