D.B.Y.C.M

This music video was made by the class of 2015 at my grad school. I've never met any of them (I graduated in 2011; they arrived in 2012), but I love them for this hilarity.

Good advice for any grad school program. Enjoy!

Business Advice

I compiled a bunch of advice I received from actors and directors in NYC. If you’re serious about having a career as an actor, it’s worth a look.

Advice on the Business of Acting

Interview: Angela on The Lynne Show

Hello everyone!

Several weeks ago, I did an interview, and the audio of it is now online!

Hear the podcasts at thelynneshow.com.

You should be able to right-click the podcasts to download them as well.


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Here are the descriptions of interviews that my classmates, my professor, and I did:

"Actors are often stereotyped as self involved, but this year’s graduating class at the [Conservatory] program, disprove that myth. Listen to 6 of them and hear how thoughtful and altruistic they are. Also hear how grueling the training is – virtually each of them speaks of the terrifying need to surrender all they were before entering the program, and how amazing it is to discover that you are more than you thought you were. But first hear from [1st-year Acting Professor] – who they fought, resisted and finally came to credit with becoming the actors they want to be.


6/7/11 Interview – [1st-year Acting Professor] – is a Russian Immigrant. The son and grandson of writers and artists, [Acting Professor] wrote musicals and directed his parent’s friends in his plays, by the time he was 10 or 12. Luckily coming of age as Perestroika was occurring in Russia, [Acting Professor] was able to start his own theater as a very young man. Barely able to speak English, he met, courted and married an American Sociology student, and became a Professor of Acting at the prestigious [Conservatory] in [Florida]. Listen to his amazing story and his ideas about training actors. Keep these in mind when, in the following weeks, I air interviews with many of his students who have just graduated from that program, and talk at length about the impact that studying with [Acting Professor] had on them.


6/14/11 – Interviews - [Conservatory] Graduating Students [D-Train] and [Two-Shots-Up] are not only extremely talented actors but well rounded individuals, who made unusual choices on their way to the Conservatory, and, deciding once and for all - I am an actor

[D-Train] was in his first play when he was six years old and has not been out of work as an actor for more than 4 months since then. But while continuing to work as an actor from the very beginning, in college [D-Train] chose to major in Spanish and International Relations, taking the opportunity to live in Mexico and Spain. He was on the verge of submitting a proposal for a Fulbright scholarship to live in Spain, when he was accepted into the [Conservatory] Program. Listen to [D-Train] talk about the painful first year studying under “guru-guide” [1st-year Acting Professor], and quote fellow graduating student, Angela Sauer’s description of that first year with [Acting Professor]. (Hear Angela’s interview next week.).

[Two-Shots-Up] fell in love with the vision of her six year old self on a TV monitor outside of Sears, at the Mall where grandma would talk her for tea. Shy and unsure of herself she nonetheless communicated her love of performing to her Dad, who got her private acting lesions when she was fifteen years old. With this teacher [Two-Shots-Up] found the confidence she'd lacked. She had an agent and was working professionally by the time she was 18. But [Two-Shots-Up] wanted to expand her horizons and so she went to study in West Africa where she not only completed her college course work but had an opportunity to act and direct. Listen to [Two-Shots-Up] talk about honoring the “scared little girl” within and still becoming the glittering person she is on stage.


6/21/11 – Interviews - [Conservatory] Graduating Students Angela Sauer and [Thrill] not only define themselves as actors, but are dedicated to “being of service,” and to “giving back.”

Angela Sauer vacillated on the way to deciding that she was an actor. Her Mom put her in acting and dance classes by the time she was 3 and 4 years old. In high school she auditioned for roles in musicals, in order to be with her best friend. In college she hedged her bets by minoring in theater and majoring in just about everything else..And even when she took a full time job, she spent her nights in plays. Finally deciding that she needed additional training, Angela auditioned for and got into the [Conservatory] Program where she learned to do things she “didn't even know, that she didn't know how to do.” Angela says that “there are times when it’s really difficult to be an artist,” but knowing that she can “change people’s lives” with her craft, makes it all worth it.

[Thrill] – was a jock, he had no interest in acting. But in high school recognizing that his over abundance of energy wasn't being satisfied by athletics, and wanting to “stay out of trouble,” he enrolled in acting classes. It wasn't till his senior year that he finally took a role in a play; saw that his performance was making people cry, and thought perhaps this was something he could do. Following a friend who'd been accepted into the Howard University Acting program, [Thrill] applied, got accepted and his” life as a thespian started to kick off.” Listen to the internal struggle that a very talented and head strong young man, endured in order to complete the three rigorous and confining years that are the [Conservatory] program. And the dedication he has to giving back for the gift of his talent.


