YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
ABOUT
ME: Why should you pay any attention to my answers? I have coached
actors, successfully, for all major drama courses, and Broadway, and for dozens of Regional Theatre jobs in
“Most memorable performance
of 2007” (Backstage), “The excellent John Windsor-Cunningham”
(New York Times), “I would gladly have come back to the theatre again
just to see him” (Wall Street Journal), “Far and away the finest
player on the stage” (Berkshire Bright Focus) –all exact
quotes.
In the last year I have played leads with Old Globe
Theatre (CA), Shakespeare & Co (MA) and the Irish Rep Theatre (NYC), and
successfully coached actors for entrance to drama courses and regional
theatres. I have played leads with the National Theatre in London (UKTheatre Award Best Actor 2003) – and for thirty
years working for all the major regional theatres in the UK. I have taught at
RADA where I was trained. The education department of the National Theatre says
my experience is “unrivalled”.
I am happy to coach actors in
whatever approach they prefer, gentle or firm, modern or traditional –
as, in the end, all systems work towards the same truthful work.
If
I am free, I am happy to discuss problems on the phone – 347 633 0398
– or e-mail me at j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put
‘COACHING ‘in the subject box).
Please scroll down at the right of this window
for QUESTIONS sent in by actors, students and
directors. (No names are ever, ever quoted).
(7.05.05) Q: How on earth can I decide who to
come to for an acting coach?
A: What you need is
someone to improve your whole professional LIFE. So ASK lots of questions of
any acting-coach, before paying for
any sessions! What they have DONE professionally? Have they been employed by
professional companies? How many? Do they deal with what you need - (classical
English plays, or modern American, or voice problems or interview problems?
– And make sure the teacher sounds fun.
Whatever your needs are – if there is a flaw which is stopping you
from getting work, like the tone of your voice, or your interview technique, or
choosing the wrong audition-speeches, - whatever your need is, make sure you
can REALLY talk to your coach about it.
(12.18.01) Q: I get auditions, but I'm always nervous, so I don't get jobs. How do I
stop nerves? I'm getting nowhere! Do neves go away as
we get older?
A: You can sort this out
now! Realize that nerves can be good or bad. It is natural to feel scared.
ANYTHING might happen on a stage (or at an audition), - so you are right to
have nerves of excitement, anticipation, hope and even fear of failure –
which is caused, of course, by not having worked hard enough on the audition
speech. Being nervous in this way is natural and healthy. These nerves can LIFT
your acting. They make you wake UP! BUT nerves which tell you that you're going
to forget your lines, or fall over, or that you're the
worst actor in the world!!!- are DANGEROUS. Once you recognize the difference
between these two sorts of nerves, - natural ones and insane ones – the
insane ones become easier to recognize, to focus on, and to push out of your
mind. Sort out which you have. Go quietly "into" yourself and just
PUSH those insane nerves out of your head. If, for example, you are
having problems with relaxation, just AIM for relaxation,
and it will start to happen. But you must be clear WHICH nerves you are worried
about. Negative nerves can be got rid of. They have no real depth. You could also ask an acting coach to work on
this IF s/he seems to understand you well enough.
(12.23.05) Q: How do I get jobs. I get auditions but I
don’t get jobs. Any ideas?
A: OK, if you get
auditions (and, if you don’t, then ask me how to,) - but you are failing
when you get them, - then try the following.
1. Work out the
main changes in your audition speech, - the moments when your character
switches what they are talking about. Sort out which ‘change:’ is
the most important one. Sort out an emotional parallel from your own life that
you can use to UNDERSTAND that important moment. If you dont
know how to find quick emotional parallels inside yourself, ring me!
2. Work out the
connection between the changes in the speech.
3. If the
audition is a cold-reading - don’t just READ the damned thing in the way
that everyone else will. Find your own personal touch!
3. Be charming, and, when the interview ends, say thank you,
leave, and forget about it!
