Goodbye Heidi, Hello Dillman!

By FeliceSkye Hutchinson

We wrapped The Heidi Chronicles directed by Steven Mazzola in mid-October and now here we are one day away from opening the final production of our season, the world premiere of The Brian Dillman Conspiracy. Or - Brian Dillman Must Die: Die, Brian Dillman, Die! I can’t believe it!
I had a lot of fun working on Heidi - my production duty for this show was costumes which is right up my alley. Luckily I like vintage and had a few things in my own closet because the show calls for clothes from 1965-1989. The show was also an awesome challenge on the acting side as I played five very different characters ranging from a very butch lesbian to a very pretentious news anchor. The real challenge turned out to be costume changes – during one performance I was getting ready for the wedding scene, equipped with dress, shoes and wig I was darting through the greenroom when luckily was reminded by my ensemble mate Jashima that we weren’t on that scene! Thanks goodness I had time to change! I totally had a blast on this show and working with Steven Mazzola was a pleasure.

And now – as I mentioned – we are one night away from opening night of our final show The Brian Dillman Conspiracy, a new play written by Chris Stezin and Directed by Richard Washer. We had a staged reading at the Arts Club of Washington in October and got a great response from the audience.

It’s been such a wild and interesting process working on a new play – dialogue being tweaked, added and cut one rehearsal to the next by the playwright and dramaturg so we can be sure that the story is clear and compelling. It reminds me a little of an independent film I worked on where we were getting new scenes daily. The character I played actually got written in, which was very cool – and I think it made me better prepared for this process.

This play is full of dark humor and has more than its fair share of dudes in fedoras, Zippo lighters and psychedelic toads. It’s sure to leave you in stitches. I know I’ve gotten a couple during the rehearsals. We open tomorrow and I’m ready to end the year with a comedic bang! Then it is off to the real world for this ART graduate. Finishing the full Conservatory program will be bittersweet. I’ve learned and experienced so much. I’ll be leaving the nest fully prepared and more confident than ever. I’m so excited—I can’t wait! Of course like so many of the other alumni I’ve met during my training – I’ll be back.

Another Rockin' Business of Acting Class!

I just finished teaching my business of acting class for the semester and it was a blast as always teaching my student actors all of the ins and outs of the biz - agents, taxes, contracts, marketing, networking, media and market research and so much more. In my class each actor develops a business plan based on their own dreams, research into what they want to do and ultimately on their own reality or given circumstances.

At the first meeting where we focus on the development of a business plan – I see the look of sudden awareness – that this dream they have had for so long is a business like any other and they are in charge – and I am delighted!

And at the final meeting – individual appointments where I review each person’s business plan with them - I was once again delighted that each of them had a solid plan.

We have given them the craft, the process, plenty of practice and also the practical business savvy to know how to get there. It made my day to hear each of my students tell me that they feel prepared to go out there and take the world by storm! I heard from each of them “I came in with a dream and now I have both the skills and the know-how to go out and do it.”

This is only partly the reason that we have a 100% placement rate here at the Conservatory (number of graduates who get their first acting job within six months of graduation.) The other reason is that the business class doesn’t end on the last day of class – our graduates have a home they can - and do - come back to for business support anytime. It is true that we train our actors - and then we nurture them – forever.

Performance Anxiety? Yoga may be the Solution!
If you are the kind of actor who feels mentally charged by performance anxiety but suffers from chronic headaches when going through back-to-back auditions, or if, conversely, you “shut down” during audition experiences, not allowing the auditors to see your best work, listen up! There is a chance you can retrain your stress response system and return to acting with renewed energy and a positive perspective through the practice of yoga.

As an actor, I have fallen prey to my own performance anxiety many times, usually by experiencing a constricted throat and intense lower back pain before auditions. As a student and teacher of yoga, I have discovered that these physical sensations needn’t interfere with my ability to perform. A regular yoga practice of at least two sessions a week, can help an actor learn to respond to stress in such a way that allows him or her to give a solid, interesting, and energetic performance. There are other benefits of regular yoga practice that can help an actor as well including a stronger, more flexible body; greater physical balance; increased ability to focus and concentrate; and a healthier immune system.

According to recent scientific studies cited in the October 2009 issue of Yoga Journal, a yoga student can train his nervous system to respond to stressful situations with a “challenge response” which allows us to meet a stressful moment with exactly what is needed: “first, the ability to see a situation clearly, and second, the skills to respond without becoming overwhelmed.” The theory is that yoga offers a unique opportunity for students to practice facing stress – on the mat.

