One Less Bitter Actor's Blog

A New Class

Tonight at 6pm I will start a new acting class in Thousand Oaks, Ca. It's certainly scary but it's also really, really, exciting.

I tell the story of walking into the Neighborhood Playhouse 24 years ago a complete newbie. I was told by my Community College acting teacher that I should get into The Neighborhood Playhouse because "Sandy Meisner never graduated an actor that wasn't ready and talented." I called the school and asked if "She" (Sandy) was still teaching there and if I could apply, that's how new I was to the whole thing.

I applied, was denied, and did what a lot of us do, I turned that denial into determination to get in. I had no notion of techniques or style or what they taught really, I just knew I did not like hearing I wouldn't be part of it. I begged for an interview, argued with Hal Baldridge about being ready for this school, and did get accepted, still not doing much research into the school or Mr. Meisner.

That first day Mr. Alderson walked Mr. Meisner in and they sat down. As they were fitting him with his microphone so we could hear his controlled belch style of speaking, John Graham, a classmate whispered  "The man, the myth, the legend" and I thought, "...really? He's a legend?" I had no idea.  Mr. Meisner then spoke, He told us that we would learn to tell the lie of the script or play with nothing but the truth. That acting was "living truthfully under the imaginary circumstances" and I remember feeling like my whole world came together and finally made sense and my head about exploded. No one asks for the truth. No one. But he told us, artists must.  And there I sat, this naive kid from Pa. with this legendary man who not only gave me permission to tell, but essentially demanded, my truth! My gosh it was a personal revolution.

I received this today from Richard Spedale a NYC actor I met 20 years ago when I did Bus Stop in NJ with Jerry Hall,  he sent me this concerning Meisner work...

I saw from first year alone, that writers and directors would SO benefit from studying the Meisner technique, because the process really puts TRUTH at the very center of all the work, whether it be the actor's behavior, or the storytelling, or whatever. The truth is the universal quality that ties all art together, I suppose. And when we see the truth in front of us, it is unmistakable and irresistable. Growing up in the crazy household of my very dysfunctional family, the truth was a rare commodity. And I clung to the truth so desperately when everyone and everything around me seemed to be pushing me in very "un"truthful directions. I guess that's why I'm so passionate about this technique. I can remember nearly jumping out of my seat on many occasions in class, just watching the activities unfold.

I read this and said "me too!"  The technique binds us because the truth binds us. I love where he wrote:  The truth is the universal quality that ties all art together, I suppose. That makes sense doesn't it?

So tonight I will do my best to introduce this world to a few students who come to learn what their truth is. The funny thing is most folks who want to learn to act, don't know that's what they really want, they really want their truth to come out and be shared. Sure enough, it happens... they have a truthful moment in class and they're hooked on nothing but the truth. So help me Mr. Meisner.

Just Haven't Met You Yet

That's the title of the new Michael Buble song and video. This is one of the things I preach about when I discuss what makes one an artist. I make the point that I believe what makes an artist an artist is the fact that artists allow themselves to be inspired and they take it from wherever it comes, without judgement. 

When I was a kid I was watching the Super Bowl with my older brother and the half time show was a group called Up With People. I thought they didn't belong in the half time show. I made the assumption they were some kind of commercial religious group that comes at you in shopping malls asking you to come to camp with other "fun kids your age!" I'm not sure where I got that thought but I just knew I wasn't supposed to like or support this group of all-too-happy teens that ran on the field with streamers and smiles. Then they started, and they danced and they sang and they threw confetti and they smiled and it was wildly fun. Really fun. But I sat, still, watching and judging.

Suddenly my older brother, the single coolest guy I ever knew, the musician, the kid all the girls loved, jumped up and screamed "this is great!" and he danced a crazy dance with the dancers on the TV in our living room. 

I remember this as being one of those times when you get a door opened for you by someone who is just being themselves and you are given a life lesson. No, I didn't realize it right then, it hit me later in class. I wanted to feel great about the fun that was happening on the TV but told myself that it wasn't right, cool, supposed to be. Then Mike just let himself get caught up in it and we both went nuts. It was pure lunacy the two of us doing the swim and the twist and flailing around with not an ounce of discretion nor judgement in us. Two teen agers in Penndel Pennsylvania dancing with the TV with no apologies. If you had bet me a million dollars that my brother was capable of that I'd have taken that bet. He flat out shocked me. We fell back on to the couch at the end of it exhausted. Damn that was fun. 