There are
hundreds of other ways to succeed at auditions, but each person has different
needs, and the subject would fill up pages! One issue is often that actors do not want to
work on their auditions. This is quite understandable, for the pressures of
being an actor discourage us from working hard, especially n our own. And we
need new ways to inspire us to keep working on a speech. One way is to take
each sentence and decide which single word is the operative, main one. This is
usually quite fun, as each effrt to decide on the
‘focus’ word of a sentence is different, - it’s like being a
detective. And this process usually opens up unexpected revelations about the
script which you had not in fact been looking for.
For information and booking call (1) 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put "COACHING" in the
subject box).
(1.5.06) What
is acting?
Hmm. What can I say in one sentence? Some people say that acting is
"being truthful in imaginary circumstances", or just “being
oneself”. But acting involves one
extra factor, - an extra dimension which only comes when you have worked out
exactly what you are doing in a speech or role. It involves LETTING yourself
act. I cannot explain more in the space here.
(12.19.01) Q: What should I do if
an actor who is in a scene with me is playing it wrongly and refuses to be
told? - What if I feel like killing him?
A: Rarely, if ever, will
you gain by arguing with a fellow-actor. It’s pointless starting any
argument you cannot win. You MIGHT ask the director to intervene and speak to
your fellow-actor, but the director may be irritated. The SOLUTION is this.
There is ALWAYS some way in which your colleague is playing the scene which CAN
actually (JUST) fit with what YOU want to do, (somehow!) - so stop wasting your
valuable time thinking about how your fellow-actor is going wrong, OR EVEN WHAT
HIS VIEW OF THE SCENE IS - and find some positive thing (however small)
to concentrate on IN him / her that is good! It may only be that you sympathize
with the fact that they wear glasses. But, whatever it is, it must be something
about which you can be sympathetic.
This will start you to relax. You must be careful then not to get sucked into
the other actor's
way of doing the scene. Hang onto YOUR self WHILE seeing some positive side of
your colleague, BUT THEN stop thinking altogether! This will enable you to work
with the other person, (even if you still hate them). A new, unexpected meaning
may then appear into the scene for you, which may even allow for your
fellow-actor's 'wierd' acting. Also, remember you can
always run off the moment rehearsals end if you don’t like their company.
Negative thoughts spoil your OWN performance !
(12.19.01) Q: Can we help getting depressed by this bloody profession?
A: The profession IS
horrendous! - Our success in getting good work depends largely on luck, contacts,
money, and our physical appearance - none of which we always control, - so none
of those factors should depress us. The bloodiness of the business is not sign
that we are bad actors. It is only a reason to SORT IT OUT! To get career
advice about everything, speech, contacts, looks, photos, money-guidance, etcetcetc. But we must never
regard the profession's problems as CAUSED by us. The unfairness of some
casting, for example, is not OUR fault . We must
concentrate on OUR side of the deal, - vocal technique, fitness, knowledge of
plays, and building up contacts, steadily but firmly. The fact that the
business doesn't encourage us to develop our own self-worth is irrelevant. And
when it gets you down, remember what the great actor Daniel Day-Lewis says,
"This business doesn't own us".
(12.20.01) Q: When will you be
mounting and casting any productions?
A: Future plans I have of
forming a company will NOT happen for a LONG while, so don’t come to me
for coaching for that reason, but I do try to help people find work, to pass on
casting information I sometimes have.
Phone 347 633
0398 to ask questions if I am available, or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put "COACHING" in the
subject box).
(2.16.06) Is
it a good idea to go to
A. No. I do not advise
going to
(11.27.05) Q: Why have you
changed your name?
A: I am now permanently
working in the
(12.22.01) Q: Why do some people
think they can have careers as actors when they seem so completely useless?
A. Hmm. Not very kindly
put, but the answer is that most other professions - musical, manual, or
intellectual - require physical or scholastic skills, and in a few seconds it
is easy to know if someone in those jobs has the required skill or not, -
whether they can play the piano, or plaster a wall, or fly a plane. Wheras an actor requires no clear advance qualifications, -
only to be able speak, to move around a room, - as a result of which millions
of people think "Oh I can do that" - and thousands of them become
actors! They get one job every few years, and I see nothing wrong with that,
except they should be warned of how it is likely to be!
