Recently in Goals Category

I have four overall goals: 1) get better at auditioning. This is a perennial goal. 2) Keep working in good non-union off-off- . . . -off Broadway productions. 3) Start working in high-end off-off Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions and 4) audition for and start booking professional paid work in film, television, and commercials.

When a person seems so alive, so full, so present and here, it doesn't seem possible that such a person could really die -- but, of course, they can . . .

Randay Pausch passed away today from pancreatic cancer in his family's home in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The Apostle Paul counsels us in the 13th Corinthians, verse 11: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.

Yet there are some childish things that should not be put away, and they are -- our Hopes and our Dreams. As Randay Pausch shared with the world in his last lecture, they are what we begin with, and they will be with us in the end -- if we keep, hold, and cherish them always.

And in living, and in dying, he showed us something else:

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
~ William Shakespeare

Thank you Randay Rausch, for sharing with us, and for giving us so very very much . . .

---

Time is All That Matters:

This whole exercise of writing down your goals? -- it really seems to work!!!

Quite a while ago, I wrote down that I wanted to work in The 13th Street Repertory Company's production of Line, New York's longest running off-Off-Broadway show, and -- it happened! I auditioned today, and I got cast!

and my audition? . . . well . . . it was terrible!!! :)

Last fall, 2007, I made it a goal to start using "meet-and-greet" resources (e.g., Actors Connection, The Network) to meet agents and casting directors in order to start to open doors to professional opportunities. Right off the bat, however, I knew I didn't want to be scatter-shot about it, i.e., going everywhere to everything. The more I thought about it, about how to use these types of resources, the more I realized how really clueless I was about how best to use my time and money to pursue these potential opportunities. I realized I needed some experienced, professional, expert guidance. So, I asked the Universe for help.

Enter: The Actors Alliance and One On One. Both are like Actor's Connection and The Network, i.e., they function as middlemen between actors (sellers) and casting directors, filmmakers, agents, managers and producers (buyers), but you need to audition for The Actors Alliance and One On One to be a member, and then you can take part in their agent and casting director's workshops and meet-and-greets --  and their audition process is not just a formality, i.e., last fall, I auditioned for One On One, but I was rejected for membership, so I've taken the advice and feedback I got from that audition, and I'm going to try again later this month.

However, I decided to try to kill two birds with one stone, and I took One On One's feedback and advice and today I went in and auditioned for membership in The Actors Alliance. Harry O'Reilly auditioned me (a terrific guy, a professional actor and successful businessman with a great ear and eye in terms of training and coaching actors), and he congratulated me on my audition technique and told me that Deborah Carlson's Word Of Mouth Studios had trained me well (I always knew she had, and I've worked hard, but this was terrific validation nonetheless).

I passed! I'm now a member! This has been a MAJOR goal of mine for almost a year now!

Hello all,

I have been acting now for 3 1/2 years and have learned a great deal from working with several industry professionals and books which I have read.

My approach to my craft and business has changed dramatically. I understand that this is a business and I am the CEO of my own company and must always showcase myself in the best possible light. I shake as many hands as possible, always remain professional and positive, be open to change and most importantly, BE MYSELF! I submit for every project I can but focus my time, energy and money on areas that are geared towards my type. And it's extremely important to know your type/product. Meaning if a CD, Agent or Manager ask you, "Who's getting your work?" What they are trying to find out is if you were auditioning for roles in the BIG leagues, which Actors are getting the roles that you'd be perfect for based on your type. This is part of knowing your business.

One of my hobbies, during my active career, was watching the results of other show biz folks. I kept journals for about 5 years, then I noticed that I didn't need to keep a journal because it was becoming redundant. The fact is, that all the successful people I met over 40 years, (and when I say ALL I mean 100%) were capitalists.

I don't mean that in a political way - I'm talking about store-keeper capitalism. All the successful people I've known in the show business are successful because they are good business people. Good store-keepers.

The other side of the coin is the unsuccessful actor, writer, director, producer, etc. Believe me, most of them are not untalented, or unlucky, or unconnected. Generally, their real problem is that they are just lackadaisical business people.

The biggest mistake I see is the total time and energy the unsuccessful actor puts into the business. This amount of time can be described as: NOT ENOUGH. (Acting For Money, Bob Fraser, Author of You Must Act!, The Secrets To Acting Career Success)

I do non-paid off-Off Broadway and Off-Broadway -- but I don't expect to work for free. I never expect that.

