In the Callback Room
I love pretending. Which is why I love performing. Sometimes pretending is easy. It’s easy to perform your favorite song at an audition or perform in a callback as a character who is “right up your alley.”
But sometimes pretending is hard. I’m thinking specifically of being re-directed in a callback room, and trying to make my imagination go where the director wants it to go. Or harder still, doing a cold read for a character I know NOTHING about.
There are so many distractions in an audition. The size of the room, the extra person sitting in the corner, the piano player who can’t seem to keep a steady tempo, my shoes that I didn’t want to wear but my good pair went missing… my list could go on. Not to mention the roller coaster ride it took to get to the audition on time! And then the director says something like “Do you mind if we throw something at you? I want you to read for this person…” When my imagination isn’t enough to pull me thru something like this I can feel my brain shut down. Which is SUCH a mistake. Instead I need to put down the previous character and start building a new one in my head, making specific choices, rather than easy, general choices.
I think, for an actor, learning how to take new direction and instantly apply it is such an important skill. And it’s a skill that can’t be learned without the help of someone outside your own brain. And I’d venture to say it almost can’t be learned without pressure. Pressure like an audition or callback.
This is a slow process, a journey that takes time. So, dear actor friends, keep auditioning. And pushing yourself to do things that feel uncomfortable. Speaking of which, this post has made me realize I need to get back into some improv classes!
Non-Equity Deputy
{Kate now blogs about her family’s fulltime travel adventures at ophalenadventures.com and on IG @kateophalen. Join her there!}
***UPDATE 1/11/13: Because we get traffic to the site every day with people looking for this resource, and it’s been over a year since Non-Equity Deputy went defunct, we here at Green Room Blog are starting our own version of this site. Head over to The Actors Deputy section of our site to search for a theatre you’ve just got an offer from or leave a review on a theatre you’ve worked at!***
***UPDATE 1/4/12: It’s come to my attention that the site is currently down. I can’t find any information on what happened through my good ol’ pals google and twitter, so if anyone knows what’s going on with the site, please feel free to share it with us!***
One of the crazy (and fun!) things about being an actor is that your employer changes on a frequent basis. This makes our lives exciting, but it also means that a little bit of research and caution are due before accepting any job, especially with the career moves that are made before the union and an agent are involved.
Don’t you kinda wish that there was a website like RateMyProfessor.com, but for regional theatre companies? Well, wish no more! I ran into this genius site called Non-Equity Deputy the other day that lets actors via message boards discuss the living and working situations at regional theatre and touring companies.
Now of course, you have to take some of the negative opinions with a grain of salt, perhaps, but isn’t that a great resource for actors trying to decide if [insert random non-union summer gig here] is worth it? And also, what a clever name for a website, guys! Bravo.
Just thought I’d share what I found 🙂
No I’m not crazy, I’m just a Stage Manager!
Stage Managing is a compilation of acquired skills such as patience, script analysis, organization, obsessive compulsive disorder, physical strength, extreme attention to detail, and being able to answer ANY related question that begins with “What if…”
I’ve been asked numerous times: “Wait a minute, wait a minute, there are people out there who WANT to be stage managers?! WHY would anyone want to do that?”
So, true, there’s no Tony for Best Stage Managed Production. True, it’s the only tech position required to be at all rehearsals and all performances. True, SMs are responsible/in charge of almost everything to do with the show once it opens. True, 99% of common-folk [non-Thespians] have absolutely NO IDEA what a Stage Manager even is, and 60% of non-SM-Thespians don’t fully understand what the job entails. True: you are commonly and respectfully referred to as GOD.
One of my favorite SM quotes that says it all: “Perhaps, therefore, ideal stage managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds.” [source]
Yes, there are sadistic individuals like myself who thrive off of being a Stage Manager. I may curse the designers who obviously haven’t read any rehearsal reports [and sometimes, not even the script!!!], I may secretly want to gouge actors eyes out when they can’t memorize their damned lines or are inconsistent in their blocking, I may want to assassinate board ops who can’t respond to a “standby,” and I may threaten to strangle the director during tech if s/he doesn’t stop screaming in my ear when I’m trying to call a scene.