To confuse
matters, some of these simple, over-confident people turn out to be good, even
without training! And this is
especially so if they are only required to play easy parts. So
thousands are attracted to this idea of an easy life, who
are often looking for an escape from reality. Some may develop talent, so I do
not discourage anyone, however awful. They may find a 'type' for which they are
perfect, and can go on to play that role for their whole career! But they are
exceptions to the rule. Your question is understandable, but I should add that
you sound as if you are criticizing other actors; becoming angry with another
person's acting is a sure way of missing the flaws in your own. By accepting
all-comers, by welcoming them with warmth, our own acting will grow in stature.
This quality of PATIENCE is what turns some people into stars.
For information and booking call 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put "COACHING" in the
subject box).
(04.25.02) Q: Can you advise me
on finding an agent?
A. Stop wasting time
writing to agents who will not take you on. It may make you feel good to write
the letters but that good feeling is an ILLUSION. Write to more likely people,
and make your applications look as beautiful and professional as possible,
however little you have actually done. That is the secret to landing auditions.
And when you are WORKING – THAT is when agents will appear.
(04.27.02.) Q: Is it a good idea
to understudy?
A. In London the answer is
generally no. In the
There is one
other factor. If you are absolutely stuck in unemployment, then the
demoralizing aspect of understudying may not be as bad as the demoralizing
feeling you have from being out-of-work. - In other words understudying may be
a rather harsh experience, but not as harsh as working in some office. So if
you are desperate, yes, you should give any understudying serious thought. But
try to do it only once.
The reason the
job is often frowned-upon is that understudies are often under-rehearsed, and
may lack the energy and 'size' of the rest of the performers around them when
they have to 'go on'. This is partly solved by rehearsing on your own at home,
(which you should do anyway). But you also need to be accustomed to the size of
the theatre. It will help if you can find some time at the theatre – even
early morning when the cleaners are just finished, when you can use the stage
to run through your lines and do voice exercises, (the right ones!) Somehow you
must make sure you are ready for the size of the theatre.
(4.05.02.) Q: Do you work at
weekends or daytimes?
A. Yes, I have various
times free during most weeks. Coaching sessions cost $60, and last an hour and
a quarter. Phone 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put COACHING in the subject box).
(6.05.02) Q: Should I offer a
director a choice of pieces I can do at an audition? And where can I find ones
which aren't done all the time?
A. Choose a speech from
something you have played if possible. If there are no speeches which are long
enough, then link short speeches together, adding a word or two to link them. Either way you MUST choose speeches from plays which
you REALLY know well. If you feel tired of a speech it can be re-worked with a
good coach quite easily. But you can also find speeches by going to theatres
regularly. But work hard on them. That is the secret. Successful actors
just prepare more. They arent
‘better’ than anyone else usually. If they seem to be it's
because they work hard. There are few instinctive actors who manage their
acting very easily. But I'm reminded of Anthony Hopkins, who once said that -
"There are actors who study their lines dozens of times before the first
rehearsal, - I simply study them hundreds of times!"
As to the
question of offering several speeches at an audition for them to choose one, it
doesn’t impress them usually. What they want to see is if you can DO a
speech well! There is less mystery about getting work than most people think,
for if you have a few good speeches ALWAYS READY you will get work!
For information and booking call
347 633 0398 or e-mail
j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk
(06.28.02.) Q. What are your plans for " Actorclub "?
A. I am wide open on this
subject. A lot depends on how much I earn from tv and
films. There are many, many ways of making a company start, and I am happy to
discuss them , but it would take up too much room
here.
(02.07.02.) Q. What is star-quality? Can one actually develop
charisma?
