Chantria Tram: Why would someone come to this sort of training facility rather than going to a university or college setting?

Josa Maule: Well, the difference between studying for three years, first of all in this business there’s no guarantees. The benefit you’re at—if you’re here, you can still be doing whatever else. You can still be doing acting as a serious hobby, you can still do plays, you can still participate in movies or audition for films, you don’t have to give up your life for three years. You can still pursue something else other than acting because we all know you don’t make money, so you better will not be waitress or bartender or something flexible. I mean not necessarily through but at least be able to have something that is going to pay the bills until whatever. I don’t hold the crystal ball, so I can’t tell you.

But so, at least when you’re in a private workshop such as what we are, you have the opportunity of pursuing other things. When you’re in a three year university or SEJAP program, not that they are not good, I think education is education completely. But you’re spending three years and there are no promises and guarantees when you finish. If there’s the opportunity that you are looked at more, agents maybe interested but not necessarily keep you on. I’ve trained people that have completed a three year program and I’ve auditioned people that have completed the three program and they’re no different than people who have taken privately workshops such as myself and other workshops that are out there.

Chantria Tram: So you say it’s more of the investment of the participant in whatever they are doing?

Josa Maule: Oh absolutely.

Chantria Tram: Training.

Josa Maule: Absolutely. Some people going to film school and music and so on and so forth and they don’t realize the work and the dedication that is required. If you’re a member of the show Fame, which takes part of the New York—not the New York Dramatic, and I probably sued by alumni, American Academy of Dramatic Arts. First of all, in the beginning of the movie or the beginning of the films, like dancing is the hardest thing, music is the hardest thing, acting is the hardest thing. The truth of the matter, arts period, is the hardest thing and you have to love it. Not just want it, it has to be something you eat, sleep, everything.

Chantria Tram: There’s nothing for, I think.

Josa Maule: I have a girlfriend who is an artist and her answer, I mean, like I don’t agree to it a 100%, but for her it was like, “Was there anything else?” For her, there was nothing else. This is what she was going to do. I mean not everybody who’s taking acting is going to be an actor. And not everybody who wants to be—sorry, not everybody who is taking acting is going to be an actor and not everybody who is taking acting, to be an actor.