I Don't Need an Acting Class

Latest Episodes:

Can You Play Two Actions at Once? Aug 24, 2021

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Have you ever felt like you’re playing two actions at once in a scene and therefore not committing 100% to anything at all? In this episode, Milton addresses a problem that Greg had while shooting a short film in which he felt torn between two different actions and ended up feeling confused as to what he was doing. It raised the question of whether it’s possible to play two actions at once, or if the disconnect is a result of “playing your homework” and not be clear enough on what the scene is about. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by weaudition.com

Knowing When It’s Not Working Aug 17, 2021

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In this episode, as the Ice Cream Man relentlessly plays his song on the streets of Hamilton Heights— (are they trying to make us go crazy?)— Milton talks about developing the ability to know when your work isn’t working. This is about trusting yourself. If it feels like it’s not working, it’s not. Then we have to trust that we can figure out what tools or techniques will help us. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by weaudition.com

Working On A Character Trait Aug 10, 2021

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Like the many other tools we have at our disposal, working on a character trait can give you something to hold onto, something that is “playable.” Here’s what’s important to keep in mind: a character trait is not a plot. It has to be something we can “get” about the character, without the need for dialogue. This is an example of how working internally produces external results. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by weaudition.com

Take Yourself out of the Mix Aug 03, 2021

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When creating a character, it’s important to take yourself out of the mix. If you don’t, you’ll bring the character down to you, falling back on how you would react to the given circumstances, as opposed to taking stock of what you know about the character, and building a human being based on those facts. If you know where the character ends up— being a success— then you can further examine the nature of that fact: what is the makeup of a successful person? How do they operate in the world? What do they do? Also, this episode is worth listening to just to hear Milton talk about Wu-Tang.

What Makes a Good Choice Jul 27, 2021

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In this episode, Milton muses on the Stella Adler quote: "Your talent is in your choices,” realizing the ways this statement has been widely misinterpreted and misunderstood. The idea has crippled actors because we’re so busy trying to come up with brilliant choices, it paralyzes us. We want the opposite. We want to be freed up when we are acting. What makes a good choice? It isn’t something clever or plot based. A choice is more personal than that. If it feeds you, brings you to life, then it's good. “The technique is meant to free you up not cripple you,” says Milton. “And the amazing choices come out of those freed up moments.”

Soul Problem Vs. Plot Problem Jul 20, 2021

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There’s a difference between getting the job and getting the part. And if we want to elevate ourselves to doing great work and truly “get the part,” then we have to understand that the key lies in discerning a plot problem from a soul problem. Your character’s soul problem is what runs deep. It’s what’s really going on, underneath the plot. This is not about getting the answer right, it’s an exploration that begins when you start rehearsal and in some ways, never ends. We must keep asking: what is going on with this person, beneath what they are saying? What “soul problem” is this human being wrestling with? Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by Anchor.fm and weaudition.com

Playing a Part You Know S*** About Jul 13, 2021

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One of our listeners recently began work as a series regular on a new show, and found herself a little lost because of the lack of information she’s been given about her character. When you don’t know where your character came from or is headed, how do you create a three-dimensional human being? How do you approach material when you’ve been given so few facts and there is so much unknown? Do you just make it up? What if you get the character all wrong? In this special episode, Milton invites actor and former student Grant Show (Dynasty, Melrose Place) to class to address what is a complex but common situation in which so many actors find themselves, both in auditions and on actual jobs. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by Anchor.fm and weaudition.com

How to Talk Out Jul 06, 2021

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In this episode Milton shares how his “Talking Out” technique was born in order to clarify how it can best work for us as actors. We talk out in order to take ownership of what we are talking about, little by little. Instead of feeling the pressure to deliver a “performance,” we start where we are, even if it means we are not as connected as we want to be, or will eventually be. This is what Stella Adler meant when she said: “I can believe this much today.” We start small, just with what we, ourselves, can believe, and then we build on that. In each rehearsal, we come back and make more discoveries, get more specific, and more connected. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by Anchor.fm and weaudition.com

Where Our Research Should Lead Us Jun 29, 2021

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We all know the importance of doing research when creating a role, but even more important is what you do with that research. If you can’t turn it into something actable, it’s useless. This is a skill that we have to develop through practice: the ability to take a dry piece of information and determine what it means from an actor’s point of view. The facts should lead you to thinking; thinking leads you to understanding how you turn the facts into something active; and that leads you to experiencing. Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by Anchor.fm and weaudition.com

The Accurate Conductor Jun 22, 2021

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As an actor, you want to be so much more than just “accurate.” You must have something going on inside of you that makes you alive on the outside. An exercise we can employ that helps us connect to the life inside of us is talking out something you love or something you hate. “You can do this if you will begin to be observers in life and not an audience in life,” Milton says in this episode. “Look at life, observe it and respond to it. You have to become involved with it.” Have a question for Milton? Email him at questionsformilton@gmail.com Brought to you by Anchor.fm and weaudition.com