First and foremost, I hope you're all having a good Easter Weekend. I'll be spending some good quality time with the family tomorrow. We have homemade cinnamon-raisin sticky-buns awaiting us. Ohhh-hohhhh boy.
;
Whilst I salivate, this is my most recent post. Hope it is worth the wait:
You find your path; you forge your path. You move like the Juggernaut. Your momentum swings into that laser-precision mission you call your will and out after that target you go. You bulldoze obligations, time with friends, time with family, time for yourself--you must'n't let distractions get in your way. Not even money. At almost all cost.
And then one day you come up to a high incline. Your speed slows. You try to dig as deep as you can, but you used all of that effort just getting over the last mountain. Suddenly your aim comes to a halt. The show that must go on, stops, and your competitors fly over that hill like birds over ants.
Now what?
That's exactly what I want to talk about today.
There's an interesting article that in very succinctly explains why the Intiman Theatre is cancelling the rest of their season. They were very short on their budget for this year and so started a huge fundraising campaign, of which the results were very promising and it was declared they would press on. However, after a deeper look at projected income, the fear was that only a bigger hole was being dug.
Do you feel like all that fancy digging of yours isn't getting you any closer to the surface? That's what I've been feeling lately. My return home has been successful. My pursuits have been rewarding and only the potential for more interesting adventures. However, the resources for acting are somewhat bare these days. And, many of the theaters looking for actors have already been cast. The actual cost to audition and stay informed can be very pricey. You can say I'm like the fly on the flypaper. How to break free...
Sometimes it just means you have to stop. You have to withdraw to really understand your options. It takes just as much courage to retreat as to engage. It's not easy to do; some will not understand or appreciate your reasons. In military battles, the best generals were the ones who knew when they were picking the wrong fight and moved out of harms way to better fight the enemy tomorrow.
"Why so cryptic Ben?"
Well, the past year has made me rethink much of what acting is and how I want to practice as a artist in the profession. Diversity and independence have come up repeatedly in my search. I want to have a connection both outside and within the arts domain.
This past year or so have been a gamble to jump-start a career. When it's your living on the line, the need can arise to force creative production. It can be very painful and sometimes, in my opinion, damaging to your creative psyche. Therefore, it is a new mission of mine to reduce the stress that comes with finding and producing artistic work. Apparently, sprinting has its place (you can read this if you've got some time, and an extensive physiology and biology vocabulary, or that if you'd like the digest), but remember this is a long distance affair. At some point, we all need to just stop. An artist's journey is as much about the stop-and-go, the diversions from the inspired path, as a play itself. There has been great success, but it has hindered other adult obligations that need to be addressed. Slow and steady will now win the race. That doesn't mean there won't be bold choices or lack of a determination to find other exciting options, but there will be an emphasis on providing more support to make sure I am in good stead.
I want to be in New York. The BosWash Corridor has a real appeal to me. The people I know here and the resources available are tremendous--if you are wise of the system by which they are dispersed. I want to (finally) explore the world of voice-over and commercials. The inner-writer is going to get out more often as well. A lot of actors have also encouraged me to look up opportunities as an extra. Why not. Let's spread the roots a bit.
Of course, there are many steps needed in order to put all of these in place. First, is to move closer to a major arts city. Philly and D.C. were high on my list, but New York's gravity is pulling me the hardest right now. Rest assured, those other areas (Boston included) will be getting further investigation. But home base will be New York/New Jersey for the foreseeable future.
The second is providing myself with a solid foundation to support my business as actor and writer. As I've written before, inquiries have already been made. I'm really close to making both these two points happen. So close...
So that's the next big turn. We'll get into vision and mission statements later--something that every artistic and entrepreneurial spirit should embrace. Until then, may you have many colored eggs and chocolate bunnies.
-Ben
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Twinight Harolds
Good evening (or Morning?),
First, some misfortune: my laptop has officially died (tear). I wish it well in circuitry heaven and recycling. For you, that means my posts will be a little more spread out. In the meanwhile, I've been hitting the ground running these days and I must be off to bed for a very important audition tomorrow--looking forward to getting to that when the opportunity strikes.
Excellent progress has been made towards finding work. Some canidates have been eliminated through the usual reasons and some interviews have been obtained. At this point, I've really started to hone in on some good leads and my aim is that before this month is out my financial and artistic needs will be well in hand...including some education opportunities (fingers crossed). I've been learning to put good energy and my wishes out into the world every day--the power of want and belief are already making a difference.
