Archive for September, 2007
One of the students in our acting class has recently been struggling with preparing for the entrance exams to the Drama faculty in Prague. I have found it very interesting to look at the differences between a “formal” theater education and our class and how the diploma from the formal setting changes perceptions when you go to an audition.
In the grand scheme of things, there are benefits to a formal education that a lone acting class just cannot provide. Adequate funding and facilities is one. Contacts is another. A diverse training in various disciplines is yet another. DAMU offers all of these things and indeed, serves as a gateway to professional theater work here in the Czech Republic. Our acting class, led by two renegade expat actors, cannot hope to compete with such a large state institution. And our students, while getting a very good and necessary acting training, do not get the formalized training in voice, fencing, movement, stagecraft, history, speech, design, etc.
So. What does it matter? We take students without an audition. DAMU takes roughly 5% of those that apply. Our student is facing an almost certain rejection. The odds are stacked against her. But what does it mean in the long run? I haven’t had formal training at a conservatory and things are going ok for me. Would it have been better for me to have auditioned for drama school? I know many students who spent time at drama school only to drop acting once faced with the crushing realities of the working actor. I have long felt that the most important thing you get from a drama school is the contacts (kind of like an MBA). The knowledge can be acquired outside the formal setting or on the job.
Granted, the system here (as well as in the UK) is different than in the US, where I went to university. Apparently actors are not allowed to audition for things without a diploma stating that they actually can act. Maybe the theaters look at this as a way to cut down on untalented hopefuls cluttering things up. But I have to say, from the state of much of the Czech theater I’ve seen and certainly most of the commercial and film work, they could do with a fresh take on what acting for the theater is. I freely admit that I’m commenting on this from outside the system. I haven’t been to DAMU, I haven’t sat in on their classes, I don’t know what they’re striving for. I can only say that much (not all) of the acting that I see is forced and theatrical.
So what does this mean for our student who is looking at her future between not getting into school and thereby being barred from most of the theaters and casting directors that would give her work, and getting into a school that might lessen her regard for truthfully living under imaginary circumstances (as we are working towards in our class) and make her start to fake her way through? It’s a tough choice.
I’d offer advice that either way, it’s not so much an actor’s talent that will make him successful. Plenty of talented actors stop acting because it’s too damn hard to make a living doing it. What actors need, far more than any diploma or specific “technique” is the will to succeed, something that she has in spades. A successful actor is one that looks at the impossible string of catch-22s and creates opportunity. A successful actor is one that, while being barred from auditioning for her favorite theater due to a lack of a stamp from the university, interns there as a way to meet the people and then makes them see that she is in fact serious about the craft of acting and actually deserves a shot. A successful actor is one who, when faced with the insularity of the film industry, will do all the student films he can in order to meet that next great director.
Certainly these aren’t the only options, just what I could come up with off the top of my head. Basically what I mean is this: life won’t end because you don’t get into some school; life won’t be easy because you get accepted. Each outcome is just another step along the way. Like I tell students (and myself) when we start talking about booking jobs: don’t take your self worth from the jobs you book or don’t book. That measure is false as whether or not you book is pretty much outside of your control. Take your self worth from whether or not you can honestly say that you worked on your craft today, that you’re a better actor today than you were yesterday. If you answer yes, then everything is going to work out fine in the end.
September 28th, 2007
Don’t forget to go to the Zizkov Film Klub’s “Manhattan Short Film Festival” Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is a unique chance to see some great short films and vote for the winner. The votes will be tabulated from regional festivals world-wide. Go and be a part of history! For more information, visit the Zizkov Film Klub’s webpage at http://zizkovfilmklub.blogspot.com/.
September 27th, 2007
I just got a note from Nancy that the transcript from the casting symposium at the Berlinale is up at her site. I downloaded it and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in acting in films shooting in Europe. There is a ton of good information there and a lot of links too. Absolutely read, download and digest the information. It will give you a really good overview of what is required of actors: how often to contact casting directors, what to wear to a casting, and much more.
Get the transcript now!
September 23rd, 2007
I asked Adam Preston, the playwright who brought “Powder” to us, to take a little bit of time to write about his experience with the reading and with writing the play. I want to thank him for such a well thought out response. I’d also like to encourage those of you who were at the reading to share your experiences as comments to this post.
