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COME FIND YOURSELF…is the school’s motto, which is a reflection of how Irish society has changed over the past two decades. If I am to generalise, I would say that people living here have more information & power available to them to explore, and discover different aspects of their everyday lives now; than in times past.
This is a reflection of my last two years here. Both of my classes had a slight majority of men, and ages ranging from young to very young at heart. We all shared an unknown common bond at the start – some took the course on a whim, a vague curious instinct they had within them. Others had some experience on stage & camera already, and the rest for various reasons like stress relief, bucket list entries and broadening their current skill sets.
It’s dysfunctional when you think of it, 20 people in a studio wanting to take on plays from Pinter, Beckett, Kane et al for various reasons – some hadn’t even read a play before!
IRONICALLY, that’s what made it work!
Chekov said that “An actor has to burn inside with an outside ease”. In the first few weeks of the Performance Year, I had to walk diagonally from the corner of the room to another, and say “Hello, My Name is Adam”, which was unusually difficult for me.
Why was it so hard to say my name, and walk across a room? Well it’s all about being naked (not literally…well, most of the time!).
You present yourself on stage to tell a story for the audience. Your own personal fears, worries, excitement & energy are external to that story when you are telling it – you burn on the inside, but with an outside ease.
The Advanced Performance classes have a “showcase” three times over the academic year – the first one is for the other class, and the last two are public where you can invite people into the Black Box. So you get time to put one leg over the fence, and get a feeling for what it’s all about.
SO, if you are thinking about improving your confidence, trying something different, looking for something to replace one of those nights in with a bottle glass of wine, looking for something in addition to sports during the week – or following that instinctive feeling in your gut, no matter how weak or strong it is – just book one of the day, evening, weekend or short courses & enjoy it.
Don’t fantasize about how “amazing” you are going to be, OR how “terrible” you are in front of people – the most valuable parts of those classes are the open-minded people you meet, and the skills you develop with time.
Go maire tú ar do thuras nua! Enjoy your new journey!
Adam, Performance & Advanced Performance Year Student
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If you are interested in the Performance Year or Advanced Performance Year, you can attend our first official Open Day on March 22nd from 10.30am in our school in Temple Bar. Come along if you are interested in our Full Time or On Year Part Time Courses.
The Gaiety School of Acting 
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