Actor Taking a Stand (Part 2)

One of my beloved teachers and mentors, Ted, told me a good actor is a smart actor. An actor who does his/her homework and researches and learns, will be an overall BETTER actor. I've always believed this.

I find myself to be a perpetual student. A student of life, a student of knowledge, a student of puzzles. It is difficult to come to grips with the fact that there really is no "right" answer all the time, in acting. However: Casting Directors, Theatre Directors, Producers, fellow Actors, Writers will constantly use this term when they are talking about one thing: the acting BUSINESS.

"There is a 'right' way to send in a submission"
"There is a 'right' way to act when entering an audition room
"There is a 'right' way to approach an auditor at a party or on the street"



The business side of acting:

It's ugly, we don't like it, but most of us have learned over time that there is more than just 'nailing the monologue'.

So, like a good student who wants to learn the most she can, I study. I read all the books/articles/blogs I can get a hold of. I ask former teachers, collegues, friends, etc. to help me be a contender in this business.

Here are some things present in almost every tip I've gotten and every book/article/blog I've read:

WRITE THANK YOU NOTES

Something I do very well is write thank you notes. Mom ingrained that notion when I was a little girl and for every present I am sent, a thank you note goes out. The same thing goes for acting. I send them to theatre companies, casting directors, directors, or whomever I know the name of that took the time to audition me. In my opinion, it's a NICE gesture.

I will note here, that I've only ever received 7, yes SEVEN responses from companies that have THANKED ME for coming into their auditions/callbacks. That's all.  In the day and age of the internet where everyone has an email address, it's astounding that the other side doesn't think that it would feel good to give a thank you. I gotta say, I don't even mind when they are FORM email thank you's! They are so far and few between I'm pleased as punch to GET one.

BE PLEASANT TO EVERYONE

This one also seems like common sense, but you never know. I am pleasant to EVERYONE at an audition. Having BEEN a casting director, producer, writer, assistant director, monitor, I've learned that you have NO IDEA who is actually giving you the "sheet to fill out" or your "on-deck".

So, it also helps when the monitor is pleasant to us. I've had MANY an experience of feeling "afraid" to ask a question of the monitor for fear she/he will be "annoyed" with my "stupid" question. I've seen monitors roll their eyes and act just as unprofessionally as can be while actors are trying to get centered and work on their "moment before". Also, keep us updated on a situation. If things are running behind, just alert us. Keep us informed and you'll meet with a much more patient group of people. We know it's not your fault things are behind. It helps when you apologize about it. We're less likely to lose focus and have a crappy audition. So, yeah, rule of thumb for monitors, treat it like it's a job-job. Think of it this way: you've GOT a job, we're interviewing FOR a job.

MAKE SURE YOU PROOF READ YOUR COVER LETTERS/EMAILS

I have decent writing skills. I proofread my emails before I respond, I proofread my thank you notes before sealing the envelopes. Again? Common practice.

Emails.

Let's get into this. I realize we are all busy people. But as I stand up for actors everywhere, you have to know we are JUST AS BUSY AS THE CASTING DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CASTING ASSISTANT, ETC! Sometimes, moreso. Actors struggle with every word of an email. Rereading it twice, three times, four times to make sure the "tone" is correct. We've been told over and over again to 'be nice'. 'Casting directors, and directors, and producers, are people too'.

But so are actors.

And, honestly, no offense to ANYONE on the "other side of the table" (trust me, I've been there) but our feelings are just as fragile (more than we'd ever like you to know). So, please extend the same courtesy in your email-responses that we do for you.

Here's an example of what I mean:

I received an email from a theatre company I'd heard of but had not actually seen any of their productions. Truth be told, I'm not certain how they'd heard of me since I never submitted my materials to them. Anyhow, the email was a "form" style, inviting a select few to audition for the upcoming show in their season. They specifically named this particular show and invited those on the email list to find the sides on their website. As always, I was flattered to get "chosen" to audition. (That feeling really never gets old, right?). I looked over the two dates of the email and realized I was not available for either audition date. Furthermore, as I surfed to their website, I realized the dates of the show conflicted with a few major things planned, including a family wedding I had already responded "yes" to.

But, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to audition for them. Afterall, they'd sought me out. I wanted to let them know I was appreciative and hoped to work with them in the future.

I emailed them back.

"Thank you so much for your invitation to audition for [insert show name here] I am, unfortunately, not available for this project.
I do appreciate the opportunity and hope you will, please, keep me in mind for future projects, though.
All the best,

Alexandra Goodman"

In the email I specifically sited the show they were doing but, as you can see, it's a fairly standard RESPECTFULLY WRITTEN email.

The response I get is one line, saying that "these are the general auditions for the all projects coming up this year."

Yup. That's it. No "Dear Alexandra" no "We're sorry you're unable to make it. These are, unfortunately our generals for the whole season. We will keep you on file, but encourage you to resubmit to us later in the season."

Nope.

I felt like a jackass for "missing" their opportunity. And a "too bad, so sad" attitude from THEM.

Um, really?

I mean, wow. It made me NEVER want to audition for them again. Seriously, they'd have to be doing my favorite play with a role I just HAD TO PLAY for me to consider it.

Rudeness goes BOTH WAYS.

So should courtesy.

Even though I was taken aback, I did respond to that "terse" email with this:
"I'm definitely sorry to have to miss it.
Thank you, again, for thinking of me.
All the best,
Alexandra Goodman"

Raise your hand if you think I got a response to that one? Anyone?

You're right.
I didn't.

