Expert: Kenneth D. Plonkey - 1/19/2010

Question
Hello, I am currently a freshman at my high school and was wondering about what classes I should be taking for the next three years if I want to be an actor. I already planned to have a drama class for every year, but I feel that it's not enough. My drama teacher told me to do some community theater outside of school, but due to the distance of the nearest community theater, my mom doesn't approve me going there. I just finished taking Art 2-D as a class because I thought it would help if I needed to paint any backdrops. Ever since seventh grade I have participated in many school musicals and plays. Right now, I feel that I am not really going anywhere. I would like to go beyond my skills now as an actor. If I had to a problem I have while being onstage, I would have to say that I stutter a few times. Although I am pretty good at memorizing lines and everything, I somehow always have to stutter at least once during a play. It's quite frustrating. Is there a class I should take that could hopefully help me with the stuttering? Also, my drama teacher said that I had to learn how to write plays. Will creative writing help? I just want to make sure that I am picking the right classes to make my high school years the best and most beneficial. The last thing I would want to do is ruin my high school years.  

Answer
Hi Carolyn, Don't worry too much about it.  Take all the speech and drama classes. Take part in all the plays and all the competitive speech events that you can.  But you are not going to 'get anywhere until you are out of high school on your own.  Now, I am not sure if you are a stutterer all the time, or just occasionally in plays. If all the time, you need to get your parents to find you a speech therapist. If just in plays, it is a matter of losing your concentration. I don't know why your teacher would say you need to learn to write plays as that would not help you become an actor. Read my blog and book available free at http://sites.google.com/site/kenplonkeythetaoofacting/home
and by all means contact me with your questions at kencosp@aol.com  God bless, Doc