Sit With The Audience – They’re The Final Ingredient

This is a fabulous interview with a director who has a habit of viewing his movies along with an audience.

When working with actors for the stage,  I always tell my students the audience is the final ingredient. You won’t know how your choices will play out until you see how the audience reacts. Are they laughing at the punch lines? Is your timing working? If you are not getting laughs where you expect them you may have to make some adjustments.

When I direct I too sit in the audience for many performances and observe the audience members. Are they bored, delighted, surprised, sad, etc? I learn a lot about what is working from a director’s point of view.

Enjoy the article:

Why Alan Berliner Watches His Film With An Audience Every Chance He Gets

Edwin Honig and Alan Berliner in ‘First Cousin Once Removed’ HBO
In his introduction to Alan Berliner’s film, “First Cousin Once Removed,” which screened as part of the “Documentary Short List” program recently at DOC NYC, the festival’s Artistic Director Thom Powers mentioned that most filmmakers he knows stop watching their films with audiences after the first few screenings, but Berliner is the exception. Berliner, whose experimental documentary films “Wide Awake,” “The Sweetest Sound,” “Nobody’s Business,” “Intimate Stranger” and “The Family Album” have been broadcast and screened at festivals all around the world, makes a point of watching his films along with an audience almost every chance he gets.

“First Cousin Once Removed,” which Eric Kohn called “equal parts psychological mystery and lyrical treatise on the passage of time,” chronicles the late Edwin Honig, a poet and professor (as well as a cousin of Berliner’s) and his life with Alzheimers. Below, Berliner explains why he relishes the opportunity to watch his films with an audience.

“First Cousin Once Removed” is currently available for viewing on HBO, HBO On Demand and HBO Go. It will also be shown on Sunday, December 22nd at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 25th at 8:30 p.m. at the Howard Gilman Theatre in the Elinor Bunim Monroe Film Center at Lincoln Center in New York City, as part of their series, “For Your Consideration: Documentary Oscar Hopefuls.” Alan Berliner will sit through both screenings.

I first watched “First Cousin” with a public audience at its premiere at the New York Film Festival fourteen months ago. Since then, I’ve spent the past year traveling both here and abroad, watching it with audiences in ornate movie palaces, commercial multiplexes, museum auditoriums, art galleries, lecture halls, classrooms, even barns — whether full, half full, or, even on occasion, empty-ish. By now I’ve seen it in the company of audiences almost 50 times.

For me, watching my films along with the audience has always been a necessity — an intrinsic part of my understanding of what it means to be a filmmaker. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always seized the opportunity to be a fly on the wall inside the real-life laboratory for which my film was intended: a group of perfect strangers intimately gathered in a dark room to watch something I’ve just spent years of my life putting together.

Before I go any further, let me get the boredom question out of the way. I can certainly attest to the relentless grind of repeated viewings day after day after day, marching to the crazy rhythms and shifting pressures of deadlines that controlled my life throughout the process of making the film. Not always fun, for sure. Who knows how many hundreds of times I’ve actually seen my film (in all its myriad evolving forms) over the course of its editorial gestation? Exhausting yes, but not boring. After all that, now that it’s ready to be shown publicly, what could I possibly still learn by watching it that I don’t already know?

I’ve always believed that finishing a film is just “the beginning” of the end of my filmmaking process. I say “the beginning of the end,” because this new (and exciting) phase in the life of the film initiates a critically important part of my creative process — the chance to observe audience response as a way of gleaning insights both about my film and about filmmaking; things I’ll take with me when it’s time to make the next one.

“First Cousin Once Removed,” made with the support of HBO, was the most difficult project I’ve ever undertaken. It’s an intimate portrait of the poet, translator, critic, and founder of the Creative Writing Program at Brown University, Edwin Honig, who was my cousin, friend and mentor. It’s a chronicle of his journey through the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, a meditation on the profound role that memory plays in all of our lives, and a stark reminder about the fragility of being human.

