Tag Archives: actor

Actor’s Reading List

18 Feb

It never hurts to expand the mind with some good ‘ol fashioned reading. It also never hurts to improve your acting and career in more ways than one. (Like, seeing plays and not just acting in them or attending art galleries or creating your own artwork, writing or reading!)

Here are some books directly and indirectly related to acting that are worth looking into. Some are inspiring, some are informative, some are just plain entertaining and some are all of the above! (like Steve Martin’s memoir)

The Artist’s Way by Julia Camron

Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen

The Art Spirit by Henri

The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

The Actor Takes a Meeting by Stephen Book

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

The First Moment

4 Jan

I was nine years old. I had never heard of a “play”, the “theater” or “drama”. I had no concept of any of it whatsoever.  So when my best friend invited me to see the High School theater department’s latest show, I didn’t know what to expect.

little shop of horrors

If I remember correctly, we sat towards the back. It was a full house. There was a certain energy in the air as we received our programs and filed in. The murmuring of the crowd before the curtain was drawn. The lights dimming. The shuffling of actors’ feet on stage. It all felt so new and mysterious. What was about to happen?

Wide-eyed and mesmerized, I watched the story of the Little Shop of Horrors unfold. I particularly had an affinity towards Seymour. The actor, Marc Smollin (yes, I remember his name!), who portrayed the nerdy man-eating plant owner, was captivating. A performance I remember to this day and that I attribute to realizing my passion.  An inexplicable feeling was happening inside of me. My eyes were glued to the stage, and I was loving every minute, yet there was this tinge of pain in my heart. (Forgive me for being dramatic, I am an actor). Was it jealousy? Can a 9 year old feel jealous? Was it hurt? Sadness? What was going on?

I continued watching, immersed in the live action that was taking place before me and I realized that I wanted to be on that stage. I wanted to share the story with them. I wanted to tell it. I felt a tinge because I realized I was on the wrong side of the curtain…

From that moment on, I made a secret pact with myself that I would strive to be the person performing.

Though throughout the following years I had fleeting desires to be an architect, a psychologist, you name it… the one constant was the burning desire to act.

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When did you first realize your dream?

Scene One

4 Jan

cropped-dscn2972.jpgWelcome to The Scene Partner, my latest form of procrastination, which I can justify because it is still related to my career: acting.  And if you’ve reached this page, I’m assuming that’s what you’re doing as well.

So, you want to be an actor. Great! Now what? That’s what I asked myself a million times from the first moment I realized my dream. I’ve been searching for answers ever since. I’ve also been searching the blogs and haven’t found anything comparable to what I intend to do with The Scene Partner: A comprehensive site with everything from acting classes to theater houses to documenting my own progress from Dream to Career.

I figure, while I learn to navigate the unpredictable acting scene, finding answers, it couldn’t hurt to share the knowledge. If there’s one thing I’ve learned thus far, it’s that there is no simple How To Guide, no 1-2-3 easy to follow steps, and no ladder to climb. The only thing you can do—and must do—is COMMIT.  That’s half the battle. For the other half, I don’t know, read my blog and we can find out together…