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4/26 - Vocal Toned
4/19 - A Model Citizen
4/12 - Milk for Free
3/15 - Envy Me Not
3/8 - Giving More
3/1 - Don't Fail to Mail
2/14 - Steadily Improv-ing
1/31 - On Your Voice? Get Set. Go!
1/24 - Let's Get Physical
1/17 - Pick Up The Slack
1/3 - Shoot Yourself in the Head, Not the Foot
12/19 - Choosing Your Path
12/19 - What's My Line, Anyway?
12/12 - Getting Mono
12/5 - The Choice is Yours
11/28 - Yay, Theatre Club!
10/12 - Madness to the Method
9/14 - Be True to You
9/8 - Class Acts
8/31 - You've Got Some Nerve
8/17 - The Green-Eyed Actor
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I've had an awful lot of fun writing lately. It started with theatre reviews, and now I'm writing the Start Here column and some freelance interviews for BackstageWest.
Here's the link to my interview with Donna Morong, the SVP of feature casting @ Disney. Since the other stuff is only available by subscription, I've posted that below.
 Click Here
I've written two series for Serial Killers. The Super-Sad Life of the Two-Headed She-Beast premiered on 4/15/06 and lasted two episodes - c'mon it was my first try! Roxy in the Foxy Den, premiered 10/14/06 and lasted three episodes. Okay, slight improvement...and blowing up my character on my birthday was pretty fun.
My theatre reviews are under a pseudonym, so you can't see 'em! Hey, I know what side my bread is buttered on. Oh, and I wrote a book. Yaaaay. More info on that later...until then, here's some inspiration for young actors coming at you...
4/26 - Vocal Toned
There is no tool more important to an actor than his or her voice. While the body must also be a conduit for the life we give our characters, it is our voice’s job to most fully communicate their needs. Thusly, you must always remember to care for your vocal cords as you would your body, in order to assure maximum performance capacity.
Vocal warm-ups are absolutely essential to a performer. Perhaps you are a “method” actor and tell yourself that your character does not do vocal warm-ups, and therefore you should not do them before playing that role. While this justification may make sense in theory, it does not ultimately serve you or the character. You have to take your own anxiety into account, a factor that will hinder vocal production in audition or performance situations. Executing a vocal warm-up will connect you to your voice, making it flow more easily from a grounded place within you. Should you continue to balk at the concept of warming up, perhaps thinking your character should sound rough or hoarse, you may even do damage to yourself. Contrary to what you might think, such a character choice demands even more extensive preparation. Affecting a growl is very taxing to the vocal cords, and you will be able to do so longer and more comfortably with a limber larynx. To not warm-up is tantamount to running a marathon without first stretching.
So of what does a warm-up consist? This is up to you. You may hear your fellow performers making all kinds of funny noises they have picked up in their classes. You may glean some exercises from them, or from taking a vocal class of your own. Even a search on the internet will turn up some ideas to get your mouth moving. Generally, these warm-ups will focus on articulation and sound production, with a strong focus on backing up your voice with your diaphragm. A simple and popular exercise for achieving the latter includes exhaling with a high tone that descends to a lower tone which you hold until you run out of air, while tongue twisters are great warm-ups for sharpening your elocution.
With the exception of a theatrical performance, when a physical and vocal warm-up is built into your call-time, you should always arrive vocally prepared. Actor s that do vocal exercises in the hallway before auditions do not look like professionals, but instead distract from other performers in silent preparation. Your warm-up should be a solitary act, readying you to speak from the point of view of the character you have created.
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4/19 - A Model Citizen
Perhaps getting headshots taken is not a problem for you. You relish your time with the camera: It brings you to life, and you talk to it as you would a treasured friend. If this is the case, you may find that print modeling is an excellent professional avenue for you to follow.
At the onset of their careers, many actors find that print agents are the most accessible. You may not think you are model material, but you’d be surprised. Many print agents are seeking all types at all times. Contrary to fashion modeling, commercial print demands “real” people, and the best thing that you can be is yourself. The more specific a type you are, the better, so long as you can let your spirit shine through the camera’s lens.
A print modeling audition is called a go-see: You go and they see you. As in most auditions, it can be daunting to see a room full of people waiting for the same job as you, but it’s a great training ground for all other aspects of performance. You must be comfortable enough with yourself to walk into the room and give your all, usually for only one instant in front of the camera. Once you realize that modeling is a nonverbal form of acting, you will feel much freer with the concept. Just as in performance, if you give yourself strong motivations for the actions in your shot, you will be a standout.
It is not necessary to get special modeling shots taken, as print agencies will often accept your headshots. Once you book work, you can use the resulting shots to make composites, or comp cards, which can broaden your reach in the industry. Comp cards are typically 5x7 cards that include three or more pictures of you in different scenarios. If money is not an issue, you can find photographers who will shoot print-type shots—for example, you as a mom, you as a nurse, and you as a lawyer.
Figure out what types of jobs you’re suitable for before deciding on the looks you’ll convey. Look in magazines for people with similar appearances. You might not be the new face of that big cosmetics line, but perhaps you would be a perfect representative for computer software or allergy medicine. Even if it’s not your ultimate goal, print modeling offers good training and experience.
