On NOT getting the part
We can pretend this doesn’t happen. When non-theater people ask, then of course we love our jobs. We love being performers. We love every opportunity and experience that being an actor brings.
But this isn’t true. How frustrating is it when you have a great callback or multiple callbacks for a dream role, and then don’t get the part? Recently I had this happen to me, but even worse, I was cast in the ensemble. I ended up declining the show, but for a DIFFERENT reason then not getting the part I wanted. But that is a another story for another blog!
Last week I went to see the show, and was glad to see that the girl playing the part I wanted portrayed it so differently than I would have ever portrayed the character. Did I like her interpretation? Not really. But it really gave me peace of mind to see what the director must have liked in her performance, and was really looking for in the audition room. (Not to mention she looked so much like the actresses playing her mother and sister!)
I realized how infrequently I go see shows I’m not cast in. Yes, sometimes its painful; sometimes its frustrating. But I never regret seeing the show. It’s either a moment of “Wow, I need to train more so I can get to her performance level!” or its a moment of “I might have been better, but clearly I wasn’t the right choice.”
I firmly believe that every show we are a part of is a stepping stone in our career path. And when we don’t get the part we think we deserve it’s because that isn’t the step our career needed. Maybe the show you do instead, the one with a smaller role, will be the show that introduces you to the director for your next project after that! Or where you meet a fellow cast member that will become a best bud and be a good source of encouragement and motivation.
Here’s your turn to give input!
And then please comment and let me know why! For me, it’s usually a combination of bitterness mixed with being too poor to buy tickets. But I think I might be changing my tune a bit! The more I learn about how directors work and who I am as a performer the more success I will have at what I do, right?
Front Row at A Broadway Show for Only $30
I present to you a short play!
At rise, a box office. Present day. The set is minimalistic (*directors’ note: this may be a conscious artistic choice, but in past productions it simply has come about due to the fact that this is all you suckers can afford). We see the Box Office Attendant as he mans his station. His attire consists of a well pressed navy blue suit, provided to him by the union.
An attractive 20-something Theatre Goer enters, modestly dressed. He has just finished a meal from the McDonald’s dollar menu. He approaches the Box Office Attendant who spots him immediately.
Attendant: Well hello there, fine friend! How may I help you?
Theatre Goer: One ticket to Enter Name of Broadway Production Here, please!
Attendant: Sure! You betcha! That will be ..
Pause.
Long Pause.
Pinter Pause.
Theatre Goer waits anxiously. He shuffles his feet.
Attendant: … One hundred, seventy five dollars and eighty three cents.
Theatre Goer: I’m sorry. There must be a mistake, sir. I asked for a ticket. Not the rights to the play.
Attendant: Hmm, well, you could reserve online and pay a forty dollar service fee.
Theatre Goer falls dead.
Enter Emilia, Othello, and Montano.
Montano: What is the matter? How now general?
Emilia: (accusingly toward the Attendant) Disprove this villain if thou beest a man.
Othello: O,O,O!
Emilia: Nay, lay thee down and roar,
For thou hast killed the sweetest innocent
That e’er did lift up eye.
Exeunt Attendant, pursued by a bear.
The End.
_____________________________________________
Is this you?
Let’s fix this, shall we?
First thing’s first. The lottery. What is the lottery? It’s an awesome way to get (usually) front row seats to Broadway shows. I just participated in the lottery for Godspell this past Sunday. This is how it works:
1. The matinee that day started at 2:30pm, so lottery participants arrived outside the theatre at 1pm.
2. From 1pm-1:30pm, two girls from the Godspell team (hollar at your @GodspellGirl!) signed us up for the lottery drawing.
3. At 1:30pm, they drew tickets. The winning numbers won their choice of either one or two tickets (so if you had a friend with you, you could both see the show).
4. For Godspell, the winning seats were right on the side of the stage, on these pillows that became part of the show (if you see the show, you’ll find it’s very interactive).
5. Winners were ushered into the actual box office where they paid for their Godspell tickets at a super discounted price ($30 per ticket).
Mind you, right now, if you buy one ticket to a Friday night 8pm show, it will cost you the following:
Orchestra seats = $125 face value+$37.50 in fees = $162.50
Premium seats = $199 face value+$39.80 in fees = $238.80
Even TKTS (the place where tourists think they’re getting deals) will cost you about $60 or $70 a pop, according to the Godspell promoters I spoke with in Times Square last week.
