Photo by Katie Turpen.
Acting Out
For Liberty Park resident Meg Deusner, Vestavia Hills may seem like an unlikely place to put down roots. At the ripe age of 10, she starred in a professional production of Annie. She went on to become an acting coach in Los Angeles and has also spent time perfecting her craft in New York City and Europe.
However, three years ago, she and her husband moved to Vestavia Hills to have their first child, and Deusner has not looked back.
“Life is really easy here,” Deusner said. “To raise a family, it’s a great place to be.”
In addition to starting her family, Deusner has found her niche in reaching local children through the fine arts. She opened Acting Out Academy with a mission to provide performance art education to children who want and need it.
“I started out with just two kids,” Deusner said. “Now, I teach about 150 kids a year.”
Combining her degree in child development and elementary education with her passion for acting, Deusner said her acting classes and camps are filling a need for fine arts.
“When funding is tight in education, performance art is the first thing to get cut,” Deusner said. “I’m trying to reach as many of these kids as I can.”
Deusner teaches several different types of classes. Her after-school program is designed to teach kids about communication and confidence through various exercises and games.
“It’s not just about teaching them acting,” Deusner said. “It’s about teaching them to be charismatic. It’s about teaching them how to have confidence and get a job.”
Deusner has helped children overcome speech impediments and stutters. She recalls having one girl who started as extremely shy. However, the child experienced a transformation through her acting classes. Deusner said the student’s guidance counselor was in tears watching the student in a performance.
“I enjoy helping these children come out of their shells,” Deusner said. “But no kid has to get up unless they want to. It’s about having fun.”
Deusner also holds more advanced classes to help children who have expressed interest in honing their acting skills. Deusner uses her countrywide connections to help children get agents and will film their auditions at her house in Liberty Park. She has even helped children land auditions for major networks such as Nickelodeon.
“The regular classes are for kids who have really shown interest,” Deusner said. “If the parents are committed and the kids want to do it, it can be a great thing.”
In addition to the classes, Deusner hosts a weeklong movie camp in the summer. During the week, the children write, cast and create a short film and then see their movie at a red carpet premiere held at a local theater.
Deusner said she never wants money to be a problem and will provide scholarships to students who need it. Although it has been a transition moving from Los Angeles to Vestavia Hills, Deusner now feels at home. Her next step is to acquire grant money to be able to travel to different schools and hold her after-school programs.
“We’re creating a new generation of mainstream media,” Deusner said. “I love what I do.”
For more, visit actingoutacademy.com.