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4/12 - Milk for Free
It is a well-known axiom that you won’t be able to sell the cow if you give away the milk for free. True as this may be for farmers and Paris Hilton, it doesn’t hold for those attempting to break into the acting profession. Unfortunately, there are so many people who long to work in this field that most of them will work for nothing just to get the opportunity.
The fact that so few acting jobs pay can be frustrating if you’ve just come out of school with a mountain of debt. Faced with the necessity of working full-time to meet your financial burdens, you will likely find yourself working your craft for free on evenings and weekends. It is an exhausting life, though it’s one that will grant discipline and humility. But when should you cease to purvey your art without recompense?
There is no hard and fast answer for this question. You should continue to work without pay in whichever mediums you require further training. It is unlikely that you will emerge from school prepared to carry a feature film. Doing such things for free will afford you the opportunity to learn the nuances of on-set and on-camera behavior. Until you can build a body of work, very few people are going to take the risk of casting you. Eventually you may find that you can begin to refuse unpaid film work but you still see the value in doing theatre for free. As the demand for your services increases, your demand for remuneration should follow suit. It may also be that you get paid for one job but return to unpaid work to keep yourself in shape or because you believe in the project. Just as with A-list actors, you’ll be drawn to certain projects despite a smaller or nonexistent paycheck.
The sad truth of this business is that there are plenty of people willing to exploit your desire to perform. Be sure you know what the intended audience is for the work you are doing. If producers are looking to sell the finished product, there should be a contract that ensures you get paid when that happens. Read all such contracts thoroughly. At all levels of the business, you may find people seeking to get away with more from you than agreed on. This is why the unions were created. Never be ashamed to question something that seems fishy on a contract. If you don’t value yourself as a business commodity, nobody else will either.
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3/15 - Envy Me Not
Acting is such a competitive field that it is difficult to not let jealousy come into play. As we’ve discussed in this column before, comparing yourself with others will lead only to bitterness, desperation, and probably a lack of success. But how does one deal with jealousy in others?
Do you feel scorned in your acting community? Do you assume others are envious of your talent, looks, or successes? Plenty of parents tell their teased children that tormentors are just jealous. This justification can certainly ease the sting of mockery, but it can also insulate a child from taking responsibility for his or her own behavior. Your peers may very well be jealous of you, but you may be unnecessarily stoking that jealousy. In a field in which your accomplishments could mean another’s heartache, be reserved in the discussion of your successes. In the magnificent words of Marianne Williamson, in a speech frequently attributed to Nelson Mandela, “There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.” While that is so, Williamson was probably never subjected to an actor spouting his credits at length or the myriad compliments that actor got for such and such a part.
Sometimes the sharing of your accomplishments is best-received among a small group of supportive friends. In general, rather than speak of all you’ve achieved, it is best to let your work speak for itself. There is a fine line to tread. In a business based in self-promotion, yet another skill to learn is when to talk about yourself. When you are asked about your work, you should speak of it proudly. However, when others are talking about their success, do not automatically pipe in with your own recent coup. Letting other people occasionally have the spotlight is always gracious and appreciated.
If you behave with humility and still find that you are met with envy, reconsider the perpetrator’s value as a friend. There are people who will treat everything as a competition, even going so far as to diminish your accomplishments. These people who do not support you, who are not proud of your every success, are not only false friends but also detriments to your well-being. Don’t continue to entertain these drains on your energy. To revisit and paraphrase Williamson: The jealous may ask us, “Who are you to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous,” and you must always respond, “Actually, who am I not to be?”
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3/8 - Giving More
You just finished your audition and it went great. You feel fantastic and you can tell that the casting director is excited by your work. So excited, in fact, they ask you to show them “more.” You may wonder what more they could possibly want when you have just so fully realized the scene, however, the more you can give, the better. So what exactly is a casting director looking for when they ask to see “more?”
In some cases, as when you have delivered a monologue, they are asking whether or not you have other, contrasting monologues prepared. Preparing as many varying pieces as possible to have at your disposal is a great asset. Generally, however, a casting director just wants to see more of what you can do with the same material. A former teacher of mine used to say, “the menu of your choices is a measure of your talent.” This means that you have some work to do if you can think of only one approach to a scene. There is never just one correct cadence with which to deliver your lines, and directors want to know that you can offer them more than one option. Rather than trying to recite lines the way you hear them in your head, you should think of several varied and distinct ways of approaching a scene.
For example, you may change your attitude toward the person you are speaking with, or the way the circumstances affect you. Each new influence should alter your performance. Imagine your single line is, “Can I help you?” It seems pretty simple and straightforward, but imagine that you have to ask to help that person after you’ve just been handed a final warning notice from your boss. Now consider the same line delivered as if you have a first date after you get off work in five minutes. Both circumstances will dramatically alter your delivery of the line and will show the casting director two wholly different aspects of your performance.
While my aforementioned teacher would also say, “when you are listening, your choices are automatic,” you should make your choices before your audition. Be prepared to offer an alternative (or several!) in case it is asked for. If you only get one shot, make the choice that is most interesting to you. Often, casting directors will ask for more simply to weed out those who are unprepared. If you cannot confidently alter your own choices at a moment’s notice, then you will likely have trouble letting a director’s notes influence you as well.
