The drama class was interesting today. Screen actor Talib Hester (stage name Talib Andre) calmly kept working with his class on the basics, even though the final performance is tomorrow, affirming the little steps of progress they made. One moment he was doing more exercises. Actors must know their bodies in ways you learn doing exercises so you can be intentional about movement. When a student doesn’t stay with a chosen way of doing an activity, he gently prods: “Like in life, you have to make choices in acting. And when you make a choice you have to make a commitment to it.” Later he was coaching them about their positions on stage and their relationship to other on it, and going over the script again and again.
Talib lets the students know that he’s been in movies, no serious parts yet, and talked with famous actors like Jack Nicholson, who gave him advice on how to stay true to himself and not let agents have too much influence. But he doesn’t talk much about himself. The talk is mostly about the crafts — acting and storytelling.
Drama is one of five classes being taught at the first annual Montanna Arts for Hope Camp, staged at the invitation of the Tribal Council by volunteer artists lined up by BuildaBridge International of Philadelphia. Most students got their first choice.
