reply: One on One vs Class room setting?

This was a reply to an email that was focused on whether I thought a Class room setting or a one on one setting is the best for actors...

My passion happens to be acting; and I come from many years in the industry on many levels, as well as many years of studying with a wonderful and amazing coach. With that being said, I am in the hopes that I can train some wonderful actors here in Louisiana, so that we have a quality talent pool for producers and directors to choose from.

There are only a few coaches that I would recommend in the Louisiana area. If you need some advice, I am more than willing to help you. As for me, I do think every actor is different; and that is one of the reasons I do not teach a specific method. If I did teach only one method, then I would be saying that there is a perfect way to teach TV and Film in that method alone. I think most of the methods were devised for stage; so to use methods that were devised years before my creative venue(tv/film) was even invented, would be wrong.

As for class settings, there are benefits to both one on one coaching, as well as a class full of students.

I think one on one is wonderful when you focus on an audition or rehearse and prep for a role you booked. It is also interesting, later on, when you have moved past the basics and are delving deep into your work. Even then, many things can still be done in a class setting for others to learn and for you to share.

A class setting is one of the best ways to learn and to absorb the fastest. Our jobs as actors are to be observant and pay attention to the human condition and to create truthful behavior. How better to do so than with a nice group of people to observe? I think many actors find they learn more by sitting and watching a scene or waiting until I speak about the scene rather than sometimes being in the scene themselves. Sometimes it is easier to see your own problems in someone else's work. However, you also have the advantage of working with many different personalities and walks of life that you would not have in a one on one session. Then once you are in the scene study class and you need to work on a scene, there is no hesitation from "living" in front of people in your imaginary circumstance. Acting is- creating real life in an imaginary circumstance.