How To Find Inspiration As An Actor

All too often, I feel like the stick figure in this picture.  In my acting class this week, we had a discussion that inspired  me (ha!) to write this blog for our community.  What struck me most is the need for us as actors to generate our own inspiration by focusing our efforts on what we want to do, rather than how it is received.  Otherwise, it's too easy to fall into a pit of self-doubt and despair in this largely unforgiving and cutthroat world of show business.  After all, what the heck are we doing with our lives?  And who are we to do it?  The questions go on and on.

As a self-producer, it's especially important to feed your own fire.  As The Seeing Place chose our 5th Season, we took our cues mainly from what stories we wanted to tell about the world we're living in.  We got lucky this year and were granted the rights to most of our first choices.  But we have to start from ourselves and what we love - and hope people get on board.  If we pander to what people want to see, we remove our voice from the equation.  And as soon as we do that, it's no longer an artistic pursuit.

How does that relate to you?  Let's go outside of acting for a moment.  Imagine you're a painter.  If people don't like what you do, are you going to stop painting?  No.  When you're painting at home, are you worried about what people are going to say about it?  I hope not.  You do your art for you.  As a painter, you have to approach your canvas with something you have to say and hope that people like it.  As soon as you do art for others, it becomes decoration.  Many actors treat themselves like decorators, rather than artists.

This is a rough business.  As we all know, actors are a dime a dozen.  We are largely taught to satisfy the visions of the director and the playwright - rather than to share our own.  In fact, warning signals tend to go off when this kind of discussion comes up.  But it is possible to satisfy a production without giving yourself up in the process.  You just have to take your direction and try to accomplish it your way to the best of your abilities. 

First and foremost, it is necessary for the actor to nourish his or her own spirit.  Any of us can easily be marionettes and deliver the goods.  But if we focus solely on the product, we leave ourselves out of our own work.  And if we don't derive satisfaction from within, we can only hope to get it from others.  In that case, my work can only satisfy me if other people like it and give me validation.  But in my experience, validation doesn't give me any personal satisfaction.  However, when I share from myself and tell my story with the material, then even if I don't get the big applause, I know that I have made an impact.  I know I did my part.  That is real satisfaction.

We tend to think of self-satisfying actors as being self-serving, self-indulgent, and unprofessional; however, these are exactly the kind of artists we celebrate.  Some prime examples are Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.  I don't think anyone could accuse them of being anything other than generous artists. And what makes them generous is that they share themselves.  There's nothing wrong with having something to say.

These are the very reasons we created The Seeing Place - to give actors a place to do their work.  We take special care to make sure that every actor brings a personal stamp on their work to share with our audiences.  The playwright and director are not the only storytellers in our theater.  We all take on that responsibility together.  To see what exciting stories we'll be sharing this season click here!

We'd love to hear how YOU find your inspiration and what you do to keep your spirit motivated.  Please do leave a comment and join the conversation.  Acting is a lonely business.  Let's be a community for one another!

Who is "The Seeing Place"?

Hello - thanks for reading! We're excited to announce that we're celebrating our 5th Anniversary, so we thought we'd set aside a blog post to introduce our newer readers to the forces behind this blog - the folks of The Seeing Place Theater.


WHAT IS THE SEEING PLACE? / MISSION STATEMENT

Our name "The Seeing Place" is the literal translation of the Greek word theatron . . .

". . . the place where we go to understand ourselves."

The Seeing Place is an actor-driven, non-profit theater ensemble known for its intense and intimate work. Now in our 5th Season, we are forcefully committed to honoring and crafting the actor's process (through rehearsal and into performance); bringing organic, "fully lived" storytelling to our community; and making theater accessible for all New Yorkers by keeping ticket prices low and affordable.

HOW DOES THE SEEING PLACE ACHIEVE ITS MISSION?

The Seeing Place is an actor-driven company: built by actors and managed by actors to be a base for actors who want to grow & hone their craft in a creative and supportive artistic home. 

By placing a keen focus on behavioral storytelling, The Seeing Place has become well-known for  compelling and visceral ensemble work. Productions are rehearsed in a structured, organic manner, involving heavy script analysis and improvisation. Emphasis is placed on elements of acting craft, allowing actors the freedom to discover the story with the audience on a nightly basis. There is very little action that is "blocked" or staged, and many audience members have commented that they feel like a fly-on-the-wall observer of a real event.

Through private funding and public fundraising events / campaigns, The Seeing Place ensemble members feverishly fundraise in advance of each production so that all ticket prices can be capped at a low $12 per ticket.