But…when a quick change problem can be solved with delayed calling of tech cues, when an “impossible” scene change can be done in record time while carefully choreographed, when an actor finally doesn’t trip over their “trouble line” – or when they simply say “thank you,” when a director is beaming on opening night, and – admittedly – when a board op misses a called cue because they “didn’t hear” the standby, I love my job.
There is nothing more powerful, humbling, and satisfying than to be in the back of a theatre after a successful show, eavesdropping on the audience while they wonder just who it is the actors and director are congratulating on Opening Night. Unnoticed, and in charge of more than the avid Theatre Goer could ever know, perhaps that is why Stage Managers are called GOD. It’s not an easy job, but perhaps one of the most rewarding…and we don’t have to deal with that “in the spotlight” stuff. I wear Black, therefore I’m invisible and a force to be reckoned with. Not everyone’s in this game to make a name for themselves: I bet you can name over 10 directors, 10 actors, 10 playwrights, and maybe 5 designers you haven’t worked with…how many stage managers you’ve never worked with can you name? Remember that the next time you are tempted to give attitude to your SM, and respect the unique and difficult job they do. Remember to say “thank you” when you steal their pencils, it’s always appreciated.
An idea for actor flex-time
There are two sides of the coin to living the actors’ life, with no “day job.” On one side, there is no stability. On the other hand, there is extreme flexibility in the use of time.
So here’s an idea:
You’ve heard it before, but it’s true… volunteering can add so much to your life, especially as a professional working in what can be a very self-centered industry.
(Heck, even if you aren’t vain, as an actor, you spend an awful lot of time contemplating your look and brand).
So I encourage you to take the focus off yourself, at least once in a while, by volunteering. I can guarantee you will return to your creative work with a new and useful outlook.
For the past two years, I’ve volunteered a day a week with hospice patients in the Bronx. This type of work isn’t for everyone, but it works for me and I feel honored to do it. And I’ve learned so much from the friends I’ve made in hospice.
But you don’t need that level of commitment. Even a day here or there, working on special projects is huge and important and special. And New York City makes it really easy for you to volunteer. Their website: NYC Service lets you search for volunteer opportunities by location, commitment hours, and skill set. And yes, singing, acting, writing, producing, dancing and even reading out loud are skills that are useful to volunteer organizations.
And before you ask: no, I’m not independently wealthy. I struggle to make rent each month like many of you. But I don’t see volunteering as a detraction from making a living (though time at hospice certainly puts the idea of money into a different perspective).
I know we have thousands of options to fill up our flexible actor-time. I hope you can consider volunteering in whatever capacity you can.
Everyone Out of the Mainstream
I don’t usually watch television. As a dramaturg, unless a project specifically calls for some pop culture research, I find myself mostly with my nose in a book. But a few weeks ago I got a phone call from a close friend of mine (I will call him JM); it went something like this:
Me: Hello?
JM: OMG! There is a dramaturg on Law and Order: CI.
Me: I’m sure there are many dramaturgs that work on that show.
JM: NO! Like, actually ON the show. As a character in the story!
Me: Wow! Reallly?
JM: Yea! I thought you were the only one. I guess you guys have really hit the mainstream.
Of course, I found and watched it online as soon as I got home. The specific episode that my friend was referring to is titled Icarus and features a stunning Cynthia Nixon as she parodies the Taymor / Spiderman debacles in a new and amusingly familiar way. But the best parts for me were, of course, were the reactions to the Dramaturg at hand (who is continually mislabeled the Director’s Assistant). To be honest, I thought that the social medias would be all a twitter about this. But sadly I saw only a select few of tweets and next to no response from the theatre communities at large. Perhaps it is because **SPOILER ALERT** the Dramaturg turns out to be the killer and therefore, the “bad guy.” I am truly conflicted on this issue. On the one hand, I am excited that the word (and the profession of) Dramaturgy is being introduced on the small screen and on such a popular show. However, he turns out to be the bad guy. So… I ask you, how is a Dramaturg to feel? How would you feel if one of the first introductions to the mainstream media of your profession was a negative one? Is bad publicity better than no publicity? For those who have seen the show, how did you feel about that character in terms of their role in the story? For those of you who have not seen it, I’d like to share with you my favorite part. The following is the first scene of the episode where the Dramaturg is introduced. Just the look on Vincent D’onofrio’s face reminds me of the endless looks of confusion I get as I try to introduce my profession to the less-than-mainstream audiences I encounter on a daily basis. The fun starts about 40 seconds into the clip. Enjoy!