6/28/11 – Interview – As a very young child, [Iceman] was making up worlds in his mind. Luckily for [Iceman], his parents participated, encouraged and delighted in his imagination. Listen to his Mom’s explanation of how Santa Claus was able to get down the chimney and his Dad’s directness and explanation of the way energy between people can be affected. Not so good at sports, [Iceman] discovered that he was good at acting, and besides there were pretty girls in the theater classes. By the time he was in high school [Iceman] had a plan. He would be an actor and there would be no Plan B. Listen to his passion, dedication and commitment to what has become his life’s work.

Warehouse Theatre Company Interview

Several weeks ago, I did an interview for the Warehouse Theatre Company. And then I completely forgot to mention it here.

So in case you're sad that I haven't been writing much lately, and you want to get a little more Angela in your life, you can check out the interview here:

The Professional Connection: Angela on Graduate School

Welcome Prospective Students!

Hello to all prospective MFA Acting students! I know that some of you have found my blog in search of information about graduate school audition season. And some of you probably got this blog from my grad school professors at URTAs. So I welcome you. :)

If you are in the middle of the audition process (or the interviews, callbacks, visits, offers, whatever), you might want to read this post that I wrote last year:
Advice for Grad School Hopefuls

I don't write about anyone by name, and I don't say the name of my program. Why? To make it a little less easy for people to find the people I write about using search engines. Just because I'm comfortable having a search for my name yield results from this blog, doesn't mean my classmates or professors should have to have the same mindset. Because really, when someone types "Bob at Awesome Grad School" into Google, it's perfectly understandable if Bob wants his professional credits to pop up before the stretches he does in movement class. The point isn't to be completely anonymous, or to hide anything from readers, but to be as professional as possible.

If you're interested, of course, you can find out what school I go to without a lot of effort. (hint: check out my personal website.) And of course that photo on the side bar serves as a handy Rosetta stone to break the Nickname Code for the friends and family of each student, who might want to know what they're up to.

I also contribute to Backstage.com's Unscripted, which is a blog written by a bunch of actors from around the country. On Angela Acts, I write more about the day-to-day of being in grad school. On Unscripted, I write more about thoughts I have on acting, and things that affect me as an actor. To read my posts, click here.

If you want to know when I post, follow me on twitter @AngelaActs. I have twitter auto-update whenever I post something new on Angela Acts OR on Unscripted, so you'll always be in the know. You can also be my fan on Facebook, which is where I usually send out invitations to shows I'm doing and other exciting and fun things going on in my world.

I love theatre, I love being in grad school, and I love my program. If you have any questions about why grad school was the right choice for me, what grad school is like, or why I love my program, feel free to email me at:
AngelaActs(at)gmail(dot)com

(I format it like that so that web-crawler spam whatnot won't be able to read it)

Anyway. Thank you kindly for visiting my blog. I hope it helps you on your journey.


All good things,

~A~

Meet a Conservatory Student

I recently did an e-mail interview with a local arts newsletter regarding the program I'm in. I thought they were just going to use some quotes for an article, but they ended up publishing everything I sent them (I actually feel a little awkward about the ways in which I phrased things now... Had I known they were using my response in its entirety, I might've composed it more carefully). I thought I'd post it here for posterity's sake.

~A~

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Angela [Last Name] is a first-year student in [the conservatory]. She originally hails from Okemos, Michigan. She graduated from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and then lived in Chicago for two years between undergraduate and graduate school. This season, she’s understudying Béline in The Imaginary Invalid, and Paulina in The Winter's Tale for the [regional repertory theatre]. She was on stage crew for Wilder! Wilder! Wilder!. She will also be the assistant stage manager for Three Postcards.

What inspired you to come to [this town] to attend [the conservatory]?
I knew that pursuing an MFA in acting was the right decision for me. Acting is my vocation, and I wanted to be as well-trained as possible. I decided to come to [this town] for grad school because I was impressed with the quality of training I could get here. When I visited the program last February, I was struck not only by the skill of the acting students here, but also by their level of professionalism with their craft. Additionally, this program encourages students to expand as artists individually, instead of attempting to crush them into molds. I knew immediately that this was a good fit for me and would allow me to develop into the actor I wanted to be. After being in classes here for a semester, I know that I was correct in this assertion.

