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Michelle Baldwin
Dr. House
Foundations of Writing
16 April 2013
The Unappreciated Dreamers: A study of Aspiring Actors
I could see her from across the chorus room, standing in the corner running her lines. I
had underestimated the chaos backstage on opening night, as it was my very first show. The
room was filled with people pulling on costumes and fixing their hair in a panic, but the girl in
the corner was completely composed. My eyes were glued to her confidence; she was so
comfortable and happy; she was practically glowing.
“Take the stage”, the director yelled, and the girl looked up from her trance, smiling
brightly.
She confidently strode across the chaotic room towards the stage, towards her purpose. It
was at that particular moment that I witnessed her passion. I was a bit closer to being able to
grasp why she aspired to be an actress, why she was willing to risk it all to major in something so
unstable and unpredictable.
“To me there was never a question; I always knew I wanted to be an actress. Sure I would
love to be passionate about a more mainstream choice, like business, but it’s acting, it’s always
been acting.”
Brooke Peterson lit up as soon as she began to reminisce on her acting experience. As she
described her future plans I noticed her eyes shifted over my right shoulder every so often as she
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subconsciously gazed at the stage. I doubt she even realized it, but she simply could not keep her
eyes of the stage.
“I just know I’m mean to act.”
During our interview, Brooke noted that the feeling she gets upon taking the stage is
incomparable to anything else in the world.
“Being on stage is a feeling that I can compare to the first day of summer or a ben and
jerry’s cookie dough pint. It is the biggest rush I could ever imagine. Just knowing an entire
audience is watching you and you are giving this character a life. You feel like you can do
anything in the world. You are the storyteller for your character and it is time to tell their story.
Who knows who is in the audience, who knows what’s going to happen after the show and for
those few short hours life stops and it is all up to you.”
Brooke recently got news that she has been accepted into the New York Conservatory for
Acting. She will be moving there at the end of this summer in for a two year acting program. She
hopes to move to LA after graduating to fully engulf herself in acting. Her ten year prospects
include receiving jobs and success.
Brooke seemed excited by her future prospects, not scared or worried like so many of
today’s college students are. Acting is often thought of a pipe dream in most social circles. Even
teenagers, the group that’s supposed to represent the dreamers, often look at acting as an
unrealistic career choice. The few that choose this path are considered “stupid” and “childish.”
Society refuses to accept acting as a realistic career path; therefore it is often looked down upon.
Too many people are quick to judge the young dreamers who are willing to risk it all for what
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they love. This culture interested me for this reason, so I chose to dig deeper to find out what this
culture is made of.
Casting Director Workshops
As an aspiring actor you have two jobs: to train in class and to get auditions. How is this
different from any other career path? Casting auditions require many of the same preparations
that interviews do: be prepared and confident, make a good impression, do your research, have
questions in mind, arrive early,
The Majority of aspiring actors leave their lives at home to move to Los Angeles or New
York in which they have to find a place to live, find a job to pay rent, take acting classes and
begin to make connections. They must face endless casting calls, expensive classes, side jobs,
low pay, competition, and above all else, rejection. Only 5% of aspiring actors will achieve their
goals and make it big. With the odds stacked against them it made me wonder why anyone
would sign up for something that had such a high failure rate. Aspiring actors have to get
comfortable with an unfathomable amount of rejection. So how do these young adults attempt to
succeed without losing themselves in the process?
So many other career paths can be explained on paper. Today is it more common for kids
choose a major based off of job prospects rather than what they actually feel a passion for. I
found that it was difficult for these students to put into words their reasons for pursuing acting.
Many of them noted that it was simply something that they felt that they “needed to do.” I
believe that they should be praised for being true to themselves and choosing to chase their
dream despite the odds of succeeding.
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It is easy to think of acting as an easy major, I even would’ve called it that before my
ethnographical studies. However, society fails to see how difficult these students will have it. On
top of the everyday work from classes they have to mesmerize scripts, run lines, and perform
monologues. The students who choose to go on auditions in college will have it even harder.
They won’t experience standard interviews, where you enter and your resume speaks mostly for
you. For actors, each time they walk in for an audition they must prove themselves as right for
that role. I can’t imagine the stress they must feel every time they have an audition. Through my
extensive research on acting I have learned that the judgment does not cease after an actor has
made it big. Aspiring actors have to deal with the fact that even if they do reach their dreams of
becoming famous, outside judgment from society will only increase.
The popular website IMDB currently lists 40 individuals that are considered to be “failed
actors.” Among this group are Dennis Quaid, Robert Deniro, Reese Witherspoon, and Meg
Ryan. So what exactly qualifies someone as a failed actor? I certainly wouldn’t categorize any of
these individuals as having failed. Negative judgment on the acting world is abundant in our
society today. Just think of how easy is it to judge the acting in a movie. “She did a terrible job”
“He seemed so fake” “why did they choose him for this movie?” A trip to any movie theater
around will show that as soon as people enter the theater they become a critic, and a tough one at
that. No one thinks about the process that went into the movie or the effort that each individual
who worked on it put in. Actors put themselves into a vulnerable place where they are up for
judgment from anyone and everyone who views there work. There are few other career paths
where one would be put on display in that manner, and I think it’s an incredibly brave choice.