But don't take our word for it:

" If you like serious theater, this is the real deal..." 
- Cheryl Benton, The Three Tomatoes (LOOK BACK IN ANGER)

" This play can only be performed successfully with the type of chemistry that The Seeing Place demonstrates... This is the second production I have reviewed from The Seeing Place, and I haven’t seen a better indie theater value out there yet."
- Chris McKittrick, Daily Actor (THREE SISTERS)

"I hope that The Seeing Place Theater continues to push the boundaries of theater in the off off Broadway community by producing thought-provoking, smart, and well-acted theatre. Oh, and tickets are only $12. You really can’t beat that.”
- Zak Risinger, Theatre is Easy (LOVE SONG)

LIKE WHAT YOU'VE READ SO FAR?

Click here to learn:

• What Makes The Seeing Place Different (and worthy of your support!)

• Our History, Achievements & Awards

• What Critics & Audiences Are Saying
• Make a tax-deductible donation


2013 - 2014 ENSEMBLE

Producing Staff

Founding Artistic Director - Brandon Walker*
Founding Member & Managing Director - Erin Cronican*

The Ensemble

Hillery Baker, John D'Arcangelo, Stephen Dexter, Chris Dieman, Jim DiMunno, Elle Emerson, Michael Gnat*, Mark Gorham*, Charlotte Hampden*, Alexandra Hellquist, Justin Hoch, Logan Keeler, Jessica Kelly, Rose Lamoureux, Adam Levinthal*, Ivey Lowe, Nicole McLaughlin, Martine Moore, Brian Charles Rooney*, John Anthony Russo*, John Sarno, Frank Schiavone, Lila Smith*, Jamie Soltis, Stewart Steinberg*, Thia Stephan*, Joe Tuttle*, Maria Wolf.        * = Member Actors' Equity Association

For more information about our company, including shows, photos, reviews and donation information, visit www.seeingplacetheater.com.


Thanks again for reading - please leave a comment and say hello so we can get to know you better!

-- Your friends at The Seeing Place

How To Excite People About The Theatre

www.baloocartoons.com

We live in a critical community.  I have even begun to notice a growing disillusionment within myself.  I no longer love going to the theatre.  When people invite me to their shows, I am most frequently annoyed.  Almost immediately, I start looking for a way out of the evening.  When I do make it to a show, I usually go out of a sense of obligation to relationship or prior support.  I openly criticize the commercial market, and I am highly suspicious of everything else.  I am an artist who has grown tired of art.

Does this tirade seem familiar?  Unfortunately, it seems to be the majority opinion in New York.  And yet, some of us are still trying to fight the good fight in a city of 8.25 million cynics.  So, I guess the real question is...

How can we share our work with friends, family, acquaintances, and the general community in a way that is engaging and excites them to take part in it?

1.)  Share your excitement about the project.
This week, I was invited to three shows.  I didn't want to see any of them.  Why?  Because none of the people that invited me gave me any reason for going.  They didn't give me anything to be excited about.  And much as I like to think of myself as a generous and loving person, at the end of a long day it's hard to care that much about supporting people.  I want to know that I am doing something that is worth my time and energy.  After attending, I found that I quite enjoyed my time, but up until I was actually in the audience watching, I dreaded the thought of being at every show.

One of the best things you can do for your community is to reach out to them and prepare them for what they are about to see.  When you invite them, let them know why you want them to come and what you want them to experience.  Don't feel the need to tell them about reviews or audience responses.  That may help, but the chances are that their investment is in you, so share from yourself.  If you give them something personal to latch onto, their experience will almost definitely be more enjoyable.

2.)  Don't be afraid to reach out personally.
I find that I only ever make time for shows if someone asks me to come - not me and whoever else is BCC'd to the email they send.  If someone takes the time to write me personally, then I assume they find it important for ME to be there, and that always makes me feel good.  That may seem like a selfish way of living, but I think most of us are guilty of it.

3.)  It's okay to reach out more than once.
I can't tell you how many shows I've missed because nobody reminded me that they were closing.  We all lead busy lives - especially in a city like New York.  If you reached out the week before your show opened and don't tell me again, then the chances are that I'm going to forget about the show until it's over.  Go ahead and send a reminder.  Even if I didn't want to come the first time I was told, sometimes I reconsider when I see that someone is passionate enough about a project to remind me about it.

4.)  Please don't speak badly about the show, the cast, the director, the... anything.
When people complain to me (sometimes even within the invitation), my first thought is usually that there's no point in going to this show.  My second thought usually has to do with why that person invited me to a show they obviously don't want to be a part of.  Why bother talking about the show at all?  Try to keep your sharing only to the things that are exciting to you if you want people to come.  Even if someone is excited about a show, when they tell me, "It's long, and I'm only playing a small part," they give me permission to skip this one.  So, be really careful about what you say to people.  Just stick to what excited you about the project - even if it's the money, the prestige, or just getting your feet wet in New York.  And that positive energy can only help your experience of the show.

*NOTE - Don't wait "until the show is good" to let people know about it.  By the time you're comfortable, there's usually no time left in their schedules to get there.  If you're in a production that seems promising, go ahead and let people know.  They'll probably miss opening weekend, anyway.  And if not, then commit to doing your best for every audience member and every show, and there will be nothing to apologize about.  Never apologize if you've given your most sincere effort.  Nothing is ever going to be perfect.

