Monday night has finally arrived. My trial class was set to start in 30 minutes. I was sent a commercial trial script to read along with the scene the regular class would use. I spent every free minute practicing in the days leading up to ensure I had my script down to where I could perform it with my eyes closed.

After clearing space in my office, I sat down and faced my computer screen. My cursor was hovering over the join button. It was finally time to take action and pursue something that sparked a fire inside me.

*CLICK*

When I joined the class, I instantly felt like the kid in school who had just moved in from a new town. Here is a group of people that know each other and have bonded over shared experiences, and I have just rolled into their space. Difficult as it may have been, I tried to put aside those negative feelings while we waited for our instructor to join.

As a class, we had been informed that the usual instructor for the class would not be in tonight. Todd Karner stepped in for them, whose primary expertise is voice and dialect training. When Todd joined, the class fell silent. This void would be shattered by the blast of energy that Todd exuberated. While this was not his usual class, he could not have seemed more excited to work with a new group of students. Todd individually asked how everyone's weekend was and how long they had been acting.

After introductions concluded, we jumped right into scene work. I sat back as Todd picked two students to read the scene and would have them swap characters after a round of feedback. What I truly enjoyed was the approach Todd took with his coaching. He took in all of the choices each actor made, and once the scene was finished, he first complimented each actor on everything he liked that they did. Then, rather than heavily critique their performance, he asked each actor to go in a direction that appeared uncomfortable for them.

For example, if one actor in a scene was vibrant and moved around a lot, Todd would ask them to do the next scene without moving their head or arms to challenge them to bring out a unique performance. When an actor was more timid or monotone, he would challenge them to go big on the next take. This approach blew me away as I expected rough feedback for each actor to improve their performance, not an open and compassionate discussion.

Finally, it was time to read my trial script for the class. My nerves were at an all-time high as I took a deep breath. As much as I would love to recall the great moment, it felt more like I

blacked out during my reading. When I finished, I had yet to learn if I botched every moment or gave an Oscar-worthy performance. In retrospect, that ad that I read was nothing special, but the way Todd approached my feedback made me feel like I was in the right place.

He mentioned how the tone might be expected for an ad like this one during an audition and asked me to read it with a different pitch and emphasis in mind. At this point, I thought my time as an active participant in the class was over, and I could relax. Todd asked if I would like to read the script that the regular class was practicing.

I froze. I hadn't even looked at a line of the script; there was no shot that I could perform this right now. As much as I wanted to pass on this opportunity because of how nervous I was, I remembered why I signed up in the first place. I needed to trust myself and follow my passions, and this was the perfect opportunity to execute that.

Performing that script without preparation was one of the most exciting and freeing experiences I've had recently. With Todd's articulate and positive feedback, I did not worry about messing up or forgetting a line. I was free to experiment with this scene and character.

When the class came to a close, and everyone said their goodbyes, I found myself wishing there was an extra hour remaining. While my trial was over and I knew I needed to take time to focus on other important events coming up in my life. Somewhere deep inside, I knew I would be back to signup for a full-length class.

Whether I wanted to believe it or not, that itch was finally scratched. Now the acting bug had officially entered my system.