Archive for July, 2010

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and check out the “Ask Sande” archives.

Q: Can an 11 year old be a famous actor?

Nicole

A: The answer…Yes. 

With the right training and commitment absolutely!

Q: At what point of an actors career should they look for a manager?

Billy

A: Hi Billy. Good question.

Without knowing you and your background I can’t answer this specifically for you. However managers and agents want to be bowled over. A good very short DVD of your work (for film), or excellent reviews, or a solid work history all helps. And always have a couple of very solid monologues in your back pocket in case they want to see your work. In my classes we, from time to time, work on monologues constantly honing them to perfection. We also offer monologue workshops and if you know you are going to be asked to perform a monologue, private coaching is sometimes valuable and worthwhile. And also an actor’s business card is his headshot so make sure you have a good photographer and get the “money” shot. It’s a shame but in this competitive business an artist has to be a self marketing expert as well as a great artist.  Wishing you well- Sande

Q: I get so nervous before an audition that I sometimes blow a well prepared audition. Any advice on how to get my nerves under control?

Phil

A: Iconic question, Phil, so thanks for asking.

Nerves are a necessary thrust into handling things that need attention. The underlying emotion, FEAR, is what you need to be with and work out. Just know excitement is the other side of fear. Expect to feel fear when you are in unfamiliar territory. And this unfamiliar territory is the place growth takes place in. So fear is not such a bad place to be.

Here are some ways of dealing with the fear:

1) Prepare for the role.
2) “Have” the nerves and move ahead anyway.
3) Challenge the voice in your head and become unstoppable.

Nerves will dissipate as you learn to take action.

Now for some technical ways of using the fear:

1) Breathe…holding your breath creates more fear.
2) Give the fear to your character by using one of the circumstances of the script to justify them. (Referring to the classic “Streetcar Named Desire”. Blanche is nervous being with lower class Stanley. Stanley is nervous that Stella will turn Blanche against him. You can absolutely use this technique for any character for any medium.)
3) Keep your attention on what your character is going for, their action, needs, wants, desires and objective.
4) Be connected to yourself and what the moment and the other characters trigger in you.

Thanks for the question, it is truly Universal.

Good thoughts and bright times, Sande

Click Here to ask Sande your question
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It concerns me, how we celebrate America’s Independence with fireworks and firecrackers that scare the animals, birds, children, possibly pollute the atmosphere, and injure many…not to mention closed highways and traffic.

PRETTY?

Yes!  But, so are Kaleidoscopes and Teleidascopes and they are much safer.

That being said, we’re at the gorgeous, atmospheric pool site of our longtime close friends Judy and Jeff Fischer.  Swimming, laughing, major food and streams of company abound. This is our first pause of an accelerated period of time since the end of 2009, which actually was pretty tense as we were packing our three building compound in Woodstock (the Acting Studio portion became a Recording Studio) when we sold at the end of January. We also rented a loft in Kingston, NY to hold our weekly Woodstock Acting Classes until further notice. And we redid the entire New York City Studio at the same time.

2010 has a great ring to it. How did we land? What has occurred? This is the reality check as seen from the poolside reflection…

In my yearly holiday message given at our New York City as well as our Woodstock Studio we spoke about making “uncertainty” part of our experience, which helps us to live on the edge of creation. (Read at this message at: www.SandeShurin.com, by scrolling down to, “2010 Holiday Message.”) Bruce and I lived that message to its max this year. Four moves and one still to come: one out of our Woodstock compound, then we packed and moved out of our  NY Acting Studio and Living Loft while they reconfigured the space. Then we moved twice upstate for our Woodstock classes. Classes continued around the NY construction as we lived life as guests in New City, NY, the same place I’m writing this from but a few months later.

February began in our beautiful new New York space unpacking and moving back in. I started working with Anna Fishbeyn on structuring and Directing, “Sex in Momyville.” Along with the usual Weekly Classes and Private Coaching and then it was off to LA to lead the Star Power Workshop.

In March, we flew to Greenville, South Carolina for opening night of Bruce’s play, “Sada,” which played to full houses, standing ovations, and great reviews. We premiered The Sande Shurin Radio Show (our radio show) – Where Acting and the Arts meet Personal Growth and Transformation, on Voice of America/World Talk Radio.

Ah spring! In April we searched for, found and began negotiations on a new house in Woodstock. And, while Bruce worked very diligently on promoting the weekly radio show I did the outreach for new guests.

May…We actually moved into another new teaching loft for our Woodstock students, still in Kingston. We had three Intensives that month one of them our Monthly Pro-Intensive in NYC and two Star Power Workshops, one in Kingston and the other in our new NYC space.

June… we settled on a price for the Woodstock house. I directed a staged reading of Sada, produced by Randi Shebitz at her fabulous carriage house in Nyack, NY.

Also, in an effort to support our actor’s careers by having them seen by industry Casting Professionals, we resumed our Industry Events Evenings in June, with a free lottery for our students to meet and work for Camille Hickman Associate Casting Director for Lincoln Center.

Which brings us back to the July 4th weekend. This month we will move into our new Woodstock House. I continue to Direct, “Sex in Mommyville,” which opens Aug. 18th at The Flea Theatre in Tribeca NYC. And Bruce begins rehearsal for his role in the play, “A Tomatoe Doesn’t Grow in the Bronx,” by Gary Morganstern.

I have to add that I also gave a few good interviews, did a teleseminar for www.MovieBizCoach.com and got a terrific review from Tim Beachum for my latest book, “Star Power.”

Am I happier with the consistent and extended activity? Richer? Wiser? Perhaps that happens the during the second half of the year. For now I can say that I am feeling safer within and energized by the uncertainty.  And that was the call for 2010….playing out of the box, the excitement of uncertainty, which leads us to living on the edge of creation.

Good thoughts and bright times,

Sande Shurin