Ask My Friends - Living in NYC

Today we meet yet another fellow Nixian, Jessica Palmer. Jessica and I not only went to the same high school but we also both went to Webster University. She is such a sweet person and her talent and passion make her rise above many others. I asked Jessica to talk about living in NYC and what its like when you are just getting started.

“A few things I have learned since moving to NYC (2 years ago).
Time is of the essence, it reveals itself to you as an enemy or a best friend. Through prosperous and difficult times in the city I have learned that for myself I have to create my own every day STRUCTURE. Structure may come from a day job, a writing group you participate in, or a yoga class you take a few nights a week.You must create a life for yourself in the city in which you feel connected to the community that includes not only the theatre community but also communities such as those bozo yuppie types perusing used bookstores on the Upper West Side. There's plenty of room for you and your 5 roommates to join their book clubs!
Someone once spoke to my college acting class and said, "Be a TONKA truck." I interpreted that as "Do not limit yourself and your talent to any 'agreements.' “Yes, you have to absorb what you've read in college theatre textbooks, in books you've read about getting agents and so forth. However, absorb it, then stuff that information in the back of your closet with your poncho and break the rules, run people over. Who says you have to work "there" before working "here"?
Meet new people (then record their contact information in a database!), read lots of plays by getting a FREE library card, and go ahead... splurge on an AC unit for your apt. Augusts in NYC are brutal!
You may go through times where you lose a sense of your purpose, forget why you moved to the city in the first place. You have to put yourself first and take the time to regain your passion and ravenous need to be in the theatre. It's a holy place. But, it does not need tender loving care. It needs to have the door busted open by some hungry, crazed artist demanding to take it to the heavy side layer."

People to Know - Joseph Papp

Here is a producer after my own heart. Joseph Papp was born in 1921 in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrants. He went on to be one of the most well known and respected producers in history. Papp had a true passion for Shakespeare and tried promoting his idea that there should be free Shakespeare in New York for years when he finally produced and directed Taming of the Shew on the Lower East Side in 1956. He was praised by Brooks Atkinson with a great review in the New York Times, and then his idea took off. And so the New York Shakespeare Festival began. He later moved the festival to Central Park at the Delacorte Theatre, where they still perform today.

After his success with the Shakespeare Festival he wanted to find a home where he could produce year round. In 1967 he created the Public Theatre to produce new and lesser know plays. His first big Broadway transfer was Hair, and because he did stay on as producer of Hair he received no financial benefits. This lesson learned, he went on to produce A Chorus Line and used the money to help fund his other theatres and even help start and run some Off-Broadway Theatres. He also helped produce The Pirates of Penzance, which I discovered has been produced on Broadway 26 times.

He also lead the way in non-traditional casting by using people of all colors in his plays and got involved in gay rights when Congress imposed conservative provisions on the National Endowment for the Arts and produced The Normal Heart, which discussed homophobia and the neglect of the AIDS crisis.

As a producer he brought so much talent, both directorial and in casting, that the lists could go on and on. I wish more producers would take interest in non-profits they way he did. He was able to accomplish so much with the funds from his few Broadway hits, it makes me wonder who will be the next producer to not only produce hits on Broadway, but get really involved in producing lots of theatre and lots of affordable theatre. Someone said Merrick was probably my hero, but I think so far I would have to say Joseph Papp is my hero.

People to Know - David Merrick

David Merrick, whom I actually have heard of because he is a famous producer (but I didn’t really know more than his name), used to be plastered all over the Great White Way. But there was much I didn’t know, like the fact he is from St. Louis. Hmm. Rocco Landesman, David Merrick . . . Jared Neff. I digress. He was born in St. Louis and attended Washington University and then studied law at Saint Louis University.

Merrick was famous for his publicity stunts. When I was given the assignment I was told of the story where Merrick got seven people to come see his show Subways Are For Sleeping and give him quotes about how much they loved it. The seven people had the same names as the seven most well know reviewers in New York City. 7 Out of 7 Are Ecstatically Unanimous About Subways Are For Sleeping the full page ad read. The ad actually helped the musical stay open for about 6 months, and it turned out he actually had the idea for the stunt years earlier but could never find someone with the name Brooks Atkinson, so he had to wait until Atkinson retired from the New York Times to carry out the stunt.

