More actor networking

Now that Don’t Dress for Dinner has wrapped, I’m back to networking while I hunt up another acting job.  New York acting coach John Pallotta was in town Tuesday night to present a class at the Source Theater with local actor and entrepreneur Sean Pratt.  Pratt was touting his new book, To Be or Wanna Be, that examines some of the things actors do to emotionally sabotage their own efforts.  Pallotta was demonstrating his transformational approach to developing a character.

NY Acting Coach John Pallotta
and me

Afterwards Pallotta and many of the actors and others who attended went for drinks and more talk at a nearby restaurant.  Opportunities to meet with people on a less formal basis are important to building relationships and establishing a network of contacts within the profession.  Plus, they can be a lot of fun and inspire you to try new things.  I got a line on a local monologue coach, actor John C. Bailey,  that I plan to contact in the next few weeks to work on a new audition piece.

Pallotta’s classes have been creating a lot of buzz locally and no doubt eating into the profits of area drama teachers. What appeals to me about his approach is that it's more practical and straightforward, more like the British approach.  The British consistently turn out terrific actors.

I liked Pratt’s talk too and actually bought his book to learn more about networking.  Being a shy person by nature – and many actors are shy people – it’s hard for me to walk into a room full of strangers and make contact.  What do I say?

Pratt advised developing a two-sentence introduction that summarizes what you do, where you work, and what your goals are, and then after that exercise the 80/20 rule. You let the other person talk 80 percent of the time and you talk 20 percent of the time. Ask questions based on their responses.  Summarize their thoughts – “so what you’re saying is….”  As one actress demonstrated, when they ask you about yourself, you can respond and then add “and how about yourself?”  In other words, become a good listener, which is what Dale Carnegie said decades ago in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is still in print.  I plan to read Pratt’s book this weekend.

To Be or Not to Be

Pallotta will have his own book out later this year called "Acting is a State of Mind." Really looking forward to it.  He only has another month of local appearances before he’s off to coach other actors and to perform in a new film.

Schmoozing kept me up late, but I still managed to get out the next afternoon to meet with a group of area actresses who are sharing information and mutual support at monthly meetings at a local restaurant. There was a wealth of information shared about local productions and regional casting agencies, and we plan to talk more about personal marketing at the next get-together.  These kinds of meetings always leave me inspired and energized.

Came back from the meeting to find an email from an actress and NYU drama professor that I contacted last year after seeing her wow performance in a short film. We are now Facebook friends and hope to meet for coffee next time I'm in New York. Another of her FB friends is Jennifer Lawrence. The professor networks better than I do. Hah!

Wrapping the play

Caroline Gelb and Kathryn Browning

Don't Dress for Dinner has wrapped.  With a play it always amazes me how quickly the set comes down after taking days and days to construct.  It's a bittersweet time, saying good-bye to people you have worked with for months. But especially so with The British Players, which attracts a very special group of actors and crew.  The closing cast party after Saturday's performance was a chance to say a few words of appreciation for everyone involved.  Producer Caroline Gelb also presented each person in the cast with an "Oscar" inscribed with a few words of praise from the reviews.  Mine was for "comedic perfection" and it is a treasure.  It was so gratifying to be in such a successful play.  We drew such crowds that they were in the black from the 4th performance on.  Wonderful.

Don't Dress for Dinner has a nice run

Don't Dress for Dinner, closing scene with Peter Harrold

En route to New York to audition for a student film at the Tisch School, then back for a quick rehearsal tomorrow night before heading into our final weekend with "Don't Dress for Dinner." The play has gotten good reviews and is on the verge of setting attendance records for The British Players, with some in the audience even standing and shouting "Bravo!" at curtain.  This is a lovely group of performers: Colin Davies, who doubles in real life as an expert on rock 'n roll, Peter Harrold, Vanessa Terzaghi, Michael Abendshein, and Anne Vandercook, who's a scream as the French cook/mistress/niece.  I will miss them when we wrap on Sunday.

Here's a nice quote from the DC Metro Theatre Arts review: “Jacqueline (Kathryn Browning) is the stone of promiscuous scandal in this production. Her simple airs toward her husband pale by comparison to the way she flings herself about to her lover. But Browning shows her true colors when everything starts to break down, reminding us that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Even her posture goes rigid as she grows livid over the situation, and her brisk sense of revenge comes tumbling out as comedic perfection.”  

Acting is not about being someone different

‎"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."  -Meryl Streep

I would have pegged Meryl Streep for a true acting chameleon, but even she admits to taking a part of herself into each character.  By the way, I caught her recently in a scene from Uncommon Women and Others, with Ellen Parker.  Even then, and this play was filmed decades ago when Streep was in her twenties, there was something riveting about her. Look at her when Parker is talking and Streep is just reacting.   She had "it," even then.

Make your audition memorable, tell them a story

Casting director Duncan Stewart, who cast the upcoming Broadway revival of Pippin, said in Backstage recently that actors who consistently book jobs do so because they are good at conveying “the story” in their audition.  That means connecting your character to the other characters on the page, being specific about whom you are talking to and what you are saying. Every story has an arc – a beginning, middle, and an end – whether it’s a two-minute monologue, 16 bars of music, or an Under-5 read.

When looking at your audition copy, Stewart says to ask these questions:

1. Who am I talking to? When you personalize the receiver, your tone and demeanor change to fit the circumstance.

2. What do I hope will happen by telling them this story?  When you make your character's goal concrete, your read becomes more than words on a page.

3. Where are the beginning, middle, and end? Every story has an introduction, a point to be made, and a closing beat.  Find them to make sure you are getting the story across.

Asking these questions is a quick and easy way to get your audition off the page and make it memorable, and memorable is ultimately what books the job.  Makes sense, yes?

Another Short Film Premier

Just a heads up: The world premier of Meghan Reynolds short film, The Monopoly Club, in which I play “The Senator,” is this Saturday night, February 23rd, at the Public Bar (yes, that’s the name) at 4611 41st St NW, in Washington, DC.  The event begins at 9 p.m. with an hour of mingling and networking (we’re already expecting more than 150 people), then the screening of the film at 10 p.m. followed by dancing at 10:30 with a DJ from the W Hotel.  The cover charge is just $5 and it’s open to everyone, so if you can come expect a fun evening. 

American Backstage Company opens in DC

I never do this, but I feel compelled to give a small plug for my friend Rip Claassen, who has just opened a new theatrical superstore to serve the Baltimore-Washington, DC area, which by the way is the second-largest theater market in the United States.

The American Backstage Company will open to the public this Saturday, February 16th, with a formal Grand Opening slated for April 6th, when the store is completely stocked. Located at 5380 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, just inside the Beltway and a very short walk from the Van Dorn Metro on the Blue Line, the place has loads of retail space, with separate areas for scripts, dancewear, makeup, and costumes, including wigs and masks.  There are also two classrooms available to rent for auditions, rehearsals, and classes.  Plenty of free parking.

The American Backstage Company can be found online at at http://www.americanbackstage.com and reached by telephone at 703-212-8982.  Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sundays noon to 5:00 PM.  I would add that it's also a great place to find drop-dead outfits for costume parties.  Best of luck Rip!