debor009

‎"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."  -Meryl Streep I would have pegged Meryl Streep for a true acting chameleon, but even she admits to taking a part of herself into each character.  By the way, I caught her recently in a scene from Uncommon Women and Others , with Ellen Parker.  Even then, and this play was filmed decades ago when Streep was in her twenties, there was something riveting about her. Look at her when Parker is talking and Streep is just reacting.   She had "it," even then.

Casting director Duncan Stewart , who cast the upcoming Broadway revival of Pippin , said in Backstage recently that actors who consistently book jobs do so because they are good at conveying “the story” in their audition.  That means connecting your character to the other characters on the page, being specific about whom you are talking to and what you are saying. Every story has an arc – a beginning, middle, and an end – whether it’s a two-minute monologue, 16 bars of music, or an Under-5 read. When looking at your audition copy, Stewart says to ask these questions: 1. Who am I talking to? When you personalize the receiver, your tone and demeanor change to fit the circumstance. 2. What do I hope will happen by telling them this story?  When you make your character's goal concrete, your read becomes more than words on a page. 3. Where are the beginning, middle, and end? Every story has an introduction, a point to be made, and a closing beat.  Find them to make sure y...

Just a heads up: The world premier of Meghan Reynolds short film, The Monopoly Club , in which I play “The Senator,” is this Saturday night, February 23rd, at the Public Bar (yes, that’s the name) at 4611 41st St NW, in Washington, DC.  The event begins at 9 p.m. with an hour of mingling and networking (we’re already expecting more than 150 people), then the screening of the film at 10 p.m. followed by dancing at 10:30 with a DJ from the W Hotel.  The cover charge is just $5 and it’s open to everyone, so if you can come expect a fun evening. 

I never do this, but I feel compelled to give a small plug for my friend Rip Claassen, who has just opened a new theatrical superstore to serve the Baltimore-Washington, DC area, which by the way is the second-largest theater market in the United States. The American Backstage Company will open to the public this Saturday, February 16th, with a formal Grand Opening slated for April 6th, when the store is completely stocked. Located at 5380 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, just inside the Beltway and a very short walk from the Van Dorn Metro on the Blue Line, the place has loads of retail space, with separate areas for scripts, dancewear, makeup, and costumes, including wigs and masks.  There are also two classrooms available to rent for auditions, rehearsals, and classes.  Plenty of free parking. The American Backstage Company can be found online at at http://www.americanbackstage.com and reached by telephone at 703-212-8982.  Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday ...

Amy Jo Berman, former VP of casting for HBO had an article in a recent issue of Backstage listing "26 Reasons Why You Didn't Get the Part."  Her point: a lot of what goes into the decision to cast an actor in a certain role is simply out of your control.  So don't agonize over it. In looking back over some of my own auditions recently I've come to the conclusion that there are a couple of other factors to consider that are in my control, and correcting them might get me moving a little faster along my career path.  Here's what I've been doing wrong: 1.  I try to second-guess the casting director.  What I hear again and again is that casting directors are not casting for range, they're casting for type. But instead of going in with my A game - i.e. a clear understanding of my type and how to best present it - I go in and try to figure out what the casting director wants, which puts my auditions all over the place.  Only a handful of actors are true c...

Another year and suddenly so much is happening that the holidays seem a million years away.  But time for reflection.  After Christmas my beloved and I dashed out to Phoenix for a few days for a family celebration.  I was born in that city and lived there until I was 15.  But you can never go home again, as the saying goes.  The neighborhood that was once an Erma Bombeck suburb of pastel houses and tidy green lawns has given way to a dreary place where grass is not seen for blocks and the houses are all in varying shades the same color as the earth. My old elementary school has been knocked down and replaced with windowless, prison-block architecture and the grassy playground paved over with asphalt.   There should be a law against doing that to children. Then it was off to San Juan and the Virgin Islands for a few days of warmth and sunshine and resting up.  I love this photo of my husband looking out onto the sea.  He spent a lot of time sitting...