Plays are intensely personal to the writers—when they write them, they’re imagining something that’s very vivid to them. You have to get into their head and try to find another vividness that’s truthful to the original. I’m all for the playwright; that’s where you go to study. — Robert Goldsby On the show today is […]
Ep #15: Dawn Didawick (Regional Theatre, Erin Brockovich, Pretty Little Liars) on Being a Sponge, No Credentials, and Daring to Fail
If you do your work, people will want to work with you again, if they can, if they have the power to do it—and they’ll want to work with you years later. — Dawn Didawick On the show today is Dawn Didawick, an LA-based actor who has worked at numerous regional theatres, has lived and worked […]
Text Work: Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse with Peter Van Norden
The following is a re-airing of Peter’s text work session taken from the full episode with him. In this excerpt we discuss performing a speech from Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse. About the guest Peter Van Norden graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University, and studied with Sanford Meisner and many others at the Neighborhood […]
Ep #12: Dakin Matthews (Shakespeare scholar/actor/teacher, Broadway plays/musicals) on Acting the Classics and Your Artistic Family
Actors are challenged to bring their instrument to the highest level of availability—their voice, their movement, their psyche, their understanding, their emotional life—so that if they are doing a great play that deals with great issues and great emotions, they can fill that greatness with their instrument. — Dakin Matthews I’m thrilled to welcome Dakin […]
Ep #10: Gigi Bermingham (Solo Show, Master Class, SoCal Theatre) on Being a Misfit and Living Her Dream
Maintain and foster your relationships: make an effort to stay in touch with people who might connect you with work. — Gigi Bermingham I’m thrilled to welcome Gigi to the show! She’s an actress and singer whom I first saw onstage in a LA production of Tartuffe and I’ve since been fortunate to work with […]
Ep #7: Peter Van Norden (Regional Theatre, The Accused, The Stand) on Finding Vulnerability and Work Making Work
So don't be surprised!
Be supportive, be kind, be the person who is there for people, who is there to help, who is there to make it a pleasurable and joyful experience. — Peter Van Norden I’m thrilled to welcome Peter to the show: an actor with over 45 years in the business, on both stage and screen. One of […]
Ep #6: Nike Doukas (Regional Theatre, Teacher/Director) on Determination and the Bigness of Emotion
“This is a business and it’s a huge part of being an actor. We go around thinking we’re artists—and we are—but we have to know how to make a career out of it, too.”
Nike Doukas is an actress, director, teacher, and accent coach. She studied at University of Wisconsin, Madison and has an MFA from the American Conservatory Theatre. She works regularly in regional theatre and has nearly 40 credits on IMDb, including work on Modern Family and a recurring role on Desperate Housewives.
Ep #5: Geoffrey Wade (National Tours, Regional Theatre, The BFG) on People vs. Characters and Doing Your Job
So don't be surprised!
Absolutely do small theatre projects because you’ll meet people and make connections, but make sure you know why you’re doing it. — Geoffrey Wade I’m thrilled to welcome Geoffrey (@geoffreywade) to the show: a wonderful actor, director, teacher, photographer, and acting coach. In addition to being a student of Geoffrey’s at The Antaeus Company, we’ve also […]
Ep #4: 3x Tony Nominee Harry Groener (Oklahoma, Cats, Crazy for You) on Versatility and Learning Lines Quickly
So don't be surprised!
If in your first week you can begin to experience what it’s like in your fourth week, how far along would you be, by the time you actually get to your fourth week, in terms of what you’ve discovered? — Harry Groener I’m thrilled to welcome Harry Groener to the show: he’s a 3x Tony […]
Ep #3: Anne Gee Byrd (Regional Theatre, Film/TV) on Being Tough and Enjoying Auditions
So don't be surprised!
You have no control over so many things—you only have control over doing what you think needs to be done, and if you manage to bring that into the room, you’ve succeeded, whether you get the job or not. —Anne Gee Byrd Anne Gee has performed leading roles in everything from Shakespeare to Shaw across […]