When director Gower Champion, the original director of 42nd Street, died on the morning of August 25th, 1980, Merrick, who produced the show, kept his death a secret to everyone involved in the production and the press so that he could announce it later that night at the curtain call of the opening night performance.

Although Merrick was known to be extremely hard to work with, he won 11 Tony Awards and often was the sole producer of his shows. Some his most famous shows were the original production of Gypsy with Ethel Merman and Hello Dolly with Carol Channing. He produced so many shows that he was often his own competition for the Tony Award. Merrick passed away in 2000 and leaves us with many great shows and even better stories.

HAIR

We are now four days away from the National Equality March. Broadway is taking a huge interest in this march, and it is exciting for our industry to get so involved. Broadway raises millions of dollars every year for everything from AIDS to Animal Rights. Now they are getting involved in the fight for equal rights. The producers of the Tony Winner musical HAIR are taking the biggest involvement in letting their cast have the day off so they can go to Washington. It is estimated that it will cost them between $100,000 and $150,000 to close on Sunday, October 11th.

As you have seen in my videos of Sutton Foster, they are not the only ones getting involved. Producer David Stone, Audra McDonald, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as some Broadway casts, have raised money to send over 20 buses from New York City to Washington D.C.

The producers of HAIR are not only taking a risk, but they are also making head lines in all the major industry papers, including a great article last week in the New York Times.

I think it was a very smart move for the show about taking a stand for what’s right to show their own commitment to that idea by canceling their show, even though it means a loss for them. I think in the end it will more than make up for it in the press. I know I personally will see it the next time I am in NYC.

Today We Remember

Today we remember those lives lost on September 11, 2001. I have put a tribute video below that I found on YouTube. The video is graphic with live video from that day.

Ask My Frends - Going Back To School

Today we have a person who recently came back into my life and I can’t wait to hang out more often. Jennifer Hopkins and I both attended Webster University in St. Louis which is where I fell in love with her sweet personality and passion for the art. We haven’t seen each other since college but she was recently accepted to the Academy of Classical Acting here in Washington, DC. Many of us think should we go back to school? I have noticed a large number of my friends are returning to school so my question to Jenn is, “Why, after 5 years, have I made the decision to return to my studies at a graduate level acting program?”

“You could say I wasn’t getting to where I wanted to be artistically and felt that I needed more schooling in the illustrious ways of acting on stage. But this might be too pretty a picture. You could say that no one goes to get their Master’s degree if they don’t intend to teach one day (as my best friend so accused) but this would be…an unfortunate assumption. You could say I needed to reformat the hard drive of Me: That so-called vessel of my character work and the tool which allows me to do what I love. Above all, this would be closer to the truth. I once heard a (relatively) wise man say that actors wanted to be told the truth. I do. And I need to be told some truths right now.

I returned from a tour this January and immediately began to re-access the avenue in which I was pursuing a performance career. With a musical theater BFA that I have never used in the 5 years I’ve lived in New York since undergrad, which is to say I have not been a part of one musical since college, I knew something needed to change. Have I been going about this in the wrong way? Or am I simply not truly “musical theater” material? Every singing audition felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I would shower myself with excuses and reasons not to walk out my door to that MT audition. The same excuses every actor conjures when facing something that tests their nerve or lacks personal inspiration. So – here we have it – 2009 and a new president telling me, “Yes we can!” so heck, I suppose I must Do. I discovered The Academy for Classical Acting through George Washington University and the Shakespeare Theater Company of DC by a few fortuitous strokes of my keyboard, and the audition date was set. No question. Over the last three summers I have been employed (quite luckily) as a teacher of Shakespeare at various programs for 15-18 year olds in England and France. The sudden impulse to immerse myself in iambic pentameter as a student was powerful and doubtless.