One valuable lesson you've learned so far at the Conservatory?
I've learned a multitude of valuable lessons since beginning classes here in August, about acting and about life. I'm learning to stop performing and to go on to stage living instead. I'm learning how to connect with scene partners and respond truthfully to them instead of just reciting lines the same way regardless of what's happening around me. And perhaps most importantly, I'm learning to give full freedom to my creative subconscious and to allow things to happen without censoring myself.

Three major roles as an actor you want to tackle?
It's difficult to name only three roles that I'd like to play. I think Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream would be a great deal of fun, and would fit well with my psycho-physical rhythm. She's frequently exasperated and vaguely insane, yet it's not difficult to relate to her longing and her frustrations. Many years down the line, I would love the opportunity to play Dr. Vivian M. Bearing in W;t. She is a professor of 17th-century poetry who is dying from ovarian cancer. She tries to use her scholarship to make sense of her physical battle. I feel a deep connection to that character, and hope that one day I am lucky enough to be cast in that role. Third, I think I'd have to say Cathy Hyatt-Wellerstein in the musical The Last 5 Years. The musical is written so that her scenes are in the opposite of chronological order, and I imagine it would be a challenge as an actor to try to take on her journey in reverse. She's a passionate woman who is struggling as an actor and is in a complicated relationship. I've played this role many, many times in my bedroom, singing along with the cast recording. I would love to be able to tackle it in a performance for more than just my stuffed animals.

Goals? Dreams?
My highest goal is just to do great work as an actor. I don't know where that's going to lead me, or what I'll be doing as a result. I suppose that solid plans, security, and stability are things that I'm willing to risk in order to pursue this career. I don't mind that uncertainty at the moment, as I have two and a half years left here to better understand what it is that I need to do in order to put my skills to good use.

Final words?
I am an actor because I feel that this is the way that I'm going to change the world. Theater is my civil service. If people can come to the theater and learn from the stories we tell, then we can change their perspectives. If they can put their troubles out of their minds for a little while, we can help heal their souls. If a busy family can come see a play and have something to talk about at dinner the next night, we can unite them. We can change people's lives in astonishing ways, and I believe that we can change the world. And when the world is in a depressed state, people need the arts more than ever. I'm incredibly proud to be doing what I'm doing.

[The conservatory] is a celebrated 3-year program culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree. For more than 30 years, tens of thousands of actors from across the continent have auditioned for admission. A maximum of 12 students are admitted each year. In their second year, the students perform in the [Name] Theatre, a 161-seat space designed to create an intimate experience for the audience and actors. Third-year students are seen on the [Name] Stage working with the [Name] Repretory Theatre's professional actors in exciting and significant roles.

Advice for Grad School Hopefuls

Hello readers, lurkers, and stumblers!

I get a lot of emails from people who are auditioning for grad schools (especially lately... 'tis the season!), so I thought I'd post some advice here.

I did URTAs twice (in 2006 and 2008 -- and I was moved past the screening round both times, and got a handful of callbacks both times), so I understand them pretty well. I did NOT do any private auditions, so I can't advise well on them, but many of my classmates did. If you have questions on private auditions or specific programs, you can email them to me, and I'll forward them to my classmates.

URTAs are cost-effective, and a great way to get seen by a lot of schools (IF you make it past the screening round). But don't put all your eggs in the URTAs basket. I did, and it worked for me... but I was LUCKY. I happened to get a callback -- and then an offer -- from the school of my dreams. Don't leave it up to chance like I did. Set up private auditions with the schools that you want to see you (both URTAs schools and non-URTAs schools).

While you're at URTAs (especially if you don't get past the screening round, as you'll have more time), try to find out what other non-URTA schools are holding auditions in the same hotel (or a nearby one) that you might be able to walk into while you're there. (And have a checkbook ready, because every one of those will have a separate fee.)


Advice on the audition process...

- Be very, very confident with your pieces. Show them to everyone you know, just so that you're comfortable doing them in front of an audience at the drop of a hat. Also, sometimes you'll get useful feedback from unexpected sources. (I got a really useful piece of feedback from a maid at the hotel I was staying at who knew nothing about theatre, because she told me that she was confused by something I said. Because of that, I changed the moment for the sake of clarity.)

- Have your pieces contrast. Not only in style, but also in movement and voice. You want to show as much of yourself as possible.

- Make sure your "additional pieces" are well-rehearsed, just in case you're asked to whip them out in a callback.

