Is there anyplace online to find whatever television ad campaigns from a specific company happen to be playing nationally in the US currently? [more inside]
posted by shakespeherian on Nov 6, 2009 - 2 answers

Tutoring a 14 year old. How to be supportive of dreams and yet practical? [more inside]
posted by Admiral Haddock on Nov 4, 2009 - 31 answers

Actors (and dangerous people), explain to me what behavioral or visual cues make people look scary. I just saw a play where a scrawny, unassuming character had to stare down someone much larger, and the actor really pulled it off. The fascinating part was the contrast between the dialogue and the behavior: reading a transcript later, you'd think the other guy just got bored and wandered off, but in the moment it was somehow clear that he was permitted a graceful exit out of the goodness of his victim's heart. How did he do that?
posted by d. z. wang on Oct 13, 2009 - 16 answers

I was just cast in an opera! Problem: I have never been in an opera before, and am not really a "musical" person. Please help me keep from falling flat on my face! [more inside]
posted by hermitosis on Sep 14, 2009 - 9 answers

We just saw the proofs for our 6-year old son's head shots. We've signed up with an agency in town that doesn't charge a fee and only makes money when our son gets a gig. What else can we do to help our son launch his modeling / acting career? [more inside]
posted by IndigoSkye on Jul 28, 2009 - 9 answers

Help me develop the skills needed to carry an (essentially) one-man stage show despite never having even vaguely considering acting. If I get the part, I assume we'll start rehearsals in late autumn. [more inside]
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas on May 18, 2009 - 1 answer

How does one become voice talent for audiobooks? [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco on May 8, 2009 - 8 answers

Scene Suggestions Filter: Please suggest scenes from modern movies or plays, for two female characters, where one or both have an "impediment"- cognitive handicap, physical disability, or intoxication. More specifics included. [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on May 4, 2009 - 12 answers

How Can I Make Walk-On Characters More Vital? [more inside]
posted by Lipstick Thespian on May 2, 2009 - 7 answers

Where in London could a US citizen approaching retirement age study acting? [more inside]
posted by NorthCoastCafe on Apr 20, 2009 - 3 answers

How do actors, dancers or musicians compare different takes of their performance during rehearsal in order to iterate and improve? I'm interested in how they "sketch" the variations.
posted by Jeff Howard on Apr 14, 2009 - 24 answers

are acting lessons a good idea for me? [more inside]
posted by krautland on Mar 8, 2009 - 9 answers

How can I do some semi-serious acting quite soon in a big city? [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue on Mar 6, 2009 - 9 answers

I need to be able to blow my nose. Very loudly. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Mar 6, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me find free age appropriate plays/skits/acting exercises for my 6 year old. [more inside]
posted by dejah420 on Jan 19, 2009 - 8 answers

Can you think of movies, television or radio shows which feature British actors playing American characters putting on fake British accents? Extra bonus points if you can name other examples of actor from country X playing a character from country Y faking the accent of country X. [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Jan 2, 2009 - 28 answers

How does an actor sell taking a punch? [more inside]
posted by peachfuzz on Dec 29, 2008 - 10 answers

I'll be performing in next year's Vagina Monologues. How can I be awesome? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Dec 6, 2008 - 17 answers

How do I make my voice sound scared? [more inside]
posted by Idiot Mittens on Nov 28, 2008 - 13 answers

Is there a word for when an actor emphasizes a sentence incorrectly? [more inside]
posted by Bonzai on Nov 3, 2008 - 28 answers

Monologue for a budding drama queen? [more inside]
posted by mothershock on Oct 15, 2008 - 16 answers

My one-year old is a beautiful kid. Really. Should we try to get him into modeling or acting? I want to hear the good and the bad. [more inside]
posted by Spyder's Game on Sep 5, 2008 - 22 answers

Two part interrelated question: 1) How to improve the self esteem of a 16 year old girl 2) who can't act but would like to be a good actor [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 2, 2008 - 24 answers

How do I make actors comfortable during sex scenes? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 19, 2008 - 15 answers

What are some famous/infamous examples of actors getting so into character that they either have trouble getting out of character or the experience does some long-term psychological damage? [more inside]
posted by jrb223 on Jul 15, 2008 - 48 answers

Any fan of The Wire knows that the show features a lot of characters played by 'non-actors.' For example, ex-convict Snoop plays Snoop, Mello is played by the real Jay Landsman, the former mayor of Baltimore (Kurt Schmoke) popped up as a health commissioner during the Hamsterdam crisis, etc. Is there a list of every such 'non-actor' on The Wire? I did google, but didn't use the right terms, or somesuch.
posted by flibbertigibbet on Jul 2, 2008 - 13 answers