I auditioned on February 28th. The audition, the people, the atmosphere felt overwhelmingly like home, and I left feeling successful in what I’d set out to accomplish. Sometimes, as an actor, that is simply all you can ask for. Within 5 minutes I was stopped by a phone message on my way to buy a celebratory latte. My dad had been in a near-fatal car accident, hit by a drunk driver that Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. Everything changed – and “To be or not to be” became quickly replaced with nothing but prayers. I immediately flew to my hometown and no thoughts of my own future really prevailed. It was three weeks, countless tears, broken bones, and a big leap in the right direction of my father’s health later that I received a phone call as I sat by his hospital bedside. [Freakin’] A, I was actually accepted to ACA. I tell you honestly and without self-indulgence that, aside from my father’s improving health, it is the only grand thing that has happened to me this year.

After months of taking care of my favorite person (Daddy) and teaching students over the summer, I find myself immersed in daily activity that is selfishly about Me. My own alignment is important. My voice. My stretch. My intent. I have no delusions of being an axis, but it is a beautiful thing to remind yourself, actor or not, that Your health matters. We spend so much time as performers trying to please directors and those who cast, as people we have others to take care of and to appease. I’m here in DC now to speak the speech I long to speak. To retrain myself out of bad habits, both metaphorically and realistically. My apartment in New York is empty and will soon be the stage of someone else’s life, whilst mine continues on this new adventure. I believe everyone is entitled to a period of time when they are allowed to focus in and take care of themselves. I can’t wait to see what it does to me this year amongst a group of talented fellow students and leaders of this profession as my instructors.”

Ask My Friends - Living in NYC

Today we meet yet another fellow Nixian, Jessica Palmer. Jessica and I not only went to the same high school but we also both went to Webster University. She is such a sweet person and her talent and passion make her rise above many others. I asked Jessica to talk about living in NYC and what its like when you are just getting started.

“A few things I have learned since moving to NYC (2 years ago).

Time is of the essence, it reveals itself to you as an enemy or a best friend. Through prosperous and difficult times in the city I have learned that for myself I have to create my own every day STRUCTURE. Structure may come from a day job, a writing group you participate in, or a yoga class you take a few nights a week.You must create a life for yourself in the city in which you feel connected to the community that includes not only the theatre community but also communities such as those bozo yuppie types perusing used bookstores on the Upper West Side. There's plenty of room for you and your 5 roommates to join their book clubs!

Someone once spoke to my college acting class and said, "Be a TONKA truck." I interpreted that as "Do not limit yourself and your talent to any 'agreements.' “Yes, you have to absorb what you've read in college theatre textbooks, in books you've read about getting agents and so forth. However, absorb it, then stuff that information in the back of your closet with your poncho and break the rules, run people over. Who says you have to work "there" before working "here"?

Meet new people (then record their contact information in a database!), read lots of plays by getting a FREE library card, and go ahead... splurge on an AC unit for your apt. Augusts in NYC are brutal!

You may go through times where you lose a sense of your purpose, forget why you moved to the city in the first place. You have to put yourself first and take the time to regain your passion and ravenous need to be in the theatre. It's a holy place. But, it does not need tender loving care. It needs to have the door busted open by some hungry, crazed artist demanding to take it to the heavy side layer.”

Twitter Making Headlines

There were recently two New York Times articles that revolved around the social media device called Twitter.

The first involved Next to Normal, a new Broadway Musical, that was nominated this year for 11 Tony nominations. I mocked their Twitter efforts saying it was “too much for me to follow” because they told the whole play through different character’s thoughts for a month. Well, I guess I was wrong @n2nbroadway (the Next to Normal twitter account name) now has over 566,000 followers and while you may ask if that turns into sales. It does. They have found through twitter that people have bought tickets because of twitter. Some people were unsure about the issues Next to Normal raised. When they heard the story told through Twitter they were sold. Even if they just sold tickets to .5 percent of their follows that would mean over 2,000 tickets. Not bad for free marketing.