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3/1 - Don't Fail to Mail
Talent notwithstanding, a mass mailing is one of the most important tools at an actor’s disposal. Marketing can be frustrating for some actors, but a steady flow of headshots and post cards is one of the few ways for you to get in front of people in the industry. Mailings will often seem fruitless. You may get little or no response. However, be assured that with every stamp you affix, you are building the valuable asset of name recognition.
Considering the hundreds of agents, casting directors, managers, and producers out there, you may fear the expense involved with a mailing. This is why it is essential that you hone your list of recipients, so as not to waste time or money. Ross Reports—which lists the names and current addresses of accredited agents and casting directors, and is updated monthly—is a great resource. It is available by hard-copy or online subscription through RossReports.com or BackStage.com (under the “Products & Services” drop-down menu) and at Samuel French bookstores (www.samuelfrench.com for locations).
As a fledgling performer, you may want to focus your mailings on agents; few casting directors accept direct submissions. Still, if there are projects you think you would be perfect for, initiating contact with the people casting them can be worthwhile. And if you are particularly impassioned about an upcoming role, try targeting the producer. Ross Reports lists the contact information for films and television projects currently in production.
Another important feature in Ross Reports is the listing of agents’ specialties. This makes targeting representation easier: Do you need an agent who focuses on adults, children, soaps, voiceovers, theatre, commercials? Other publications, such as The Agencies (www.actingworldbooks.org), further elucidate whether a firm is seeking new talent and what specifically each agent is looking for. Creating a focused mailing list will help you make the most of your time and resources. Check the information before every mailing, however, because mailing to a wrong address or to an agent no longer with the firm not only wastes money but also looks unprofessional.
Once you have prepared your list—and checked it twice—you should first send a headshot and résumé, along with a very short note of introduction. After that, send post cards every four to eight weeks, letting your targets know what you have achieved since they last heard from you. If you have nothing new to report after a couple of months—be it a different class, a callback, or a booking—then you don’t need to send a post card, but you do need to make something happen for your career.
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2/14 - Steadily Improv-ing
Even if you don’t think you’d be good at thinking on your feet, you should take at least one class in improvisation. As a matter of fact, the more uncomfortable you are with the idea of improv, the more classes you should take. The reason for this is that the tenets of improvisation mirror those of “traditional” acting. For example, in acting, you should be listening and responding as though for the first time. In improv, you cannot help but do so. In acting, you must accept and live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. This is the very foundation of improvisation.
If you shy away from improv because you think of yourself as a “serious actor,” you are denying yourself a new range of experience. In fact, you may find that you truly excel at it, for the best improvisers are often the best actors. Perhaps you do not consider yourself a funny person, but this is not necessarily the goal of improv. You can find several classes in which the focus is not on comedy, but on the social ease aspect of the improvisational art. Even at the famed Groundlings improvisational school in Los Angeles, you are taught not to go for the joke, but that the comedy comes from responding honestly as the character you have created.
As to how to find the class that is right for you, look up the various schools in your area. See their shows and talk to their students to get a feel for which one is best suited to you. All improv studios that offer classes will have someone available to speak with who will guide you to which of their offerings would be most applicable to your performance needs.
If you ever feel anxious before auditions or performances, studying improv will be a great way to free you from that. It will help you to loosen up, listen to yourself and others, as well as aiding your level of commitment to your scene. Improv will also grant ease to the interview aspect of auditions, which is so frequently unnerving to actors.
Many agents and casting directors will tell you that a background in improvisation is one of the first things that they look for on an actor’s resume. This is because improvisation necessitates grace under fire, an absolute must for excelling as an actor in the entertainment industry. After all, when something goes wrong on a set or a stage – as things so frequently can – do you want an actor that can keep going forward, unruffled, or an actor who will panic and further complicate matters? Experience with improvisation can keep you from being the latter.
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1/31 - On your Voice? Get Set. Go!
Perhaps the most important and least understood necessity of being an actor is being able to speak. Sure, you tell yourself, you can do that, but are you truly just speaking? Oftentimes, fledgling actors think they have to project a certain quality from their voice, a “way” of saying the lines, or they deliver their verses dripping with intended emotion. However, if you watch accomplished actors or, heck, just watch people talking, you should be able to note that their speech lacks the excessive nuances of a wannabe thespian.
It is very difficult, initially, to let go and trust yourself, particularly when you fixate on a desired emotional outcome of the scene. If you think that you should be “angry” or “sad,” and perform thusly, you can be certain that the result will be flat or even shrill. A great example of this is Naomi Watts’ audition sequence in Mulholland Drive. When her character first reads for the director and producers, she is trying to be a certain way and playing what she believes the scene should be. Nobody is impressed. However, when she surrenders and allows herself to listen and respond to the other actor, the room is in awe. The energy of the scene is electrified because it is honest, and the interaction now seems to be about something else entirely. It is the ability to surrender thusly that will separate you from the pack.
