Ensemble Diaries:TSP Ensemble Member Joshua George

The Seeing Place Theater is thrilled to announce its 2016 Fundraising Initiative. As a part of the initiative we want you to give you a chance to get to know our members, so we gave them a little challenge. To start, the Seeing Place asked each of its members 3 questions which they could answer via text or video:

1) What is your hometown?
2) What is your dream role?
3) When was the last time you contributed to a campaign and how did it make you feel?

We then asked them to craft a little blog post about what brought them to The Seeing Place and why it means so much to them. We hope you enjoy getting to know our ensemble!


"THE POWER IN TRUTH" BY JOSHUA GEORGE

Joshua George

   “I would be a great actor, you know why?”

   “Why?” 

   “Because I can lie my way out of anything.”

I’ve had that exchange with people more times than I can count. And I smile, maybe laugh with them, but there’s always this part of me that cringes inside.

“I hate actors because they’re all liars.” 

“Most actors are fakes, they’re just phony people.”

Acting and lies just seem to go together for so many people I meet. But I knew it wasn’t true. I knew there was something more profound in this craft and I meant to seek it out. So I moved to New York to study here. I made the pilgrimage like so many actors before me who wanted to find something more in their craft. I knew deep down that actors are not liars. Actors are truth tellers, they are the most honest people in the world.

When I chose to study in the Meisner Technique at The William Esper Studio a big part of that decision came from Sanford Meisners philosophy on acting, “to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” That’s the secret I’ve been searching for. But it seems to be this paradox, how can someone be honest in a situation that doesn’t actually exist?

Joshua in production of LINE at 13th Street Rep

Because actors aren’t trying to fool the audience, they’re trying to show the audience. The situation may not be real, but the journey is. And that expression is a craft. Actors strip themselves of the masks everyone wears in life and reveal their honest selves. We put up guards and shields in real life to protect us from the outside world. An actors job is to get rid of those and expose themselves fully. And this vulnerability is where the catharsis for the audience comes from. They’re seeing a human being on stage, a living breathing human being who is not hiding behind anything. And that’s powerful. That’s uplifting.

The theater is where we come to see ourselves, and that’s what The Seeing Place is. When I began reading about this company all I could think was, "YES, they get it." There’s a responsibility we all have as actors. And that responsibility is to truth and honesty. And only when the actor is fully honest on stage can the audience really be transported and moved. And only through truth on stage can the audience really see themselves.

Otherwise it’s just a lie, and actors aren’t liars.


3 Questions

1. Hometown: New Orleans, LA
2. Dream Role: Hamlet
3. Last time I gave: I donated money to a creative endeavor and I felt honored to help someone live their dreams

Learn more about Joshua at www.joshua-george.com


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To help create new work with Joshua and The Seeing Place by contributing to our campaign, visit www.TheSeeingPlaceTheater.com

Ensemble Diaries:TSP Artistic Director Brandon Walker

The Seeing Place Theater is thrilled to announce its 2016 Fundraising Initiative. As a part of the initiative we want you to give you a chance to get to know our members, so we gave them a little challenge. To start, the Seeing Place asked each of its members 3 questions which they could answer via text or video:

1) What is your hometown?
2) What is your dream role?
3) When was the last time you contributed to a campaign and how did it make you feel?

We then asked them to craft a little blog post about what brought them to The Seeing Place and why it means so much to them. We hope you enjoy getting to know our ensemble!

"WHY 'THE SEEING PLACE' " BY BRANDON WALKER

I always wanted to call a theatre company "The Seeing Place" - ever since I learned the origin of the name in a theatre history class I took in college. That's the literal definition of the Greek word, "Theatron." And in society, it was the place that people could go to relate, to see themselves, their own lives, and feel a sense of connection to their humanity. Unfortunately, it would be many years until I actually got to truly see myself on stage when I went to the see a play. Too many times, we leave the theatre impressed, rather than touched. "Entertainment" used to include a sort of catharsis in the early definition of the word. Nowadays, we are left with only the thrill of a good night. In a world where we are taught to be suspicious of others, I want to leave the theatre feeling connected. Theatre provides a necessary empathy to the world. 