5.)  Thank people for coming and accept their responses.
Please don't be one of those actors.  Don't come out and go off about how bad the show was tonight.  It's LIVE THEATRE.  Things happen.  Share your experience of the show with them in a positive and inclusive way.  Sometimes, the night that everything goes wrong is a great show.  And even if it's not, nobody knows the difference.  If someone compliments you, accept it.  Thank them.  Don't invalidate them by arguing the issue.  If someone doesn't like something, don't defend it.  Just take it in and thank them for sharing with you.  Try not to delve deep into what people "really thought" of the performance.  They'll tell you if they want to.  They won't if they don't.  Let your direction come from the director and your criticism come from the critics.

With that, take responsibility for your work and have some pride about it.  There is so much more to talk about than how well the performance went (or not).  If you want to discuss something, discuss what the play brings up for you.  It'll be much more engaging.  After all, Theatre is about ideas.  It's about questioning and understanding our humanity - and that's a conversation we can all enjoy.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas, too!  Please leave a comment and share with us.

Where Have All The Critics Gone?

Cartoon Courtesy of The New Yorker

Maybe you haven't heard:

The readership for theatre reviews just wasn't cutting it for major publications like Backstage, who recently cancelled both online and print reviews.  That's not all.  The Village Voice also recently let go of both Michael Feingold and Michael Musto - big time reviewers and supporters of the New York Theatre Scene.  That's just the tip of the iceberg.  There are cutbacks everywhere you look.

We have had major reviewers come see our shows, who are now relegated to blogging.  Don't get me wrong - blogging is great!  And I'm delighted that many reviewers have chosen to support the arts community in any way they can.  But this is a major issue.  It's a major loss for the arts.

Once upon a time, a critic's job was more akin to talent scouting for the world at large.  As such, reviewers would see shows all over the place and try to connect art with its appropriate audience.  Unfortunately, that's not happening much anymore.

In a city like New York, there are plays popping up everywhere you look.  There just isn't time (or money) for reviewers to see them all.  And with rampant budget cuts, there is special pressure for publications to consider the marketability of their reviews.  Don't worry, though.  Broadway and Off-Broadway will always get their fair shake.  After all, that's where all the credible work happens in NYC, right?

But the harsh reality for Off-Off Broadway is that in order to draw the larger publications to see the show, there had better be a major gimmick - four actors playing 40 roles, interactive media performances streaming online, performance art pieces set in an apartment that you have to watch with binoculars and headphones.  The list goes on and on.

Once upon a time, publications like Backstage and Show Business Weekly were paramount in sharing all kinds of work with the world, but obviously those times are gone.  And so there is a great pressure in the indie circuit to produce new work.  The unfortunate reality, though, is that most new plays aren't all that great.  And they are often being work-shopped during rehearsals, so that actors can't really sink their teeth in and tell a story.  There's too much up in the air.  It's just not productive to build a writing ensemble and an acting ensemble at the same time.  So, audiences at the Off-Off Broadway level come to expect a focus on the writing and design of a show - which is also the common focus in more commercial theater in NYC.  So, Off-Off-Broadway shows are constantly hoping to springboard into an Off-Broadway extension.  And so, we have created a mentality that says that the goal is Broadway.  And anything that challenges the hip commercial norms goes largely unnoticed.

When was the last time anyone heard of a major acting ensemble in NYC?

In our community, we tend to minimize actors on the indie-theatre level, so actor-driven companies often go unnoticed by the larger public.  When I say "actor-driven", I mean to say that the focus is the behavior of the actors (not just the words they are saying and the design elements that bring the production together).  As an actor-driven company, The Seeing Place tends towards published works - or "revivals" as we were told by a very prominent theatre critic while pitching our last season.  The New York press seems to believe that there's no reason to see Off-Off Broadway revivals because they have already seen these shows on Broadway or Off-Broadway - with "A-list actors and designers".

There are the rare occasions that one actor-driven show will pop through the cracks, but it's rare.  Usually, when we hear about acting, it's in relation to a celebrity, a great star turn, or a real scene-stealer.  We hear about the strength of a single performance, rather than a company of people.  Most of the time, if there is a strong ensemble in NYC, it's in a show that has transferred from somewhere else. 

I firmly believe that there is great ensemble work that happens all over the place in this city.  I only wish I could hear about it.  With dwindling support for reviews in our community, how exactly can upstart companies hope get the word out anymore? 

Any ideas?