When Did We Stop Being Artists?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about art and expression, and some of the fears that actors have as we try to explore the things that inspire us. There so much of an emphasis on doing “good” work, so much energy put into work that can propel you “to the next level.” I’ve started wondering — when did we stop creating art because it was fun to be expressive? To tell stories? To pretend to be someone else, and show off these characters to our family and friends? Thinking back, and I think everything changes when people hit that magic age of 7 — the “age of reason.”
I’m at the point where many of my friends are starting to have children, and one common element you find in each parents’ home is the refrigerator filled with drawings from their child. Heck, even if you aren’t a parent, if you know children you probably have a piece of artwork hanging on your wall. Or a batch of photos from a child’s recital. Or a video from a school play. Parents and family members weep happily at the sight of a child expressing him/herself in an artistic way.
And then, at some point, this stops. Parents stop encouraging artistry. Drawings are removed from refrigerators and videos are put in the cabinet (to be pulled out when the child is 16 and bringing her boyfriend to the house for the first time. Oh yeah, we’ve all been there.) What happened? I have a theory — The Age of Reason is killing art.
According to Scholastic.com, the Age of Reason is described as:
“Few parents would argue with the observation that children age 6 and younger do not have great control over their feelings and impulses. Nor is your very young child likely to take genuine responsibility for her actions, or heed adults’ urging to be considerate of others… It is not until the age of 7, give or take a year or so, that your child’s conscience begins to mature enough to guide her actions…It’s been called the “Age of Reason,” since these children have a newly internalized sense of right and wrong… At 7 “plus or minus one,” your child begins to problem-solve in a new way, using reason rather than pure intuition. He can separate fantasy from reality; and so can be expected to know and tell the truth… At about 7, fears are no longer of monsters, but of real people, and most of all of not being liked, being different, and risking loneliness. Pride and shame are real now too. Real, rather than simply imagined achievement, enhances self-esteem…”
Not only do children lose the ability to fantasize without embarrassment, but it’s also the people around who change their viewpoints on their children’s artistic impulses. At an early stage, a child singing out of tune is adorable, at another point, the child is hushed and told not to sing. Children and adults, alike, stop painting pictures because they tell themselves, “I’m not good at it,” and forget that creating art is about expression, not about excellence.
“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily.” — Thomas Szasz
Of course, if one wants to make money at an artistic profession, that’s when excellence becomes important. But in the striving for excellence, many actors forget that joy of creating and playing for fear that it won’t live up to some standard that world has set for them.
So, I am challenging myself, and the artists around me, to nurture their inner artist and beg it to come out to play. Find an environment where you can practice being expressive and go hog wild. Pretend to be bigger and badder than you ever dreamed possible. Will yourself into a new reality that gives you a visceral charge. Fight the Age of Reason and awaken your imagination in the way we did as children.
As a side note: it’s also around the age of 7 that we stop unabashedly seeking an audience. When’s the last time you ever saw an adult jump into a crowded room, do a little two step, then chime, “Ta-da!” to elicit applause? For once, I want to do something silly and have a bunch of adults exclaim, “Yayyyyy!”
What came first: the World, the Character, or the Story?
Alright, I’m not all Stage Manager, I’m a playwright at heart and want to discuss some technique with you.
I’m currently working on 2 separate collaborations of new pieces with different artists. For one, I am mostly helping with Story Development and Artistic Direction while my colleague is the Playwright. For the other, it is completely opposite. I love to throw myself into what I like to call, pardon my crudeness, “Creative Orgies.” An “orgy” is defined as “uncontrolled indulgence in an activity” [source]; in this case the “activity” in using your imagination and creating something. A Creative Orgy could be as simple as bouncing ideas off of one another in a coffee shop or as complex as taking a pre-planned retreat with an artist[s] and the nature of the trip is solely to create something, either independently or together. Occasionally, Creative Orgies turn into professional Collaboration.