Brandon Walker

The first time I felt the impact of humanity in performance was at a New Village Arts' production of A LIE OF THE MIND in San Diego. It was a curious evening. I was strangely unimpressed, and yet I believed everything I watched - the whole ensemble. Nobody stole the show. The actors did not seem to be acting. They seemed to be living. I'd read about this phenomenon with The Group Theatre, but have rarely seen it. And I got to really understand the full story being told. 

I saw a few more plays of theirs and then acted with them a couple of times. Eventually, I began studying with their (then) Artistic Director, and then I moved to NYC to study with his teacher, David Gideon. I expected to find more work like theirs along the way. Certainly, Chicago boasts of some great ensemble work, but it still wasn't the same for me as what I experienced at New Village Arts. And in New York, although I've been privileged to see a lot of wonderful performances and great production values, I've only seen a full production come together a handful of times in my nine years here, and none of those happened with the same group of people. At a certain point, Erin and I knew that if we wanted to have the kind of theatre we loved in this city, we would need to build it. 

Brandon as Hamlet in TSP's HAMLET (2013)

I am privileged to be working with some of the most committed artists in the world. We have an artistic home where we can really play and stretch and do our work. Though it is important to us to share stories and make an impact with audiences, it's not our sole mission. First and foremost, we feed our own creative spirits. We take our time. We challenge one another. We make sure that every actor is there to tell a story that matters to them, and that directly affects our behavior in performance. We work hard in the rehearsal room. And we play hard on stage. We allow actors the freedom to discover how the play is going to unfold every night. The lines are the same. But the behavior is different every night. It's not a wild change. We are telling the same story, the same way. We are sharing what we learned in rehearsal and building on it. But the moments are different. 

Many of our patrons have become numb to the pizzazz of commercial theatre ventures and speak of being refreshed by our work. Our audiences frequently comment that they feel like they lived through something real that was authentically happening right along with us. That's an accomplishment I'm very proud of. What's even better is that those comments frequently turn into deeper conversations about the lives of the people that come to share in our work. Making that kind of an impact is everything. 

As hard as it is to keep a theatre alive in this economy, there is a cultural need that our work fulfills in the world. The average donation to Bernie Sanders is $27. Some people can't afford that and spread the word instead. We are also a grassroots campaign. Any kind of contribution makes a major difference. We don't need backers. We need everyday people that want to celebrate their humanity together with us. Thank you for your time in reading this. And thank you for being a part of our community.

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To help create new work with Brandon and The Seeing Place by contributing to our campaign, visit www.TheSeeingPlaceTheater.com

Ensemble Diaries:TSP Ensemble Member Olivia Baseman

The Seeing Place Theater is thrilled to announce its 2016 Fundraising Initiative. As a part of the initiative we want you to give you a chance to get to know our members, so we gave them a little challenge. To start, the Seeing Place asked each of its members 3 questions which they could answer via text or video:

1) What is your hometown?
2) What is your dream role?
3) When was the last time you contributed to a campaign and how did it make you feel?

We then asked them to craft a little blog post about what brought them to The Seeing Place and why it means so much to them. We hope you enjoy getting to know our ensemble!


"THEATER IS A VITAL LIVING THING" BY OLIVIA BASEMAN

[imagine you are in a theater, it is dark and you feel the excitement of the other people around you, you hear their breathing, sense their anticipation… then the lights go up, maybe someone speaks and you are transported to another place, this is theater, this is the seeing place.]

We all hear daily about how NYC is losing all it’s artists…how impossible it has become to live and make work here. And I for one frequently find myself questioning why I stay…I could take my work somewhere else (Detroit, LA, Chicago, New Orleans… the list goes on) where it seems it (and I) would be so much more appreciated. So why do I stay?

Because I still think NYC has a chance. A chance of staying relevant. A chance of being a place where creators, not just users and regurgitators can thrive…

Small theaters are where the great ideas come from. Where the crazy experiments turn in to legendary works…It is difficult and expensive to “make something new” but if we don’t we can’t move forward. Theater is a vital living thing. That's why it still exists. Because no matter what (and especially now when our lives are curated for posterity in our social media feeds everyday) human beings need a place where they can go without fear of judgment and experience things together…The Seeing Place is that, and that’s why I’m an ensemble member.

