Are you a Drama Actor or Comedy Actor?

It’s a common misconception that acting is broken down into comedy and drama, and that actors have “chosen” one side or the other. The truth is that acting is acting is acting. To say that I’m a “comedic” actor implies that I will intentionally play a character “funny,” which isn’t the case. An actor’s job is to live truthfully in a character. Think about your friends. Are they either a “funny person” or a “serious person?” Nope. They’re just people. Sometimes they might make a joke, sometimes they cry. Characters are the same way. Actors don’t approach it from an idea of “being funny” or not.

How do you memorize all those lines?

I always think this is the goofiest compliment (?) to get after a show. Like, if I ever play Hamlet, and the first thing someone says to me after was “Wow! That was a lot of lines!” I’m gonna feel pretty crappy. Memorizing your lines is the BARE MINIMUM thing you have to do. It’s like telling a painter “Hey! GREAT job getting the paint on the canvas!!” and not saying anything about the actual painting.

See you on the Big Screen soon?

Or “When will I see you on TV?” Well. Not everyone will be on TV. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not kicking ass and taking names off screen. The theatre industry is HUGE. Just because you haven’t seen someone on TV doesn’t mean that they’re not successful.

Oh… that’s a tough industry

How is someone supposed to respond to this one except for the ole’ “yep”. Acting is a tough industry, but the variety of jobs may surprise some people. Sure, there are movie and big stage bookings. However, many don’t consider the gigs that can keep actors paid, such as: extra work, voice overs, educational & instructional videos, etc. Many worthwhile and rewarding industries are tough, acting just seems to be an easy parental target.

Stage Acting or Movies?

Kinda like #1, these two things aren’t mutually exclusive. Actors can be constantly flowing between stage work and film. It’s not necessarily something you have to choose. Plenty of actors do both.

So can you make yourself cry right now?

Is this some secret acting test? I’ve cried in a performance like…once in my life. And that was also by far not my best performance. There are soooooo many ways that people express sadness, and crying is just one of those ways. I’m not a big crier in real life, but I’m still experiencing a full range of emotions. Crying is not a requirement in order to “prove” that you’re sad. I went to see Chris Colfer speak in New York, and a member of the audience asked him “how do you cry so well?” His response: “It’s actually like a glandular thing. Like, I squeeze my eyes a certain way and they just tear up.”…Lucky son of a gun.

In another life I would have done that.

This sentiment is so bittersweet. It makes me sad that they didn’t feel like they were able to fully explore and pursue something that they’re obviously passionate about. It also makes me so grateful that I have the opportunity.

So… what’s your ‘backup’ plan?

This classic phrase haunts 99.99999 percent of all actors trying to make it in the industry. We don’t have a backup plan because this is a legitimate business (that requires school and experience just like any other profession). Sure, we may be an actor who’s currently waitering, but we are not a waiter who’s currently acting.

Well cool! Keep following your dreams.

Corny, but by far the best response out there.

What crazy/funny things do your friends parents say to you? Leave a reply below…

The post Things My Friend’s Parents Say When They Find Out I’m An Actor appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

1. He wrote In the Heights while he was working as a 7th grade English teacher. Aka coolest teacher ever.

2. Les Miserables was the first musical he ever saw.

3. He wrote jingles for politicians, specifically NY governor Eliot Spitzer’s 2004 campaign.

4. Benjamin Franklin was going to be a character in Hamilton, and was going to have a country-rock Decemberist-y type song. But, alas, it was cut.

5. He founded a hip-hop comedy group at Wesleyan called Freestyle Love Supreme.

6. He met his wife (Vanessa Nadal) in high school.

7. Speaking of his wife, she is a total badass.

She graduated from Fordham University School of Law, she’s a lawyer…oh! and also a scientist.

8. He was on How I Met Your Mother. And he definitely rapped on the show, delighting theatre nerds across the nation.

9. He’d be down for a Hamilton movie…when he’s 60 “Someday. Probably not for, like, 20 years”.

10. Speaking of musical to movie adaptations, Chicago is one of his favorites.

11. OH. He surprised Vanessa at their wedding by organizing a wedding party performance of (what else) “To Life” from Fiddler on the Roof.

You’re welcome:

12. This video of him dancing to Footloose as a little kid exists!

You’re welcome, again.

13. He has a dog named “Tobillo” from the Dominican Republic.

14. Lin was a co-composer & Lyricist for Bring It On The Musical.

15. He was the voice of “Shag Kava” in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

Oh, and also a special featured composer.