What I Expect

I expect deferred payment from The Universe in the form of future professional theatre, film, television, and commercial work. I base this expectation on the contingency of doing my absolute best in these productions. I ACT as IF I'm getting paid.

I'm not working for free (money is important, and you have to respect that) -- I'm working for deferred payment.

This is what motivates me to work hard. I love acting. But to continue acting, to continue growing as a actor, I have to increase my value, and a necessary (but not sufficient) metric of success as an actor is money. Money won't make me happy, but I need an income, derived from acting services rendered, if I am to grow as an actor. It's that simple.

Some actors, much better than I, choose to work primarily in non-profit theatre either for artistic or professional reason. And make no mistake about it, absolutely terrific work is being done in these venues, and it's my heart's greatest desire and dream to work in these absolutely wonderful off-Broadway production houses and productions. However -- it's not (for me) enough. My "perfect" life ("perfect" in a human, rational, realistically achievable sense) is this type of work and money. That would be perfect! (And I fully intend to do this perfect thing).

 My Goal

God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.
~ Isak Dinesen (author of Out Of Africa)

 

I've always like this quote (and Dinesen is a wonderfully observant and poetic writer) because it reminds me not to look too far down the road. I have my long-terms goals and a plan, but that's really only a dry map -- day by day, it's just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, being no where else than "in" that single foot-fall, being fully there, fully present.

Lately, I've been struggling to take my monologues to the next level, and I said in this post that I had a good idea about how to do this. Actually -- I didn't, but now I do.

This clip from Facing the Giants is instructive on a couple of levels: one -- it's an object lesson in setting your "real" goal to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other. Of course -- you have to pick a direction, know what you're working towards, but then . . . don't worry or focus on the hoped-for, wished-for, end result. Just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Let your attention, your heart, and your mind be no where else other than the current step. Be fully present right here, right now.

It's also a great metaphor for how to "do" a monologue: one step/thought at a time -- really be present in that step, that thought, and be no where else other than where you are . . .

. . . and you may just wind up going much much further (in terms of reaching for your goals) and going much much deeper (in terms on a monologue):

Over his entire career, Payton rushed for 16,726 yards, and scored 110 touchdowns. He also caught 492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 touchdowns. Payton was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards prior to the 2002 NFL season. As of 2006 he was the NFL's second all-time rusher, and ranked third in rushing touchdowns scored. (Pro Football Hall Of Fame, Class of 1993)

 

I was never, and I'm not, a great football fan, but I do remember The Chicago Bear's Walter Payton -- I remember . . . he just didn't stop. The defensive tackles were too big for Payton to just run though or over (recruiting agents for the opposing teams made sure of that), so Payton, when he would run into these unmovable objects, would . . . just bounce off and run around them. He flowed like water through the best defensive lines the NFL could throw at him . . .

I need to be like that -- there's ALWAYS going to be obstacles. Big Obstacles. I hit something unexpected, and I sit down. Not for long, but I do stop. No more.

Next time something unexpected gets in my way, I'm gong to think of Walter Payton, bounce off, go around, and not stop until I cross that touchdown line.

To Walter Payton -- Thank You!!!!!!

(Walter Payton, July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999)

I finally have time to catch my breath, to look forward (planning for next year) and back (seeing how far I've come -- one of the main reasons for keeping this blog). Looking back, in brief:

• I arrived, rather clumsily, in New York City in the last summer of the 20th Century, quite by accident, but it seemed to be providence anyway . . .
• In late 2001, I took a basic introductory acting class at NYU's School Of Continuing & Professional Studies (it was taught by a talented Kathryn Rossetter) . . .
• In the spring of the following year later, I took a monologue workshop at the Playwrights Horizons Theater School (taught by a terrific John Ruocco) . . .
• I waited almost a year and a half, until the end of '03, before I actually got up the nerve to audition for anything, and about six months & four or five audition later, I got a break in the summer of '04 when Ron Parrella & The Impact Theatre in Brooklyn cast me in The Adding Machine, my first role, my first time on stage (though I did stage manage shows a few times for a couple of years before that).