Getting to this place of emotional honesty will likely take a lot of time and hard work, and there are no quick fixes. Try reading text aloud in your normal speaking voice as much as possible. Kristin Linklater’s book “Freeing the Natural Voice” is helpful, and there are voice classes, particularly in the Linklater technique, which focus on this particular skill. Likewise, a good vocal warm-up is a pre-performance necessity to making certain that sound is flowing, unobstructed, through the instrument of your body.
When your voice emanates from within you whilst performing, it is considered “dropped in,” and this means you are “on your voice.” Esoteric? Yes. Ephemeral? Definitely. It will probably take years of practice until you are able to speak from your gut and not your conception of what the line should be. With the possible exception of Shakespearean performance, in which “how” you say the line is of utmost rhythmic importance, the timber of your delivery should never be predetermined. The way a line of dialogue comes from you should be a spontaneous result of listening to the other actor and responding honestly. In fact, the word “how” should be stricken from your performance vocabulary, focusing instead on who, what, where and when. When you know these things, “how” is answered on its own.
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1/24 - Let’s Get Physical
Ever been on stage or in an audition when you suddenly become painfully aware of your own body? Your arms hang limp and you have no idea what to do with them. You are supposed to walk across the room and it feels awkward to do so. It may feel as though you’ve been overtaken by alien body-snatchers, but the only thing invading you in this case is self-consciousness.
Part of the reason for this problem is that very little acting training focuses on the crucial physical side of performance. The things your characters are saying should be expressed with your body as wholly as they are with your voice. After all, everybody moves when they speak. Performance is an art which takes time to master, and you will grow more physically comfortable with time and practice. Until then, there are some steps you can take to speed along the process.
Doing a thorough physical warm-up prior to going on stage is essential. Simple stretching will allow you to relinquish the tension that will bind you in performance. Learning where you hold tension in your body – often in the shoulders – and how to release it will make you a more supple conduit of expression. You may also try to move about or dance erratically while rehearsing your lines. This can help you to free your body, in addition to securing text in your head regardless of distractions. There are also many movement classes available for actors. Alexander Technique, Suzuki, Viewpoints and Feldenkreis are all very useful and popular, but even simple dance and yoga classes would be helpful.
Some actors choose to map out their every movement, so that it becomes second nature to their performance. While that may eliminate the guesswork of what to do with your body, it may also hinder spontaneity, which is what one of the goals of acting should be. If you are thinking about every physical nuance you’d like to make, it’s not likely that you are reacting to your character’s circumstances. As always, the best way to remain unselfconscious is to be focused on the action of the scene, for then you won’t have the time or energy to worry about what your body is doing.
If you do find yourself distracted, however, by the very presence of your arms or position of your legs, make the awkwardness that of your character. As human beings, we all feel uncomfortable on occasion. Instead of panicking, acknowledge your stiffness, shake it out and then concentrate on the matters at hand – so to speak.
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1/17 - Pick Up the Slack
I was told recently that, as an actor, you’re doing more than half your competition just by showing up. Really. Apparently, there is a large portion of the actor population that doesn’t even bother to take advantage of the opportunities given to them. This is a travesty, and it’s part of what gives actors a bad name. Although it may run contrary to the inspiration of last week’s New Year column, consider this a necessary, if unpleasant, wake-up call.
If you are reading this column, and this paper, you’ve got a good start. You are interested in what it takes to become an actor, rather than flailing blindly toward your lofty goal. However, if you skip an audition, whether you just forgot or something else came up, maybe you should re-think your passions. Perhaps you find yourself missing a lot of acting class or not wanting to rehearse between classes with your scene partner. You keep saying you need new headshots, but just bought yourself an iPod. You’d rather read Danielle Steele than the story of Eleanora Duse. If all these things sound familiar, you must ask yourself: is being an actor really my priority? Saying you are an actor but doing little to back up that fact not only serves to make you look foolish, but it also decreases the dignity of every hard-working actor there is. Sound strict? It is. There is a reason why the art of acting is called a “discipline.”
You should be reading as much as you can about the field. Rent movies to watch the work of great actors, past and present. Take as many classes as possible. Work in local theatre. Pound the pavement to get yourself noticed by agents and managers. Can you still sit around and watch tv? Yes, but it should become a more mindful viewing. You should watch, not just your favorites, but all the programs available to see the different tones being set and work being done. You should even pay special attention to the commercials, as this is likely to be a place for you to get a foothold in the industry.
If you truly want to succeed in this business, you must have a single-minded focus. It’s always easier to think about that big date coming up than it is to work on your lines, but if you notice that your attentions are waning, you’ll see that your success level will follow. Just like the stock market, you’ll find that returns are in direct correlation to your level of investment. Ask yourself, could I do anything else in life? If the answer is yes, than please do. If the answer is no, well then, honey, what are you waiting for?
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1/3 - Shoot Yourself in the Head...
Getting headshots is as scary to actors as the name of the practice suggests. It is daunting to know that the investment you are making is going to represent you for the next couple of years, and therefore very easy to get carried away with the thinking that, if the shoot doesn’t go well, neither will your career. Unfortunately, it is just this fear that will endanger your finished product.
