Choosing SPARTAN

If you come to my studio, you better expect austere. Three roughly decorated spaces on the top floor of a run down building, down an entirely unappealing alley, where sometimes you have to step around the odd drunk…

Sounds unappealing? Cool.

To me, it is the mark of a serious training environment. The studio is functional, waiting area, toilet, 3 studios and a small office. Nothing spare, nothing fancy, nothing luxurious.

You see luxury tells the student the wrong message. Fancy studios kid the acting student into the false belief that they have ‘made it’ which signals that they can relax.

Businesses sell illusion, they need marketing, posh furniture, fancy entrances. We have a big white roughly painted door, with large blue lettering spelling out ACS.

We are not selling illusion. We are selling the truth.

The truth is that a fancy studio requires higher fees, to pay for itself.

The truth is that I don’t want our students sticking around forever. Bad for business, not at all. The austere environment encourages the students to get out there in the world.

Don’t get comfortable.

The staff at ACS don’t wear sharp and fancy suits, we aren’t salesmen, we are teachers and coaches. Again, wrong image, wrong signal, giving the wrong message.

The message at ACS is ‘don’t get comfortable, you aren’t here to relax. You’re here to graft.”