My approach to teaching
The quickest path to growth is to get up and start making attempts. I find learning is messy, and I think we should embrace the prickly edges surrounding personal growth. I believe teaching is creating multiple pathways to guide our understanding of a craft. There are a myriad of possibilities waiting to be created, discovered, and challenged in the safety of a classroom. I want to support others in pushing this wonderful thing we do as storytellers to its limits, and I want to learn from what others bring to the classroom.
My perspective on training for the industry:
Acting demands you to turn imagination into reality, and accomplishing such a monumental task requires continuous training. The observation of life is a constant in this craft and allows unsuspected skills from personal experiences to shine, while, inversely, the skills practiced in acting affect daily existence. There is much to learn when we view storytelling as something of immense value. I want to be there for others who have this same need to discover and share everything I have with them.
The people I watch on stage or screen have greatly impacted my life. I’ve heard the same from both 5th graders and adults who felt “seen” by a show. If an audience is willing to connect with a complete stranger on such a profound level, I, as an actor, should strive to present something worthy of that time and attention.
Meet Dane Parker:
Dane Parker is an Austin-based actor with TAG Talent Agency. He is a Navy veteran excited to tell stories, especially if there is a chance to add gymnastics! Dane graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southwestern University (’22) with a B.A. in Theatre. He worked to create an original devised show, G.H.O.S.T Unit, that was awarded an innovative theater award from the Kennedy Center ACTF, and he performed the same show in Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Dane cherishes his time with Creative Action, during which he toured the Austin school district in a two-person anti-bullying show. This spring, he performed as a combatant in a 3-person stage fight at the Sherwood Forest Faire.
Recent Credits include Macbeth (Macduff) with St. Edwards University. Romeo & Juliet (Romeo), Sense and Sensibility (Willoughby), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander) with Austin Shakespeare. Baskerville A Sherlock Holmes Tale (Dr. Watson) with TexArts. Small Steps (Skip Powers) with Shrewd Productions. A War of the Worlds (Ollie), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon, Demetrius, Flute…), and Your Old-Fashioned Die-Hard Holiday Radiocast (Actor 2) with Penfold Theater. Edit Annie (Jackson) and Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven (KJ) with The Vortex.