You can’t help but smile when Dakota walks in. The silly, creative energy hits the room before he does. He started in script class in April of 2019 and didn’t stop: a guest on the podcast, a student in Masterclass, and then a member of the Chaos Comedy improv troupe. This Dearing Story has more laughs than most, and an odd number of ways to drink the interview water. Underneath the jokes we talked about how closely acting and life run together, the charity work he does, and what it means to have a servant’s heart.
The takeaway
When you serve others, you end up lifted yourself. Dakota’s biggest obstacle when he arrived was his own work ethic and accountability, and he’ll tell you that himself. Everyone has made excuses for not doing their best; fear, laziness and a lack of confidence are the usual three. The first step is to get rid of the excuses, and we hit that hard in the personal development side of our training. When you take responsibility for everything you do, you don’t just go through it, you grow through it. The second step is love: finding a way to love yourself in every circumstance, because without love there are no stakes, in a scene or in a life.
In Dakota’s words
What value stands out for you?
“Continuously being kind to people and giving back. I have a really big heart for people in need and I make it a point to give back as much as I possibly can, while also staying above the payments I have to make for myself.”
What brought you to the studio?
“A whim. I was researching how to get an agent and found that acting classes were one of the biggest criteria for getting in, so I put out a Google search and found this place.”
How has everyday life changed?
“Honestly it’s helped me so much. I’ve begun to hold myself more accountable for the things I work on, and I’ve started to put my hundred percent into the things I’m doing instead of just saying, eh, I worked on it.”
One word for the studio?
“Love. You guys are such a loving community and group of people, and there’s so much love here for everyone.”
Your next step
Accountability is the first thing we teach.
Adult Script meets Monday and Tuesday evenings in Phoenix, and Adult Improv Wednesday and Thursday. The troupe is where some of those actors end up.
See Adult Script All classes, ages 5 and up