Actors are invariably attracted to the idea of being famous.  We crave the connection we have with an audience during a great performance, and love the rewarding praise we receive afterwards.  Maybe that’s the reason why we love the idea of walking down the street and having strangers stop us and tell us how much they love our work.  Asking for our autograph and taking our picture doesn’t sound so bad either.  Whatever the reason, we actors love attention.

The reality is that celebrity and fame are hard to achieve.  Not only that, but the drawbacks may even outweigh the benefits.  Not only that, but if you become famous and decide you don’t like it, you can never truly go back to anonymity.  See this article for more on achieving true fame.  But is there any way to enjoy fame for a day, just to experience it?  To a certain degree, there is!  Keep an open mind for a minute, and give this a try. 

How does this sound for a great day?  Imagine you are out and about having a fun time, and all day long people are snapping your picture as you go about your business.  Strangers come up to you to ask you questions and talk to you about what you’re wearing.  People throw you compliments and smile at you.  Children look at you with a sparkle in their eye and want to meet you.  Sound fun?

You can accomplish it any time you want, with just a little hard work.  Have you ever seen a “beauty queen” out in public?  Once in a while you will be at a parade or public event, and you will see “Miss Auburn” or whatever town you live in, and everyone treats her like a celebrity, just because she is wearing the sash and crown.  Now, I’m not going to tell you to go out and buy a sash and crown, but close.

Here are your three steps to instant “fame” for a day:

1.  Find a local themed festival

2.  Get a partner to go with you

3.  Go the festival in elaborate themed costumes

Pretty simple.  There are all kinds of interesting festivals you can go to, if you just do a little research.  Everyone has heard of Renaissance Faires, but use your imagination.  With a little creativity (and Google), you can probably find a themed festival that suits your tastes just as well, or better.  They have everything from Cowboy Festivals to Civil War Reenactment Festivals, and more.

To properly achieve your local “celebrity,” you can’t go to the festival alone.  Most people won’t be comfortable approaching you on your own, so you need a partner.  Someone of the opposite sex is best.  A man and woman are most easily approachable, as compared with two men or two women. 

This is the part that will take a little work: get your outfits together.  Most people who attend public festivals like this do not get decked out in authentic costumes, but they love to see people who do.  Your outfit should be as authentic as possible.  Bright and colorful always helps, as well. 

Will you end up in the newspapers and celebrity gossip magazines?  No.  But you may just end up on the front page of the festival’s website.  This technique is definitely not going to make you a worldwide star, and it probably won’t even enhance your acting career, but you can have a lot of fun with it.  And since we all want to experience a little taste of fame, why not put yourself out there.  You will bring joy to other people, at the same time as bringing it to yourself.  Give it a try, and leave a comment, letting us know how it went!

Tags: Creative Ideas by superdiv
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Disney is one of the most popular entertainment companies in the world, and it is no surprise that many actors would love to work for them.  The good news is that Disney has plenty of opportunities not only for actors, but also for singers, dancers, and stunt performers.  If you live in one of Disney’s areas of operation, you have a real chance at getting a full-time job performing, which is a dream come true for most actors.

So the question becomes, how do you find out about Disney acting auditions?  Of course you have to know about them in order to go to them!  The best way is to go to the source itself.  In the past, Disney has had a telephone hotline that you could call to get audition info, and they would put ads in the trade papers when auditions were upcoming.  Fortunately, they have now put up a very informative website, which is a lot more convenient than just the hotline.

At DisneyAuditions.com, they have a current audition calendar, which will show you all the upcoming auditions for live performers at each of their locations: Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokya Disney, and the Disney Cruise Lines.  Between all these locations, there are always auditions upcoming.

Beyond the audition calendar, though, they also have sections describing what the Disney acting auditions experience is like, videos from current cast members talking about life working with Disney, and a list of other opportunities in their entertainment departments.  All in all, Disney has done a great job with their website.

If you are planning to audition for Disney sometime soon, make sure you get our free audition tips so that you can give a spectacular audition, and increase your chances of getting the part.  Click here to get the 7 free audition tips to knock ‘em dead at your Disney acting audition.

Tags: Audition Tips by superdiv
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Acting is about sharing yourself, not “getting away” from yourself.  How does that statement sit with you?  Have you fallen into the trap of trying to transform yourself into someone completely unrecognizable with every character you play?  Sometimes there is a lot of pressure from other actors to do this.

The worst situation is an acting class in which all the other student actors are encouraged to give their critique of your performance.  A lot of times, student actors don’t have the vocabulary yet to give you a truly useful critique, and so when a performance isn’t working, you will hear the criticism that it was “too much like you.”  Put another way, it could be: “you didn’t get away from yourself enough.”

Is this a valid criticism?  It usually comes from a good place, but is not necessarily verbalized accurately.  Let’s not forget that the purpose of an actor is to entertain the audience.  The audience does not care whether or not the actor is “getting away from himself” or not, as long as he enjoys the performance.  The real question becomes, how do you deliver an exciting performance?

