I need a new monologue.......

This is a phrase many actors utter frequently, perhaps second only to, "I need a new head-shot". Finding good monologues is a key component in the business of getting work as an actor. Many auditions will have something for you to read, but will still often start with a request for a monologue.


This simple small acting scene is very important, and a good one will often help you get a role. A bad one will pretty well assure you have more free time, :). So here are some suggestions regarding monologues;


* Match the monologue to the time period that the play you are auditioning for is set in.


* Pick something with a beginning, middle and end, don't start mid-emotion and expect the listeners to get it. Also try and pick a piece that has some growth in it. Having a monologue that is all one level is boring and flat.


*Whenever possible, memorize! The casting agent/director will like you more with good eye contact, and reading from a page limits you.


* Be still, and only move or gesture with a purpose. Practice gestures and movement right into the monologue. Random movement is annoying and distracting.


*Only have a Shakespearean or classical piece for a Shakespearean or classical show.


* Never pick a piece where crying is needed. If it comes naturally in the moment great. But trying to fake cry is hard, and comes off as fake.


*Never use props. they are distracting and take the focus away from you.


* Make sure you understand what you are saying. You may want to read the entire play if it helps, but at least be sure you know why a character is saying what they are saying. Also what is the setting and most of all, WHAT DO THEY WANT?


*An actor should typically be ready at almost all times with one contemporary serious piece, one contemporary comic, and one classic or Shakespearean piece. A monologue should run about a minute and a half, as often you are given three minutes for an audition, and are asked for one serious and one comic piece.


* Change your monologues from time to time to keep them fresh.


Break a leg!

                                           J.T. Turner
                                     The Actors Sensei

I lost my voice!

(From Speakeasy Stage Company's The Drowsy Chaperone, with Sarah Drake)

Recently I had a fantastic run in a musical called The Drowsy Chaperone. But as fate would have it, I suddenly found myself with hardly any voice after the first weekend of shows. I had about a day to recover, and it reminded me just how important vocal care is.

Ok first, I am not a Doctor, nor have I played one on TV. Any vocal issues should get you to a Ears-Nose and Throat doctor right away just to be safe. Sometimes a lost voice can be caused by infection, or vocal cord injury. Don't be foolish and try and bull your way through any pain.

But sometimes its just overuse and phlegm build up, or the side effect of a cold. But what to do if you lose the voice and need to be onstage pronto? Still see that doctor, but try the following formula:

1) Go on vocal rest as much as possible. no talking, especially no whispering.

2) Start your return with breathing, deep, deep breathing, right from your belly. Then gently, gently add some sound. Moaning, sighing on the exhale is a good start.

3) Steam! Use a small steam machine, take a ridiculously long hot shower, but get some moisture into your passages.

4) Water, and lots of it. Lubrication is critical to a lost voice. Room temperature is preferred, and sip as often as possible.

5) Hum. Nice gentle humming, placed in the front of your mouth around the teeth. No forcing, no trying scales, no singing Sondheim, just gentle humming to feel your resonators and get stuff gently back to work.





There are many remedys that you can buy over the counter  that people recommend to help get your voice back. Throat Coat tea is great, Thayers Slippery Elm is good, Fishermans Friend for nasal passages, as well as some sprays. But those should be used after the above process, or in conjunction with it, not just by themselves. And make sure you try them out and see how they work for you, different throats react differently. 


Oh, did I mention seeing a doctor? :)

                                            J.T. Turner
                                     The Actor's Sensei

Give me a status!

On stage, as in life, everyone has a status. Status is our position relative to other people.A place in the pecking order or hierarchy if you will. If an actor knows his status on stage at any given moment, it can go a long way to help with character development.

Now some status' are easily seen. The King is of high status talking to a peasant. Ahh, but what if the King is in hiding and desperately needs food? Now there is a shift of power, and the peasant suddenly has more status than the King. The Football star has high status, but if he is failing Geometry suddenly his geeky tutor may take on great status.

Status is fluid, and in many plays, the status of a character shifts during the show. Someone of low status at the start of the show may take power or get power and suddenly the status rises, causing the status of those around them to fall. Having that knowledge of where you rank to the other characters around you, makes a huge impact on delivery and attitude when delivering lines.

When working in a script, jot down where you are in relation to others on stage with you in a scene, and mark where you see and change in status.

J.T. Turner
The Actors Sensei
Private and group lessons for all ages in Acting and Speech


jtturneractor@gmail.com

The Leap

We recently discussed the structure of various acting Unions.Now the bigger and more philosophical question, when do I join? That is a very personal question. Here in the Boston area I often advise younger performers against making the leap too soon. Union sounds great and can be, but keep in mind you are making your chances of working much smaller. If for you acting is an occasional fun hobby, that gives you joy and a sense of accomplishment, you may wish to stay non-Union.If it is however the driving force of your life, if you can handle the rejection that will come from tougher competition, if you are ready to deal not just with the "show" but with the "business" concept of show business, then you may wish to take the plunge. But each of you will have a different spin on what preforming is in your life, and how much of your life do you wish to dedicate to it.