Just relocated to Chicago, want to get back into acting... need some advice on good community theatre groups and talent agents of the non-scam variety. [more inside]
posted by a lunatic on Jun 10, 2008 - 7 answers

When watching older movies (say, through the 60s), the acting seems more exaggerated--for lack of a better term--than in modern films. Is there terminology for these differences in acting styles, and when/why did it change?
posted by mpls2 on Apr 7, 2008 - 12 answers

Does anyone have any experience with a company in LA called "CelebrityTalent.TV?" [more inside]
posted by visual mechanic on Mar 14, 2008 - 4 answers

What are some examples of actors "playing themselves" (not someone purposefully featured as themselves, but someone whose personality is so powerful that it overwhelms the character he/she is supposed to be playing)? For instance, some people say that no matter what movie he's in, Jack Nicholson always plays "Jack Nicholson." Other people say the same for Robert DeNiro or Clint Eastwood. I'm looking for some actors and roles that are the embodiment of this notion.
posted by amyms on Jan 10, 2008 - 119 answers

"Forum" (Sondheim)Filter: What's my motivation? [more inside]
posted by I_Love_Bananas on Jan 4, 2008 - 4 answers

I'm contemplating a move from NYC to LA for acting and wanted to know if there were places like Actors Connection and One on One in LA to meet casting directors and agents.
posted by chris24 on Aug 28, 2007 - 1 answer

During an audition or reading, are hand or body movements too distracting? [more inside]
posted by gttommy on Jul 6, 2007 - 10 answers

One-act play: I'm looking for a funny, perhaps topical, and maybe edgy one-act play for my family members to read as part of a family gathering. [more inside]
posted by charris5005 on May 30, 2007 - 8 answers

Please help me choose a Shakespeare speech for a short class on "Playing Shakespeare". [more inside]
posted by amtho on May 24, 2007 - 23 answers

I want to move to LA and try to "make it." What are some general (or specific) things my young, naive, optimistic self should know before embarking on this adventure?
posted by Mach3avelli on May 17, 2007 - 30 answers

How do I get into drama, acting or TV extra work in China? [more inside]
posted by gttommy on Mar 28, 2007 - 8 answers

Are there any pro or amateur actors out there who can recommend some good books (or sites) on acting or public speaking? [more inside]
posted by papakwanz on Jan 28, 2007 - 16 answers

Recently I've been fascinated with the way a good actor doing good voice acting can convey a very specific character in movies or video games. (This may seem dumb, but the Demonhunter Illidan in WarCraft III has a particularly memorable voice). What I'm really wondering about, though, is the fact that all the examples of really effective, specific voice acting seem to be English-based. [more inside]
posted by dmaterialized on Dec 25, 2006 - 11 answers

I'll be doing some voice-over recording later this week. Can any experienced voice actors give me some tips for once I'm in the studio? [more inside]
posted by Faint of Butt on Jun 5, 2006 - 9 answers

What do you do for a boy in a musical? [more inside]
posted by hollygoheavy on Apr 17, 2006 - 31 answers

Nurse Filter: Can someone explain some basic ER stuff to an actor about to audition for a nurse part? I want my physical actions to be realistic. [more inside]
posted by typewriter on Mar 30, 2006 - 7 answers

Belated Oscars question: In this age of political correctness and gender-neutrality, why are there still gender-based Academy Award categories? [more inside]
posted by beagle on Mar 17, 2006 - 22 answers

How do they get little kids to cry in movies or on TV? Do the people filming cause them to cry, or does the crew have to wait until the child starts bawling? [more inside]
posted by katiecat on Mar 8, 2006 - 28 answers

I'm having trouble remembering a playwright I read about long ago. IIRC, this playwright is considered an heir to the Brechtian tradition, and he accordingly hated using professional actors with practiced mannerisms. In order to achieve verfremdungseffekt when directing, he would sometimes cast high schoolers with no previous acting expreience. I think it might be Edward Bond, but I'm not sure. Any ideas? I'm pretty sure that he's British.
posted by painquale on Dec 12, 2005 - 3 answers

Acting up vs. acting out. [more inside]
posted by Rash on Nov 8, 2005 - 12 answers

I'm 20 years old and I want to get into acting. [more inside]
posted by AMWKE on Sep 13, 2005 - 16 answers

How can I get my cat to support me? [more inside]
posted by Ferrari328 on Aug 6, 2005 - 11 answers

This is your actor on drugs - specifically cocaine. [more inside]
posted by rainbaby on Aug 5, 2005 - 55 answers

Myth or truth?: You burn as many calories playing a major theatrical role (i.e. "Hamlet") as you do running a marathon. And how DO you calculate calories, anyway? [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Jul 8, 2005 - 20 answers