Patience

Today’s Quote:

“If the other actor isn’t giving you what you want, act as though he were.”—Michael Caine

The dreams:

This week is a nice marker for me.  Until this week, I was honestly dreading one part of moving to a new city:  Having to make a whole new list of friends and contacts after spending a year making friends and contacts here in Denver.  It was hard to not view some of my growth here in Denver as a waste because I would have to start from basically zero wherever I go next.  I’m not worried about that now.  I’ve been dreaming about all the new friends and new ‘business partners’ I’m going to be making when I move.  It’s a good dream; I love people … especially ones I’m just meeting!

What did I “DO” to move forward?

I started working more on my music writing and performing.  I used to be a pretty good dance music DJ and while I’ve still got the technical skills, I’m re-learning some of the art to it.  I’m also still working on building some auditions and contacts in Seattle.

Patience … Not a subject for a single article. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found a lot of uses for patience in my life.  I’ve been very grateful for seeing these moments as they’ve come along and I think it’s going to help me in a huge way, as I get closer to ramping my professional efforts up even more.

The first place I have been taking on some patience from is my booking schedule.  I’m currently not in a show until September and that is unusual for me.  (Hah, I’m sure some of you are cursing, “Oh, Poor Erik doesn’t know what it’s like to not constantly be in a show.” Get over it!)  Non-the-less, I’ve had the temptation to think this lack of shows is signifying a harder road than I wanted to deal with. 

It is harder than I thought it would be—and I thought it would be really freaking hard.  But I am reminded: every day I work at it and every time I watch my friends who are also rocking out in this world it shows that it is still very possible.

Another lesson about patience I’ve been learning is specifically for the actors out there.  We all know it is annoying as hell to have to act across from someone who is a blank wall or someone who has his or her own thing going on and is not responding to you at all.  It sucks!!! 

Those of us who have even the slightest bit of humility in themselves will remember that we also (at one time or another) have been the actor who gives nothing and receives nothing; the actor who is as fun to act with as a chair.  So, lets not get pissed off every time we have to work with someone who needs more acting classes.  We should love them for being there and trying.  After all, we all could use some more acting classes every once in a while … always.

In My Own Little World

Today’s Quote:

“The camera doesn’t have to be wooed; the camera already loves you deeply…  you have never known such devotion.  –Michael Caine

The dreams:

I just day-dreamed about remodeling a kitchen to be perfect for every one of my cooking fantasies.  Mmmm, food.

What did I “DO” this week?

O.K. So I guess it’s more like, “What did I do these past few weeks?”  I do apologize for my absence.  I had a bit of a spring-break and have been away from the-ol blog for a while. 

As you remember, I was submitting to agencies last time we talked.  I had an audition for the best agency in town and they basically liked me, but said I was not ready for camera work.  I was expecting that, but I admit: it took a while to get out of the pit of “I SUCK!!!”  I took it as a hint and in the last few weeks I’ve lined up some acting classes to try out and I got a plane ticket to see my friend’s wedding in L.A. (A good place to look for a workshop maybe?)  I also submitted auditions to some theatres in the mountains for summer.  I also had an "Extras" cattle-call audition for a Johnny Depp movie being shot in Colorado this summer.  Cattle-calls are silly ... just ... silly.   In general, I’m trying to re-open my eyes to this business and what I need to do next in it.

“In My Own Little World” is the title of this article and it is basically to say I need to be there more. 

These past few weeks have been hard because I think I’ve gotten very caught up in the lives and emotions of others in a way that hurts my life and emotions.  I think the practice of being in our own little world is about developing a thick skin, not just to our own failure and rejection, but to our friend’s and family member’s failures and defeats. 

I’ve been getting a lot of reminders to say to myself, “It’s their life.  Let them live it.  They WILL be okay.”  I’m sure I could say that about myself a bit more too…

What if we started every day with that simple statement or something like it (Perhaps the Lord’s Prayer, or Mrs. Eddy’s ‘Daily Prayer—For those of you who know it.)  It would be so great for us to remind ourselves… AND FULLY BELIEVE; This is our life.  We should just LET ourselves live it.  We will always be okay.   More than okay.  GREAT! 

Filling the VOID

Today’s Quote:

“Take your job seriously, and then you’ll be hired to do the fun stuff!” – Auditioning and Acting for the Camera by John W.Shepard

This week’s dreams:

I dreamed most about perpetual motion this week.  Starting last Sunday, I was working almost from wake-up to bed time on my craft.  I had tech rehearsals for a show that opened three days ago, “Six Degrees of Separation.”  Meanwhile, I had kid shows during the day.  I was having drinks after our opening night on Friday with some people who saw the play I was in and one of them asked me what else I did for a living.  With out an instance of hesitation, I said, “I’m a full time actor.”  That is a big thought change for me:  To un-questioningly affirm myself as a full time actor is awesome!  This week, I dreamed about keeping that affirmation going.

What did I “DO” this week?

