Quarantine has now ceased in most parts of the world and we are starting to get back to “normal”. Well, not quite. Online theater courses are not necessarily an alternative to traditional courses, but something that could and should be seen as a thing on its own! 

We still need to keep our distance and regulations are stricter or more relaxed depending on your country of residence. Of course, there’s also the amount of testing and capacities of the healthcare system that truly varies per country. All the while, we’re all longing to return to some sort of normalcy, similar to what it was pre-corona. Many of us still work from home and have been craving for a creative outlet in these uncertain times without running the risk of further exposing ourselves and our loved ones to the virus. For this reason, we decided to start offering online theater courses in a variety of performance-related disciplines, such as improv, monologues, storytelling, musical theater and more!

This need for creation is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It’s a form of therapy, where we learn more about ourselves – about our own character and our boundaries, but we also learn to cultivate empathy and the value of teamwork, how to stretch our imagination and use our body, our voice and our mind as tools for expression.

So, why do an online course, if you can find in-class courses instead? – you may ask. Here are the ten reasons why online theater courses are exactly what you need right now.

1. Schedule Flexibility
As with all of our courses, we are always trying to find the time that fits best to all of our students’ schedules. With our offline courses, we need to have a space reserved for the class to take place, thus allowing for a lot less flexibility to the group, in case one or more people can’t join one class. However, with our online courses, it’s entirely up to the teacher and students to decide which day and time works best for them, with the potential of adjusting it if need be!

2. Cost-friendly
Online courses require less expenses, considering there are no facilities necessary anymore. For this reason, our online courses have a lower price than our in-class ones. But rest assured, you will not lose on the quality of the course. We collaborate with the same teachers both for our online and our in-class courses, so the course material and the approach remains exactly the same.

3. Improve your Online Presentation Skills
A lot of our students are interested in our courses as a way to boost self-confidence and improve their public speaking skills. Living in a highly digitized world, and especially now that remote working is more relevant than ever, public speaking often means doing a presentation via Skype or Zoom, which presents a whole new set of challenges, compared to doing a real life presentation. It’s hard to make eye contact with the attendees, which in turn makes it harder to “read the room”. Nonetheless, it’s a challenge that most of us have had or will have to face at some point. Getting acquainted with this form of communication, while learning how to express yourself creatively, is a one-of-a-kind advantage you can only get through an online acting class.

4. Instant Feedback
Acting in front of a webcam is not much different from working on-camera. You can use your body and facial expressions in order to physicalize the moments. With an online class, you have a chance to connect with all different actors and also observe how they express themselves physically through the digital medium and improve your own presence accordingly. What is more, having a camera on means that you can actually see yourself performing, which is another means of instant feedback. You have a truly unique opportunity to observe yourself, something that is not very common in traditional acting courses.

5. The Sense of Connection
The crisis that we are globally facing is unprecedented and can bring a lot of paralyzing anxiety and fear. And social distancing certainly doesn’t help cover our social needs. If you’re missing that connection to others, an online acting class can help. You immediately become part of a community that aims towards a common goal – and here at Act Attack, we do pride ourselves on creating a strong theater community. Besides that, you can learn many different techniques that could help you tackle all these chaotic emotions in a creative manner.

6. Login from Anywhere
One of the great benefits of online classes is that you can be anywhere there is internet connection! You can be anywhere in the world: at home, at a friend’s house, or on that weekend getaway you’ve been meaning to take but didn’t want to miss your favorite acting course! No problem!

7. No Commute
This is particularly important for people who have been meaning to start an acting course but can’t make the hours due to larger distances among their house, their workplace, and the theater studio. Thanks to online courses, this issue is no longer relevant, as you can follow the course from any place. So no more getting stuck in traffic, being in a crowded bus with a face mask or biking through the rain, in order to learn how to express yourself!

8. Higher Retention Rates
There is a substantial body of research proving that students are actually more concentrated during online courses, compared to offline. According to the Research Institute of America, online courses have increased student retention rates between 25% to 60%. This may well be due to more control over how a student takes in the material, due to more engaging multimedia content, or the mere fact that online courses are less likely to clash with other commitments (remember the no commute benefit? Exactly).

9. eLearning is Greener!
You may have guessed this one already but here are some facts. The Open University in the UK has found that online courses generate about 90% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student (!) than traditional courses. This may not be a priority for a lot of people, but promoting this kind of learning is an extra motivation and can encourage each one of us to help protect the environment a little more!

10. It’s the Safe Option
It’s still very uncertain how the corona virus crisis will pan out and we still have a lot to expect. The quarantine days may be over for now, but many scientists argue that it’s highly likely we will have a second round of quarantine this fall. It would be a shame to begin with our regular classes and have to suddenly stop them again. Besides, as amazing and magical as the human touch may be, it is something that we need to avoid unfortunately, for the foreseeable future. But don’t worry! You’ll get all the essential benefits of an offline class from the comfort and safety of your own space. With the online theater courses, nothing can stop you!

Have you experienced any other kinds of benefits from doing online theater courses? Let us know in the comments! And feel free to explore our wide range of online courses on offer right now. Click here and JOIN the fun!