The thing is, as an actor, there should never be trepidation involved with getting in front of the camera. Your comfort before the lens is unlikely to be instantaneous, but if the prospect of getting headshots terrifies you, you need to adjust your thinking entirely. You are, after all, signing up for a career of communicating with cameras. While you may argue that taking headshots is not acting, the opposite is true. The only difference should be that your scene partner is now in the lens. These are the same tools you utilize when performing a monologue, and they will come in handy for any commercials, modeling and to-camera testimonials you may encounter – so you’d better get used to them!
A good way to get increase your on-camera ease is to have your friends take pictures of you. Sure, you will be more comfortable with your peers, but it will certainly get you in the mode of communicating at length with the camera. You should focus on the attempt to capture different aspects of yourself without forcing them. Tell the camera a joke or sad story. Get mad at it. Most importantly: just be. This is what will be examined in your pictures: your ease, spirit, depth and openness, not to mention the way you actually look.
This is why finding the right photographer is essential as, ideally, the person shooting will coax these things from you. Look at headshot galleries online and at the pictures of your fellow thespians. See what you respond to most in terms of style and research the prices of the photographers to whom you are drawn. Meet with them to discuss their process and yours, and make certain you feel comfortable with and can afford them. Having budgetary restrictions is certainly understandable, but you should not let price rule your decision. Headshots are, after all, an investment in your career, so this is no time to be thrifty. While it is possible to get good headshots for a low price, many expensive photographers are thus because of demand for their skill at capturing actors well. Similarly, if you are new to the business and have never shot headshots before, you may not be well served by going to the most popular, expensive studio. Only if you are prepared, comfortable and excited to share your gift with the world will you be able to walk away with headshots that capture both you and your audience.
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12/19 - Choosing Your Path
Acting is a very individual process. You may find that you respond to some techniques better than others in order to achieve your performance goals. So how do you go about choosing the method that works best for you?
First you should know about the different methods available for study. For the most part, modern acting philosophies find their root in the teachings of the Russian master Stanislavski. He was the first to propose a mode of performance based more in truthful communication than the presentational approach that was prevalent at the time.
Springing from Stanislavski’s teachings are the methods of his American disciples Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. The chief difference between these methods lies in Strasberg’s reliance on “sense memory,” or the usage of past events to recall the emotions applicable to the scene you are trying to play. Believing that focusing on past events distracts from the task at hand, Adler and Meisner rely more on the attempt to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” They claim that this allows you to be more honestly affected by the scene you are in. Meisner, in particular, stresses the importance of listening to the other actor -- a skill that is more difficult than it sounds – which he maintains you can attain through rigorous “repetition” exercises. There is also Uta Hagen, who touts a more physical viewpoint. Additionally, vocal training is the essence of the classical style of performance, often referred to as the “British” school.
It is impossible to say which approach is right for you. Indeed, you may find that you are best served by combining portions of each. Heck, you may even end up agreeing with playwright David Mamet’s assertion that “acting education” is a contradiction of terms and that lines are best delivered without any inflection whatsoever. A good basis for any actor is an improvisational education. Even if you don’t consider yourself a comedian, improvisation is a great way to free yourself on stage and get you listening to your scene partner. Once you are capable of that, you can apply the techniques passed down from the masters, which are so necessary to the practice of this ephemeral art.
The best course you can take in making your decision is to read the books of these teachings (Adler’s “The Art of Acting,” Hagen’s “Respect for Acting,” Mamet’s “True and False,” Meisner’s “On Acting,” Strasberg’s “Acting: A Handbook of the Stanislavksi Method,” Stanislavski’s “An Actor Prepares”) and to take sample classes based in each of these philosophies. Whichever method makes most sense to you, and to which you respond most viscerally, is the one you should commit yourself to. After all, the most important tenet of this art, and this business, is commitment.
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12/19 - What's My Line, Anyway
A frequently asked question of actors is “how do you memorize all those lines?” Admittedly, it is also one of the toughest to answer. A talent for memorization is helpful in this business, but not every performer is thusly blessed. Fortunately, just like you’d go to the gym to work your biceps, the ability to memorize lines is a muscle that will become stronger the more you exercise it.
There are many techniques you can employ in your pursuits. Re-writing the text by hand is a great way to solidify the script in your mind. Further to that, some recommend you make your copy without the benefit of punctuation or capitalization, so that you are not influenced by speech patterns and can learn the words by rote. Learning something by rote means doing so without inflection. Although many writers or directors may question this method, the thinking behind it is that you will know the words only, and they will be delivered in accordance with how you are feeling in each performance. This may be more challenging, but it is a very useful tool to keep you from slipping into a rhythm with which you say your lines.
For the technologically inclined, typing your words into a table is also a neat trick. In a two-column table, you can put your lines on the left and the lines of others – or just your cues – on the right. This way, when you print the page and fold it in half, you can easily look at your cues and attempt to recall your response, referring to the opposite side as necessary. Similarly, you could use a tape to record your cues, leaving dead air time during which you would say your lines. While this is the closest you will get to approximating actual rehearsal -- the best way to learn lines – there is danger in it. Once again, you should attempt to respond to your cues either by rote, or with a different intention each time, so as to avoid ingraining in your head a particular way of saying the line.