The lottery policy changes from show to show. Not all Broadway shows have them, but most musicals do. Check here for details:
Broadway Rush, Lottery, and Standing Room Only Policies
And now, for you visual learners out there, here is a video (in two parts) of my friend, Stephen, and I participating in ….. the lottery!!
Part One: Entering to Win
Oh boy the fun continues!
Part Two: The Drawing
Ok? Now go see it! And win those lottery tickets! Tell me how you do 🙂
Onwards and Upwards,
The Breakdowns *cue ominous music*
This isn’t going to be one of those posts where I give you any helpful advice…sorry. I like to be helpful, but I haven’t entirely developed my opinion on this one yet. In fact, I’d kinda like to ask you.
I’m talking, of course, (if you’re a quick one and read the post title, haha) about…THE BREAKDOWNS! You know, the ones that go to agents and we lowly actors aren’t supposed to even see? Well, I think we all know that some of us DO see them. And many of us do find them helpful.
People have very, very strong opinions on the subject and they run the gamut from “of course actors should be getting them, it’s invaluable information” to “it’s illegal and anyone who sees them when they shouldn’t be is heading for some serious repercussions.”
So I guess I’d like to take the chance to ask my fellow actors where they fall on the spectrum. This is such a taboo subject in our world, and my personal feeling is that nothing good comes of anything being taboo! Let’s discuss it! And if you’re still nervous about it, the good news is: this poll is anonymous 🙂
And also, if you wouldn’t mind, please take a second to elaborate on your feelings down below in the comments section. Casting directors and agents who have strong opinions on the subject are also absolutely welcome to weigh in! Let’s end the taboo-ness of THE BREAKDOWNS subject together.
Lies! Fables! Myths Galore!
Not everything you’ve heard about this industry is true (or at least in my opinion).
GASP!
Can you believe it? You’ve been led astray.
Okay, let’s re-examine, shall we?
1.) The theatre world is one big, ugly competition
This is changing, people! I really do believe it, and to tell you the truth, I think a huge part has to do with the rise of social media. We’ll get more in depth in a later post, but Twitter and Facebook have developed thriving communities of actors that are solely built on supporting one another. It’s amazing and I love it because theatre is a collaboration and I always wondered when and how it turned into such a competition? Check out the NY Actors Tweet Up on Facebook. Ask to be invited into the group (Erin will let you in, I promise) and then head on over to Twitter. Start by following my lead (@KCinNYC) and start playing around. You’ll soon see the loads of support actors are dishing out to each other every day!
2.) New Yorkers are mean
Every person I’ve met that was born and raised in NY has been nothing but nice! It’s the rest of the jaded melting pot that seems to sour the soup.
3.) Dress up for your auditions
No way, Jose. Don’t get all fancy pants on me. Just walk out the door that morning, feeling good about yourself. At an audition, they want to see you and they want to see if you can engage and connect. Ya don’t need a popped collar for that, yo!
4.) You shouldn’t eat cookies
Umm, not if each one is a chuck of HEAVEN! Seriously, get your fat bum up to 74th and Amsterdam. Levain Bakery. Oh my good lord in heaven!
5.) Be careful not to say the wrong thing
This business is so … strange. Nothing makes sense, so as Lisa Gold (www.actoutsidethebox.com) says, “You can’t say the wrong thing to the right person and you can’t say the right thing to the wrong person.” Sometimes whether you’re the right fit or not is just in the stars.
(PS- I 100% encourage you to attend at least one of her workshops. Tight on cash? She gives a FREE one from time to time at Reproductions!)
6.) In New York City, you can get mugged
Oh wait, that’s true …
Now ya know! What are some misconceptions you’ve come across?
(Please take the extra effort to click on this link. This video is so lovely; it will just make you happy, I promise!)
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=484407743497&oid=16534954529&comments
Onwards and Upwards,
Green Room Bloggers Meetup!
Last week, The California Triple-Threat made a rare appearance on the East Coast, and we were able to have a little bloggers meetup!
From L–>R: The Practical Artist, The Redheaded Actress, The California Triple-Threat, and The Reflective Artist
It was so awesome to get this group of ladies together, however briefly, especially with everyone’s crazy schedules. It was the first time many of us had met in person, and I hope it’s not nearly the last!
