Becoming an actor the non-traditional way

 

I got rejected from NUS USP.

I definitely got the sinking feeling when I saw the words "Every year we have to turn away hundreds of applicants..." because rejection always hurts on some level. At the same time, I also appreciated that somehow everything has fallen into place in favor of the one outcome that I was too afraid or hesitant to pursue outright. Because of all the time this has freed up for me, I'll now be able to put my entire heart and soul into pursuing theatre. That's something great that came out of this and I am grateful for it.

So... now that I'm walking this path, I have to face up to a few realities. The most glaringly obvious one would be this: My major in Theatre Studies would never in a million years compare to the intensive training of a BFA student.

I know what I was down for when I signed up for this. It is going to be about making and researching about theatre. It's about the history, philosophy and culture of theatre and all of its influences on new media and society. It's four or five very watered down modules (and yes I can name all of them) on acting, voice and movement with the intention of research and reflection rather than learning the technique itself, plus one still very academic capstone module with a public performance. It all sounds great until you hear that BFA and even some lucky BA students around the world are involved in at least one mainstage production a semester. So I will very honestly tell you that I would most assuredly not depend on NUS Theatre for formal training, because I know that it is what it is - A theatre studies program, not an acting program.

I can live with that. However, it means that I'll be in the same boat as thousands of other early career actors. How do we survive and make it as actors without a BFA? Can you become an actor the non-traditional way? Here's what I think. So long as you can think and act like a BFA actor, you can do the job. That means being smart about where you source your external training and building a repertoire of training to a comparable standard as the BFA actor who has had their program curriculum cut out for them.

As a bit of a helicopter planner, I have scanned through program requirements of dozens of BFA and MFA schools, looked through all of their course offerings and sometimes I would even go so far as to snoop around the lecturer's website and social media accounts to find out what exactly is taught in class and how the students are learning. I then piece together a list of targets that I want to hit for that particular skill, technique or method, and I ransack the entire internet for resources and locally available classes so that I can match the skills of the students in formal programs. You don't have to be this meticulous or overzealous, but it certainly helps to have a good idea of what you want to learn and mapping out what you have nearby so that you can fully utilize your resources no matter where you are in the world.

Recently, I posted this in the film and theatre collective that I founded:

Hi friends! With the upcoming June holidays, you may be wondering where you can get your actor training. Here's a list of reputable choices you can consider:

• National Institute of Dramatic Arts Australia
• Online: Introduction to Acting (6 hours) - A$180, about S$185.61
• Multiple dates, 7.30am to 9.30am SGT
• S$30.94 per hour
• LASALLE College of the Arts
• Acting Short Course (24 hours) - S$520 (Skillsfuture claimable)
• 1-24 June, 7pm to 10pm SGT
• S$21.67 per hour
• Haque Centre for Acting and Creativity
• Method Acting 101 (12 hours) - S$400
• Either 24 May - 14 June or 21 June to 12 July, 7.30pm to 10.30pm SGT
• $33.33 per hour
• The Improv Company
• Improv 101 (15 hours) - S$312 with student discount
• Dates and times TBA
• S$20.80 per hour
• Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, USA
• Method 101 (8 hours) - US$350 + US$75 application fee, about S$563.68
• 7-28 June, 9am to 11am SGT
• S$70.64 per hour
• Stella Adler Studio for Acting, USA
• Fundamentals of Acting (8 hours) - US$200, about S$265.26
• 9-30 June, 7am - 9am SGT
• S$33.15 per hour

All of this was compiled with a calculator, currency converter and time converter opened in three tabs plus a ton of research and Googling, enough to know where to look and where to find the right courses that are suitable for my collective members.

In order to succeed as a non-traditional actor, you must be a lot more resourceful than the actor who has everything laid out for her. Sure, take a moment to mourn the fact that you didn't attend Syosset High School or OCSA or SOTA. After that, it's time to steal their education model and make it your own - find courses that fit into the "actor curriculum" that you have built for yourself, sequence the courses logically so that you are going from the introductory level to an advanced level just like you would in a structured program. This could look like:

- Spring 2021: An introductory acting class from the local conservatory, online music theory from Coursera and musical theatre masterclasses on Zoom

- Summer 2021: An intermediate acting class with the same instructor and basic jazz dance open classes

- Fall 2021: A theatre module in college and joining clubs in theatre, music and dance

- Winter 2021: An online General American accent class with NIDA or IDSA

Here is an example of what I'm planning on doing for this year (guess where my part-time job salary is going?). It won't be anywhere as intensive as a BFA, but since my aim is to at least obtain some of their competencies, this would give me some of the performance skills which I prefer. I arranged my choices around American musical theatre, but if you are interested in, say, local puppetry, there are other places to look, and there are always options. You just need to know how to craft your own learning experience and to stick with it so that you eventually have a substantial portfolio of training where you have the tools you need for both the stage and the screen.

And what if you don't have the money to pay for training? Here's where things get difficult, but there are plenty of free classes and workshops on offer online so long as you don't mind awkward timings and constant Eventbrite-hunting. It's also a good idea to join local and international networking groups, and I can't stress this enough, actively participate in conversations! You seriously never know what you might learn, and every once in a blue moon, the cross-border friendships may evolve into actual opportunities. Trust me on that one.

Going out for auditions is also a very important step towards being an actor. Without an agent to represent you, you are responsible for finding your own opportunities and submitting for them. You have to develop your own actor submission package - in smaller and less competitive industries like Singapore, you don't usually need professional headshots or a reel for student films, since most filmmakers just ask for a few photographs of yourself. That said, you should eventually get them done once you have a couple of student credits so that you can start submitting for more serious productions and trying for international casting calls. However, your resume and CV should always follow the international standard. It's not that hard, and you can easily accomplish that with a Google Document and some good old tables. LPT: Get invisible columns by setting the border color to white.

Becoming an actor is ultimately an indefinitely long process, and consistent high quality training informs the director that the actor is a serious applicant for the role they are going for. While there aren't any straight answers as to how an actor can succeed despite not having a "proper" background, it ultimately depends on how they turn their opportunities into something greater, because opportunities come most often to those who never stop trying.