Zounds! Shakespearean Imagery Is A Killer

Imagery seems to be the most difficult thing for the modern actor.  We don't tend to speak in images anymore.  I can say "Grand Canyon" and you know what I mean.  You've seen it in Thelma and Louise or in a calendar or some such thing.  But in Shakespeare's day, people needed imagery to understand things beyond themselves.  Most people also didn't know how to read and write.  Language was primarily heard - and it was in flux.  Shakespeare created over 2000 words.  People had a real love of language.  And so, it is necessary to develop a love for Shakespeare's words - not a masturbatory love, but a real need for the words you are given to express your ideas.

We tend to learn the dictionary definition of Shakespeare's words, get a sense of the lines paraphrased, and call it a day.  But there is so much more.  First of all, the words and thoughts have to hold some kind of personal meaning for you.  None of us can afford to let the lines do our work for us.  The lines don't mean anything on their own.  Words on a page are just that.  It takes the actor to interpret them and infuse them with meaning.  Much as people would like to believe that Shakespeare had no subtext, there is always room for interpretation.  By "interpretation", I do not mean to support Concept-Driven Shakespeare (see below).  All I mean to suggest is that it is quite impossible for any human being to express everything that is going on in every moment.

Does that mean it's necessary to take huge pauses for thought?  Definitely not.  It is suggested that people spoke much more quickly in Shakespeare's day - and they would have to in order for ROMEO AND JULIET to be the two-hours' traffic of anyone's stage.  So, it is necessary in the style of Shakespeare's writing for people to "think on the line" - which basically means that you can't take the time to think about what you're going to say before you say it.  But that's a style, just as much as Chekhov's plays call for a heightened comic realism.

With all of that said, it's important to keep in mind that there is no correct way of saying lines.  The words will necessarily mean different things coming from different actors.  Shakespeare wrote for a specific group of players.  Chances are, you are not 100% what he had in mind.  As such, we cannot get caught up in thinking that there's a right way and a wrong way.  We all have to let our own discretion be our tutor.

Now that we've sussed out the meanings of the words, we need to attend to the Heightened Language.  We have to understand how the language operates in creation of ideas.  If I am speaking metaphorically, I actually need to create the metaphor.  The hidden meaning will not express itself of its own volition.  You can't say something like, "Your mind is tossing on the ocean," without being aware of the ocean.  It's not a colloquial way to say something.  And so you can't say it as though it's just an ordinary way of speaking.  Try it - it will seem silly.  That said, some balance is necessary.  Just because something is poetical does not mean it needs to become poetry - nor do these things need to be acted out or you'll insult your audience.  But you do need to actually create the image.  

It seems that every time I go see a Shakespearean play, I get one of three things.
1.)  A group of people that seem to be channeling Keanu Reeves in an attempt to sound "natural"
2.)  What seems to be the bad-karaoke version of Shakespeare, where people seem to be doing the equivalent of singing along to their favorite Shakespearean character - without allowing it to come from them.
3.)  A mouthful of emoted words in the stylings we would expect to have seen on the renaissance stage.

Rarely, if ever, are any of these actors grounded in the reality of the circumstances of the play or the individual character's intentions.  I think that we can all agree that the first two are just bad acting.  But the third seems to have become an epidemic in our theater.  These actors seem to think that if they speak with gusto, their passion will out.  But in reality, they are "tearing a passion to tatters, to very rags".

No amount of impassioned speaking will create circumstances for us.  We don't need to know how the words make you feel.  Taking our cues from life, only actors try to sound sad or drunk or angry, etc.  Real people try to keep their emotions out of their speech.  In times of great difficulty, real people try their best to communicate.  So should we - especially in Shakespeare.  For some reason, people seem to throw all concepts of acting out the window when it comes to performing in a Shakespearean play - in fact, it applies to classical theatre in general (not to mention musicals), but that's a subject for another day.

I mentioned Concept-Driven Shakespeare earlier.  I'm sure you basically understand the idea.  I've seen things anywhere from HAMLET: 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY to ROMEO AND JULIET in a mental institution.  But my real meaning applies less to productions than it does to actors.  We play these roles that everyone has seen.  They are standard.  And there is a tendency for people to decide to come up with their take on the role, to do something interesting with it.  I promise you that their is nothing more interesting than your individual humanity.  Shakespeare wrote living people.  And so it is necessary to let these characters resonate with you.

In the last part of this series as we inch closer to opening our productions of HAMLET and R&G ARE DEAD, we'll go into some of the hidden stage directions in Shakespeare's verse, as well as some basic rules that can clear up your communication quickly and easily.  For the first part in this series, please click here:  Shakespeare CAN Be Understood - And How

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions.  Please don't be silent.  Leave a comment.  Let's get a conversation going!

Shakespeare CAN Be Understood - and How

You know that bad feeling you get deep down in your gut right before you see a Shakespeare play?  Be honest.

Even if you're a Shakespeare lover, there's always a worry that you won't be able to understand what's being said - and even if you DO understand the text, will you be able to understand these actors?

