Studying Acting Overseas
Actors study to learn their craft. Where actors do their studying, and why they choose a particular place to do it, is more complicated. Certainly most American actors study in the United States, whether in undergraduate or graduate school, or simply by having a coach for various acting auditions and performance situations. At a certain point in your entertainment career to add to your acting resources, however, you might want to study overseas. If so, there's a world of possibilities to choose from.
Let's say you want to study Shakespeare — Great Britain offers stateside actors scores of schools, from the distinguished Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (known as "RADA") to impressive learning centers out in the "provinces." If you're curious about a clowning style called bouffon, acting training academies like the Ecole Jacques Lecoq near Paris might beckon. And a performance style more than 500 years old called commedia dell'arte is not only still being taught in Italy where it originated, but it is still an invaluable technique for actors to have.
Studying overseas means more than Europe. You might say "yes" to a year of Japanese Noh, or spend a semester studying Beijing Opera. A month of martial arts anywhere in the East might make you ten times the stage combat expert you thought you were. Some of the most adventurous actors in North America look south — to South America — to explore native theatrical traditions in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
Before jetting off to explore the world of acting, there are some things to remember. You need a passport to travel, and visa entry requirements for acting students vary from country to country. You have to consider all the costs involved in studying outside the U.S., as well as how much time you can afford to spend on an exciting foreign-arts endeavor to increase your acting resources. If you reflect carefully on the acting training you have, you may decide a journey overseas might nicely complement your skill set.
LINKS
Study: Cultural Exchanges Down Since Sept. 11
Report Urges U.S. to Improve Artists' Visa Access.
Marking a Golden Milestone in East-West Cultural Exchanges
At once diverse and daring, the Japan Society stands toe-to-toe with some of most comprehensive cultural exchange endeavors in the world today.
London Calling
London correspondent Mark Shenton offers an insider's guide to living, working, and playing in London.
Back to Edinburgh
Visiting the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Scandinavia on Stage
Exploring barriers to crossing cultures.
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