Acting Classes for Children, Pasadena: Another question for Maegan McConnell

Yvette-Janine:  What are the different types of acting methods that can be used with children?

Maegan McConnell:  I basically use anything that works. If something doesn’t seem to be working, I stop using it. Every kid is different. I’ve studied lots of different techniques. I’ve found that one type of technique that works with all kinds of acting -film, television, singing-is the  Michael Chekhov technique. It’s based in/on imagination. This technique teaches your body how to physically respond to something, and then your emotion comes from your physical body. What does it feel like to cry? Can you mimic your body’s reaction to it? Then your emotions kind of feed off of your physical reaction. I’ve found that works really well because you can duplicate the emotion a thousand times, and you don’t feel attached to it once you’re done. You can just walk away.

I think it can be damaging to make kids think of their dead dog and dwell on it. Though that kind of technique works great for some people, I feel like it can be dangerous. I’d much rather have kids imagine something happening so they can leave it behind, in case it’s something really traumatic. That way it doesn’t touch them. They’re just being a character, and then they walk away.

There are exercises that are much easier to do in a class as opposed to a one-on-one setting.  I find that kids really enjoy it. You give them an atmosphere, and they walk around in that atmosphere. You have to go to the bathroom really bad…how does your body respond to that?  And their bodies do. It’s fun to watch them walk around. They get it pretty quickly. What if you have to do an entire scene like that? What if that’s something outside that’s happening?  Maybe your mom is yelling at you to clean your room and you have to sit there and listen, even though you have to go to the bathroom really bad. How will that change your physicality or your intentions? This method is a way to give them difficult conceptual ideas but have them be able to physically do it immediately.