The search has come down to acting (mostly commercial), teaching, and hospitality/customer service options--each one of which fits me very well. That's the beauty of being an actor--your work in theater actually makes you well-versed in a plethora of skills; an artists breadth and depth of abilities is not to be over-looked.
Transition is something that both intrigues and challenges me in many ways, but it's encouraging that so much progress has already been made (not bad for a mere seven days in pursuit!). Glad to have you on board with me.
I hope that next time you read this is over your breakfast and coffee...and considerably later. Time for bed!
-Ben
First, some misfortune: my laptop has officially died (tear). I wish it well in circuitry heaven and recycling. For you, that means my posts will be a little more spread out. In the meanwhile, I've been hitting the ground running these days and I must be off to bed for a very important audition tomorrow--looking forward to getting to that when the opportunity strikes.
Excellent progress has been made towards finding work. Some canidates have been eliminated through the usual reasons and some interviews have been obtained. At this point, I've really started to hone in on some good leads and my aim is that before this month is out my financial and artistic needs will be well in hand...including some education opportunities (fingers crossed). I've been learning to put good energy and my wishes out into the world every day--the power of want and belief are already making a difference.
The search has come down to acting (mostly commercial), teaching, and hospitality/customer service options--each one of which fits me very well. That's the beauty of being an actor--your work in theater actually makes you well-versed in a plethora of skills; an artists breadth and depth of abilities is not to be over-looked.
Transition is something that both intrigues and challenges me in many ways, but it's encouraging that so much progress has already been made (not bad for a mere seven days in pursuit!). Glad to have you on board with me.
I hope that next time you read this is over your breakfast and coffee...and considerably later. Time for bed!
-Ben
Friday, April 8, 2011
Dancin' with Myself
Today has been full of the hunt. Job applications are already out in the world and exciting new things are already starting to take shape. Can't wait to tell once I hear more. I recently found a play reading club in the city and we had a lot fun rediscovering plays like Stop Kiss. It's early yet, but this summer should provide us with plenty more Journey to tell. Naturally, one shouldn't claim to have what one has yet to receive. It's simply bad luck, in my opinion. Lucky, time will be the swifter wind this go-around.
The day came and went. The rain came and went. But the cold settled in for the evening. It was my mother, my sister, and I, eating good home-cooked food, and watching this very fun movie called Take the Lead, starring Antonio Banderas. It's very nice rendition of a familiar storyline: a funny and honest portrayal of an outsider coming into an underprivileged, inner-city school to help the worst of the misfits find their way in the midst of tough life circumstances. In this case, a dance teacher decides to volunteer his time and skills to the detention class. Along the way, they learn that dance, like life, takes trust: it cannot be done alone, but also doesn't have to be done for anyone else that may be watching; their best dancing happened when they were out there on the floor and didn't care who might be watching. And, my goodness, was the dancing fun to watch.
One thing we practice in acting is the concept of public privacy. The idea is, very early on in training, to get comfortable doing something in your "room" onstage as if you were in your real life room, with the door shut, and no one was looking. In order to reveal the life of the story that captures our attention so well, you can't bother yourself with the fight you had with a boyfriend an hour ago, or that you dropped ice-cream on those pants you ironed for thirty minutes or even that you knew your favorite director is going to be in the audience that night. None of it has anything to do with the story on stage. It has nothing to do with your character. This Other Life, when the lights come on, and the theater gets quiet, is its own bubble--regardless of whether it directly involves the audience or not--you have to dance to your part, and with your partners, with the ecstatic abandon one might attempt in an empty rehearsal hall.
It's important for me to admit this because this is one of the biggest personal challenges I have faced. Being an actor new to the industry can be an overwhelming experience. You have little money. Maybe there's struggles within the family or circle of friends. Maybe its about your career. Maybe its about something else. You have enormous amount of excellent competition, each of them clawing and scratching their way to the top along side you. Success can get you to the point where they suddenly look better than you, dance/sing/act better than you, know more people than you, work harder than you, smile more than you do, heck, maybe people just plain like them better than you. And then, there are all these directors, artistic directors, castings agents, and a whole host of other theater types that you somehow have to leave a good impression while not looking like you're trying to leave a good impression. And THEN there could be your own opinions: did I like what I did? It could even be about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Professional or personal, the friction from the grind can seep into every crevice of your day-to-day.
