<p>^ [Eye</a> Spy LA Theater in Los Angeles](<a href=“http://www.eyespyla.com/www/thebuzz.nsf/bb07a184ba61a99c88256e350079c4fd/a984a0f8bf0ac84d88256e350079ee86!OpenDocument]Eye”>http://www.eyespyla.com/www/thebuzz.nsf/bb07a184ba61a99c88256e350079c4fd/a984a0f8bf0ac84d88256e350079ee86!OpenDocument)</p>
<p><a href=“Listing Of LA Plays and Shows Now Playing in Theaters in LA”>http://www.theatreinla.com/nowplaying.php</a></p>
<p>Fish, I think it’s interesting that you say training in improv is important. I read Tina Fey’s book, and I know she trained at Second City after graduating from UVA. Do college theater programs provide opportunities to train in improv?</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone has mentioned another time-honored way to study for less than four years – get into the best college program you can, work and study hard, and if you feel the same way after two years, take a leave of absence. Or burn your bridges and drop out, period. Lots of actors didn’t finish their degrees, sometimes because they got cast in something great, sometimes for other reasons. (Robin Williams got kicked out of Juilliard.)</p>
<p>Of course you might find once you are there that you want to stay. But you would have more options.</p>
<p>In the business world, people care a lot about whether a job candidate completed a degree. I don’t know how casting directors see it.</p>
<p>^ Right. A lot of name screen actors dropped out of their programs or were asked to leave although with Robin it was more of a mutual decision than being kicked out. Can you imagine having him as a classmate??? LOL Plus, it’s evident that there was no bad blood since he donates full scholarships. </p>
<p>I think at a lot of mid-high intensity BFA programs, the first two years should be sufficient to move to LA and get specific training to transition into TV and film if you have the goods in the first place. Most of those CDs won’t care too much if you don’t have the degree as long as you also show additional training and/or experience specific to the media. And again, you’ll probably need at least some of that even if you graduate since these schools are mainly designed to nurture theatre artists and the on-camera training at most is woefully inadequate. There’s even a stereotype in Hollywood of the “clueless actor with a lot of theatre training.” That’s not saying that finishing a degree doesn’t carry both intrinsic and practical value. </p>
<p>
Viola Spolin’s theatre games from which what is normally referred to as ‘improv’ are derived are integral to the training at the top schools I know about unless they’re Meisner-based in which case those first year exercises entail a specific kind of improv in and of themselves. It’s a must-have tool for any actor - especially in the on-camera world.</p>
<p>P.S. HEY! YouTube took down the Ben Kingsley interview I linked, but somebody cut the section I referenced to another video. [Inside</a> the Actors Studio: Ben Kingsley on actors as hunters. - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GpkP2n-Y8M]Inside”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GpkP2n-Y8M)</p>
<p>Hate to be a stickler but Second City isn’t really an improv program -it’s more of a sketch comedy program. The I/O (Improv Olympics) is more of an improv program, as is, I think, UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade). Those of us outside of the specific field of improv, group it all together but those more seriously involved know each school’s program are much more specific than that. (Long Form, the Armando, sketch, etc.)</p>
<p>I think in general you are going to find more Spolin-based programs in Chicago, and more Meisner-based programs in New York City, but I am sure there are exceptions.</p>
<p>As I understand it, those delineations between the different improv schools as to short form, long form, sketch, Harold, etc. really only start once a student gets into the upper level classes and they mainly manifest in the performance companies and teams. As a practical matter, most actors who aren’t gunning to do that only take one or two levels which pretty much involve the same Spolin games from what I understand. Of course, each has a different feel just like the colleges we talk about here. Plus, Second City says on their website that they are “The world’s largest school of improvisation and sketch comedy.” 
</p>
<p>Wikipedia actually has a pretty decent [entry</a> on the genre.](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisational_theatre]entry”>Improvisational theatre - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>As to moving to LA, there is a great thread over on Backstage that I referenced when I made the move myself entitled [“Things</a> You Wish Someone Had Told You.”](<a href=“http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/989105573/p/1]"Things”>http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/989105573/p/1) There’s some of the broiler plate loser cynicism you run into a lot from some of the posters, but pay special attention to what “donquixote” and “stumbleine” have to say. As I recall, stumbleine actually moved out straight from high school with the financial help of her parents to get started and has been successful although she also models. I think I know who she is. She hasn’t posted in awhile and most of her old posts have fallen into the archives, but I believe she said she started acting at 8 and had a few years of solid pre-professional training before she came plus she is a self-described “Total Miss Goody Two Shoes” and is “very driven, disciplined and spiritual.” OTOH, I would probably be whoring myself in a truck stop by now had I tried it … </p>
<p>Another one with a lot of great info for those planning to move out is the [LA</a> Neighborhood Breakdown](<a href=“http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/772102712?r=772102712#772102712]LA”>http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/772102712?r=772102712#772102712) thread. </p>
<p>And like I said in the first link I gave to an old CC thread, you’d probably be better off spending your time on that forum instead of a college board if you’re going to go for it at 18. Just keep in mind that the vast majority of “actors” over there - including the most prolific posters that seem to be on 24/7 - don’t really have careers. But, there is a lot good advice about living in LA and surviving the beginning levels of the Biz.</p>
