MIND CANDY 028: YOU CAN OPEN DOORS WITH A SMILE....

MUSIC: "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" by Sakamoto Ryuichi
TIME: 3:13 PM

Before I begin, I have to do a tiny rant about this song:  

When I first heard the original version of "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" by Mr. Sakamoto, I fell IN LOVE with it!  There's something graceful, fragile, and beautiful with how the music is put together and oh my God - everytime I listen to the original version or the piano version (like I have up here), I get chills all throughout my body! *bliss*  There are like thousands of version of this on YouTube and in general...LOVE them all! =)

Also, it kind of makes me want to book a vacation in the quiet countryside of Japan (which is unusal coming from me, because I'm very much a city girl - I love the hype, the rush, and the adrenaline in a city), learn the language, the culture, eat their food, stash away any material possessions I have for one whole week (yes, that DOES include my Blackberry and my computer), meditate to the sounds of nature and rain, and just live a reclusive life in absolute serenity and seclusion - just for one week, though!  Would love it!

Anywho...

I know I've posted a blog earlier this week before, but I wanted to share a little more candy with you about a little something else.  Now, I know lately, I've been talking about my Sarah Treem monologue like crazy, but seriously, I am IN LOVE with this monologue!  If the  monologue were a guy who looked like Gerard Butler, is artistic, is into art, driven, ambitious, outgoing, determined, funny, liked old movies and theatre, but is very independent, too - I'd probably marry the monologue! =)  Then again, I have mixed feelings about marriage in general - so, scratch that - I'd DATE the monologue!

"........."

Okay, that sounded really awkward...

Actually, all this oddball talk is kind of leading to the point to this entry.  Not falling in love with monologues or plays, but with your work!  Being passionate about your work!  You get what I mean?! 

(For the hell of it, listen to this song while reading this blog, because if you continue listening to Mr. Sakamoto, you'd probably get a random craving for sushi - not saying that'd be a bad thing, either). 

Granted when it comes to our work, mainly as performers, we want to be our best.  I know I do!  But sometimes I wonder if we are too obsessed with getting the job "right", being "perfect", or better yet - are we too "serious" when it comes to our careers?  Sometimes when I meet people, when I network, with some people, I get these vibrations where people are so uptight.  When I first started working with Alan Gordon, my acting/Meisner coach, I know I was extremely uptight!  I was always nervous to the extreme where it distracted my ability and need to learn how to do my work.  I was obsessed with being "right" and being "perfect" just so I can "impress" him, which lead me to probably being way "too serious" and not achieving the results I was hoping to as a performer.

I can recall on those days, too, and let me tell you something, that fear, that need to impress is what really stifled and distracted me from what he was trying to train me, and I often think that is what also holds back other actors from really understanding the heart and soul of our craft, no matter what technique you decide to go with in your art as a performer.  What works more than anything (and I wish I knew this when I first started out) is being free from your personal needs - your need to impress, to be right, and to be perfect - and to focus on your essential need, which is your need to learn.

Also, let's be realistic here:   unless you have an acting coach who is real scapegoat, you are NOT going to impress any acting coach in New York City or LA or anywhere, reguardless of what on a first meeting.  First of all, you do no want to work with a coach who is sickening-sweet, as I've mentioned before, and second, morally, it's wrong to treat anyone, especially a coach, as a doormat or a stepping stone, so don't don't it, either way.  Courtesy is key if you want to go far in life!

In my monologue, Amanda Blue says a line that sticks out like a sore thumb to me:  "You get all these perks when you're a girl and people like you.  You can open doors with a smile."

But her point-of-view in saying that isn't the same as mine.  There is no doubt that you can open doors with a smile and that you do get some "perks" when people like you.  Think about the laws of attraction here.  If you send positive energy to others, you can attract positivity in your life.  One of the things, I've learned as both a business person and am beginning to see as a performer now is that a smile is all it takes to achieve your goals - make them big or small.  I'm not saying a literal smile that you have to wear on your face 24/7.  I'm talking about putting a smile on your work! =)

Huh????

Okay, listen up!

I'm going to remind you again:  Your job is NOT to impress, to be perfect, or to being on-the-mark with.  THAT is what stifles your impulses (especially if you're learning the Meisner technique), holds you back from being free, and distracts you from your need to learn.

Second reminder:  You CAN fall in love with your work!  You CAN "open doors with a smile"!  You need to put that smile on your work instead of yourself, and I'm going to explain how, from my personal experience from working on this monologue in this blog entry.

One of the greatest things about working with the professionals I have worked with so far in this business is that I'm constantly surrounded by passion.  BOTH of my coaches and even Matthew Sussman, the guy who did my headshots, send off this highly professional and also passionate energy my way that it pretty much rubs off on me.  Now, when I first started out, I blocked most of it, because I was too much in my head and perhaps even afraid, because it was all new to me (no excuse, though!).  You have to free yourself from all of that, and how you do that is understand one thing:  HAVE FUN!

