screenwriter

Acting Is Empathy

Is Empathy The Key?

Reese Witherspoon once said, “Acting is empathy.” And truly, she’s right. Without the ability to feel what your characters are feeling, you can’t possibly bring them to life. The Merriam-Webster definition of empathy is:
“the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another…”

Having taught acting to young people as a Senior Teacher at The Playground for the past 9 years, and having studied acting for most of my life, I know there are many ways for expressing the need for having empathy in the acting world. Some teachers encourage students to truly “connect” with their character. They talk about really “getting inside” the character’s head—about “becoming” them.

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Become a Writer

Take Control Over Your Acting Career: WRITE!

Rainy Kerwin, Senior Staff Teacher at Gary Spatz’s The Playground, a Young Actor’s Conservatory Writing is great creative outlet for young actors. Often times, teens want to jump ahead in their careers. They want to be the lead in a television series or a feature film. And they want it by tomorrow. Scratch that. They want it by yesterday.

First things first and that is that you must study your craft. Learn the basics. Develop a toolbox of secrets that will help you deliver the goods when on set. But after you’ve got a few years of training under your belt, WRITE. Writing can give you a leg up in this business in so many ways. Don’t wait on your agent to get you an audition. Don’t let the casting director tell you when you can and can’t act.

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