Choosing Beginner Classes

A first acting class should make you more curious, not more anxious. The best starting point is a course that tells you plainly what it covers, how long it runs, what it costs and what you will be asked to do in front of others. This guide walks through the choices a beginner actually faces.

Start with what you want from it

People take a first class for different reasons: to try something new, to build confidence speaking, to return after a long break, or to find out whether acting is for them. A short, low-cost class answers those questions. A year-long program or a degree does not need to be your first step, and an audition-based course is not a beginner product. In our records, among the programs that publish a level, 43 include beginners, and most of them are short courses (24) or ongoing classes (17), not degrees or conservatory programs.

What a beginner course typically contains

Look for a published outline, not just a title. City Lit's beginners' acting course page lists drama games and group exercises, improvisation and scene work, character work, performing truthfully and believably, and text work, and says that by the end students should be able to prepare and perform a short scene or monologue, depending on course length. It also says the course suits people with little or no acting experience and those returning after a long break.

The Questors Theatre's beginner's acting course for adults is organized in three terms that can be booked as separate blocks in any order: acting skills (voice, improvisation and movement) in autumn, performance techniques in spring, and audition technique in summer. The page states that there is no audition and no previous experience is needed. The spring term ends with a performance.

Both outlines are specific. A page that offers only "unlock your potential" and gives no content, duration or fees is harder to judge.

Term, monthly or intensive

Beginner classes are sold in several shapes. Each has a different commitment:

• Short series (5 to 11 sessions). City Lit's beginner dates range from five to eleven sessions, with full fees on the page between £179 and £329 depending on length. That is easy to compare and easy to leave.
• By the term. The Questors charges per term, paid in advance, and the three terms are independent.
• By the month, open-ended. Playhouse West in Los Angeles sets tuition by the month, states that all new students start in Beginning, and says no refunds will be issued. A monthly model is flexible to start and can be costly to leave, so read the missed-class terms first.
• Live online series. Terry Knickerbocker Studio's online Meisner intensive runs live classes twice a week over a set number of weeks, with a stated tuition plus a separate administration fee. The page says committed beginners are welcome.

For more on how these price structures differ, read Understanding Tuition and Term Fees. Our directory lists ongoing acting classes and short courses separately because the commitment is different.

Admissions for beginners

Of the 43 beginner-level programs in our records, 10 state that anyone can enroll (open enrollment), 3 use an interview only, 2 require an audition and 2 vary by pathway; 26 do not publish an admissions method. Treat the absence of a published method as a question to ask, not as proof that enrollment is open.

Signs of a good beginner class

• A named teacher with a published background, not only a studio brand.
• A cap on class size, or a statement of how many students are in a typical group.
• A clear description of what happens in the first session.
• A fee page that states the full cost, any registration or administration fee, and refund and missed-class terms.
• A teaching approach described plainly. Many courses name a method such as Meisner or Stanislavski; that is fine, but check what the sessions actually involve.
• A stated safeguarding and conduct policy. Playhouse West, for example, publishes conduct and attendance rules on its tuition page. If a course includes close physical work, you should know the rules and what to do if something feels wrong.

Warning signs

• Pressure to pay in full today to hold a place.
• Promises of agents, casting or professional work.
• A "free" class that is mainly a sales pitch for a much larger program.
• No published refund terms, or terms you cannot find until after you pay.
• A beginner course that requires prior training, or an audition course described as for beginners.

Questions to ask

1. What will I do in the first class, and will I be asked to perform alone?
2. How many students are in the group, and how many sessions are there?
3. What is the total cost, including registration and any materials?
4. What happens if I miss a session or want to stop?
5. Who teaches, and can I observe or speak to them first?

For a longer checklist, including questions for parents, see Questions to Ask Before Enrolling. If you are looking for classes for a child or teenager, start with children and teens.

A sensible first step

Pick one short course, attend it fully, and decide afterward whether you want more. If you do, a longer class or a voice or screen-focused course will make more sense than it would have before you started.