The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, but if you don’t even know the direction you’re going in, the step you’re taking may be away from your ultimate mission or destiny. — L. Scott Caldwell If you’re looking for what it takes to be an actor long-term, over the course of […]
Ep #23: Simon Vance (1000+ Audiobooks: Millennium series, Sherlock Holmes, Jerusalem, The King’s Speech, The Tao of Pooh) on Feeding the Birds, Pushing Yourself, and Wanting More
I thought being an actor wasn’t for grown-up people, but it didn’t matter whether I considered it that—I discovered it was essential for my soul that I threw myself into this. — Simon Vance If you’re looking for what it takes to be an actor long-term, over the course of your LIFE, then you’ve come […]
Text Work: Threat Matrix with Jeanne Sakata
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Jeanne. In this episode, Jeanne discusses a monologue she worked on from the TV show Threat Matrix. She plays a Cambodian woman who recounts her experiences of escaping the Khmer Rouge. I’ve visited Cambodia and seen first-hand some of the atrocities that happened […]
Ep #22: Jeanne Sakata (Actress/Playwright, Hold These Truths, Regional Theatre, Dr. Ken) on the Joy of Discovery, Eagerness, and Redemptive Writing
What fuels it all for me right now is gratitude, because I’m grateful all these things are happening, and that there are so many more opportunities than there used to be, and when I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed as sometimes I do, I really try to go back to that place of gratitude, and I […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale with Richard Riehle
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Richard. In this excerpt, Richard discusses one of Leontes’ speeches in The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare—it’s in the first act where he has his suspicions about his wife and his best friend having an affair. Leontes is speaking with his trusted advisor Camillo, […]
Ep #21: Richard Riehle (Regional Theatre/Broadway, The Fugitive, Casino, Office Space, 400+ Film/TV credits) on Being Open, Dependable, and Watching Everything
I’ve never felt anything personal in terms of rejection about auditions. I know a lot of actors do. I’m pretty good at doing the audition and walking away. I bring the best I can to the audition, and if that’s what they want, and if all the other stars are in alignment, I’ll get it—and […]
Ep #20: Arye Gross (South Coast Rep, Regional Theatre, Minority Report, Castle, 100+ Film/TV credits) on Deep Curiosity, Inspiring Empathy, and Bringing Your Life into the Scene
There’s something that stirs in us when we watch a performance that has something authentic in it, and the best way I know to at least attempt to get to something authentic is showing up with what actually happened to me today. — Arye Gross On the show today is Arye Gross, an actor […]
Ep #19: Alan Mandell (The Actor’s Workshop, Waiting for Godot/Endgame, Shortbus) on Samuel Beckett, Theatre Artists, and Always Working
Know something about lighting design, about set design, about stage management, about writing. The actors get most of the praise—but there are all these other artists. Acting is important and you have to work hard at it, but you’re not working any harder than anyone else. — Alan Mandell On the show today is Alan […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 with Tony Amendola
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Tony. In this excerpt, Tony discusses Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare. As Tony shares, it’s almost like an “anti-love” sonnet, that it makes fun of sonnets that are too flowery, as it has a very different tone and style with its message. You’ll hear […]
Ep #18: Tony Amendola (Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Stargate SG-1) on Stamping Your Own Passport and Following the Work
Being an actor in Los Angeles can be—if you’re not careful—living off the interest of your talent and experience. And every so often, you need to make a deposit, and that can be doing theatre in LA, New York, in the regions, or it can be a self-generated project, but you do need to do […]
