Familial and Familiar Faces

So the NCDA crew involved in the Fringe Festival wrapped that up last week. It was a great time, and we had great audiences that stuck right with the show despite some pretty steamy conditions in the non-climate controlled space. Thanks again to everyone who came out to see it!

It's hard to describe how much fun it is to work with people that you are such good friends with, who you know will work hard to make a show great, and share in the joy of a job well done. I'm so glad I got the chance to do a show with so many fellow members of the family.

And, luckily for me, I get to go right back into a show with a fellow alum, and at a place I just worked! Back in May, I did a cool adaptation of Medea at Venus Theatre up in Laurel, Md., and the director asked me a couple weeks ago if I could step in and fill a role in her next show. I had a blast doing their last show, so I was already inclined to say yes, but knowing that my friend and fellow grad Chris was already cast in the show made it a no-brainer. Not to mention that a few of the folks involved in the Medea production were also in this one as well.

Doug talked a while back about creating families, and I've certainly done that at NCDA, and now up at Venus. And it's fun to bring Chris into the fold as well. I've already been giving him the scoop on the extracurricular stuff like places to eat around the theatre space and things like that. It'll be great to share more NCDA stories with this group, and clue Chris in on some other things I know about how things work where we are now. My only regret is I've got to miss a week of rehearsal because I'd already planned a trip out of town, ironically enough, to visit family - blood relatives in this case.

Putting Headshots in Focus

Frequently, when prospective students visits the Conservatory to learn more about our programs and the training they need to have a competitive career in the industry, they are ALSO in the process of getting their first headshot and ask me for the name of reputable photographers. And my response is always – “Hold your horses!”

Before spending the money and time to have your headshots done, you need to know your marketing objective – what you need the photo to be and to do. At the Conservatory, I teach the Business of Acting class, and we devote four hours just to the headshot and resume - along with the rest of the 40-hour class about marketing in general, industry standards and marketing objectives.

A big part of developing your marketing plan is: figuring out the image that will suit you best:
your type. An elusive subject that becomes clearer as you train and develop as an actor. It's very difficult to accurately pin down your type until you begin to explore the craft.

Lots of folks have a picture of themselves to hand out at auditions. Pros have a carefully crafted marketing piece that is well thought out and represents them perfectly.

I also do answer that initial question - my recommendations for photographers are: Clinton Brandhagen and Joe Henson.

NCDA in the Fringe!

The reviews are in! This year, the Conservatory's alumni committee is producing a show in Washington's Capital Fringe Festival. The show features seven alumni from the school as well as an alum director, and long-time readers of our blog may remember the post we originally put up back in March from opening night of the show. There are a lot of considerations that go into producing a Fringe show, and you've really got to be prepared going in. Our show, Late Bloomers and Glory Days, just got its first review, and you can head on over to DC Theater Scene and read it.

Fringe is an interesting beast for a lot of reasons, and showcases one of the things we teach here at the Conservatory: Theatre, and acting specifically, is about problem-solving. Our Fringe venue is very different looking even from the drawings we got beforehand, but especially different from the space where we already mounted Late Bloomers this spring. Between re-blocking entrances and exits, and dealing with the 95-degree heat inside the building, there were a lot of problems that we needed to solve on opening night. But we're all professionals, and once we fixed the issues confronting us during our three-hour tech rehearsal (normally we would budget a week at least), we were able to put something pretty special together.

So come out and see us, support the graduates of NCDA. We've got shows on July 19, 22, 24 and 26, and you can buy tickets online HERE!

End of Echoes into Wonder

ART student Felice Moody checks in to talk about what her crew has been up to. 

So, we just closed “Echoes of Troy” two weeks ago. Boy, was that fun. We had all kind of folks viewing the play: from alumni to board members, to casting directors, friends, family and strangers. We all got a tremendous amount of feedback from everyone and we all grew a little in our craft during this show.

Over the last couple of weeks we had advanced classes in stage combat with Sara Melinda, and on-camera techniques with Stan Kang. It was great having Sara teach us how to kick butt without actually kicking butt. And Stan's got a lot of experience - he's worked on industrials and films I've actually seen and totally knows what to expect in that setting, so he had great insights.

I certainly learned a lot from both classes. I feel so much more prepared. That’s why I love The Conservatory.

We just started rehearsals for David Lindsay-Abaire’s Wonder of the World directed by Shirley Serotsky. This play is HILARIOUS and we are in for some very fun times ahead. Talk to you soon!

Returning to Glory Days

You may remember a few months ago when I talked about the show Late Bloomers and Glory Days that NCDA alumni put on for a weekend. As I mentioned then, we were prepping it for the Fringe Festival, and that time is here!

It’s not just falling back into the routine from the first time, though, as we’ve had to make some adjustments. Conflicts required us to recruit a couple of additional actors to be understudies, and, obviously, we aren’t working in the same space, so that certainly adds new wrinkles. But they’re all good. The new actors make choices that give the show a little different flavor, and the new space – well, Fringe spaces are always kind of an adventure!

We’ve had our tech rehearsal in the space (you only get one – they’re rotating lots of shows through there) and now we’re just gearing up that final push before we open on July 11. For me, one of the most fun things has been gathering photos of the cast from way back when (since the show is about a reunion) for publicity. As you can see from my example, the years certainly do change you. Though, somehow, I actually feel it’s a change for the better in my case.