As with my earlier work, I am the film’s producer, director, and editor. I’m also in the film as a character; there’s footage of me and the sound of my voice in conversation with Edwin woven throughout. If you add the layers of my personal history and family relationship with Edwin (to which you could also add “biographer”), you might easily see how all of my responsibilities and roles became inextricably intertwined and inseparable while making the film. Watching the film with an audience (while also watching the audience watch the film) allows me to finally sit back and quietly reexamine my process with the freedom and perspective of critical distance.

Audiences communicate in many ways — through laughter, through tears, even in the varied intensities of their shared silence. Over the years I’ve learned how to decode the language they’re speaking — whispers, giggles, guffaws, gasps, seat rustling, walkouts, cellphone sightings, even the volume, intensity and rhythm of their applause — and incorporate that feedback into a better understanding of the trail of decisions that went into making the film.

Sometimes it’s something relatively simple. For instance, in the midst of a conversation about death, I ask Edwin if he’s “afraid of time.” He responds by saying, “No. Time is my friend,” which is said over the image of a small, hand-painted wooden mermaid, hanging by a thin piece of string in Edwin’s apartment, slowly turning in mid-air. The delicate delivery of Edwin’s phrase moved me to hold that shot on screen for a few extra beats in silence, as the mermaid continues her serene turn across the frame. Watching it with an audience made me realize that was a good decision. I could feel their visceral grip of that silence as they watched. To be honest, it also made me wish I’d held that shot even longer.

Over time I’ve discovered that certain lines of dialogue will always elicit laughter, while I continue to remain at a loss as to why no one ever laughs at other parts of our conversation, particularly when they constantly made me smile in the editing room. (Maybe the audience is actually smiling and I just haven’t noticed.) On another level, I also get to see how each audience relates to Edwin himself — how and in what ways they respond to his wit, his spirit, the extraordinary topography of his face, and most importantly, whether they can feel the deep and abiding love and respect I hold for him throughout the film.

Given the personal nature of “First Cousin Once Removed,” watching it with different audiences around the world has helped me understand the possibilities (and the limitations) of language and translation. Each screening is also a test of my assumptions about the ways in which personal storytelling transcends its detail and specificity and (hopefully) transforms into a kind of universal truth that touches each viewer — an aspiration that is at the foundation of all the work I do.

Once the credits are over and the house lights go on, I can get up out of my seat with a better sense of how that particular audience experienced my film on that particular day. The fact that it’s also fresh in my mind energizes me to make sure that our post-screening conversation is a stimulating and meaningful extension of the film. The very act of thinking out loud in real time, being able to contextualize, synthesize and annotate my process, and ultimately, convey the essence of my mission as a filmmaker, is yet another opportunity for self-reflection and growth.

It usually takes me about a year to finally reach “the end of the end” for each film I make. After that I’m ready to begin a new project. To begin the beginning of a new project, I should say…

7 Gifts to Give Your Young Actor This Holiday Season

The holiday music is already playing in my favorite coffee shop, so it must be the time of year for all good actors to make their wish lists. Here’s a list that will keep you out of the Black Friday crowds, and still make the holiday gift you give to a young actor a memorable one. 

1. Theater tickets. It never fails to make me smile when my students excitedly tell me about the magic of the theater from the perspective of an audience member. Actors who have experienced this connection are more likely to embrace it in their own performances. It also provides young actors with essential examples of good acting, and inspires their passion for performance. 

2. Career check-up. Students who are actively developing their skills in classes and performance often benefit from an independent evaluation. I routinely work with young performers into their mid twenties to assess their talents and marketability. An industry professional can make career and training suggestions to help a young actor meet his goals, whether they be professional, collegiate, or for personal achievement. 

