Increasing the Percentage for Success

Last month, one of my favorite columnists, Bonnie Gillespie, wrote a post for the Actors Voice, entitled Just Get Better, which made total sense to me, because, as she so aptly put it, "This, my friends, is the Super Bowl of Acting. Even the pros ride the bench much of the time. You actually want the honor of some decent playing time with these folks? Get better. Train."

This summer I've enrolled in two kickass classes. One is with Karen Kohlhaas from The Atlantic Theatre School and the other is with Deloss Brown, former Juilliard professor who's currently teaching at NYU.

I start As You Like It with Deloss tonight, working on the comedy of Shakespeare. And Karen's class is called Fearless Cold Reading, and I started that on Tuesday night.

I had taken Karen' Monologue Workshop in the spring and loved it so much! Her instruction and the Atlantic technique gave me this wonderful sense of expansion, and I felt a great improvement in my auditions. I had to continue my studies, so I jumped at the chance to take her Fearless Cold Reading class.

Last year I was cast in 2 off Broadway shows based on cold-readings: Kaboom and Johnny on a Spot.


This kind of an audition is seeing the script for the first time and performing it "cold," which I intuitively do well, but wanted to increase my success rate. And that was one of the things Karen said in class. So much of this business is doing everything you can to raise your percentage of getting work. There's 95% unemployment amongst actors, so the 5% that are working are literally doing something that works pretty much every time.

Like Bonnie said, even star performers are sometimes "benched" or out of the game for whatever reason, but do you think they're sitting around, twiddling their thumbs? NO WAY. There's training to do for the body, mind, spirit, and the craft of acting! Taking classes, meeting people, going to auditions, practicing every day, these are the things we need to do to stay in the game.

I was telling my sweetheart, Rob, that what I've been learning from Karen and Deloss this year are tips that add to my entire package. Heck! Every teacher has helped me cultivate that which I am today, and I am so grateful for that.

It's like cooking! All of these teachers have given me wonderful spices to add to my main dish, and it's a delight to sense all of this taking shape. Simple things like coming into the audition room "Big and Slow," emanating positivity, finding the action/objective of any piece of material (monologue, scene, song), breathing, leading from and opening up my heart, which actually makes me stand taller, not rushing myself, taking in my scene partner and the people in the room, going for the action/objective of the character, supporting my voice, using my physical and vocal range, talking with the casting people like human beings and not trying to "get" anything from them, just enjoying the moment of being there to share in the experience, to BE in that moment, and then to leave the room with ease and grace.

It's amazing how all that can happen in a 2 minute audition. :) But it's been happening more and more lately, whether its a musical audition like the one I did for Pure Country earlier in the week, or the one I'm heading to today for Smudge with the Women's Project. It's all good, and I feel like I get better and better every time I put myself out there.

It's a blast!

A Roof with a View

Every summer, my honey, Rob and I get together with our NY buddies and celebrate the sunsets on our rooftop. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful building overlooking the Hudson River and so we always get a stunning view of the city, glowing amidst the setting sun.

But this year, with the 4th of July Fireworks taking place over the Hudson, we knew our rooftop would be jam-packed, so Carl and Michael (my birthday buds who went with me to Blithe Spirit) invited us to their place. They live very close to Times Square and are in an old 4-floor walk-up, so we didn't know if we'd really be able to see the fireworks, but I tell you, it was the best view! Truly perfect!!!

For one, it was incredible to be in the heart of Times Square, surrounded by the glorious glassy buildings, the moon shining down upon us. And all we had to do was face west to see the amazing array of fireworks. It was FANTASTIC!

The other cool thing was that you could see the neighboring rooftops were filled with people, all cheering the colorful displays. It was such a unified experience, and we were all thrilled to be a part of it.

Confessions of a Chameleon

I recently had new headshots taken by the wonderful Ben Strothmann, whom I met after he took production photos of The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun for BroadwayWorld. He captured almost every moment of that musical so beautifully, so when I found out he also took headshots, I had to meet him.

Almost any actor will tell you how excruciating headshots can be. I know, it sounds bizarre, because as actors we want to be in front of the camera, especially for film and TV, but it's usually while we're in character. It's a strange and funny thing that many actors are actually quite shy. I've even read about how some A-list actors will adopt a sort of red carpet persona in order to deal with the pressure of walking the red carpet. Yet as true artists we want to get our art out there, and we are our art, so we have to get out there!

