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This week, we’ve got immersive experiences for you in more ways than one. Some activities require you to get out of your comfort zone, while others transport you to otherworldly realms that will capture your imagination. Others simply help bolster your acting skills and might give you a few tools in your arsenal. Regardless, make sure to take time this week to explore all of what L.A. has to offer! Learn the ins and outs of hosting for television.Last week, the good people of Carolyne Barry Acting Academy brought you a workshop on commercials; this week, they present an intro to hosting. If one of your ambitions is to sit in an interviewer’s seat on a morning show or tell folks to “Come on down!” on “The Price is Right,” get the basics to make your hosting dreams come true on Jan. 11 at the Actor’s Collective in North Hollywood.

With pilot season around the corner and a slew of new single- and multi-camera comedies, there is no better time to hone your comedy and improvisation skills. La-based actors take note: Here are 9 great places to study comedic acting. Actors Comedy StudioThe tagline of this popular Hollywood acting school—“We take comedy seriously”—is made evident in quality instructors and thoughtful classes. Coaches Gunnar Todd Rohrbacher and Lauren Bertoni lead the Actors Comedy Studio staff, and students prepare for film and television auditions with the highly successful Acting for Sitcoms program. Carolyne Barry Casting director, teacher, and actor Carolyne Barry has been coaching actors in the Los Angeles area since 1982, and offers specialized classes in the realm of acting, commercials, improv, comedy, and hosting. Actor Donovan Scott leads Barry’s two-level Comedy Workshop, which brings the inner-clown work of Jacques Lecoq to the forefront with personal exploration, play, and practical...

Carolyne Barry is known for being a tough but nurturing teacher. "Be prepared for some tough love," says actor Tyler McGraw. "She is tough, no-nonsense, engaging, and can get you there," says actor Robin Gwynne.Barry knows she has this reputation, and she is proud of it. "I am passionate enough to push," she says. "I want my students to be committed to making major improvement in their audition work. Like the coach of a sports team, it is my responsibility to challenge my players to do their best. I insist that they do preparation, rehearse outside the class, move past bad habits, support their fellow students, and commit to the process. Even when they do well, I challenge them to take their skills to the next level."Barry's teaching foundation is Meisner-based, "using the basic acting fundamentals of who, what, where, why, pre-life, and after-life whenever possible," she says.

Dear Jackie:If a casting assistant I have read for several times is on Facebook, would it be weird for me to add him as a friend? I don't know him outside of those couple of auditions I have done for him, but we have always been friendly to each other. It seems like a good way to keep in touch and promote things I am working on. For that matter, what do you think about friending casting directors and agents and managers in general? Is this a good way to network?—Farrah Facebookvia the InternetDear Farrah:The rules of online actor networking are still murky, so there's no right answer here. Generally, I am pretty conservative in my Facebook endeavors and prefer to "friend" only those people who are, well, my actual real-life friends. But this doesn't mean it isn't a potent networking tool for me. Here's what I mean:i teach...