Representation? Already?

I'm over the halfway point to my experiment/experience/adventure out here. I'll be home in less than a month. I'm glad that I took the advice of my new contacts out here and subscribed to various acting websites that post breakdowns (audition notices) online: LACasting; Backstage; CAZT; ActorsAccess. I then find what I think I would be good for, or could do well, and then I electronically submit my headshot, resume, and an acting reel of my commercials.

As a result of these submissions, in the first three weeks alone, I had one physical audition for a short film, which I booked and shot (see Donut Planet blog posts for me insight). I had two video submissions: one for a national commercial for an insurance company, and the other for a feature film. With video submissions, they send me directions for what they want in the video audition. I shoot it, and I upload it. However, the only one that I submitted was the insurance company one. I didn't shoot the 3-page scene for the feature film. I couldn't get clarification on when they were shooting, and I feared that it would be past my time out here. So, I didn't want to waste their time...or my time. On a side note, I received an email from the feature film that confirmed my fears...so it would've been wasted effort across the board.

All in all, I think that in three weeks, that's a pretty good rate-of-response for my efforts. Now, I did submit for dozens and dozens and dozens of prospective acting jobs, but I look at it that there are (potentially) thousands of people doing what I am doing...looking at what I'm looking at online...and they're submitting too. So, just to receive an audition, or an email asking for more from me, I take that as a success at this stage of the game. It's like saying "it's just an honor to be nominated." With my mindset, I'm just glad to make the first cut. I think that if I can get in a room with a person, or group of people, I'll win them over.  That's what will set me apart from others, in my honest/humble opinion. That's been my mindset with Survivor too for all of these years. If I can just get an interview, I'll win them over. So far with Survivor, I've struck out for 10+ years...but I'll keep trying. No one remembers all the failures when you finally succeed in the end. Right?

Before I get into the main purpose of this post...what else have I done recently? Well, I'm still doing my Groundlings workshops. Here's a picture of the stage that we work on. The room is probably twenty feet across by 60 feet long...not really that big. Definitely a "block box" type theatre/stage. This is their school stage...not their professional performer stage (which is pictured below).

Practice space at their G2 (Groundlings 2) school.

The Phil Hartman Theatre at the Groundlings.

 In another week or so, I'll start up with my Second City workshops. I'll be completely honest. "Improv"...real improv is much different than what I thought it was originally. I always considered myself good at "improv"...boy, was I wrong. What they consider to be improv is not what I thought. I always took great pride in my ability to make stuff up on stage in front of people during a performance...when needed. Not just because I could, but because I had to cut/paste a scene together to make sense because someone missed a cue, or someone skipped a page in the dialogue...sometimes that someone was me too.

For example, during one of the last rehearsals of the last show I was in someone missed an entrance. My co-star and I on stage had exhausted all of our dialogue up to when they were to arrive on stage. Just when they should come on stage, there was nothing, crickets. That lasted a beat or two, and I realized, ok, they aren't coming. No what? Instead of stopping the action and laughing about it, which wouldn't help us in the long run...because what would we do if this happened in a real performance? We need to learn what to do, or say. I need the practice at covering the scene, and as I said, I kind of enjoy that aspect.  So, what did I do? I made up a two-minute monologue on the state of my character's mental state at this point (my dead wife was haunting me, stressing me out). My co-star on stage was wide-eyed and slowly nodded as I was sharing my feelings. She had no idea where I was going with it, and she was along for the ride.  Eventually, I was able to construct an excuse to leave the room (the stage) and venture off stage to escort my other co-star back on stage with me.  I never get mad at them, it happens. I do it, everyone does it. We're human. They learn from it, and I learn from it, and in all honesty, I find that to be really exhilarating.

Another one that jumps to mind happened during A Few Good Men a few years ago. It was in a court scene, and my buddy, the prosecutor stood up and said "the defense rests" for some reason. It was the wrong cue line for me to begin my lines. And his line is so final, there isn't room to hold a discussion at that point. He ended the scene. As the defendse attorney, I still hadn't done my cross examination of the witness. The moment he said that he "rested," I felt every eyeball on stage look to me. All of them.

