Last night I went to a Cold Reading workshop with CD Melissa Skoff. If you recall, waaaay back in September of last year, I'd gone to an orientation to be eligible to attend the Casting Access Project workshops over at SAG. Well, since then, I have been very unlucky at beating other SAG actors to the punch, when signing up for them. I was finally able to get waitlisted for this particular workshop, and then when someone cancelled last week, I snagged a seat. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why it was SO HARD to get into one of these darn workshops, that is, until I arrived last night and saw 16 chairs lined up in front of a large desk. WHAT?!? I could not believe it. In a million years, I never would have guessed that the workshop was going to be as "intimate" as it was. (Over at ITA, classes get as big as 25 most times.)
As they were finishing up the announcements, Melissa arrived, and we got right down to business. She started out talking a little bit about herself, and then she passed out scenes to everyone. She instructed us to work on them for 10 minutes, BUT don't work with our partners, work alone. WHAT?!? Okay, again, I'm taken by surprise. I don't know why I was surprised, I've certainly been acting long enough to know that things aren't always going to be as I expected. Melissa explained that she wanted us to prepare the way we would as if were going to a real audition, which meant we wouldn't know what we'd be getting from the person we were going to be reading with. True, very true!...I understood her point.
After all the scenes were said and done, I was very impressed by some of the actors in there last night. I don't think my scene went as well as I would have liked it to. I thought my partner and I did an okay job. I approached Melissa after class and thanked her for her time. She said that my partner and I had done a "great job," and she reminded me to "take control, and keep control of the scene." I'd like to hope that I am able to accomplish that when I go into real auditions, because I have much more time to work on the material, but it is definitely a point I'm going to store away in my memory banks. Actually, Melissa dropped a lot of science last night that I'm going to store away in my memory banks.
Before I move on, I want to point out that there was a real arrogant knucklehead in class last night that just would not take the direction that Melissa was offering to him. I kinda felt bad for him because I don't think he realized that he was painting a very bad picture of himself by not taking the direction. He kept talking back, and stressing his take on things, which is fine, but if it's NOT ENOUGH, and the casting director is trying to explain to you that it's NOT ENOUGH. Just sit back, be quiet, and listen! I mean, I'm pretty sure she knows what she's talking about, right? For all of you newbies out there, I can tell you right now, one of the most important things you MUST possess in order to be a successful actor, is the ability to listen and take direction. I just hope that guy learns this lesson sooner rather than later.
Okay, so last Saturday (9/30), my sister came to town and we took our kids to the L.A. County Fair. Now, I'm not one for big crowds, but I've been wanting to go to the Fair ever
since I moved here, so I was very excited about going. I don't know why I expected it to be any different than the one I used to go to back in New Mexico, because with the exception of it being about 10 times larger, it really wasn't. By the same, I mean, the same "element," if you will. Anyway, to get to the meat of the story, towards the end of the evening, let's just say, your girl Shenita almost got into a "little scuffle" with two "ghetto-ites" over a very stupid reason! Now, these were grown butt women just acting a fool.
Side Note: Let me clarify something, I am a sweet, God fearing woman, but I WILL NOT let anyone mouth off to me, or try to make me look stupid, especially in public! I mean I am 5' 10 1/2" tall for crying out loud! I ain't no pip squeak. I will most certainly beat somebody's tale if I gots to...At least, I'll try...:)...
Okay, so back to the story. No need to worry my friends! In the end, nothing jumped off, but if it had, I know my 6' tall sister would have jumped in and helped me out if she thought I was struggling...:)...Even if she is 8 months pregnant...:)... So you might be asking yourself why I'm sharing this story. Well, it's because the residual anger I felt well into the next day really got me thinking. I realized that if my career goes as far as I would like it to go, I really have to learn to let things like that roll off my shoulders. I can only imagine the HATERADE that our celebrities/names/recognizable faces of today feel on a day to day basis. I mean if people (or the mags, newspapers, and tabloids for that matter) aren't talking about what they're wearing, they're trashing their looks, their pasts, their acting abilities, and even their families. I mean come on, I can't really go around socking people because they don't like what I'm wearing, or they make a crack about one of my kids, can I? Definitely food for thought. Gotta toughen up!
But hey, with the rate I'm going out these days, I guess I have time to work on adding those extra layers of skin!
Happy October...
As they were finishing up the announcements, Melissa arrived, and we got right down to business. She started out talking a little bit about herself, and then she passed out scenes to everyone. She instructed us to work on them for 10 minutes, BUT don't work with our partners, work alone. WHAT?!? Okay, again, I'm taken by surprise. I don't know why I was surprised, I've certainly been acting long enough to know that things aren't always going to be as I expected. Melissa explained that she wanted us to prepare the way we would as if were going to a real audition, which meant we wouldn't know what we'd be getting from the person we were going to be reading with. True, very true!...I understood her point.
