Teaching the Art of Theatre

Acting is an art that today, is less about the craft and more about money and fame. With so many actors making it on mostly their appearance, it seems that many do not take the time to learn how to portray their characters properly and how to appreciate the artform.

Anthony Setaro of Neptune City is out to change that as best he can. With his newly founded Acting Conservatory in Ocean Grove, he is bringing back the days of true passion, intensity and love that is the art of acting and theatre. Putting on live plays and offering a fully equipped studio, Setaro — who usually goes by the stage name Anthony Jude — is doing just that.

We wanted to find out what made Setaro choose historic Ocean Grove as the location of his Conservatory, what he thinks the state of his art is in and what he thinks are the more important aspects of the craft.

When did you begin to take interest in acting?

When I was younger I always used to imitate voices or create characters. The first formal play that I was in was a middle school production of "Alice in Wonderland" where I played Tweedle Dee. It was on stage during this production that I really fell in love with acting and performing. Seeing and hearing an audience respond to what I was doing on stage was such an amazing feeling. I was hooked. I started taking acting classes a year later.

When did you first realize that you wanted to make acting your profession?

The summer before my freshman year of high school my family took a trip to Disney World. I have an uncle that's worked for Disney for 30 years and he got my sisters, my cousin, and me into a taping of the Mickey Mouse Club. Sitting there watching kids that were my age doing this for a living pushed me to want to learn more. It was an amazing day looking back on it. The cast included a young Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. 

You have a more theatrical interest rather than interest in being on screen. Why is that?

My studio is a small black-box with thirty seats. There's no hiding from the audience there. Whatever you're going through on stage you are literally doing it right in front of the audience's eyes. There's no hiding.  A great actor can act anywhere no matter what medium it's in. Quinton Tarantino has a great quote that he tells actors, I can't remember it word for word but it's something like- "You call yourself an actor? Well there's a stage, show me what you can do."

I'm not against acting on screen by any means though. I film a lot of my students' work and we watch it back and critique it. Most of the work out there for actors is in television, film and new media so obviously a majority of my training with students is how to act in those mediums. As a teacher and director I'm always searching for the truth. I just think acting in an intimate space is the realist form of acting. With an audience in front of you, you can't fake a moment or an emotion and you don't get to say "cut" or do a second take. 

Do you feel as though the industry is less focused on the ability of acting and more caught up in the image and looks of the actor in our present time?

To some extent. Obviously big media companies are looking to make money so they will cast people they think are the most marketable. But there are some really talented people who have worked hard and made it regardless of their looks. There's no substitute for hard work and talent. If you have those two things and keep at it, you'll find your way.

How much more intense is it to perform on stage rather than on film?

They're so different. In film you have a lot of down time. It's the business of hurry up and wait, but the days are long. They'll shoot sometimes for 13 or 16 hours. So acting on film is just as demanding as acting on stage. The biggest difference is how much of that time you are actually "acting". If you are the lead in a play, you might have to stay in character for two to three hours without a break. It's physically and emotionally draining. In film you might do a couple takes of something and then get a break for three hours as they set up the next scene.

You've recently opened The Acting Conservatory in Ocean Grove, what is you main focus with this theatre and how long have you been there?

I opened The Acting Conservatory in January of 2010. My goal is to give students the tools they need to go out and pursue a career as an actor.

How many classes are you offering at the moment, what skill levels are available and how big are the classes?

Our classes are open to students of all ages. Classes are broken down by age and ability. We offer on-going classes throughout the year that meet on a weekly basis as well as a summer intensive program.

Many of your past students have gone onto very big projects. T.V., film, plays etc. Which ones stand out the most to you?

John Brodsky and Carleigh Chirico are two students that really stand out to me. Not just because of the success they've had but because of how dedicated they are to their craft and how hard they've worked.

John came to me late in his senior year of high school having no experience. From day one this was something he was passionate about. Within six months he had a manager that wanted to sign him. Two months later he was on "Law & Order" and is constantly up for lead roles in new films and television shows. He has a natural gift for acting and is constantly working to improve himself. 

Carleigh first came to me when she was six or seven years old. When she first started, simply reading and understanding the script was a challenge for her. She's since landed roles on "Life on Mars" and "Law & Order." It's great to work with someone when they are that young and see them evolve not only as actors but as people.

You also do select plays that the public can attend at The Conservatory, how many have you done and what can we see in the near future?

We've only done a handful of productions so far. We did a production of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" as well as some original plays recently written by our in-house playwright Jennifer Marvel. Coastal Artists Productions is the production company we partner with for shows. We collaborate on everything from staged readings and workshops to full-scale productions. Coastal Artists will be presenting it's first main stage show "'Barefoot in the Park" from April 29th- May 1st. Information about that show can be found at http://coastalartists.ticketleap.com/

Why did you choose Ocean Grove rather than Red Bank or Rumson where it seems you would have more of a population of people that would like to learn the art?

I have students that travel from as far north as Rumson and as far south as Lacey. If you're giving the students something they can't get anywhere else, they'll travel to you. I always wanted to be in a building that housed the arts rather than be a stand alone business in a town where you can't control who moves in next door to you. The Jersey Shore Arts Center is the perfect space for what we do. 

Where can the public view your availability as well as class schedule?

All our information is on our website www.theactingconservatory.com