Acting classes near me in Toronto

Acting Lessons in Toronto

Stigma Around Acting

Not many people appreciate the art of acting - in most cases, a lot of people even look down upon it. For some, it’s considered to be more of a hobby rather than a real job that pays the bills. 

They say that actors, especially the ones in Hollywood movies, are living the time of their lives because they’re always seen with beautiful houses and go on extravagant vacations. While all of these are true, there’s so much more behind successful movies and unlimited money.

For those who are really passionate about acting, it’s more than just emotions and memorising scripts. It’s about showing the world various characters through your own interpretation and making people understand that character through you. 

Actors, both in theatre and movies, go through months and months of rehearsals, tapings, and meetings. Final products only last about an hour or two but behind those hours are days worth of effort, sweat, and sleepless nights. 

Indeed, it’s hard to appreciate such a field because we are often used to day-to-day jobs and stable incomes. But for actors, it’s always project after project and with every project comes a risk that only actors are willing to take. 

Importance of Acting

It’s quite difficult making people understand the importance of acting. More often than not, anything that involves acting is always part of the entertainment industry - an industry that doesn’t really get the same amount of respect as the business ones. 

Entertainment

But even though there’s that challenge, acting is still quite important for a lot of things. For one, people need entertainment from time to time and a lot of people prefer watching films, tv shows, or theatre. 

Without actors, those forms of entertainment probably won’t exist. These actors breathe life into the characters written by writers. They colour the sketches and they make movies or plays happen. 

Social Issues

And with movies moving onto platforms that raise awareness, especially on relevant social issues, acting well becomes more and more important. These actors need to portray their characters well so they can get their points across. 

Moreover, these actors are responsible for provoking emotions from the audience in order to make them realise and encourage them to make a move or stand. 

Challenges of Taking Acting Lessons

As mentioned earlier, there’s quite a lot of stigma around acting. It’s a profession that’s frowned upon because it simply doesn’t seem like it offers a stable job. Everybody knows that the light won’t always be on you and it’s definitely a risk not many are willing to take. 

But for those who really want to pursue acting, regardless if they want to star in movies or theatrical plays, there are often a number of challenges that come along their way. 

Here are some of them: 

Limited Acting Schools in the Area

Let’s face it, acting schools or lessons aren’t as common as math lessons or accounting lessons. Yet again, this is because it’s not the ideal profession. So, with this being said, there aren’t many schools that offer great acting classes. 

The ones that do offer acting lessons can be quite far away. You need to travel to another state, or worse another country, just so you can learn the fundamentals of acting from the best teachers. 

Acting Lessons are Costly

Considerably, these lessons might cost you a fortune since you’re going to learn from people who already have experience in theatre arts or have been stars of movies. These people might have higher talent fees than you can imagine which makes it a challenge. 

Luckily, there are schools that offer scholarships to passionate ones. This means that aspirants have to put in more effort in showing that they are deserving of such grants and scholarships. 

Projects Aren’t Guaranteed

As much as acting is concerned, it’s really a project-based profession. And when it’s project-based, you can’t expect a monthly paycheque. If you’re one of the lucky ones who have projects lining up for you, then congratulations.

But every actor stars somewhere and it’s really a balance between luck and ability. You need to prove that you’re a great actor to land projects and you need to be lucky when it comes to having projects that pay the bills. 

Where to Find Acting Lessons in Toronto

Lucky for those living in Toronto, there are tons of acting schools in the area. These schools offer different kinds of classes for all forms of entertainment - film or theatre. 

These acting schools teach you the basics of acting and help you progress into becoming a better actor if you plan on pursuing it. Most of these schools teach more than just acting fundamentals but will also change how you look at the world. 

Some of these schools even offer you the opportunity to show your talent to audiences through skits and theatre plays. More often than not, these schools also have connections to big companies and you might just land yourself a role if you really plan on it. 

Here are some of the acting schools in Toronto:

• Alza Acting Studio
• The Second City Training Centre
• EVN Film Studios
• Soulpepper Theatre Company
• Pro Actors Lab
• Toronto Academy of Acting for Film and Television
• Toronto Film School 

Check out these film schools for their classes and workshops. 

Find a Private Acting Tutor in Toronto

If you’re truly not a fan of group classes or acting schools, you can also find your own private acting tutor. There are tons of teachers willing to conduct one-on-one lessons with students who are quite shy during the first few sessions.

Most of the time, these tutors are also actors themselves who have experience in theatre and sitcoms. If not, they’re also former teachers who now have flexible time. 

At Superprof, you can find profiles of acting tutors as well as their rates and reviews made by former students. Browse through the list of profiles and do background checks on these people. 

The advantage of having your own acting tutor is that you get to plan your own schedule without worrying if it’s in conflict with your other important appointments.