Seriously, you have to have fun in this profession!

Work is work, no doubt, but there's a line between having fun and making the work seem like a joke or even a chore to you (I, personally, saw it as a chore at first, but never a joke), and having fun while doing your work!  Passion stems from this, and once you understand that, it gives you the freedom and the ability to put your heart into your work.  I remember Alan once saying to the class a while ago that you do this because you have to do it.  There's a need to do it, and he's right.  Even 'til this day, he admitts that this is something he will never get out of his system. 

Now that I'm older than twenty-four and more wiser than I was when I first came to New York back in 2006, I now find that I see this artform is an endless goldmine to LEARN about life.  I, personally, have this unquencable, hungry, amorous desire to learn about all walks of life!  Everything!  I want to know what swims in peoples' heads.  I want to hear peoples' stories and spread them to others.  Now, I know for sure I'm not going to learn everything all at once, but I'd be the happiest girl on the planet if I recieved any sort of information about various people who come from different backgrounds than I do.  And for me, personally, it doesn't help if I'm a journalist and write about them, although I do give myself credit for being a witty writer, that doesn't work for me.  It's the need to wanting to be in other peoples' shoes.  Walk their walk.  Talk their talk.  Will I ever get that out of my system?

Not sure....knowing me, probably not, either!

In order for me to be able to deliver these stories to other if I put myself in their shoes is that I have to be truthful about it, and how I see it is that I have to have a sense of empathy for a character and sympathize with their stories; understand their relationships, etc..  How you do that is you connect your own self with the character, whether it is based on your own experiences or coming from an imaginary place.  As long as it's real for you.  You, in the skin of this character, are bringing you into the work.  When you bring yourself to the work, you're bringing in your pain, your joy, your pleasure just to bring your character to life.  The truth is, everything IS connected when it comes to your work, but it's up to you to connect them.  It's like a jigsaw puzzle.  Connect the pieces, the picture is beautiful.  Connect the pieces half-assed, it's unclear.  Don't connect the pieces at all, it's nothing, but a mess.

I can't fully explain why, but when I do this, I am enjoying every minute of it!  This, to me, is fun, but as long as I also remember that this is also my job and I have to connect the pieces 100% to bring in a beautiful picture that is crystal clear, then I'm okay.  How you do this is entirely up to you, because we all approach scripts differently than one another and use different techniques.  My way may not work for you, but how I access certain parts of myself is to let my guard down with who I am as a person.  Free myself from worry.  My job is unlock these various emotions for myself, so I can see what would work, and then use them to my advantage so I can bring the character's story to life.  It takes time to be able to do this, but what I've done to help me identify these things is this:

1. The help of an excellent acting coach who is completely straightforward with me if my efforts are bringing in truthful results or not.
2. The aide of a well-rounded, open-minded therapist.  Therapy gets a bad wrap, because you don't have to be flooded with woe or insane to see a therapist.  Therapy also helps your craft and helps you access these emotions better and helps recognize things you never thought you had inside of yourself.
3. Lots and lots of journaling!  Having diary or a journal helps in so many ways.
4. Meditating on regular daily basis!  I'm telling you, meditation works in so many ways when you're an actor! =)  If you can find a space in your home free from clutter or anything, light a couple of candles, play harmonous music or even classical music, sit, carefully breathe through your diaphram (inhale slowly through your nose; exhale slowly through your mouth), and reflect on certain things, that helps you get in tune with your emotions on so many different levels!  Also, going into vocalizing, it also helps warm your voice up before you perform! 

It's all about being free, and when you're free from any unneccesary needs, you have so much more clarity to explore these things about yourself and bring it to your work.  You can also concentrate harder on your work!  You become drawn to it like a moth to a flame per say, and when you have all the freedom to do just that, you really can lay your heart into the work.  Believe me when I tell you that people DO recognize this.  Your audience will see it.  Casting directors, too, may see it as well.  Your coaches see it.  There's no need to impress anyone.  There's no need to be perfect.  There's no need to be right all the time.  You know when people get "nervous"?  Well, I can promise you that if you also strip away these thoughts, you will also learn to be less nervous and more excited!  We bring out more confidence, too!

To have creative freedom, that is what I mean when you have fun in this business.  It's really a balance between being serious about the work and what needs to be, but having fun bringing it to life - the creative part in other words.  Get what I mean?  And THAT is what I mean when I talk about "putting a smile on your work!" =)

When I do this, I feel so much better.  The positive feedback is great, but the biggest reward of them all is to recognize that you can do this!  My reward is that my fickle brain is learning something new, because you know me -- I LOVE learning new things!  But always make sure you understand that no matter how much knowledge you obtain in your career, you're not going to learn everything!  Always be open to learning something new no matter how little or much experience you have, and if you do this, you will be able to bring in something new and super-positive in your career and the choices you make within your professional life! =)

So, you see?  It DOESN'T have to be a "chore" to do your work, and it shouldn't have to!  So, I'm warning you, if you DO see your work as a "chore" or even as a joke, you're going to have a very, very hard time in this business!