Our calling card - especially starting out - is our headshot. This picture functions as our business card, a visual introduction to casting directors, talent agents, and just about anyone in show business. So getting a headshot that captures your essence is key. That's why I like working with Ben. Taking photos with him is like having coffee talk with an old friend, full of laughter and fun, all while sharing dreams amidst clicks of the camera. He's a delight to work with!
I recently went from being a blonde to a redhead, hence the reason I'm feeling so chameleon-like. Why red? Why not? My family has the genetic code of graying early - I started getting silver hair when I was 16 - so I've tried just about every color out there. I went blue- black for a role, and that color stayed for quite a while. Boy was it hard to get out! Then I went blonde, and it was fun to play the roles that went with that like the mobster molls and ditzy dames.

But my friends and cohorts in the biz kept saying there was more to me than being a blonde, and that they missed the earthy sassiness that seemed to emanate from me when I sported a darker look. Amazingly, quite a few of them urged me to go red. So I have, and I like it immensely. I've also noticed a stronger receptivity to my look in auditions. Towards the end of being blonde, there almost felt like a disconnect, because I'd get such high praise for my talent, but there was also that feeling that something about my product wasn't quite meshing. But now with red, it seems like people are really looking at me, and they have that look in their eyes like they want to buy my brand, so that has been very encouraging.

So now I start rebranding, continuing to hit auditions, work out at the gym, take classes and work on my craft. We'll see what this new 'do does. :)

Feeling Bold

Think bold. Be bold. This has been my mantra today.

I had an awesome audition yesterday for the Judith Shakespeare Company, a very cool company in Manhattan that is known for non-traditional casting for women, specifically with Shakespeare's works. Women are often cast in the male roles, and vice versa. Their productions always sound amazing and I would love to work for them.

It's a wild thing, auditioning, and great courage is required. Almost every famous actor will say how glad they are NOT to have to audition any more, because it can be really nerve-wracking. But I'm getting to the point where I almost love that adrenaline rush that happens when I walk into the room.


Yesterday's audition was at the Abingdon Theatre, and I've always enjoyed that space, walking through the darkness of the wings (backstage area), moving onto the little stage in the round, stepping into the light, seeing the auditors and welcoming them to take the ride with me. It's an exciting feeling and I love that I'm learning more about the characters and the playwright's intentions, serving the play itself, every time I do a monologue or sing a song. It's a connection to the material that I've never felt before. I feel like I'm really getting to perform the roles I've chosen for my audition pieces, and that's a thrilling feeling.

It's taking 2 minutes and turning that into a mini theatrical experience and enjoying it, being in it, breathing it.

Art can happen at any moment, and those 2 minutes that we get to audition can be the beginning of something incredible.

Looking ahead

It's such an interesting time. There's a lot of change in the air. Can ya feel it? Just things shifting. And it's a good feeling. It makes me think of something my friend Tina and I talk about. We often compare our businesses to surfing. She's a small business owner of an herb magazine she created 7 years ago, and I'm the owner of my "company" as an actress, both of us wearing the hats of product development and marketing, among many others.

Anyway, we've often said how any kind of business is like surfing. You start on the beach, surveying the sea and then you throw yourself out there. Sometimes you catch an incredible wave, sometimes you wipe out, but you get back on your surfboard and try again, knowing the reward will be truly sweet.


Sometimes you get out there and ride between the swells, gauging when to move towards what might become a big wave.

I feel like that right now, that I'm not just sitting on my board between the swells, but that I'm maneuvering, moving towards something that could be incredibly cool.

I have classes planned for the summer and auditions on the horizon. My friend from Hell's Belles, Deb Radloff, and I are going to revisit our idea for a cabaret with my Singing Nun musical director, Robby Stamper.

So good stuff is in the works! :)

Dedication

As I watched the Tony's last night, something that rang out for me about the whole thing was dedication to one's art and to one's family. Nearly every winner thanked his or her family and friends for their love and support.

Marcia Gay Harden thanked her mom for helping her lug suitcases up several flights of stairs when she first moved to New York.

The 3 boys who won for alternately playing the title role in Billy Elliot (David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish and Trent Kowalik) thanked their families and teachers and the entire cast and crew, including my Kaboom director, BT McNicholl, who's resident director for the Billy's. I was so jazzed that they gave a shout-out to this great man and fabulous director whom I've also had the pleasure to work with.