[Climbs down off soap box, hides in back row]


3 Questions

1. Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA and NYC
2. Dream Role: Whoever I’m playing now.
3. Last time I gave: To a theater company of course! It made me feel like I was "part of the solution"…

Learn more about Olivia at www.oliviabaseman.com


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To help create new work with Olivia and The Seeing Place by contributing to our campaign, visit www.TheSeeingPlaceTheater.com

Ensemble Diaries:TSP Ensemble Member Brisa Freitas

The Seeing Place Theater is thrilled to announce its 2016 Fundraising Initiative. As a part of the initiative we want you to give you a chance to get to know our members, so we gave them a little challenge. To start, the Seeing Place asked each of its members 3 questions which they could answer via text or video:

1) What is your hometown?
2) What is your dream role?
3) When was the last time you contributed to a campaign and how did it make you feel?

We then asked them to craft a little blog post about what brought them to The Seeing Place and why it means so much to them. We hope you enjoy getting to know our ensemble!

"WHY I JOINED AND WHY I STAYED" BY BRISA FREITAS

This is quite the topic to tackle. Frankly, I can talk about all the reasons I love The Seeing Place for hours. Alas, I'll do my best to be concise. Why did I join the company? Well, it goes back to a chilly fall evening just outside São Paulo, a beautiful young woman gave birth to a baby girl named Brisa... Too far back? Okay, I'll fast forward a bit.

To be perfectly honest, when I got the invitation to audition for The Seeing Place, I had recently made the decision to give up acting altogether. You see, I had spent my first couple of years in "show business" working mostly on projects I won't dare mention in fear of you Googling them. But the funny thing is I had actually made money, while most of my other actor friends that were doing "good work" weren't getting paid at all. This was very disheartening to young me. There I was committed to being a professional actor and I was ashamed to show anyone my work, and the few projects that were worth anything (cannot emphasize "few" enough) were unpaid. That's insane... and not uncommon for actors. 

Brisa and Nathan teaching empathy to 3-5 grade students

Anywho, I actually managed to book a tour with an educational children's company, CLIMB Theatre. That was an incredibly eye opening experience. Not only did I start to enjoy performing again, but the work we were sharing was actually having a real impact on people's lives. I was part of the Teaching Company (Teach Co). Instead of just doing plays, we taught theater-based interactive workshops to students PreK-12. We used theater and improv games to teach kids about bullying prevention, drug prevention, environmental issues, goal setting, and so many more topics. For the first time I was using theater -- using art -- to make a real difference in the world. There is nothing in this world that can compare to that feeling.

When the tour was over I came to the obvious conclusion that I didn't actually like acting, I liked teaching. Because... I don't know. Seemed to make sense at the time? Sure. We'll run with that. So I decided to quit acting. 

Luckily, the universe intervened. And by "universe" I mean Erin. She let me know that her theater company was auditioning people and she wanted me to come in. I have a great difficulty saying "no" so I said "yes." In prepping for the audition the more I read about TSP, the more excited I got. What is this magical place that lets actors be actors and let their creativity lead the way? Hold on. They also do socially-relevant theater and hold talk backs to engage the community? This isn't a theater company. This is Narnia and I'm dreaming. Then during my callback we discussed a possibility of starting an education program. At this point, I was like "LET ME IN!!!!!!" but I played it cool till I got the official offer (haha tricked you! I'm actually crazy and now you're stuck with me).

Brisa as Bianca (with Logan as Cassio)
in her first play with TSP - OTHELLO

Still at this point I was just really excited to start this education program and was willing to do and say anything for them to let me start. Unaware of the extent of my madness, they were kind enough to cast me in their first show of the season. The dramaturgy and rehearsal process was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We delved so deeply into the work in a way that freed me in a way that I didn't think was possible. It made me fall in love with acting again. Something I was certain would never happen. After the first show, I was hooked. They really weren't getting rid of me anytime soon. Now after every production period is over I feel like I'm just sitting around twirling my thumbs until the next one, just casually asking our directors "So uuuhhh, next show? Happening anytime soon? I can be in it, right? Right?!?!" As you can see, I'm really quite lovely once you get to know me. 

