American Theater posed the question yesterday: "Who do you credit (or blame) for getting you involved in theater?" I don't know why but I pondered this question and found myself completely stumped. It's not that I haven't had inspiring teachers and motivating cheerleaders in my career...it's just that it happened all so gradually. In fact I can't even recall how I ended up at my first audition...(which was for The Sound of Music, when I was 8) Somehow I just ended up there...and didn't get the part. But somehow, despite a stack of disappointments I continued on. I have tried to talk myself out of a theater career for as long as I can remember...and yet I can't stay away. Truly what has kept me coming back to theater is...well, seeing inspiring theater. And so I think my answer to the question is: A Well Told Story. It isn't a who...no.
As an aspiring teacher I see "Intro to Theater" as an opportunity. When else do theater teachers get to address students who aren't necessarily "theater people" and give them a taste of how important our work can be? I don't care if your students graduate without knowing what a thrust stage is...who cares? What is more important is that they walk away with an appreciation for good story telling and the desire to see more theater. That should be the focus...to instill theater goers, if not theater makers.
I have had the blessing to get to sit in on an inspiring Intro to Theatre course at an up and coming theater department in the Chicago College scene. Text books have been tossed aside and the city and the student's imaginations have become the source material. The students get to be the storytellers and the creators... giving them appreciation and understanding for all the work that goes into a story well told. They become playwrights, directors, designers, actors and audience members in every class. This is how we inspire life long theater goers...
I've only been to one class but I already know this is the kind of theater teacher I want to be. I know if I had a class like this in college...I could easily answer American Theater's question with: Professor Chad Eric Bergman.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Learning How to Be a Well Respected Director
It only takes a few bad audition experiences to note how I would do things differently if I were the man in charge.
And it only takes one non-audition experience to understand how to do things right.
I'm speaking specifically to an audition I "almost had" this weekend...and by almost I mean, regrettably almost. The reason it didn't happen wasn't because I called and cancelled at the last minute. But rather because my GPS drove me in the completely wrong direction and I found myself circling around a private golf course for 30 minutes looking for a building that didn't exist before giving up. When I got home I realized I must have entered the slightly wrong direction as I was only 4 miles away. Unfortunately due to a second audition I didn't have time to go back and explain the reason for my absence and see if they could squeeze me in, so I chose to write an apologetic email instead. I wasn't expecting a response. In fact I wasn't expecting anything at all...most theaters I've encountered in Chicago turn a cold shoulder to mere "auditionees" and if I hadn't recently booked a show without knowing anyone in the room previously I would begin to wonder if this was even possible. But I did get a response. A very kind one at that. And an invitation to come back the next day and audition before callbacks began. Unfortunately for me, I received this email 2 hours too late. But the gesture remained. This is the kind of director I'd want to be. One who is appreciative of all who express interest in the production I'm doing.
I've been auditioning and acting professionally for over eight years and I can count on one hand the number of times a director has gone out of there way to call me not because I got the part, but because I didn't. It's not expected. But it is a GRAND and courteous gesture. These are the kind of directors I, as an actor, ache to work with. Because I know that they respect me as an artist, not just another actor. How many times have you gotten a response (and not from an agent) but directed to you from a director about an audition that you didn't land? I don't care if it's not the standard way of doing things...I think it SHOULD BE. And in this grand age of technology how hard can it be to send out an email THANKING the people who came in to potentially support your work? I know I for one, as an actor, would be far more likely to go see that show if I got an actual response about my audition instead of playing the guessing game of "well I don't think they're interested."
So when I start my own theater, which is in the works, believe me. You can bet I will have the courtesy to show respect for all the hard working actors who came out to show me their work. I will at the very least send an email letting them know that they won't be cast in this production but that I hope they will come back and audition again. And as a thank you for auditioning I will offer them a free ticket to see the show on the date of their choosing and a discount for any friends they want to bring. Because what could be better than having the support of fellow artists in your seats during the run of your show? That's the theater I believe in.
And it only takes one non-audition experience to understand how to do things right.
I'm speaking specifically to an audition I "almost had" this weekend...and by almost I mean, regrettably almost. The reason it didn't happen wasn't because I called and cancelled at the last minute. But rather because my GPS drove me in the completely wrong direction and I found myself circling around a private golf course for 30 minutes looking for a building that didn't exist before giving up. When I got home I realized I must have entered the slightly wrong direction as I was only 4 miles away. Unfortunately due to a second audition I didn't have time to go back and explain the reason for my absence and see if they could squeeze me in, so I chose to write an apologetic email instead. I wasn't expecting a response. In fact I wasn't expecting anything at all...most theaters I've encountered in Chicago turn a cold shoulder to mere "auditionees" and if I hadn't recently booked a show without knowing anyone in the room previously I would begin to wonder if this was even possible. But I did get a response. A very kind one at that. And an invitation to come back the next day and audition before callbacks began. Unfortunately for me, I received this email 2 hours too late. But the gesture remained. This is the kind of director I'd want to be. One who is appreciative of all who express interest in the production I'm doing.
I've been auditioning and acting professionally for over eight years and I can count on one hand the number of times a director has gone out of there way to call me not because I got the part, but because I didn't. It's not expected. But it is a GRAND and courteous gesture. These are the kind of directors I, as an actor, ache to work with. Because I know that they respect me as an artist, not just another actor. How many times have you gotten a response (and not from an agent) but directed to you from a director about an audition that you didn't land? I don't care if it's not the standard way of doing things...I think it SHOULD BE. And in this grand age of technology how hard can it be to send out an email THANKING the people who came in to potentially support your work? I know I for one, as an actor, would be far more likely to go see that show if I got an actual response about my audition instead of playing the guessing game of "well I don't think they're interested."
So when I start my own theater, which is in the works, believe me. You can bet I will have the courtesy to show respect for all the hard working actors who came out to show me their work. I will at the very least send an email letting them know that they won't be cast in this production but that I hope they will come back and audition again. And as a thank you for auditioning I will offer them a free ticket to see the show on the date of their choosing and a discount for any friends they want to bring. Because what could be better than having the support of fellow artists in your seats during the run of your show? That's the theater I believe in.
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