Professionalism From Start to Finish

Part of what makes actors nervous about the audition process is not knowing what to expect. We've all been on auditions with unclear directions. Unclear on what to bring. Unclear on what to prepare. Unclear on how long you'll stay. UNCLEAR ON WHERE TO FIND THE AUDITION ROOM. So we go to the audition, we feel our way through, emerge on the other side and wait. Wait to hear about callbacks, offerings of the role we wanted (or the role we didn't), or the "i'm sorry." And this is fine, it's part of the business.

But the worst type of waiting is waiting for communication that never comes.

And, unfortunately, that happens a lot. Some companies get back to you. Sometimes they never get back to you. And I get it, you're busy producing your show. But this is Boston, folks. As we've talked about many times, we are a tight knit community that grows and thrives on going the extra step. (I'm not talking about an extra mile, just ONE EXTRA STEP.) We're a growing arts community and as we've blogged about on many occasions, companies make names for themselves not only based on the quality of their shows, but based on how actor-friendly they are.

Last week, however, I had a very refreshing experience. I auditioned for Silence, GAN-ə-meed Theatre Project's winter production. From start to finish, the audition was a relaxing, pleasant experience that I would definitely do again. First, the director emailed all of the actors a location to meet to walk over to the audition location as it was a bit tricky to find. AKA: NO LOST ACTORS. Second, the director respected our time - those who had other commitments were seen first and those who didn't were seen in a timely manner and let go when they were finished reading. Third, and this is pretty much why I wrote this whole post, even though I didn't get the role, not only did the director get back to me within a week as she promised, SHE CALLED ME to thank me for my time. It took 30 minutes and one simple phone call to tell me that this company is classy and respectful and DEFINITELY a company I would audition for again. It FELT professional and isn't that what we are working towards? Running professional theatre companies? With every audition I go on, I pick up things about running The CoLab and this made an impact on me in a positive way. So thank you, GAN-ə-meed, and I look forward to auditioning for you in the future.

If you're interested in talking more with the GAN-ə-meed crew, check out their Women in Theatre Networking Night at The Burren on October 11. You can find more info at their website here.

Happy Auditioning,

E

Making Lemonade

After the debacle of a canceled vacation I decided to make the best of a 4 day weekend here in Beantown....here are the highlights

- The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, a theatrical event of epic proportions.

- True West - being given a strong showing at Cornerstone Performing Arts Center in Fitchburg MA, the two lead actors are switching roles each weekend. I'll be going back for round two this Friday. Runs through March 7.

- My first (and second and third) round of "Prairie Fire" shots (I didn't partake)....from what I witnessed it looked like a Grotowski exercise gone awry

- A reunion with Tequila. Our relationship is volatile at best, but this weekend we had a good time together.

- Ties that Bind, produced by the upstart GAN-e-meed Theatre Project. Great work by awesome women (and a few good men too ;-) ) and great friends. In my opinion they are the Small company to watch this year. They're next endeavor, BOOBfest is a fundraiser happening Feb. 23 at the Boston Playwrights' Theatre.

- Skype dates with far away friends. Those of you spread far and wide from your besties know, a web cam and a wireless connection can be a saving grace for those times when all you need is someone who doesn't care if you stuff your face with cookies and watch Figure Skating instead of actually talking....or someone to run last minute lines with. Whatev.

- Sleeping late on a Monday.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekends - let us know your highlights!

The Morality of Acting Immorality

The words are burned into the script. Just a few minutes before, I didn’t know this eight page world existed. It could’ve been a novel, a film, a five act, three hour classical masterpiece. But instead, it runs no more than 8 minutes.

I received the script shortly after I accepted the part, casually, as I would any other project. The name generic, the title simple. I opened the pages with a fresh untouched mind. I encountered a young girl of a family utterly disconnected from reality. A father with expectations impossible. A sister who flees for safety. And a brother denied his childhood, reaching towards the only love he knows.

I realized who my character is. Or, more accurately, what he is… I attempt to commit an action, morally reprehensible and emotionally disturbing. A moment of weakness, of longing that manifests itself in a way that I don't think many people would've been prepared for.

An eight minute American beauty. An assortment of dark sides, critiques of the functional family. And yet, I’ve learned from past mistakes that an actor shouldn't critique. She doesn’t judge. He empathizes. We understand, and then we commit the action. The actor acts against what is obvious. Paraphrasing Stanislavski: “If you play a villain, find the good in him. If you play a hero, find the villain.”

This is one of the most vulnerable roles I’ve ever taken. Somehow, these eight minutes have condensed more complexity than most of the roles I’ve accepted thus far. I hesitate to even write what he does, partially due to the mystery of storytelling, but also due to my discomfort with the action. If this was a real individual, and I stood witness as a third party, I would condemn him. Many of us would paint him a pervert, a monster. At the very least, a predator.

Plato believed that the theatre corrupted society. Among his charges: that an actor who portrayed an evil character would learn and adopt corrupt characteristics. Of course, he probably would’ve made a terrible actor. In any case, I go forward with this challenge embracing my discomfort. If it scares me, I have to do it. I already feel like this might be one of the more important roles I’ve accepted. It won’t be the biggest, or the flashiest, or the most praised piece of work I ever do. But I think it’s important. Very important for me. Jim and I are evolving together, as I try stop trying to “understand” him, and just accept the reality of the play. When I walk down the street, I can look down on him. But from the moment I walk onstage, to the curtain call, I have to want something very disturbing. I have to want it with painful sincerity.

I have to be honest.

For more details about Kenny's show, My Sister is An Actress, please visit www.ganemeed.org or click on the link below:

Ties That Bind is free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to come for the 6pm performance of three ten minute plays.