If you are fortunate, you will have a scene partner or imagination that will always give you something new to respond to, and thusly your lines will have a fresh perspective with each delivery. The most important aspect to memorizing, after all, is to know your character and the circumstances inside and out. This way, you won’t panic when you forget your lines and, rest assured, no matter how hard you prepare, it will happen in the course of your career. Instead, you’ll be able to rely on the reality of the situation to find your way back to the text. After all, when you know whom you are playing, it’s far easier to recall what you are saying.
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12/12 - Getting Mono
One of the most challenging roadblocks for an actor is that of the monologue. How do you pick the piece that's right for you? How do you know if the one you've chosen is overdone? How do you keep your monologue fresh? This fear drives many an actor to distraction, and oft the cry of "I hate monologues!" can be heard amongst our ranks.
The first thing you must do when approaching a monologue is learn to love them, as they offer opportunities to show your work. You may respond that monologues are contrary to the interactive nature of performance, and therefore a poor indicator of talent. There are many people that agree with you, but at the same time, nobody argues that monologues are a sure-fire way of weeding out the able from the unprepared. An actor that is uneasy performing a monologue will likely be anxious on stage or film as well.
Key to success with your monologue is choosing the piece that is appropriate for you. While you may identify strongly with a speech made by a character 20 years your senior, this would not be a suitable choice. You should always select a monologue from a role in which you could feasibly be cast. This is not to say that your selection must be from a play. Although some auditions require pieces from published plays, monologues from films or literature make great alternatives, as they are likely not performed as frequently.
An overused monologue can mean audition death. Even if you feel that you bring something truly unique to the performance, you can imagine that individuality is hard to distinguish for the casting director who has seen that very piece three hundred times before. This is why it is inadvisable to make your selection from a book of monologues. There are many more obscure playwrights that can be found by scouring your local library or bookstore. If you peruse the dramatis personae, you'll learn if there is a role appropriate for you. Seeing small theatre is a great avenue of discovery as well. Although your ventures may not initially turn up a usable monologue, your time will not have been wasted, as everything you read and see is valuable research for your craft.
The final pitfall of monologues is their tendency to grow stale. Only you will be able to tell how long your monologue moves you emotionally, and when it no longer does, it's time to begin the search once more. In the mean time, a good way to keep your monologue feeling new each time is to make certain not to get into a rhythm with the language. Give yourself different circumstances for each rendition, and see how they impact your performance. True, it may mean that occasionally your monologue won't work, however, it's best to try and fail than to do the same thing over and over, but never succeed.
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12/5 - The Choice is Yours
At a career seminar for union actors, a speaker emphasized the importance of making strong choices. Hands shot up from the crowd. "What exactly do you mean by making strong choices?" the actor asked. This query was followed by a chorus of agreement, and then met with a crestfallen look from the speaker. "If you don't know that by now," he said, "you should get back into a class."
Making choices is a somewhat esoteric part of performance. While far too many people focus on "how" they are saying a line, they should be focusing on why they are saying it, to whom they are saying it, and where they are saying it. These are just a few examples of the sorts of choices an actor can make.
It is a widely held belief that choices should be positive, action-oriented, and have life or death circumstances. A positive choice is necessary because, as human beings, that's what we are always attempting to make in our lives. Consider this: nobody does harm to themselves because they wish to cause themselves pain, but rather, because they want to feel better. Your characters want the same thing.
Imagine you have a scene in which you tell a person to "shut up," it would be a negative choice to say you are doing so because you hate them. Further, you would be fixating on an emotional outcome and you should never play what you believe to be the emotional tone of the scene. With good acting, emotions are a byproduct of honest interplay, not a goal toward which you are working. This is why your choice must also be action-oriented, meaning it is something that you can perform physically. Given the above example, saying, "shut up because you have a headache is not actionable, whereas saying "shut up" instead of slapping the person is. You can see how the latter makes for a more exciting motivator, which brings us to "raising the stakes," or making choices with life or death circumstances.
Now, obviously if your scene is of a waiter giving today's specials, the stakes need not be so high. Raising the stakes means, essentially, making the scene of the utmost importance to you. Perhaps this waiter is serving his boss, and if he messes up he will be fired and then not be able to afford to feed his baby. It is not enough to make these choices intellectually. In order for these facts, and others, to flesh out your character, you must fully believe in your choices, and they must engage you emotionally. What decisions can you make that will move you? That choice is all yours.
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11/28 - Yay, Theatre Club!
One of the most frequently levied pieces of advice to fledgling actors is to get involved in local theatre, and with good reason. Theatre is not only a great training ground, but also a very respectable launching point for a career. Whereas bad acting on film can be removed in the editing room, there is nothing protecting you from error on the stage. This may be daunting to a great many actors, but confronting that fear and working through it with others will give you the skills and confidence required for carving a niche for yourself in the entertainment business.