The one thing you have to offer is your humanity.  Every human being is capable of experiencing every emotion in life.  When you come to a role, you bring your unique perspective to the character.  If your main goal is to eliminate every part of yourself, what do you have left?  Nothing!

Instead, when you approach a role, you should embrace the uniqueness that you bring to the role.  Your fresh perspective is what makes your performance different from any other actor who may perform it.  When you bring the emotional truth to it in that way, then you can begin to layer the physical and vocal changes on top of it.  As long as that layer of truth is there underneath, you can transform the external attributes as much as you want.

The bottom line?  People may or may not say “Wow, I didn’t even recognize him!”  But don’t worry about it.  Captivate your audience by baring your soul, and they will respond with gratitude and love.

Tags: Acting Tips by superdiv
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When was the last time you saw a performance that had you mesmerized?  How would you like to give such a compelling performance, every single time?  Every great acting performance has one thing in common: the actor understands the passionate desires of the character.

When preparing for a role, one of the things you must discover is what your characters wants or desires in each scene you play.  Though it easy to make vague choices, it is very important instead to push yourself to make extremely specific choices.  Only then can you really go after your character’s desires with passion.

Let’s take a scene from Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part II for an example.  In the play, Queen Margaret and the Duke of Suffolk have had an affair behind the King’s back.  In the particular scene (Act III, Scene ii), Margaret tells the Duke that he has to exile himself because the King has found out about the affair and wants to kill him.  As an actor, what do you think are the desires of the Queen?  Does she really want the Duke to go, or does she want him to stay?

If you were playing the Queen, you would have to make that decision.  If you don’t make a firm choice as to what your character passionately desires, you will never be able to play the scene with the passion that makes your performance exciting!  There is no right or wrong answer, but for now let’s say that you choose to play the Queen as if she truly, passionately wants to make love to the Duke.

Now you have a very interesting scene to play, because you have internal conflict built in.  You want to make love to the Duke, but you know that if you don’t convince him to leave, he will be killed, and you will never have him again.  With the intense passion of desire, you can beg and plead for him to go.  Then imagine the agony when you can not hold yourself back from embracing and kissing him - possibly for the last heartbreaking time.  Then you finally collapse in tears when he leaves you.

Do you see how captivating your performance can become when you make powerful choices?  What if you as an actor could not figure out whether your character, the Queen, really wanted him to stay or go.  When you don’t commit to a choice, you lose the ability to go after something with everything that you have.  Audiences want to see you go after something, and then they will rejoice or despair with you when you succeed or fail.

The bottom line is that you have to know your character well enough to know what he or she wants.  Then play the full scene to get that which you desire.  A great acting technique will help you to do this, every single time.

Tags: Acting Tips by superdiv
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As the author of the “Knock ‘Em Dead Acting Technique,” I am getting ready to write my next book.  It has come to my attention that many of you are looking for great humorous duet acting scripts.  I am considering compiling some original scripts into a book, which you can download from the site.

Please tell me what you require in a humorous duet acting script, so that I can put together the scenes which will help you the most.  For example, does it need to be a published work, or can it be original?  How long do you need the script to be?  What type of characters would you like to see?

Everyone who submits a comment on this blog post will get a free copy of the book when it is complete.  (You must include your email address with your comment.)

Submit your comments at the end of this post A.S.A.P., so that I can get you the book right away!  Thanks for your help, and come back and visit often so that you can grab the scripts as soon as I get them up.

Tags: Scenes & Monologues by superdiv
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One of the most pressing problems every actor faces is not getting the roles they want.  Since it is so difficult to produce your own show (practically impossible for most struggling actors), when that “perfect” role comes along, you may find yourself desperate to get the part.  You just know you are perfect for it, and this may be your only chance to get your dream role.

This is a perilous position to be in as an actor, because you never want to come across as desperate.  Your goal should always be to come across as a confident, capable actor who can play the role, but doesn’t need the role.  You can do this by learning to keep your nerves under control.  While you will never eliminate your nerves (nor should you try), you can deal with them quite easily with one simple method: deep breaths.

Anxiety usually causes your breath to be very quick and shallow.  Remind yourself to stop, take in a long, slow breath, and let it out very slowly and evenly.  The breath should fill your entire torso, not just your lungs.  That means that when you breathe in, your belly will expand to fill with air.  As you continue to breathe in, your lungs will then fill with air, expanding your chest.  At that point, you can begin to slowly let the air out.

If this seems difficult to do, try lying down on your back on the floor.  Concentrate on expanding your belly as you breathe in.  Most people can get the hang of it by practicing this way.

The next time you experience stage fright or audition nerves, remind yourself that “deep breaths are the secret of life.”  I am saying this tongue in cheek, of course, but it is a good little saying to remind yourself to practice those deep breaths that will help you deal with all that nervous energy.

I would love to hear any other ways that you personally handle your nerves, whether in performance or auditions situations.  Please post your comments! 

