#5 5 Tips for Working with Actors

America has a weird relationship with actors. We judge them on their looks, then call them vain. We say actors in Hollywood get paid way too much, then we tell struggling actors to "get a real job." We say, "Anyone can act," but then we get sweaty palms at the idea of speaking in front of crowd of 20 people. Actors get labeled emotional, air-headed, clueless. And sure, a few of them are....just like the rest of us. But actors are amazing people. And their craft is one of the most difficult to do well because it's so subjective. It's not like engineering, with numbers you can plug in to a formula. It's not working with wood you can saw and fit to length. It's literally all based in interpersonal relationships, emotion, and empathy...some of the hardest things to quantify in the world, next to the weather. Because some of you are approaching design without starting out as an actor yourself, I want to give you 5 tips for working with actors to smooth out the process and make less stress for them and for you.