Okay, kids, I'm gonna sign off saying I am IN LOVE with my work!  I am beginning to fall in love with what I do, and I don't know what my future in this may bring, but I'm sticking to it just to see what it might bring!  My need is thirsty, so I'm gonna go and treat myself now! =)

One last quickie:   To find out more about Sarah Treem, check out her page on Doollee.com!

That's enough candy for now!

  

Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/

MIND CANDY 027: THE 5 EASIEST THINGS ABOUT BEING AN ACTOR

MUSIC: "We Built This City" by Starship
TIME: 6:31 AM

Oh my goodness - let me tell you very quickly about the song I'm listening to for this blog: 

I'm an 80's baby, and when I was a little kid, my mom and I used to blast this song whenever it came on the radio and sing our hearts out, not caring if our pitches were off.  I find it kind of weird and funny how Jefferson Airplane went from being like this psychedelic rock band to...well, this.  And then you step back and you wonder, "What the hell was Grace Slick thinking?"

Seriously, Jefferson Airplane?!  AWESOME!  Starship?!  CHEESEY!!!!!!

This song is the epitome of 80's cheese, but even at my age now, I still enjoy the cheesey song!  I even blasted it on Rabbit's IPOD when we were randomly driving around on a cool and breezy Saturday night with our pal, Kimmy Jacobs, all over the Jersey shore, chewing the fat, laughing our asses off, and listening to random music.  They probably thought I was nuts, but honestly, this cheesey song still makes me I smile.  Ahhhh, good times! =)

You know what word rhymes "cheesey", folks?  "EASY" - that's what!  Okay, I know that was very cheesey, but I had every intention to do that! =P

Any industry person, beginner or seasoned professional, will tell you that the acting industry is TOUGH!  Perhaps it is the toughest profession on the face of this planet, and we, as actors, producers, directors, coaches, etc. are known for dreaming BIG - I mean, castle-in-the-sky big!  I've met people who want to be on top of the world in this profession, and the sad (but honest) truth is that not a lot of us make it to where we want to be.  Not a lot of us even stick to this profession and wind up venturing off into some other field, which is okay, too.  After all, it's your career, and even though people have laughed at me for saying this, it is true when I tell you that whatever we given in our careers rests in the palms of our hands.

Think about it!  We are given this key to open doors in our careers to unlock secrets to who we are and discover things like unhidden talents and inner-strengths that have been clouded from our eyes.  Now, you either take that key, go and unlock as many doors as your little heart desires, or you don't do a damn thing at all.  And I'm not talking meeting "the right people".  No, no, no...this lies beyond that!

I am probably going to either ruffle a bunch of feathers here or get people scratching their heads when I say this, but I don't care.  What I am about to tell you IS true (and no one can convince me otherwise on this, because I stand firm in this belief):  There ARE a couple of easy parts to being an actor!  I don't care what city you are trying to persue your career in.  You can make your career a smudge easier than what it looks like if you follow me a little here in this blog entry.   Take it from a girl who is on the same boat as you!

Pay attention, kids!  Take some notes if you wish to!  Hear me out! =)

THE 5 EASIEST THINGS ABOUT BEING AN ACTOR

1.  READING BIOGRAPHIES AND FICTION NOVELS - it's not hard to open a book!

Theatre actor, film actor, television actor, whatever - it's important to READ!  There are thousands of excellent resources out there that help you learn about our profession as a business, how our industry is holding up in our outrageous economy, our craft, and much, much more.  I'm talking about newspaper articles, articles on the web on actors' websites, books, newsletters, blogs, magazines, the list goes on. 

As an actor, you also get excellent resources from reading even a fiction novel.  When I was a kid, I used to read a lot of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike books, which are horror, but they always delt with the supernatural.  One of my favorite books when I was little was called "The Dark Card" by Amy Erlich, which was about a lost seventeen year old girl who sneaks into an Atlantic City casino with her sister's ID while staying at the family's Jersey shore summer house, winds up being seduced by a much older gambling addict, and throughout the book is clearly disturbed by her mother's passing from cancer.  I read that book over and over again.  It was then and there, I actually learned that the kind of stories I enjoy are dramatic as oppose to comedy.  Now, my point to reading fiction novels is this where you can learn what kind of roles you're interested in.  If you go to the library or browse around a Barnes and Noble or Boarders or the Strand Bookshop, what works and authors are you most drawn to?

