The Barrow Group’s Approach

The Barrow Group’s Approach to Acting

At The Barrow Group, we believe acting can be simple, spontaneous, and deeply human. Our approach is rooted in the idea that the most compelling performances feel alive in the moment—as if the story is unfolding for the first time. Since our founding, TBG has developed practical tools that help actors get out of their heads, trust themselves, and bring more ease, clarity, and truth to their work.

Acting Is Easy

One of the core ideas of The Barrow Group approach is that acting does not need to be complicated. Rather than asking actors to manufacture emotion or force a result, our training helps them focus on simple, playable things to do and truthful behavior. We encourage actors to work with what is already present: the script, the other person, the circumstances, and their own impulses.

To Act Is to Play

We believe that to act is to play. Actors do their best work in an atmosphere of curiosity, freedom, and relaxed positive reinforcement. In our classrooms and rehearsal rooms, students are invited to take risks, make discoveries, and develop confidence without judgment. The goal is not perfection—it is playfulness, connection, and responsiveness.

Practical Tools for Storytelling

The Barrow Group approach gives actors clear tools for script analysis, scene work, rehearsal, auditioning, and performance. These tools are designed to help actors make specific choices, listen more deeply, respond more fully, and tell the story with simplicity and impact. Whether working on stage, on camera, or in rehearsal, actors learn how to serve the story while remaining open, spontaneous, and alive.

A Home for Authentic Work

TBG’s approach has grown out of decades of work as both a theater company and a training center. Our acting tools are used by beginning students, professional actors, writers, directors, and teaching artists. Across all levels of training, we aim to create a supportive artistic home where artists can develop their craft, deepen their confidence, and tell stories that move audiences.

Exceptional Teachers

The quality of our training begins with the quality of our teachers. Every acting instructor at The Barrow Group has completed a rigorous year-and-a-half teacher training process designed to ensure consistency, excellence, and a deep understanding of our methodology. Prospective faculty members undergo extensive observation, mentorship, practice teaching, and evaluation before leading classes independently. This process emphasizes not only mastery of the work itself, but also the ability to create a supportive, student-centered learning environment.

Our teachers are accomplished working professionals—actors, directors, writers, and educators—who bring real-world experience into the classroom while remaining committed to ongoing growth and development as artists and instructors. Through regular faculty meetings and collaborative dialogue, our teaching team continues to refine its skills and deepen its understanding of The Barrow Group's approach. As a result, students receive training that is both highly individualized and consistently rooted in the principles that have defined The Barrow Group since 1986.

The Introduction to An Actor's Companion by TBG co-Artistic Director Seth Barrish

An Actors Companion, published by Theatre Communication Group, is available at The Barrow Group, The Drama Book Shop, and Amazon.

"As a working actor, director, artistic director, musician, and teacher, I've come in contact with many amazing artists who have taught me a great deal.  I wish to share with you, as concisely as possible, some of what I've learned.

Here's a collection of my favorite actings tips, tools, and exercises.  I love every one.  They are easy to understand and even easier to apply.  You can use them in rehearsal and in performance.

Each bit of craft came to me by way of other actors, directors, teachers, friends, colleagues, students, and personal experience.  I am unable to properly credit the source for each tip because I can't remember who showed me what.  But I am deeply appreciative of all the people who have contributed to this book (see "Acknowledgements").

I chose to provide the following tips without any detailed explanation of their theoretical underpinnings.  In other words, I don't explain why they work.  I prefer to cut to the chase and just provide the tips (I have a short attention span and have always found reading about acting theory excruciating).

The tips are presented in random order, yet there is a common thread.  Each is designed to do the following:

· Encourage spontaneity
· Foster entertaining, human, and compelling behavior
· Help you to become more sensitive, imaginitive, responsive, and alive onstage
· Relax you
· Change your work effortlessly and invisibly (so the audience won't detect any effort on your part and therefore will feel like they are watching a real person rather than an actor "working")
· Bring more freedom to your work

In a nutshell, here are my personal beliefs about acting:

· Acting is easy.
· Acting is most exciting when it is spontaneous and moment-to-moment.
· Unplanned behavior is usually much more interesting than planned behavior.
· Relaxation is the key to many of the things we strive for.
· The best technique is invisbile.
· The best techniques leave us free (free to imagine, free to respond, free to feel, free to whatever).
· I don't think there is one "way" to approach acting.  It's about finding whatever works.

I hope the following tips will work for you.  If not, the book will certainly look impressive on your bookshelf."