You’re Not Famous Yet?
What are the factors that mean the difference between finding success in this industry and becoming one of the many artists who are out of work? Is it having a solid network and a fantastic agent? Is it living in a city that’s bursting with opportunity? Is it simply being in the right place at the right time?
I’ve spent two decades of my life living and working in the alluring yet heart-breaking city of Los Angeles: the entertainment capital of the world. Subsequently, I’ve lived and worked in major cities throughout Europe and Asia, encountering all kinds of jobs and all manner of performers. My encounters in the latter continents all seem to exude a common theme: glamorizing and idealizing an actor’s life in America. Entire attitudes seem to change in an instant if someone hears that I’m from Southern California, as if I must be a famous movie star, or (slightly less appealing) as if I’ve simply had opportunity thrown at my feet my entire life and I am absolutely aloof to it.
Let’s Get “Real”
Back when I was trying to write fiction, I was often reminded of a quote attributed to several authors: “A writer is someone who writes.” That is, being a “real” writer does not depend on publication or payment or being able to survive on the fruits of one’s creativity, but on producing. The flip side of that: Adopting the character and affectations of a writer — hanging around coffeehouses, reading dense tomes, smoking Pall Malls — doesn’t make one a writer. Actual writing is required.
So is an actor someone who acts? What’s the difference between a “real” actor and a dabbler — or is there one?
I recently set a goal of becoming a semi-professional actor by my 40th birthday, about 21 months hence. I set this goal not because I care much about making money as an actor (though it would be nice), or because I plan to be able to be a full-time actor any time soon. Rather, I set this vaguely defined goal (which, I suppose, means being able to credibly audition for and occasionally get cast in professional productions as well as non-paying roles) because it seems like a benchmark of being a “real” actor. But is it?
A writer can produce works of brilliance and never see a cent for them in her or his lifetime. John Kennedy Toole had killed himself several years before his mother convinced a skeptical Walker Percy to examine the manuscript of “A Confederacy of Dunces”, now widely considered a seminal American novel. A painter can turn out exceptional works that win no appreciation until he or she has died. This lack of remuneration does not mean these artists were not “real” artists.
Acting is somewhat different in that some sort of audience is required in the practicing artist’s lifetime. Vincent Van Gogh may have had a hard time selling his paintings, but he could keep producing them. An actor who cannot attract any audience, or who cannot impress an audition panel, will not have much of a career, paid or unpaid.
But good work is done by unpaid actors, and shoddy work by the most financially successful. Actors also turn in strong performances in weak productions or films. And community theaters and experimental companies can produce work of a higher quality than that put up by established professional outfits.
With all that said, how can one define a “real” actor? I’m not sure. Perhaps it comes down to the seriousness of the performer’s intention. There is nothing wrong with being a dabbler or hobbyist, and such folks can do good work. But if their intention is to meet interesting people, have a good time on stage, and go to parties after, that individual may be less of a “real” actor than someone — maybe even in the same production — who sees the work as work, who acts like a professional even though unpaid.
I like to think I have already met that standard.
What I Learned from My Survival Job #4: Dress the Part
As actors, it is not a difficult concept to consider dressing the part for auditions, just ask any gentleman in a white, flow-y shirt outside a Les Mis open call. Treading the fine line between costuming yourself for the audition and hinting at being a well-prepared actor tuned into the needs of the character can sometimes be a little tricky. For me, having to dress the part of a wedding dress salesperson and an intimates store manager was great training for developing a keen eye for where that line lies.
Understanding what silhouettes work best on your figure, where the hemlines need to be for the footwear you prefer, and the overall impression you give is key to dressing successfully for retail and for auditioning. By developing an eye toward that, I have been able to be much more objective about how I dress myself for auditions, as well as for my survival job.
Have you ever been in a wedding dress store? There are big, huge, gigantic mirrors ALL OVER THE PLACE. Do you know what this means for employees at wedding dress stores? We look at ourselves ALL DAY LONG: head to toe, 360 degrees. A person begins to catch on very quickly to what silhouettes and hemlines work better and which ones need to be chucked. In addition to the narcissistic tendencies I picked up on the job, I also began to tune into what customers responded to positively.
My co-workers who did not dress in a manner consistent with the hundreds or thousands of dollars a customer would be spending with the store were less successful than those who dressed professionally and appropriate for the location. Think about it, do you want to spend upwards of $500, or into the thousands, from a person whose own outfit is ill-fitted or poorly composed? You don’t have to be the height of fashion or wear designer clothing yourself to show pride in your appearance and thoughtfulness toward the situation.