Collaborations are a different beast all on their own, as it takes two (or more) minds and melds them into one work. You behave differently and the Creative Process can change depending on if you’re working alone or with others. As a Collaborator, I like to talk in person with my colleague in a calm environment over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee to map out some ideas, then (if I’m the playwright) I’ll work independently on the script or (if I’m the developer) go over details and inconsistencies in the notes and progress of the work.
If I’m “flying solo,” as is more typical, I still put myself in a calming environment, there is usually hot coffee involved, and almost always background music. I like to keep my skills and techniques fresh and sharp, especially if I have to discipline myself into working productively alone. Two Great books containing Imagination Techniques and Inspiration Stories I always keep handy (yes, they were produced by Disney): The Imagineering Way and The Imagineering Workout. These books were created by going to the Disney Imagineers and saying “give me something about being an Imagineer to put in a book” some typed anecdotes, others drew a sketch, and some scribbled on napkins, and the results were compiled into these books. Great for curing that Writer’s Block. They are all about the individuals creative process, why and how they create.
So, that leads me to the question posed.
What came first: the World, the Character, or the Story?
Usually as a Playwright [occasionally as a Developer], I begin with the World. I personally cannot formulate a Story until I’ve set up the “rules” of the world. What I mean by the “rules” is not only the setting [location, time period] but defining the Reality of the way the Story is told. To determine the Reality, I think of possibilities i.e.: will the characters be providing the audience back story information directly via monologues (Three Days of Rain); or will there be little to no set or props in a conceptual setting (Our Town); or is it a perfectly realistic “Slice of Life” for very real characters in everyday situations (Months on End), or life-changing Realism (A Doll’s House); etc. Once I’ve established all the components of the World, I can move on in my Creative Process.
Occasionally as a Playwright [almost never as a Developer], I begin with a clear outline of the Character. The Character[s] is not simply a name, gender, age, and occupation; but has a personality, desires, hopes, dreams, and their own perspective of Reality. If I begin with the Character[s], usually the setting falls in place and the Reality of the World is strongly influenced by the Reality of the Character. Regardless of when in my process the Character is created, he/she/it always starts with a full name. There is something jarring and intimately personal about someone saying your full name. Maybe it’s because that’s how we’re scolded as a child and it makes us tense, but either way a concrete name is a strong foundation on which to build a character.
Usually as a Developer [almost never as a Playwright], I begin with the Story. The Story is more than the plot, it is a formula in which the inciting incident directly affects the rising action, which in turn affects the climax, which determines the falling action and finally: the resolution. The Story, if an adaptation, is a map of comparisons, similarities, plot & event timelines, and creative liberties intended to make the work stand on its own. When it comes time in my process to create the Story, I tend to start with the rising action, followed by the climax, which leads me to the inciting incident, then the falling action and the resolution.
So, when writing, what comes first for you in your Creative Process: the World, the Character, or the Story?
Horror Story Auditions part 1
In honor of a recent audition that didn’t go how I wanted, I have decided to start a series of my favorite audition stories…
Once upon an ordinary day a few years ago, I had an audition for a musical. Being the responsible actress I am, I put off picking up copies I needed of my headshot until 2 hours before my audition. When I finished that, I had an hour to get to my audition. But realized I left my cellphone at home. So I jump in my car and start driving, only to realize my gas light was on. I sit at a stoplight, starting to worry. In an attempt to calm my thoughts and prepare for my audition, I reach to the back seat of my car for my water bottle, and SNAP! The strap of my dress popped off!
So lets see: no phone, no gas in my car, and oh yeah, ruined outfit!
Well, I had no choice but to go home. I grabbed a sweater to throw over my now dysfunctional dress, traded cars with my dad, and found my phone.
I had 42 minutes to drive 55 miles to my audition, at a theater I had never been to before. Somehow I made it on time, and with 3 minutes to sit and breathe! I really don’t remember how fast I drove, but I’m still amazed I made it before my audition slot.
Sometimes I count an audition as successful if I am able to show up. Callback or not, it doesn’t matter. I had a successful audition that day simply because I didn’t stay home!
I want to hear your worst audition stories Green Room Blog Readers! I KNOW you can top mine! Please share!
The Green Room 