After all the scenes were said and done, I was very impressed by some of the actors in there last night. I don't think my scene went as well as I would have liked it to. I thought my partner and I did an okay job. I approached Melissa after class and thanked her for her time. She said that my partner and I had done a "great job," and she reminded me to "take control, and keep control of the scene." I'd like to hope that I am able to accomplish that when I go into real auditions, because I have much more time to work on the material, but it is definitely a point I'm going to store away in my memory banks. Actually, Melissa dropped a lot of science last night that I'm going to store away in my memory banks.
Before I move on, I want to point out that there was a real arrogant knucklehead in class last night that just would not take the direction that Melissa was offering to him. I kinda felt bad for him because I don't think he realized that he was painting a very bad picture of himself by not taking the direction. He kept talking back, and stressing his take on things, which is fine, but if it's NOT ENOUGH, and the casting director is trying to explain to you that it's NOT ENOUGH. Just sit back, be quiet, and listen! I mean, I'm pretty sure she knows what she's talking about, right? For all of you newbies out there, I can tell you right now, one of the most important things you MUST possess in order to be a successful actor, is the ability to listen and take direction. I just hope that guy learns this lesson sooner rather than later.
Okay, so last Saturday (9/30), my sister came to town and we took our kids to the L.A. County Fair. Now, I'm not one for big crowds, but I've been wanting to go to the Fair ever
since I moved here, so I was very excited about going. I don't know why I expected it to be any different than the one I used to go to back in New Mexico, because with the exception of it being about 10 times larger, it really wasn't. By the same, I mean, the same "element," if you will. Anyway, to get to the meat of the story, towards the end of the evening, let's just say, your girl Shenita almost got into a "little scuffle" with two "ghetto-ites" over a very stupid reason! Now, these were grown butt women just acting a fool.Side Note: Let me clarify something, I am a sweet, God fearing woman, but I WILL NOT let anyone mouth off to me, or try to make me look stupid, especially in public! I mean I am 5' 10 1/2" tall for crying out loud! I ain't no pip squeak. I will most certainly beat somebody's tale if I gots to...At least, I'll try...:)...
Okay, so back to the story. No need to worry my friends! In the end, nothing jumped off, but if it had, I know my 6' tall sister would have jumped in and helped me out if she thought I was struggling...:)...Even if she is 8 months pregnant...:)... So you might be asking yourself why I'm sharing this story. Well, it's because the residual anger I felt well into the next day really got me thinking. I realized that if my career goes as far as I would like it to go, I really have to learn to let things like that roll off my shoulders. I can only imagine the HATERADE that our celebrities/names/recognizable faces of today feel on a day to day basis. I mean if people (or the mags, newspapers, and tabloids for that matter) aren't talking about what they're wearing, they're trashing their looks, their pasts, their acting abilities, and even their families. I mean come on, I can't really go around socking people because they don't like what I'm wearing, or they make a crack about one of my kids, can I? Definitely food for thought. Gotta toughen up!
But hey, with the rate I'm going out these days, I guess I have time to work on adding those extra layers of skin!
Happy October...
Posts
Man, lemme' tell you something!...
ReplyDeleteChip Fields (Kim Fields' mother)was my first acting coach out here in L.A. several years ago, and that was like lesson one on day one! She told this one girl, "if you walk through the door with the newspaper under your left arm and the Director says walk in the door with it under your right arm , SHUT UP AND DO IT!! Don't ask questions, this ain't your show, you're waisting time and money from talking...you're an employee and are instructed to do what is asked of "THEM!" ...Now do it again!" (babbbyyyyy) LOL
Hmph! That's ok, that dude in your class from last night will learn. Actors, PERIOD, will learn and unfortunately will learn when it costs them the gig! You don't *EVER* have to worry about me getting on a knock on my trailer door on my first day on a set somewhere from the 1st A.D. talkin' about, "Umm.... we've contacted your agent, but you can go home now."
Aww Shenita--Well it may be that you should toughen up but it's excusable to knock someone's block off for making a crack about your kids. Not that I am encouraging it just excusing it. Then again, I have anger issues to work on. lol
ReplyDeleteMelissa: I agree 100%. Unfortunately, some folks will never learn.
ReplyDeleteMichelle: Thanks for understanding!...:)...For a second there I thought maybe I'd overreacted!
- Shenita.