16. The name “Lin-Manuel” was inspired by a poem about the Vietnam War, Nana Roja Para Mi Hijo Lin Manuel.

Cover Photo: Matthew Murphy

The post 16 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

Mazel tov!

But the big question. Where? Ah, my little chickadees, this is where the fun comes in!

Check out these considerations before you start your college hunt.

Size of Program

Do you want to be 1 of 12 people in your class? Or 1 of 400? Smaller programs provide a huge amount of individual attention. You might be taking all your classes with the same 12 people…for 4 years.The deep relationships that you develop with your classmates and professors are incomparable. But this also means little or no flexibility when it comes to choice in classes. Larger programs may make it hard to stand out within your class, but also allows a huge amount of opportunities for collaborative projects and the ability to take a variety of different classes.

Conservatory or University?

Do you want to live and breath theatre every day of the week and not have to take a single “traditional” academic class? A conservatory might be the way to go. This will usually be intensive theatre training all day, every day (think Julliard). If you have other interests that you’d like to explore, a college program within a larger university might suit your fancy. You’d be able to take theatre classes for, say, 3 days a week and then take liberal arts classes (sciences, creative writing…heck, even math!) the remaining 2 days. NYU and Northwestern are good examples. This would also be the way to go if you’re considering minoring in a field other than theatre.

In short, conservatories pride themselves is producing top of the line performers, whereas university programs focus more on graduating students who are more well-rounded.

Location

It’s beyond helpful to go to school in an area that you could see yourself living/working in after you graduate. Life brought me out to California pretty soon after I graduated from NYU, and you better believe that I was feeling (with a capital F) that lack of community and the loss of the relationships (professional and otherwise) that I had spent 4 years cultivating in New York. Having a strong network is not only a HUGE advantage professionally, but having a support group of friends and old professors to seriously lean on during that first year or two out of college will be THE BEST.

That said, choose a program that resonates with you, even if it’s not in one of the top theatre cities.

It’s also important to consider In-State vs Out-of-State tuition costs. Out-of-State schools could be significantly more expensive. The exception being private universities, which charge the same (often pricey) tuition for all students. Talk with your parents and decide what works best for your family. And don’t forget about financial aid!! There are tons of scholarship resources out there in addition to FAFSA and your scholarships from your particular school. Plenty of organizations offer scholarships too!

https://college.usatoday.com/2012/01/30/the-10-best-sites-to-look-for-scholarships/

BFA or BA

Okay, so let’s say you’ve settled on a wanting to attend a university. You then have one more thing to consider: whether or not you want to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). A BA Degree requires fewer concentration (acting) classes and allows for more exploration with liberal arts classes. A common comparison is getting a BA in Theatre vs a BFA in Acting. A BA would allow you the flexibility to take classes in directing, producing, stage management, dramaturgy, etc. A BFA might have an overview of these subjects, but ultimately your primary focus would be acting.

Another thing to note is that BA programs might not require an audition as part of the application process, but nearly all BFA programs will.

Hopefully, these 4 factors will help you begin to narrow down your search. As with everything, this decision should be made with your head, your heart and your gut (sup Chekov).  And don’t worry, because no matter where you end up, there’s one thing for certain: You’ll be surrounded by Theatre Nerds! And what could be better than that?

Have a question about choosing a theatre program? Leave a reply below…

The post How To Choose The Right College Theatre Program For You appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

Because of this, a huge amount of attention is placed on our appearance. Much more than if we were doctors or teachers. Add in societal pressures of what the “perfect body” looks like, and this attention can quickly turn to obsession.

Many actors can attest to the impact that the industry has had on their body image:

When I was 17, I weighed, like, 98 pounds. I was totally obsessed with everything I put in my mouth. I was way too skinny. Not cute. And my body wasn’t that healthy — my hands would cramp up a lot because I wasn’t getting the nutrition I needed. That constant pressure of wanting something different than I had? I regret that.

-Hilary Duff

I was told I was fat for the first time when I was eight. I’m not fat; I’ve never been fat. But ever since then, there has been a monster in my brain that tells me I am—that convinces me my clothes don’t fit or that I’ve eaten too much. At times it has forced me to starve myself, to run extra miles, to abuse my body.”

-Zosia Mamet

A lot of girls have eating disorders, and I did too. I got obsessed with it. When I went from a girl’s body to a woman’s body with natural fat in places, I freaked out

-Jessica Alba

I was bulimic when I was 14, it was clearly about getting out of myself and isolation. Feeling inadequate and unpleasant.

