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A Critical Moment for LA Theater

We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled post to talk about something that's happening right now, and happening fast.

There's a debate going on between LA actors and Actors' Equity, the union that covers theater, over the future of small theater (or "99 seat theater") in this city. The decisions made over the next few weeks will affect all LA actors for years to come, whether you're an Equity member, SAG/AFTRA member, stage actor, or none of the above. 

Here are some links where you can learn about what's happening, and get involved if you so choose:

Part of being an working actor is being an informed actor, even when it doesn't seem like the issue affects us directly. 

Next week, part two of the Anatomy of a Booking series... Going to Producers!

Anatomy of a Booking: The Pre-Read

One of the crazy things about booking your first job(s) is that it's a lot easier when you know what to expect... But how can you know what to expect if you've never done it before?

So we're going to spend a few posts demystifying the booking process. How does it usually happen? How might it happen instead? What does it mean when it happens, so I can tell the voice in my head to go get a nice cup of tea?

Let's start with the first audition (because there will probably be more than one.) The Pre-Read.

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Debunking Demo Reels

I like to stay on top of articles in a certain publication for actors that you're probably familiar with (it rhymes with "lack-wage") because a) it sometimes contains good advice I want to share, and b) it often contains bad advice I want to refute. This week, a piece about demo reels inspired me to dig a little deeper into the subject, as LackWage's advice about them strikes me as pretty terrible.

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When Being an Actor Breaks Your Heart

I recently worked with a coaching client who was struggling with something. Several years ago, she was the first choice for a life-changing role. But the decision-makers did some Googling and found something she had done previously that had never aired, but was for a competitor. So they went with someone else. And that person is now a famous bazillionaire. And my client was having a really hard time getting over it.

Her frustration and disappointment anger about it were still affecting how she approached her career. She said things like, "what if that was my one shot at success, and I won't get another one?" and "what if that means I should just not hope or expect to book something that big?"It made her crazy that she'd done everything right, nailed the audition, brought her absolute best self into the room, and lost the role over something totally beyond her control. If that could happen, what was the point?

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Make Space for Success

The big truths are the ones you keep relearning over and over again. At least that's how it is for me. I learn something, and then forget it, and then get reminded, and then forget again. This week, I got a fantastic reminder that one of the the absolute, hands-down, most effective ways to get what you want is to make room for it.

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Scripts, Tips, Awards, and Premieres!

If you're not following Working Actor Wisdom on Twitter, you're missing out on super juicy information, inspiration, and resources that will help your acting career! (And if you're not on Twitter at all, you're missing out on one of the best ways to connect with casting directors, showrunners, writers, directors, agents, managers, and more.)

Here are some of the amazing things Working Actor Wisdom Twitter followers have gotten this week:

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Get Lucky This Pilot Season

Welcome to 2015! I hope your holidays were wonderful, and that you're ready to get back to business, because pilot season is a-coming! 

Imagine Black Friday at the mall every day for three months. That's what pilot season is like for casting. They need every ounce of energy they've got just to keep up, so there's none left for thinking creatively about an actor whose headshot isn't right for the role they've submitted for, or trying to hunt an actor down for an audition, or remembering actors they haven't heard from since summer. Working actors know that a little time and effort on our end to make their jobs easier can pay off with a juicy share of pilot season action. So if you want in, here's what you need to do.

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*CLINK*

Thank you for being part of my 2014.

Here's to your success,

and a 2015 beyond your wildest dreams!

Image via Flickr by maxxtraffic

Image via Flickr by maxxtraffic

The Best Resolution for Working Actors

I'm not usually one for making New Year's resolutions. I prefer to think in terms of goals and mantras, which I adopt and change whenever I need to. Around this time of year, the focus of both has to do with sitting on the couch, eating cookies, and binge-watching SAG Award screeners. 

But this year taught me something that I'm going to use as a resolution. I should say re-taught, because it's I already know, but sometimes forget to think about. It's the most important, most inspiring, and most fun part of being an actor. It's also one of the keys to living a happy, fulfilled, meaningful life. And it's just three words long. (How's that for a teaser?) 

So what is this magical phrase?

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End of Year Homework

Yes, I said homework. Don't freak out. This is homework that feels good.

(I am stealing this post from myself. It's an update to last year's Thanksgiving Homework post. I am doing that because first, it was a good post if I do say so myself, and second, I'm short on time this week because I'm shooting a super fun guest star role on a Nickelodeon show. Remember when I said nothing is shooting in December? I meant ALMOST nothing.)

Here we go.

