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Acting

Photo Source: Joan Marcus

4 Ways to Connect to a Character You Don’t Like

Photo Source: Joan Marcus Article by Joanne Baron & D.W. Brown – originally written for Backstage. There are times when even the best of actors working with solid material encounter a role to which they cannot connect. If you find yourself in a situation where
Photo Source: Photo by Joseph Redfield from Pexels

The Dangers of Acting Crash Courses

Photo Source: Photo by Joseph Redfield from Pexels Article by Joanne Baron – originally written for Backstage. In this age of immediacy with social media giving us access to information and entertainment at our fingertips, we all find ourselves living in the fast lane. We
Photo Source: Photo by Joseph Redfield from Pexels

Why You Should Embrace Creating Your Own Content

Photo Source: Photo by Joseph Redfield from Pexels Article by Joanne Baron & D.W. Brown – originally written for Backstage. The social media and internet focus that has modernized our world may come with its challenges, but for actors and filmmakers, it’s led to some
Photo Source: Shutterstock

How to Be a Generous Actor—and Succeed

Photo Source: Shutterstock Article by Joanne Baron & DW Brown – originally written for Backstage. The desire to be the center of attention can be so single-minded that there are actors who will sabotage the work of other actors who are doing scenes with them.

5 Qualities Directors Want in Actors

Article by Joanne Baron & DW Brown – originally written for Backstage. Every role has its own special demands. For instance, playing the leads in “Creed” and “Ex Machina” called for extraordinary physical skills, while those in “Son of Saul” and “Beasts of No Nation”

Making Acting Your Reality, Not Your Dream

Article by Joanne Baron – originally written for Backstage. I meet people all the time who say that acting is their life’s dream and the No. 1 priority but they are just too busy to take an acting class, audition, or look for representation. Some
Illustration by Radio

How to Play Drunk

Illustration by Radio Article by Malia Wollan – originally written for The New York Times Magazine. “Acting drunk convincingly is about the hardest thing you can do,” says D.W. Brown, 60, an acting coach based in Santa Monica, Calif., who has worked with both film

Why Horror Films Are a Good Career Decision for Actors

Photo Source: Warner Bros. Article by Joanne Baron – originally written for Backstage. Horror Films have always been a hit at the box office. They seem to attract large commercial audiences and do well when other films don’t. This happens because they appeal to both

Key Lessons Actors Can Take Away From the Pandemic

Photo Source: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels Article by Joanne Baron – originally written for Backstage. One might look at the pandemic and think only of all the limitations and challenges it brought, missing the fact that—although we were not together in person—many lessons were learned

The Importance of Flexibility for Actors

Photo Source: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels Article by Joanne Baron – originally written for Backstage. An actor has to be flexible. Casts change, scripts change, directors change, and you need to be ready to adapt. There are extreme, almost unthinkable changes in the world—like the