-Russell Brand

I’d look in the mirror and still see an 180-lb. guy, even though I was 138 pounds. For many years, I was obsessed with what I was eating, how many calories it had, and how much exercise I’d have to do.

-Dennis Quaid

My Story

I myself can personally relate to many of these actors. During my time in my BFA program, there were months where I was thinking more about food than I was about acting. I’d be in watching my classmates in scenes, all the while calculating in my head what I should have for lunch, trying to take into account whether or not I would walk the 3 miles back to my apartment, or take the subway. Measuring out whether I could have a cracker with my soup, or croutons on my salad.  I’d severely restrict my food for days only to binge and eat everything I could think of. It was awful.

I had gotten it into my head that if I could just look a certain way if I could just lose X amount of pounds, then (and only then) I would be able to be a professional actor.

But I was abusing my body, my only tool, and my work was suffering for it. Riddled with insecurity, it was impossible to work without second guessing everything. I felt foolish in scenes where I played a love interest because I didn’t think I was attractive. Looking back, I wonder what would have happened if I had put half, heck even 10%, of the brainpower that I was putting towards my body and used it to instead focus on my craft.

It’s so important for us to maintain a healthy relationship with our body, and unfortunately, we’re in an industry that doesn’t make this easy.

The turning point for me was when I finally went to my school’s health center and talked to a doctor about my anxiety. She put me in touch with a support group offered by my school that was specifically for body anxiety and eating disorders, which I started attending weekly. The most valuable thing I got from this appointment was validation that what I was going through was real and treatable. It reassured me that I didn’t have to feel this way forever.

If my story, or the above quotes, sound familiar, you’re not alone. Go to https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/. They have tons of resources and will help you find support in your area.

Everyone is different, but here is a list of things that I found particularly helpful for me.

1. Yoga

I found a donation-based studio in my area started taking 2 classes a week. I never felt as good after exercise as I did after yoga. I always left feeling blissed-out, balanced, and my anxiety levels were significantly lowered.

2. I stopped weighing myself

You can read more about this here. This was by far the best thing I ever did for my relationship with my body. When I was weighing myself, I was focusing only on a number on the scale. When I stopped, it forced me to actually listen to my body and stop the daily judgment of stepping on the scale. I’m serious, you guys. Please give this a try.

3. Make a Self-Love list

Make a list of every compliment you’ve ever received. Include personal accomplishments, positive reviews, and anything else you can think of that gives you a little boost of pride. Keep these in a journal or binder and review on a daily basis.

4. Thank your body

At the end of the day, go through and thank your body for all of its hard work. “Thank you, legs, for helping me get to class on time.” “Thank you, arms, for carrying my books.” “Thank you, throat, for helping me speak clearly and confidently.” Acknowledging that your body does amazing things every day will help to keep your focus away from how your body looks.

5. Channel that energy into your craft

Imagine what it would be like to take all the energy spent on criticizing our bodies and instead, dedicate it to furthering our craft? When I would feel myself getting sucked down a wormhole of negative self-talk, I would pick up my favorite play. Or watch my favorite actor’s best performance. Or write about my dreams and goals in my journal. Distract yourself in a way that will keep you inspired and focused on what’s important.

6. Get support!

Like I said above, giving yourself the validation that what you are going through is real and deserving of support and help can be a huge step forward.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Acting is amazing. It inspires empathy, connection, and a sense of community. Theatre gives voice to the voiceless and tells stories that remind us that we’re not alone. It influences how people think and feels about the world. This power far transcends the physical body. It comes from vulnerability, the free expression of emotion and the human experience. This is what actors have the power to do. I can’t think of many things that are more beautiful than that~

The post The Actor’s Body Anxiety: Learning To Love Your Most Valuable Tool appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

1. Practice Meditation.

Tons of actors use regular meditation as a way to up their presence and groundedness on stage. Get in the game by checking out YouTube for some guided videos. Daily practice will help keep you balanced (on and off the stage) when school starts again in the fall.

Tip: HeadSpace is a great meditation app for your smart phone

2. Read at least a play a week!

By the end of the summer you’ll have tons of new plays under your belt and a STRONG monologue game. It’s also the time that you can fill in any…um…”gaps” in your repertoire.*cough* anyone else who has never read Death of a Salesman *cough*

Tip: Need more ideas? Here’s 5 Classic Plays All Thespians Should Read

3. See more theatre.

Shakespeare in the Park, Summer Stock…find some “pay what you can” nights and have a ball!! Mastering a craft is a combination of practice and observation. The summer is the perfect time to hone in on the “observational” part. See theatre, watch movies, get inspired! And don’t forget-it’s just as valuable to see theatre you hate as it is to see theatre you love. Really try to be a good student and get in touch with why you didn’t like a performance.