Likewise, at the intimates store, customers responded to us based upon how they thought we were dressed. The store provided two options for attire: 1. A uniform consisting of your own black dress pants and blouse, over which you wore a short, silky kimono; or 2. Clothing from the store. I say “how they thought we were dressed,” because we often had customers say to us, “Oh, I would love to wear my pajamas to work!” The kimono, they thought, was nightwear. The clothing from the store, because it was frequently knitwear, they also thought was nightwear. It was sometimes difficult to convince them that the clothing we sold was, in fact, clothing to be worn out and about, not just around the house.
The customers’ brains were primed to think “sleepwear” when they crossed the threshold of our doors. What this taught me is that even when your intention is to show one thing, people might see another thing entirely. I could be in dress pants and heels with a dress blouse under my kimono and customers would still remark on how lucky I was to get to wear my pajamas to work. Have a trusted friend give you some feedback on favorite audition outfits so you don’t inadvertently give off a very different impression than you mean to give.
Learning what outfits communicate the confident, well-prepared actor that you are and which ones make you look like you don’t know what you’re doing is an important part making fantastic first impressions. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but you do need to spend time and energy composing your professional image so that all the money you spent on great headshots and training isn’t stymied by a poor wardrobe choice.
KCACTF Region 1: Don’t It Go To Show You Never Know… Part 1
I have been a little quiet for the past month or so, and I promise there is a reason for it. I was hard at work prepping for my “last hoorah” of college: to represent my alma mater at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region 1, held in Hyannis, Massachusetts. I want to share with you all a few very important things that happened to me while I was away.
A little background: I was nominated to compete for the Irene Ryan Scholarship in my final semester for my role as Julia Tesman in Hedda Gabbler in my last semester at school. I was extremely proud to earn this honor because of the amount of stage time the role required was minimal in comparison to the other characters, so it meant a lot to even be recognized, and I fully intended to see through. (Really quickly: The Irene Ryan Scholarship Auditions take place in each region and cut down lists of 200+ down to 2 nominees and 2 alternates through 3 rounds of auditions. These winners go on to represent the region in Washington, D.C. through partnering scenes. You never get to see your overall ranking, just if you move forward or not.) I have participated in these scholarships on 2 other occasions. The first time was as a scene partner and the second as a nominee. Both teams did not advance, but to be honest I really wasn’t that confident in our work or myself at the time. This time was different. I trusted my partner. I trusted the work. My coach knew we could do it. I really thought we had a shot. The audition could not have gone better! I remembered my number, I didn’t flub up the introduction or sound like robot reciting the pieces. It was great. Unfortunately, I did not make the cut to advance to the Semi-Final Round, but what did happen changed the way I am looking at myself as an actor and a person. It began to shape my week.
What is so great about KCACTF is that it’s all about learning and bettering yourself as an actor. This year we got our responses in a group format, meaning everyone hears each response for the 18 teams that were in my time slot and room.
The respondent said, “You were beautiful.” -Ummm what? No one has ever said that to me that I haven’t known on a personal basis. ESPECIALLY not in an audition situation. I mean, yes, after a production where you are in full costume and makeup for two and a half hours and bore your soul on stage, but not in a two and a half minute version of the Olivia/Viola Scene from Act II of Twelfth Night.
He said, “You had a musicality to your voice and a full and complete understanding of the text that we never doubted for one second that you loved that man, and you were going to get what you wanted.” -Excuse me?!? Do you mean that I actually achieved my objectives in a classical piece without the hand-holding of a professor or a syllabus?
If you aren’t on the same page as me, that’s okay, but let me just say that at that moment in my week, my career, no, my life-it was like Broadway called. To receive honest feedback that supportive and in such a candid way? And in front of my peers? To hear that I might actually be worth something? It meant a lot to say the least. And it really changed the way I am feeling about myself and my future. It means that I am finally not a student anymore! I am free! I can figure it out on my own (with my coaches of course-but you get the idea), and make bold, messy, and raw acting choices that get me noticed.
Maybe it’s because I have been out of school for almost 9 months and still have been feeling a little stuck? Even though I have had a few Regional Credits since graduation, maybe because the theatre is so close to where I went to school I don’t feel like I have really broken out on my own? All I know is that my world is shifting, it’s terrifying, but I think I am ready for some changes.
How did you make the transition from undergrad to the theatre scene?
Check back for the rest of my week at KCACTF Region 1: Everyday Another Door… Part 2!
An upstate kinda girl.
I never go back home upstate. Well no, that’s not true. I go home about once every 8-10 months for 36-48 television and sleep filled hours.
This past Christmas, during my pilgrimage, I found my Senior yearbook. Class of 2005. It’s my favorite one, being the most hilarious to look at – shiny silver leaf cover with an L shaped cutout that features an inlaid cartoon of a “raider” looking buff, with a jank-y short leg victoriously perched on top of a treasure chest, in the surf with a full-on rainbow sunset.
