And finally, if the majority of their resume is from one venue, you may want to ask yourself, "Why can't they get work at a better venue anywhere else?" Did their family donate money to the organization where they have all of their credits? Are they related to anyone from the organization where they have all of their credits?
Do. Your. Homework. Recently, I was researching some classes for my son. In our house, this is something we take seriously. What's the background of the teacher? Where did they study? What have they done? What successes have their students had? etc. Trophies in a window, fancy costumes, pictures of kids having "fun" aren't considered. "Fun" doesn't make the list. It's "fun" to skip training and play video games all day, but that's also called "bad parenting." That's not to say that the instructor can't bring joy to the training, it's just not a priority when it comes to training and growth. So what does our search for quality look like? I'll use myself as an example, since I am Gavin's acting coach, and we were serious about that choice as well. I'll answer the same questions about me. What's my background? Where have I studied? What have I done? Here are some highlights from my resume. (My CV is almost 20 pages long.) PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Actors' Equity Association (2002-Present) Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (2012-Present) EDUCATION Master of Fine Arts, Directing (2008-2011)
EXPERIENCE Artistic Director/Director of Theatre (2012-Present)
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE / TRAINING Lincoln Center Directors Lab, West (2012)
Note: There's a lot missing here, including 100+ directing credits, honors & awards, and workshop/panel presentations. What successes have my students had? This one's fun to answer. I have had students go on to some of the following top programs:
Practice doesn't make perfect ... practice makes permanent. Who are you practicing/training with? Are they the best that you could find or are they just fun? If you're looking for fun, great! If not, do yourself a favor and do your homework. |