The world of stage and screen may look glamorous from the outside but actors have to put a lot of work in to even get a foot in the door. Drama has to be studied like any other discipline and acting schools have an important part to play. Some stars come from a different route and may get a lucky break but most actors go through a recognized educational institution.
The demand for places for drama students in the most prestigious acting schools far outstrips the availability. One of the most respected schools is the London based Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). The list of actors, directors, and stage producers who have graduated from RADA since its opening in 1904 is impressive. Alumni includes Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, Albert Finney, John Giegud and Peter O'Toole.
It was started by a Shakespearian producer and the current Chairman is the actor and director, Lord Attenborough. One of the Vice Chairman is actor, Alan Rickman. The school was fortunate in having the playwright, George Bernard Shaw on its management as he left a portion of his royalties to the school. This has meant that proceeds from the movie and stage versions of My Fair Lady have benefited the school.
Every British would be actor wants to get in to RADA but it only takes 32 new students a year on its full time acting course. There are no academic criteria and the audition is all important. As with a lot of acting schools, RADA offers scholarships and bursaries. The school also runs short courses, acting workshops, technical courses and specialist courses in Shakespeare.
On the other side of the Atlantic, one of the most popular acting schools is the New York High School for Performing Arts, based in Manhattan. The public is very familiar with this establishment through the fictionalized stories dramatized in the movie and TV series, Fame. This school also provides scholarships and courses can be taken in theatre production, dance, visual arts and music, in addition to drama. Entry is secured through a good audition but academic levels and attendance are monitored during the student's studies.
Many famous actors, directors, choreographers and rock and jazz musicians have graduated from this school. The stories and characters in Fame may have been fiction but they did deliver the message that acting schools were not an easy ride. Actors who benefited from their time at the School for Performing Arts include Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Aniston, Chastity Bono, Adrien Brody and Ellen Barkin.
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