Inside was my senior edition of the Lampion – the school paper. They interviewed all of us: our favorite quote, our secret crush, where we were going to college, what we wanted to accomplish in the next 10 years…
As much as you’re salivating over who my senior secret crush was (cough Jeff cough), I’ll stay on track.
It’s 2013. I graduated in 2005. By the end of the next 2 years I am responsible for completing the goals I set for myself in the decade following all-important high school, or the Student Council Police will hunt me down and seriously revoke my pass to the ten year reunion and I’ll never get to experience my own personal dream: “Romy and Michelle Take Fairport.” Right?
My 3 Goals (aka how close I am to being arrested by the S.C.) –
1. Live in another country: 1/2 point. I have studied and travelled extensively all over Eastern & Western Europe. If I could- without giving up my career- I’d make my home in Barcelona.
2. Go to College: CHECK. BFA in Musical Theatre, re: The University at Buffalo.
3. Live in NYC: CHECK! CHECK! 3.5 years and counting. BOO-YAH.
So, I’m safe from the Po-Po, with 2 years to spare. …Go me?
Okay listen. I am sad for my 18-year-old self. I already knew I was going to college when I answered those interview questions, I already knew I’d be going to NYC. So basically, I wasted a perfectly good opportunity for goals that would mean something in the future. I was too scared to believe in my heart that I deserved to dream big. I was too scared to be willing to leap, not knowing if there was something to catch me. I was too scared to trust myself.
We, as artists, face our fear every time we go to an audition, write a play, compose a song, pitch a show…. We open our heart and show how it beats to create- to the people who will judge us and tell us whether they think it’s worthy of life, or not.
What I’m going to talk with you about through this blog will be a myriad of stuff that works for me, my experiments, my experiences – being an actor, writer, producer, theatre company co-founder, student of life – stuff that’s helped me to conquer fear…and a little bit of story. After all, isn’t “Telling Stories” our job?
From my brain to yours,
To Spend or Not to Spend…That is the Actor’s Question
It’s no secret that job security is quite a commodity in this industry and that occasionally, actors need to be great budgeters. I’ve been brought up with a pretty frugal approach to life, but with a career that requires things like headshots, training, and marketing, it seems like you have to put a lot of money into a job to get money out of it. Here’s a short list of some actor-related fees that I feel you can save on, paired with another list of fees that I feel are worth the extra cash and why. Bring on the comments, guys! I’d love to hear your feedback about ways that you save money and survive this dynamic industry!
When to Save:
Sharpening your craft:
I’m all in favor of keeping your skills sharp and constantly training, but this doesn’t need to break the bank. I sign up for a semester of dance at a community college and end up paying less than a hundred bucks for 2-4 classes a week over the course of several months! Compared to the $15-20 bucks to take one single class at a studio, this makes a monumental difference in my checkbook, and since it is an actual course, I feel much more incentive to go on a regular basis. If you’d rather go to a studio, ask about discount rates for working professionals (Ex. SAG or AEA discount) or sign up for classes in bulk to get a discount. Same thing goes for singers. If you feel the need to keep your site singing skills up or keep building your vocal range, join a community choir, a caroling group, etc…anything to keep you harmonizing and force yourself to practice on a regular basis…all for free or cheap.
Headshots:
In this industry, I have stumbled upon countless aspiring photographers who are trying to build their website or portfolio and need models. Some actors may be wary of this because they think they will get drastically better shots from established professionals. The trick is to be choosy and do research. I’ve received a lot of business cards/contact info from photographers over the years and recently, when new headshot time came around, I extensively looked through all their websites until I settled on one that I thought was most impressive looking. This photographer specialized in stunning wedding shots but wanted to get into portraits as well. I told him I’d be happy to let him use as may of my photos as he wanted for his portfolio and/or practice if he gave me a discount on a headshot session. The result was the best looking headshots I’ve ever gotten for a total of $50. To top it off, the session itself was a dream come true. Since he was new at headshots, he let me change outfits as many times as I wanted and he let me look through the pictures every few minutes to make sure I was getting the exact looks, angles, and lighting that I wanted. Because he was someone I was somewhat familiar with, the mood between us was very laid back and easy going, bringing out a relaxed and confident expression in all my photos.
Supplies:
Discount Dance Supply. If you don’t know this store, get to know it. I’m constantly destroying dance shoes, wearing out character shoes, or needing new dance clothes. This store has the cheapest stuff I’ve seen and their website is great too if you don’t live near it. If you need business cards to help market yourself, make some for free at Vistaprint.com. I’m a huge fan of Backstage West and other audition subscriptions like it, but if it gets too costly, share the subscription between friends or just follow a company/theatre/etc. on Facebook or Twitter to find out about upcoming auditions.