When you think about it Twitter is not free. The site is but the time it takes to write the thoughts of the characters and strategically market this took hours upon hours of people’s time. And how do we measure the success of a Twitter marketing campaign?

Either the numbers are way off or Next to Normal is a brilliant marketer with Twitter. When I looked at other Broadway Twitter accounts no one even comes close to the number of followers. Hair has less than 5,000 and Rock of Ages has just over 5,000. Hmmm. How could Next to Normal have so many. I went through the first couple of pages to see if they were bots maybe? Nope. They all seem to be legit accounts. In fact since I have started writing this posting they have gained 30 more followers.

What will they do next to keep their followers?

To read the New York Times article click here.

Ask My Friends – Headshots

Today I chose Nick Coleman to give his advice about headshots. Nick and I went to High School together at Nixa. Nick was also the one to haze me into the local Thespian Troupe, back before they stopped the hazing part of that. He is very smart and has gone on to do many great things...one of them is starting a photographry business. If you are in New York and need headshots, check him out. You can also see a lot of useful tips on his blog. Here is what Nick wrote when I asked him for the Do’s and Don’ts of getting headshots done.

"Headshot Shmedshot, or Why Your Headshot Might Matter More Than Your College Degree

Guest post by New York Headshot photographer Nick Coleman - NYC Headshots for Actors that Work!

Greetings and salutations theater fans! When Jared asked me to write a guest post for his blog, I was first flattered, then honored, then I did a little dance in my photo studio to celebrate. What an opportunity to reach out to a whole new sea of readers!

Once I got over myself, I got to thinking... Jared had asked that I share some information on the do's and don'ts of getting your headshot taken, and how to ensure you'll get a great headshot during your session. That's a tall order for a quick blog post!

So let's get cracking...

As An Actor, I Feel Your Pain

When I was an actor first getting started in New York City, I was driven, hungry, talented (at least my teachers thought so), and READY for my big break. I arrived in the city with my black and white 8x10 photograph, taken by a friend from college, and I started looking for opportunity.

It's New York City! Opportunity is everywhere!

What I quickly found is that opportunities for actors come with an especially annoying caveat--they are mostly hidden behind closed doors. Want to audition for that great regional theater you've heard so much about in American Theater? First you have to get the audition. Want to be in that amazing television show that won all the Emmy awards? First you have to get called in by the casting director for a meeting.

And the sad truth is that no matter how much training you have, and how many accolades you've received, you can almost never get that audition or that meeting unless you have a great picture. Humans are visual beings... we trust what we can see, more than what we hear or read. "I gotta see it to believe it... Show me the money... Just you wait, I'll show you!... I'm from Missouri, you've got to Show Me."

Every project in theater, tv, film, and even commercials starts with an idea... someone thought of how the script would play out, and saw it in their imagination. And every person along the path of the project saw that same idea play out in their imagination too. So when it comes time to pick the actors, the first step in the process is "does that actor match the picture in my imagination?"

Your Headshot Is Your Mirror Image

If you want to be successful as an actor, your headshot must look like you. Nuff said. It can't look like you "on your best day" or "under the right circumstances" or with more makeup than you ever wear. It needs to look exactly like you do in the mirror. Why? Because when the production staff of that great project sees your photo, and call you in based off of it, they are saying "that picture of that actor looks exactly like the character in my imagination". If you show up looking even slightly different from that photo, you've just disappointed the imagination of the casting director, the director, and maybe the producer. You're an imagination killer! And they don't like that much.

Relax! It's Just a Picture!

Many actors make the mistake of not giving their headshot enough importance. But once you've been converted to the business-savvy headshot school, you might make the reverse mistake. Freaking out.

Don't!

Remember, the headshot should be your mirror image... which means the best shots are going to happen when you are relaxed, comfortable, and feeling most like yourself. If you're getting caught up in the feeling of taking a great headshot, you're on the track to a nervous, anxiety ridden hell-ride. Okay... that might be an exageration, but I have witnessed someone who got so worried about the way she looked she hyperventilated.

I'm Shooting Headshots Tomorrow--Help!