Since The Adding Machine, I've only grown more serious and committed, and one of my striving goals has always been to perform in a show at the the off-Broadway level. I'm not sure what classifies a show as "off-Broadway," but I guess you can do no better than consult the New York Times Arts-Theatre Section about these things, and there you'll see it, in the Off-Broadway listings : The Last Jew in Europe.

The show supports a cast of six, all sizable, though my role (Papa Jocka) is the smallest, which is good as I'm probably the least experienced of the cast: this is the first time I've ever had a costume I didn't have to put together on my own, a program I didn't have to help to make, there's actually a dressing room, a full time stage manager, a demanding producer and director with high standards, and a long run.

Looking back, while not that much time has passed, it does seem like I've come a long way from that summer '04, from my cowboy "I'll teach myself to act by just doing it" approach to the surprisingly disciplined approach I've now taken -- not only towards training -- but towards the whole enterprise of attempting to become the best actor I can become, and I find all this enormously gratifying.

This is exactly what I wanted, and it's hard believe it's happened -- in fact, I was so busy with rehearsals for both Angel Heart (which just closed) and this production, I didn't realize it was, technically, my off-Broadway debut.

The show opened, quite successfully, to a very receptive audience this last Tuesday evening, 12 . 18 . 2007, 7PM, The Triad, New York City.

. . . Dreams and Taking A Chance . . .

Steps Forwards:

• Continuing Mastery of "The Craft"
• . . . oh yeah, Money

Going forward, these right actions will continue to build confidence and improve my craft:

1. On the job training: off-Off-Broadway is 99% no pay because it's technically non-professional theatre (though this doesn't mean there's no excellent people doing excellent work, and my main goal is to be one of them). I see it as primarily an opportunity to learn to act. It's why, when I work in off-Off-Broadway, I don't call myself an "Actor" in the professional/accomplished sense -- I'm learning the nuts and bolts of the craft on the front lines. It's what will take me to that place of being an "Actor" in the professional/accomplished sense. I'm quite fortunate -- I've got two immediately opportunities for the end of the year:

1. a small role in a short run of a stage adaptation of Angel Heart.
2. a larger role in the Jewish Theater of New York's production of The Last Jew In Europe at The Triad NYC
   
   Both go into rehearsal the first week of November.
   
3. Keep participating in readings.

2. Formal Training: always study -- keep studying:

1. Continuing formal study at Deborah Carlson's Word of Mouth Studios.
2. I had an interview at The Network, and one thing that came out of the meeting was my lack of formal training at a "known" school or conservatory on the training section of my theatrical resume. For whatever reason, probably good reasons, professional casting directors like to see this on an actor's resume. While I'm 100%+ happy at Word of Mouth Studios, because the class sizes are so small, the focus is mostly on mostly on monologues and individual work, very little scene work (though that may change next year). Scene work is critical because it involves someone else -- it's more complicated than doing monologues (though monologues have their own unique challenges). In any event, for scene work -- and for the opportunity to apply the skills I'm acquiring at Word of Mouth Studios to intense scene work, I'm going to take a part time level 1 10 week session at The Atlantic Acting School starting in February 2008.
   
   Why The Atlantic Acting School? Atlantic has the only conservatory program in the world offering an in-depth training in the influential Practical Aesthetics Technique. One of the first acting books I read was A Practical Handbook for the Actor. I won't write about this technique now because I little experience with it, but suffice to say that it's a form of "The Method" that's more in line with how human beings work. The other reason is I think I'll be able to best apply what I'm learning at Word of Mouth Studios to Atlantic's classes without unnecessary conflict. This is a vague reason, but it should become more clear once I start classes.

Going forward, these right actions will help me start to earn my living as an actor, a MAJOR goal:

While I don't consider myself an "Actor" in the professional/accomplished sense -- there's no reason I can't start acting like one :). That means -- start going out on professional auditons, i.e., professional directors and casting directors who are casting for professional paid acting jobs. I'll write more about this in The Business Side section of this blog. To start, I'll be making use of two third party professional casting resources:

1. The Network Of New York City -- I've already interviewed with them, they know my type, and they will advise me about which casting directors are coming in who are looking for my type. Additonally, even if I'm not initially cast in anything, if I remain open, I'll receive great constructive critisism, in detail, on my audition technique. That's Perfect! If I can't get cast from a particular audition, then I'll learn how to get cast the next time I audition.
2. One on One. I've allready auditioned for them -- I need to audition for them again.
   