<p>I don’t want to argue with you fishbowlfreshman but there is a difference and it begins right from the first class with their approach. That’s one of the reasons why almost all the programs don’t credit you for any other school’s classes. If you switch, you must start with the intro. Emphasis is different based on their focus - improv or sketch and then further into types of improv.</p>
<p>But if Second City says on their website, that they are “The world’s largest school of improvisation and sketch comedy.” then it must be so. Even without a presence in NY.</p>
<p>^ I don’t want to argue either. Have you studied at any of the Big 4 LA improv schools, yourself? I never did and am just passing along what I’ve been told by people who have. Also, not being an aficionado, I got curious as to why you would say that Second City isn’t really an improv program and posed the question elsewhere to people who are and who have studied at more than one of those places. [I</a> already got a couple of fairly detailed responses and what they say is pretty much what I’ve understood the situation to be from others.](<a href=“http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/114106754]I”>http://bbs.backstage.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/114106754) If you would like to go over there and correct them, please do.</p>
<p>The bottom line, however, is that Second City is indeed one of the schools that teach what is commonly understood to be “improv” and commercial casting directors and agents are going to want to see it or one of the others under the Training section of most actors’ resumes.</p>
<p>I think I’ve just learned more than I ever thought I’d want to or need to know about the world of improv and am quite excited about it since some of my friend’s kids are very involved in troupes in HS and College and this all put things into perspective for me as to what happens during some of their shows. Also very helpful for me to have in my backpocket if my freshman decides that she will decide to hear some of my suggestions for add’l workshops or seminars. </p>
<p>I just wanted to jump on this thread for a moment and thank Fish for the fishlinks 
.<br>
Can anyone smell a blog here? " Fishlinks to Spin the World of Acting"
;)</p>
<p>Also, I would love to hear from the OP as to how what direction he/she is heading in based on some of these comments.</p>
<p>I’m in NY and Chicago.</p>
<p>@amtc Second City is both sketch comedy and improv. They have two separate programs, one for straight comedians and one for actors. I would say Upright Citizens Brigade would be a good second choice, but I don’t know if they have a Los Angeles branch like Second City.</p>
<p>Yup. They are in LA as well.</p>
<p>Please remember that Second City is really the place that first used Spolin techniques to train actors. Every other place that uses Spolin or “improv” techniques has taken it directly or indirectly from Second City. Sometimes modifying them, of course.</p>
<p>Spolin invented the techniques to work with children with emotional problems, but Second City decided to try them with adult actors, and they discovered they really worked. (The history is a little more complicated, there were a couple of groups before Second City, but these were really pretty much the same people, just calling themselves a different name)</p>
<p>When I attended Columbia College Chicago, many of the faculty there were also faculty at Second City, I hope that is still the case.</p>
<p>
A few years ago, somebody suggested that I start one and call it “Fresh Fish.” :)</p>
<p>Smells good to me, just send us a link if you really do this.</p>
<p>^ I’m not planning on starting a new blog. I actually had to delete my old Live Journal and save it on a zip drive for posterity a few years back. </p>
<p>But, if you want to see a great one that shows what life is really like for an LA working actress that actually makes a living at it, you should look up [The</a> Working Actress](<a href=“Loading”>http://theworkingactress.com/) and scroll all the way down to read up from the beginning when she started it in January 2010 'til she made the jump into series regular land in '11 and stopped posting in '12. I had never seen it before until the other day, read it from the beginning, and was like “yep, yep, yep” except on a few points regarding agents. At any rate, It’s full of great nuggets. She’s cagier than me in maintaining her anonymity, but she’s definitely for real although I suspect she may have actually posted a good part of it in retrospect off old journal entries. Definitely so if she’s who I think she is … </p>
<p>Of course, another one to read is [Jenna</a> Fischer’s long single post](<a href=“http://www.actorsinfobooth.com/industry-news/hollywood/752-jenna-fischers-advice-to-actors]Jenna”>http://www.actorsinfobooth.com/industry-news/hollywood/752-jenna-fischers-advice-to-actors) that originated on MySpace but has been passed around a lot in which she described her early struggles that the vast majority of actors in LA who didn’t come to town with solid rep locked up have/had in common. </p>
<p>I hate to randomly bump an old thread, but I thought it could be useful to someone although TWA actually has a degree in acting. It’s good for the kids on here to know what they’re aspiring to get themselves into … even if it scares the parents a bit. :)</p>
hey so i know this thread is 3 years old, but it comes up when i search Tom Todoroff. and i’d like to post a WARNING!!! do NOT attend tom todoroff conservatory. this man is manipulative, horrible, and downright insane. that “impressive faculty” that was mention in a previous post no longer works for the conservatory. they are all quitting left and right. He has lost many talented actors from not only his school but his weekly studio classes as well. for example, he refused to support his student getting cast in a play simply because the play was directed by one of the faculty members that quit working for him. this guy may have been good back in the day, but he has no reason to be running a school. also, it’s not really a school because he only rents rooms at different studios in NYC and teaches there. if that’s a school, then anyone can open a school. he tried to get accredited last year but it didn’t even work. please, pleaseeeeeee stay far away!! i’m only posting this as a warning for anyone thinking of attending, so that when they search for him, this comes up. it’s a scam. i am sooo glad i am quitting at the end of the year. i regret paying any money for this place at all. I’m thinking I’ll go to another conservatory… but tom stole everything he teaches from Larry Moss. and doesn’t give credit at all.