Matthew Arkin Joins SCR’s Teaching Faculty

Matthew Arkin

We just can’t get enough of Matthew Arkin. And after seeing him in The Prince of Atlantis, all the way from its first reading to its world premiere last month, Arkin has kindly agreed to stick around, this time teaching SCR’s adult conservatory students. His advanced scene study and characterization class will help advanced students create deeper, more meaningful onstage relationships in three dramatic genres: contemporary drama, contemporary comedy and classical.

Arkin, a well known and successful actor who has appeared in feature films including Liar, Liar and Margot at the Wedding, plus scores of television shows and regional theatre productions, stumbled upon his love of teaching while working as an attorney. Arkin was a lawyer and taught classes in public speaking to fellow attorneys in need of continuing education hours. “It’s basically an acting class, we just didn’t call it that.” He found he enjoyed helping students discover their “aha moments,” and was soon accepting invitations to guest lecture at theatre programs.  When he was offered a regular teaching gig at New York’s famed HB Studio while waiting for a friend in the lobby, he gladly accepted.

Matthew Arkin and John Kapelos in The Prince of Atlantis.
Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Arkin developed his first classes around relaxation techniques, traditional scene study and exercises from Uta Hagen’s “A Challenge for the Actor”—all skills he considers essential for a meaningful career in theatre, television and movies. Arkin says that many acting classes focus on audition skills, which can land an actor the job, but leave them unable to adapt to other actors onstage in a living, breathing scene. “So many classes focus on getting the job, but once you have the job, you have to know how to do the job.”

And of course, doing the job well is essential to getting the next job. “I can help you get hired, but more importantly, I can help you get hired again. And that’s when you start building a career.”

Arkin relocated to Los Angeles two years ago, and now teaches acting classes in West Hollywood with Melissa Kite of The Actor’s Studio. He also maintains a blog on the craft of acting. For more information, visit www.matthewarkin.com.

To learn more about his and other upcoming acting classes at SCR, visit our website!