Okay... so here's my advice, distilled into some helpful bullet points. Whether you are in New York, Chicago, DC, Florida or beyond, these tips are all the same... how to make sure you have a great headshot session, with great results.

Know your type--what roles can you play?
Knowledge is power. If you know how casting people see you, you can make sure your pictures match the package.

Dress the part--do your clothes fit the bill?
If you are a leading man, dress like one in your headshot. If you are a nerdy, bookish type, dress like one.

Practice smiling--have you seen yourself smile lately?
Set aside some quality time with a mirror, and get to know your face. You might discover you look different than you used to.

Bring music you love--is there a song that makes you happy? Sad? Empowered?
Music makes us feel, andemotions show on camera. Bring a variety of music so you can play something appropriate to what you're trying to accomplish in a particular setup.

Take risks--do you always make the same face?
Variety is good. It give you range. Take risks in your headshot session. Be silly. Be goofy. Be angry. Be sad. Take lots of pictures. Give yourself choices. Deny nothing, and try everything. Exploring your range will lead to great shots.

Listen to your photographer--are you taking direction?
Your photographer is your guide through the shoot. He or she isn't telling you what to do but giving suggestions, and seeing what you do with them. Go along for the ride.

Know what you want--do you know when you got "the shot"?
The session is a success when you say it is. If you know what you want in advance, you'll feel good when you leave the session.

There are a lot more tips for getting great headshots, but follow these basics (and shoot with a great photographer) and you are well on your way to a headshot that will get you results."

Ask My Friends - How To Keep Working

Today our guest blogger is Jenni Bowman. One of my best friends from Webster University. She is a freelance stage manager in New York and seems to always be working, so her question is, "What are some tips you would give anyone wanting to freelance in New York?"

"There are 3 main ways I find work and stay employed:

1) Maintain Contacts
You meet loads of amazing, talented, lovely people in this industry, and a great way to continue to work for and with such people is to stay in touch with them. If you don't know them well enough to go out a grab a drink or coffee, you can always pass along an updated resume every few months. Also, keep an ear out for exciting projects these people may have coming up, drop them notes saying you'd love to be considered cause you lovvvveeeee working with them!

2) Search Online Theatre/Production Job Sites.
These sites include, but are not limited to, Playbill, Actors' Equity, Mandy, and Craigslist. Sometimes you stumble across an amazing gig that you're perfect for, and you'll totally nail the job. Many times you'll drag through dozens of listing for projects that don't pay anything. It can be a little frustrating because you may only find one good listing a day. Don't sweat it- write them an enthusiastic cover letter, send them your resume, and call all your friends who have ever worked for them or know them and tell them to put in a good word for you.

3) Stay Creative and Flexible
Sometimes....many times....you may find yourself UNemployed. THIS HAPPENS TO EVERYONE IN THIS INDUSTRY! The best thing you can do for yourself (and your friends who have to put up with you) is stay creative and flexible. Perhaps all you've ever wanted to be is a Broadway Stage Manager. This isn't my personal fantasy, but you get my point- You move all your thespian trophies and yourself to NYC only to realize you don't know a single Broadway Stage Manager who can get you in the door. OMG! What ARE you going to do? You can't sling coffee forever waiting for Broadway to call. Take Theo Roosevelt's advice, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." You're in New York with the most talented people. If you see a posting for a gig that you think you can do- apply for it! If someone calls and wants to know if you can be a production assistant for some crazy big MTV event- do it! If you wanna see theatre but can't afford the ticket- usher! There are so many opportunities in this city, you just have to maintain an open mind! Then, as my Grandma says, "The world is your oyster," or stage, or however it applies to you!"