I can tell you that within the past few years 2 non-Union performers asked me for advice on joining. One I told flat out not to do it. I just felt it was too much of a leap for them. They ignored me, went Union, and in three years has worked 2 Union shows. He is frustrated, since when you are in the Union you can ONLY work Union jobs. My other friend asked and I said to do it, as long as you think you can handle the business. She is flourishing as a professional actress.

So it comes down to some harsh questions. Will there be enough work to keep me satisfied as an actor? Keeping in mind that there will certainly be less work, especially away from places with lots of Equity theaters or the chance to film. You will now be more expensive to use, which will make you less appealing to a budget conscious producer. Using film work as an example, I recently had a day of work as a background performer on a major film. There were perhaps 25 of us that were Union, and 300 that were not. So chances of working was great fro Non-Union. Having said that, I got paid three times as much money, and had better food. But keep in mind I paid a fee to go Union, and pay dues regularly. But for me, since I do work often, the decision made sense.

As Aesop would say, "Look before you Leap".

                                                       J.T. Turner, The Actors Sensei

Taxi!

One of the big issues I have with many actors is that they can be indulgent. (Shocking, no?) By this I mean that an actor can sometimes take their lines as being more precious than they are. All deference to writers, but not every line has the same weight within the body of a play. It is important to keep a brisk pace, except where a director or actor makes a conscious choice to slow the tempo down.

Too often I have seen actors treat all of their lines as having equal weight and importance, and often they drag them out. And if we have 2 actors, or a stage full of actors doing it, it makes for a looooooooong scene or show.

So an acting exercise that many directors, teachers and coaches use is the idea of the waiting taxi. No matter your scene, see what would happen to the tempo if you pretended a cab just pulled up for you, honked, and now is waiting. Suddenly all your lines have a time constraint to them, suddenly there is new energy and purpose to the lines. This may not be the way you deliver the lines in the actual show, but the testing of new pacing and speed may be just what you need to find a better tempo in a scene.

Oh and to make a really interesting adjustment, try having that taxi waiting, but try to still keep your lines careful and deliberate, like you want to get to the taxi, but only have this one chance to get the conversation right and clear before you dash off. Again, new dimensions to the work.

So, what are you waiting for? The meter is running!

                                   THE ACTORS SENSEI
                          Acting and speech lessons for all ages

UNION!

Hello readers! Today I am blogging a bit about Unions and preforming. I often get the question from fellow actors and performers, "Should I join the Union?" or "How do I join?".Lets start with what the Unions are and go from there.


Let's start with the Screen Actors Guild, called SAG. To be eligible to join, there are three ways. First, having a a speaking role in a SAG film, commercial or TV show. Or by working as a SAG-covered background player at SAG rates for at least three days, or by being a member of a sister Union,  (ACTRA, AEA, AFTRA, AGMA, or AGVA), for a year, and being a principal performer in that Union at least once.


For TV and Radio, there is the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). You can join simply by paying a fee.


For the stage, we have the AEA or Equity Union. Performers can qualify to join Equity by securing employment under an Equity contract; by being a member of a sister union (SAG, AFTRA, AGMA, AGVA, or GIAA) for at least one year and working as a principal, as an under-five, or for at least three days as a background player under that union's jurisdiction; or by working 50 weeks as part of the Equity Membership Candidate Program.


This is a simple breakdown, be sure and visit the sites of the Union you are interested in for more info, and of course, the list of fees. They all have fees, some pricing is rather daunting!


Next Blog, " To Join or Not To Join".

                              J.T. Turner, The Actors Sensei

Some Inspiration

Several years ago I befriended a Writer/Illustrator on Livejournal. We shared a lot of passions; comic books, Tolkien, Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, C. S. Lewis, dietCoke. James A.Owen has had a remarkable life and career, and is perhaps best known for his series of books called The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, which started with the best seller Here There Be Dragons. Ok so why am I mentioning that in an acting blog?



I have written several times about inspiration. Inspiration is a muse that needs to be fed constantly. Especially as performers, we must try constantly to stay in the positive creative zone that makes our work great, and puts us at our best. I preach staying in that zone by surrounding yourself with good people, watching great plays and movies, and reading inspiring books.




James has released a downloadable book, simple format, way underpriced, where he relates a bit of his life and philosophy. It is a fast read, and a compelling one you will feel driven to complete. The work is; Drawing The Dragons; A Meditation on Art, Destiny and the Power of Choice. It is a great piece, and I recommend it to all of you. I also recommend you share it with any High Schooler, or Middle Schooler you know. It is great for adults, don't get me wrong, but so inspiring I want kids  to read it as well. The link is below:


http://coppervale-press-digital-books.fetchapp.com/sell/uqueinoo









Cheers!

J.T. Turner
The Actors Sensei