I'm not going to lie, though, I really am not a fan of reading fiction novels, but when I do, the plot HAS to grab me.  I WILL sit and read a work a fiction if it is dramatic or has some sort of twisted character in it, but I also love stories that have a sense of hope to them.  Take "Memoirs of a Geisha" for example, which is my favorite novel of all time.  I relate to Sayuri, because of her journey to becoming the famous geisha she winds up becoming in the book.  Through her tears and disapointments, she was able to find generous people to not only help her career as a geisha, but to help her appreciate and love life again by the end of the book.  Great book!  Movie was all right, but the book has me FLOORED!

A character that is similar to Sayuri's story?  I'm so in!

Sticking to books again  (and this one's a no-brainer), there are also biographies.  Not just biographies on actors or directors or producers, but musicians and even ordinary people who have fascinating stories to tell.  If you read biographies and memoirs, you can also discover what kind of stories you'd love to tell through them.  Some people will say you ought to read biographies to bring a sense of hope to your careers as well, and that's very true.  But again - think about what the biography is about.  Is about a person who was heroic?  Is it about a person who struggled through drug addiction?  Whose life is so fascinating that you just want to talk about them non-frickin'-stop?  Do you see the connection here?  If you can find a biography about a certain person whose life has touched you in a certain way to a point where you talk about them non-stop, that right there shows you what kind of roles you'd be interested in playing.

Take David Bowie for example. I love him and I would read any biography having to do with him, because he's in a class of his own, he's different, and has been one of my favorite singers since I was twelve.  I, myself, love to be different, in a class of my own, but I could never play him.  Well, first of all, I'm not male.  Second of all, he's 30-odd years older than me.  And third, the guy's not Korean-American.  However, I can play an unconventional female character who comes off as a complete oddity to this world, but still be brilliantly talented and versatile.  This also explains why I chose the monologue from "A Feminime Ending" by Sarah Treem.  Amanda Blue is the David Bowie to her story (in my eyes that is) - unconventional, an outsider in her small-town, very talented musician, brilliant in her own mind, but struggles to make it, which David did back in the 60's before the whole Ziggy Stardust thing.  Then, it is a matter of lacing in my own personal experiences and knowing how she feels when certain things affect her.

It's amazing how you can find your artistic callings just by reading biographies and works of fiction!  If you can relate to the person you're reading about, fiction or non-fiction, or are touched by their stories, that's the kind of stories, as performer, director, and writer, you want to tell, and should keep in mind throughout your career.  Books are PURE gold!  Reading is ESSENTIAL!


2. EDUCATING OURSELVES WITH OR WITHOUT A COACH - do your research!

This is possible, but don't mistaken me here - we need acting coaches and we need business coaches as much as they need us, and if you're lucky enough to find excellent ones, then that's even better!  But what I mean about doing your research is this:

Say you're auditing an acting coach and he or she teaches Method acting.  Before you say yes to the coach, at least find out what Method acting is, it's origins and whatnot.  What I am saying is try and find out if the technique is for you.  If it is, it is.  If it isn't, then try another technique that you're most comfortable with.  This also helps you in your search for a certain coach.  Not every acting coach teaches Method acting or follows the teachings of Lee Strasberg.  Some follow Sanford Meisner, and some actors out there follow the Meisner technique (I'm one of them).  Some follow David Mamet.  Some are all passionate about Shakespeare and only teach classical. 

My point is this:  If you're searching for an acting coach, but you run into one that teaches a certain technique and you have not a clue of what that technique is, at least do a little research about it to see what you're in store for if you decide to participate in the classroom.  I'm not saying going into class as a complete know-it-all and try to outshine to the coach.  Good God, DON'T do that!  But at least see if this is a technique that you're going to be comfortable with.

I'm not going to lie here, though.  When I started coming to New York back in 2006, I was VERY naive and I jumped into my training without thinking it through, despite the fact we very briefly went over Meisner in college.  I did go with my gut and my instincts has served me well, because I do prefer Sandy Meisner's teachings and I swear by it when it comes to the work.  However, learning a certain technique requires a certain temperment, which I WASN'T prepared for when I started out.  I've gotten used to it, though, and I'm still learning to do that.  Picking an acting coach not only has to do with how you feel about the coach itself or his or her approach to acting and how it's being taught to the students, but it also requires how you feel about these techniques.  Not every actor follows Sandy Meisner.  We are all unique in our own way! 

When it comes to business coaches (if you decide to go with one or not - it's entirely up to you) and prepping your session with your business coach, I strongly do believe it is your job to bring the questions to him or her.  When I started working with my business coach, I brought basic questions to her:

1. What is the biggest mistake do you tink actors make as far as business decisions, looking for work, self-promotion goes?
2. What do agents really look for?
3. Do you think managers are neccessary?
4. How else do you avoid being scammed other than not giving money?
5. Are looks really everything?  And how do you know what kind of image or look you want to use to market yourself as an actor?
6. What are the do's and don'ts to writing out your resume?