Tags: Audition Tips by superdiv
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One of the readers of this blog asked the question “How can I get started in acting for cheap, or even better, free?”  I thought it might be helpful to share my answer with everyone.  Here is what I told her:

“Unfortunately, acting on the professional level will require some investments, such as headshots, acting classes, etc.  Though you don’t need to choose the most expensive options, any quality services will definitely cost you a fair amount.
 
The good news is you can get started acting . . . for free!  If you are still in school, you can take advantage of any acting or drama classes that are offered there, as well as auditioning for any school plays that come up.  If that’s not an option, community theatre can be a great way to get some performance experience.  That’s how many actors get their start.  Contact any theatres in your community or the surrounding areas, and find out when they are holding auditions.
 
Two things to remember:
 
1.  Learn as much as you can about any play you audition for.  Try to audition for every single play in which you there is a role that you could play.
 
2.  Audition a lot!  Not getting a part can be very discouraging, but you must keep trying.  Don’t give up!  I have had more ‘rejections’ than I can count, but it has all been worth it.  Learn from each audition, and constantly try to improve your acting skills.
 
Acting classes are a great way to improve your skills, so you can get better and better roles.  Unfortunately, they can be expensive as well.  If you just can’t afford a class right now, make sure you are practicing on your own.  My book, ’Knock ‘Em Dead Acting,’ will teach you how to do that.”

Tags: Getting Started In Acting by superdiv
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One of the toughest things about acting classes or competitions is finding the right script.  Similar to how the American Idol judges always stress the importance of finding the right song, actors must find the script that will really help them to shine.

One of the most in-demand types of scripts is the humorous duet acting script, which is used in forensic or speech and debate competitions.  Of course, there are many scripts available, but the real challenge is finding one that hasn’t been done over and over and over again, to the point of nausea.  Of course, if I were to post specific examples of scripts you could use, the danger is that the same thing would happen with those.

You want to find something unique, that is perfectly suited to you and your partner.  The question is, how do you find that funny scene without having to read hundreds of plays from front to back?  Here is the method I always use for finding fantastic, unknown pieces to perform.

Step One:  Go to the library or bookstore and pick up some scene books with scenes from real, published plays.  Scan through them and find some scenes that you really like.  It doesn’t matter if the age range or characters are exactly what you’re looking for, just keep your eye out for a sense of humor and writing style that you are attracted to.  Make note of the playwrights of those scenes you like.

Step Two:  This is the real secret to finding unique acting scenes.  Get your hands on as many plays by those playwrights as you can.  Since you already know that you relate to his style and humor, you should be able to find a lesser-known duet acting scene in one of his other plays.

Though you may be tempted to skip step two and just grab something out of a scene book, it really is the key to finding great acting scenes for whatever your purpose.  More than likely, you will find a couple of gems, and your hard work will show off your originality and make you stand out from the crowd.

This is my favorite method for finding acting scenes (and monologues) for classes, auditions, improving my acting technique, et cetera.  Do you have another method that you’d like to share?  We all welcome your input!  Feel free to post a comment.

P.S.  Please visit my latest post on humorous duet acting scripts to give me your input!  I am compiling some scripts for you to download from this site, but I need your input to make sure I give you exactly what you are looking for!

Tags: Scenes & Monologues by superdiv
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For theatre actors, one of the greatest ways to bring believability to your character is to find a bit of “business” to do. This simply means performing some physical tasks while onstage, rather than standing (or sitting) there like a bump on a log, stiffly reciting lines.

So what can you do to add a more natural dimension to your character? If a scene takes place in a kitchen, you could clear the table or do the dishes. In an office, you could straighten papers on the desk. If you are having a discussion in the bedroom, you could finish getting dressed. These are just a few examples of things you can do.

For your next role, whether for acting class or a show you are in, consider where you can add some business. Be selective! If you add too much business, you can appear fidgety. Just choose a few moments where it would be appropriate.

Also, you should make sure any business you do is consistent with your character choice. If you are playing a homemaker, there are any number of “housekeeping” tasks you can do. A businessman may be meticulous about his clothing, adjusting his tie and cuffs.

But what if you are playing someone is more sloppy, or carefree, who never worries about tidying anything up? No problem! Think about how that affects your character’s life. Maybe you can never find your car keys, so you are constantly searching for them.

Here is a simple example of how believable a scene can become when you add the proper business: Imagine a scene where your character is alone in a room and the phone rings. A predictable, boring way to play the scene is to stand perfectly still while saying lines into the phone. The story will be moved along as it is supposed to be, but will the audience be engaged?

Picture the same scene this way. Find a reason to write something down during your phone call. Now you have something to do: search for a pen (maybe you have to go through a few until you find one that writes), grab a scrap of paper, and cradle the phone on your shoulder as you try to write while talking. Though very simple, these mundane activities will create both interest and believability while you deliver your lines.

Let your imagination run wild when discovering ways to add business to your performance. This is the fun part, where you get to inject some creativity into the role as it is written in the script.

Please feel free to comment on this post! What are some ideas you have about how to include business in a scene? Have you tried this before? If so, what did you do that worked? Share your thoughts with the readers of this blog…

Tags: Acting Tips by superdiv
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