This Michael Buble video hit me the same way. I was so happy that someone made an old fashioned, fun, video that just lifts us. I know Michael Buble to be a crooner of the love song. He's more of a jazz, swing, big band music guy, right? This is a swing band and old style crooner tune wedged into a pop song. Good for him. 

I love watching this video. It's a fantasy, a down right silly guilty pleasure. A marching band in a grocery store? The gorgeous woman in the frozen section who falls for him?  A store just brimming with great dancers who spill into the parking lot where mountains of confetti fall swirling this courtship? Yup downright silly.

And because of my brother I let myself fall prey to all it's tricks and fun and excitement. Taking a spark of creativity from wherever it comes is what makes us a creative community and feeds the artist. Be like my brother and go nuts for what makes you go nuts. You will feed your artist and I bet you'll inspire an artist close to you to do the same.

Don't be a YANKER

I've coined a new term. An acronym for the next generation...

You're all welcome to use it as long as you attach proper credit, like; "This YANK (as Markus Flanagan calls them) generation of actors..."  or " YANK actors , as Markus Flanagan correctly named them, ...." 

I'm kidding of course. Use at will. Just remember where you heard it first.

Too many actors use the YANK theory with their careers. What is it?  YA Never Know...YANK. Here's how it works, 1. Get head shots, 2. Get dressed up and go audition with no regard for whether or not the project suits because, YA Never Know...they might hire you!  Why train? Why have a plan and put yourself in the best position to succeed and feed your artist? Ya Never Know!  Good things could magically happen! That's how the biz works, right? Magic?  The damage you do to your spirit with this theory can be devastating.

I can certainly tell you stories of dumb luck where a person is given an acting job where they had no interest in doing the job, they were just there for the competition of beating other actors out of the job. Once they had it, their incompetence got them fired and angered the producers. Yes, the same silly producers that hired them, saw their mistake and fired them.

And I also endorse the practice of young actors going on auditions they don't necessarily want to do, like dance auditions if you're not a great dancer, or musicals if you don't sing, but that's strategic.  You know you're not there to get the job, you're there to gain some experience in a low pressure situation. Yankers are actors that simply throw themselves at everything because... Ya Never Know.  The dream being, "If this somehow works out, all my problems will be solved!"

The difference is going on auditions and meeting with the idea that "you don't know where things can lead," because you as the actor can never know what, and who, is working on your behalf unbeknownst to you. But saying Ya NEVER know...that's too erratic for your career and your artist's sanity. Don't do it to yourself. Semantics you say? "You never know,"  and "you don't know?"  I say it's not. One is way too casual and one is a proper understanding.

Consider how you treat your efforts. Are you a Yanker? Or are you someone with a plan that's moving forward with training and an understanding of what you have to offer any potential projects?

Being a Yanker takes a bigger toll on your spirit than you think. It's also a way to hide behind the "the biz is crazy" theory and not confront why your efforts aren't making you happy.

Sitting with my teacher

Yesterday I sat with my teacher form the Neighborhood Playhouse. William Alderson has been teaching Meisner's technique for, well, 30 plus years. I'm sitting in and watching because I wanted to brush up on how to teach the technique. I'm starting a new class and I thought it would be a good idea to hear the technique from the same person that taught it to me.

Mr. Alderson honored my request and graciously invited me in. Wow... It was very interesting to hear the same dialog, the same specifics, from the same man that taught a scared, wide eyed, youngster many years ago. In that blessed room in NYC my world expanded as I soaked in this new idea.

Telling the truth is the best way tell this lie we're all in called a play.

Mind blowing, but gosh it made sense. Thank you Mr. Meisner for coming up with the technique.

Mr. Alderson reminded me of the little things it takes to get the main thing to add up. All the parts of the exercises that reveal those things that feel obvious, but without exploration, remain general. Specifics will save you as an actor. Specifics make you understand what makes you tick and what you have to offer the creative planet.

Reminders of what we are and how we got here, can give you some lovely affirmations of what you have to offer. I have great affection for the people that taught me to seek and find my truth. We do get blessed with good teachers along the way.