3. Board games. Guesstures is a charades game from Parker Brothers that my students and their families enjoy playing. So much of acting is about learning to communicate non-verbal meaning in support of the words in a script. This fast paced, almost frenetic version of the typical take on charades prevents the game from getting dull, keeps the entire family laughing, and is great practice for non-verbal communication. It’s good as a party game for adults too! I also recommend the game Kids on Stage, another take on charades for the budding actor ages 3-6. 

4. Lessons and Classes. Most young actors participate in classes. Despite this, however, many students still have inadequate training. If your child has been focusing on musical theater, it may be time to take an on-camera workshop to expand their range and marketability. In addition, many young students begin with a passion for acting, but soon discover that dance and voice are important components to their ongoing progress. Even if your young actor is not naturally blessed with triple threat talent, I suggest you encourage them to expand their range in this way as well. 

5. Entertainer’s Secret. My students and colleagues rave about this product. Without making any medical claims or promises (I’m not a doctor; please check with yours before use), it has provided relief to many of my singers and actors with hoarseness from overuse. It’s a must-have item for your actor’s first-aid kit. It even comes in a travel size for when you are on the road! 

6. Plays and Books. I encourage all my teen and young adult actors to read plays. I recommend important modern playwrights for their accessibility. Some of my favorites include Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “I Ought to be in Pictures,” “The Gingerbread Lady,” “The Good Doctor,” and “Lost in Yonkers.” These plays all feature young characters that bear studying. I also recommend “Be Aggressive” by Annie Weisman, “Our Town” and “The Matchmaker” by Thorton Wilder, “Women and Wallace” by Jonathan Marc Sherman, “Courtship” by Horton Foote and, the classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. If your young actor is interested in monologues for audition purposes, avoid compendiums of generic monologues solely created for the audition. I generally find these collections to be vague and trite. Stick with good literature and you can’t go wrong.

7. GripTight GorillaPod. I love mine and I know your actor will love theirs! It is a miniature tripod with flexible legs that wrap around just about anything to create a stable, portable stand for your smart phone, iPhone, iTouch, or other camera and/or video recording device. This is a must purchase for self-taping auditions. 

Enjoy the holiday season! I hope your young actor is thrilled with these gifts and your family is blessed with a happy, healthy and safe holiday.

5 Ways To Tell If Your Child Is a Natural Actor

The fake cry. Every parent has heard it and knows in an instant when their child is pretending. I would say the same is true for good casting directors. They can spot a young actor pretending to feel something they don’t.

Good actors communicate real emotions, not pretend ones. When a young actor plays a scene showing—but not connecting—to the emotional life of the character, he is often doing what we call “indicating.” Here are some telltale signs of “indicating” that you want your young actor to avoid.

1. Fake emoting. Crying on cue may come naturally for some, but for many young actors, producing real emotion is an acquired skill. It’s not the real tears that are of concern—that is what glycerin drops are for. Rather, it is finding and applying the honest emotional life of the character. Next time, encourage your child to recall a time in their life that may have made them sad, lonely, or angry. The use of imagination can be another powerful way to create a truthful circumstance.  If the character is reacting to their parents divorce, how would the young actor feel if their parents actually divorced? This is a hard skill to master. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to learn. Most young actors benefit from a trained acting coach or acting class to learn the necessary skills and let go of fake emoting habits.

2. Making generalizations. Casting directors commonly give this feedback to actors: “The actor was not specific enough.” Unfortunately, this isn’t very specific feedback! What the casting director means is that the actor isn’t making interesting choices that relate to the character’s objective. For example, I often see actors use hand motions—especially when singing—that have nothing to do with anything. The more the actor knows about the character, the more specific he can be when creating a non-obvious interesting audition or performance. Ask your young actor to incorporate facets of the character into their acting. Examples include hometown, upbringing, and social class. Consider who the character is speaking to and what he wants from that person.

3. Concentrating too much on the dialogue. Of course the lines are important—they tell the story. You don’t your young actor to make mincemeat of them—especially if the writer is in the room. But make sure your young actor doesn’t become a hostage to the dialogue either. It isn’t about being right all the time. Tell them to let go of perfection and play what is real to them in the moment—even if it means dropping a word or line or paraphrasing.

