THE METHOD IN THE MADNESS

I read with disgust the article by Janice Arkatov on acting schools and couldn’t resist commenting that the good-old American free enterprise fool-the-sucker-system was alive and well and living in Hollywood (“Methods in the Madness of Acting,” July 20).

For sheer audacity nothing can compare with these self-appointed modern-day masters who run these “acting” schools and teach “acting,” whatever that is anyway.

Expounding a concoction of Stanislaviskian theories with their own contemporary lingo, these gurus usually come up with some kind of catchy drama-babble, aping the academic model for teaching useful things, like basket weaving or brain surgery.

Meaningless buzzwords (craft, instrument, creative, character and endless other nonsense phrases that no one can define) abound just to cover up the obvious fact that these phonies are dedicated to living off the dreams of their pathetic disciples.

I am not railing here against people working at what they enjoy in theater as long as reasonable needs are met and the desires and aspirations of the kids are not abused.

Equity and Equity Waiver theater has had a fantastic explosion of some quite wonderful theatrical events in the last few years and will probably continue to do so, and the movies continue to find actors and actresses to fill their needs quite well, thank you, despite the efforts of those silly pedagogues who serve no useful function save making themselves a good living.

But as long as so many people think that they can “make it” in show business, these parasites will continue to thrive.

JAMES METROPOLE

Studio City