How I was able to get this information was from reading books about the business side to the acting industry.  Also, what helps with your business endevours is if you even read advice columns like they have in Backstage.  I also was able to obtain this information from talking to other actors.  Go on the web someday and browse through actor websites, especially those who are in the city that you're persuing your career in.  Every actor is gonna say something different, so what you do is you just gather the information that you are given, take it in consideration, and if something seems off to you, then bring the info to a trusted mentor or business coach.  Same goes when you read books about the industry, because every book out there says something entirely different.

Our industry is full of unique people and we all go about our careers in different ways.  We all do our preperations as performers differently.  But let me add one thing to this:  You HAVE to get your training!  You can help your coaches by working WITH them by doing your research AND when chosing the right acting coach for you, but all in all, it doesn't replace being trained by an actual coach.  And if you've found yourself a genuine coach, then you're hit the jackpot, but DON'T expect them to do all the work for you.  You are the most responsible for your growth and your training - NOT your coaches.  Your coaches help you become actors, but they don't turn you into one.  I'm telling you this, because I've made that mistake when I first started out with my coach.  But once I have learned that my personal growth as a performer is really up to me, I began to enjoy it A LOT more and learn a lot faster!  =)

Today, whenever I approach my work for class, I try to do it with a good amount of passion so I am ready to present it to him, and see if he can help me make it better and at least point out what works or doesn't work.  It sure in hell beats bringing it to him like, "How do you play this?  What do I do?"

One last thing I want to point out with coaches and I can't stress this enough:  Be professional!  Yeah, so you chose them, but remember you're on their time, they are doing this for you, they have other students to attend to.  If you're lucky to have a very down-to Earth coach, be courteous, be respectful, and be open-minded with your coaches, and they will give you their all in return if they're great at what they do!


3. NETWORKING AND SOCIALIZING - reach out to others, actors or not!

Unfortunately, I have met actors who hate networking, and I even had the great pleasure of meeting an actor who thought networking was pointless.  It was one of those just grin and bear moments, then you leave the b.s. and go on your merry way.  The truth is, networking, in my opinion, is the most important part of the job and one of the easiest.  Then again, I find networking VERY easy only because I love to meet people and I am, generally, a pretty gregarious person!

Here's what networking has helped me with.  I have always been a very shy.  I know, it's funny, because I can be really outgoing, then I can be really shy.  But networking has helped me come out of my shell and made me realize that despite the horror stories of being scammed or screwed over with broken promises that I've heard (and fortunately, never experienced - knock on wood), there ARE very generous people in this business!  I'm telling you, I have not a clue what I'd do without having my colleagues!  I've made a lot of really good friendships in this business, and what helps having these friendships is that when it comes to our careers, we have others to lean on.

Actors, I think, sometimes mistaken networking as - to be really blunt - a "butt-kissing" convention.  I don't know about half of the people I meet in mixers, but I don't network hoping to win anyone over.  I go, because those who know me very well know that I genuinely love meeting people and talking to others.  I don't care if people wind up thinking I'm full of myself at the end of the day.  The reason why I network and try to stay in touch is, because we can learn from one another.  We can learn from our colleagues about how we go about our careers and even recommend those we've worked with in the past or even the present.

ALSO, keep in mind, when you have colleagues, it helps you along in your career.  I'm not talking about acting jobs.  I'm talking about word-of-mouth information of where we go to find auditions, books we've read to enhance our careers, coaches we've worked with, etc.  Networking is KEY!  And I cannot imagine not being in this business without networking!

If you're a shy person, I can understand that it may be nerve-wrecking to be a mixer, but the key to networking and socializing with other actors is to be yourself.  Be there to mingle and to meet others.  You don't have to do anything to come off as impressive.  I most drawn to people who are positive, enthusiastic, and generous in character.  I could care less if you've seen every play on Broadway.  I want to know your story - what made you go into acting, what you're interested in.  I am not interested in how many acting project you have under your belt.  If you have a question for me that could help benefit your career, I am willing to help you if I can.  I can recommend the guy who did my headshots or tell you about other photographers I've interviewed.  I can tell you what plays you can read if you're looking for a certain character.  Recommend a good book to read.  Give you tips on how to find what kind of roles you could possibly be interested in playing like I did before.  I found that a lot of really good-hearted people in this business are willing to do that same.  That's what networking is really about!  Granted, I have ran into some people who made me feel uneasy, but there's no need worry, because you do have the option of staying in touch with certain individuals or not.  Shine a positive light and others will shine one right back at you! =)

And going back to "butt-kissing", be extra cautious if you run into someone who starts doing exactly that.  These people most likely are scammers.  However, no matter what city you are in, you are most likely to find safe networking groups that will allow you to exercise your social skills.  How do you find them?  Do your research!  Not sure about something?  Ask a trusted colleague - hence my point on the importance of networking!