4. Not speaking to the reader or other actor. Readers are hired to help the actor create reality. Make sure your child is focusing and speaking to the reader or other actor in the scene. I recall a young actor who entered the room in which I was participating as a judge for a talent competition. I said, “Hello,” and her response was, “Hello ladies and gentlemen,” as if she were addressing a crowd. As I tried to engage her, she was thrown because she obviously had been coached by someone to act as opposed to just being herself.

5. Not reacting. Acting should really be called reacting, not acting. What an actor does is in response to what someone else makes them do! Many times there is little dialogue but a lot of action in a scene. Listening is a basic skill in acting. How well your child is listening and reacting will create a more authentic performance.

I smile with pride whenever a casting director comments that one of my students is, “a natural.” That tells me they have successfully drawn from their own emotional reality and applied it to the character. When young actors learn this and begin to search for authentic connections to their characters, they’ve learned the real first lesson of acting.

Don’t let Nerves Sabotage a Young Performer’s Audition!

When people talk about stage fright, they often refer to full-blown deer-in-the-stage-lights, flop sweat anxiety. As an acting coach and teacher primarily for child to young adult performers, I more often see a much milder form that manifests itself during the audition. The nerves reduce a talented actor to giving a flat and uninspiring performance. Don’t let nerves sabotage your audition! Follow these five tips to leave your butterflies outside the door where they belong and land the role your talent deserves.

1. Be very familiar with the dialogue. Young performers often worry that they need to say every word exactly as it is written in the script. Take that burden right off your shoulders! Complete memorization may give some actors confidence, but it is not the main focus in the audition. Instead, focus on mastering the lines well enough so that the script, if you need it, becomes a reference tool instead of a crutch. Veering from the script in small ways is rarely a problem in an audition. Talk to your practice partner to be clear that the goal of running lines is proficiency, not perfection.

2. Make a connection. Confidence in what you are doing in the scene allows you to shift focus away from how you are feeling and toward the rapport you are building with your reader. Make eye contact and react to the reader’s cues. You will notice that the more you connect with someone else, the less nervous you will feel and the better your acting will become.

3. Be pleasant, but don’t worry about pleasing the people behind the table. Young actors are often influenced by their desire to please. Whether that impulse is directed toward a parent, the casting director, or an agent or manager, it is best to ease that burden. Reframe your perspective on the audition. Let it be an opportunity to do the thing you love rather than a judgment of you as an actor. Remember that the casting director genuinely wants you to succeed. And never forget that your parents love you regardless of whether you act on Broadway, in front of the bathroom mirror, or not at all.

4. Own your passion and success. Teen and young adult actors are generally more prone than their younger peers to a crisis of confidence. The rough terrain of going through middle and high school and on to college can take its toll. I encourage you to do two things to minimize these moments of fear and keep them in perspective. First, keep a scrapbook, photo album, or memory box of mementos that connect you to the love and accomplishment you feel about performing. Refer to it often and let it be a source of happiness and pride. Second, continue performing in amateur productions when professional jobs temporarily dry up. Consciously notice how acting makes you feel. Use that understanding to reinforce your confidence at auditions and in all areas of life.

5. Decide who comes with you to the audition. Sometimes it’s best to go it alone and sometimes you do your best with the support of a loved one. Many of my students audition out of their parents view. Talk to your parents if their presence is inhibiting your performance and negotiate a safe and mutual alternative.

Auditions can be nerve wracking but also empowering. You are focusing your initiative and drive on learning the art and putting yourself out there to make your dream a reality. Wow, when you think of it that way, auditions are truly a celebration of you.