The Oscar's are here! The Oscar's are here!

The hype of the Oscar's is always bigger than need be if you ask me. Our industry's biggest marketing tool is the award show, and Oscar holds the place of being the most valuable of all the awards. The reason for this is the theory that since it's only industry professionals voting for their own, they will only nominate those that are truly worthy. It's Hollywood's own certified creative expert panel giving nods to the truly worthy.

Which is why I think the awards have the most interesting impact on actors. Every year, and I mean every year, there are nominations made for movies, and songs, and performances that I just can't get my mind around.  Nominations that make me feel like I just got out of class and know nothing of the real world. It's like the feeling I had as a kid when my dad's conversations with other grown-ups flew over my head but they were having a ball with the topic so I had to resign myself to the fact that that it was a subject I was to uninformed to enjoy and would have to wait until later to ask him about.  When you read about how the voting works for the Oscars you feel like, well, I guess that's the way it should work. The members of that field should judge that field and make it appear to be more than a popularity contest, this should educate me at to how an artist perceives his fellow artists and his discipline, right? Who is a tougher critic of cinematography than a cinematographer?

For that reason I always study the nominations. I don't much care who WINS! I really try to reconcile how a movie (or performance, or director, etc..) that I thought was mediocre, got nominated. Am I short sighted? Jaded? Jealous? Is there something there I didn't see?

Or... is it a popularity contest?

The Oscars give us a chance for an education. A chance to ask 50 costume designers what they thought was great costume work.  Surely there is no shortage of blabber about "brilliant, poignant, compelling" performances from the vanity press but what about simply looking at those performances that might not have moved you from a different point of view? It's a good practice to get in.

I raise the point because it hurts to think you should feel some other way about things because the award shows say you're wrong. No one should tell anyone what should effect them and how.  Politicians make their living doing that, and they aren't artists. They're the opposite actually.

The Oscars can inform and remind you that whenever someone says "the best" about something as personal and subjective as art, you don't have to agree but you should use the opportunity to see why someone, or anyone, thought that was true.

Artists make the difference

Tonight George Clooney, someone I call a friend,  hosts a telethon to raise money for the people and relief efforts in Haiti. Yes, this is entertainment which is why it's appealing, but why do we look forward to this event? The star power? The album from artists that will jam together for the first, and probably last, time ever?

ABC is giving this it's 8pm slot, pretty pricey airtime. If you call in to pledge a donation you could be on the phone with Tom Hanks. You can ask Tom to wave to you on the TV. Pretty cool, exciting stuff.

There's an old joke that goes like this...

A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter walks him around getting him aquainted with the place and he hears guitar playing and he says to St. Peter "is that Jimi Hendrix?" and St. Peter says "Oh yeah, this is heaven. he plays all day. You can sit in if you want." and the guy smiles big "my gosh that's a dream come true! I love that guy!" Then he hears the drums being played and says "Is that John Bonham?" and St. Peter says again "Yup, he plays all day. Gives lessons. You can sit in with him too."  He walks a bit more and hears a saxophone playing and says " Is that Charlie Parker?" and St. Peter says " No, that's God, he just thinks he's Charlie Parker."

Is that Bono?  

 
Is that Bruce? 

Umm, yeah. They will be there, as they are always there, and they will be bringing their audiences awareness to the event. The cause. The fact that as artists we have the most influence. People sometimes knock them when "celebrities cross over" and get political and use their popularity to voice opinions about some current political situation. Why is this uncomfortable for the powers that be?

Because we have sway. And they know that. The next generation of minds are less tuned in to their political figures and more tuned into celebrities. People like George and Bono and Bruce and Madonna and

   Jay-Z are using their celeb capital to influence the young mind that's only there for the fun, but will get a lesson about doing the right thing.

It's also an antidote to reality TV where the only goal is to do the meanest thing and win, win, win. Sorta like politics. 

Consider how many of you watched the press conference where Obama introduced Clinton and Bush the 2nd as his task force to lead the US effort in Haiti. Besides the fact that George Bush is unwatchably bad at public speaking, it's not a talk being given by people that you trust to do what they say they are going to do. They've lost your trust. But here again is George assembling friends and standing up to say "something must be done" and you know why? Because it's the right thing to do. And you trust him because he's done it before and you didn't come to find afterward that he was actually stealing your trust for the sake of money. He did what he said he would do. Hmmm...integrity? Yeah, that's what real artists bring to the table.

