"My Thoughts on School" Or, "I Like Questions! Ask Me Things!" elainemcarroll at gmail dot com

Question:

Hi {...} I am currently a Sophomore in the BFA Acting program at Marymount. Although I’ve been called back many a times, I have yet to be cast (inside the school), and now have been put on probation. Now while I’m sure you were probably part of the lovely minority of people that don’t have to worry about staying in a program where they roll on the floor, I thought you could possibly give some insight. I’m considering doing the “unbearable” and dropping the BFA and continuing my training elsewhere. But before I consider doing that I want to make sure to get outside perspectives. In reference to that, I wanted to know if you truly felt prepared coming out from the senior program at Marymount? Was there a considerable amount of growth you made in those last two yrs? Sorry if this is obnoxious and somewhat invasive, but I had to jump at the chance in talking to you once I found out you went to Marymount! {...} Thanks so much!

Answer:

Thank you for your message. School is one of my favorite subjects to discuss.

Before going to Marymount, I went to Emerson's acting program where I was disappointed to discover that a significant amount of training consisted of rolling around on the floor, doing weird shit like "opening your instrument". I dropped out after about a month. Then I enrolled in Marymount, only to discover that we did the same thing. I looked into other schools and found out that most college acting programs are so identically disappointing, that I just figured, fuck it, I'll stick with Marymount because I'll graduate with the fewest loans.

Looking back, especially the first year, I think, yeah, a lot of that stuff was pretty unhelpful. But some of it was also great. All the rolling around the floor business is just a way to get you into your body, to relax and exist, to stop thinking about what to do with your hands, to get out of your head and into listening/reacting mode. You might be thinking, "Well I KNOW how to exist and react! Just give me a script and let me get on stage!" I felt the same way, but now I think I have a slightly deeper understanding of "my instrument" as an actor, and that only clicked for me in the 3rd year, when I stopped judging it and surrendered to it. And now I'm really good at pretending to be a primate. So there's that.

My thoughts on "probation": I don't know why so many acting schools insist on kicking students out half way through the training program. I think it's rude. A lot of kids got put on probation my year and a lot of them dropped out. Just know that it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. My friends and I all thought probation was extremely important and that it would be the deciding factor in our careers. But it wasn't. Because it doesn't matter.

Did MMC prepare me for the real world? I guess not, but does anything really do that? The best thing I got from college was friends. The worst thing I got from college was a bruised ego. I never got cast in things either. That kinda how it started. I was always told I was talented or whatever, but I never got any roles (except one, and that wasn't until my third year, second semester). The casting process in college was pretty unfair. But just so you know, so is the casting process in the real world.

You might be the sort of person who doesn't need a degree, and if that's the case, then go for it. Drop out of school, pound the pavement, you can always go back and pursue a degree later. I don't know you. You tell me.

I guess just do whatever makes most sense. Hope this helps.

Things of interest

So the big news is I'm married. We eloped in Vegas on Christmas Day at a place called A Little White Wedding Chapel. No, we weren't married by Elvis, although the couple in line behind us was! Our reverend was named Henry. He was 6'5, with long black dredlocks, and a nice smile. Was it planned? Sort of. Was it fun? Extremely. Did I cry? The whole time. Does being married feel different? Yep. It's great. The whole thing costs $149. They even threw in a free limo ride back to the hotel.

Sam and I will have a "Sorry Mom party" in the spring or summer, probably in New York, giving our friends and family the opportunity to get drunk for free. You should come.

Interesting fact: Sams paternal grandparents, who he calls Mimi and Bapa, also eloped on Christmas Day. They did it because Bapa was going to be shipped off to Germany the next morning. Sam, on the other hand, was not shipped off to war. Instead he won $200 playing blackjack.