Confidence Tricks
A while back I had a student drop out of class. This in itself is not worrying, there are a range of reasons why people cannot commit to a regular class. But this time, I was really intrigued by it. When people say that they come to class to gain or grow in confidence, I think they might mistake the purpose of an acting class. An acting class teaches acting, just as a Spanish class teaches Spanish, and just as taking a Spanish class will not necessary make you a better listener, then acting might not make you more confident. Except, it probably will as a result of the training that we deliver at the ACS Studio.
And here’s the problem. If you want to know the trick to growing in confidence, it’s right here. One cannot attend classes for ten weeks and expect to grow in confidence as if by magic. It is through struggle that one learns and changes and grows. So, by committing to a ten week acting class, and by taking on the games and exercises of that class, fully invested, regardless of fear, or failure or fear of failure, in front of others, who will also fail in front of you, by overcoming the obstacles placed in your way, you will grow in confidence. By tackling those things head on, although you might fail and make a fool of yourself in front of others, you will gain the confidence that you sought. But this could pretty much be said of any kind of class that challenges you personally. It isn’t necessary acting classes you need. This person might believe they chose the wrong class, I would disagree, they don’t understand the nature of confidence.
I’m not one that believes that everyone should take acting or drama, because it makes one a better person, that’s some well-meaning hippie crap that was invented to sell drama to schools and get funding for the arts. But, I am sure that acting classes are personally challenging and that if you face the struggle, deal with your discomfort, don’t back down and don’t give in, you will grow, as an actor, or a person, or possibly both. And if you back down, give in and go home, you will learn nothing about acting, and nothing about yourself as a person.