20 Rules for Young Actors and Their Parents to Live By

As a weekly contributing expert to Backstage.com, I give advice to parents, children, teens and young adults from my many years in the business as an acting teacher, coach and talent manager. This month I decided to ask my clients, both young actors and their parents, what advice they have for working and aspiring actors and their parents on the set or on the road. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Be flexible, as a working actor’s schedule can be demanding.
2. The experience is the child’s, not the parent’s.
3. Have an open mind about schooling; don’t expect the experience to be the same. It may actually prove to be more rewarding.
4. If you are on the road touring, sign up for airline and hotel reward points.
5. Keep open communication with company management and the education provider.
6. Take advantage of all the wonderful sites and experiences in each city you travel to.
7. Respect the adult actors’ time and privacy.
8. Be professional; remember, it’s a business.
9. Learn from all of the professionals you are working with.
10. Get your rest and drink plenty of water.
11. Be respectful to everyone from the production assistant to the director.
12. Do what you are asked to do to make the child wrangler’s job easy.
13. Always have your child’s social security card and work permit as well as any other required documentation.
14. Parents- you are your child’s best advocate.
15. Use your down time to keep up with schoolwork.
16. Remember to say please and thank you.
17. Know the rules and regulations regarding the employment of minors. You are responsible for your child’s safety and welfare.
18. Try not to let your child’s performing successes define him.
19. Be grateful for the wonderful opportunity you have been given.
20. Laugh, laugh, laugh.

Thank you for these wonderful reminders. Respect, gratitude, humility, open mindedness, responsibility and fun are all wonderful tenets to live by. And if you don’t  remember to laugh while you work, you may want to question why you are doing this in the first place. If you are a parent of a working child actor or a young actor with experiences to share on the set or on the road, I’d love to hear from you. Just leave me  a comment below.

How to Determine If Your Child Actor is ‘in Flow’

Parents often contact me seeking advice on how to foster their child’s dream to be on television. When the child has little to no acting experience, I suggest that they participate in an acting class for beginners, much the way they might begin learning to play a musical instrument or take on a sport for the first time. In short order, most parents know if their child loves it and wants to build on their passion, or if it is just a passing fad.

The advice gets much trickier to dispense when working with the family of a child who has actively participated in local theater and/or acting classes for some time and is now preparing to audition for professional roles. In these cases, I suggest first pausing for a moment to consider if your child is “in flow” when they are on stage or in front of the camera.

The psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes the state of happiness that creative people feel when they are completely engaged in the process of creating something new as a “flow experience.” The following list is Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s description of how it feels to be in flow (Flow, the secret to happiness, www.ted.com):

• Completely involved in what we are doing—focused, concentrated.

• A sense of ecstasy—of being outside everyday reality.

• Great inner clarity—knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing.

• Knowing that the activity is doable—that our skills are adequate to the task.

• A sense of serenity—no worries about oneself and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.

• Timelessness—thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes.

• Intrinsic motivation—whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

I like this list and encourage parents to use it before embarking on a professional career path for their children. It breaks down what we commonly refer to as a “passion for acting” into understandable parts that can be observed by teachers, and openly discussed between parents and children. Ask yourself if your child’s actions are consistent with the feelings on this list. If so, discuss the list together to confirm these feelings. When you are confident that your child is in flow when they act, ask yourself one final question before wrestling with the logistical and financial details of launching an acting career: Is your child literally begging you to bring them to an audition? If you can say yes to all these components, then your child is well on the way to taking his or her acting to the next level.

3 Essential Steps To Keeping Your Representation

fortunate enough to sign with an agent or manager. Fostering a healthy, long-lasting relationship with them takes work just like any other partnership. Here are some helpful tips to follow if you are serious about keeping your rep on your side and working hard on your behalf.

1. Be honest. Establish a habit of honest communication from the beginning of your relationship. If you feel like you are not getting what you need, speak up. I had a client who was upset that she wasn’t getting feedback on her auditions. Instead of letting her manager know this was important for her, she became angry and resentful. Another client came to me asking if my other students had been auditioning for roles she was not getting appointments for. When I asked her to confront her agent, she said she was afraid to for fear of sounding like a nudge. You can’t expect people to know what you are thinking. Resentment will feed on your negativity and become stronger the longer it is ignored. Don’t let it fester – ask your rep for a meeting or a lunch date to talk face-to-face if something is bothering you.

