T2's Adult Classes Help Hone Career Skills
Leaves crunching underfoot, the slight hint of a cool breeze, back-to-school supply lists, sharpened pencils, brand new backpacks—the sights and sounds of Fall, all of which instill a deep desire to return to learning, to become more knowledgeable, to open up new horizons. It can be hard for adults to find opportunities that help them dust off their thinking caps and polish their competitive edges, but starting August 24, TheatreSquared’s adult classes in acting and improvisation are the perfect prescription to help get you out of your comfort zone and into a fun, energetic learning environment.
T2’s classes are exciting opportunities for actors to study with professional teaching artists—but non-actors' ears should be perking up as well, as it’s becoming increasingly clear that actor training can have huge benefits for those outside of performing arts careers. In fact, many business schools—like Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business—have started offering acting classes for their students to help hone their soft skills like communication, leadership, positivity, flexibility, and critical thinking.
IT professional Guillem Villa Palau explained how his improvisational training has benefited his career in unexpected ways in an article for Linked In.
“I had no clue how to react and what to say,” he says of his first experiences in improv class. “The same thing might happen in company presentations when it does not go the expected way. Learning about lateral thinking, improvisation, how to react in the unexpected and gain techniques to win time, are game-changers.”
The University of North Carolina is another school that offers an acting class for those pursuing a more business-minded career track.
“The course teaches basic acting techniques and tenets, which help students grow more comfortable using their voice and body, and even develop greater empathy for the characters they briefly inhabit,” notes a description of the class in the school’s class catalog. “There are also many ways in which ‘Beginning Acting’ gives students tangible skills, such as strengthening their confidence in front of people and polishing their public speaking.”
“T2's adult classes are for any and everyone,” says Chad Dike, T2’s Director of Education. “The classes help develop confidence and quick-thinking skills that apply to lots of aspects of your life. Over half our participants are not looking to be actors but see the benefit to learning a new skill.”
“It helped put your analytical brain on the back burner and step out of your comfort zone to play, have fun, think sharp and be creative,” said one recent T2 student after finishing an improv class.
Want to learn more about how these classes can hasten your climb up the career ladder? Check out these articles from business publications for more information—then visit theatre2.org to sign up before classes are filled!
Forbes—Four Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Improv Right Now by Doug Sundheim
“At its core, improvisational acting (improv) is about taking what you are given and making the most of it. It’s a useful skill in any circumstance, but it’s particularly helpful during times of upheaval and change. …And it’s a structure that anyone can learn. Doing improv takes practice and courage, but less than you might think. And once you get good at it, you’ll find it’s invaluable training for leadership.”
Forbes— Going off Script: How Acting Can Boost Your Executive Presence by Andre Politzer
“Practicing improvisation, you become a more generous and creative communicator, whether on stage or in the conference room. You come to understand what works and motivates when speaking. You get comfortable accepting changes of force and direction in the conversation’s aim.”
Fast Company—Break a Leg: Seven Things Leaders Can Learn from the Theater by Barbara Shannon
“A case in point is business meetings—these are often unrehearsed run-throughs of required metrics, targets, and plans. Are they engaging or energizing? No. Business meetings are abysmal theater—that’s why you have to pay the audience to sit through them instead of the other way around.
“It doesn’t have to be this way.
“The CEOs I work with learn to script their storylines, their transitions between one presentation and the next. Their presentations are well prepared and they are well rehearsed. The results are eye-opening, engaging, and motivational, and often interspersed with laughter.”
The Economist—What Businesses can Learn from the Arts
“‘Acting is about finding the truth in the character and in yourself,’ says Charlie Walker-Wise, one of Rada’s tutors. ‘We help people to become more aware of their habits; what they do without realizing it. How people manage their physicality—their breath, their voice. Not many people are aware of how they come across.’
“It might seem odd to link running a business with a profession that ranges from Laurence Olivier proclaiming Hamlet’s soliloquy to Robert de Niro training as a boxer to play the lead in ‘Raging Bull’. But Mr Walker-Wise says that middle managers are often delivering speeches that are not their own (because they were devised by head office) or trying to inspire staff to meet an objective that was set by someone else.”
“Let's face it, being an entrepreneur is like going to tryouts every day. The first few years are filled with sales pitches/auditions with investors, customers, distributors, employees and of course consumers. During one store sampling event, we literally get the chance to pitch (and be rejected) hundreds of times. Twenty-one years into Honest Tea, I am still pitching. When I hear someone else give a sales pitch, it's not hard to spot someone who had theater training—they confidently project their voice, they don't get rattled, and they are (usually) willing to laugh at themselves. Getting rejected in a sales call isn't nearly as humiliating as failing on a stage—the audience is usually smaller and the lights aren't quite as bright. There should also be a bit of showmanship in a good sales pitch -- whether it's humor or emotion, or both, customers still love a story that resonates.”
All classes are one week, Monday-Friday, from 7:30-9:30 pm at TheatreSquared (477 W. Spring St., Fayetteville).
To sign up, visit theatre2.org or call 479-777-7477.