Gregory Jbara, who won Best Featured Actor in Billy Elliot, brought his wife onstage with him, which was so very cool!Geoffrey Rush, whom I saw last week in the incredible show Exit the King, thanked "Manhattan audiences for proving that French existential absurdist tragicomedy rocks."

It truly was an incredible play, and I'm so glad I got to see it before it closes. Likewise with 33 Variations, which was also up for some Tony's, and which I hoped would get some recognition because it truly was an exceptional production.

I still can't stop thinking about either play, and I'm so glad I was able to see these productions with friends.

That's something I've really been doing this year more than any other: seeing Broadway and Off Broadway shows. Part of it's because I did 2 Off Broadway shows last year and it really hit me what an incredible community this is, that we all must support each other and encourage growth through art.

I've also been taking a lot of classes this year, and it just hit me, I live in New York City and I have the ease to see all of this amazing theatre, to learn from master crafstmen like Geoffrey Rush and Jane Fonda. So I'm doing it!

Seeing Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit was also like taking a master class, because the entire cast, the entire production oozed the style of the period, and it was so cool how the whole production was designed.

Likewise, Exit the King. I'm sure people will be grabbing up tickets like crazy, and I love that! Exit the King is such a comic "think" piece. Boy, did it make me think!

And I love that theatre can do that! It can teach, it can amuse, it can move you, it can make you go, "What was that?" It can make you look at life and the people in it and just make you marvel at it all.

I'm glad to be a part of it.

Congratulations to all the Tony winners and nominees. You rock!

A Glimpse of Greatness

My sweetheart and I tend to stay in the city over Memorial Day Weekend. We've always enjoyed the quiet feeling that pervades the city when everyone rushes out to go to the beach. And it's been such a beautiful weekend! So we've spent a great deal of it, strolling about.

This morning, on our way to the gym, we passed the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where 33 Variations had played, and I was sad to see the show had closed. Apparently, it was a limited run, and boy, am I glad I got to see it last weekend before it closed!

Seeing that closing notice posted on the theatre doors reminded me what a fleeting treasure theatrical performances are. With film, we're able to view and review something a million times until we're spent on it. But with theatre, it's often a one-shot deal, and yet there is something so visceral about live theatre, so tangible. It is such a connected experience between the performers and the audience, and that experience is often kept alive in our memories.

I'm still amazed by folks I've met who've seen a show I've done and give such generous accounts of their experience. A casting director I met recently saw The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun that I did a few years ago, and an actress I met at Actors Equity saw me in Johnny On A Spot, which I did last Fall, and both ladies were full of very kind compliments.


I love how people are moved by theatre! And sure, I remember my first big theatrical experience. It was Beatlemania. My parents took me to see it in LA when I was a kid, and I was absolutely mesmerized. I cried and cried when it was over. And interestingly enough, with 33 Variations, that too had me sobbing at the end. It was such a wonderful production!

Jane Fonda played a musicologist, searching for clues as to why Beethoven (played with great ferocity by Zach Grenier) wrote 33 Variations on a simple waltz by Anton Diabelli (played by the delightful Don Amendolia). Some of these variations are considered to be Beethoven's last pieces of work, and the playwright/director Moises Kaufman wove together this story of a woman coming to terms with her illness of Lou Gehrig's disease while also juggling a distant relationship with her daughter (the tenacious Samantha Manthis), who unexpectedly find's love with her mother's nurse (Colin Hanks' Broadway debut, and boy was he wonderful). Intertwined with this modern tale is a fictional account of Beethoven's last years, coming to terms with his deafness and the new discoveries it gave him as a composer. "And, even though they're separated by 200 years, these two people share an obsession that might, even just for a moment, make time stand still."

Indeed it did! There was a moment where Jane Fonda's character, Katherine, is having x-rays and you can see the pain this woman is going through, yet she leans back, and there is Beethoven, her solace and her inspiration to keep going.


The characters come together in the final scene, meeting in Katherine's mind, and it was such incredible work! The acting, the writing, the directing, the scenic and lighting design and the music (beautifully played by pianist Diane Walsh)! The cast was rounded out by the fabulous Susan Kellermann, whom I loved in Queen Latifah's film, Last Holiday, and Erik Steele as Beethoven's right hand man, Anton Schnidler.

The whole production reminded why I love theatre so much and why I want to do work like this, to work with incredible artists who tell stories of such depth and beauty. It was first-rate, and I'm glad I caught it because it was gone. It will definitely live in my memory forever.