John Barton (a very important Shakespearean dramaturg) claims that he doesn't really listen to what's being said unless the actors MAKE him listen.  Otherwise, he only gets the most general sense of the lines.  I imagine that many of us share the same difficulty.  Personally, I notice that I easily tune out when it comes to seeing one of Shakespeare's plays performed.  I know many people who have given up on his work entirely.

Essentially, our society come to expect that we won't be able to relate to the actors in a Shakespearean play.  It seems standard for Shakespeare to be performed in heightened acting styles of yesteryear and weird Mid-Atlantic dialects - when in fact Shakespeare's own advice to the players argues that we have to speak to "the very age and body of the time".  First, we have a current tradition of conversational life onstage and a different type of audience than in the year 1600 - both of which need to be taken into consideration.  Additionally, JULIUS CAESAR was initially played in Elizabethan Garb with elements of Roman dress; the Danish countryside in HAMLET more closely resembled Warwickshire than Denmark; and in ROMEO AND JULIET, the households were more specific to English life than that of the Italians.  Lastly, the Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare's text was much closer to the American sound than the current English sound.

I'd like to offer one small piece of overlooked wisdom when it comes to performing in one of Shakespeare's plays: he wrote them in English.  So, you don't need to approach them as though they are in a foreign language.  The audience doesn't need big gestures to understand what's going on.  Yes, there are some big words, but for the most part, his plays are written in the basic syntax of naturalistic speech.  No writer writes exactly the way that people talk - and there are so many vernacular variations that it would be impossible to undertake such a task.  There are plenty of modern writers whose plays that are written in a strange and rhythmic manner.  See Mamet, Letts, Lonergan, and just about anyone else you can name.  None of these people sounds just like you.

But what's so crazy about Shakespeare's language?

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." - HENRY VI, Part II
"To be, or not to be: that is the question:" - HAMLET
"What's in a name?  - ROMEO & JULIET

Any of the above quotes could easily be said in a modern-day play.  As wonderful of a writer as he may have been, Shakespeare was the least poetic playwright of his day.  His writing is character driven and full of intention.  It was meant to be acted, not read.  He wrote living people.  As has been stated by many scholars:  Shakespeare was the first naturalistic playwright.  And that essentially means that he created the concept of naturalistic acting.

Shakespeare wrote in three kinds of speech: 

Prose - The most commonly used form in playwrighting today. 

Blank Verse (or Iambic Pentameter) - Still the closest verse form to everyday speech, created by Shakespeare.  Blank verse has ten syllables per line, typically with alternating strong and weak stresses: de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM.  You'd be amazed how frequently you speak in this basic pattern.  If you look at many other playwrights of his time and before, their verse structures have either too many or too few syllables per line to represent naturalistic speech.  

Rhymed Verse - This is not that commonly used today - except in poetry and jingles.  But he mostly used this form for an effect of some sort.  Many speeches end in a rhyming couplet.  Some ethereal or particularly majestic characters rhyme with frequency.  But this form is less used in Shakespeare's plays.

It is important to note that Shakespeare did not strictly adhere to his rules all the time.  He wrote intuitively.  And though we want to understand his rules, we must still act intuitively in his plays.  "Let your own discretion be your tutor."  Really, when it comes down to it, if you just make sense out of the lines, not for the audience, but for yourself and your scene partner, then the meanings will come across.  There's no need to go crazy about it.  Just "Speak the speech" easily..."trippingly on the tongue". Focus on communicating, rather than getting it right.

In rehearsals for our current production of HAMLET, we've been trying something that seems to work very well.  We ask our actors to keep their energy moving to the end of their character's thought - so they can't pause (even for a breath) until they hit a period.  I was surprised to learn that Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech is actually four thoughts.  It's easy to get so bogged down in the commas and colons and semicolons that it's impossible to keep track of the point being made.  But we don't tend to speak with commas and semicolons.  Punctuation is a device of the writer to communicate sense on a page.  In real life, we speak until we've finished making a point.  It's amazing how much clearer Shakespeare's text becomes when you focus on the point you're making and then use the words to make that point. 

This is the first part in a series of posts about Speaking Shakespeare.  Next up, we'll discuss Imagery, and then Hidden Clues in the Text.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions.  Please don't be silent.  Leave a comment.  Let's get a conversation going!

Cast Interview: Alan Altschuler in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Alan Altschuler

Role in this production:
Baylor

What's been your favorite role, to date?  

Playing Oberon in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?  

Having a fellow actor in TWELVE ANGRY MEN shift his accent mid-performance from Eastern European to Italian and finishing every sentence with the words, "Mamma Mia!"

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role? 

Making sure that Baylor has various levels and does not come off as two-dimensional bully.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process? 

Working to develop my relationship relative to each of my scene partners: Meg, Mike, Beth and Frankie.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?  

The similarities between Baylor and myself stem from my personal experience with certain men of Baylor's generation, who tended to be bullies who actually lacked self-confidence and/or self awareness.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?   