It has been a lot of fun for all of us that were there the first time to be back together again, and the new actors are old friends, so that just adds to the good times. I think the fact that we’re enjoying ourselves comes through pretty clear in the show, so I hope you’ll have a chance to check it out. You can get tickets and see more about the show here.

The Third Semester Experience

Current student Liz Dutton took some time out from class to tell us a little bit about how things are going now that she's gotten into the groove of school.

So – it’s only been 10 months since you started your training and now you’re already about midway through your third semester - whatcha think about that?

You know the old saying "The more you know, the less you understand?" Even though I am technically in third semester, I feel like I’m constantly peeling back new layers of information that make me realize how far I’ve come along in just 10 months and yet how far I still have to go. It’s a strange feeling to have – on one hand, there’s a great sense of pride in your accomplishments thus far, and on the other hand, it’s a bit scary to think about all the work that’s ahead of you. I’m always amazed at the great performances our faculty and alumni give outside of class (I seem to read a new theater review with someone’s name affiliated with NCDA each week in the Post…’Hey, I know them!’) and it keeps me motivated towards trying to get as much out of this place as possible!

In third semester you jump right into a rehearsal project - tell us about that.

After doing the Greek project (Antigone), I was a little apprehensive about jumping straight into another rehearsal project. However, the Commedia project was so completely different (both content and style) from the Greek project, that I really enjoyed working through the whole process again. In another time in my life, I would have been thrown off by switching gears so quickly, but I find now that the more I’m exposed to different ideas and concepts, the more I learn.

There are seven of you in your ensemble - you couldn't be more different as people and yet - like most ensembles at the school - you are quite a close knit group - tell me about the third semester tribe.

It’s interesting you asked that question because I’ve been thinking a lot about our group dynamic lately; mostly because I find how individuals interact in a group setting extremely fascinating. The group is so diverse, in terms of age, nationality, background, etc. I think, though, that we’ve morphed from seven distinct individuals onstage into one ensemble. You can actually feel the difference now when one person is out; the chemistry of the group somehow gets off-balance. Each person brings a completely unique perspective to the ensemble. It can get frustrating at times, I’ll be honest; but at the end of the day, I can’t wait to come to class the next day and work with everyone again. (Except for Tré – he’s bad news…just kidding!)

So you just finished the Commedia rehearsal project – how did that go?

I couldn’t adequately describe this project to anyone outside NCDA. I tried, but my description just sounded lame. It was really hard and exhausting and yet so fun at the same time. It’s like when I used to play soccer; you work very hard but it’s also exhilarating when you’re in the midst of the game. The hardest part for me was actually getting to the specificity that this type of comedy requires. It’s extremely visual, and most of the time I thought my movements were as clear as day, but then they didn’t read at all, or weren’t specific enough. You had to go way over the top!

Was the viewing night different from your Greek or Discovery projects? Miss it? Glad it’s over? Or are you too busy now to think about it?

The viewing for the Commedia project was great because there was a lot of energy in the room (more people packed in a smaller viewing space), so that helped our overall energy on stage. I do miss working on this type of play, exhausting as it was, but I'm finding the Audition and Voice & Movement II classes really compelling now, so I'm just looking ahead, with not much time to pine for the past!

Those who can’t do …

Some of you reading this have both performed and taught actors. And I’m wondering if you have ever thought about which is more enjoyable to you. Acting or teaching?
For me, it is hard to say, because the two have been so intertwined in my experience. And that journey started right here.
When I graduated from the Conservatory in 1994, my class was told we should resist the pull to bigger markets and stay put. So, I did what any 23-year-old, freshly trained actress hungry for her first acting gig would do – I ignored the advice of those wiser than me and I moved to NYC anyway. I didn’t do a single show in three months there, but it wasn’t a total disaster. I fell in love with the city and vowed to return one day (which I did, but that is for another blog post).
When I returned to DC, I admit, I was demoralized. BUT, I got a stage management job for a kids’ talent show from a young, dynamic teaching artist named Tom Mallan, who was teaching improv classes at Cardozo Senior High in the District.
As I worked with Tom, his connection with and ability to inspire the students, and his spontaneity impressed me. He was and still is a very gifted teacher. I began working more extensively with Tom at Washington Shakespeare Company (WSC), and I discovered I loved teaching drama to kids.
Little did I know that this gig would flourish into an acting and teaching artist career. Because of my connection to Tom and the outreach program at WSC, I was cast in my first big role in a professional theatre. And later I was invited to join the acting company at WSC. My disenchantment from my New York experience soon shifted to passion and commitment, and I decided to stay put and build a career in the DC metro area.
Since that first stage managing gig, I have taught at many organizations, including the National Portrait Gallery, the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences, and Woolly Mammoth. I also helped found the Educational Theatre Company. However, I’ve also managed to carve out a steady career as a local actress, working with the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre and many others.
I’m not fond of that old adage “Those who can’t do … teach,” because clearly in my case it’s proved inaccurate. I’ve been lucky enough to do both. Teaching has helped me be a better actor and acting has given me the opportunity to teach what I love.