- Make sure you're consistently under the time limit by a decent amount (at LEAST 10 seconds. 15-20 if you can) so that you won't freak out and rush. And also so that you won't get cut off (because they WILL cut you off -- no matter how brilliant you are -- and that looks sloppy and unprofessional).

- Give an accurate representation of yourself. Don't just do pieces because you think they're impressive. Do material that you really connect with, and that shows who you are as an artist. Be authentic to who you are.

- ETA: Avoid pieces that require dialects. 95% of the time, they're a bad idea. People watching you start paying more attention to the dialect than to anything else you're doing acting-wise, which means they're not really getting a sense of who you are. Additionally, if you aren't perfect at it, they will notice, and it will work against you. Spare yourself the headache. Do pieces that are in Standard American or General American. If you grew up with a regional dialect (e.g. you're from South Boston), then you might feel comfortable using that dialect... I personally wouldn't advise against the dialect if that's your situation, but I'm also not a professor, so use your best judgement.

- Have a headshot that looks like you, and doesn't look like it was taken by your friend while you were sitting on a couch in a greenroom. (NOTE: It seems like most people are getting color headshots these days instead of the traditional black and white, but either one is fine. Mine are in color.)

- And most importantly, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. There is a danger with URTAs of only liking a school because they like you. One of my friends got only one callback, and suddenly acted like that school was her dream school, even though it wasn't right for her at all. Another friend went to the first school she got an offer from, and ended up dropping out at the end of her first year. And don't be seduced by school names (like "Yale" or "Juilliard"); pay attention to what training you'll be receiving, and if it's what you want. Going to grad school isn't as important as going to the RIGHT grad school for YOU.

It's not a bad idea to write a statement of purpose BEFORE going to auditions. You're going to need it anyway if you get into any schools, and it'll help you sort out why you really want to be there.


Things to consider about grad schools:

- Do you want to teach? (If you want to teach at a college-level in the future, being at a grad program where you teach might be a good idea. If that doesn't interest you, you might prefer a conservatory with no teaching involved.)

- Do you want only stage training, or do you also want on-camera training? (One of the schools that called me back had a full year devoted to on-camera work.)

- Are you looking for a program (like mine) where you won't have to pay tuition? Or are you willing to be knee-deep in tuition (and possibly loans and debt) to go to a school with name like "NYU" or "Yale"?

- Do you want to be able to get experience with an Equity company?

- Do you want to have a showcase (in NYC or LA) upon graduation?

- Do you want to be Equity eligible upon graduation? (Not a lot of programs offer this -- mine does -- but I've heard that some people are turned off by programs where you get a card)

- Do you want a program that focuses on new works? Or community-based theatre? Or theatre for social change?

- Do you want a program that will also train you in writing or directing?

- Do you want a program that focuses on classics/Shakespeare?

- Do you want training in Alexander/Feldenkrais/Viewpoints/Michael Chekov/Stanislavski/Demidov/Linklater/Fitzmaurice/Adler/Laban/etc.? (In other words, if there's a specific discipline that you want to learn, know what it is and look at programs that offer it)

- Would you benefit from a program that specializes in multi-cultural theatre? (And do you want to learn things like Noh and Kabuki?)

- Do you want the opportunity to study abroad?

- Do you want a program that is specific to certain disciplines, or do want a little bit of everything (survey style courses and workshops)?

That's all stuff that you need to answer for yourself BEFORE you go to URTAs (or private auditions). That way, if you get callbacks, you'll really be able to process what the schools are telling you. That said, GO to all the callbacks. A program might not sound like your perfect match on paper, but you might really connect with the recruiters/professors. And they might be able to better explain things that you were shaky on (I didn't understand the relationship my program had with donors in the community until I asked about it).


If you do not get past the screening round, don't give up. Go to the one-minute round, because I have more than one friend who got callbacks out of that.

In the case that you do get callbacks...


Questions that you might want to ask schools:

- Is the second year a continuation of the first year, or are you learning completely different things? (Some schools build in your training, and some give you alternative forms of training)

- Do grad students get preference in casting over undergrad students? (Or are they in separate shows?)

- Is there an opportunity to take classes in other departments at the university (such as music or dance)?

- What do students typically do in the summers?

- What do students do upon graduation? How many students actually act vs. teach or do other things?

- How often are students cut from the program?

- If there is a Showcase, do ALL students get to perform in it? (I came across a school that had 10 students in their 3rd-year class, but only 4 of them performed in the showcase because they were "the best representation of the program")

- What is their retention rate? (In other words, do students drop out often?)

- Will you need a vehicle to get around? (because if you need one and don't have one, it's a PAIN)

- What are the surrounding areas like?