"What is Bob going to do? We're screwed! There's still three pages of dialogue." I took a breath, looked at the witness on the stand and made the motion for him to leave the stage.  I stood up and began the motion to my co-stars to transition to the next scene, the apartment scene...which was five pages down the road. After the apartment scene wrapped up, we went back to the court scene as written in the play; however, we needed to cover the five pages of missed dialogue from before. That was key to the plot. So, when we came back from the court scene. The witness wasn't there anymore, so I riffed about some "lawyer jargon/terms" and how "I know the prosecutor thinks this case is cut and dry, and arrogantly seeks to wrap up the trial without giving my clients the opportunity to cross examine his witness"...after which I recalled the witness from before (thank god he was still standing in the wings).  The witness showed up and I told/reminded him that he was still under oath, and he said he understood...and we proceeded to backtrack to the five pages that we skipped. Once I got my cross-examination completed...I handed it back over to the prosecutor with a little emphasis on his pick-up line. I gave him a little nod, and he picked up on the hint that he was to say his line again...and off we went. Back on track.  That was my favorite cover moment of all-time, and everyone on stage just held their breath to see what was going to happen, and then when we got back on track, you could just see everyone was relieved as well as on their toes the rest of the way.

I thrive in that pressure. I actually love it. I know some people dread it, but for me, that's when it's the most honest. It proves how well you know the content. You can riff and add what needs to be added script-wise, or blocking-wise...all while remaining in character...that's the real trick. I always thought I was really solid at it. But, that is not improv-ing based on the Groundling philosophy of comedy.

It's a reprogramming on how I think with regards to acting, or at least this one component of acting. There isn't really any character study, script study, or anything else like in a theater acting class. This shows you how to listen to your partner (a HUGE theater component) and think/construct on your feet. Creating a story isn't the most important thing...the more details, the harder it is for you to tango with your partner throughout the scene you're building. It really is like Who's Line is it Anyway? in its structure.

What else have I done recently? I spent yesterday at Disney Land, and I took a big tour of the park called "Walking in Walt's Footsteps." It was a guided tour throughout the park and culminated in a tour of his private apartment that he stayed in with his wife when he was visiting the park. It's located over the fire station in the Main Street USA square. If you look closely by the window, you'll see a lamp that is lit. The story goes that when Walt or his family were in the park, the Victorian Lamp was lit. The employees liked knowing that Walt was in the park. Now, the lamp is always lit...24/7, 365. Like Kennedy's eternal flame in a way.

 

 

 

 

 

Alright, enough stalling/teasing...so, later this afternoon, I've got an audition for representation for a commercial agent.  Based on those actor submission websites that I mentioned previously, I was contacted a couple of days ago based on my reel/headshot/resume that I uploaded to the site. There is a place to list your current representation/agents on the site, and I left that blank...obviously...as I don't have any of those since I'm just starting out.  The email was inviting me to audition to see if they want to take me on as a client.  I tend to be pretty skeptical of things when I don't initiate them, so I've dialed back my enthusiasm until I know more about it. Even if nothing comes from it, or it seems too good to be true, it will be another audition for me, and it will be an experience. And as I've said from the start, that's what this summer is...an adventure.

Oh, and remember that national commercial for an insurance company that I mentioned earlier too? The one that I video-submitted myself for after they contacted me initially. Well, I've secured a follow-up audition...an in-person audition with them for tomorrow too. So, it appears that I made the cut, or at least the last cut, who knows about this upcoming one.

It's funny how things happen so quickly sometimes. Just a few days ago I was telling someone how I didn't have anything in the pipeline...and now I have two interesting meetings/auditions in the next two days. Who knows what will happen because of it, but it'll make for a good story nonetheless.

After the audition, I'm going to see a play, Buyer & Cellar downtown. It's written by Jonathan Tolins, and he's the playwright of The Twilight of the Golds, which I was a part of with First Presbyterian Theatre a number of years ago.  It was the first "real" dramatic role that I took on post-college. I was really proud of the message of that show, and I loved my experience during those few months.