The problem, again, is there are so many of us. So we allow these auditors to treat us like this and we TAKE it because we need the work. We want the work. We're desperate to perform. We tell ourselves, " eh, it's not a big deal". But it is.

Actors! Our self-esteem and self-worth is so in the toilet that we have to remember we don't need this kind of aggravation in our lives. If we don't treat ourselves well, no one will treat us well.

PLEASE realize there are dozens and dozens of directors, producers, casting directors, agents, writers, who WILL treat you with respect. The point is to recognize THEM.

I guarantee you I WANT to work for any of the 7 companies that sent me a thank you note. Truly. I'd go out of my way to be available. A little bit of respect goes a long way.

Honestly, I've had some AMAZING experiences with auditions where I know I bombed, but they treated me so decently I didn't actually WANT to go home and down a pint of Ben and Jerry's. And THESE are the companies you should want to work for. Not the ones that make it seem like you should be HONORED to just GET an AUDITION with them.

We have to remember something. Most people say, "crap I gotta go to work today." Or "Ugh! I don't WANNA go to work today". It's rare you'll hear an actor say, "I don't WANNA do a show today". Artists in general are born workhorses. We WANT to work. We CRAVE the work. How many managers can say that about their employees?

If we start respecting ourselves, Actors, I just know we can beat this trend of rudeness, anxiety, and self-doubt. We deserve more. Let's expect it from now on.

Actor Taking a Stand (part 1)

I've been an actor for 29 years. From day 1 I was told, "Do something else if you can because this is a very difficult career choice". Throughout my life there were variations on that theme. Often, I listened and tried other avenues, but I always came, and continue to come back.

Why?

I love acting. I love actors. I love scripts, and sound-booths, and stage managers, and costume designers, and techies, and DP's, and directors, and dramaturgs, and set designers, and sound designers, and engineers, etc. etc. etc.

I do it, because I love it.

So why do our fellow artists often insist on making us pay, dearly, for this love?

I'll explain this in a minute.

These are economically hard times, right? I don't know of any one person getting an artistic subsidy from the government. Would be nice, right? Well, sadly, they are not handing them out. We, artists, are forced to "act as though" our career choice is, essentially, a hobby.

A hobby.

With an average of 4 hours per weekday in rehearsals and often 4-6 hours on the weekend, NOT including tech week or shows, it's like having a second, very intense, part time job.

But you're not getting paid.

Hey, Starbucks employee: you know how you work those extra 24 hours per week on top of your OTHER job? Well, we're not planning to pay you for any of it. Not even $5/week because we believe you can't put a price on talent. We appreciate your service so much we'll pay you in thank you's. And we'll just put your name on this wall of appreciation with your picture. Thanks for all your training and fantastic customer service. You're quite a talent and we're lucky to have you. You are quite the professional.

Yeah, that one would go over like a lead balloon.

Now, before you insist I'm making this all about money and NOT seeing the other side of the coin, understand, this is not the situation. Like I said earlier, I've been in this business a long time. I'm well-versed with the budget of a theatre company, especially one just starting out, and I fully understand the lack of funding for the cast when you're dumpster diving just to finish making the set or costumes. Been there. Used my OWN money. Done it.

But, I'm taking a stand, finally, and saying, I'M DONE WITH IT. I have a "pay to play" attitude. Mind you, I'm not talking a big wad of money. Just treat me like a human who treats THIS like a professional. $5/week. $50/rehearsal process. SOMETHING.

"Pay to Play" is my new outlook with only 2 exceptions:

1) if the money raised is going to charity. That is something we all could add a little more money to. And by charity I do mean a good cause, not for your buddy's ability to hold ANOTHER fund-raiser. Or a kegger

2) if the role is so incredible (a bucket-list role, if you will) or for the director of my dreams.

Other than that, I'm done acting for a hobby.

Actors act as though they will NEVER GET CAST AGAIN after "this" show. Their egos and hearts and confidence shatters with the thought that, "holy crap! I have to start this process all over again!" It's frustrating and scary. And with the continued increase in actors on the street, and theatre companies dying out due to the economy, it always feels like an uphill battle. Always.

I used to try and think of this business as a commission-based job. You know, you try to land the client (auditions) and then you perform your services (rehearsals/performance). In any other career you'd expect payment at the completion of your services. But we actors are often stuck in volunteer land. Doing it for free. Doing it to help the theatre company that may reward you with a chance to become an associate of the company where you will come in on your days off to help build the sets, sew the costumes, drive the u-haul, etc, all for the chance to be part of a theatre company that still won't pay you.

It may seem like I'm a bit bitter. I'm not. I'm just seeing the forest for the trees. I used to audition for ANYTHING. Anything. Because I believed it was better to be cast than not. At least I was a "working actor". I believed I was doing it for the "love" and nothing could stop me. But because the company didn't say "community theatre" it didn't mean that I wasn't doing community theatre. Volunteer theatre. Hell, at least in community theatre they pay for the royalties of big shows. Often in small theatres, in order to avoid the cost of royalties, the director or company member decides to "write his own script" and it will be "experimental" and "less costly" and "minimalist". And when you get there, you often have an un-workshopped, over-written script that, (even with the best actor who is hoping for at least a good shout out in the critic's review), is ALL the critic sees and bashes in his/her review.

Now, no one is forcing actors to be actors. But, I can believe, that like myself, many actors really cannot find another calling like this one. It's frustrating. It would be so much easier if there were some other aspect, a money-making one, for instance that was the calling instead. Does the world truly believe we'd put ourselves through financial and certain frustrations just for attention?

Maybe so.

(In part 2 I will tell a true story about how "professional theatre" treated me in an email where I declined auditioning for their show due to scheduling conflicts)