2. Be reliable. Are you turning down auditions or are you late for appointments? Are you following up on suggestions from your rep to get back to acting class, get new headshots, and put together a new reel? Make sure your headshots and resume are up to date. If you are going to be out of town or unavailable for auditions “book out,” meaning let your rep know the dates you are not free to audition. Clear your voicemail if it is full so you will always get your messages. Check your e-mail and voicemail several times throughout the day so you don’t miss an important call from your rep. You are an integral part of the team, so do your part. Don’t expect your career to magically take off just because you now have representation. Woody Allen said it well: “Ninety percent of life is just showing up!” Show up, take action, and be reliable.

3. Be respectful. You’ve heard it said and read it here on Backstage many times. Your agent is busy getting you auditions. He is in meetings and on the phone all day working for you. Find out how he wants you to communicate with him and respect that. Not every office has an open door policy. Be courteous. Make an appointment before just dropping by the office.

Following these tips will go a long way towards keeping both you and your rep happy so you can work as a team and focus on the important task of moving your career forward. By the way, honesty, reliability, and respect are all important ingredients in any relationship. What other keys to developing good relationships can you suggest? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

4 Tips for Memorizing Lines for Young Performers

A question I get asked frequently is: "Should my child memorize lines for their audition?” Here’s a general rule of thumb: For the first audition, the performers should be very familiar with the material, only glancing down at the sides for reference. For the callback and for any taping audition, they MUST have lines memorized. This will ensure the performer is connecting with the reader and not the paper. This is important as it demonstrates to the casting director or director that your child is truly a professional and on top of his or her game in a very competitive industry.

Reading and acting are completely different. Someone may be a great reader but a so-so actor or vice versa. If reading is getting in the way of acting, then memorizing lines may be what your child needs to do in order to have a successful audition. One of the most challenging things for young performers —especially first and second graders - is having a natural read when auditioning. Since these young ones are still relatively new readers, they often get stuck on words and the reading becomes unnatural. If they memorize the lines this can take the task of reading away and they can concentrate on being truthful.

One of the caveats of having lines memorized is that the acting goes out the window if lines are not secured in the brain. The actor will be trying to remember the next line instead of being in the moment and listening to the reader.

There are also scenarios such as this: It is Wednesday afternoon, and your child just got an audition for a television pilot. There are four scenes on nine pages and you were told it must be memorized by Friday. Sound familiar? Don’t panic! Here are some tips to help you keep your sanity while helping your child memorize the lines.

1. Highlight the character’s lines. This will allow your child to quickly locate the appropriate line when glancing down at the paper if it is still needed in the audition.

2. Repeat the lines. Have your child read the lines with someone out loud over and over again. Remind them to memorize the lines only, not the cadence and inflection. They need to discover something new each time they read the lines and say them as if they are spoken for the first time, each time.

3. Break the lines down into smaller pieces. Don’t have your child tackle the entire script all at once. Break the script down into small sections and repeat, repeat, repeat until the lines are ingrained. 

4. Work on lines before going to sleep. Studies have shown that studying lines right before bed can have a big impact on recall. Be sure to have your child review them again in the morning to help lock them into memory. 

Remember that memorizing lines is only one tool for your child to use in an audition. Remind your child that connecting with the reader is more important than the words they say and if they don’t get the line exactly as written, it is perfectly okay. Making the scene their own with specific choices as well as being able to listen and take direction is what will help them get the attention they need and ultimately land the job.

5 Places To Find a Great Monologue

Last week I shared with you how to improve your child’s chances of making a great impression when choosing a monologue. Are you curious where to find some good material for that next big audition? Read on.

