Just a reminder to all of you who are coming to acting class that we’re now on spring break until April 15. If you aren’t currently a student but would like to audit the class, you’re more than welcome! Just check out the information on the Meisner acting page and come to the class to see it in action!
Add comment March 31st, 2009
Auditions for the Prague Playwriting Contest will be held January 11th from 14:00 – 17:00 and January 14th from 18:30 – 21:30 at the Prague Film School, Pstrossova 19, Prague 1. Please prepare a monologue for the audition (around 2 minutes). For more information and to schedule a time to audition, please contact Brian: brian@pragueplayhouse.com.
A few things to keep in mind:
The roles that we’re looking for are:
STEVE A cat burglar. He is tall and good-looking, but speaks with a strong coarse Cockney accent. He is dressed in dark nondescript clothes, appropriate to his source of income.
LEE Also a cat burglar, although slightly rotund and shorter. His Cockney accent has cadences indicating lesser intelligence than his partner in crime.
JULIA The apparent inhabitant of the house. She is good-looking although rough around the edges, and her voice contains hints of brogue. She is swathed in an expensive nightdress.
GERRY an Englishman who is a workaholic. He has stomach pains and takes pills because of the stress.
ZUZKA GERRY’s wife. Czech. Takes care of GERRY but is treated badly.
MATĚJOVSKÝ a Czech inventor. Lives in a small town.
CYRUS mid-twenties, an American journalist
SILVIA early-twenties, a Slovak studying psychology in Prague
INKY fiftyish, an American editor & longtime expat
THEOBALD sixtyish, an American novelist, father of CYRUS
1 comment January 3rd, 2009
Nancy’s post on actors creating their own work got me thinking. And a New Year’s Eve discussion with an actor from New York got me posting. The actor, Omar Rodriguez, Denis Lyons and I were talking about how actors can distinguish themselves to agents and casting directors among the crush of other actors doing the same thing. Omar’s take on it was that postcards and other mailed materials are pretty much useless to casting directors. They get hundreds of pieces of mail per week (sometimes per day) and have no time to give thought to something that you send.
Omar pointed out that postcards can be effective if the casting director already knows you or can put you in some kind of context. His take on it was that actors should meet casting directors however they can, and the easiest and most effective way for an actor to do that was through casting workshops. Casting workshops are where the casting director offers a class that you can pay for where you basically do scenes for them. This is a great way for you to become known to a casting director and a great way for the casting director (who generally aren’t paid very much) to suppliment their income. Nancy offers several types of workshops for actors. Once the casting director has met you, postcards are a good way for you to keep yourself in their head.
I also really like Nancy’s point about keeping busy. One of the things about viral marketing is that you just don’t know who it will touch. The more stuff you have out there (a personal website, youtube videos, photos on flikr, facebook, myspace, casting websites like the Casting Scene or eTalenta) the easier it will be for casting directors, directors and others to find you. The most important benefit, though is that you will be keeping busy.
One of the worst things an actor can do is loose momentum. We need to constantly be working on getting better: through working as an actor classes and rehearsals, doing plays, short films. But working on those things implies that someone else is organising the events. The deeper point here is that if nothing is happening for you, don’t take that as a sign that things shouldn’t be happening. Start rehearsing a scene with a friend. Maybe it will lead to shooting something or finding a character that you can start writing for (and then shooting a whole series of episodes based on that character, like Mary Olson). Maybe it will lead to you and a bunch of friends doing a scene night.
Another thing to remember here is that you shouldn’t worry so much about where this work will end up. I really believe that worrying about whether you’ll get industry people to your scene night is not the place you want to be working from. Don’t stress that casting directors aren’t falling over themselves to get at you because you placed a video on youtube. Just keep putting the work out there. If you do a scene night, put photos and descriptions up on your website. As people search for you or your type, there will me more and more of a chance that they will find you. Then you better hope that you’re ready when they call!
Add comment January 3rd, 2009
If you or someone you love is interested in auditioning for the upcoming Prague Playhouse production of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross”, you should get in touch with me via email.
The details so far:
– Please notify me if you are planning on auditioning.
– Auditions will be at L’espace (please see http://pragueplayhouse.com/meisner-acting-class/getting-to-the-space/ for details on how to get to the audition) at 20:00 on Wednesday November 19.
– There will be 4 – 6 performances between Jan 15 and Feb 1, 2009.