On top of that, TSP is such a phenomenal community of artists. It is so wonderful having a group of people I get to see every week who are so passionate, talented, and driven to create meaningful work. TSP is a home for all of us that want to create something bigger than ourselves. Whether that's a connection with the community, an education program, or just a really frakking amazing performance. It's a place we can go to feel safe and free. It's a place we can go to be true artists. Whatever that means to us.

P.S. We're finally creating the education program!!!! AAAAAAH!!!!! 

To learn more about Brisa, visit www.brisafreitas.com.

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To help create new work with Brisa and The Seeing Place by contributing to our campaign, visit www.TheSeeingPlaceTheater.com

Ensemble Diaries:TSP Ensemble Member Candice Oden

The Seeing Place Theater is thrilled to announce its 2016 Fundraising Initiative. As a part of the initiative we want you to give you a chance to get to know our members, so we gave them a little challenge. To start, the Seeing Place asked each of its members 3 questions which they could answer via text or video:

1) What is your hometown?
2) What is your dream role?
3) When was the last time you contributed to a campaign and how did it make you feel?

We then asked them to craft a little blog post about what brought them to The Seeing Place and why it means so much to them. We hope you enjoy getting to know our ensemble!



"THE MAGIC OF SHOWS BEING 'DIFFERENT' " BY CANDICE ODEN

My relationship with The Seeing Place began FAR earlier than my becoming a part of the company.  I was introduced to it by my best friend.  She had co-founded a theater company called The Seeing Place Theater (oh, right – my best friend is Erin Cronican), and when she first told me of the way they were working, my response was, “Oh, HHHEEEEEEECK no.”  It sounded absolutely terrifying to me.

Candice Oden

I went to see her in her first show with the company, and she was extraordinary. I wouldn’t shut up about her and the male lead in the show – to anyone. Anyone who came into contact with me for the entire rest of the week had to suffer through me going on and on about Erin and “this other guy who played the male lead.” “This other guy” I later found out was an old friend of Erin’s (from their mutual home town of San Diego), and – oh – the one with whom she co-founded the company.  Right.

I started coming to all of their shows – I would go on opening night, because Erin’s my best friend, so I need to go to her opening night; but I would also go closing night … and I would go to a show or two during the middle of the run. I was fascinated. Every single show was different from the previous, yet they never varied in quality. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and Erin would remind me of the way “they” (now “we” ;) ) worked – setting no blocking, etc. – and I would always have the same response.  “Oh, HHHEEEEEEEEECK no.”

But I couldn’t deny what I was watching.

I was doing a production of a show with someone who had performed the understudy title role in a very famous musical on Broadway, and someone asked him what is was like to work with some of the [celebrated] people in the cast. And his response struck me. He said that one of the leading women would deliver the same show every night. And as a musical theater actor, my first thought was, “Of course she did! That’s the way you’re supposed to do it!” But there was something about there being a distinction between someone doing the exact same show every night and someone not, both getting the same paycheck, and both getting wonderful audience responses. I grew up doing musical theater, and, as a child in musical theater, you’re not encouraged to go out on stage and explore your art. You take direction and do only what you’re asked to do.  Fortunately I was very good at that. But having a concept now of doing a different show every night blew my mind.

Candice creates set dressing for TSP's production of
GIDION'S KNOT

Cut to years later, I had the opportunity to stage manage a show at The Seeing Place.  I got to watch the makings of what I’d witnessed from the audience for so many years, show after show, production after production. And I was addicted.  I wanted to know everything about it. I wanted to know what it was like to work the way TSP does, to have the artistic home that TSP provides – everything.

I then had the opportunity to become an ensemble member at TSP, and it has been the best thing I have ever done as an artist.  I was fortunate enough to perform as an actor in BOYS LIFE, and now it was my turn to do “a different show every night.” It was absolutely terrifying, but I knew that I was safe. I knew that no one was going to let anyone “fail” onstage or off, because every moment on the stage is precious when you’re living (and I mean living) onstage with other people like this.

So … Dear Ensemble Diary: Thank you so, so much.  May every artist feel as blessed as I do.

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To help create new work with Candice and The Seeing Place by contributing to our campaign, visit www.TheSeeingPlaceTheater.com