Wouldn't it be cool if our leaders did things for no reason other than it was the right thing? Wouldn't it be cool to think that public policy was created out of doing the right thing? 

Using your influence to bring a bigger picture to the world is maybe the best use of your art, ever.

Walking billboards

I'm always shocked when I see how so many Americans dress, especially those in the hip-hop and celeb ranks. It's as if their stylist told them that dressing like everyone else and wearing as many labels as they can really separates them from the crowd.  Fashion tips from magazines, and the red carpet dialog about which dress, and jewelry and hair and makeup one has on has become the checklist shoppers guide for many.

What I'm driving at is that the need to feel like you belong, like you have a place among the very cutting edge of the group, can also be the thing that makes you mediocre. The clothing one wears is a good sign as to how hard they seek that approval. The rocker that has chosen so many small detailed pieces of clothing and accessories so their final outfit will look as if they "just threw it on" is something you see a lot of out here in LA. The hip hop artist with the baseball hat worn slightly askew is not unique, it's the norm. Pants worn with the back pockets at your knees is so commonplace I can't understand why it hasn't gone out of fashion. Or the girl who wears something that is so unflattering and uncomfortable simply because it's in fashion and is an acceptable "uniform." 

Why would anyone sell out their individuality to a Nike swoosh? Or a Raiders logo? Does it make you part of a club? Or does it make it safe for you to feel like you are part of a club? 

For civilians this is status quo, but for artists it's a really dangerous habit. Fear of looking like you want to look, or wearing what you want to wear will surely lead you to the fear of acting like you want to act, or singing like you want to sing, etc...  

Am I making too grand a leap? Am I going too far? 

The girl who shows a lot of cleavage IS saying look at my chest. The guy who's buff and wears tight shirts with no sleeves IS saying look at the results of all that gym time.  The guy who greases his hair to look like he doesn't wash, but smells great! is working hard to say.... something.

Be who you are. Be the most honest version of who you are. I rail against the common because the common is too easy, why work so hard to be common? If you don't live out your real choices in everything you do, and everything you approach, mediocrity happily fills in and makes the choice for you. Artists have the most power to influence, why waste that on "common?"

How often do you use the word awesome, or like, or phrases such as... "it's all good?"  Being a walking billboard or cliche' has to hurt the artist that hears things differently, feels more and sees deeper into things. Why clog things up with common?

You make choices every day. Make ones that grow, inform and create a better artist in you. This is a benefit you have over other careers because you can be in your lab experimenting all day. Don't squander the only real power you have on mediocrity. Mediocrity is why this country is where it is. The best people for any job in politics never run for office because politics is well known for being  a place where the idealism of doing good is beaten out of you early and replaced with finding out how to game the system you were elected to uphold.

Make the choice to offer your art to the world every day. Choose to make yourself a testimony to your beliefs. Don't take the easy route, because really, in the end,  easy becomes the hardest thing to over come.

Martin Luther King

Years ago after hearing one of his speeches I bought a book called The Words of Martin Luther King Jr.  So today I preemptively include a few pieces here that I always thought related to the artist's struggle. Surely our struggle is a privileged one but inspiring words are inspiring words and feeling a little less lonely in your journey is always helpful.

. 

“Our hope for creative living in this world house that we have inherited lies on our ability to reestablish the moral ends of our lives in personal character and social justice. Without the spiritual and moral reawakening we shall destroy ourselves in the misuse of our own instruments.”

"One of the most agonizing problems within our human  existence is that few, if any, of us live to see our fondest hopes fulfilled. The hopes of our childhood and the promises of our mature years  are unfinished symphonies."

"We must accept finite disappointment, we must never lose infinite hope."

and lastly, my favorite...

"Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend."

After the Show

I saw the below post on Suzanne Ford's column for the Examiner.com site and it made me think of all the ways I've tried to "be honest" yet say something nice after a show that was lacking.  I've learned how to do it now, but it takes a bit of time before you become aware of the fact that after a show is not the time to offer "tough love" to your artist friend and really let them know where the production could have used, well...you.

