ACTING WITH DYSLEXIA

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Sat, 2017-02-18 17:00
Why do so many actors and actresses have dyslexia? Could it be that dyslexic people have talents and strengths that led themselves well to a career in acting? Many parents report that their dyslexic children show off their acting talents at very early ages through imitating, gesturing, and exuding their unique personalities.
Perhaps for some, it’s their innate ability to feel empathy for others and visualize personal interactions cinematically. According to drama school reports, an estimated 30% of their acting students have dyslexia. Dyslexic actors and actresses should have an advantage over their non-dyslexic peers in that they can visualize events they read in a written script with greater ease. Yet, memorizing exact dialog or doing cold reading auditions could be very challenging to someone with dyslexia. Often, dyslexic actors develop systems for memorizing lines using recordings and visualization techniques.
Still, although there are many aspects of the dramatic arts that fit well with the strengths of dyslexia, the need to memorize words and do ‘cold readings’ in auditions can be challenging for many.
~ Sarah for Fernette

Key Takeaways:

1
Actors can embody a character that does not have dyslexia which assists with self-esteem.
2
Memorizing words is a way that those with dyslexia learn and acting requires one hundred percent accuracy.
3
Some actors record themselves listening to lines and replay it repeatedly to assist in the memorization since it is easier than repeatedly reading.
Read the full article here:
http://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/acting-with-dyslexia/