This June, I'll be playing Polonius in both HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Robert King in MISS JULIE

Your name:
Robert King

Role in this production:
Jean

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Performing in my one-man show, HALFRICAN-AMERICAN. I don't think I will ever find a role that means as much to me as that.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?  

One of my first shows in NY was an Off-Broadway show that started off with a legit script, and evolved (or really, devolved) into an interactive Chip & Dales spoof. It ran for a year and a half, and will haunt my dreams forever.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?  

On the surface, and in almost everything you find about Strindberg's writing, you can find a lot of misogyny. The hardest part of preparing for this role was justifying and humanizing that, because it is so far from who I am.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?  

This process allows you freedom to find things on your own, and that boils over into being able to "play" onstage. Very rarely do you find surprises and honestly fun moments onstage, and this process really cultivates the opportunity to do that.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character? 

Jean has such a deep desire to improve his station in life, to be seen as more than his current position, and live better. When you are just starting out as an actor (and in most professions) you have to prove yourself over and over again, and really MAKE people see that you are better and can do better.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?  
I will be playing Guildenstern in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, and I couldn't be more thrilled. And terrified. In a good way.

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm,  Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Janice Hall in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Janice Hall

Role in this production:
Lorraine

What's been your favorite role, to date?  

Well, although my theater roles to date have been good ones, there haven't been that many, so I'll have to pull out an opera role. The role of Salome was something I never expected to play; it's incredibly dramatic music, and my voice isn't quite the size and scope usually associated with her.  But in small theaters, it worked--aside from the loud orchestra, everything else about the character suited me perfectly. And then, also doing multiple roles in the operatic version of Angels in America is a tremendous experience.  I feel as if I've done the play, although I haven't. For one thing, the opera is a lot shorter... 

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?  

A production of Madame Butterfly in Berlin, directed by a very controversial Spanish director (Calixto Bieito). I made an entrance poised on the rim of a hot tub, rode a mechanical bull, poured Coke on my head in the middle of an aria, and went on a killing rampage at the end of the show (that's not really how Puccini wrote it). And there were some other things that I don't think I want to write down here... But, oddly enough, it was a wonderful experience---at least there was drama onstage, in a way that really fed me in the role. 

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role? 

For me, working in the way we work in this company is new and different.  I come from the world of opera, where everything is regimented and planned out in detail.  Nothing is left to chance.  In A Lie of the Mind, things onstage are different every night, and I am learning how to roll with that. 

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process? 

The most exciting thing for me is to get to do this wonderful play. I love Shepard's writing, and the characters he has created. And it is a truly ensemble piece, where everyone carries equal weight. This is the perfect show for an ensemble company like The Seeing Place. 

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?  

My character, Lorraine, is unlucky in love. She loves maybe too much, too intensely. I think that is true in my own life as well.  And she loves to wallow in her misery; I like to think I've gotten through that phase of my own life, but who knows?  But the wonderful thing about Lorraine is that by the end of the play she has let it all go, and is ready to start a new life, which I think is very inspiring.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?   

Next, I'll be playing Gertrude in Hamlet for The Seeing Place. I am very excited to be doing my first full production of a Shakespeare play!

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Marnie Klar in MISS JULIE

Your Name:
Marnie Klar

Role in this production:
Christine

What's been your favorite role, to date?

 Joan in “Love Song,” as it was an emotional roller coaster and playing with such a dynamic cast, I felt as if I were always on my toes.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?  

While playing the role of Cinderella in “Into The Woods,” the wire lowering my birds broke and they fell into my hands as I was singing “fly birds, back to the sky…” The died!  I had to walk them off stage as in a burial procession.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?  

The most challenging part of Christine has been getting to her core and understanding her place of servitude.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?  

Using The Seeing Place’s rehearsal process to uncover the layers of Christine and personalize them for myself.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character? 

I think I’m similar to Christine in her strength and practicality. 

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?  
I’ll be performing in my newest cabaret, “Accidental Happiness,” opening on April 13^th at Don’t Tell Mama.  www.marniklar.com for more information.

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm,  Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Mary Lahti in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Mary Lahti

Role in this production:
Meg

What's been your favorite role, to date?  

Cinnimon.  No, kidding (sort of).  My favorite under 40 role is the role of Amy in COMPANY.  My favorite over 40 role is "Georgia" in CURTAINS.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?  

Oh, so many to choose from.  I guess maybe performing for a Father's Day Benefit dance concert where the only audience member turned out to be the choreographer's father.  We were tricked into thinking it was a big benefit concert.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?  

I was going to say, preparing to massage my character's husband's feet, but that's not so bad.  I would say probably finding a balance in the character substitution for my character's daughter who is beat up and has brain damage.  It was way too easy to put myself into that realization and I have had to find a balance in the exploration for the character.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?  

