Professor
Paul Wagar
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2024 - I'm a theater minor who took this course as an upper division elective and I loved it. Paul is a great teacher. I'm often very critical of theater courses, because it's such a subjective art form that no one really knows how to do anything and nothing from one teacher should be assumed to translate to another teacher. However, Paul was fantastic. He was very specific and clear. The first half of the class focuses on monologues and the second half focuses on scenes with partners. Every class (which lasts about 2 hours), about 2-4 people/groups will get up in front of the class and work on their piece in front of everyone, which Paul stopping them every 0.3 seconds to interject with a critique. However, these critiques are truly incredible. He provides such specific critiques that, once you get used to and hear, make whatever you're saying sound so much more realistic. This class was basically like getting to watch performances all the time. It's also not an easy A. While most of the class got A-'s (and I don't think anyone got below that), very few people got A's. Paul requires a lot of improvement to dish out an A. I would say that, as long as you attend the class and put in a bare minimum amount of effort, you're guaranteed at least an A-. Paul is very chill, often quite funny, and very understanding and lax. His class is incredibly fun to be apart of, and easily my favorite theater class I've ever taken at UCLA. He clearly knows what he's talking about and is an incredible acting coach. Really loved this class. If you're interesting in acting at all in any capacity and have a free space in your schedule, you should take this class. He requires (as of right now) no PTE #s, no auditions, etc. As long as you use your first pass on enrolling into this class, you should be fine.
Winter 2024 - I'm a theater minor who took this course as an upper division elective and I loved it. Paul is a great teacher. I'm often very critical of theater courses, because it's such a subjective art form that no one really knows how to do anything and nothing from one teacher should be assumed to translate to another teacher. However, Paul was fantastic. He was very specific and clear. The first half of the class focuses on monologues and the second half focuses on scenes with partners. Every class (which lasts about 2 hours), about 2-4 people/groups will get up in front of the class and work on their piece in front of everyone, which Paul stopping them every 0.3 seconds to interject with a critique. However, these critiques are truly incredible. He provides such specific critiques that, once you get used to and hear, make whatever you're saying sound so much more realistic. This class was basically like getting to watch performances all the time. It's also not an easy A. While most of the class got A-'s (and I don't think anyone got below that), very few people got A's. Paul requires a lot of improvement to dish out an A. I would say that, as long as you attend the class and put in a bare minimum amount of effort, you're guaranteed at least an A-. Paul is very chill, often quite funny, and very understanding and lax. His class is incredibly fun to be apart of, and easily my favorite theater class I've ever taken at UCLA. He clearly knows what he's talking about and is an incredible acting coach. Really loved this class. If you're interesting in acting at all in any capacity and have a free space in your schedule, you should take this class. He requires (as of right now) no PTE #s, no auditions, etc. As long as you use your first pass on enrolling into this class, you should be fine.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - I think Paul is a pretty good teacher. I did learn some interesting things in voice and speech that did affect my ability to ground my work more easily. The most important thing I learned in this class was to take my time. Working with Paul was very good because he knew how to communicate with me, and he was very knowledgable about the exercises we were doing and about theater. I don't think my TFT class likes me very much, so I really appreciated that he made sure that no one clapped or chose favorites because that would add to my already psychological hardship I have in the program. So I'm thankful this course was just based on the work and helped me achieve at my own level since I was new to these techniques. I will definitely be using what I learned from this course in some of my upcoming films because the characters I'm playing require a grounded-ness in vocal support this course helped me achieve. But at the same time I feel like this isn't what I paid for. I hear about the training some of my friends are receiving at Cal Arts or NYU or USC, and I feel "meh" about TFT, especially since this class is just a overblown vocal exercise extended for ten weeks where you count to 40 or recite a sonnet. And don't let the statistics on Fall 2017 fool you, you're probably going to get an A- in this class for no useful reason. Check all the other years. I just feel like I haven't acted at all yet, and that I'm receiving yoga/meditation instruction instead. Granted, my vocal abilities have improved since the program is what you make of it, but where's all the on-camera work or stage-acting work? They treat us like we've never performed before. Overall this class is a breeze if you just show up, I'm just bored.
Fall 2019 - I think Paul is a pretty good teacher. I did learn some interesting things in voice and speech that did affect my ability to ground my work more easily. The most important thing I learned in this class was to take my time. Working with Paul was very good because he knew how to communicate with me, and he was very knowledgable about the exercises we were doing and about theater. I don't think my TFT class likes me very much, so I really appreciated that he made sure that no one clapped or chose favorites because that would add to my already psychological hardship I have in the program. So I'm thankful this course was just based on the work and helped me achieve at my own level since I was new to these techniques. I will definitely be using what I learned from this course in some of my upcoming films because the characters I'm playing require a grounded-ness in vocal support this course helped me achieve. But at the same time I feel like this isn't what I paid for. I hear about the training some of my friends are receiving at Cal Arts or NYU or USC, and I feel "meh" about TFT, especially since this class is just a overblown vocal exercise extended for ten weeks where you count to 40 or recite a sonnet. And don't let the statistics on Fall 2017 fool you, you're probably going to get an A- in this class for no useful reason. Check all the other years. I just feel like I haven't acted at all yet, and that I'm receiving yoga/meditation instruction instead. Granted, my vocal abilities have improved since the program is what you make of it, but where's all the on-camera work or stage-acting work? They treat us like we've never performed before. Overall this class is a breeze if you just show up, I'm just bored.
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