Maisey
How can a busy freshman start acting with no experience?
Hi everyone. I am a high school freshman interested in exploring acting. I love singing, voice mimicry, and comedy, but I have never performed before. I feel comfortable trying to perform around my peers, though I can be shy around adults.
Unfortunately, my school’s competitive drama auditions have already passed. And given my heavy workload which includes AP classes and year-round competitive swimming my schedule is tight. While I am highly creative, I am also balancing a long-term career interest in becoming an oncology Physician Assistant, but still have some hopes of getting into a acting career because I believe I would enjoy that more.
Given my lack of experience and heavy commitments, how can I safely test the waters with acting? Should I focus strictly on school and swimming right now, or is there a manageable way to try acting on the side but still try and turn it into something more than just an on the side thing?
1 answer
Alexis Camins
Alexis’s Answer
If you are taking AP classes as a freshman, that’s a pretty serious school that allows that and you’re on a pretty serious track. Since you are fairly far ahead, perhaps next semester or year you can ease up on some of the academic classes, to give yourself time to pursue this other passion.
Again, if you are swimming year round, it sounds like that’s a pretty serious endeavor for you as well and that you’ve done it for a while. Are there meets you cna choose not to attend? Could you take part of a season off?
At the end of the day, you have to sacrifice some of your time from one thing in order to do something else. If you believe acting is something worth checking out, and since you are still a freshman, I think you have plenty of time to take your APs and swim competitively. Give yourself time to try something new now. There is no better time to explore different pursuits and not get locked down on one thing just yet.
And even with your busy schedule, you can find time to read plays, and try doing monologues on your own. Or find friends who are interested and read some scenes. The only way you’ll know if acting is something worth pursuing is if you give it a try. If exploring this side of yourself is a priority, you’ll find the time.