– Actors should be fluent in English but non-American accents are fine.
– A breakdown of the characters can be found here: http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/glengarry/canalysis.html (there are only roles for men in this one…sorry girls!)
– I will provide sides to those that want them. They should be available at some point over the weekend.
– There is NO PAY for acting in this play. This is community theater, folks. We’re all in this for the love of it.
– I have an electronic version of the play for those who would like to read it before the auditions (I highly recommend this).
Questions can be sent to me: brian@pragueplayhouse.com or 608 577 012.
Thanks! I’m excited to see what you guys will bring to this amazing script!
Add comment November 13th, 2008
I have been teaching Meisner in Prague for about 3 years. In that time I have been challenged to simplify and clarify the way I experience the method personally so that I can more effectively express it to students. The process has been a huge eye opener for me and it has been wonderful to watch students responding to the method, struggling with it at times and then breaking through to a new understanding. I love that part of the work.
But my favorite part seems to be the discussions that we can have in class about the business of acting. What gestures mean, how to walk into an audition, how to conduct yourself in a professional manner, etc. The excitement and “Aha” moments that come when we’re talking in the group about the craft and the business are really fulfilling for me.
Last night in class we talked about the difference between having a core connection to your partner and the imaginary circumstances (from the Meisner technique) and the need to have a clarity of movements and actions when doing an actual project. We also talked about people that have the clarity of movements and actions (the exterior form of the play, let’s say) without the internal core and why that’s a dangerous thing. There is a pressing need in performance to have clear gestures. Too much movement will disapate emotional energy. Movement that is not focused and directed will not appropriately underscore (or cut against) the emotional force of the moment. It is very important for students to remember this as we work in class on exercises that put a premium on “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances”. It’s easy to get caught up in the truth of the moment in a classroom exercise setting and try to extrapolate that to a performance setting where the end product is very often quite a bit more structured and focused.
That said, those that have only the structure and focus without the moment-to-moment working off of the other person and the listening to what’s really going on are going to find themselves pushing an emotion that is not really there, or there very incosistantly. It is a fascinating balancing act that we have to walk…much like the need to balance doing your independant activity and taking in the other person. Once a physical memory of an economy of movement is in the actor, you can set the need to focus on it aside. As always, the primary focus of an actor, whether on stage in front of an audience, a camera, fellow classmates or in their rehearsals should be their partner. Without that, we are truely lost in the moment.
Add comment November 6th, 2008
Intensive Acting Shakespeare Workshop
Led by Guy Roberts, this is the perfect introduction to acting Shakespeare’s texts for the beginner and the perfect exploration and tune-up for the advanced actor. Shakespeare’s characters express themselves by thought, choosing language moment to moment. This intensive workshop explores the link between the structure of the language and the thought the structure expresses. Once the actor fully understands and commands the tools of Shakespeare’s language the possibilities are limitless. The aim is to empower actors to make Shakespeare’s language roll “trippingly” from their tongues. Participants will workshop a selected Shakespeare speech or scene and the weekend concludes with a Mock Audition experience and individualized instructor feedback on the “audition”.
Details and a daily breakdown below:
L’Espace Electrique
Milady Horakove 39, Praha 7
www.unlockingshakespeare.com
Space is limited so make reservations early.
For more info and to register for Unlocking Shakespeare email: guy@guyroberts.com
1700czk Standard Workshop Fee
1350czk Students & Theatre Artists Workshop Fee (no other discounts apply)
**Payment plans accepted on individual basis upon consultation & approval of instructor
**Note: European Workshops conducted entirely in English
Saturday, Oct 25 10am – 5pm
Introduction to Hearing Shakespeare vs. Seeing Shakespeare, Shakespearean theatrical and stage traditions to the present time. Examination of Shakespearean verse structure, how the structure of the verse frees the actor providing dynamic and exciting playing options, Why Language is Character, Shakespearean Rhetoric and the Art of Persuasion, Speech/Thought Structure, and the value of consulting Folio texts. Introduction to effective vocal, physical & textual preparation and rehearsal techniques that the actor can apply to any production or rehearsal session. Monologues and/or scene work is selected for ongoing work.
Sunday, Oct. 26 12pm – 5pm
Ongoing, hands-on work on: Sound and Meaning in Shakespeare, Vowels and Consonants in Shakespeare, Imagery and Antithesis, Order in the Elizabethan World and Prose in Shakespeare. Individual coaching of selected monologues and scenes. One hour private rehearsal/lunch break (participant must provide own meal) at 1:30pm.