Besides absolutely loving this cast?  I would say breaking down a scene by individual objectives and exploring just one at a time for the whole scene to really get a sense of the dynamics with your scene partners as well as within yourself.  It's just amazing what unfolds in the process.   

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?  

Oh, I would say the over mothering is probably the biggest similarity and there is mention to not yelling or screaming which is very much me.  I don't like yelling.   But I am in no way, shape or form a country girl.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?  

Well, I will be helping the company for the season but my next project is my debut cabaret show planned for May which I'm so excited about.  This is a different area I had not considered before and after studying this form for awhile, I'm ready to take what I've learned and put on what I hope to be a fun show.  

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Erin Cronican in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Erin Cronican

Role in this production:
Beth in A LIE OF THE MIND

What's been your favorite role, to date?
I think it might have been Roberta from DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. I never in a million years thought I would be called upon to play a broken mother from the Bronx. She had so much heart yet so many anger and hurt, and it was amazing to find a personal way into the character so that I was sharing myself fully with the audience.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Oh wow - The physical & emotional aspects of someone with brain damage, that's for sure. I watched a lot of videos to get a sense of what a person physically goes through when they're recovering from a brain injury. I also did a lot of research on what it feels like, emotionally, to have an injury that severely impacts communication. Beth knows what she wants to say - she still has the same thoughts, feelings and emotions as before the beating - but cannot find a way to free her voice. This was such a challenge to create, and I'm finally starting to feel like I have a good handle on it.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

The ability to build complex relationships with each of the characters in the play, portrayed by some of the finest actors in NYC.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Beth is someone who wants desperately to fit in, but doesn't have any way to be the kind of "normal" required. She also is fighting to have her voice heard, against all odds. In playing this role (which has been played by some of the greatest actresses in NYC history) I feel much the same way. I want to so much for my voice to be heard, without judgment, so that my story can come through. Beth also has a love/hate relationship with her body, now that her body has betrayed her through this tragedy. This is especially true in her seduction scene with Frankie - she knows she's no longer beautiful in the way she was before. Through this, I've had to come to terms with my own body image issues (especially since I spend a good portion of the play in just a bra!)

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I'll be playing Ophelia in The Seeing Place's repertory productions of HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. It's a nutty season for me - I went from a girl who didn't exist (Love Song) to a girl who has brain damage (A Lie of the Mind) to someone who goes crazy and kills herself in a rage. Good times. :)

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Gabrielle Loneck in MISS JULIE

Your Name:
Gabrielle Loneck

Role in this production:
Julie

What's been your favorite role, to date?
My favorite role to date has been Kassandra in TROJAN WOMEN. I have a special place in my heart for ancient Greek Drama.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Probably the canary scene in MISS JULIE. yeah, definitely the canary scene in MISS JULIE.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

The most challenging thing about this role has been to bring as much of myself to the character as possible. Over a hundred years have passed since when it was written and today and there are concepts within the play that are dated. The challenge for me has been to find what is not and bring myself to that and create a full, living, breathing person.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Working with Erin as a director! It has truly been a privilege to work with such a passionate and driven director. I love that collaboration and exploration have been encouraged so much by her. It makes that process so much more enriching and fun.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
I definitely have a side to myself that challenges people and ideas around me. I am a bit more reserved than Julie is, but I feel like we both have a rebellious side.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Next with The Seeing Place is HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. I am so excited to move forward with The Seeing Place in Season Four!

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm,  Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Philip Lakin in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Philip Lakin

Role in this production:
Mike

What's been your favorite role, to date?
All bias aside, I have to say that playing Mike in A LIE OF THE MIND has been my favorite role to date.  It is some of the hardest and most detailed work I have ever done on a character.  His journey throughout the play is so interesting because his tries so hard to restore order in an insane world, that it drives him insane.  Telling his story night after night never gets boring.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Trying to do a serious piece based on HAMLET while a Jazz concert was going on in the venue below. The music bled through so much, it was like we had our own live orchestra.  Obviously it  was a huge challenge and disrupted the show, but some moments randomly worked really well with the show.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Not having blocking, not having blocking, and, oh yeah, not having blocking.  (But I'm getting better with it).

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

The breakthroughs I had in regards to "speaking out."  It seemed so strange and foreign at first, but after a wile it really started to help me get closer to my role.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
 His deep love for his family and his stubbornness (to a degree). 

