eonline: Audra McDonald on Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Hospital Stay

https://www.eonline.com/news/1425071/audra-mcdonald-on-suicide-attempt-psychiatric-hospital-stay

That headline is journalistic malpractice.

She's always been very open about this moment. In her early career especially.

Not to derail a sensitive topic, but something I've always wondered is where or with who did Audra study acting? When she talks about this she has made it clear that part of the problem was that Julliard was not a place of flexibility. I've seen other actors across several generations say the same. At Julliard one studied voice or one studied acting. The departments did not cross. But Audra is an exceptional actress. Is it her community theatre back home? Natural ability combined with the increased skill that comes from getting on stage and doing it night after night? Private study?

blug said: "Perhaps she has an acting coach that she works with. It's not uncommon.

As for Julliard and acting conservatories in general, they're no joke and there are plenty of people who either left Julliard early (Spacey, Patinkin, Tudyk) or regard it as a near-traumatizingexperience (Gillian Jacobs, Viola Davis)"

Yes, Viola's experience was very enlightening. It feels like Meryl does not really talk about the craft of acting anymore (too much pressure on that probably) but I was so struck a couple of years ago when I saw a 70s interview with her where she basically shrugged off her Yale training. She said she left there feeling unprepared to play real people.