And in the attempt to protect ourselves from these inner doubts, we forget on stage to learn how to dance alone. To throw away the backstage bricks that weigh us down and find the Waltz or Cha-Cha of this other life that we inhabit for a few hours. Just like in the movie, I understood that to these kids, that release is freedom, and honesty, and so much the celebration of everyone's self, and what makes people so damn interesting, that it seems silly to worry about anyone noticing.... Those who are more concerned about their ensemble and the story say so many better things about who they are than the self-conscious actor that always needs to prove something.
I made a promise to myself a very long time ago that, no matter, no matter how hard this profession became, that I would always find something fun and exciting about it to keep me going. I think part of that is finding art that touches me. Like this movie. It's crucial to find the kind of work that lights your fire because that will only help you when you need to light a flame in your audience. Let's say that's one of my new goals from here on out--let's find the things that inspire--even if its other competition--and let that be the basis for our new moves.
In the spirit of happy discovery, here's my randomly entertaining video of the week.
-Ben
The day came and went. The rain came and went. But the cold settled in for the evening. It was my mother, my sister, and I, eating good home-cooked food, and watching this very fun movie called Take the Lead, starring Antonio Banderas. It's very nice rendition of a familiar storyline: a funny and honest portrayal of an outsider coming into an underprivileged, inner-city school to help the worst of the misfits find their way in the midst of tough life circumstances. In this case, a dance teacher decides to volunteer his time and skills to the detention class. Along the way, they learn that dance, like life, takes trust: it cannot be done alone, but also doesn't have to be done for anyone else that may be watching; their best dancing happened when they were out there on the floor and didn't care who might be watching. And, my goodness, was the dancing fun to watch.
One thing we practice in acting is the concept of public privacy. The idea is, very early on in training, to get comfortable doing something in your "room" onstage as if you were in your real life room, with the door shut, and no one was looking. In order to reveal the life of the story that captures our attention so well, you can't bother yourself with the fight you had with a boyfriend an hour ago, or that you dropped ice-cream on those pants you ironed for thirty minutes or even that you knew your favorite director is going to be in the audience that night. None of it has anything to do with the story on stage. It has nothing to do with your character. This Other Life, when the lights come on, and the theater gets quiet, is its own bubble--regardless of whether it directly involves the audience or not--you have to dance to your part, and with your partners, with the ecstatic abandon one might attempt in an empty rehearsal hall.
It's important for me to admit this because this is one of the biggest personal challenges I have faced. Being an actor new to the industry can be an overwhelming experience. You have little money. Maybe there's struggles within the family or circle of friends. Maybe its about your career. Maybe its about something else. You have enormous amount of excellent competition, each of them clawing and scratching their way to the top along side you. Success can get you to the point where they suddenly look better than you, dance/sing/act better than you, know more people than you, work harder than you, smile more than you do, heck, maybe people just plain like them better than you. And then, there are all these directors, artistic directors, castings agents, and a whole host of other theater types that you somehow have to leave a good impression while not looking like you're trying to leave a good impression. And THEN there could be your own opinions: did I like what I did? It could even be about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Professional or personal, the friction from the grind can seep into every crevice of your day-to-day.
And in the attempt to protect ourselves from these inner doubts, we forget on stage to learn how to dance alone. To throw away the backstage bricks that weigh us down and find the Waltz or Cha-Cha of this other life that we inhabit for a few hours. Just like in the movie, I understood that to these kids, that release is freedom, and honesty, and so much the celebration of everyone's self, and what makes people so damn interesting, that it seems silly to worry about anyone noticing.... Those who are more concerned about their ensemble and the story say so many better things about who they are than the self-conscious actor that always needs to prove something.
I made a promise to myself a very long time ago that, no matter, no matter how hard this profession became, that I would always find something fun and exciting about it to keep me going. I think part of that is finding art that touches me. Like this movie. It's crucial to find the kind of work that lights your fire because that will only help you when you need to light a flame in your audience. Let's say that's one of my new goals from here on out--let's find the things that inspire--even if its other competition--and let that be the basis for our new moves.
In the spirit of happy discovery, here's my randomly entertaining video of the week.
-Ben
Saturday, April 2, 2011
New Directions
Hello everyone,
It's been some time since we last talked. There's a great deal of good story to share with you.