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Playing Rosencrantz in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place.  I have wanted to perform this show since the day I heard my acting teacher talk about it in High School, so I am pretty excited.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Magan Wiles in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Magan Wiles

Role in this production:
Sally, Assistant Director

What's been your favorite role, to date?
Juliet - although I never cracked open that damn tomb scene.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

I was playing Hero in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.  I was doing the scene where Hero and Ursula have a fake conversation to make Beatrice think that Benedict is in love with her.  There was one night where the audience was laughing their asses off the whole scene, and I thought, "Boy, we must be really cookin' tonight."  It turns out there was a possum crawling its way up the front of the outdoor stage.  It finally appeared at the edge of the well where we were washing clothes, maybe five feet away.  The audience just lost it-all we could do was stare at it, then look at each other, then look back at it.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Sally is a really lonely and angry person.  Recalling times and people that make me feel that way has not been pleasant.  Interesting and maybe even cathartic, but unpleasant.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

I will use the tools we are using in our rehearsal process for the rest of my career.  I find a lot of Strasberg's technique to fall in line with the way I approach acting instinctively.  It's thrilling and fruitful to have the processes I used to do unconsciously be named and used consciously as a rehearsal tool to build an ensemble show.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Sally is unsatisfied with her life, and wants to move herself and those around her forward into a new way of living...I have found myself in that place several times over the course of my life.  She presents a tough exterior but is actually a very vulnerable person....that' me.  But if you ask me about it, I'll deny it :)

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I am shooting a New York Film Academy thesis project titled "Meetings" - I play a jealous girlfriend who confronts the supposed mistress in a restaurant and then chokes her out.  You know, a feel-good role.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Jason Wilson in A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Jason Wilson

Role in this production:
Frankie

What's been your favorite role, to date?

My favorite role to date was actually a role I haven't got to play yet in a full production.  It's Doug from GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES.  I got a taste for it in graduate school, when I played Doug for a classmate's thesis project.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

The wackiest moment happened on the last dress rehearsal for CALIGULA.  I was playing Cherea, and I went up on my lines one sentence into a three page monologue.  I went so blank that I wasn't even nervous about it.  I just looked in the eyes of all the other characters on stage and after getting no response except the appropriate amount of terror, I frustratingly exasperated, "Fellas!", and walked off stage.  My director stopped the show and we started over.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Almost all of Sam Shepard's works are a mountain to climb for any actor.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Getting to work again with some of my favorite actors I've ever shared a stage with.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
Thankfully, I can say I've never had a bullet hole clean through my leg so that's not something I have in common with the character I'm playing.  I guess I would have to say that love for something I can't have is probably what I most have in common with Frankie.  Deep down we've probably all known that feeling.  Lusting after the taboo or falling in love with the forbidden fruit is something we can all relate to.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Next up for me is Claudius in HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Director/Cast Interview: Brandon Walker on A LIE OF THE MIND

Your Name:
Brandon Walker

Role in this production:
Jake / Director

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Warren in THIS IS OUR YOUTH.  It's a role I never played.  But I played Dennis in a small production in San Diego, and I spent several years preparing to play Warren after I came to terms with myself and realized that I was never the definition of cool.  I was the kid who tried too hard.  I was Warren.  I understand him in my bones and my blood.  I rehearsed and read with all sorts of people.  I had a couple of different productions of the show over the last six years that never got off the ground for one reason or another.  I finally gave up after we didn't get the rights for it.  It was supposed to be The Seeing Place's second production.  So...Warren joins the list of roles that got away.  He's right up there with Hally in MASTER HAROLD...AND THE BOYS and Kostya in THE SEAGULL.  I just got too old too quickly.  Ah well.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Probably when I had to run offstage and pee in a trash can during the 3rd scene in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA.  I'd had way too much coffee before the show, a pitcher of "beer" and a bottle of "wine" onstage, and we were up there for 90 minutes straight.  I realized I had to pee after about 30 minutes.  And by about 80 minutes, it was a full on emergency. 

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Having to come to terms with the fact that I am not 100% different from Jake.  I haven't beaten anyone, no.  But I'm more volatile than I'd like to admit - even to myself.  I think that all of us have been a little abusive in one way or another, and we like to pretend we're better than that.  And we strive to be better...but it doesn't make the time we went just a little too far any more okay.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Watching all of my fellow actors come to life.  It doesn't always happen.  But everyone is doing some very special work.  And it's really exciting to play with them all onstage.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

I wasn't initially intending to play Jake.  But I'm glad that I did.  I think the role requires a very particular kind of actor.  On the outside, it seems like Jake needs to be a typical abuser - whatever that means.  For some, it's a rough guy.  But as I've done my research, there is no type.  That's why this play is beautiful.  We see eight people deal with an abusive event.  We get all sides of it.  Most importantly, Jake is a guy who went too far.  He crossed the line.  His emotions got the best of him.  And that's been the story of his life.  And that's the story of mine, too.  As Lorraine (and my own mother) would say, I'm an "over-emotional boy".  Always have been.  I don't mean to say that I feel things any more deeply than anyone else.  But me and Jake are a pair of Drama Queens.  We're always in a state of crisis.  My motto for much of my life can be summed up in Albert Camus' advice to "Live to the point of tears."  So...I guess the real question is:  What parts of myself are different? 

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Hamlet.  I know, right?  Kill me now!  :O)

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm;  Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.