Welcome to our new blog, Schreiber Scribes!

At T. Schreiber Studio, actors from all around the globe and all walks of life bring their abundant and unique life experiences to our diverse acting community. Each month, Schreiber Scribes will explore what their journeys—our journeys—look like as we witness how actors navigate the ins-and-outs of preparing for the business while holding on to the craft. From novices to those who have made it to the Broadway stage, we’ll explore the hardships and successes of individuals from across our talented community on their acting journey.

We already share some of the behind-the-scenes scoop on our community members in our monthly newsletter of the same name. But we’re awed by the wealth of knowledge that we have after more than 50 years of business. Since opening in 1969, TSS has taught more than 10,000 actors. The people who walk through these doors have incredible stories about their lives, experiences, and art . . . and we want to get these acting journey stories out there.

And so, Schreiber Scribes was born out of our ardent interest in the voices of our studio. But Schreiber Scribes is for you. As part of the studio, we want you to know your community better, and we want you to hear from people like you . . . whether you’re just starting out, diving deep into technique in classes, heading out to auditions, or preparing to be on set.

We feel that Schreiber Scribes is something that was missing from the community. We know that being an actor can be very lonely at times. But, as a member of our community, you are surrounded by others on the same path. And it’s our privilege to be able to share the stories of people walking this journey of becoming an actor with you.

So, without further soliloquy, here’s the first step . . .

 

Acting Journeys: Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

There are 28 students beginning their acting journey at T. Schreiber Studio this month—and who knows how many more throughout the city and elsewhere? As an actor trying to navigate the business, you’re in good company.

Think back to when you first started out (even if it was just last week!) . . . what spurred your decision? Was it a single “a-ha” moment pushing you toward self-discovery? Was it an abandoned love of theatre as a child driving you toward the stage as an adult? Was it a lifelong zest for connecting with authentic moments on stage?

Curious about what brings people to start their acting careers, we asked the dozens of actors who signed up for our Beginning Technique class this month the same question: What brought you to start your acting journey? And so many of them said the same thing: passion.

“Acting has always been my passion,” says Destiny Howard, a new student in Beginning Technique with Tommy Buck. “I tried to shy away from it for so long because I thought it was just a pipe dream of mine as a child but…I’ve realized that love and desire for acting had never gone away.”

 

But what does acting as a passion really mean?

For Rebecca Davis, who recently began Beginning Technique with Pamela Scott, “The stage has always been my happy place, where I felt free and most comfortable with myself,” she says.

Jeanine DeName, a new student in Beginning Technique with Pamela Scott & Megan Grace Martinez, expresses a similar sentiment: acting “has always been a huge part of who I am and what I truly love.”

Her classmate, Halle Hewitt, agrees. She “want[s] to reconnect with the joy of” acting. For her, “acting makes you feel truly part of the present moment…focused around connections with others, and reacting to one another’s bodily expressions and emotions.”

Other new students echoed the idea of acting as connecting to your own and others’ expressions and emotions. Describing what drew him to the studio, Miguel Vacas, a new student of Pamela Scott in Beginning Technique, says “I want to be able to channel my emotions.”

Connecting to these emotions can deepen an actor’s self-exploration. Aliyah Hunter, new to Beginning Technique with Tommy Buck, finds inspiration to act in her desire “to add form to the life that I have lived. There is a life inside of me that wishes to speak and I’d like to explore that voice through acting.”

Some new actors feel the pull toward the craft as soon as they take their first class of any kind. “My only experience was one Meisner class years ago,” says Belal Alayah, a student in Beginning Technique with Pamela Scott & Megan Grace Martinez. “I was hooked…Not a week goes by where I don’t remember those moments in class.”

Regardless of the many reasons actors set out on their journeys, deciding to start an acting journey is like stepping into the spotlight to face your rapt audience: rejection is just as common as applause. So, actors must develop confidence, become comfortable with vulnerability, and hold onto passion in the face of uncertainty—whether they develop these skills through classes at the Studio, being in community, or trial-and-error.

But the path to becoming an actor is also filled with joyful moments of self-discovery, transformation, and authentic connection. And there’s a thrill in the relentless pursuit of a dream that refuses to burn out: a lifelong exploration of emotion and experience, driven by passion and the desire to tell stories about what makes us human.

Stay tuned for next month, when we’ll be sharing stories of actors’ successes with the Schreiber Shorts!