Eight Ways to Be Like Robinhood
Robinhood was a lovely human being.
He stole from the rich, and gave to the poor. As theatre professionals, we have got to be more like him. Personally, I’ve become very tricky. For example, did you know I have roughly eight (yes EIGHT) highly qualified personal trainers at my beck and call?
Ok, that is a sliiiight exaggeration. However, it’s not totally removed from the truth.
I’m very lucky. My job that pays my bills just so happens to be at a gym and we get a free membership as employees (score number 1!). When I work out, I strategically place myself approximately 9.7645 feet away from the members who I think have the best bodies. And who, might you ask, is standing roughly 2.5 feet from them? THEIR PERSONAL TRAINERS! Hooray!! (score number 2!) As my targeted member squats and stretches and bends and squats again, I am not far, squatting and stretching and bending and squatting again too! … however, my George Washingtons are all hiding in my locker. All seven of them ….
This past week, my best friend was put up in a beautiful Wall Street hotel for a work conference (she’s a financial adviser … and doing very well – I’m so proud). Anyways, we didn’t have much time to see each other, so I slept over for a night. In the morning, I realized there were many things around the room. I could look at them as one of two things: Stuff To Be Used During Our Stay or …. Gifts (please say this like “Buddy” from Elf). I chose the latter. No, I didn’t take every shampoo, conditioner, or vegetable soap – that would be cheap – but my bag was slightly heavier when I left than when I first walked in. Besides, if I hadn’t done so, the complimentary Nantucket Nectars Orange Juice never would have told me “Cars were not allowed on Nantucket until 1918.” I feel as though I was reimbursed ten fold because, guys, knowledge is power.
Eight Way To Steal From The Rich And Give To The Poor When The Poor Is You And The Rich Is … not you.
1. Find deals on Actor Q (actorq.com) This is a terrific site that is similar to Groupon, Living Social, etc. except it’s geared towards actors. Get discounted photo shoots, theatre tickets, workshops etc.
2. Be the Write Off Queen (or King) Save your receipts! Learn about the myriad of things you can write off. You’ll be surprised – You can write off a portion of your rent (studio space!), portion of your electric bill (light for your studio space!), any cab rides or lunches happening between auditions, rehearsals etc., scripts, plays, books having to do with acting, marketing etc., haircuts!, audition clothes, gym memberships, make up you use for headshots or shows…the list goes on. You just need to know how to justify it, and, of course, be legal about it.
3. Subscribe to theskint.com I LOVE this blog. Ever walked around NYC, looking for something cool to sporadically appear. It’s New York! Doesn’t that happen all the time? Sometimes, no. However, with The Skint, I don’t miss a beat. They tell me about every free and/or cheap event going on on the island and in the Burroughs. Subscribe to their email list.
4. Take advantage of “Gratis Jabon” Wednesdays. Well, at least this is what the signs say in my laundromat. Gratis Jabon= Free soap! Why the hell not!
5. Save bottles. I redeemed 95 cents worth today 🙂 I’m keeping all my nickels in a container to prove to myself that the trek from my apartment to the grocery store is worth it … and I think it will be. Every little bit counts!
6. Go to Yoga to the People (yogatothepeople.com) This is a great yoga studio where you “pay what you can.” Usually I drop only about $5 per class rather than the usual $20+ required at many other places. Avoid the mat rental fee and invest in one of their quality mats or just score a cheap one at the K-Mart nearby (Astor Place). Oh yes, and Namaste’.
7. Find free theatre. Ok, so some of it ends up being bad, but keep sorting through and you’ll find quality stuff. For example, Convergences Theatre Collective holds free Web Readings every so often. Never been to a web reading? Then you’ll definitely want to check them out. Like them on facebook to stay current. Also, at Upright Citizens Brigade, “Asssscat” performs for free every Sunday night. They are incredibly hilarious improvisers and last time I saw them, guest performers included SNL’s Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan. I know. Seriously. So grab a friend and get in line a couple of hours early. Show starts at 9:30pm.
8. Shoplift. Oh my god, just kidding.
Anyone else have any money-saving tips? Your beautiful faces and wonderful comments are always welcome below!