Actually, to tell you the truth, I think socializing in general is very important.  I even learn things just socializing with non-actors, but in a different fashion.  You learn about the aspects of human behavior, whether you are watching someone or speaking to someone.  You also learn how people tell each other stories, which helps you along with your studies as a performer.  So, the next time you have a normal conversation with a friend, actor or not, keep in mind how the conversation goes.  In the end, it will help you!


4.  ASK QUESTIONS - don't be afraid to speak up!

Adding on to the importance of networking, ask questions!  Ask questions to your colleagues and your coaches, no matter how "silly" or "stupid" a question may sound, ask away!  I bet you dollars and dimes that every seasoned professional actor started out by asking "silly" and "stupid" questions to trusted mentors and colleagues.  No question you should as is "silly" nor "stupid", and if you ask them to someone who thinks they are, they're not someone you should really be asking, because they will usually give you general or one-sided answers.  You don't want that. 

The kind of people you want in your corner in this business are people whose passion for this matches yours.  One of the greatest joys about being in this industry is having questions to bring to my coaches, because it shows that I am more than eager to learn as much as I can as a performer and a business person.  You're not going to learn everything in one session or year or two or three or four or five.  No matter how much of a novice or a seasoned professional you may be, there's always something new to learn!  You learn, though, by asking, so ask away!  Enough said on this.  Next topic!


5.  WATCH MOVIES, TELEVISON SHOWS, WEBISODES, AND GO SEE A PLAY - see it all with your own eyes - the great, the good, the mundane, the bad, and the ugly!

When it comes to movies, I'm talking about ALL movies!  Even terrible movies!  Do yourself a favor, especially if you're new:  Rent two movies via Netflix or Blockbuster or the library.  Rent a favorable movie with excellent reviews, where the performances had critics and audiences FLOORED.  Then, rent a not-so favorable movie that reigned surpreme at the Razzies.  Watch them both, take notes, and compare the differences betweeen the two.  Take careful notice of the performances of the actors, the movie plot, how the characters get what they want, try to accomplish, the dialogue, etc.  These things help your performance training in so many ways!

Along with studying others and taking notes in your head when you socialize, you can see how it comes up on screen.  You benefit from both excellent movies and poor movies.  Excellent movies - well, that's an easy one! You basically are learning what others are doing to deliver a great performance.  Understanding the importance of brilliant dialogue and a strong synopsis.  However, why poor movies?  Poor movies can be fun, because you can point out and recognize when an actor isn't doing a good job.  When I do watch poor movies, I always say to myself, "If I were her, I would've said it with more anger." and things along that lines. It's always a "I would've" or "she should've"....although, I will also admit that watching poor movies are painful.  Sometimes I have to struggle to keep my attention on the film if it's so bad.

You can even benefit from a really sloppy comedy, because comedy is also a skill on it's own.  I, personally, prefer to watch comedy rather than do it, but a lot of people don't realize that there is drama even in comedy!  If the comedy is done right, then great!  If not....well, you get my point!

And the same goes for watching shows on TV (even though I don't watch a lot of television), webisodes on the net, and going to a theatre off-Broadway and watch a play.  You, as a member of an audience, understand your own personal reactions when watching a play.  I've been to plays where I was delightfully entertained!  And I've been to ones where I spent a good most of the time sending text messages to my friends while having my phone on MUTE.  Sometimes, I'd even *yawn*.  Now, let me ask you this:   Would you want to be apart of a project where you are not holding the attention of your audience members or not even connecting with them?

As actors, it is our job to connect with our audience, to touch them, to tell our stories.  If you give a performance that is less than entertaining, not only are being unfair to your audience, but also the people you're performing with!  Nothing helps you more than going to see a play!  As a matter of fact, I think witnessing live theatre is the most helpful of them all!  THIS is the easiest part of your job as an actor!  There is no excuse for you to not be able to watch a movie or television show or webisode or go to the theatre and to watch a play!  There is isn't!


All in all, my point to this blog entry is that even outside the classroom, without the presence of your coaches, it is essential to be DEDICATED to your work!  There is more to life than our careers, like we have personal friends, family, day jobs, and stuff like that.  But if you have the time, dedicate yourself to your career by doing these small favors for yourself.  I promise you, they will come in handy for your as your career progresses!  These are even "treats" for you and your brain, and you learn so much just from them!  Small steps usually lead to giant leaps!

