Brains of Minerva » Culture

Performers in Animation

Sarah — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:00:32 +0000

Warning: Do not start today’s post if you need to head out the door in a few minutes. The videos contained herein will make you late. They may also leave you feeling deeply inspired by the seemingly boundless depths of human creativity and a re-kindled fire within you to make art.

The three pieces that I want to highlight today are not only all gorgeous and inspiring, but they all incorporate live performance in different ways. When I think of how performers are used in animation, my first thought is that performers are used to give voice to the characters. Also, through films like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar” we’ve seen actors used for motion or performance capture, their every move and gesture “captured” by a computer and then used by the animators to give the characters life. In terms of working in Hollywood films, commercials and videos, both of these areas are growing markets, but they aren’t the use of performers in animation that I want to highlight today.

Ryan Woodward, the animator of the first piece below, Thought of You, talks about the “itch to do something unique” and the “inner beast of creativity”. He has worked as a storyboard artist on some of Hollywood’s biggest films – Spiderman 2 and 3, Where the Wild Things Are, and Cowboys and Aliens, to name just a few. He works with the choreographer Kori Wakamatsu and four dancers for the creation of his film. The dancers aren’t hooked up to machines to calculate their precise movements but in the making of video you can see Ryan closely watching them and then interpreting their movements in his gorgeous drawings (of which he made over 20,000!).

You can see all the collaborators in this making of documentary.

This next piece, Tyger, by Guilherme Marcondes, uses a mix of traditional puppetry, photography and computer generated animation. The film was inspired by William Blake’s poem The Tyger, and in the book Animation in Process by Andrew Selby, Guilherme talks about why he kept the puppeteers visible in the final product.

That’s a reference to a line in the poem that questions the origin of this supernatural animal; “Was it created by God?” “Is it the image of a human desire?” There’s no answer to that in the text. I thought that using the direct puppet manipulation and showing the controlling dark figures was the perfect visual translation of that mystery.

In these last pieces, Miwa Matreyek is both the live performer and the animator. She uses a mix of rear and front projections, music and her own body to create her mesmerizing pieces.

Brings Miranda’s famous line from The Tempest to mind -

O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t!

Image at top is a still from “Thought of You” by Ryan Woodward

Structure and Heart: Struggles with Writing about The Work

Claire — Tue, 10 May 2011 09:00:30 +0000

Can I Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Power Point?

We were deep into minute 7 of my allotted 10 with Mr. Film Publicist and Ms. Associate Film Publicist at the South by Southwest Film Festival mentor sessions. Ms. Associate took the bull by the horns and reeled off the names of three LA production companies she’d thought would be good fits for the project (an interactive online game about acting) I’d been describing to them.

She then turned to her boss and said, “Her next step is a deck, right?”

“Oh, yes, definitely,” said Mr. Boss. “Ok, so you need a deck…”

I had a deck once. I was 5. My mother planted geraniums on it. Minute 8. Geraniums? What? How would geraniums get my project done? I looked to Mr. Publicist. I looked to Ms. Associate. I searched their kind faces. They searched mine. Finally, I surrendered.

“What’s a deck?” I asked.

One of the kick-assest things – of many – about my trip to South By Southwest were these rushed mini-meetings – the film festival’s ‘mentor sessions’. About a week before heading to Texas, I got an email saying that as a holder of a film badge I could sign up for 10-minute one-on-one meetings with the industry pros for each of the first four days of the festival.

And so there I found myself, a week later, sitting across a top film publicist and his associate, and (very quickly) pitching the acting game/project that takes players through creating the character of themselves (‘self’), a character based on their desires for their identity (‘doppelganger’) and then a narrative that contains both. Some people got it, some people didn’t, and I was feeling very lucky that Mr. Publicist and Ms. Associate sounded like they fell in the former camp.

“Oooh, a deck is a Power Point,” said Mr. Publicist, soothingly. “About the project. And for this one it has to be visually amazing – pictures of people playing, their ‘doppelgangers,’ everything. And it can be!”

“And then call the business affairs departments of those companies and get meetings!” ordered Ms. Associate as a volunteer ushered in the next mentee.

Ten minutes worth the price of admission! Ten minutes that revealed destination, procedure, possibility! Ten minutes of people I respect telling me that Power Point is THE KEY TO MY PROFESSIONAL SELF-ACTUALIZATION?!

***

And so here I sit at my kitchen table attempting to squeeze my grand vision – a year of work, more video than I like to admit, essays revealing my deepest thoughts and feelings about acting and its ability to affect social change – into 10 pages of the one Microsoft program I’d refused to learn in my myriad office jobs because doing so would have meant that The Day Job Terrorists had won.

But it’s not the ins and outs of the program that’s now the source of my anxiety. If only. Instead, I’m at a frustrating cross roads I’ve visited before when writing about the work. For my life in acting this has meant filling out grant applications, applying for fellowships, and, uh, writing blog posts about projects. But even for more traditional ‘acting-for-hire’ careers, writing skills are more and more valuable as we’re asked to take our marketing into our own hands – creating one-sheets to get meetings, crafting stellar bios, even developing business plans for films and series. Whatever the endeavor, the challenge when writing about our creative work is the same: how to do it in a way that makes the heart of the project beat faster, that doesn’t slow it down with explanations, data, projections…

Pardon, I dozed off for a minute.