Onwards and Upwards,
The Sacred Doctrine of Tech and Backstage
I work with a variety of levels of professionalism. As a Stage Manager, my projects tend to be higher budget and I work with more established veterans, while as an Artistic Director and Playwright, it’s more common I work with talented “Newbies.” Because my personal soap-box is to disassociate low budget & low quality, I’d like to share with you what I consider the “Sacred Doctrine of Tech and Backstage.” Regardless of the budget of show you’re working in [and despite how little – if at all – you’re getting paid] your professionalism directly affects how others see you. Act as if you’re riding the pressure and prestige of a Broadway opening for every project, and people will be impressed with your attitude and professionalism. Artists will repeatedly work for you and it will only be a matter of time before you can quit the day job because of the unique and respected impact you make on the community. Act like a pro, and be treated like a pro! Think of these guidelines [note – not rules] as the theatre ten commandments, one for actors, one for ASMs/deckhands.
THE ACTORS SACRED DOCTRINE OF TECH AND BACKSTAGE
- If it is neither thy prop or thy costume, DON’T TOUCH IT!!!!
- THOU MUST NOT QUARREL AMONGST THE OTHER ACTORS WHILE IN REHEARSAL!!! Talk to thy Stage Manager if one believes there is a problem. Not comfortable? Go to thy deputy. [No deputy? go to thy company manager/producer/director].
- Arrive at the wing for thy entrance at least 5 lines early. Avoid panicking thy Stage Manager.
- If thou brings a prop offstage, always leave the prop in the same place. Do not make the Stage Manager search for it.
- Thou shall not wear thy costumes/jewelry home [or leave props in thy pockets].
- Thou shall not eat, drink non-clear liquids, or smoke in thy costume.
- Thou shall always arrive on time, ready to work [note – rehearsal/brush up call time should not be when thou begins thy warm-up].
- Thou shall not give other actors notes.
- THOU SHALL NOT GIVE OTHER ACTORS NOTES!!!
- If thou enjoyed the experience of working with a company, write a personal thank you to the artistic director, director, and/or casting director – THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HIRE YOU AND MAY HIRE YOU BACK!
THE STAGE MANAGER/DECKHAND SACRED DOCTRINE OF TECH AND BACKSTAGE
- Thou shall not be caught by an Actor during a performance or rehearsal reading a book or on the phone, one must always appear in full attention of the play and be observant of changes or problems.
- Thou must hand the Actor their props unless it is a cup/saucer or liquid hand-off. Even if the Actor is offstage for a few minutes, offer to hand props to them, it makes everyone more comfortable if you can be relied upon.
- If wine glasses w/ liquid must be handed off, thou must hold the stem, and allow the Actor to grab the base of the glass.
- If thou goes onstage for any part where the audience will see, thou must wear SOLID black LONG-SLEEVE clothing. Yes this includes shoes and a sweatshirt over your graphic Ts.
- Thou must always show an Actor a changed prop and/or allow them to taste a new perishable before the tech/performance begins.
- While Quick Changing an Actor, thou must always talk through the change [i.e. hand, foot, button, tuck]. Even if you’ve done it a thousand times, it sets a comfort level.
- Immediately after the exit of Actors from an onstage combat, receive a “thumbs up” from the Actor that no one was injured/the fight went okay.
- Thou shall always say “off headset” when doing so to your Production Stage Manager, lest they call your name in vain.
- Thou must provide cough drops [sugar-free] & tissues on the prop tables. A handy trick would be labeled dixie cups for the partially used cough drop an Actor may need between scenes.
- Thou shall not put dairy onstage. EVER. Lest it will surely curdle under the heat of the lights before it reaches the Actor’s lips.
Hope these guidelines can help you with your backstage etiquette and make your shows run smoothly!!!
Becoming a Broadway Baby
I was born into a family of creative people — My Mom is a retired-piano-teacher-turned-psychologist, my Dad played drums in a rock ‘n roll band for many years, and my Brother is a super talented musician who just graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston. So I guess you could say that it’s no surprise that I turned out to be artistically inclined.
Theatre, however, was kind of an accident. At least to begin with.