“When Brian Caspe asked if I would be interested in having a reading of my short play ‘Powder’ under the auspices of the Prague Playhouse Theatre I jumped at the chance. I do not need much encouragement to visit Prague (where I lived for a year around 2004) and I have real faith in this little play – so any encouragement it receives I embrace warmly. I sent the play to Dave Fisher of the Bear Educational Theatre and asked him if he would be interested in directing the reading. I have admired Dave’s work ever since I saw his companies performance of Chekhov’s ‘The Bear’ performed at 8 am on a winter’s morning in a school in a Prague suburb. I had then asked him to come and see a production of Chekhov’s The Proposal’ which I was putting on in an apartment and subsequently we presented the two plays together at Na Pradle Theatre.‘Powder’ tells the story of the last days of Percy Therburn – an artist, adventurer and mariner who retired to the banks of the Helford River in Cornwall in the 1950’s. When he was in his final decline he lived in a small hut in the woods. Armed against imaginary enemies, frustrated at his inability to finish his last painting, and determined to die with the sound of the river in his ears the stage was set for a drama that has entered local legend in the region. In writing this play I have gathered as much true information as I could, stirred in a little imagination, and come up with an old fashioned ‘yarn’. As Shakespeare puts it, I have told the tale ‘with advantages’.
The plan was to fly into Prague on the Thursday the 6th September and go straight to Gusto Restaurant in Vinohrady to rehearse with the actors. However on arrival Dave informed me by ‘phone that there was a problem at Gusto. Having lived in Prague I did not allow this to stress me and I did not expend too much energy on trying to understand the problem (the restaurant had no water – therefore no rehearsal). We just rescheduled for the next morning.
At 11 am on the Friday I marched down Vinohradska and soon saw the figure of Dave Fisher with a suitably Powderish looking actor (Stephen Evonuk) standing outside Gusto. The restaurant still had no water – therefore no rehearsal.
We were soon joined by the third actor (David Fellowes) and were now presented with a problem. The event had been publicised and the general feeling was that quite a few people were coming. We had to find a venue within easy walking distance of Gusto so that the audience could be redirected to it. It also had to be somewhere where we could rehearse through the day. Fortunately the combined knowledge of foreigner-friendly venues in Vinohrady possessed by our little company was considerable, and after a couple of false starts (the Russian video library was having building work and a café I used to see live performances in had been turned into a library) we found ourselves seated in Noel’s Lounge.
However – although this location was ideal there was still an apparently insurmountable problem. There was live music scheduled for the evening – at the exact time of our performance. It was at this point that my easy-going optimistic view that somehow things would work out collapsed and I allowed in a brief flood of despair. However - a miracle – it was somehow agreed that we would perform for half an hour during the performer’s ‘break’. The fact that the performer himself was not involved in this decision didn’t seem to bother anyone – and we proceeded to rehearse.
We had decided to do an ‘on book’ rehearsal. This means that the actors have to cling to scripts but they also attempt to perform some of the action of the piece. For me this was essential. On paper ‘Powder’ may seem somewhat staid – how exciting can a play about an old man dying in a hut be? But in fact there is violence, humour, and emotion and a good deal of it is played out in action – not words.
We reassembled at 5pm for some more rehearsals and by this time the machinery of the Prague Playhouse Theatre had wirred into life and created a new poster – with the new venue – for the reading. Brian Caspe efficiently stationed himself at gusto and at 7.30pm shepherded an audience to Noel’s lounge.
We were performing in a side room at Noel’s lounge and there had been some debate about whether it would be big enough. As it was it was exactly right – the room was packed, with quite a few people standing – but it was not uncomfortably packed and there was a suitably intimate atmosphere for a drama set in a small wooden cabin. The blues guitarist had agreed to let us perform for half an hour and, with myself narrating the stage directions, preceded by a short introduction, we presented an ‘on book performance of ‘Powder’ - it’s world premiere.
