Premier of Crack for Actors…

At our second Gathering, David Strauss brought a script in development for us to read. Its working title was: Little Keepsakes. It's going to be read aloud at Natalie Fehéregyházi opening monthly Crack for Actors series, and by members of the Actors' Playground. 


This is a PWYC event.


Here's Natalie with the deets:

Hi again everyone!

Just a reminder that this coming Monday is the first installment of a new Open Stage at The One in the Only Coffee House called "Crack for Actors".  The title, which has proven to stir up mixed reactions, came out of the motive for the event.

Long ago, I came to the conclusion that the drive within an artist that propels him/her to work, is very similar to that which fuels an addict.  After much rational consideration of what I do, I decided that there is no practical reason to be an artist of any kind.

The difficulties that accompany it way outnumber the general payoffs. The only thing that keeps me coming back is the absolute rush and ecstasy I feel when I know I've done something that has connected to an audience member and made an impact.  The rush of that feeling is the highest high I can imagine and so, when thinking about the title for the show, I came up with Crack for Actors because the motive behind it was to give performers an opportunity to connect with an audience on a regular basis and get that fix that is only possible through live performance.

Anyway, that long-winded explanation aside.  This coming Monday at 8 pm will be the first Open stage.  We have a number of very talented performers who will be taking the stage to share monologues, scenes, sketches, new works and standup.  Whether you're an art enthusiast, performer yourself or just have time to kill Monday night, come check us out.  It's a great opportunity to meet new people, get connected and kick back with a tasty beer or coffee while we do what we do and attempt to entertain.  Also, if you're considering participating, it's a good opportunity to check it out before committing.

So, once again, this Monday, Feb 28 at 8 pm, Apuka Theatre's first Open Stage at The One in the Only Coffee Shop - 966 Danforth Ave just west of Donlands station.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Nat

Co-op Performance Opportunity…

Midsummer’s Nights Dream 

Proposal for a co-operative to rehearse and perform Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Nights Dream” as an imaginative traveling outdoor festival and farmers market show. Also to be performed at the Carrot Common Green Roof. The play is adapted for brevity, and modernized to take place during a summer outdoor festival. Focusing on the mystery of passion and the magic of folklore and fairies the production will showcase a theatrical blend of artists, dancers, clowns, and fire spinners and be performed during the Carrot Green Roof’s Inaugural Season as a fun summer dream location. 

Rehearsal/Performance Schedule

Casting date: Please contact Matthew Krist, 647-454-7333 (anytime after 12 noon) icanfarm@gmail.com for details.
Mondays thru Wednesdays and Sunday Afternoons till performance week
Tech and Dress Rehearsals Saturday-Monday the weekend before, 10-10
Performances: Mid July Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30-10:00

Proposed Engagement Structure

- Member based co-operative, $50 for membership. 
- The money pooled will be used for fundraising and production(s)
- Profit Sharing, the cast and crew of this show will receive equal percentages based on net profits divided by the number of members.

Union Status: TBD

Roles

Hippolyta/Titania
Theseus/Oberon
Egeus
Demetrius
Lysander
Hermia
Helena

Robin Goodfellow/Puck


Nic Bottom
Tom Snout the Tinker/Mustard Seed, Cobweb
Snug the Joiner/ Peaseblossom
Peter Quince the Tailor/First Fairy

Crew Positions

Stage Management Team
Video and Graphics
Marketing/Advertising: Social Media Campaign
Promotions
Set and Props
Costume Design: Beverly Law
Ushers, and Front of House Crew

Box Office: Tickets could be available at the Big Carrot, through Choco-Sol at farmers markets, Evergreen Brickworks permissions and logistics required.

Please contact Matthew Krist, 647-454-7333 (anytime after 12 noon) icanfarm@gmail.com to get involved.

Some kind words from a talented actor…

David Calderisi

Dear Lorne,

It was a pleasure to meet you tonight (Wed, Feb 24th's Evening Gathering). I want to say again that I admire your initiative in setting out to do this thing.

I enjoyed watching you and Edgar play so well together — and yes, so truly — in the early stage of familiarizing yourselves with a quirky dramatic “score.”

Wed, Feb 24th's Gathering:
David and Nonnie dive into
Chekov while Lorne and Edgar
explore more Pinter.

And of course I enjoyed playing with Nonnie on such a rich and complex scene. We both know we only scratched the surface. That’s why your idea is so valuable. I think it’s likely we’ll be bringing that scene back to the PLAYGROUND several times over coming months, if that’s okay with you.

Once again, my good wishes and admiration for what you’re doing.

Yours,

DAVID C.