A: Charm and confidence are
quite different to talent. We all know people with confidence and charm who are
dreadful actors, but if you have talent as well as charm then you are a REAL
star. Confidence and charm do not have to be there from birth. They can arrive
in unexpected ways. If you manage to be consistently offered work that you
like, if your only problem is having to choose which acting job to accept, if
employers are queuing up to book you a year ahead, then your confidence is
likely to grow! If you are only in a small theatre group BUT they regard
you as their star then that may help it grow. Commit as many hours as you can
to your work, preparing for rehearsals properly, and daily practicing anything which
improves your work to make you feel good about yourself. Audition for anything
and everything, even if you doubt accepting it if offered, if it makes you feel
good. Also develop a secure means of income for when not acting. Confidence
will only grow when you are content in the creative, financial and social areas
of life. But, you know, your question you ask about 'confidence'
sounds odd. Just focus on the VALUE of working properly, and you can feel the
confidence in yourself NOW.
(2.07.02.) Q. What did you mean at the career workshop about
levels of unemployment?
A. Career
"levels" sometimes change. But not often.
There are several “levels” of unemployment.
Examples of a
few:-
Almost
total unemployment, where you land one acting job each year or less.
Or, - you always land one acting job every year.
Or - you work
regularly, - throughout the year, - as an actor but always having a gap
between jobs, and in those gaps you have nothing even in mind.
Or you have
those gaps between jobs, but always having something you are waiting to hear
about.
Or you still
have gaps, but know what you will be doing next.
Or you have a few
gaps but usually have a choice of
what to do next.
Many actors
move up or down this list by one single step, but stay in one of those two
areas. It may be that, by being aware of these different 'steps' of
unemployment, one can focus on moving up one step at a time. Don’t just
dream of jumping to the top.
For information and booking call (1) 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@acorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE write COACHING in subject
box).
(12.08.02.) Q. I missed the interview workshop. What were the main
points?
A. At interviews it may
help to keep your Answers fairly short, or at any rate don't ramble on, at
least not if you are going off the point. In short, - don't give too much
un-requested information!
If you know WHY
you want the job and genuinely feel you could DO it, then your charm will show
through short answers, and you will then be asked to elaborate or answer
something else.
Have your
answers prepared for the obvious questions.
(Please note
these were the conclusions for those attending the workshop. It is doubtless
the case that some people are so different that they CAN and SHOULD give longer
answers to some questions, for they can do it well and charmingly, but, for
most, it is just a sign of nerves.)
(08.16.02.) Q. What else did we miss?
A. Well, it is all very
well for me to suggest companies you all should approach, (and how to do so in
a professional manner that actually lands the interviews), but, in our frantic
hopes to be good at the audition, we often forget to research the job, to find
out as much about it as we can from phone-calls and internet search, to develop
a firmer conviction that we ACTUALLY WANT to do the job!
THEN we won't
have to put on a false keenness about it. For instance, by this kind of
examining, we may learn that the dates are not just ok but actually ideal, that
the part we are up for is not just ok but EXACTLY what we need to be playing
now, that the job's drawbacks could not have happened at a better time - e.g.
that the little money involved will happen at a time when you can afford it,
that the inexperience of the director suggests they have a long career ahead of
them to employ you again.. the list of advantages may be huge, and the whole
job can become one on which you GENUINELY enthuse, winning the attention of the
director at the first "hello" - though, remember, always answer
questions about why you want the job in prepared and concise terms.
(09.24.02.) Q. Do you have links still in the
A. Yes.
(10.16.02.) Q. Should I arrive early for an audition and get nervous waiting or turn
up at the last minute and risk being in a state?
A. There are two reasons at least for arriving early. One is the unreliability of transport, so that you are not late. The other is to check that you have the right address. Don’t arrive ridiculously early. If you do, have a book to read! Try to relax and treat the interview as simply one of many! You must NOT think about the actual job at this stage, or about being accepted or turned down. All you need to think about is doing a good audition. That is the end of your responsibility. If you are usually nervous or worried it is important to give yourself time before the interview to collect your thoughts, to enter the right frame of mind. But don’t do this round the corner to the interview, do it at home before you start off. And ask yourself what exactly the job is ,- the dates, the hours, the venue. Are you actually available for the dates? Is the pay acceptable? Will it feel good to be offered the job? Will you enjoy doing it? Will you feel proud to have done it? Will you do it well? Will it be fun? How will you celebrate getting the job? And then, having done that in advance, having decided you actually want the job, forget about that part of the affair, prepare your audition piece, and then just do it.