I like this list and I like her solution. If someone wants to know where they can improve their performance they will call you the next day and ask. Trust me. 

That's the right time to suggest some things and always do it with recognition of their effort already applied. 

  Suzanne Ford
 

We've all been there. 

You go to see a friend in a show, and have to stay and chat afterwards. What to do? I've heard some people say, "I always have to be honest. I owe it to them." This is misguided, in my opinion. I say if you don't have anything nice to say, then lie your head off. Who's it gonna hurt? 

Anyway, whatever you do, here's an arbitrarily-ordered list of ten things you should at the very least NEVER say to a friend after a performance:

1. Wow! (pause) You did it!

2. A really interesting piece.

3. You were so adequate!

4. I thought the rest of the cast was great. What did you think?

5. It must have been so embarrassing to wear that costume.

6. You worked so hard on this!

7. I've never seen your hair like that before!

8. Did they just offer you the part or did you have to audition?

9. This is by FAR the best thing I've ever seen you do. 

      (Meaning everything else was crap.)

10. Oh ... you!! (kiss, kiss)

What you SHOULD say:

You were absolutely wonderful! (So you're not telling the whole truth. You think you're going to be struck by lightning? The gods have better things to do.)

Late Night Fight

Can you see what the fuss is about?

Jay and Conan and NBC's "mistake", or "experiment" with the time slot...?

So then.. what we're learning is that the folks that are given the well paid task of TV programming...um, don't always know what the public will watch long enough to sell the commercial space in between interviews so they can afford to make the show. And Jay is costly. I don't know why. He's okay at what he does but he's hardly inspired. 

A few years back there was a flurry of late night talk shows started to compete with the magic of the Johnny Carson time slot. Jay got the job from Johnny when he retired, and Letterman and Arsenio Hall fought for viewers at the time. Then Chevy Chase, Pat Sajak, Magic Johnson and maybe two more people that I can barely remember, except that I remember that there were other shows, tried to steal away viewers from this coveted time slot, but were very short lived.

People are their habits. The Tonight Show with Johnny was a dynasty. Letterman has carved his way in by doing a show he made his own every night. Arsenio was a phase of pseudo-urban cool that relied on so much shmaltz and unfunny bits that he eventually failed. The thing is, if you don't have something genuine to offer, you don't really grow your brand.

I did a guest spot on the third from the last episode on Seinfeld. When I finished filming, Jerry stood with me graciously telling me I was funny and thanking me for my contribution to the show. The classiest guy I've met in showbiz, ever. So, I asked him about the final episode, the grand finale,  and remarked on how much talk there was about how he would end the biggest comedy in history. I said I was sure it would be great since they had this funny thing down and they would surely knock it out of the park. And this is where he gave me a great lesson; He said " Well that's the thing with comedy. You never know. You just throw it out there and hope." After 9 years, he was still just tossing it out there and hoping?

That show was about the funniest thing anyone had seen on TV and it was due to the leader reminding everyone that we throw out our best effort and hope. That's comedy. That's risky. That's fresh and alive.

Great lesson, eh?

The execs at every studio are tossing things out there every week. If the folks charged (and again, VERY well paid) are just tossing their best guess out there, why would you as a risk taker ever get scared about doing the same?

Now that Jay Leno left his time slot to try something else that failed, and Conan failed to meet Jay's numbers, the reshuffle has far too much talk about it going on. Controversy? What? Why? Was anything guaranteed about this?

These two gentlemen are terribly lucky to be in this position. There is way too much talent out there to think that NBC's future hangs on these two. The head of NBC programming might be on the chopping block for this blunder of a move, but so what? It's not like he knows what he's doing in the first place. If he did, he'd never lose a ratings war to any of the other networks, right? Maybe he's just a guy who's trying things out. Hmmm...that sure flies in the face of that ever-perfect posture these exec's meet us with when we audition, doesn't it?

Don't lose sight of the fact that behind the chatter of the high profile controversies are people just like you that make decisions and try their best, and often, flat out fail to meet their goal. It's the same process whether it becomes highly criticized or not. If you find yourself reading your own made up headlines before you make a decision, I bet you make the wrong one. But thank these folks for showing you that failing on a grand scale really isn't that bad. Jay, Conan and NBC will surely go on.