Ask My Friends - Tony Night

So I have decided to make Wednesdays an “Ask my friends” segment of my blog. I have the best friends all over and they are so smart and have so much to share. So why not have them share on my blog. I have lined up a couple of people but how fitting is this first post. It is from my friend Jackie Carl at the Tony winning Signature Theatre. I asked Jackie to tell me all about being at the Awards. Jackie wears many hats at Signature including Special Events and Rentals. I met her a couple of months ago and was very impressed and LOVED her sense of humor. Here is what she said about the Tony night …

“Ever since Eric [Schaeffer, Signature’s Artistic Director] announced to us that we were receiving the Regional Theatre Tony Award, Signature’s offices have been completely abuzz with excitement. We have been super busy with press and praises – we even were sent an entire chocolate leg (yes you read that right!) which we gnawed on in the office for about a week! Like Jared mentioned, a bunch of our board members chipped in and bought about 20 tickets for staff members. Eric just took names of people who wanted to go and pulled from a hat about every hour during the day and announced over email who was the proud winner! I was one of the first ones picked! And not to have anyone left out, our company manager, again with funds donated by our board, planned a great Tony Party at Capital City Brewing Company down the street for staff and other theater friends here. They even had a red carpet laid out!

Now I know just being in NYC is an ongoing party, and Signature wanted to make sure it stayed that way. Saturday Night we all got together at INC Lounge at The Time Hotel. Staff, Board Members and other friends from the Industry were there. I don’t know if I got to see everyone, but know that Mark Kudish, Flo Lacey and some of the cast of our last show, Giant were there. The next day, after a morning Bloody Mary and lox and some shopping on the lower east side, it was time to start primping! Doors were closing at 7 and I was NOT going to be late.

I WAS GOING TO THE TONYS! I could write for pages about my excitement, disbelief and pride that were beaming from every inch of my soul… but I won’t. I will just tell you that I cried like a baby through the entire performance. Cried. Thank God my purse was big enough for some emergency make-up.

Despite my emotional upheaval, the show went on. Our tickets were in a block in the orchestra left around rows L-R- not too far back. It was pretty cool seeing the celebrities getting in and out of their seats to announce/accept the awards. At one point, I just turned to my co-worker to say something and saw Liza Minelli walking up the far aisle! Again, I had to pinch myself. Our award was the first to be given out. They played a little film tribute to Signature then Eric and Maggie went up to receive it. Eric’s speech was short and very sweet.

I have to brag a bit for Maggie [Boland, Signature’s Managing Director]. She is old friends with Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear, and he had a team of people dress her for the night! I sat next to her husband and he said there was about 10 dressers, make up artists, and hairstylists in her room! Every woman’s dream! Of course she is lovely and doesn’t need all of that attention – but she looked fantastic!

After an hour of awards, we were going into the telecast. That’s where the real fun began. I’m sure if you’re reading this blog, you probably watched it live or at least YouTubed it by now. I re-watched the opening number on YouTube yesterday to see the treacherous Bret Michaels setFAIL.org. I didn’t catch it live because I was enraptured by the great Stockard Channing. However my phone blew up with texts from friends and family watching concerned over his collision. I heard he fractured his nose and cut his chin, but I’m sure he’s still “smoking hot.”

Other things missed by viewers at home were NPH doing some hilarious magic tricks during the TV breaks. He’s totally converted me to watching his sitcom. Million Dollar Quartet also performed… and talk about “smoking hot!” The one actor was the spitting image of Jerry Lee Lewis. They had an amazing energy and had everyone dancing in their seats. One “take away” we got from the performance were plastic Rock of Ages lights that were shaped like lighters. That’s what they had us wave during Constantine’s number. Also there was a great advertisement for The Addams Family coming to Broadway in spring of 2010 with Nathan Lane and Bebe Newerth!

Like I said I could go on, but it’s been about 20 minutes since I last looked at my pictures. All in all, it was probably one of the best nights of my life – seeing so many inspiring and talented artists. And indeed what a proud moment for the DC Theater community! Next to Normal looked great and Alice was well-deserving! We are so lucky to live and work in a community that understands the importance of theater. And it’s obviously paying off. The actual award will sit on everyone’s desk here in the office and then end up as a permanent fixture in our lobby. Stop by and see it!”

In the photo John Hance, Sarah Valente, Maggie Boland, Jayson Raitt, Karma Camp, Eric Schaeffer