Teaching
“It seemed a shame not to pass along some of the requirements nobody tells you about, the clues, the road signs, sometimes even the tricks, and always the most helpful attitude which would lead to landing the job. Talent is essential. So is seasoning. But often, the time it takes from studying acting to being a working actor can be shortened. That’s the seasoning part. Everybody talks about seasoning but very few people talk about what it is.”
— Philip Carlson
Phil has been an adjunct professor at NYU and at SUNY Purchase and is currently on the faculty of The Atlantic School. He has taught, spoken on expert panels, and lectured at many schools, including ACT Theatre School in San Francisco, The Juilliard School, Vassar College, The University of Washington, Emerson College, Dean College, Fordham University, The University of Tennessee and Hamilton College. He has also consulted for talent agencies, casting directors and theatre companies.
Phil’s signature offering is a series of eight workshops, as outlined in his book, which he has taught at many of the institutions listed above. To contact Phil regarding teaching opportunities, please write to phil@philipcarlson.net.
“The emerging talent is where the fun is,” says Phil. “Watching them catch on to what is required to actually get a job was a never ending process of learning, going deeper, and helping an actor connect with the career that he or she wants and that the business wants them to have, and different in every case. You can tell who has the talent but who has the heart only becomes apparent over time. It got to where I could tell just by the way an actor walked into my office how long it would take for them to start booking work. Who would have a career took a little longer.”