To start: We've finally narrowed down the mass of play submissions for Under 6 (over 3,300!) to 25-30 top plays that the Artistic Director will review and give his personal input. There's some real good ones in there. I'm looking forward to hearing who's going to be the winner. I also devoted many an hour to completing our subscription renewals. We spend much of the time processing the last of the forms, answer phone calls, help walk-in patrons, and then talk about the more "interesting" patrons that we encounter.
Thursday: we made our way out for an Art Appreciation day they are had at a local Elementary School. This particular location is another very FST-friendly place, which made us even more eager to attend. The Principle was decked out in a P.T. Barum outfit. There was dancing, there was the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, there were ballet dancers, and there were unicycle riders. And they were just part of the event, each demonstrating and breaking down their feats to help children understand how they did them. We were one of the main events, teaching everyone a fun dance set to the Black Eyed Peas "I Got A Feelin'". This was also a great time, with all the challenges of keeping the excited child-crowds focused on the task. And, lots of special hollywood-star shaped shades that would make even Kanye West proud. We had 30 minutes with each grade (6 sessions in all): we managed to squeeze in dress rehearsal of the performance and then a final presentation that was video-taped.
That is in quick some this week's highlights. And now for an important announcement.
Over the past few weeks, I have had a chance to reflect on the incredible breadth and depth of my adventures here. There were important discoveries made and lessons learned that will serve me well wherever I find my life leading. But, with the summer employment season close at hand, and the Playmakers and Under 6 Tour concluded, I felt this was the right time to conclude my Journey with Florida Studio Theatre (FST).
This decision came from both personal and professional reasons. I'm excited because it signals the next step. What I have learned about myself in Florida will require me to take a different approach to being an artist. It coincides with what I see as a change in direction. Since I have only arrived today, more introspection is needed. And of course, I will be eager to share them with you. I'm grateful to FST for opening their doors; giving me the chance to do some amazing work and gain further insight into the Business. My superiors, along with the entire staff, have been gracious and supportive of my decisions. I wish them all the best and hope that our futures my once again intertwine. In the meantime, I will recoup from my travels and look forward to making my next post for all of you. Until then.
-Ben
It's been some time since we last talked. There's a great deal of good story to share with you.
To start: We've finally narrowed down the mass of play submissions for Under 6 (over 3,300!) to 25-30 top plays that the Artistic Director will review and give his personal input. There's some real good ones in there. I'm looking forward to hearing who's going to be the winner. I also devoted many an hour to completing our subscription renewals. We spend much of the time processing the last of the forms, answer phone calls, help walk-in patrons, and then talk about the more "interesting" patrons that we encounter.
Thursday: we made our way out for an Art Appreciation day they are had at a local Elementary School. This particular location is another very FST-friendly place, which made us even more eager to attend. The Principle was decked out in a P.T. Barum outfit. There was dancing, there was the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, there were ballet dancers, and there were unicycle riders. And they were just part of the event, each demonstrating and breaking down their feats to help children understand how they did them. We were one of the main events, teaching everyone a fun dance set to the Black Eyed Peas "I Got A Feelin'". This was also a great time, with all the challenges of keeping the excited child-crowds focused on the task. And, lots of special hollywood-star shaped shades that would make even Kanye West proud. We had 30 minutes with each grade (6 sessions in all): we managed to squeeze in dress rehearsal of the performance and then a final presentation that was video-taped.
That is in quick some this week's highlights. And now for an important announcement.
Over the past few weeks, I have had a chance to reflect on the incredible breadth and depth of my adventures here. There were important discoveries made and lessons learned that will serve me well wherever I find my life leading. But, with the summer employment season close at hand, and the Playmakers and Under 6 Tour concluded, I felt this was the right time to conclude my Journey with Florida Studio Theatre (FST).
This decision came from both personal and professional reasons. I'm excited because it signals the next step. What I have learned about myself in Florida will require me to take a different approach to being an artist. It coincides with what I see as a change in direction. Since I have only arrived today, more introspection is needed. And of course, I will be eager to share them with you. I'm grateful to FST for opening their doors; giving me the chance to do some amazing work and gain further insight into the Business. My superiors, along with the entire staff, have been gracious and supportive of my decisions. I wish them all the best and hope that our futures my once again intertwine. In the meantime, I will recoup from my travels and look forward to making my next post for all of you. Until then.
-Ben
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