4. Don’t forget what you’ve learned (Aka PRACTICE!).

You know those voice exercises that your teacher said you should be doing every day? But then homework and tests and sleep happens…? The summer is prime time to really give attention to those stretches, throat openers, posture exercises, and all that fun stuff. Come back to school even better! Not rusty!

5. Have diverse experiences.

Remember: interesting, well-rounded, experienced people make interesting, well-rounded, experienced actors! Go have some fun! Try new things, go on a road trip, take a totally random class on something not theatre-y. I remember the last day of freshman year, my acting professor said “This summer, go kiss some boys or something!” The summer is the time to have fun! Gather an arsenal of kick-ass experiences for you to draw upon when scene study class comes back around.

6. Do theatre.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the best way to stay sharp is to keep performing. It doesn’t matter where. It could be a community theatre, children’s theatre, camp, or a one man (or woman) show in your parents living room; just perform. The more you perform the more confident and comfortable you will feel on stage.

Have something to add to the list? Leave a reply below…

The post How Theatre Kids Can Stay Sharp During Summer Vacation appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

Hard to miss, they are flailing arms in a circular fashion while doing a variety of tongue twisters.  You can hear their “What to do to die today?” from the moment you step into the hallway, and you’ll want to ask yourself the same question…

What to do: They may ask you to put your hands on their “womb space” while they focus on some grounding breaths. Do not. I repeat DO NOT engage. Also, three words for you: Noise. Cancelling. Headphones. Pop those suckers in your ears, enjoy a meditative space and focus on your own (hopefully less intrusive) warm ups.

2) The Doppelgänger

Especially common at callbacks.  You walk into the waiting room, look around, and see a group of people that look vaguely like yourself. It’s odd. They turn to look at you, and you know everyone is thinking the same thing… “oh my god we could be septuplets!” It can be disarming.

What to do: Trust that you’ve done your homework. Your choices and unique energy will differentiate you from the crowd. If anything, take it as a reminder that you need to bring your own essence into the character. Yes my friends, as cliche as it sounds, always be yourself.

3) The Monologue Stealer  

Maybe you hear them muttering it to themselves, or you see the script in their hands as a shiver runs down your spine. Yes, my friends. They’re doing the exact. same. monologue. as you. It’s bound to happen at least once in your acting career…no matter how “obscure” you thought your play was.

What to do: Similar to Doppelganger. Trust that your take will be enough to differentiate yourself. Also, it might be worth an emergency revisiting of your tool kit. Experiment with “Playing Opposites” (aka, making choices for your character that are opposite of expected…like playing with having the character laugh after your being told that their mom died,r whispering when the script says “scream”). Chances are, Mr. Doppelganger is making obvious, boring choices. Do not be like Mr. Doppelganger, be the opposite

4) The Stress Case

This figure most commonly appears in the form of one running the auditions, be it a stage manager or assistant. They’re usually seen flitting about, thermos in hand, talking loudly about how “they’re in tech for this show and have a meeting with that director and haven’t slept in thirteen days.” If someone asks if they need something, they usually respond with an overdramatic “I would LOOOOVE a coffee” and when it is brought to them, they respond an equally dramatic “I LOVE you. You’re a LIFESAVER.” TBH it feels more like power-play. Like “Hey, so I’m running this audition, but really it doesn’t mean anything to me because I’m SO busy.” Remember friends. Stress and snarkiness is not indicative of how important you are.

What to do: Don’t indulge them. Also don’t let yourself catch their crummy energy. Get as far away as you can (while still being able to hear if they call you. Obvs.) Maybe do some meditating or listen to a song that gets you in the zone.

5) The “Big Deal”

Casually works their Juilliard degree or child-star Broadway credit into conversations in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate the competition. Do not fall for it.

What to do: They may have a fancier resume but y’all are still here at the same audition. The playing field is level. Just get in there, do the work, and peace out, girl scout

6) The Underprepared

Will ask you to go over their monologue with them because they “just started memorizing this morning”.

What to do: Say something along the lines of “You know, I think I’m up soon. So I don’t think we’d have time.”  Do not let someone’s lack of preparation distract you from your own warm up time. You’re not being mean, you’re being smart. You’re here because you are ready to work your butt off and book the role. This person, however, is not. Running lines with someone who is prepared and ready can be stimulating and full of discoveries. Running lines with someone just to help them get the lines right is doing nothing but costing you time and energy. Sidenote: this actually happened to me at college auditions. Dude…you knew this day was coming for like months.

