Do you have what it takes to be an actor?

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be an actor?

Jack Holloway

According to Jack Holloway, you probably do!

“If you have a love for the craft, that’s all you need,” says Holloway, a theater instructor at the Patel Conservatory.

Perhaps you’ve thought about acting classes, but you’re just not sure if you should take the plunge.

“I say, dive right in. Let’s have some fun!” said Holloway.

One of the most common concerns people have about acting is the fear that they’ll do something wrong, he said.

“Part of acting is getting beyond our preconceived notions,” said Holloway, who teaches the Beginning Adult Acting class at the Conservatory. “My mantra is, Fail big!...When people tell me, ‘I’m afraid of acting badly.’ I tell them that’s how we find the good choices.”

A graduate of the University of South Florida, Holloway has been teaching, acting and directing in the Tampa Bay area since he graduated.

He co-founded Hat Trick Theatre Productions with fellow USF graduates (including Patel Conservatory’s production coordinator Paul McColgan). The group has produced shows at various venues, and now operates out of the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center.

When it comes to teaching, he said, “I try to create the most stress-free positive environment as possible.”

There’s no such thing as good or bad acting, he says, but rather, it’s a process of finding the most effective choices.

With the Beginning Acting class, Holloway tries to give his students a taste of various acting techniques.

“I tend to take more of a practical approach to acting,” said Holloway. “There is no such thing as one method. I try to give a sampling of everything, and you have to find what works for you.”

So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge with one of our adult acting classes!

“When you take that pressure off yourself...beautiful things will start to happen.”