   In addition to work in film and television (i.e., Law & Order and the Soaps), my goal is to do a lot of commerical auditions, and I'll be trying to find commerical agents on my own outside of these two casting resources for either represenation or freelance work.

My monologues and cold reading auditions have been going well -- surprisingly well: I've been getting called back (maybe about 1/3 of the time), and I've been thinking my way through my monologues, moment by moment, and the same with my cold readings.

While I haven't yet been cast in anything -- I'm not concerned. What I have control over, what my targets are during an audition, i.e., moment-by-moment, not knowing/anticipating what I'm going to feel & think until I do feel and think, concentration, the characters thoughts & words coming out as easily and naturally as my own, all this is what I'm constantly striving towards, and to see it start to happen during real auditions is enormously gratifying. That's what I want -- and I want more of that, to get better and better at that.

I ran across this the other day in my mailbox . . .

What comes before success?

Feeling awkward, dumb, and uncomfortable . . . kind of like when one first learns to walk . . .

Alan Nusaum, Founder and CEO of TVI Actors Studio, has a great blog, actor-preneur.com, that focus on the practical side of acting, the business side.

A few days ago, he posted an article about how the beginning of an acting career is like a "start-up," and how a start-up is more likely to succeed if you commit to a "failure is not an option" mind set.

Actress Leslie Becker, another successful business person, gives exactly the same insight and advice about identifying and committing to those things you know you need to do to succeed. Realize that certain things ARE non-negotiable.

Twice a month, I'm going to see an Off-Broadway production (rather than an off-off-...-Off-Broadway), because I want to see myself doing that; I want to have a clear image, dreams and visions of performing at that level. Once I perform at that level, then I can die, or at some point later, but not before . . .

CageLove

        Primal obsession, & terrifying: the deepest of part of you, more real than anything, and it's ugly, weak, destructive: its actions, what it wants, the energy, the experience, all want expression in the universe. The behavior, the choices -- there's nothing else: there's no thought of not acting on what you are really, Really feeling, because nothing exists outside of that, so there's nothing to stop it; there's no where else to go . . .

           - the challenge for the Cagelove actors, in my opinion, to bring to life -- and they did just that: the vertical work

      See myself doing this, Off-Broadway.

      What I saw (the horizontal)

• full breath before speaking, didn't start until they were ready, and then
• no pauses or breaks (except for a breath) until the end of a thought
• pauses: where the character is searching, thinking of what to say, before saying something, the character, not the actor.

       Prayer: let me live another 50 years, 50 years to do this, to grow old and learn to do this, 50 good years more, 50 years in shape, 50 years in heart, in mind, in body, 50 more years, that's all I ask . . .

      Blocking:

• stillness -- then movement with purpose, but almost intuitive . . . a difficult talk, an uncomfortable moment, you go to the window -- why? You're getting ready to hear or to speak; this blocking did not seemed planned, little seemed choreographed.
• deciding to kiss her sister's fiancé . . . her right foot moved, just a couple of inches, stopped, paused, another tiny movement forward, stopped, paused . . . then, decision: up, walking towards him. Deciding, deciding, . . . decision, all was still except for her right down stage foot. It was amazing. Planned or inspiration? Planned, I think.
• Some of the movement, the pauses before movement, seemed well rehearsed, but not so much that the blocking lacked life.
• While there were some exceptions, moments of theatricality, I got the sense that all the blocking supported the action, or reinforced what was going on with the characters: it wasn't just a nice stage picture.

      Goal & Focusing Only On What I Want -- I am what I do

      I've got to find out what it's like to work at this level, at an Off-Broadway level. I resolve to use the off-Off-Broadway circuit to learn, to grow, but my target is Off-Broadway, to work with people who are really doing it, who have given and done what it takes to get there (even though, really, there is no there there, Gertrude Stein (Everybody's Autobiography) -- rather it's the doing it: I am what I do).

