Acting Class?

[damjamkato]

At my high school, you have the option to take an arts elective class you sophomore year, but you have to get invited by the teacher to get into the class.  I got invited to take the performing arts class.  I have been stage managing at this school for the past 2 years (7th and 8th grade) and have been stage managing this year as well.

So I guess my question is that do you think it is beneficial to take an acting class if Stage Management is a possible career choice?

P.S.  I have no experience in acting, coming from tech and being drafted to SM.

Thanks 

[Amie]

Absolutely! I think it's good experience to gain knowledge about acting and performance, in that respect.  It gives you more of an understanding as a stage manager.

I say go for it!

[KMC]

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes.  It is absolutely beneficial. 

As SM you need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of everyone involved in the production.  This is all the way from costume construction, set construction, lighting design, sound design, acting and directing.  Any education or experience you can get in any area of the theatre will be helpful to you as an SM.

In my SM program in college I was required to take (at least) two levels of acting and one level of directing (no matter how terrible I was at both), it was a very valuable experience for sure.  At the absolute least you'll realize how tough it is to perform in front of an audience.  If you've got the chance I'd say do it. 

[planetmike]

Yes, take the acting class. You never know when you might be called to go on for a sick actor. Most of us hope that never happens to us, but you never know.

[hbelden]

Please please please take the class.  You use the same language in giving acting notes that you learn in the first acting class you take.  No matter how long you're in the business, that vocabulary will hold you in good stead.

[Thespi620]

Do it. Speaking as someone who was an actor first and has since worked with many SMs who don't know anything about acting, it's one of the best things you can do for yourself.  Like hbelden said, knowing 'their' language is key to giving clear notes, and you'll be able to understand your actors so much better.

[Trevor7]

I think it will be great.  It will help you learn to respect what the actors do.  I know to many stage managers who don't understand or respect what actors do.  Also it is always good to learn as much as you can about theatre if you are going to be working in it.

[PSMKay]

Yes, yes, yes.  You would not want to be a football coach without ever playing football.  You would not want to be a stage manager without ever acting.  Soak up everything you can - you will be serving as the main communications hub on most productions and you will need to know the lingo.

If a director tells you he wants to start with some Viewpoints work, how would you prep the stage?
If you're pulling rehearsal props and need to choose between a large plastic cup or a wooden block to stand in for a glass, which would you choose?
When the rehearsal process gets into the lengthy span between blocking and tech, what do you do with yourself?  Can you understand what's going on onstage or do you just tune it out as "actor stuff?"
When an actor is shifting a beat from a moment to a personal schtick, can you spot it?
Can you tell when a rehearsal switches from being productive to being detrimental?
When an actor pauses in the middle of a scene, can you tell if they've gone up or if they're just "acting?"
If an actor misses a rehearsal, could you explain the blocking that they've missed in terms that they would understand?
If a company were to sack one director and hire another in the middle of the rehearsal process, would you be able to fill them in?

These are all scenarios that I've experienced.  And every time I was glad for not only acting training but directing experience as well.  SM is not just about saying "go" and setting the stage.  It's about creating an environment where everyone has the information and materials they need to create a production.  They will not learn to speak your language, so you'd best learn to speak theirs.

[SM19]

Oh god yes...I'm pretty sure these people have summed it up.

From personal experience I know, as an actor myself, how actors work. If you know that, you'll have an easier time getting through to them and an easier time working them them too! Also, a Stage Manager is the one person in the theatre who should have experienced everything! That means lights, sound, acting, etc. So if you have acting behind you too, bonus! I find it helps me a lot. Not only will it help you, but it's fun too Good luck!

[BWEEVEED]

I have never taken an acting class, but my SM mentor has commanded me to do so. It's the only aspect of theatre besides directing that I haven't gotten the chance to experience.

The earlier you do it, the more of an affect it will have on you as you continue your career.