Let's face it:  Actors who come to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or wherever are so hooked and far too hypnotized by the "glamour" of our industry.  The money.  The fame.  The diamonds.  The hidden secret behind these "treasures" is the hard work you put into it, and that work is more than acting classes or business sessions.  It's knowing yourself as a person.  It's educating yourself from either watching films or reading books and plays.  Almost everything, 24/7, that you touch in your life is a tool for your work as a performer and a business person.  For me, that's the "treasure" of this industry.  I love to learn!  I come from a very sheltered small town in the Jersey shore.  I haven't had a real taste of life until I started going to New York to persue my career, and to be able to see things and learn things people from my little hometown can only dream or imagine seeing -- no fancy piece of jewelry, big paycheck, or mass amount of attention can replace that!   This is not to say that I don't hope to make a solid living from this.  I just don't promise myself anything.  I can only promise to try and I can only promise allow myself to learn as much as I can to get to where I hope to go someday with this.  I don't have control over how casting directors or how my coaches see me.  Quite frankly, that's the last thing I'm really concerned about.  None of us should be concerned about wanting to please people.  My main concern is what I, and any other aspring actor, has control over:

1. The amount of time we put in to work on our careers by working on our scripts, monologues, etc., etc., etc.
2. The way we present ourselves when we're at an audition or networking mixer or meeting.
3. The number of plays or novels or biographies we read to find the perfect monologue or to discover what roles we are interested in.
4. The time and effort we put in anything having to do with our careers.

And I can gaurantee - not promise - but gaurantee that if you look at your career as an endless goldmine for life-long knowlege as oppose to a ticket to fame and fortune and access to material possessions, you will build such a passion for this industry that it will help you strengthen your will to succeed in whatever your goal may be, make it big or small.  You have to look at your work and your career in so many different corners and observe them.  You have to understand and even admit to yourself that you don't know everything and you're not going to learn everything.   And I said this before, got laughed at, but I don't care, because I know I'm right about this, so I AM gonna say it again:  

You can be given all the advice and tips in the world on how to get through this industry, but really, your career, seriously, lies in the palms of YOUR hands!

It's all up to you!  ALL of it! 

So, do yourself a big favor:   Enjoy the ride, but be on your toes!

Now, that's easy...isn't it? =)




That's enough candy for now! xoxo

Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/

MIND CANDY 026: CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET AND BRINGING MYSELF TO THE WORK

MUSIC: "Awake" by Godsmack
TIME: 12:08 AM

LONG TIME, NO BLOG, EH?!

Before I start handing out some mind candy:  Big SHOUT-OUT to Sarah Ann Corkum and Mariana Vily - two awesome fellow actors whom I met while networking at events hosted by Erin Cronican - who also have blogs up here on Blogspot!  Please, support by subscribing and checking out their blogs! =)

So....why such a late blog?  Where the have I been?

Well, I've been SUPER busy with my monologue studies with Alan Gordon that I haven't really allowed myself to come online to work on my website or to even blog!  Actually, I also kind of gave myself a break from website/online work over the summer.  I've been spending more time on my work than my social life, which isn't a bad thing other than the fact that I've been missing my friends, but I'm lucky to have very supportive group of pals who understand the work that needs to be put in my career.  So (if they're reading this), thanks, guys! =)

Anyways, I've been haunted by monologues most of the summer, but I've actually found a really awesome monologue from the play, "A Feminine Ending", by Sarah Treem, and a twin-soul in the play's main girl, Amanda Blue.  I'm not going to give too much away about the play or even Amanda (especially if you're a fellow actor and you're studying this play yourself), but I have to say I DO relate to her on so many different personal levels and what I also enjoy about this character and the monologue that I'm doing is that it is SO colorful!  Emotionally, you can bring soooooooo much to the table with this character -- and Alan has given me some suggestions that I would never think to bring out in Amanda, but once I lace them into the piece, they work like a charm!  The monologue isn't comedic, but it isn't full-on dramatic or dark, either.  However, it requires a little bit of both. 

One of the best challenges about being a Meisner trained actor is that you can share your greatest joy and also confront your darkest demons.  This was a big deal to me when I first started out and struggled with A LOT, but the blessing coming from training under the Meisner technique and with an very solid acting coach (as I've mentioned previously back in March) is that you learn more about yourself -- your strengths, your weaknesses, etc.  Lately, I've, metaphorically, began thinking of my emotions as a big walk-in closet - like the one Kimora Lee Simmons has at her big house on her TV show (not that I'm an avid watcher of her show, though) - and every piece of emotion we possess is a certain color, has a certain feel to them, and certain ones work for certain occasions, kind of like the clothes and accessories we have in our closets, if you really think about it!

I think the reason why I think of them this way now is because I found this quote by Naomi Watts, where she said, "There's a lot of skeletons in my closet, but I know what they're wearing. I'm not gonna act all ashamed of it."