Training Goals: This year, I really only have four goals, all are important, but the last two are probably my priority, and one will be a serious commitment:

• Improv Class(es): I will take improv class(es) at the P.I.T. They were highly recommended to me by a woman who's now an understudy for one of the characters in Tony N' Tina's Wedding
• Subpersonality Work: I will take Jason Bennett's subpersonality work: it seems promising, and it makes intuitive sense to me.
• Vocal work: Deborah Carlson stuck a cord in me with her approach, esp. the class she teaches based on the work of Patsy Rodenburg. It's an approach that (at least from what I heard today) seems to compliment Meisner and my own intuitive way of working (i.e., breathing, listening, and reacting rather than acting -- and I also seem to have trouble breathing sometimes).
• A Serious Commitment To Consistent Training: Finally, it's time now for serious training. I've been working on my own, and doing as much "on the job" training as I can, but every serious actor in the city, especially the ones who are consistently working, are highly trained. So, I'm looking at a major acting conservatory school in the city -- I won't be able to go full time, but it's a two year program, and the plan, starting in the fall, is to start study there, and also study with the owner of the conservatory who is a master teacher.

So, to sum up: I need to start consistent vocal work now; between now and the fall, I want to take 1 or 2 improv classes and Jason Bennett's subpersonality workshop. As $$ is a factor, and the move has tapped me out, I'm going to try to take these two classes in the spring and over the summer, probably starting in May or June.

Performance Goals: Again, between now and the Fall, I'd like win 1 to 2 opportunities on stage and one student/independent film.

• Luck has been with me of late: I was just offered a part in a show that goes up in Manhattan in Spring, so -- that's one down.
• Audition for 13th Street Rep., and then audition and win a role in Line. This is actually a very major goal: to be a member of the company and in the longest running off-Off Broadway Play in the city would be a dream come true and a major achievement. This needs to happen by the summer.

Seeing Visions: I need to "see" myself doing things: Visions before plans & goals. I often have "Visions" when my mind is quiet, when I'm still, grounded, centered, and then I know deeply, exactly what I want, and I can "see" myself doing it. Want to learn to "see" myself as S.S., H.K., successful (& great!) actors, winning auditions, working. Find a life-coach, someone who can help me build this skill.

Daily Monologue And Audition Training and Experience Goals (this will be critical for my growth and learning how to develop discipline):

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not just an act, but a habit.
      - Aristotle

Between desire and fulfillment lies habit: small things done daily will have BIG long-term effects.
     - Me

• This comes from Larry Moss's The Intent to Live (a GREAT acting textbook, one of the best I've ever read): the goal is to learn one new monologue a month and to use his "Monologue Workout Program" exercises.
• Keep developing my cold reading skills.
• Vocal Exercises 4 times per week.
• Try to audition once a week.

As I'm coming to see, this type of training is really critical for highly trained actors how don't have much audition experience. However, while I am not yet a highly, well trained actor, this work will be invaluable for the future. So how will I do this work? Here's my schedule:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday : 8-8:30am, workout; 8:30-9am, shower, breakfast; 9:15-10am, monologue work; Evening: 7:30 or 8PM, sight-reading practice for 15-20min, cold reading for 30-45min.
• Tuesday, Thursday: 8:30 - 9:15am, shower, breakfast; 9:15-10am, monologue work; Evening: 7:30 or 8PM, vocal work for 30min, sight-reading practice for 15-20min, cold reading for 30-45min.
• Saturday, Sunday: exercise (45min), painting, writing, vocal work (30min).

Work In Perfect Faith: All Love, No Fear

My goal is to keep this schedule unless I'm preparing for a performance (which actually I will be, in the spring).

OK -- the Daily Monologue And Audition Training and Experience Goals will be the foundation of everything. Then take these classes, and . . . take a shot at getting into Line. After the summer end, then focus primary on training while still being a member of 13th Street Rep.

- C'est simple

 

Ok - I reviewed the goals I set for myself last year, and I batted about 40 to 50%. Not bad, but not great or even very good:

Summary:

2005 Training Goals: improv skills, on-camera technique, and commercial audition classes
Result: only an on-camera technique class, 2 actually (Jeffrey Zeiner), but I got a lot out of it. Also took a monologue workshop, which was great for finding new material and getting invaluable feedback. So, 1 (or 1.5) out of 3.

2005 Performance Goals: 1 to 2 theatrical productions, a film, and paid professional work.
Results: A lead in a one-act off-Off Broadway production at 13th Street Rep. No film work and no paid professional work. I did do a small 4 night run showcase of scene work at Weist-Barron which was also great experience. Again, 1 (or 1.5) out of 3.

