Charlotte as an actors hub? This instructor has a goal

Acting coach Linda Ann Watt.

Charlotte is a long way from Hollywood, but an entertainment veteran aims to close the gap.

Linda Ann Watt, owner of charlotteacting.com, is looking to create a robust creative hub when Visual and Performing Arts Center reopens on April 5. Her goal is to establish Charlotte as an alternative for actors who would otherwise train and work in Los Angeles, which has been buffeted by environmental and industry challenges.

"I teach at a very special place through Charlotte’s Off Broadway at the VAPA Center," Watt said in a statement. “The VAPA Center is home to artists across disciplines—visual arts, theatre, dance, music, comedy, and photography. But I’m the only acting coach in the building. And with the support of COB, the VAPA Center and the city, we’re creating a destination for serious actors.”

Charlotte Acting classes were redirected in 2020 after Spirit Square was closed and the COVID-19. In the interim, Watt wrote a book and held acting classes via Zoom classes. Classes returned to an in-person format in 2023.
Charlotte Acting offers "Workshop Advanced for the Working Actor," an advanced method acting class for professionals by invitation on Monday nights, 7-9 p.m., at the Charlotte Off-Broadway rehearsal space at VAPA.

Watt, a protégé of well-known actors Shelley Winters, Betty White, and Martin Landau, contends that as Los Angeles deals with wildfires and industry disruptions, actors are open to new opportunities – and they’re coming from traditional entertainment hubs like Hollywood, New York, and Atlanta. A former Women in Film Hollywood executive board member, Watt said she supported the launch of actors like Marisa Tomei, who went on to earn an Academy Award for “My Cousin Vinny.”

"Many of my students have signed with SAG-AFTRA franchised and ATA member talent agencies after performing in this showcase, " Watt said. “As former instructor at (Georgia State University’s) School of Film, Media and Theater, Atlanta is a key part of my work, and I want Charlotte to be just as essential to the industry."

At the center of Watt’s initiative is CharlotteActing.com a division of Academy of Acting, Watt’s acting school, which is attracting rising and seasoned creatives, especially from Atlanta, where every two years, she produces the "Actors’ Showcase: A Night of Actors Celebrating the Craft of Acting" at Synchronicity Theatre, which opens in July.

With VAPA Center’s refurbishment and reopening, Charlotte is in position to widen its scope to reel in actors, filmmakers and other creatives like photographers.

"I’ve transformed my space at COB into a black box theatre, complete with soundproofing, video recording equipment lighting and fresh paint," Watt said. "This reopening isn’t just about me—it’s about creating a thriving artistic community."

Comments