1. The bookstore. If you haven’t visited the Drama Book Shop in New York, you are really missing out. I just spent hours there last week and found all sorts of new and exciting material. Ask one of the staff members what they recommend. In fact, ask all the staff. They each read different plays and are more than happy to share their picks with you. When you have a few hours, bring your coffee cup, pull up a chair, and read, read, read. In addition to monologue books, you will find almost any play ever produced as well as librettos from musicals and even some screenplays. If you live out of town, check your local bookstore or library. They may have a limited supply of plays, but you might be surprised with what they do have.

2. An acting coach. I have seen all too many stock monologues that begin with, “I hate my sister. She always steals my clothes....” Want something a bit more interesting and playable? I have been coaching young actors for more than twenty years. I have a huge library with hundreds of plays and monologues that have worked for my students over the years. It is my job to read plays, see theater, and replenish my library regularly. Acting teachers have a pretty good idea of what is overdone, what to avoid, and what may be the perfect piece.

3. Attend classes and workshops. See it. Steal it! What I love about group acting classes is all of the unique and wonderful material students bring. When I hear a brilliant piece I am so excited to know where the actor found it. Trade secret! They may not tell, but you can ask nicely or search for it on the Internet. I taught a workshop at a local high school recently and was pleasantly surprised to hear a few pieces that were new to me. Guess what I did? I added them to my library.

4. See plays and films. Go to the theater. And I’m not just talking Broadway or Off-Broadway. What about the little local theatre in your town that is doing that play you never heard of? Or the high school that is producing a series of one acts? Watch movies on Netflix or Hulu. Check out reviews of quirky, independent films with interesting characters. You can also read film scripts online from these sites:

http://www.imsdb.com/

http://www.script-o-rama.com/

http://www.simplyscripts.com/

http://ww34.whyinsanity.com/

5. Write your own. A 13-year-old boy came to see me last month for some coaching. He came prepared with a monologue that had me laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair. When I asked him where it was from, he said, “I wrote it. It’s a true story.” He happened to not only be a talented young actor but also a gifted writer. Everyone may not share his talent in writing, so make sure you get some feedback from your acting teacher first.

The next time you are in need of a new monologue, make sure it fits like a glove. Using the suggestions in my last article and the resources I have offered you here should give you a great place to begin.

When Do Child Actors Need To Be Coached?

I was a panelist at a SAG-AFTRA young actors symposium the other day when a parent asked, “How do I know when my child needs coaching?” Do you find yourself running to your child’s coach every time you get a call from the agent or manager? Here are some guidelines to help you determine when to call in the specialist and when to leave things alone.

1. How difficult is the material? It may be an emotional scene where the actor has to cry or get angry. Maybe the character is blind or has a disability. Is it a period piece? Is a dialect required? Sketch comedy and improv skills might be necessary. Your child would benefit by working with a coach for any of these reasons! However, if the audition involves one or two lines and the performer just needs to be natural and be themselves, maybe you should save your money this time.

2. Does your child need a boost of confidence? In addition to working on skills with the young actor, a good coach is also a cheerleader and one of your child’s biggest fans. Mom and Dad, I’m sure you are rooting for your child, but according to my own child, what I say doesn’t count because, according to her, “Parents always say nice things.“ Sound like any child you know?

3. Has it been a while since your child got a callback? Perhaps his or her skills are rusty. Now may be a good time to check in with a coach. Brushing up on improvisation, sense memory, and audition technique may be just what is needed to put your young actor back on the map.

4. Did the casting director request that you NOT coach your child? This would be a really good time to listen. Don’t have them coached - by anyone!!!! If you don’t heed this warning you are not only jeopardizing your child’s chance for success, but you are putting him or her in the very awkward position of having to lie if asked about it.

As an acting coach, it is my passion and my livelihood to work with young performers. As much as I would love to coach your child, there may truly be times when it is best to let things be. Ask your child if he or she feels confident with the material or if working with a coach would give them the upper hand. We can sometimes underestimate our children. They may know what is best this time. Just ask!