My Mom and her piano teacher friend Kathy founded a music school in the mid-90’s called The Bell Center for Music & the Arts. I was around seven. The Bell Center started as a place to take music lessons (mostly piano), and eventually grew to become a place where over a thousand students were involved in a children’s chorus, art classes, summer camps, African drumming groups, drama classes, Kindermusik, orchestras, and lessons on just about any instrument you could think of. My Mom put very long hours in there, and it came to be a second home for me. It was a special place for an artistically inclined kid to grow up, that’s for sure. And I learned some of my more interesting “special skills” there, African drumming and Chinese calligraphy, to name a couple 🙂
When The Bell Center expanded to include theatrical productions, the very first show they produced was “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” They were short a few Ooompa Loompas. I was always hanging around the place anyways. I’m sure you can see where this is going. I loved every second of my two-line solo and getting to dress up in a funny hat and mis-matched tights, and a love affair with theatre was born. The biggest tragedy of all this (besides the fact that I was now determined to succeed in a very challenging career), is that no photographic proof exists of just how ridiculous I’m sure my seven-year-old self looked in that costume. But for reference, I wasn’t too much older than this:
Yep. Check out that birthday hat. You know you’re jealous.
Shortly after my starring turn as Oompa Loompa #7, I was cast in a new musical with a staged reading being produced in New York, and my Mom accompanied me on a trip to the city for the reading. Thus began my love affair with this great city. Theatre and chorus became my life. And being a performer was never an accident again. Many of my greatest challenges and most thrilling successes have come from my involvement with theatre. And performing has shaped who I am throughout my life.
I grew up in the theatre. Literally.
My Mom homeschooled me up until sixth grade, so that left me free to take drama classes, be in the children’s chorus, and act in plays to my heart’s content. At twelve, I carried my first show as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (I also carried my very own dog, who played Toto, throughout most of the show, but that’s another story for another time!).
I don’t know what I’m pointing at. The Emerald City, perhaps? My Mom just said to point.
I drank my first cup of coffee because of the long hours we were keeping rehearsing and building the sets for The Wizard of Oz. I dyed my hair brown, learned how to shave my legs, and wore my first real bra for the role. I also first discovered the joy and the pain of walking in heels so that I could don those beautiful ruby slippers.
My greatest friends have come from my time spent in theatre.
When I was thirteen, my parents divorced and we moved across the country. Although I didn’t understand it at the time, I spent much of my freshman year of high school depressed. And despite the fact that I did have a few friends I’d made, I never really found my niche until sophomore year when I started hanging with the theatre kids.
I can’t even believe I’m posting a picture of my pre-mascara-and-hair-straightener days on the internet for all to see, but that awkward redhead is me and my best friend in the entire world, Clare, has her arm around me. Also: please note the brunette on the end in the cute skirt — that would be The Debutante Actor 😉
I hated my high school, so for me the saving graces of those four years were my amazingly wonderful chorus teacher, Ms. Davis; my dorky theatre kid friends; and the fact that I completely immersed myself in community theatre, often squeezing in three or four shows a semester! At sixteen, I was cast as Little Red in Into the Woods, and my lifelong, debilitating love of Sondheim was exacerbated:
I also got my first car — a little red ’87 Volkswagon Cabriolet on the same day as I got cast, so guess what my car was named? 🙂
I have built my life around theatre.
I only seriously applied to colleges in the New York area because I had known for SO LONG that New York was where I wanted to be. So at eighteen, I again moved cross-country to follow my dreams. Is it cliché? Yes. Is it true? Also yes.
In college, I learned a lot about myself and what it meant to be a real actor. It was a real journey of self-discovery for me (for all of us, I think), and except for a very short-lived crisis of faith sophomore year when I briefly contemplated law school, my commitment to theatre has never wavered.
Don’t mess with the ladies of Camille.
I developed my interest in fitness, and started running and spending time at the gym (my high school self was cringing inside) in order to be in fighting shape to take on this big, bad city. I also started perming my hair, rather than pincurling it before every freaking audition like I had been…I mean, what? These curls are totally natural.
Even my marriage started in acting class. I mean, let’s be real here. Were it not for theatre, I would definitely not be married to the same man. And I can say with relative certainty that we wouldn’t have gotten married in a theatre:
Rocking the theatre wedding. Yes, sir.
Unlike many adults who might measure their childhood by what street they lived on or what grade they were in, I remember mine based on what show I was in at the time. In fact, I still do that as a grown-up. And I like it that way. I have no idea where this crazy life of mine will lead, but I do know that theatre will always be a defining theme.
And I also know that the internet at large now has a lot more embarassing facts about me. C’est la vie.
The Green Room 