To see David's resume, go to imdb.com/name/nm0129514/

The passing of beautiful talent…

Cayle Chernin

Yesterday afternoon, I saw an old neighbourhood colleague of mine in a grocery store commercial (I think it was for Metro). Later that evening, I was informed that she had passed away. I knew she was fighting ovarian cancer, so it wasn't a complete surprise but still…

The name of this lovely actress is Cayle Chernin.

Today, I received an email from Theresa Tova that told me something that I did not know:

Cayle was a fighter. She told me she had "no investment in the outcome of her disease" and continued to pitch producers with new movie projects and even performed scenes in her Monday night acting group which moved to the palliative care unit to accommodate Cayle's continued participation.

Thanks for those words Theresa. I can only hope that no matter how dire my circumstances in health ever be, that I will always pursue what makes me happy in life (for both my art and my relationships) with such gusto until the end of my days!

Some wise words about practice…

Rae Ellen Bodie

Rae Ellen Bodie is a great voice teacher that teaches at Pro Actors Lab. I have had the privilege of having her as a coach and every other month, I get inspiring words of wisdom whenever she is promoting her upcoming classes. 

I really liked what she said in her last message

because it also relates to what it is I want Actors' Playground to be for all actors and she has allowed me to share it with you here. So here it is and I hope it inspires you to take action with your craft.

Hello to you all!

Yes this is an email about the application deadline for the Lab, but I thought I'd offer up a little something before I get to those details...

In the last week or so I have coached several actors on auditions for US pilots that are being shot here...  In each case, I have asked these actors to let me know what their experience was of the audition and what, if any, feedback they got from the casting agents they auditioned for...  All of them, w/out exception, got back to me and described how well their auditions went, how good they felt before and after, and how the casting agents they saw congratulated and thanked them for their excellent work...  As far as I know, at least one of them booked and most of the others got called back...  

So why am I telling you this?  Because those actors inspire me...  all of them have solid voice/acting practices, get coached for big auditions, take care of themselves mentally and physically, and are totally committed to their work - in short, they're not fooling around.  They have the dedication of athletes.  As a result, the work they're doing in "the room" is solid, grounded and inspired, and all of them walk out of their auditions feeling satisfied, excited, hopeful and like professional actors.  

What do they have in common?

They practice.  Even when they don't have a gig, they practice.  Even when it's the dead of winter, they practice.  Even when they haven't had an audition in weeks, they practice.  Even when they don't want to - ESPECIALLY when they don't want to - they practice...

Do you?

Yes - it's absolutely a challenge.  A challenge for you to shake off winter and get back to practice.  Spring, and full-out audition season is just around the corner...  

Now if that all weren't enough, I leave you w/ a quote that a beautiful, hard-working, talented student of mine sent me many, many weeks ago that says it all...

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali

 For more info on Rae Ellen and her fabulous classes, go to proactorslab.com.

unexpected surprises, daring courage…

Wed, Feb 16th's Gathering at the Actors' Playground:

David (far right) tackles audition scenes,

Anna (next photo) courageously explores,

Zan (next to David) slips bewitchingly under our skin,

Edgar & Lorne (far left) face off in a Pinter scene.

So last night, when we finally got together, some interesting surprises happened. Zan was running a little late but I gave us enough time for us to wait for her. Then Anna suddenly got up as she had a desire to warm up her voice, so she gave a sudden presentation of 2 Shakespearean speeches (the intro from Romeo and Juliet and something I believe from Henry V), passionately given. Little did I know that what was happening here was a foreshadowing of something rather interesting to come.

David was up next as he was needing to prepare for an audition for an independent film he was having "tomorrow." He had just received the sides that morning, so this was the perfect venue for him to explore the text and find some interesting choices.

After working on his scene, Anna then went up and did some more work on a Tennessee Williams' monologue from Eccentricities of a Nightingale. She had been working on it the last 2 Gatherings and then at a workshop she had attended over the last weekend. What surprised me was that she departed from her intimate work and played with it in a more heightened state. As a result, there were some interesting and unpredictable discoveries that were being made, making us wonder what was going to happen next. Now Anna was not fully happy with how the first delivery went but she was determined that for her second exploration, she was still going to use a heightened, although different emotion. That's when I paused and remembered something I had read in Harold Guskin's book How to Stop Acting:

"In order to find out what a character is, I have first got to find out what he (or she) is not, exploring without fear or self-censorship. Exploring the role is like sculpting in marble… All the actor has to do is get rid of the marble that doesn't belong…

"If  I find a right choice for a character in my exploration, it still may not be the best choice. But if I find a wrong choice, one that doesn't work, then I know something about the character. The character is not that!"

So I realized that Anna needed to work with these choices and isn't that what the Playground's all about: to have the courage to be fearless in trying out choices that may not work? Only when we do, do we really know whether our choices are worthwhile or not.

