About this Course

You’ve heard it many times before: you have a nerve wracking presentation, meeting or interview coming up, and a well-meaning friend tells you you’ll be fine as long as you “just be yourself.” The advice might overwhelm and confuse you, causing you to deliver a tense, awkward performance during which you feel anything but yourself. The truth is that we play many honest versions of ourselves, and we need training to figure out how to best adapt to the most effective version for the moment. After all, who we are as a friend is very different from who we are as a parent. Who we are as an individual contributor is very different from who we are as a manager or leader. With its focus on finding authenticity in any number of roles, the craft of acting provides the techniques you need to “just be yourself.” This course will examine a variety of in-person and remote settings, giving you essential training as you strive to be your most authentic self regardless of the environment. As opposed to a college Acting I class, which studies how to be other people, think of this course as an Acting 0, where the ultimate goal is to figure out how to genuinely play yourself. By signing up for the Verified Track, you will gain access to a comprehensive facilitation guide covering all of the exercises taught in the course so that you can put theory into practice and share with your team! Also, gain exclusive access to an impactful interview with legendary Davidson College basketball coach Bob McKillop who shares first principals on acting in the workplace as he weaves connections between acting and sports.

Created by: Davidson College

Level: Introductory