Field Research
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I take shelter from the busy city in an old brick building and look for room 327. I poke
my head in and see a large rectangular room. It is full of chairs and random pieces of furniture.
There’s a modest stage in the corner of the room equipped with bright lights above. Random set
pieces are strewn about the room and a large black board is mounted on the wall opposite a full
walled mirror. Students began to filter in, chattering happily, and took their seats.
Normal Class Day
A normal class day begins with a 15 minute warm up that forces the students to get up
and out of their seats. I watched as the class of 17 tossed beanbags to focus on rhythm. The
professor then began the curriculum, drawing with chalk on the board the notes for the day. The
students copied down the notes on monologues as quickly as they could in order to fully pay
attention to their professor, whom they seem entranced by. His voice booms as he strolls around
the classroom lecturing. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a class quite like this one. The
students seemed genuinely interested in everything that their professor had to tell them, it was
truly a site to see. The students then individually presented monologues that they had been
preparing since the week before. Unlike other classrooms where it is generally difficult for a
teacher to find a volunteer, every student raised their hand eagerly. After a monologue was said
the professor would give his criticism which usually consisted of: “you need more emotion”,
“less hand movement”, “project more”. He was loud and harsh, but the students clearly looked
up to him and his talent. No one seemed offended by his criticism; they almost looked like they
enjoyed it. It was as if it was an honor for them to receive help from someone they respected so
much. After the monologues were done it was time for scenes. Each one involved four students
performing a piece that they wrote and collaborated on together. After the performance the
professor would have the students go through it, line by line, adding actions, obstacles, and
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motivation to manipulate the scene. The students reported that was a rather tedious process but
overall it is very helpful.
“sitting in the audience during scene manipulation is the worst. It just gets so boring
having nothing to do.”
However 3 of the students explained that it helps to pay attention to the criticism even if
it is not directed at you because it will likely come in handy later in their career and serves as an
opportunity to learn and expand their knowledge. The students seemed to crave work when it
came to acting. During interviews I got the impression that every other class seemed to fall to the
waste side as they committed all of their time to their acting.
“I do all my work for my other classes, but acting is the only class I feel passion for and
am excited to attend.”
There was natural competition in this culture but I definitely assumed the members would
be much less supportive than they are. With a few exceptions, most everyone wished good
fortune on their peers and students were quick to help other students to practice and improve.
Many members of this culture described it as a “family.” Like any culture there were reports of
backstabbing and heartbreak among the students, but overall it seemed like a loving
environment. Every member wants to see success in the arts, so it doesn’t make sense for any of
them to push the others down. The culture is such a special one because they have a common
ultimate goal but within the community I noticed subcultures with their own agendas.
I was surprised to find that the members of Temple’s acting program make their own
small community. I was quick to assume that I would find they all fit into one simple category
but my research showed me that just like most cultures, they have a variety of “types” and
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personalities that distinguish themselves from each other. I found a “popular” group, the “nerds”,
the students who were out-there and considered “typical actors”, and the “normal” kids who fit in
with everyone else at the school.
Nerds
A small group of the acting culture was considered by their peers to be “nerds.” One could be
classified as this simply by making it public that you work hard and spend time studying. An
outsider of this particular group said,
“They’re the ones who love to study.”
The “nerds” however are used to this common misconception as one stated
“Everyone thinks we do work for fun but really we just take school seriously and know the
importance of getting good grades.”
In general, this group seemed to be looked down upon by the rest of the student
population both within the acting culture and throughout the school. They did not seem to fit in
well, since they had little in common with students outside their culture and had trouble
identifying with those within it. They reported some mild bullying experiences, and a general
feeling of not being accepted by their peers. I was surprised to find that they really didn’t feel
discouraged by this, but rather motivated. It impressed me how easily these kids were able to
shake things off and continue to dedicate themselves to their goals.
“Who cares if people don’t like hanging out with me? I didn’t come to college to make
friends; I came here to learn what I need to succeed as an actor.”
Popular
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Probably the smallest subculture found in this culture would be considered the “popular
kids.” It was clear during my fieldwork that there were one or two students in each classroom
that thought of themselves as better than the rest of the group. Brooke noted that the popular
students
“think they are a little higher up on the totem pole therefore aren’t friendly or supportive of the
other acting majors.”
These are the students who are the exception to the rule of being supportive. They seem
to put themselves before others and even worse, hope for the other students to fail. It was as if
they were more concerned with the failure of others than the success of themselves. I was
surprised to find that these students existed in a culture that I originally found to be so supportive
of each other. They seemed to value paying attention to their phone over their professor and
often showed up late to class. They clearly stood out among a crowd of students who appeared so
dedicated to their craft. They would snicker in the back of the classroom if another student made
a mistake or pretend to fall asleep out of boredom.
