debor009

Actresses have been complaining for years about the lack of roles (and meaningful roles) for women, but one really positive thing that has come about as a result is that more actresses are not only opting out of Hollywood and finding great roles in Europe ( Kristen Scott Thomas , for one) but many are also starting to produce/write/direct their own films. One of these is Greta Gerwig , an actress that I just loved in the quirky 2015 film Mistress America , which she starred in and wrote. This year she took a turn as writer/director of Lady Bird , which has set a new record as the most well-reviewed film of all time at the online movie site rottentomatoes.com . This is a story that will reveal more and more each time you watch it. The performances are wonderful, especially Laurie Metcalf.  Here's the trailer:

Our local actors group had an online discussion recently of ways to gather your clips together for your demo reel, a topic I’ve touched on before and worth repeating as young filmmakers especially frequently seem to have something “better to do” than get clips out to their cast. If the film or TV project you appeared in is somewhere online, there are online services that can get the clip for you. Actors have used ripit.me or clipgrab.org, which has a program for both Mac and Windows. Expect to pay a small fee however. If the project is posted to YouTube, you can easily download the whole thing to your desktop by simply replacing the “www.” in the url with “ss” (without the dot). This will redirect you to Savefrom.net, where you can click on "download video in browser" (look on the lower right third of the screen) and select the video quality you prefer. Done in less than a minute and free. If the film/TV project itself isn’t posted to YouTube, see if you can at least find the...

An actor friend sent me an interview clip of comedienne Phyllis Diller recently where she mentions Claude Bristol's 1948 book The Magic of Believing . Miller said the book had completely changed her life by giving a suburban housewife and mother of five the courage and determination to try stand-up comedy, which is no easy road for anyone. Here is an audio synopsis of the book from YouTube. It's a little "woo-woo" perhaps, like books on Nostrodamus, but I also found it interesting. I grew up hearing my father talk about the "power of positive thinking" and it also reminds me that those who succeed in this business aren't necessarily the ones who are most talented but those with the most desire. As author/screenwriter William Goldman put it, you have to want success more than anything in the world. Here Bristol seems to be saying that wanting something, and having the confidence and unshakable belief that you will get it, makes it happen. Call it God, c...

This past summer I had the pleasure of appearing in "Witches," a fantasy comedy by talented actor/playwright Scott Courlander for the Capital Fringe Festival. Fringe Festivals present a wonderful opportunity to premier new works with minimalist staging, and each summer more than a hundred plays and other kinds of performances, involving more than 500 actors and entertainers, get a sneak preview here in the nation's capital. It is worth noting that   Hugh Laurie , Emma Thompson , and Stephen Fry got their start in 1981 in just such a festival - albeit a somewhat larger one, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - and the rest is history. "Witches," a play about a sleepy princess found in an enchanted wood and awakened by three witches with hilarious results, is one of many Courlander has produced through his company, Red Knight Productions . It was not only great fun to do (I earned "Favorite Performance" honors from DC Metro Theater Arts for my portrayal o...

Comedy is a route many actors use to break into high profile TV and film. It allows you to work large in voice and movement and, in a way, it illuminates voice and movement for drama, because it allows you to see a broader range of what you can do.  I’ve never thought of myself as a “funny” person. Can’t tell a joke to save me. Often referred to as quiet and aloof around those I don’t know well. But I started doing comedy in theatre and found that for me it was the one instance where the phrase “make a bold choice” seemed to make sense.  Plus it’s safe. If you make a bold choice in a drama audition and people laugh, that’s bad.   If it’s a comedy role you’re after and they laugh, that’s good.  I’ve just booked a couple of comedy roles in upcoming productions, one film and one theatre, so I’ve been researching the finer points.  One good source is Scott Sedita’s book The Eight Characters of Comedy: A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing . Sedita provides b...

--> There is nothing like a taste of warmer weather to get a person moving. Here in the East the winter cold and snow have been brutal, and I’m one of those people who - if I can’t get out - pace like a caged tiger.   No point in trying to get any work done.   As soon as the snow goes away and I can get out, I sit down at the keyboard. “Options,” as hockey coach Herb Brooks used to say. It’s important to have options. The warmer weather was heralded by robins and the appearance of my little scene in Season 3 of the Netflix hit series House of Cards, playing North Dakota Senator Ann Wallace opposite another robin, series star Robin Wright. It’s television at its best and I was more than happy to have a small (very small) role and to see my name in the credits.  It’s the opening shot of Episode 2. Long-time New York actor David Little is to my left.  Now on to my continuing class with Helen Hayes Award-winning director Serge Seiden at The Studio Theatre, which...