A New Year and New Goals

New Years is fast approaching and people will start asking you what resolutions you made, like that question isn't the least bit nosy and intrusive.  My answers are the same as everyone else: to work out more, eat healthier, stop procrastinating, blah blah blah.  They are all good ideas but they lack specificity and for that reason I'm making the same resolutions every year.

One of my teachers at Playhouse West gives out a great goals assignment every year that helps with those pitfalls.  The first step is to create goals not resolutions.  Goals are something that have a finite end point and they are only goals if it is something that you can do on your own without the approval of someone else.

So, how do you create goals?

I start with my dreams.  You know those things that you want so bad and seem so far away that saying them out loud makes your stomach go into knots.  (I talked a bit about that here.)  This is one of my dreams: to become a series regular in a hit TV show.  The reason this is a dream and can't be a goal is because I cannot do it wholly on my own.  I need other people's approval to get cast and an audience to watch. 

The next step is to break your dream down into smaller dreams that lead to it.  In the case of getting a series regular role the steps before that would be booking some guest stars and before that would be some co-star roles.  That is a more manageable place to start, but it is still a dream and not a goal.

What goals would help me book some more co-star roles? 

• Always attending acting class unless I have an acting gig or am sick and I will always be working on a scene.  Perfecting my craft will make sure that when I get an audition I am 100% prepared to be my best.
• Communicate with my agent at least once a month about what I need to be doing to make it easier for them to pitch me.  Make sure they know what my dreams are so they can help me achieve them.
• Attend one workshop a month with the casting directors who work in the type of TV shows that cast my type.

These are just a few ideas of the type of goals you can make that are specific and are something you can achieve.  The best thing to do is write your goals down in a place you see everyday as a reminder and then revisit your goals a few times during the year to adjust them as you achieve your dreams.

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year filled with success.  Keep Dreaming!

What you can do in a Weekend

As you know from my last blog, What I Learned at the 72 Hour Film Festival, I made a movie last weekend for the Playhouse West 72 Hour Film Festival.  Over this past weekend, they screened all the films.

Our film, Grow A Pair, may not have won any awards, but I am extremely proud of what we made and I got lots of wonderful comments from the people who saw the films.  Plus, I am pretty sure we would have won Best Black Eye Created by a Non-Makeup Artist and Best Use of a Muddy Waters Song had those been a categories.

Today I wanted to share with you all the final product, so that you can see that it truly is possible to create a quality short film that tells a complete story in less than 72 hours.  Here it is:

Congratulations to everyone who made participated in this festival.  It's a cliche', but everyone who made a film is truly a winner.

One last thing, I want to give credit to the fabulous cast and crew of "Grow A Pair":
Directed by Marilyn Porayko
Written by Michelle Coyle, Christina Maria Davis, Somya von Eames
Cinematography by Nick Weidner
Edited by Brian Finifter
Cast:
Alex Aquino
Michelle Coyle
Christina Maria Davis
Nat Dixon
Somya von Eames
AJ Eloy
Jamie Israel
Jermaine Johnson
Elyte Salna

Thanks, y'all!!!

Being Okay with Being Ugly (or how to rock a gorilla suit)

Currently, I am performing in a play at Playhouse West called A Mixed Tape.   I spend almost the entirety of the play in a full Gorilla suit.  You may be thinking that's too bad for me that the audience doesn't get to see my face.  But the truth is that being in the costume gives me so much freedom that I have a ton of fun doing this play.  Plus, I don't have to worry about my hair and make-up before the show, so I'm not sitting with the other ladies fighting over plugs for flat irons.

I've always loved character work, when I get in a costume and develop traits that are different from my own, I am truly happy.  Now, even when I am doing a role that doesn't specifically call for a lot of character work, I still create character traits to give my performance that extra layer.  Creating a character always makes me feel more relaxed and free on stage.

What I don't understand are actors who are not willing to make themselves ugly when a role calls for it.  It's like they are scared we have such short memories that we'll forget they are actually beautiful.  Look, if you are supposed to be in the 1800's Old West, you have to accept that showers were not common and flat irons were not invented yet, so if you look perfectly made up and clean then it's kinda hard for the audience to buy that you are actually in the Old West.

Charlize Theron would never have won an Oscar if she worried about what she looked like playing Aileen in "Monster."  If you want to be really truthful in whatever part you are playing, you cannot be afraid to get a little dirty.  Sometimes a role calls for you to put away the curling iron and rock your frizzy natural hair, think how different Cameron Diaz would have been in "Being John Malkovich" without her frizziness.

As actors I know we all fret about what we look like.  We obsess over diets and exercise.  We bleach our teeth and our hair.  We are constantly trying to look like the perfect people we think Hollywood wants us to be, but when you do get an acting job don't forget why you are in this crazy business: to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

Don't shortchange your character or the audience by not being truthful with how your character looks.

Serious Actors Take Classes

In last week's post, Where is your Craft, I questioned how people could claim to be following their dream without working on their craft.  I wanted to follow-up on that and talk a little bit more in-depth about the importance of acting classes and why it's hard for me to take you seriously as an actor if you don't take classes.

I've said it before but it is worth repeating: LEARNING TO BE AN ACTOR IS A LIFELONG PROCESS!

Just because you've booked a few roles doesn't mean that you have no more to learn.  Doris Roberts at 80 still goes to her acting class every week and she's been in the business for 60 years.  From Doris Roberts' Interview with CBS:

"I go [to class] every Saturday morning, I went this morning! I keep learning. See, the important thing about getting older is not to settle. The minute you settle, it's like a disease: if you give into it, become a victim, then you're dished. So I don't settle."

Ted Danson spoke with the Washington Post about working with an acting coach for his role on "Damages."

"[Acting coach] Harold [Guskin] got me to stop being a nice actor. . . . There was an arrogance that he gave me to the acting process that was fun to play with."

Do you still think you have nothing to gain from taking classes or that they are a waste of money?


I found a school that works for me and that I enjoy in Playhouse West.  But, I know that everybody works differently and needs help in different areas so I suggest auditing many different classes to find the one that is right for you.  Don't use not liking a particular class or teacher as an excuse to not go to any classes.  There are so many acting classes in Los Angeles, I guarantee there is one for you.

Now, I want you to understand that I am not talking Casting Director workshops.  They may pretend to be classes, but we all know what they really are.  I am not going to weigh in on the fight over whether CD workshops are worthwhile or not, but one thing I do know is that they are not training.  So, please do not put workshops under training on your resume (and yes, I have seen that), if you do this I will immediately think less of you as an actor.

So, if you aren't taking classes ask yourself how serious you really are about pursuing this career.