(03.01.03.) Q. What are the most
important quality or talent an actor needs in order to be a success?
A. Not to care about
him-/herself, not to be self-conscious. Just be ready. To be
truthful. And awake. And for
every line you say to be the most important moment in that character’s
life, at that moment.
(01.19.03.) Q. Why do you go on about the quality of letters we
send to casting directors, the letter can’t be anything like as important
as CV's.
A. That's true, except
that those who are on the edge of the business, hardly getting any work, hardly
even landing auditions, could be still
in a 'pile' which casters have kept from actually throwing in the bin,
but which they need to distinguish from each another. If all have reasonable
photos and more or less similar CV's, it is then that letters MIGHT make a
difference. They must be short and give them a REASON to particularly see you.
For information and booking call (1) 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk
(Please put COACHING in the subject window).
(01.30.03.) Q .What is the
difference between a workshop and a class?
A. Hmm. Not sure why you
ask. Except that "acting classes" sounds more like what a drama
student might attend. The day · long workshops here are designed for
professionals. "Classes" sounds like what a teacher runs. Workshops
involve everyone's input, as well as that of the professional directors who
usually run them.
(01.30.03.) Q. Why do more actresses go to workshops than actors?
A. Many, many reasons.
Issues surrounding roles for females can be explored hugely. Also women can be
isolated from news of the business, casting, etc, and women tend to be more
helpful to each other in this business. So I would suggest Equity meetings
(especially the large ones) for meeting new colleagues, and regularly
theatre-going (fight for comps) in order to make friends who share your
interests.
(02.02.03.) Q. Do I need to live in
A. For theatre it does
help to live in
(02.02.03.) Q. Does it help doing a summer course in
A. Well, anything helps.
But pretending you have been to a drama school full-time when you have not, is not a clever idea. Agents often ask if the drama school
quoted on a CV was a full-time course, a post-grad course or a brief summer
course of classes, and if they find you have lied to them they will not like
it.
Don't get me
wrong, as an actor - I sympathize with bending the truth! But as a director it
drives me mad not being able to trust an actors CV, and once I find an actor
has lied to me I am unlikely to want to cast him/her ever. Some think it better
to spend the money which a trip to the
(03.02.03.) Q. I feel helpless, and yet I want to go on acting. I
have worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a year in
A. I have copied your
question out (without names) to show how problems can arise at all stages in
this job. The answer is to ask around and find the people who really exist who
really want to help. There are a few agents who are humanitarian and willing to
help any actor whom they like. There are a few casters who are generous and
intelligent and dedicated to helping good people develop their careers, and
those are the people you need to know about. They will give you real help. I
can give you a few names, but I cant print them here,
and of course I don’t know all the helpful people. If I print names a
thousand people will hassle them. But if you are willing to be honest in our
CV's, to work seriously hard on our career and to be constantly proactive, then
you will mysteriously find yourselves bumping into these saviours
. If you sit back and complain you will probably never find the help you need.
So decide, please, whether your question was, in truth, about not LIKING the
business any more, and possibly giving it up, or whether you need to calm down
and take those “small parts”.
For information and booking call (1) 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put COACHING in the 'subject' box)
(9.12.05) Q: What do you think about young actors going to
A. It’s stupid. Too long a
subject to explain here. I have hundreds and hundreds of examples of why this
is stupid. Ask me on the phone or at a workshop. ( There
are a few exceptions to the rule, and I will explain them as well).
(10.02.03.) Q. Can you pass on any thoughts about techniques for
television auditions and interviews?
A. I could write four
books on this,. No space for it al here. Audition
technique has to include the following. Main advice :- be pleasant! And practice being able to read out loud so
as to be expert, or you can only be second best.
