Acting Grad Spotlight: Nathan Thompson
Performance at The Creative School focuses on preparing our graduates with a range of skills they can use to succeed in any industry. For Performance Acting, students train in theatrical acting, performance creation, film acting, movement, voice, motion capture, as well as working with nationally acclaimed guest directors and professional companies. With graduation on the horizon, we are focusing on the different paths our students take upon graduating.
Upcoming Performance grad, Nathan Thompson reflects on his experiences in the Acting program.
“If there was something I wish I could go back and tell myself in first year it would be to persevere through the fear of how I’m perceived and be bold with the people I work with. The individuals I did the program with are some of the best people and performers I have come to know on a personal level”
My time at Performance truly gave me something to be excited about each day over the last four years. As with everything there are highs and lows but the highs felt so amazing especially when surrounded by fellow enthusiasts celebrating it with you, and the lows always seemed manageable due to the collective support of those very same people.
There were a ton of classes that could easily contend for my favourite; As I’m typically used to the stage, On-Camera taught by Laura Nordin was great and an excellent chance to explore another medium of acting, Voice-Over taught by Ivan Sherry was fantastic for the same reasons (not to mention that both aforementioned profs are incredibly good at suggesting ways to delve deeper into a characters, thoughts, emotions, and circumstances), and Creative Performance Studies taught by a variety of different instructors over the years was an opportunity to achieve the satisfaction of project creation while still in school. Not to mention, as far as surprises go, Creative Performance Studies helped me realize I not only enjoy performing, but also writing for fellow actors.
Through rehearsal projects and performances, I have had the chance to navigate many different genres, themes, and styles of pieces from identity based works such as Detroit ‘67 and The Bacchae, to lighthearted comedic shows like Ice/berg, or more dark, disturbing, and controversial work such as The Nether.
Nathan performs in The Nether.
Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh.
"One of the biggest takeaways from the Acting program that’s sat with me is simply to commit...Whether the idea is good or bad, don’t be afraid to give it a try."
The poster for Nathan's short film, "Let's Be Honest."
One great memory from my time at Performance stems from pushing forward into discomfort and writing an episode for a comedy-based animated television series to present at a table read for a Creative Performance Studies class. I was incredibly nervous as writing is something I had never done before that point, however it was met with universal approval, consistent laughter, and praise. Sitting there, bogged out of my mind that I was going to subject my classmates and friends to twenty minutes of humourless torture only to receive that level applause was immensely gratifying. That support gave me the confidence to go on to write and direct my own short film, Let’s Be Honest, for a future class composed mostly of actors from the school that we’re currently looking to submit to festivals.
The big dream I have post grad is definitely birthed from my colossal amount of nerdiness that’s the most noticeable whenever you put me in front of a video game. It’s been my main time waster since childhood and really got me into the idea of voice acting so I could be a part of these grand fantastical worlds that require life through animation. I would absolutely love to act for theatre, for film, and for television, but living fantasy for me would come from finding stability with a main focus on vocal work in cartoons and games. Is it a big dream? Yup. But if you aren’t dreaming big, what’s the point of dreaming?