There is a distinct difference between a play that has been performed and one that hasn’t. Only by seeing some kind of performance can you gage whether the thing has any life, or potential for life, beyond the page. What was so enchanting for me was to see that, despite the distractions of actors reading scripts, trying to pronounce unfamiliar Cornish names, dressed in the wrong clothes and without sets, props, sound effects or stage lighting – despite all this the audience were taken into the world of Percy Therburn and his last battle. We got laughs in the right places and in the middle of the land-locked Czech Republic, something of that mystical worship of the sea was being conjured up. For me it was enough to make me believe that a proper production of ‘Powder’ was something to be avidly sought.
Afterwards the comments from the audience were uniformly positive – with one or two positively gushing with enthusiasm. From my point of view this was an extremely worthwhile and gratifying experience and I am grateful to Dave Fisher, David Fellowes, and Stephen Evonuk for agreeing to participate and to Brian Caspe for everything he did to make this happen. It only remains for me to say if anyone would like to read Powder with a view to putting together a performance, please do get in touch with me either at bodenhamnelson@yahoo.com - or through Brian at the Prague Playhouse Theatre.
September 21st, 2007
We started talking in acting class tonight about good podcasts for actors and acting students.
I mentioned that I listen to the Treatment from KCRW, which is an interview show by Elvis Mitchell, the film critic for the New York Times. Elvis’ encyclopedic knowledge of film leads him to make connections in genre and approach that cast a great insight on the work at hand. It’s also great to hear serious filmmakers talk at length about their work and often be surprised by the things Elvis points out.
Another great show (also from NPR) is Fresh Air. This show isn’t specifically targeted at acting and filmmaking, but culture in general. There is a huge back catalog of shows and you can find some real gems of interviews with great artists. The interviews are really well prepared and really get at the heart of the issues.
Also from KCRW is the Business, which deals mostly with…the business… side of Hollywood, giving news and reports on trends, concerns and quirks. The host is an ex-reporter for Variety and has a really great take on the circus of it all. While it’s not directly related to acting, it’s good to keep up on what the business in general is doing.
I would encourage you all to add comments with your recommendations for good shows for actors to learn about acting and the business.
September 19th, 2007
The Zizkov Film Klub is sponsoring the Manhattan Short Film Festival at the end of the month! Froom the ZFK website:
Film lovers in Prague will be able to join audiences spanning three continents to judge the next generation of filmmakers from around the world at the 10th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival screening by ZFK in Prague on 28/29/30 Septmber 2007.
This year the Manhattan Short received 456 entries from more than 32 countries. Of these, 12 finalists are selected for screening at 100 cinemas across Europe, North, South and Central America in which audience members are asked to vote for the one film they feel should win the event. Votes are tallied and submitted to the Festival’s headquarters in NYC, the winner is announced on Sunday September 30th in Union Square Park NYC.
The festival is September 28, 29 and 30. Tickets are 60 Kc and go on sale at 20:00 the nights of the festival. The venues are:
- 28/9: Karavan Seraj, Masarykovo nabrezi 22 and MAD, Plaska 5
- 29/9: Karavan Seraj, Masarykovo nabrezi 22
- 30/9: Skutecnost, Francouzska 76
You can get more information from the Zizkov Film Klub website or I’ll post here as soon as I hear!
September 17th, 2007
Last Monday the Playhouse Acting Class hosted a field trip to Museum Kampa’s exhibit of Andy Warhol’s works about death. One of the important focuses of the acting class is opening up students to other experiences than they would normally have, often in the form of great works of art. Great art has a way of transcending the rational mind and working its magic on the inner self. The acting class supports the process of opening students emotionally to the world by organizing group trips to art exhibits, plays and concerts. The class will supplement the cost of these events to get the highest level of attendance by students.
I really think that by going as a group of acting students, we looked at the paintings with a certain level of depth that I don’t normally experience when I go to a museum on my own. We frequently asked questions like “What does the repetition in his work mean in the context of our own work with repetition?”. Since the death exhibit 
had quotes from Warhol painted on the walls, often of him doubting what it meant to be an artist or dead to the world through the frequent exposure to stimulus, it was especially interesting to the group as our work is mostly about taking whatever your partner gives you as a new thing in the moment.
The exhibit was interesting but quite small: one room of paintings. After we had had our time there, we went and explored the main exhibit, which is free on Mondays.
Our next class field trip will be to the Open day at Svandovo Divadlo on September 20th. Anyone interested should feel free to join us!
September 17th, 2007