“Honestly, those are the kids that are too cocky for their own good and probably won’t
make it in this major because they don’t think they can improve.”
After interviewing a few students in the popular crowd I found that a common trend was that
they were often the leads of all of their high school plays, and came into college with the idea
that they could succeed without trying. They were overly confident and clearly were not afraid to
brag. This group also seemed very confident in their future plans, they all seemed sure that they
would reach success without even trying.
Average Students
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Though this is the largest subgroup of the culture, they are quite often overlooked. I think it is
easy to categorize acting majors as “weird” or “out there” but I found most of them to be very
mainstream. I even had a bit of a preconceived notion that most of the members of this culture
would be easily identifiable just by appearance. However I found that the majority of them
belonged in this subculture and consequently blended in well with the rest of the student
population. Brooke noted that,
“They are the acting majors that in public you wouldn’t know what major they were, they fit in
with everyone else, dress “normally, and can blend in with the crowd.”
Brooke considers herself to be a part of this group, as she most often socialized outside of
the acting major. This group was more difficult to identify because it was such a large group and
nothing they did really caused them to stand out from the rest of the kids in class. They came on
time, did their work and left. It seems these students are defined more by what they do out of
class rather than in.
Typical Actors
This group consists of the stereotypical “acting major.” The students in this subculture
tend to show their creativity to a much higher extent than the rest of the students. It normally is
easy for outsiders to pick these students out of a crowd and they’re often referred to as “weird.”
This was the very first subculture I noticed in my fieldwork. They dressed in an eye-catching
manner and were often energetic and flamboyant. I admired them immediately for their ability to
do what they wanted and express how they felt with no care of outside judgment. They would
sing or dance randomly, try out crazy makeup and mismatched clothing. I guess this group is
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what many people imagine when they think of acting majors, but in reality this was a relatively
small subculture with only about 30 members.
A common theme I found among the students of this culture is that the majority of them
resent the fact that they are in college now. I was shocked to find that so many of their parents
forced them to get an education against their wishes. Many of them would have preferred to go
straight to New York or L.A. to pursue their dreams but their parents felt it would be safer for
them to have an education to fall back on. Many of the students resented this, confused as to why
their parents did not have faith in them. I found that many of my interviewees were not as
interested in discussing their parents, siting them as “unsupportive” or “uninterested.”
Drama is an art form, and therefore should be taken seriously in today’s society. If there
weren’t so many young dreamers who were willing to devote themselves, the arts would
eventually die out. Imagine for a moment how life would be with no movies, TV shows, plays,
or commercials. American society today is so centered around entertainment and popular culture
it is almost impossible to think of living in its absence. Not to mention the reason that famous
actors are so talented is largely to due to the competitive nature of the craft as a result of
willingness of many people to pursue it. Aspiring actors should be praised, not judged, for their
fearless attitude and dedication to their craft.
I can remember the acting class that I took in high school quite vividly. I have always
been a quiet person and rarely talk in classes. But when scheduling for my senior year with my
guidance counselor after dropping a class, I found that I needed a one credit class to fit my
schedule on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I was horrified to find that the only class open
was Acting 1. I begged my counselor to put me in a class that had already been filled as I knew
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the stage was not the place for me. But to my dismay she shook her head and told me that
nothing could be done. So when the next semester rolled around and I was finally a senior, I
experienced my first taste of the stage. Over the course of the semester I was forced to
mesmerize monologues that I would perform by myself on stage, got thrown into scenes in
which we would have to improvise with each other, and work with small groups to write and
perform our own mini plays. Needless to say, I never fell in love with acting, I never even got to
a point where performing in front of others was easy for me. However, I was proud of myself for
what I had accomplished over the semester, because I knew that I had improved. I even tolerated
it enough to try out for the fall and spring musical with a couple of my friends to be small parts.
After completely my fieldwork I now have an entirely different outlook on acting. Sitting
in the dark room as the young students performed their monologues, I felt inspired. They worked
so hard to be the best they could be and it is upsetting that they do not receive the recognition
that they deserve. They are judged harshly and made to feel inferior when they should be
receiving praise. I have a newfound respect for the individuals who are fearless enough to pursue
a career in this field.
This culture is one of importance. It is all too easy to write off aspiring actors, but I think
many people cease to understand their importance to our society. American culture today is so
centered around entertainment it would be impossible to imagine a world where there was no
actors, no movies, no TV shows. The individuals in this culture matter and should be admired for
their ability to commit themselves to their dream, knowing how difficult it will be to achieve.
Too many hold prejudices against this culture but what they fail to see is that these are the people
who have the chance to be in the public eye and gain the influence to change the world. Aspiring
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actors have the incredible opportunity to one day gain the opportunity to influence the young
people.