In the past almost 4 years I have lived in New York, I've been trying to find a good teacher to stretch me as an artist. In keeping an open mind, I decided to audit a few classes at HB studios last night in the west village.

I wasted 4 hours of my life last night that I will never get back!!! Both classes were so boring and the fact that they were advanced acting made me laugh outloud. In performing scenes, people would scuffle their shoes across the floor (not as a chracter choice...as a lazy actor choice), many people were so hard to hear and I was sitting in the 2nd row...so many people spoke SO fast....these were the fundamentals, not to mention the boring choices and complete lack of motivation, objectives, and energy (vocal and physical) on-stage. What made me the most irate was the fact that neither one of these teachers even mentioned these extreme problems that WILL cost someone a job. Instead they focused on the path of the scene. Ofcourse, I think it's incredibly important to focus on telling the story, but I was so asleep...I couldn't even enjoy the story. I really tried. On top of all that, the teachers seemed too relaxed and set apart from the students. In all fairness, this might work for some people. I'm more interested in someone that will help throw me into that next moment not someone who will take me by the hand and tell me I'm pretty. That's what men are for.

The evening ended with the teacher saying my favorite words "this is the last scene for tonight". The scene was from Eugene O'Neill's "Long Days Journey Into the Night". An epic in itself. I was at that point in pain. Suddenly, a ray of hope shone my way when he mentioned that the scene is 30 minutes long and if anyone needs to leave, now is the time.

I very happily took that offer. Next week, I'm going to tackle circle in the Sqaure. Been dying to study with Andrea Haring.