By exploring challenging, sometimes uncomfortable postures, such as arm balances, head stands, and back bends, a yoga student learns to observe her response to stress. By doing so on the mat, a student can, through time and practice, learn to remain present to the physical sensations of stress and anxiety in daily activity (like auditioning and performing) without becoming overwhelmed by them.

My colleague and fellow blogger Nan Ficca agrees, “Mentally, I just have a better day when I get a yoga practice in. I find I can draw on the amazing focus and being in the moment that I experience in yoga just when I think that one of my many project deadlines is coming at me too fast and I’m not going to make it!”

Friday Make-up Seminar

This Friday I hosted a Make-up Design for the actor seminar at The Conservatory, and I wanted to share some of the pictures we took. The one above is 1st semester student Meghan Jaegar, wearing a lot of age make-up. The one below is of a laceration we created on current 1st semester student Carol Springs' arm. Be forewarned, it's not for the faint of heart...




Make-up is extremely important to aiding an actor in Creating Character and realistic effects on the stage and screen, and it is important to understand the effects of highlight and shadow to create age and to manipulate the face and body so that the audience thinks they are seeing a different face than the one being presented.

We went over all of the basics, and then we played with special effects. Vampire bites, broken noses, and lacerations were the order of the day as we prepared ourselves for the upcoming season of ghouls (Halloween). Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Homecoming 2009!

Last Friday night, The Conservatory celebrated our first in what we hope will be many annual Homecoming Night's! Now, you may be thinking to yourself: "How can a school without a football team have a homecoming?", well, we've got our ways...

The evening started with a great meet and greet where our current students and alumni mixed it up, sharing war-stories from the front-line of their rigorous Conservatory training, sharing stories about their rehearsal projects, and networking for projects current and future that each could be involved in.

And then the real fun started. You see, unlike all those boring high-school and college homecomings where Homecoming was just a popularity contest, at The Conservatory, you have to earn it. Our 9 competitors fought it out through three rounds of Theater games, from Trivia ("Who wants to be Homecoming Royalty"), through Pictionary ("Theatrical Design"), and Charades ("Mime!"). In the end, broken and exhausted, Andre McCarther and Sarah Pullen, both only in their first semester, were crowned King and Queen of the Conservatory.

Congratulations to them both, and thanks everyone for a rousing good time at the ol' NCDA. We hope to see you all at our next party! Opening night of "The Heidi Chronicles" on Friday, October 2.

Auditioning and Acting – Similar, NOT the Same

Some novice actors believe that what they really need is to learn to audition and that will make them an actor. Yikes!

The first problem with that notion is that acting and auditioning are very different things. Choices an actor makes in preparing a monologue for an audition are rarely if ever the same choices she would make if actually rehearsing for a full production of that same play. Why? The given circumstances are completely different. In an audition the actor stands alone, on a bare stage or rehearsal studio talking to thin air. In the play there will be other characters, and other production elements that will necessarily change those choices. So, a coach can help you prep a monologue to perfection - but he or she can't come to rehearsal with you if you get the part. You'll be on your own in the moment with other actors and an artistic team who expect you to be able to engage in the process.

Preparing a monologue for an audition - typically material of two minutes max - is relatively easy (if you know how). Preparing to play this same character for an entire production is not at all easy. It takes analysis, process and practice - especially if the actor actually wants to enjoy the process. If you can audition well enough to get the part but don't have the skills to actually engage in the process it will be a nightmarish process at best, and at worst, you'll get fired.

And remember for most auditions the monologue only gets you a callback - not the part.

Acting is a profession like any other and you should give yourself the space to learn - it will make you a more competitive actor!

Thanks To The Conservatory Faculty!

Recently Conservatory faculty members gathered off-campus for a half day retreat meeting hosted at the home of vice president Nan Ficca. Based on the success of the 2008 retreat (which was implemented as a part of the larger faculty development plan) the retreat was repeated this summer and once again gave faculty and the administrative team an opportunity to review curriculum, student progress, faculty development and much more.

In a post Retreat admin meeting our Education Director Hope Lambert put it in a nutshell: “The retreat pulls together all of the faculty meetings and development seminars we lead and take part in over the course of the year and gives us the chance to assess where we are and where we want to go next with our programs. And though it is a meeting it’s always relaxing and fun as well as informative. Again this year there was lots of learning and lots of sharing.”

The faculty retreat is a fun day too – starting with doubles tennis or a dip in the pool (or both) and following the meeting, the traditional cook-out with burgers, dogs and all the fixin’s.

I’m so very proud of this faculty and thankful also that they give so much extra time to help make sure we are doing the best job of preparing the next generation of performers. Many thanks colleagues! And don’t forget our new faculty alma mater: “We are faculty! I got all my teachers and me!” to the tune of We Are Family. Thanks guys – I look forward to Retreat 2010!