Who did I miss? Anyone have any good audition hallway encounters?. We would LOVE to hear. Leave a reply below…

The post 6 Formidable Foes In The Audition Hallway & How To Defeat Them… appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

But even in this intoxicating whirlwind of a life, we actors have one thing for certain. One little strand from which we can draw some sense of security, continuity, and trust…You’ve gotta know your gosh-darned lines.

Whether it’s Shakespeare, Simon, Sophocles, or Sorkin. Whether you just graduated grade school or Yale University. If you don’t have your lines memorized, your fellow actors will have (to quote the aforementioned Billy Shakes) “no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune.”

So in attempt to avoid becoming said prune, Here are some tried and true tips & hacks to help memorize lines.

1. Abbreviate Them

Write out the first letter of each word, leaving all capitalizations and punctuations in place. So “Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” would become “G N, G n! P i s s s, t I s s g n t i b m.” This gives you just enough of a map to make sure that you’re word-perfect, while still providing a challenge.

2. Writing Them

Pretty simple but it works. If you have a monologue or speech that keeps tripping you up, rewrite it over and over again. The key here is to handwrite it. The physicality will help give this technique sticking power.

3. Record Them

Record yourself speaking the lines & listen to this recording as you go about your day. When I use this technique, I make sure to speak them relatively monotone so that I don’t get stuck in a certain inflection.

4. Get moving!

You’re not going to be onstage, staring into a corner, and reciting your lines like a robot, so don’t practice them that way! Go for a jog, do jumping jacks, heck, even devise an interpretive dance for each line (surprisingly effective). It’s one thing to be able to recite lines when you’re giving 100% of your focus. Incorporating movement will be a truer test, and a closer representation of what’ll be required of you in rehearsals and performances.

5. Use The Buddy System

Having a friend or fellow cast member with you can keep you accountable, I mean who doesn’t want to look good in front of their peers. Even better, invite your scene partner to go through lines with you. Not only will this help you get off book, but odds are you will get comfortable with each other during the process. This will reap further rewards when it’s time to perform together on stage.

*Just make sure the friend is someone you know will help keep you accountable, not the one who just wants to talk about last nights GoT.

Bonus Tips!

• Familiarize yourself with the script first. It’ll be much easier to memorize once you have an idea of the character and the structure of the scene.

• Sleep help converts new information from short term memory to long term memory. Review your lines as you’re dozing off, and you will be shocked at much you recall in the morning!

• There’s an app for that! Some folks swear by The Rehearsal 2 App. It’s essentially a recording and teleprompter in one. Pretty genius, if you ask me. But at 20 bucks, it costs a bit of a pretty penny.

• Avoid the traditional “I’ll just repeat this line 2,000 times until I get it” strategy, as this will cement not only what you’re saying, but also how you’re saying it.  You want your speech to be naturally influenced by your character’s intentions and tactics, so be careful not to memorize inflections and tones.

What do you do to memorize lines? Leave me a comment with your tips and tricks!

The post Off Book Is Coming! 5 Hacks To Help You Memorize Lines appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

Maybe because of a scene…but most likely just because of life.

2. You might get naked in class.

Never a requirement (obvi!!). But sometimes, it  just happens.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3. You won’t be going out on Thursday nights.

Aka you might be the only one of your friends to have class on Friday…and then rehearsal on Saturday…and a show on Sunday.

4. You’ll question what you’re doing…a lot.

In your acting class…in your acting major…in your acting life…

5. You’ll embarrass yourself THOROUGHLY.

But it’ll get to the point where you don’t even care anymore! Which, honestly, is pretty freakin’ awesome.

6. You and your classmates will bond SO FAST.

Once #5 (or #2) happens, how could you not?

7. You’re gonna get really good at interpretive dance.

No, like really good. Something like 40% of your BFA is interpretive dancing.

8. You’ll start getting really meta when bad things happen to you, especially when you start learning about emotional recall.

*Roommate eats last of your cinnamon toast crunch* “Well. I’ll be remembering THIS for Medea later.”

9. Acting parties are by far the BEST parties.

Nothing like a little emotional exploration to really get a party going.

10. You’ll never watch a movie or play the same way again.

Especially ones with dialects. “Ooooh did you hear that intrusive r? SWEET.”

11. You’ll graduate feeling like you’re prepared for nothing, and yet prepared for EVERYTHING.

Acting skills = life skills, y’all. Bring it.

Have one of your own? Leave a reply below…

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