Even if you have no credits, and have had trouble getting theatre auditions, you should know that all small theatres need help, all the time. Positions ranging from box office to light and sound operators are often available. While the latter are crafts in their own right, small theatres often don't have the resources to hire professionals to man these positions, depending instead on volunteers. While you may not get to jump right onto the stage as you desire, serving in a technical capacity will put you in contact with working actors. Watching them perform will give you an idea of their process, and of what is successful behavior both on stage and off. If you can prove yourself to be reliable in a "less glamorous" position, then the opportunities to act will likely avail themselves to you. When they do, the unpredictable nature of live performance will imbue your work with a fresh, and necessary, spontaneity. Even if you have performed onstage in an academic setting, you can still learn much from working with actors who have trained elsewhere.
Do a search for theatres in your area. Look into their upcoming season and see if they are doing any shows with parts for your type. Find out about the work they do and, if your interest is piqued, offer your services. Some companies charge membership dues. This is not necessarily a red flag, as many respectable groups do so. Just make certain that you look into what is offered to you in return for your expenditure.
There are many great local theatre communities. Being a part of one of them can foster your talent, making you grow as an actor and as a person. Drop off a headshot with a note, or see a show and say hello. You might get a broom thrust in your hand right off. Never feel above menial labor, because a team player is always more appreciated than a diva. It may take a while to establish yourself as an actor within the company, but in the mean time, you will learn by proxy the discipline, attitude and skills necessary to be that which you should seek to be; not a star, but an artist.
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10/12 - Madness to the Method
First you should know about the different methods available for study. For the most part, modern acting philosophies find their root in the teachings of the Russian master Stanislavski. He was the first to propose a mode of performance based more in truthful communication than the presentational approach that was prevalent at the time.
Springing from Stanislavski's teachings are the methods of his American disciples Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. The chief difference between these methods lies in Strasberg's reliance on "sense memory," or the usage of past events to recall the emotions applicable to the scene you are trying to play. Believing that focusing on past events distracts from the task at hand, Adler and Meisner rely more on the attempt to "live truthfully under imaginary circumstances." They claim that this allows you to be more honestly affected by the scene you are in. Meisner, in particular, stresses the importance of listening to the other actor -- a skill that is more difficult than it sounds - which he maintains you can attain through rigorous "repetition" exercises. There is also Uta Hagen, who touts a more physical viewpoint. Additionally, vocal training is the essence of the classical style of performance, often referred to as the "British" school.
It is impossible to say which approach is right for you. Indeed, you may find that you are best served by combining portions of each. Heck, you may even end up agreeing with playwright David Mamet's assertion that "acting education" is a contradiction of terms and that lines are best delivered without any inflection whatsoever. A good basis for any actor is an improvisational education. Even if you don't consider yourself a comedian, improvisation is a great way to free yourself on stage and get you listening to your scene partner. Once you are capable of that, you can apply the techniques passed down from the masters, which are so necessary to the practice of this ephemeral art.
The best course you can take in making your decision is to read the books of these teachings (Adler's "The Art of Acting," Hagen's "Respect for Acting," Mamet's "True and False," Meisner's "On Acting," Strasberg's "Acting: A Handbook of the Stanislavksi Method," Stanislavski's "An Actor Prepares") and to take sample classes based in each of these philosophies. Whichever method makes most sense to you, and to which you respond most viscerally, is the one you should commit yourself to. After all, the most important tenet of this art, and this business, is commitment.
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9/14 - Be True to You
You're too skinny. You're too fat. You're too tall. You're too short. You're not pretty enough. You're too pretty. Too pretty? Sure! You'll hear everything when facing the casting directors of the world, and all of it is capable of packing a big punch to the ego -- well, except maybe "too pretty," but I'm sure that one comes with annoyances of its own. The point is, hearing that any of these reasons has kept you from being cast can hurt, but you mustn't let it do so. Although you may be "too blank" or "not whatever enough" for that specific part, it doesn't mean that you are not perfect for numerous other roles.
The traits that set you apart -- and perhaps those you dislike most about yourself -- are the very things that distinguish you amongst the throngs of other hopeful actors. For example, you may hate your high, nasal voice and think that it holds you back, but if you embrace this quirk, you may find that it becomes the cornerstone of your career. True, you may become limited to playing a certain type of character, a la Fran Drescher, but at least you will get to work. If, instead, you try to force your voice to be more "normal," you become more like everyone else, and worse really, because you are trying to be something that you are not.
Actors make the mistake of thinking that they have to fit a certain mold, going so far as to surgically alter themselves in hopes of gaining a career. While it is true that some roles may seek the physically "perfect," it is far more likely that you would fare better by being the best version of yourself that you can be. Television, film and theatre are microcosms, and, as in the real world, there is room for every type of person. Indeed, you are often better off being different, rather than yet another one of the multitudinous pretty faces that glut the market.
If you are uncertain of your niche, ask classmates and teachers what they would cast you as, and publicize that aspect of yourself. Have a tough guy look? Take some pictures with stubble and a scowl. Are you a goofy girl? Toss the glamour shots and stop targeting the soaps. Remember, Cindy Crawford was told time and time again to remove the mole that eventually became her trademark. That which makes you different, makes you stronger, and if you play to your strengths, you'll find that you are far more likely to win.