… It is helpful if your mood is
good. Prepare to be in a good mood from the previous day AT LEAST! …. Ask
to have a script posted or e-mailed so as to study it before attending the
meeting. Otherwise arrive early and study the script then .
Nobody minds your doing that. It shows keenness…. When reading the script
at tv auditions the entire meeting may be filmed (to show to those who make
final decisions on casting) so hold the script up - only just out of shot (it
will be a close-up usually) - so that you do not have to lower your eyes too
much when you look down to check the next line. But that is if you really have
a cold-reading. If you have had the script from the previous
day there s no excuse for not learning it. Your eyes are what the camera
most wants to see. Do not hold the script at your side, but in front of you -
so that you can keep your eyes visible most of the time. Wear clothes which
roughly suit the character (don't go completely mad on that!) The
interview part of the meeting, - the conversation, - may NOT be filmed, but
this interview is a chance to relax so as to be communicating truthfully even
before you are asked to start your reading. In these interviews it does not
matter what you have to say, - whether you can quote a fantastic recent tv job
or whether you have never appeared on tv , - the
important thing is to be positive about whatever you say, and negative about
nothing. If you are too humble it may look, oddly enough, as if you're trying
to convince them you're no good.
If you mention
some tv work you have done to the director or caster,
PLEASE be ready with the names of casting-directors and directors involved,
otherwise you may appear disrespectful of their jobs if you say "oh -can't
remember". That sounds so
un-professional.
Ask where they
want you to direct your lines, (to camera, to its side -). Before you are asked
to read you will probably be asked if you have any questions. It does not
matter whether you have or have not, what matters is that you do not appear to
be apologetic in your reply.
If you can know
the lines, more or less, it is usually better to ad-lib some bits than to
concentrate on getting it exactly right.
Remember
everything shows on camera, sometimes showing more than you intend to, as a
result of which - quietness can look like confidence, seriousness can look like
aggression, giggling can look manic! And do not sentimentalize the emotions of
a character, - don’t play love when a scene is
about sex!
Finally, don't
‘come on’ to casting directors.
For further
advice phone 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk (PLEASE put COACHING in subject window).
(12.02.03.) Q. Should I go to
auditions if I know I'm unlikely to take the job if it's offered, - is it worth
going just for the experience of going to the audition?
A. Directors and casters
hate it if they find you unavailable after going to the trouble of meeting you.
These casting directors may well, as a result, not see you again. This may seem
very unfair. But life often seems that way. And if you do turn a job down you
may discover it a bad decision to have made in the long run, UNLESS you turn it
down for a really better offer elsewhere. On the other hand the experience of
regularly attending auditions is a hugely educating one, and if there is a
CHANCE of your accepting a job you should always go. If you would not want to
work for the director even in the future DO NOT GO
JUST TO HAVE FUN!
(12.02.03.) Q. I am
just one of several people I know in Melbourne and Sydney who are thinking of
coming to
A. Quite a number of
Australians, New Zealanders and Brit's come for coaching, but the whole subject
of the right to work in the
(03.09.03.) Q. I gave up acting to bring up my children and now
want to return. Where do I start!?
A. If you had some success
before you left the business and you are planning a "come-back" then you
need to make a list of every single contact you have from the past and contact
them with a truly brilliant photo and letter. If, in truth, you did very little
acting, and are really just coming into the business late, you may find that
some drama schools are happy to take on an older student, and if you can afford
a good school will make contacts that way which exist nowhere else. If you
can't face or can’t afford re-training then remember that late-starters
have the advantage of being a "new face", of having learnt about
life, and may well attract interest. But you need to make you CV as modern as
possible, and it is worth doing a couple of off-off-Broadway shows, or student
films to get your CV to look current ! Apply to
Commercials agents, who often need new faces. Older actors need to apply
themselves in the same way that younger actors have to, and not be embarrassed
about it. Finally, never try to say you are much younger than you are, for
being older is slightly more likely to get you work, apart from it being
connected to truth, reality and just being sensible. (I know there are exceptions t this, but they are very rare).