And the funny thing is, I was literally organizing my closet, going through my accessories, my shoes, my make-up, and my endless variety of clothes, and I thought about that quote, thought about my monologue and my character, that it all became crystal clear to me about how to "bring yourself to the work" (as Alan would say).  And although confronting your deepest emotions, especially the ones you try to supress or don't want to admit even to yourself, isn't easy, it's essential to have in hand as an actor, but it's important to have it all organized, recognize every piece of that emotion, it's color, and not be ashamed that you have it!  So, I am beginning to think of my emotions, my personal fantasies spun from my imagination, and even my personal truths as things you'd find in a walk-in closet, and believe it or not, it's actually been working REALLY well for me!

Actors, I guess, like to think of their emotions as a certain something.  I've heard some think of them as "buttons" they push to access a certain emotion.  Push a certain button to turn you on.  Some say "switch" as in light switch - this switch will turn this on or this off.  Some say paints like they would use on a blank canvas - finding the right shades to create the perfect picture. I, at first, tried the "paints" one, because of my background as a visual artist.  Oddly enough, that didn't help so much.  But I think of them as a wide variety of accessories, pieces of clothing, and a collection of purses, wristlets, clutches, tote bags, different scented perfumes, and colorful make-up.  

This is how it works (for me, at least):   Think of the emotional part as the clothes you wear.  Think of the depth of these emotions as the accessories you wear with the clothes.  Think of the script you are studying as the occasion you're dressing up for!  Think of putting all these emotions together for your character as dressing up for this occasion - is it a black-tie formal event or a casual, laid back thing you're attending?  Is the world you're living in the script or play you're working on (whether it's for an acting class or for actual work) a light one or a dark one?  You wouldn't wear a black cocktail dress on a day trip to the beach, right?  Well, you wouldn't bring out your aggressive side if you're playing a someone who is extremely timid.

My point, overall, is the recognizing these things.  As a girl who LOVES to dress up and tries to make sure she is dressed her best, no matter what, I find it VERY essential to know what is in my closet - the the different shades of the colors, the material, etc - and to know what will work together and wouldn't.  There are some items of clothing and colors I KNOW I wouldn't dare be caught dead in!  There are some items I've got that I know wouldn't be suitable for a job interview, but perhaps will be suitable for a small get-together at a friend's house.  Things I know from experience, from going shopping, and from watching the fashion critique shows on television when I was younger! =)

As an actor, I have to know what makes me happy, sad, angry, etc.  What brings out a certain type of happiness or sadness or anger or whatever it may be, because there is a certain level of emotional depth.  There are some things in this world I know that I can get mad at, but will cool off from after a while, and then, there are some things in this world that I know, for sure, that makes me downright furious!  Again, things I know from experience from...well, almost anything!  Knowing which shade of emotion will work to make the life coming from your acting work real for you.  Knowing what you're doing to get what you want.  Knowing the life of the person you are playing as much as you know yourself.  Knowing even yourself without censoring yourself from certain feelings you have or fantasies you keep inside of you.

It's all about KNOWING yourself and TRUSTING yourself!  It is IMPORTANT!  And if you know yourself, are comfortable enough to trust the choices you make as an artist or as an everyday fashionista, believe me:  you become so alive!  Being alive helps you shine like the sun! =)

So, there ya have it!  That is how and why I think of my emotions as a neatly organized walk-in closet!  And just like a walk-in closet, you have to go throught it to see what is what!  Of course, I am generally speaking of how these things work.  There's a lot more to this artform and profession than what meets the eye!  It's actually really cool once you understand it!  Of course, the way I see things can be rather goofy, but then again, I don't call this blog MIND CANDY for no reason after all!  See, still super-sweet, but there's still a point to it! XD

One last thing (and to give you an idea of how fanatic I am about accessories):  I was out with my friend, Rabbit (her name's really Chrissy, but we all call her "Rabbit"), at the mall today, and I tried on THE HOTTEST black stilettos!  Check these out:

Usually, I don't wear stilettos, because I get nervous in them, because I kind of have this minor fear that I'm going to trip and fall and break a bone...or two...or three. *shudders*  I do own a pair of silver ones I wore when I was a braid's maid at my best friend's wedding, but they're too dressy to wear with a business suit or casual outfit (*ah-ha!*), but I don't really need a casual pair of stilettos, because like I said, I don't usually wear them.  However, I tried these on and they were easy to walk in and believe it or not, they were very comfortable!  I kind of felt like I was wearing a pair of sneakers!  Rabbit wasn't fond of them, because they aren't her taste, but they are MY taste!  I think I also kind of embarrassed Rabbit a little, because I was strutting around in them in the shoe department as if I were a supermodel on a catwalk and I kind of started dancing in them for a second, because I just LOVED wearing them.  I didn't buy them, though, because I really don't need them, but I just think they are HOT!  LOVED them!  MIGHT buy them....maybe....hmmmm....still debating....

.....seriously, though, aren't they just awesome?????!!!!!!  WHOO-HOO!!!!

That's enough candy for now!

Cristina

http://www.cristinacho.net/