Chasing after a space…

There was a fly in the ointment yesterday. The studio that I usually book was unbookable due to loud renovations happening next door! Okaaay… Unfortunately, this is one of the interesting obstacles we have to face when dealing with somewhat impromptu gatherings. 

I learned last year that booking a 3 hour block for a space on a regular basis was too costly unless I had people committed to showing up. So this meant how long I booked the studio space was dependent on how many people would actually show up. For us actors, our lives often get in the way due to all sorts of reasons and commitments are sometimes unavailable until the last minute. There is also the possibility that no one would be able to commit at all. So I needed the flexibility to be able to book at the last minute, which can cause some problems. So today was the first such.

First I texted the 4 actors who said they definitely wanted to be there today, just so that they knew "tonight" had a chance of being cancelled unless I could find a solution.

I then called up a colleague and he told me to get a hold of a photographer acquaintance of his, giving me his contact info, supposedly after he had spoken to him to make sure this was at all doable. I figured that if this was the case, I should be able to get a hold of him right away. Well no one picked up the phone, so I left him an email.

Then I went to check out a community centre in my neighbourhood that another colleague of mine was using for another group workshop that I attended a few days ago. What do you know? The space was available, although I was told I was lucky because their spaces usually get booked really fast. The only problem was that it wasn't as nice a space as to what we were used to. So I went to the photographer's studio to see if I could catch him there and no luck. Well that's it. I had to make a decision quick and the Gathering would only happen if everyone was okay with the location change. After all, the usual studio was more central Toronto (midtown-west) and this place was more in the east. So I texted everyone and let them know the location. Trouble was, I needed to know answers soon. So, 5 minutes later, I started calling instead. David was fine. Great. One down. Anna wasn't sure. F**k. Was it because I said it was in a basement or because it's in the east end? Well, she's one out of 3, which we could still work out. Besides, she said she'd get back to me. I tried calling Edgar but all I got was voice mail. Frustrated, I decided that rather than calling up Zan right away, I would get something else done that needed to be done so I could get a confirmation from Edgar first. I don't know why I did that. Was I afraid of driving Zan crazy with my antics, making her think I didn't know what I was doing? Where do I get these crazy ideas?

Suddenly while I'm driving, I hear a ding from my phone. I pull over and see that I got a text from Edgar. He's okay with the location change. So then I call up Zan. No problem on her end either. That does it. I head back to the community centre and finalize the deal. Then I text everyone back with the precise location details.

I drive off to my other chores. (Funny thing, I get a call from the photographer just a few minutes afterwards. He didn't hear his phone ring during lunch. Oh well. At least he told me to call him back again if I ever find myself in another jam.) Precious time has been taken from my day but fortunately, when I head to the space "tonight", I'm just a 5 minute drive away. 

An hour later, I'm driving back but before I do, I text Anna one last time and say:

"Hey Anna. If you'd prefer, I have one person tentatively set for tomorrow afternoon @ the regular space. So, you could book for that. FYI, Tonight, we are 5 with you rather than just 2 and the space is not terrible."

5 minutes later, she says she's coming. All right! It all worked out. Whew! What a day!!

Exciting Opening Gatherings…

<- Wed, Feb 9th's Gathering at the Actors' Playground included: Natalie Fehéregyházi, Deborah Merrick, David Straus, Anna Fin, Shel Goldstein, Nonnie Griffin (not shown), and Lorne Hiro.

We've had 2 Gatherings at the Actors' Playground so far (Thur., Feb 2nd, 1-2:30 PM and Wed, Feb 9th, 8-10 PM) and both have proven to be quite the blast!  

It's an amazing feeling: allowing ourselves to practice a scene or monologue, either prepared or cold in front of our peers, knowing that they will help us find ways to make sure we are always actively engaged and listening to each other.  The discoveries that get made are electric to watch!!

I was surprised to discover an interesting trap that cost us a bit of precious time: the desire for lengthy discourse around "appropriateness" and giving synopses before we start. How important it is to make sure that the focus of our conversations during the Gatherings are on what was accomplished, whether it communicated what the performer wanted and maybe a play-exercise suggestion that can help develop it.  It's so easy to fall into tangents but fortunately, we seemed to figure that one out fairly quick. So we'll just have to keep vigilant on that point. When I noticed it happening, I was so caught off guard and started shaking inside. A couple of hours can go by real fast if we're not mindful and I'd hate to have someone miss their shot a bat.

What I love about these gatherings is the fact that we can experiment with any writing and not have to worry whether we made a right choice or not. The point is to make a choice, whether it seems "right or wrong" and if we fall flat on our face, well it wasn't for lack of courage!

The really special part of the last evening was getting to help David Straus hear his words off the page with his play-in-development, Little Keepsakes. Very clever and funny. Can't wait to see how it develops!!