Real Talk: You Don’t Need to be Mean to Teach

Recently, there was an expose' article on the vile actions and cult creation of a woman named Michele Lonsdale Smith, revealing the incredible abuse she heaped on vulnerable actors in L.A., Vancouver, and many other locations in the world. Although her crimes were rather extreme, she is by no means the only teacher in L.A., and even Vancouver, who's methods border on sacrosanct. Any teacher that subscribes to the “Got to tear you down to build you up method” simply does not have the necessary skills to guide an actor to understanding control of their instrument, let alone master it. They're deficient. Period.

Actors come to a teacher more naked than naked. No one writes movies, teleplays, or stage productions about someone having a great life, winning the lottery, and getting laid all the time. We deal with characters in crisis, and have to be able to portray them physically, vocally, and most importantly, emotionally. There's where the issue is; in accessing a young (or old) actor's emotional core, particularly after they've spent their entire lives hiding it in order to function in the “outer world.” Weak teachers try to provoke, slander, prod, psych, and tear at their students self worth while they are in the most vulnerable state in order to get an emotionally truthful reaction, but at what cost? Immense anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, you name it.

They use exercises like the infamous “relaxation exercise” that, pardon my directness, is total bullshit. Failing that, good old beratement, insults, and physical abuse, such as the encouragement of sexual intimidation, harassment, belittlement, not to mention in one student's personal experience, face slapping and spitting. There is NO excuse for this kind of behavior from someone who you've put your trust and faith in. Unfortunately in most cases, we're dealing with young people who don't know what good acting training is supposed to look like, especially in this market, and they accept it because they see that in some cases where the teacher has struck a nerve in a student and gotten a truthful emotional response, it works. The fact that there are teachers who know how to train an actor to get those kinds of truthful emotional responses without the abuse escapes them because they've never seen it. Reason being? They are few and far between. Sanford Meisner never abused a student. Neither did my teacher, Darryl Hickman. He was always supportive, never abusive, and created many different exercises to get an actor in control of their instrument.

If a teacher does or says anything abusive to you or ANYONE in your class, RUN, DON'T WALK, and report them to the Union, even if you don't belong. The only way to get rid of these charlatans is to speak out. One of my ex students was instrumental in bringing down the infamous abuser Smith. And, she is is still in the process of spreading the word since this hateful woman is still practicing in Vancouver. This woman is clearly damaged, and spreads her self loathing to everyone who comes into her path. But she is by no means the only one, merely an extreme case in a profession that has little to no regulation.

I believe that one reason that abusive teachers survive and prosper is that students actually do see and experience real emotional truth and break throughs in their classes. The problem is the way in which it's created. I also believe that the most of the classes available, especially in this marketplace, don't ever access real, truthful, emotionally connected work since the teachers don't have the tools to teach their actors how to create it.

The standard in Vancouver is to have students work on a piece of material that is handed to them (Usually from film or television, and may or may not be suited to them), and work on it for about 4 weeks. It's then put on film and they discuss and critique the work. And...that's it. There are so many things wrong with this approach that I don't know where to begin. Film is a director's medium. Successful performances depend on so many things other than an actor's contribution, that working a piece from film is not optimal in training a prospective actor. The cutting room, music, camera angle and distance, all contribute. Of course if an actor is very good, it just makes it better, but those things cover up a LOT of deficiencies. The best material for actors to develop their craft are tried and proven plays. If you're having a problem with a John Patrick Shanley piece, chances are it's NOT in the writing. Theatre is the actor's medium. I've done over 70 film and television productions, and in every case, the leads on these shows were more than competent and all, I repeat all, of them had extensive theatre training.

I've heard so many agents tell actors they need to get “On camera” experience. However, there is not a single “on camera acting class” that actually emulates an actual on set experience. There's just a camera, in a static environment, maybe a light, it's recorded as a single shot, and...that's it. No sound guy/girl, no hair or makeup people fussing, no coverage, no script person, or any of the 30 or 40 people involved in every single take in an actual project. It's a sham. There is no “on camera experience” actually given. At the end of the day, the camera is nothing more than an audience member with a very good memory. If you're lying in front of a live audience, you're lying in front of the camera. If you can't construct a performance with real, truthful emotion, your career is not going to manifest the way you want it to. Period.

There is incredible opportunity for actors in the Vancouver market. Agents and casting directors are looking for young actors who can actually, you know, act. The NUMBER ONE FEAR of all actors I encounter, is that they cannot access their emotional energy when they need it. It's about mastery of that physical instrument. So when actors encounter a place where they see actual, real, raw emotion being drawn out of someone, it's incredibly exciting, and they instinctively know they need to be able to do it. The problem occurs when it's done in an abusive fashion, and they don't know that it can be done in other way. But, it can. There are teachers who have the techniques and knowledge to do so, without harming the individual actors they're developing. Trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it is. There is a saying; “The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, and the Great teacher inspires.” Find the last one. They're out there.