(11.09.03.) Q. How do we decide which photographer to use?
A. There are two parts to
this answer. Firstly you need to make sure the photographer is someone you get
on with. You should be able to detect some of their manner on the phone -
whether it is reasonably pleasant (which means not pleasant enough!), - or that
they sound bossy, or over-friendly. It is vital not to feel intimidated by
either the photographer (who should not act like a benevolent boss), OR by the
camera, (- you must feel so ‘awake and alive’ that you don't think
about the camera).
Secondly, check
the quality of the photographer's work by seeing their pictures of other
actors, check the background is always different to hair- color (though not too
sharply); check it also contrasts with the tone of your skin; facial features
and lines should be in focus; don’t go for airbrushed photos – you
need to look like the photo when you appear at the audition: character should
show rather than beauty. Photos decide - more than anything else - whether you
will be seen for a job. Don’t allow yourself to get tired before the
shoot - tiredness SHOWS and you will waste your money. Don't go for cheap
photographers, unless you LIKE the photographer a LOT, - go out and earn some
more money - anywhere! - so as to compete with those
actors who get work by having excellent pictures. You can always, finally, ask
my opinion, amongst others, to help you choose which pictures to use in the
end. And get your best choices blown up before deciding on which to have
hundreds of copies of, as they will look quite different enlarged. They must be
examined over and over and over again before final choice, and then ask for
them to be re-shot if you don’t like them (photographers sometimes will).
(09.22.03.) Q. Do you do private
coaching and help with auditions, and what kind of help?
A. I first let you know of
any contacts I have with a particular drama school or company for which you are
auditioning. Some prefer particular types. Then, if you need help finding
speeches, I have a large library of scripts from which to make suggestions. We
then rehearse the scripts as much as your time allows. I deal with any
important vocal or movement problems. (Drama schools often say they want
"raw" talent, and that they don’t care if you have speech
problems, but I don’t believe it. A drama school will never turn away a
clearly-spoken, starry, well-prepared actor. But I will aim to keep your
"raw" talent showing!
I am happy to
use any approach for actors, whether "method" or "lets just get
on and do it", as well as working, if requested, on interview technique.
But the vital issue is to concentrate on finding the HEART of the speeches to
be done, and to make sure that you can easily REPEAT a good performance.
I charge $60
for an hour and a quarter. It is up to you to decide how many sessions you wish
to attend.
Contact me for
this as much in advance of the audition as possible. Phone 347 633 0398 or
e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk
(PLEASE put COACHING in subject box).
(2.3.05) Q: If the Meisner
technique is the best way of acting why doesn't everyone teach it?
A. First of all ‘Meisner’ is not the only system I use to teach
acting. The Meisner technique does not suit all
people and can be done badly like most things in life. ‘Meisner’ is only one way of reaching the
‘state’ which acting requires, and I hardly mention Meisner with most actors -
I am more than happy to use other ‘methods’ Acting
needs open -ness and honesty and strength, and if the Meisner
method is used PROPERLY it can help to develop these in an actor and actress.
For more
information call 347 633 0398 or e-mail j@actorclub.fsnet.co.uk
(PLEASE put COACHING in the subject box).
Pinter Shakespeare Shaw Ayckbourn Wilde
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Michael Frayn Caryl Churchill Edward
Albee Pinter Shakespeare Shaw Ayckbourn
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Albee Pinter Shakespeare Shaw Ayckbourn
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Albee Pinter Shakespeare Shaw Ayckbourn
Wilde Mamet Eugene O’Neill Arthur Miller Tom Stoppard Noel Coward Chekhov
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Eugene O’Neill Arthur Miller Tom Stoppard Noel Coward Chekhov
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Michael Frayn Caryl Churchill Edward
Albee Pinter Shakespeare Shaw Ayckbourn Wilde Mamet Eugene O’Neill Arthur
Miller Tom Stoppard Noel Coward
Chekhov Alan Bennett Restoration
Comedy David Hare Sam Shephard John Osborne Michael Frayn Caryl Churchill Edward Albee
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