There is no shortcut to learning to act

It's very difficult to believe that there is not just one correct choice. As long as an actor is clear what the text is about, there are countless roads in to the experience of the world of the play.

"Everything is something." It seems simple, but as actors we often skip over something that can give us the key we're looking for.

The craft of acting is there to give us confidence. If we're not confident it's easy to see, especially for people casting. One of our problems is that we often throw away lines, – or parts of lines, – or even entire phrases. We miss the opportunities for creative acting work because we rush so fast to performance.

There are all sorts of quick fix "schools" of acting, but it's an art form and it takes dedicated study to become confident in your technique.

The purpose of the technique is to help open your talent, not strangle it. I'm suggesting that you think in terms of what the impulse is for a scene, – or what's going on with your character.

The vocabulary of acting is strangling the talent of actors. The need to use the right words is cutting off the actor's talent.

In person classes in New York City begin January 12th

We can't wait to see you!https://www.theactorlab.nyc

This acting class session focuses on the fundamental tension between allowing authentic moments to emerge versus forcing them through overthinking. The instructor addresses how students lose their natural instincts by getting trapped in intellectual analysis—particularly when trying to justify their emotional responses with logical explanations. Using examples from student work, including one student's fascination with construction sites and another's exploration of Stalin attending the ballet, the discussion emphasizes that specificity and genuine reaction matter more than elaborate backstories or explanations. The core lesson revolves around trusting initial instincts rather than explaining them away, with the instructor advocating for letting artistic discoveries "happen" organically rather than manufacturing them through mental effort. The session concludes with insights about building authentic attitudes toward scene partners without overcomplicating the process, drawing from Stella Adler's techniques about immediate, specific observations.

In this episode, Milton Justice explores the critical concept of matching your acting choices to the specific material you're working with. Using examples from his recent work with students, Milton demonstrates how actors often make the mistake of building relationships and emotions that don't serve the genre or tone of their project. He discusses a student working on a romantic comedy whose choices weren’t serving the genre, and another student writing a letter for "All My Sons" that was intellectually brilliant but wrong for the character. Milton emphasizes that while connection exercises are important for learning technique, actors must understand the form they're working in - whether it's a complex play like "All My Sons," a simple TV procedural, or a romantic comedy. He also shares insights about his upcoming acting studio in NYC and reflects on his experience directing "The Glass Menagerie."www.theactorlab.nycwww.idontneedanactingclass.com