And so I push on, experimenting with forms and sentences that balance clarity and feeling. I try to pay closer attention to what I’m feeling, or not feeling, in my body when I realize I’m writing only from the safety of intellectual concepts. I try to pay closer attention to what I’m thinking when I notice my breath drop deeper and my heart beat faster – the clear signals that I’m looking into the barrel of what I want and have something on the line.

I make progress. I get scared. I check email. I have a breakthrough. I get overwhelmed. I eat potato chips. I fantasize about pulling a “Twyla Tharp.” The story goes something like this: Tharp, arguably the late 20^th century’s most influential choreographer, got frustrated with the time that the New York Foundation for the Arts’ grant application was taking away from her work in the studio. She took a marker, drew a big X on the application cover and wrote, “I don’t make grants…I make dances!” She was awarded the grant.Apparently, the committee found her Sharpie art charming…that, and her already established body of Super Work. But where I’m at in my career, I need to make dances and grants. And, ideally, grants that dance.

When I’ve done this in the past – this writing about the work, applying for this, that and the other – I’ve often felt like the inner-technician won out. My need to be ‘acceptable’ beat out my need to express the mess, and it was the mess that drove me to create the work in the first place.

***

Another of the kick-ass SXSW experiences was attending the Catherine Hardwicke Directing Workshop. The director of Twilight, Thirteen & The Lords of Dogtown fielded questions from the audience, explaining how she brought complicated shots and concepts to life. And she did this with the aid of a serious (yes, you guessed it!) Power Point presentation – videos, sketches, story boards – and her indomitable spirit guiding the show. The Day Job Terrorists, it turns out, can be beaten at their own game. Often, she said, her ideas weren’t at first understood by her collaborators. She had to keep finding new ways of communicating what she wanted – drawings, reports, research, shooting spec videos on the fly. Getting her point across is the director’s burden. It’s the job.

When I recently showed my first draft of the Deck to my writing group – people who know the history of the work and its personal velocity – they saw me veering down the too-technical path again. They pointed out the missing steps, the moments that were unclear, but they also warned me not to lose the desire behind them. Structure and heart. Both are needed. The scaffolding is not enough. Nor is it useful to throw up my hands if I’m not understood on my terms only, thus cutting off chances for collaboration, and for my work to have as far a reach as possible.

This week, taking the advice of the writing group, combing over the last year’s notes and images, and listening more closely to the rumblings in my head, I’ve plugged away. The next draft is becoming more immediate, idiosyncratic, and, I hope, clearer.

I’ve set a new Deck Draft deadline for next Tuesday. And if you have any tips and tricks on how you’ve created your best work about the work, I’d love to hear them. Inspired by the passion of Ms. Tharp and the fortitude of Ms. Hardwicke, let’s rise to the challenge of making the most effective work about the work that we can.

Drawing by Bixentro

The Minerva Show- Episode 3

The Brains — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:00:30 +0000

We really love to shine the spotlight on others and showcase the many talents and voices that make up our community, but lately some of you have been asking what we do when we’re not Minerva-ing. Today we talk about the other projects that currently make up our professional lives.

What about you? What have you guys been up to? Tell us about it and share links if you’ve got ‘em in the comments section.

We’re going to focus on our other projects for a moment and take a brief hiatus. We’ll be back with new content on March 1st at the latest. (We may pop in with something sooner if something arises that just can’t wait. We’re unpredictable like that. Subscribe for email notifications so you don’t miss anything.) In the meantime, come out and have a drink with us Sunday night at the Good Luck Bar! Details here.

Acting in Paris

Special Guest — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:00:08 +0000

Reba Baggett (text) is a recent graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design, with a major in Fashion, and a minor focus on textiles. She has been living in Paris, France for about a year, a city in which she finds as constant inspiration, particularly its sophisticated cultural backdrop and fashion-focused history. She is a regular contributor to the blog, http://parismarket.blogspot.com/.

Willim Willson (photos) is an American photographer/writer/thinker who has been living in Paris since the beginning of 2010. He splits his time between wandering the city, taking photos, and starving. Things he likes include cheese, witnessing public displays of affection, and adventure. Things he misses about America include big gulps and people. Specific people. The people he loves.

L’Acteur de L’Atomosphere

I still consider myself a recent graduate. I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, and received my degree in fashion design. My school offered a variety of departments associated with the arts and design, and with numerous friends studying to become film majors, I found myself working on film-sets as a stylist. I became so enamored of life on set that I often lost my fashion focus by all the attractions found within the film scene, and the actors’ scene.

With that, I embrace this assignment. Whether in L.A., New York, London, or Paris the scenes may have vast differences between themselves. I haven’t an idea what it means to be an actor, and what I offer here is an outsider’s voice to this insider’s site. This is not an entry of comparisons between fashion design and acting, nor is it a comparison between one city and another, yet a discovery all it’s own.