I started re-submitting to talent agencies in Denver.  I’ve heard enough of some actors saying they can’t get any work from their agent while other actors say they are getting plenty of work to know that if I had an agent, I would do very well!  The result?  I’ve got an audition this week for the (arguably) biggest and best talent agency in Denver!  I started my month of using public transportation instead of my car and I love it.  I’m getting a lot of acting reading done on the bus and have a better handle on my schedule and how to effectively use my time.  It was a very good week.

So…As I prepare for the possibility of being represented by a talent agency, I’ve started grabbing hold of the fact that the majority of equitable work in the area is in commercials. 

I’ve noticed that commercials can have a bad rep with actors who are focused too heavily on “the art” of our work.  However, I’ve long accepted that I am going to have to do things that are more about the money than the art.

Lets play would you rather:

Would you rather do commercials and feel your artistic soul be challenged while working on your craft in thee commercial.  Then also be able to do shows and films that are the ‘good’ work a little later…

OR

Would you rather work as a temp and get a job as an envelope stuffer at a Blockbuster distribution center, act in shows that are artsy, but don’t pay well (or at all) and be so tired and sore and drained from your day job that you can barely focus on stage?

I did the second option…for about three weeks.  I HATED IT!!!  And that second option sucks so much, I will never believe the work of commercials or industrials are beneath me.   At the end of the day, it is still acting…Warehouse jobs, waiting tables, and making lattes isn’t. 

I’m not saying these above jobs are bad jobs.  They just aren’t the jobs to have if you want to have a conversation with a stranger and say, “I’m a full time actor.”  Which, believe me, is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever been privileged enough to say.

I think what I really learned from this week is that there is (regardless of your life purpose as you see it) enormous value in being totally comfortable with your identity to the point that your job, your actions, and your words all radiate that awesome identity.

The Back Up Singers

Today’s Quote:

“The greatest wisdom is to realize one's lack of it” - Constantin Stanislavski

This week’s dream:

I’m not sure if this is a ‘dream’ per-se, but I was thinking a lot this week about that thing people say about how in the arts you need to be fully committed to what your doing.  Committed in the sense of, “If you are willing to do something other than your art for work, you won’t be as successful as you could be in that art.”  I’m not sure I buy that as an actor.  I think the more diverse my life is, the more I can bring to the art.  Look at Donald Glover!  That guy does so much!  This week, I dreamed about keeping my identity as a renaissance man.

What did I “DO” this week?

I say a show yesterday.  I signed up for some auditions for shows in the late spring and for some summer stock theatre.  I set up a game plan for getting an agent with in the month.  On an ECO note, I got a bus pass!  No commuting to work by car for the month of March!

What a mean trick I pulled last week!  I mentioned my future-not-yet-scheduled skiing trip with Johnny Depp on my facebook post and I got more hits on that blog post in a day than any of the other posts got ever!  Maybe I should always mention celebrities in this!  But, seriously, that trip’s gonna happen—I’ll let you know when we finally schedule it.  After all, Depp and I are both busy men, he is terrible at picking up his phone, and I don’t like texting back and forth.

I’ve been performing in a great kid’s show for about a month now.  I’m a supporting character in the show—most of us are.  Something that I’ve started noticing about my performance and the dangers of kid’s theatre and extended show runs is that I am tempted to cheat my audience out of my best performance. 

This comes in two forms:  First, I am tempted to wait for my cue.  Second, I am tempted to let outside influences affect my show.

What do I mean by waiting for my cue?  I’ll give an example.  In the show’s script, one character is listing all these things he does in his life as a kid.  The pirates listen to this, and at the end of the list the boy mentions that he plays soccer.  The pirates all speak in unison, “Arg…Soccer?”  That’s what’s written.  But, is it all that is happening on stage.

If I’m doing my job right, I should have an opinion about absolutely everything that goes on within the world of the play while I’m on stage.  This doesn’t mean that I have to make vocal ad-libs that are not in the script.  I should at the very least have a thought. 

A supporting actor, if he/she is truly professional, will be focused enough to give themselves wholly to the world of the play and to their character’s opinions about that world.  It shouldn’t matter if the play is a Tony winner or the crappiest script ever.  I believe that doing this one thing could bring an actor un-told success in this business because the audience will look at that character and see the full story—and they will love you for it.  If done right, you won’t have to worry about pulling focus either.  (I think a blank face in an actor on stage pulls my focus as an audience member more than anything)

About the second thing:  I think one of the cruelest disservices I can do to the audience is to bring my outside day onto the stage with me.  We actors love to commiserate back stage.  We LOVE to share the things that make our lives suck the most.  When one actor enters the dressing room and announces that they woke up with some phlegm in their throat, the flock gathers to agree that there must surely be some new illness floating around.

Imagine how good our shows would be if we refused to commiserate:  if we let go of our fetish for sickness and instead we couldn’t shut up about how awesome our world is.  After all, our world IS awesome.  Our job is SO COOL!!!  So, stop whining!