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9/8 - Class Acts
If you are just getting into the business of acting, the one thing you should do before getting headshots and beginning to promote yourself is make certain you have something to promote. Garnering the skills necessary to thrive in this business can be accomplished only through time and training. But where is the best place for you to train? Contrary to the thinking of a certain Danish prince, that is the question.
How to choose a technique is a more complicated question. There are many approaches to the art of acting--differences that will be the subject of an upcoming column. Meanwhile the best way to find a teacher is through referrals. Ask more-established actor friends to recommend great teachers. Or, when you see local theatre and admire a particular actor, find out where he or she trained.
It is important, when you audit a class, to take note of the way the teacher speaks to the students. Acting is a delicate art of emotion, and you should feel comfortable and safe in the classroom to explore the human nature you wish to reflect. The teacher's comments should be illuminating, insightful, and constructively critical. If you are serious about your craft, it is imperative that your guide be an astute observer of behavior and offer practical advice on improving your work. Be certain that you choose not just the teacher you like most but the one you feel most challenged by. This business won't glad-hand you, so there's no use in having a teacher who does. Now go ahead and get some class!
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8/31 - You've Got Some Nerve
When navigating the choppy waters of a fledgling acting career, one must be fearful of the many predators who feed upon the easy prey of a struggling actor. The actor's most deadly enemy can be found lurking in the wings of theatres and audition waiting rooms. It can turn the most seasoned professional into a blubbering amateur, and it is most difficult to thwart because it is within your self. This cruel creativity crusher is nervousness, and none of us is free from its sweaty grasp.
So how does an actor deal with nervousness? First off, let's take the stigma off of it. Some measure of nervousness is expected, even respectable. One could see anxiety as a positive attribute, signifying the fact that what you are doing is important to you. Still, if it gets in the way of your work, there's a problem. One of my first teachers was fond of saying that "nervousness is like a child pulling on your pant leg; once you acknowledge it, it will go away." Clearly, this is more easily stated than achieved, but if you understand the concept that trying to avoid your emotions will only make them assert themselves further, you will have a useful tool at your disposal. Think of nervousness as the bead of sweat that travels down your forehead, nose and chin while you're onstage. You know it's there, the audience knows it's there, and soon, nobody in that theatre is thinking about the play, but only "look at that bead of sweat!" All of this can be avoided by simply wiping the sweat away. Tell me that nervousness cannot be removed as easily as sweat, and I will respond to the contrary. If you are feeling nervous at an audition or onstage, do not plow onwards, but take a breath, squeeze and release your hands, crack your neck -- whatever you need to do to so that you can take a moment to refocus yourself on your partner and your circumstances - because the best thing you can be whilst performing is honest.
Truly, the most effective eradicator of anxiety is preparation. The more you have thought out your character, and different ways they might approach and respond to the given situation, the less time you will have to be nervous. If you haven't prepared, aren't solid on your lines, or show up late, you are giving yourself more cause for concern, and this concern will be evident in your work.
It is one of the great conundrums of this business that it takes time to feel comfortable auditioning, but that you must always be confident and prepared for the opportunities you are given. That is why you must be mindful of the fact that you offer each role a unique perspective. Focusing on what you can bring to the table instead of what the people behind the table can bring to you will turn your anxiety into an infectious enthusiasm that people will love to work with.
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8/17 - The Green-Eyed Actor
When embarking upon a career as an actor, people always expound upon the merits of the right headshots and solid training, and it is true that these things are invaluable. You should know, however, that a good attitude is just as vital, although perhaps more difficult to attain. A key part of maintaining this positive perspective is learning to keep jealousy at bay.
Jealousy cannot be avoided. There are so many actors vying for so few roles, you will often wonder at the success of others, "Why them and not me?" The problem is that such thinking is fruitless, and even destructive. There will always be someone more attractive, better trained, or more talented than you. The key is to find and cultivate what makes you unique, because the competition, after all, is mostly in your own mind. Measuring yourself against others will only serve to defeat you. If you are thinking about the model or MFA student who just read before you, you are not thinking about the work you have to do. Only by being secure in yourself and your craft can you curb the poisonous effects of envy.
Clearing out people who perpetuate these negative cycles in your life is helpful as well. If you have "friends" whom you feel are always denigrating your experiences or excessively flouting their own, it will breed that sort of behavior in you and hold you back. Judging others results in an isolation of self, and forces you to turn that judgment inward with equal harshness. This judgment is detrimental, not just to a craft that demands unfettered expression, but also to a happy life.
It will take a conscious effort to stomp out the twinge felt when someone you know who has never taken a class goes and books a national, but until you see that there is a place for everyone, you will never make a place for yourself. Begrudging another person their success is a downward spiral at the bottom of which you'll find yourself alone, not unlike Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Like so many of us, Willy is desperate to get ahead, but his tools of mendacity and self-righteous delusion cripple him, as they will any actor trying to make it in a field (at least theoretically) based in emotional honesty.
In your career - and elsewhere - look for the positive in others and don't scorn, but learn from them. Jealousy can easily be turned into admiration, and competition into camaraderie. It will take work, but after a time you will find yourself truly rooting for your peers, thrilling at their successes and having them do the same for you. It is an elevating experience, both personally and professionally. And you know what? It just feels better.
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