- How much does the community support the theatre?


Questions that you should be prepared to answer:

- Why do you want to go to grad school? (Remember, you should NOT be going because you want an MFA. An MFA is a piece of paper. If you want to go to grad school make sure it's because of the training involved.)

- What do you do that ISN'T theatre-related? (Because they want you to be an interesting, well-rounded person.)

- What do you want to do after grad school?

- What are you reading right now/What was the last thing you read?

- What have you been doing so far to make yourself a better actor?

- Who are you? (It's so vague and awkward to answer, but they're trying to figure out who you are as a person, not just as an artist. After all, by choosing you, a grad school is essentially asking to marry you... at least for the next few years).

- What is your favorite play?

- What is your dream role? (I think they ask this because they think it helps them figure out how you see yourself as an actor.)



In callbacks/interviews, don't just sit there smiling and nodding to whatever they're saying. You don't need to be a "yes-man". Part of the callback is them figuring out who you are, which they won't be able to do if you're trying too hard to be the person that they want. Besides, while they're interviewing you, you're also interviewing them. You need to make sure that you understand exactly what the program is so that you can make an informed decision (because it's an important one).

Make sure you keep up your communication with the school afterward. If nothing else, send an email the next day thanking them for meeting with you. If you're interested in the school, send them a couple of questions via email (see list above for ideas). That let's them know that you're seriously considering them, and keeps you in their minds.


Once you're considering a program, keep doing your homework:

- Google all the professors to see what kinds of training they have, and what their specialties are.

- Try to determine what professional connections you might get the benefit of from that program.

- Ask the school to provide you contact information for a current student (so you can ask what the training is like) and a former student (so you can ask how the training benefited them).

- ETA: When talking to a current student, you might want to ask: how realistic is the course load; how often do they feel burnt out (and they might answer "I'm burnt out right now", because recruitment happens around that part of the year); how do they manage financially; do they have a vehicle; do they have roommates; etc. (i.e. ask all the day-to-day kinds of things that a student would know, but that are hard for professors/administrators to answer honestly)

- Read ALL the information that they've given you (that's how I found out that one school that called me back set each student up with a nutritionist and a personal trainer -- somehow that hadn't come up in the callback).

- Find every nook and cranny in their websites (which will probably help you ask more program-specific questions, which are more helpful than generic ones anyway.)

- If at all possible, visit the school. You won't truly know what the program is until you can sit in on some classes and see it in action.


Although even by visiting a school (and reading this blog), you won't fully understand what grad school is. Someone once said to me that trying to explain grad school is like trying to explain being pregnant. I can tell you all about my experiences, and you'll think you understand, but you won't really get it until you experience it for yourself.



If you have any other questions, feel free to write me. I didn't have a lot of resources when I was auditioning for grad schools, so I'm happy to be a resource to other actors now. :) angelaacts(at)gmail.com


All good things,

~A~


P.S. My program: no tuition, performance-based stipend (no teaching required, but there will be an opportunity for some students to teach), 6 weeks of study in London (summer after the 2nd year), Equity eligibility upon graduation, and a full year of performing with the Equity theatre here as part of the Rep company. We get hand-to-hand stage combat certification, as well as skill-specific workshops in things like Capoeira, Musical Theatre, Roy Hart voice work, and on-camera training. At the end of the 3rd-year, there is a highly attended New York showcase. This program is in a completely separate city from the undergrad program, so all of our professors are fully focused on US, and the plays in the 2nd year are chosen with ONLY US in mind. If you want to know what school I'm attending so that you can set up a private audition (which I highly recommend), either write to me or do a little creative Google-ing. (hint: try my personal website.)

(I don’t mention the school by name on my blog to help preserve the anonymity of my classmates. Just because I’m a blogger and comfortable having my class experiences on the internet, doesn’t mean they should have to be subjected to the same type of exposure and search-ability.)

Monday, October 20: Theatre Can Change the World

The ten students in the 3rd-Year class are currently putting on a production of The Giver (it's an adaptation of the book). Today I attended a preview performance, and it was truly phenomenal. Whenever I see quality of work that gets done here, I feel so very blessed to be part of this program. Beyond that, I feel honored to have been chosen to become a part of it.

It's neat to see the people that I hang out with doing this work. It's also cool that the person who designed lights for this production went to undergrad with me. This show was created by people who I consider to be my peers, and I loved seeing what they were capable of. It makes me think that maybe I'm capable of the same thing.