Tuesday, Oct 28 7pm – 10pm
Ongoing, hands-on work on: Speaking with Power and Truth and Connecting the Breath to the Voice and the Voice to the Thought. Continued individual coaching of selected monologues and scenes. Workshop ends with Mock Audition followed by individual feedback and coaching.
Add comment October 17th, 2008
Nancy is launching several types of new workshops to expand her “brand” if we can call it that. Marketing for Actors will cover how actors can get themselves out there in the world (through new media: youtube, facebook, search engines, blogging; as well as old: resume and showreel critique). There will be a special focus on “self casting” using the new website for actors to send their castings directly to producers. Presumably the workshop will also cover how casting directors view and use this marketing. Right now it looks like she’s only scheduled classes in the UK. Maybe we can persuede her to bring her class back home!
Add comment October 2nd, 2008
The Bear Educational Theatre is looking for new Teacher/ Actors for the next school year.
The Bear Educational Theatre plays educational English-teaching theatre shows for students in schools around the Czech Republic and Europe. The theatre has an excellent reputation in educational circles, the shows are fun to play and generally very successful and well-received by the students.
The shows require openess and communication as much as acting per se so everybody is welcome to apply. Czech speakers especially welcome. Pay – 600 Kc per show in or around Prague, 750 Kc outside Prague, 1200Kc in richer Western countries.
Usually two shows per day on playing days. This is a paid part-time position, but remember that it is a theatre and so a lot of time and commitment is involved. The real reward should come from the satisfaction of doing a worthwhile job from shows well-played.
Theatre website is www.bearproject.cz
For more info please contact David Fisher thebeareducationaltheatre@yahoo.co.uk or phone 777 134 272.
Add comment September 2nd, 2008
A lot of people talk about how “talented” an actor is, a lot of people starting out acting worry if they have enough “talent” to be successful. But what is talent? Talent seems to be a mixture of how emotionally available you are together with how open you are to showing it, together with a certain sense of vulnerablitiy. Brando talked about measuring talent by thinking about a piano keyboard of emotions. If an actor with no talent can only play a few keys on the keyboard, whereas a hugely talented actor has a large range of emotional range.
Setting talent aside to focus on the craft of acting, how does anyone find out what makes them emotional? When a student is starting out acting, how can they actively enlarge that range of button issues? Being opinionated is key to this. Not only is an actor’s opinion directly linked to how they feel about something (their emotional range), their opinion, or “take” on any given subject is what will set them apart from other actors that may have the same physical characteristics. So, to increase your emotional range, start by really tuning in to your opionions about things.
This isn’t easy to do at first as society rightly trains us all to not show our opinions and go with the flow. Political Corectness is death to an actor’s opinion (and therefor “talent”). As Meisner said: Fuck Polite. Everyone has likes and dislikes that are specific to them, that they really care about when given the freedom. And when given the freedom to really own those opinions, they can produce really strong emotions as they come up against someone who has a differing view of the subject. Apathy, indiference, irony, sarcasm, jadedness, going with the flow, not wanting to make waves, worrying about what other people think. All have a place in everyday life. They all have a reason for being. But for an actor who is just starting down the path of “living truthfully” they will kill that truth really fast.
Actors must seek out their own truthful opinions about things, everything. Those opinions will push them onto the path of emotional openness and fullness, which people view as “talent”. The more opinionated you are, the more varied your opinions are and the freer you are with those opinions, the more “talent” people will say you have. So work on your opinions. Often they’re the only thing that separates you from the thousands of actors who look just like you and have more experience and a better resume.
As always your thoughs and comments (ie. opinions about this post!) are welcome!
2 comments August 26th, 2008
The Prague Playhouse is going to be having auditions for Jane Martin’s “Criminal Hearts” September 1st and 2nd at the E-Space (http://pragueplayhouse.com/meisner-acting-class/getting-to-the-space/) from 8pm. “Criminal Hearts” is a comedy about a woman who’s trapped by her phobias about a recent divorce and what happens when she comes into contact with a free spirit.
We’re looking for 2 women and 2 men. The women are aged 25-35 and the men 25-40. To schedule an audition, please contact Amy Huck (774 554 851) or a_huck(at)yahoo.com.
The production will be going up at the end of October.
Thanks!
Brian
Add comment August 22nd, 2008