Music/Monologues:
Take advantage of the gargantuan number of people in this industry. Get all your singer/actor friends together for a day with their audition portfolios and a copy machine, and expand your audition material exponentially by trading. Trying to find something in particular? Don’t buy a full audition book, a quick online search can provide you with nearly any song or monologue you need for free. I look up almost a song a week to learn on the piano and have almost never been unable to find music for free.
When to Spend:
Getting there:
I spent a good chunk of time living in Orange County, but only finding auditions in Los Angeles and San Diego. The time and money spent on driving to auditions every day was really hard to swallow, but if you don’t go, there is no way to get the job. No matter how much gas I have to use, or how much I don’t want to sit in traffic, I make myself go to each and every audition that falls on a day I have free. It’s worth spending the gas money in order to actually land the job. If public transportation is not an option for you (like in my case), try to carpool or plan multiple auditions into one day as often as possible, but don’t let gas costs deter you from auditioning!
Rehearsal:
In my opinion, going into an audition prepared can mean all the difference in landing the job and making money. For a vocal audition (or even a monologue), having a session with a professional pianist or coach can make or break your auditions for the next several months. It can be quite expensive to attend this kind of session but if you come in with a large amount of material prepared, you can make the most of your time and only need one or two sessions a year. Come in with your entire audition book in case you have extra time or the coach requests something. Choose 5-10 songs of differing variety that you have prepared and want to focus on. Treat this like a practice audition and you will get the feedback and experience that will prepare you for all your upcoming auditions. I have gone into one too many auditions having never sang my song with a pianist before and have been unpleasantly surprised that the accompaniment sounds vastly different. Not only will you be prepared, but you’ll have a professional giving you feedback about what does and doesn’t work in your performance.
Don’t forget to spend some money on yourself! Having a little fun on a regular basis will keep you sane and spirited which will reflect positively in all your work!
Whose Line Is It Anyway…?
How can you determine someone’s skill level from three words? How can you determine someone’s skill level from ONE line? This is what was going through my head when I went for an audition the other day. I was sent sides the night before the audition. They were very vague. I made an assumption about what the scene was about and what my character’s place was in the scene. I studied the line I was given… and couldn’t help but wonder – why? Why was the casting director calling me in for three words? Could I not have just called into the office and said the line? Couldn’t they have just asked for a video submission?
I was grateful for the audition, however I couldn’t help but wish there was more substance to the character. Something! Anything! Couldn’t my character break down in tears on the last word or suddenly begin bleeding profusely? Okay, maybe that’s a bit much, but you get my gist. In conclusion, I decided to just think up a few different ways to say the line, practice some improv lines in case they asked me to elaborate, and do the best I could with what I was given. In these cases, I usually assume they are just looking for a certain “look”, and I either have it or I don’t. That is for the casting director to decide. In the end, I was in the room for a groundbreaking two minutes, said the line once, and left – hoping my delivery was what they were looking for.
Have you had any success with one-liner auditions? What do you think the CDs are looking for?
How To Succeed By Saying ‘No’
We are currently looking for a new apartment in LA. Consequently, I have been given a pile of application forms and been forced to stare my current situation right in the face. Fact: I am currently (technically) unemployed (despite some promising callbacks). Fortunately, my ever-supportive husband has a financially stable full-time job that means that my non-existent employer information box is still acceptable. However, it made me feel like I should be working whilst going to auditions and callbacks/ waiting for Broadway to call.
This spurred on a few sessions of poring through ads on Craigslist in the Jobs section, which in turn, led me to apply for an office job. I have changed some details of the ad but the gist went something like this:
‘Receptionist/ Assistant needed to answer calls, manage mail, type documents and….work on bookings with world-famous fire-breather’.
I got an interview date and a link to the website (which wasn’t quite as glamorous, or famous, as I had hoped). When I told my husband, he said that he wasn’t ready for me to get an office job and that I was a working actor and should be focused on going to auditions. I thought about this for a while and have decided against the interview.
I wanted this job so I could feel like I was doing something, earning a steady (even if small) income and essentially, so my employment box could be filled up on an application form.
The best advice I came up with was to not be afraid to SAY NO to a certain opportunity if:
• It doesn’t get me closer to my current goal
• It hinders me from what should really be my priority
• It diverts my focus from what I want/ need to achieve the next step in my career
Saying ‘No’ could open doors to opportunities that are right. Why invest time and energy into something that actually diverts you from your career goals? My aim is to focus on my priorities and work out the next step. On Monday, I will do something I have been meaning to do since I first moved to LA: Re-register at Central Casting (I tried a couple of weeks ago but they cut off the line in front of me due to volume of people). In New York, background work was my survival job, offering flexibility in order to be able to attend auditions/ callbacks whilst earning SAG-AFTRA pay (after all, I am still paying my dues). Bring on the early call times and jewel-toned wardrobe!
So don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ sometimes. Don’t accept anything less than what you want.
The Green Room 