Archive for September, 2009

Some Basics

Monday, September 7th, 2009

First the disclaimer: I am not an expert on anything. I am a non-equity actor who just went EMC and is at the beginning of my career. However, since I have a blog about being an actor I get a lot of questions about how to get started, where to find auditions, how to stick with it, etc. All I can offer is my own experience, so take it or leave it, but if I can help anyone I’m happy to. So from time to time I’ll answer the questions. Also keep in mind that this is for actors in Chicago.

dear harmony,

I have no idea how to even get started auditioning in the real world. its so overwhelming… headshots($$$), resumes(mine is not very impressive), and material(which i don’t have), OH MY! Do you have any advice for me. i’m feeling a little lost and if anyone knows her way around when it comes to theatre, its you….

love always,
jessica

Hey Jessica! Don’t feel intimidated. I feel that way all the time. ALL the time. Seriously. I don’t think there is any actor that has it all figured out. We just pretend to from time to time. I’m certainly no expert. But of course I will share with you what I’ve learned.

1)Okay for headshots I suggest http://www.brandondahlquist.com/
or
http://www.ccosentino.com/ccosentino/Welcome.html

They’re going to be cheaper than the big dogs…but the quality is really great. Chris did my last round of shots and I’ve been admiring Brandon’s work for some time.

2)Don’t worry about not having an impressive resume. There’s nothing you can do about that. Just get out there. Start auditioning for anything and everything. Get your face out there. They will start to recognize you at auditions after a while. Make sure you’re prepared and professional at the auditions and callbacks. The biggest tip I can give you is not to give up! If it’s what you want to do then keep working at it. Take classes, read plays, see as much theater as you can…work on your craft!

3)For audition notices I go to:

http://www.performink.com (there is a fee)
http://www.chicagoplays.com (under the industry tab)
http://www.actorsequity.org (for equity auditions)
http://www.theatreinchicago.com (audition button at the bottom of the left column)

4)As far as sheet music goes, I get most of the new songs I want at the library or off the internet. Just google what song you want. It’s usually under $3. Also now that we have youtube you can look up a song and listen to how it goes before callbacks and such. Although you have to sift through all of the awful High School performances first. Monologues are trickier. I try to read a lot of plays. I look for good monologues in the plays that I feel the most connection with.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Good luck!

Love Harmony

P.S. If anyone has any questions for me feel free to email me. :-)

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The Scoop on Harmony

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

I’ve been neglecting my blog! I’ve been so busy though. I closed Cousins Grimm two weekends ago and actually ended up going on for three performances of Bombs Away. I had so much fun it was almost criminal. I was up there with some of my best friends, and we basically had a party on stage.

There is something so extremely exhilarating (yet terrifying)  about having to perform with little to no notice. In the Bombs Away situation I had about a week to get ready. For those not familiar with Bombs Away, it was a Forbidden Broadway type cabaret (spoof on musicals) where all the cast members were on stage for pretty much the entire show.  It was so satisfying to challenge myself in that way, especially when I feel like I succeeded. I haven’t felt that alive on stage in a long time. There is just something about stepping in to a show you haven’t quite mastered that is extremely satisfying. You have to trust yourself completely. There is no time for doubts. The things you discover in this type of situation is remarkable. The spontaneity is delicious. You really are living IN the moment. It was gloriously fun and I’m proud of myself.

Now, I’m not suggesting to people that they don’t prepare fully for their shows. PREPARE FOR YOUR SHOWS! But if for some reason you are put into a situation where you have to be performance ready in very little time don’t freak out! You can do it and you can do it well. Just remember to do it in increments. Even with a short period of time you have to let your brain rest and marinate. I worked on it for about 6 hours a day for 3 days. I would do a session for three hours, take an hour break (this is VERY important) and then work for three more hours. After that I would leave it completely for the day. It’s important for your brain to have that time to soak it in.  Before each show I took about a half hour to walk through my track in a speed through. Also, it’s a time of high stress so make sure you eat well, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep to avoid getting sick. I’m sure this is common sense to most, but if I can help someone I’m happy to.

After closing those two shows I went right into rehearsal the very next day for The Man of La Mancha at Theatre at the Center. I’m covering Antonia and the Housekeeper. I’m having a wonderful time. It’s such a fantastic group of people. This is my first Equity show and I’m soaking in as much as I can. I love watching the theater veterans in the show. Their experience is so vast and their performances look effortless. It’s also such a beautiful show. It’s so moving. Jim Harms (Don Quixote), Ericka Mac (Aldonza), and Joe Tokarz (Padre) break my heart in the finale every single day. I feel really blessed to be part of this production.

My other tidbit of news is that I’ve been cast as Lou Ellen in City Lit’s May production of Jerome Kern’s Oh Boy. I’m so excited. This show re-unites me with director Sheldon Patinkin who is one of my mentors and legendary in his own right. I am also doing the show with the ridiculously beautiful and talented Jenny Grubb. We’re the female leads. This will be my fourth show with her! We’re very excited.

That’s it for now. Happy fall everyone!

Love Harmony

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