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Juliet
Student
Fort Collins, Colorado
1
Question
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What is the most fulfilling part of being a performer What is the most difficult part? Do you find one outweighs the other? Are you happy you went to your BFA program?
I am an Actress and I will be attending a school in New York for Drama. I am just curious about how much people think their BFA benefitted them.
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Michelle M.
Actress
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Juliet !
I am most definitely happy that I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Theatre as an actress.
Something I can suggest is that you take your tech classes first, maybe one acting class at first but take the tech stuff in your first two years. In my first two years, I was too anxious and took all performance classes and in my Junior and Senior years, bunched up the tech courses which was exhausting because I was also acting off campus. You'll have practicums to do most likely, and just pace yourself. People may think it's an "easy" or soft Major, but, depending on the college, it can be rigorous and demanding.
Acting is not about what is the hardest or easiest thing, acting is being, believing and creating. Most actors love it so much that they don't consider anything "difficult". You need to give yourself room to have your own experience, path and journey in acting and never compare yourself to anyone else. Even if someone said they fell on stage or a flat fell on them during scene, that will not help you. You have to be there for the experience. Later on, you and your classmates will trade stories of things that happened while you were performing. Once the actress I was in a scene with forgot her lines and I formulated her missed dialogue into my dialogue so the audience would know what was happening. I didn't even realize I did that until I was off stage and the stage manager thanked me for doing that. You will develop instinct, Juliet.
The essence of acting is so strong that even getting injured twice backstage before my scene didn't phase me. One time it was that I tripped on a flat backstage and ripped open my knee. The other time was before my entrance I ran to my spot between a scrim and stucco wall and scraped my arm up pretty bad. Never felt any of it on stage, though. Was also in a musical with a cold for two days. I even sang. So these stories can be amusing, but you'll have different stories to tell in the future.
Most recently, the other person I was performing with froze for like three minutes straight. I just stayed still as this was in the context of standardized patient acting, was being videoed and only the other person and a professor were in the room. You naturally will learn to process what to do when things don't go as planned - and it's not a bad thing, it's all in being in the moment at the same time knowing what happens next.
Nothing anyone is going to tell you about their experience is going to help you unless you remember the solutions. A good director is crucial to teach actors this.
So, yes, my academic path as well as the classes I took in the community and having the Bachelors in Theatre was an excellent choice I made. I know that you are going to learn a great deal and have some interesting experiences, too. I wish you well with your studies and performances and living in NYC will be another experience, too !
Have a wonderful day !
I am most definitely happy that I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Theatre as an actress.
Something I can suggest is that you take your tech classes first, maybe one acting class at first but take the tech stuff in your first two years. In my first two years, I was too anxious and took all performance classes and in my Junior and Senior years, bunched up the tech courses which was exhausting because I was also acting off campus. You'll have practicums to do most likely, and just pace yourself. People may think it's an "easy" or soft Major, but, depending on the college, it can be rigorous and demanding.
Acting is not about what is the hardest or easiest thing, acting is being, believing and creating. Most actors love it so much that they don't consider anything "difficult". You need to give yourself room to have your own experience, path and journey in acting and never compare yourself to anyone else. Even if someone said they fell on stage or a flat fell on them during scene, that will not help you. You have to be there for the experience. Later on, you and your classmates will trade stories of things that happened while you were performing. Once the actress I was in a scene with forgot her lines and I formulated her missed dialogue into my dialogue so the audience would know what was happening. I didn't even realize I did that until I was off stage and the stage manager thanked me for doing that. You will develop instinct, Juliet.
The essence of acting is so strong that even getting injured twice backstage before my scene didn't phase me. One time it was that I tripped on a flat backstage and ripped open my knee. The other time was before my entrance I ran to my spot between a scrim and stucco wall and scraped my arm up pretty bad. Never felt any of it on stage, though. Was also in a musical with a cold for two days. I even sang. So these stories can be amusing, but you'll have different stories to tell in the future.
Most recently, the other person I was performing with froze for like three minutes straight. I just stayed still as this was in the context of standardized patient acting, was being videoed and only the other person and a professor were in the room. You naturally will learn to process what to do when things don't go as planned - and it's not a bad thing, it's all in being in the moment at the same time knowing what happens next.
Nothing anyone is going to tell you about their experience is going to help you unless you remember the solutions. A good director is crucial to teach actors this.
So, yes, my academic path as well as the classes I took in the community and having the Bachelors in Theatre was an excellent choice I made. I know that you are going to learn a great deal and have some interesting experiences, too. I wish you well with your studies and performances and living in NYC will be another experience, too !
Have a wonderful day !