About Arlene Schulman Expertise As a professional director, dramaturg, acting coach and actor for over 25 years in the NYC/NJ area, I can help with questions on acting technique, character development, audition and rehearsal techniques, dealing with directors and stage managers, what directors are looking for, and other aspects of the acting and directing professions.
Experience A professional director, dramaturg, acting coach and actor for over 25 years in the NYC/NJ area, I have directed in professional, university and amateur theatre and have directed and acted in dramas, comedies, musicals, Shakespeare as well as collaborating closely with playwrights in the development of original plays and musicals.
Organizations SSDC associate member Advisory Board - Isle of Shoals Productions Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of America associate member Shakespeare Association of America The Shakespesare Institute -
MA "Shakespeare & Theatre" candidate, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Question My 7-year old son is very interested in acting. I'm having trouble finding him a school or coach in Northern NJ or NYC for his age group. Do you have any suggestions on a school or coach and also how to get started in this business.
Thank you,
Answer Hi Jennifer,
Unless your son is actively doing commercials or professional work at this time, a coach is the last thing he needs.
And I do NOT recommend that you try to get a 7 year old "started in this business". Acting is one of the hardest professions there is. Yes, there are children who act professionally, but it is hard on them and harder on their parents. Even adult actors with inate talent and years of training have trouble "getting started". At 7 your 7 year old has no idea what acting is all about. It looks very easy and lots of fun to be up there on stage or screen, but it's a tremendous amount of hard work. Kids who get into the business lose out on a normal childhood and are subject to pressures that even adults have trouble dealing with.
Which doesn't mean that your son can't have the experience of learning about acting and even being in shows. There are many acting classes and schools for kids throughout NJ and NYC. I'm not really familiar with any specific ones that I could recommend to you, but I do know that a number of community theatres sponsor classes and theatre camps for youngsters that are quite good. You might inquire among them, before you attempt to let him pressure you into trying to find an agent or taking him out of school and schlepping him to audition after audition. Or open your yellow pages to "acting schools". There might be one right in your neighborhood.
There are, of course, some acting schools in NYC that have classes for young people. HB Studios is a very good one. But even their classes start at age 9. There might be others that start earlier, or coaches who would be happy to take your money (and they are expensive), but I don't believe that they would be the best thing for your son.
Acting is fun. And the classes for kids should be just that. Many elementary schools also have school plays and some even teach some of the acting basics that can help kids understand what its all about.
Let him find out if he even LIKES acting before you take any further steps. There's a big difference between playing "lets pretend" or seeing professional actors making it look easy on the screen, and having the discipline to rehearse and rehearse and then perform before an audience consistently.
Acting IS fun. But it's also work. And professional acting is hard work. Let him have some fun with it and enjoy it, and then, if he does, there's plenty of time for him to take more professional classes and for you to decide if you really want to be there night and day to take him to auditions and rehearsals and more. Most middle schools and high schools have drama programs and some have acting classes. Or he could, when he gets to that point, go to a performing arts high school. There are several good ones in NJ (my daughter went part time to Howell High School where they had a Performing Arts program in conjunction with her regular studies at Manalapan HS. I've worked with lots of kids in the plays I direct, both professionally and in the world of community and school theatre. Some are very experienced very young (I've worked with several who have been on Broadway). Others have just done school shows. Talent shows either way. But the process is hard on both. And most professional actors these days get their training through a good university program when they are ready for that - going both for their BA in theatre and then their MFA in Acting (or whatever they choose to specialize in). At 7 years old, there is no hurry for your son to rush into "getting into the business". Let him learn to enjoy the fun and satisfaction of creating and working together as a team to bring a show to life. Let him see what goes into rehearsing a show and making it work. Let him see that it's not all fun, but that the work is exciting and worth it. Let him learn that the joy of acting is not only the fun and definitely not the glamour or fame or fortune, but the creation and the satisfaction of doing his best.
Check with your local community theatres (there are many in northern NJ), and with your local community colleges (some have classes or camps for kids), or even with his school (they may put on shows or be familiar with local performance schools).
Good luck... and have fun with him! And if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them for you.
