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Now that Don’t Dress for Dinner has wrapped, I’m back to networking while I hunt up another acting job.   New York acting coach John Pallotta was in town Tuesday night to present a class at the Source Theater with local actor and entrepreneur Sean Pratt .  Pratt was touting his new book, To Be or Wanna Be , that examines some of the things actors do to emotionally sabotage their own efforts.  Pallotta was demonstrating his transformational approach to developing a character. NY Acting Coach John Pallotta and me Afterwards Pallotta and many of the actors and others who attended went for drinks and more talk at a nearby restaurant.  Opportunities to meet with people on a less formal basis are important to building relationships and establishing a network of contacts within the profession.  Plus, they can be a lot of fun and inspire you to try new things.  I got a line on a local monologue coach, actor John C. Bailey ,  that I plan to contact in the ne...

Caroline Gelb and Kathryn Browning Don't Dress for Dinner has wrapped.  With a play it always amazes me how quickly the set comes down after taking days and days to construct.  It's a bittersweet time, saying good-bye to people you have worked with for months. But especially so with The British Players , which attracts a very special group of actors and crew.  The closing cast party after Saturday's performance was a chance to say a few words of appreciation for everyone involved.  Producer Caroline Gelb also presented each person in the cast with an "Oscar" inscribed with a few words of praise from the reviews.  Mine was for "comedic perfection" and it is a treasure.  It was so gratifying to be in such a successful play.  We drew such crowds that they were in the black from the 4th performance on.  Wonderful.

Don't Dress for Dinner, closing scene with Peter Harrold En route to New York to audition for a student film at the Tisch School, then back for a quick rehearsal tomorrow night before heading into our final weekend with "Don't Dress for Dinner." The play has gotten good reviews and is on the verge of setting attendance records for The British Players , with some in the audience even standing and shouting "Bravo!" at curtain.  This is a lovely group of performers: Colin Davies , who doubles in real life as an expert on rock 'n roll, Peter Harrold, Vanessa Terzaghi, Michael Abendshein, and Anne Vandercook, who's a scream as the French cook/mistress/niece.  I will miss them when we wrap on Sunday. Here's a nice quote from the DC Metro Theatre Arts review:  “Jacqueline (Kathryn Browning) is the stone of promiscuous scandal in this production. Her simple airs toward her husband pale by comparison to the way she flings herself about to her lover. But ...

‎"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 ...