This is just a bit of fun really. Sometimes there are myths and stereotypes about drama students and what happens to you when you go to drama school. Some of them are true and some are false…..and some are just too silly to take seriously! Here is a list of the most common myths and legends associated with drama school.
The Myths of Drama School
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I won’t become an actor unless I have been to drama schoolFALSE. Going to drama school is only one option to becoming an actor. Some opt for training and some don’t. Not all actors can afford to take one or two years out and pay expensive tuition fees. Instead they get their experience by attending night classes, short courses and performing small parts in fringe plays and student films. Bit by bit they gain experience and then start working their way up. A good drama school can show you the tools and techniques and it’s then up to you what you do with them.
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Drama school is expensiveTRUE. Yes it’s going to be very expensive to study. Unless you are well off or have saved up the money yourself you are going to struggle. Each year at drama school will cost around £9,000 for the tuition fees and that doesn’t include your rent, living expenses or other costs. Some drama schools will ask you how you intend to finance yourself at the application stage. Look to see if your choice of schools offer a scholarship or funding. It might be worth applying.
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I didn’t get a drama school place, so I’d better give it upFALSE. If you were unlucky not to get a place at drama school. Don’t give up! If you really liked the school reapply again the following year. That way they will see that you are committed and that you are a tryer. Getting a place at a drama school is a very tough business. And sometimes taking a year away from study is good thing. You can travel, see the world, or see the real world by doing a proper job and gaining some life experience. There are so many different drama schools out there to choose from….and there are different ways of becoming an actor.
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Drama School Audition Panels will rip you to shredsFALSE. A drama school panel will try and provoke and create a reaction from you, they want to know if you are tough, if you are flexible, if you have an opinion. However they only want the best from you and on the whole I have always found drama school audition panels to be incredibly supportive. At all times they are not trying to destroy you, or rip you apart, they are simply offering great and honest advice and feedback. Sometimes your nerves can make the whole process feel intimidating but the reality of the situation is that the panel are just trying to push you and challenge you to get the best out of you. Approach it with a sense of fun and a sense of play, don’t take it personally, and you should find the whole process incredibly rewarding.
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Everyone wears blackTRUE. Well it’s true some of the time. Many students are asked to bring a set of black movement clothing with them when they join drama school. This is because some group and movement sessions work best if all the students are wearing the same colour. Storytelling and tableaux work benefits from the ensemble all wearing black. Many of the backstage technical team or ‘techies’ wear black too. Even when they are not working on a live show. And when the technical staff are working back stage during a performance, it stops them from being spotted by the audience.
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I will play a tree at drama schoolFALSE. We are saying false, but don’t take our word for it. Although you may have to study an inanimate object or study the physicality of an animal during a drama exercise. And if you are up for playing a tree then you will be in the right place! So much happens at drama school so expect the unexpected.
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Everyone at drama school is gayFALSE. The arts does seems to be a more tolerant and open community and like any other environment it is a mixed bag. There is approximately 60% of drama school students that are gay, lesbian or bisexual.
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There is a lot of bitchiness at drama schoolTRUE. Drama school does attract some performers who are egocentric and who are out for themselves. Unfortunately this hand full of people don’t mind offending others by cutting some people down. We all have strengths and weaknesses and unfortunately some people like to point out the weaknesses rather than the plus points.
Acting is a competitive and cut throat business and we will face bitchiness in the many years ahead. You will have to face many truths about yourself at drama school. Tutors and fellow students will point out your weaknesses and you will then have to address those comments professionally. We all need constructive criticism to improve ourselves from time to time. But if you get feedback that is unnecessary or ‘bitchy’ don’t take it too personally and rise above it. RuPaul once said “What other people think of you is none of YOUR business!” -
Students are chosen not by talent but because they fit ‘types’ of charactersTRUE. It is true that a drama school will choose a year group to make an ensemble, it would be unfair if the whole year group was in competition with each other. An agent coming to see a showcase wants to see a whole range of types, sizes, ages and looks. Therefore X% of the new students must be good-looking black males, X% white slim blonde females, X% fat ugly guys and so on. Its easy to think if you don’t fit one of these typecasts, then there is not much of a chance of getting in. I bet the audition panel wish it was this easy, it isn’t. Your talent plays a HUGE part in your acceptance or rejection and without talent it is unlikely you will get a place even if you do tick the box of the ‘type’ they are looking to fit in that year’s jigsaw.
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You will have to perform naked at Drama SchoolFALSE. No one has to perform naked at drama school, unless a specific play demands it. But don’t worry, there are no naked movement exercises used at drama school either.
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You massage each other in classTRUE. Students are regularly asked to pair up and help loosen each others shoulders and back during warm up sessions. It makes sense as these are the parts that you can’t reach yourself so you do need a little help. After a while you will have probably massaged everyone in your class and will have gained trust and respect for them.
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Girls are encouraged to lose weight and be at the bottom of their acceptable BMIFALSE. Sadly some schools do flirt with this practise, particularly musical theatre and dance training schools. There is still a fallacy in the entertainment world that slim girls get all the work. I know of girls who have been given very dangerous advice regarding their weight whilst at drama school, and this pressure on them to maintain their figure has led to eating disorders.
As an actor you need to first and foremost know who you are, understand your type, and above all be happy with who you are. Anyone who tells you that you are not the right size has no right to make you feel less than you are.
I always advise anyone in our industry to be sensible with their health regardless of their size. If you have any concerns that you are too big or too small then seek medical advice, not the advice of some ex-dancer who is probably bitter because they aren’t the one in the spotlight anymore. -
Drama students always get an agentFALSE. Only a handful of students will be lucky enough to get an agent during the showcase week. Agents come to showcases to see if there is any RARE up and coming talent or if they are looking for a certain type of actor that they currently don’t have on their books. And don’t be surprised if you invite an agent and they take on somebody else.
Here are the qualities that an agent will look for in a client: Talent, Looks, Attitude, Being Proactive, Being in Spotlight, Great Headshots. Make sure you have all of these ticked and keep trying. The acting business is just that…a business. -
Choosing Acting is a doss! Not a career but a hobby!FALSE. Actor training is not an easy option, it is a tough, gruelling slog and will take a huge amount of commitment, perseverance and hard work to become successful. Training at drama school is littered with personal sacrifice, injustice, hardships and unfairness and only the strongest will survive! If it wasn’t then drama schools would accept every Tom, Dick or Rylan looking for ’15 minutes of fame’ in our celebrity obsessed culture.
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You need another career when you are an actorTRUE. Yes you do need something to fall back on when you are not acting and getting paid for it. It is important that you seriously think about something else to support you when you are not acting, because the reality of the career is that 90% of the time you will probably earn your money in another way.
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I need to go to RADA to be the best type of actorFALSE. RADA is an acclaimed drama school and have churned out many great acting names. But there are many other good drama training schools who offer wanna be performers the same range of training. It’s up to the student after they graduate what lies ahead. Choose a drama school that suits you, don’t try and change yourself to fit in with the school.