2005 Audition and Audition Preparation Goals: Learn 3 monologues, practice/develop cold reading skills, identify my type, get new head shots, and audition at least once a week.
Results: I learned 2 monologues (a contemporary dramatic and a classic (Shakespeare); I did practice cold reading skills, but of the time I wanted to devote, I only put in 30-40% of that time. I made headway identifying my type, but no new head shots, and I did not even come close to auditioning once a week. So, this is the worst category. I really fell short of my goals here.

2005 Other Goals: Auditioning for 13th Street. This didn't happen.

The one biggest problem I've had is using my time well, and that mostly impacted my 2005 Audition and Audition Preparation Goals category. Of course, the 2005 Performance Goals category depends directly on this. The other category was training -- not bad, but I wanted to do more.

Where I need and want to do better is really with these Audition and Audition Preparation Goals, i.e., it only requires my time and effort, and small daily practice will go far. As for the other goals, e.g., training, finding my type, head shots, the problem is really been not knowing exactly how to proceed, not having clear defined goals that I can put my shoulder behind and push.

Bottom line: Laziness and not being clear enough about what I want/need.

On the plus side, what opportunities I did have (aside from my 2005 Audition and Audition Preparation Goals), I did make the most of those opportunities, and I did grow, and now that I have my own place, it will be easier to work on things myself at home -- in fact, privacy, was a major factor in getting my own place -- and while getting a new apartment took quite a bit out of me, all the experience of last year, and now having my own place, it's becoming surprisingly more clear about what I want, what I feel I need to do, and I feel even more committed, so ... onto part II.

Lazy Boy -- wow!

I have not kept up/started what I know I need to be doing everyday. I feel I'm entering round two of all of this, and I'm afraid I won't be able to take myself to a new level of auditioning and performing . . . yet, visions for what I want for myself, where I want to be, who I want to be, are becoming more frequent and more clear -- this is something that I've got to have, so subconsciously, something very positive seems to be happening.

OK -- here's what's scheduled between now and the end of the year: 3 major goals & deadlines:

Auditioning for 13th Street Rep. on 11 . 22 . 05, 4 weeks from now. Will do a two minute monologue, Gabe from Dinner With Friends, about what it means to see the past behind you, and the future in front of you, to realize that they are probably equal now in duration . . . and now what do you do? A great monologue -- if I can find it's real truth and do that truth justice, that will be a big accomplishment. Also, I want to do very well at this audition. In fact, my goal is to make it my best audition to date. I want to perform at a level that I haven't reached yet. I want to work with Tom to prepare for the audition -- he's a highly experienced and skilled audition coach. (Interestingly, the first production of Dinner With Friends was in N.Y.C., '99, and directed by Daniel Sullivan, head of the Theatre Arts Department at UIUC).

Scene Showcase at Weist-Barron: 12 . 12 . 05 , 12 . 14 . 05 & 12 . 15 . 05. Howard, a two-person from William Inge's Picnic. Invited audience + 5-10 industry professionals (gulp!). This doesn't seem to be part of WB's regular showcase series (which is a big deal), so I'll need to ask JZ exactly what the deal is. Nevertheless, it'll be a challenging scene, at least for me. I've been reading a great book, Stanislavski In Rehearsal by Vasili Toporkov, a book that provides a first-hand account of rehearsals for the Moscow Arts Theatre under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski -- it's an "acting journal," similar to what I'm trying to do here. I have no formal training in The Method (yet one of my goals is to become a life-time member of the Actor Studio here in N.Y.C., that would be great artistic achievement), but I understand enough of it, and it's a great account of how KS actually worked with his actors. The foundation of his "Method," I think, lay in the fact that he was a amazing observer of life and could import aspects of the real world (i.e., how people really behave) into rehearsal. That's the key to "The Method:" it grounds the actor in an objective truth, i.e., how people really behave. Application of The Method demands great observational and imaginative skills. So . . . I will start there.

New head shots. I'm not sure when, but before the end of the year. One problem is that I simply don't know what to do with my hair. It's long, people really like it (I like it), but it makes it hard to cast me. I'm going to an image consulting seminar on 11 . 17 . 05. Perhaps bring a bit more style into my life in addition to further helping to define my industry type and category . . .