Adults vs. Teenagers

That old chestnut!?
This spring, I've taught acting to a class of 10 adults: one 3 hour evening class, once a week for the last 10 weeks. It's been an interesting change from teaching teenagers.

The CONS of working with teenagers: their extreme emotional unpredictability; how easily distracted they are by each other; their nebulous sense of self.  
The PROS of working with teenagers: their physical and creative energy, their potential for intense commitment  and their infectious excitement.

The CONS of working with adults:  they are highly conditioned to be socially appropriate; they are easily distracted by life/work concerns; they have a more fully formed sense of self.                              
The PROS of working with adults: their desire to learn and build skills; their well-developed lines of questioning; their more fully formed sense of self.  

My most repeated comments in an adult class? "Be Brave."  "Don't think!"  "Listen to each other."
In a high school drama class? "Attention over here, please." "Go for it!" "Listen to each other."  

Same same but different.

This is my class at Verve Studios. On Thursday night, they had an in-class showing of selected scenes from Neil Labute's play, Reasons to be Pretty. Family and friends attended. As you can see,  they are basking in the after-glow of a successful presentation!