The performance I saw today helped to remind me why I'm doing this with my life. Remarkable theatre always reminds me of how passionately I feel about it.

Theatre can change the world.

I once heard a saying: "Theatre is life. Film is art. Television is furniture." I believe that live theatre is the most powerful of these art-forms. You can't change the channel. You can't fast forward. You can't throw popcorn at the screen. It's there. It's real. It's right in front of you. The audience is as much a part of the experience as the actors are, and that's a connection that is unlike anything else. The audience suspends their collective disbelief, and they witness the performed events firsthand. It's an incredible sort of phenomenon that people are willing to expand themselves for the theatre in the first place. And because it's not easy to tune it out or escape from it, the effects can be felt more intensely.

Years ago, I was in a production of a stage version of Anne of Green Gables (which, for the record, wasn't particularly well-written). It was a community theatre production with a limited budget and a cast of enthusiastic local actors.

The story, if you're unfamiliar with the books, is about a precocious, redhead orphan girl named Anne, who is taken in by an elderly brother and sister after a misunderstanding. She's perhaps the brightest girl in school, in constant competition with a boy who teases her for her freckles and red braids. She experiences the world as a more romantic and enchanting place than other people, and her dramatics often get her into trouble. It's not political. It's not avant-garde. It's not meant to be a powerhouse of a play. The novels are heart-warming, and someone decided to create the play more for nostalgia and entertainment value than anything else. And that's fine by me.

While I was working on that production, a couple of troops of girl scouts came backstage before attending the performances. They could earn some sort of theatre badge for it, I guess. And I was asked to tell them all about acting, costumes, make-up, rehearsals, and everything else that might enrich the theatre-going experience. The girls were full of questions and seemed fascinated by everything I said.

And I realized that it didn't matter that this show wasn't written as some sort of worldly commentary. If one of those little girls watched the play and felt a little more okay with her freckles, then that was more than enough of a reason to keep doing it. If one girl came to the show and felt a little braver about raising her hand in class... If she realized that it was okay for girls to be smart... Or if a child knew it was okay to be an orphan... Or okay to look a little different from everyone else... Or to think of the world as a beautiful place filled with poetry... This show -- this poorly-written, unprofessional, tiny little show -- could change that child's life.

That makes all the effort worthwhile.

It's like that with every play. If one person who feels really lousy can go to a farce and forget their problems for a little while... If a family that rarely gives each other the time of day can see a play together and have something to discuss as a family at dinner the next night... If one ladder-climbing professional can see Macbeth and realize that power isn't everything... Theatre can definitely change lives. Who's to say that it can't change the world?

So everything that I learn that I can use to make a show better, I'll learn. Because if the show is a little bit better, then maybe it can touch someone a little bit more.

That's why I'm at graduate school getting my MFA in Acting. If fixing the way I say "s" sounds makes the story a little clearer, then I'll do it. If making my walk more neutral in daily life means that I can put more into physical characterizations, then I'll do it. If learning to use psychological gestures and molding qualities can bring out things in me that I need help tapping into, I'll do it. And I'll work as hard as I possibly can to get there, because I know how important this is.

Theatre is not my hobby. Theatre is my calling. Theatre is my vocation. Theatre is my life.

While I was an undergraduate student, I ran into a guy whom I'd done drama with in high school. I told him that I'd recently become a theatre major, and I felt a little guilty about it. I was worried that it was selfish, and I didn't think it was important enough. He looked me square in the eyes, more earnest than I had ever seen him before, and said, "It IS important." I wondered aloud if I should be doing something more altruistic, like becoming a doctor and trying to heal people's bodies. He responded with, "Angela, you're going to heal their souls."

I've given variations on this speech more times than I can remember. And during every incarnation, I remind myself of why it is that I love theatre so much. I remember why I do what I do.

True Story:
Several years ago, a woman went up to Mother Theresa. Mother Theresa looked at her and asked, "what's wrong?" The woman broke down, saying that she worked in theatre in New York, and that she felt like she wasn't doing enough with her life. She said that she wanted to go to Calcutta and help the poor. Mother Theresa looked at her and said, "There are many famines. In my country, there is a famine of the body. In your country, there is a famine of the spirit. And that is what you must feed. You must remain."

So that's why I'm an actor.

I do theatre because I love it more than I can say.
I do theatre because I don't know if I could ever be truly happy doing anything else.
I do theatre to heal people's souls.
I do theatre to relieve the famine of the spirit.
I do theatre because it's my way of changing the world.



May you find your own little way to change the world.

~A~