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The Secret to Setting Goals

At the end of every year, I review last year's goals and set new ones for the coming year. This process got me thinking about how often I hear actors express frustration over how little progress they're making. They say things like, "no matter what I do, I'm just not getting anywhere" or "I feel like I need new goals, but I don't know what to do with the ones I've got" or "... goals?... *blinkblink*"

Trying to build a career without clear, effective goals is like trying to drive to a party without the address. You find out pretty quickly that having a general idea of where you want to go isn't enough. But most of us have never learned how to set good goals, so we end up with something like "make a living as an actor within five years", and then sit there and stare at the notebook/screen/bar napkin and wonder what to do next.

So let's demystify the process. When setting goals for your acting career, you need them to be:

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4 Things you can Do When it's Slow

I always hit the holidays and think "Again? Already?" It's hard to believe it's December. It's even harder to get my head around being a month away from having to remember it's 2015. But here we are. And along with the annual traditions of travel, shopping, and eating way too many carbs, it's time for a little yearly career maintenance. So I've gone up to the attic* and dusted off this post about what actors can do in the coming weeks to take full advantage of next year's busy pilot season. I've even added some sparkly new details for you regulars. So slap on a sparkly sweater and let's dig in.

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Working Actor Gratitude

Yep, it's the gratitude post! But really and truly, these are things I think about all year -- especially when it's slow or I catch myself complaining. "Gratitude" has become a bit of a buzzword, but the perspective it gives us is invaluable. 

So here are the things I am always grateful for, and especially so this week:

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Referrals, Good. Favors, Bad.

There was a piece last week in a certain publication for actors that claimed referrals are a bad idea when trying to find representation. The argument was that when you get a referral, it's unlikely to go well, because the agent or manager doesn't really want to meet you, they're just doing it out of a sense of obligation to the person who referred you.

But in that case, it wasn't a referral to begin with. It was a favor. And it's important to know the difference.

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Saying No - Part 2

Have you ever said yes to an audition that every cell in your body was telling you to turn down? Have you ever found yourself hoping not to book a particular job, because deep down it just feels wrong? Have you ever told an agent, manager, producer, or director that you thought something was a great idea when you would have given anything to say "DEAR GOD NO!" 

Welcome to the club.

Last week, we dug into why saying no is hard to do in your career, and that it's one of those things we often don't realize requires attention and practice until it's too late. And once we decide to start practicing, we feel a little lost, because we can't tell when saying no is reasonable and when we're resisting something that might be good for us.

So let's clean that mess up. When is it ok to say no?

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Saying No - Part 1

Recently, a career coaching client was explaining why she needs a new manager. She's a comedian -- she has serious comedy training, experience, and chops -- but her manager has been sending her on auditions, agent meetings, and photo sessions for models, because that's what he wants for her. I told her I agreed that she needs a new manager because the one she has isn't supporting her goals, but more importantly, I asked why she was going to meetings and auditions she didn't want to go to. She said she felt bad saying no.

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The John Hughes Training Test

My favorite John Hughes movie is "Some Kind of Wonderful." There's a scene where the pretty, popular girl (played by Leah Thompson) explains that she's dating her jerky, popular boyfriend because she'd "rather be with someone for the wrong reasons than alone for the right ones", and our charming, dorky, perpetually single hero (played by Eric Stoltz) says, "I'd rather be right."

Lately I've been noticing that many actors follow the Leah Thompson philosophy when it comes to training, when they'd be a lot better off with Eric Stoltz. That's a roundabout way of saying that a whole lot of actors are in the wrong kind of training.

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That Voice in Your Head, Part 2

A few weeks ago, we talked about how to cope with the nasty voice in your head that tries to keep you from taking risks by cutting you down or scaring you away from whatever leap you're considering taking.

Soon after that post, I heard a piece on NPR about a study on how different kinds of self talk affect people. Long story short, the way you talk to yourself has a powerful effect on how you perceive yourself, which in turn shows up in big ways in how you interact with the world.

Sounds obvious, right?

So what are we supposed to do, say nothing but nice things to ourselves all the time? That just sounds... unreasonable. Sometimes we screw up. Sometimes self-criticism is healthy. Sometimes we all need a kick in the ass, don't we? So what then?

Get this. A doctor at the University of Pennsylvania has identified two things you can do to prevent 'negative self talk' from doing damage, and instead use it to help you improve:

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Career, Interrupted

Last week, I traded emails with a friend whom I've worked with in career coaching. I asked how she was progressing with the goals and action items we'd talked about, and she said she hadn't made as much progress as she would have liked because she's been dealing with a lot of life stuff, like health issues in her family, transitions at work, and changes in her housing situation. She said she was in need of advice on how to juggle the pursuit of her acting carer with a full time job, family issues, and the other things life has been throwing at her:

"I always find that I put my career stuff last -- that I feel guilty taking time for it when there are other things at hand."
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