My French still is lacking. I could not figure out the fitting phrase for my topic: The Actor’s Scene. For me, the word “scene” automatically calls for stereotypes, and to avoid tainting any first impressions with unwanted assumptions I opt for more of an “atmospheric observation.”

I repeated aloud over and over again to lose my American accent, “L’Acteur de L’Atmosphere.” With a title for my assignment and the latest copy of Pariscope, a weekly journal that offers pages and pages of the upcoming entertaining events, I was off to explore the life of actors in Paris.

Theatre Espace Marais

Living in Paris I find myself continually wandering though Le Marais. It is my favorite neighborhood to people-watch, and in fact, a neighborhood filled with small theaters. Amongst the many, there is one school particularly which has intrigued me. With it’s red façade and location just right around the corner from L’Eglise Saint Paul and down the street from the Bastille, the Theatre Espace Marais gave me my first look inside the scene.

A woman waits for the metro in front of a wall plastered with theater billing

Julie Harle, the assistant director of the school, explained that every performer starts on the stage. In French, that performer is known as a comedienne, which is separate from one who may act in the cinema. She, herself, is not an actress but loves her affiliation with the art. She informed me of the many different acting schools located in Le Marais. This quarter is the area most associated with theatric performances, it is here where one would easily stumble across a small theatre and be warmly welcomed to come in and have a coffee and watch an afternoon performance. The evening performances are also nice, and offer a pleasant, low-key alternative to going-out. There seems to be a cozy welcoming to any who enter. I got the impression that similar to any neighborhood boulangerie, café, or bar – people recognize each other and there is a sense of community.

Giulio Serafini and Margie Viglietti discuss the reasons they left Italy to pursue the Theater in Paris

When Julie began working for the theatre she was surprised that the plays would be booked during the holidays. For instance on New Year’s Eve, she assumed that Parisians would want to do something on a grander scale, but instead she found that a considerable amount of people wanted nothing more than to spend the evening entertained at the little theatre with their friends and their spiced wine. Even the actors and actresses, who are not making a fortune, instead seem to be nourished by the community they are making with each other and their spectators.

Parisiens wait for the performance to begin at the Théâtre du Gymnase

Fortunately my French language school has students of diverse backgrounds, and a friend of a friend is trying to make his way in this actors’ community. An Italian actor, who has made Paris his home, he says that the city really supports the arts. Being in the European-Union, he is entitled to work here as long as he can communicate and act in French. Tax money goes to theater performers even if they are not currently involved in a play. In a sense it is like an unemployment check that is specifically for those who perform.

It is a curious industry to be involved with, especially knowing that there is such state support. Does the comfort with this sort of easy-living improve one’s performance, or does it diminish genuine talent and ambition?

The cast of Cinderella answers questions from the audience following a performance

It seems possible, but then I imagine myself in such a community, where struggle is replaced with support. I have yet to feel that sort of support in the Paris fashion world, and after this research I ask myself if I in fact need a change of atmosphere. A movie quote comes to mind from the 1938 French film, Hotel du Nord, where Louis Jouvet says he needs a change of atmosphere, and Arletty, in an epic tone of voice says, “Atmosphere, atmosphere, est-ce que j’ai une gueule d’atmosphere?” (Translation – Jouvet: I need a change of air. Arletty: Do I look like an atmosphere to you?”) I see myself as Louis Jouvet, and my fashion endeavors as Arletty. Though, my recent discoveries of L’Acteur de L’atmosphere have offered a new sense of possibility and community, and I have decided to embrace the scene I am associated with, and support the scene I am newly fond of.

For upcoming L’Acteur de L’Atmospere events in Paris check out www.premiere.fr, associated with Pariscope.

The Minerva Show – Episode 1

The Brains — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:45:34 +0000

We’ve decided to give our fingers a break and turn the camera on ourselves for today’s post.

We have a discount for you! The code is BRAINY. For tickets click here.

We can’t wait to see you at The Bootleg Theater on February 13th! Event starts at 7pm, doors will open at 6:30pm.

A Brains of Minerva Event: ‘The Cape Panel’ on February 13th!

The Brains — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:00:10 +0000

Discounted ticket offer ends January 20th!

We’re thrilled to be hosting a panel discussion at Echo Park’s Bootleg Theater with the creative team of NBC’s new series The Cape. On Sunday February 13at at 7pm The Brains will moderate a stimulating talk on what it takes to bring a show from idea to its first season. Our incredible guests include the series creator Thomas Wheeler, casting director Risa Bramon Garcia and stars James Frain and Keith David. The $30 ticket price* includes complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres at the after-party in the venue’s super-cool lounge.

Buy your tickets here!

Not only will the evening be fun, relaxed and educational, but it’s a great networking opportunity as well. For less than the price of a casting director workshop, you’ll get a stimulating talk that takes you behind the scenes of a much-anticipated new show, a chance to ask questions in the Q & A, and an opportunity to meet our guests and other enterprising pros like yourself at the after-party.

To learn more about our guests, you can read Sarah’s interview with Thomas Wheeler, check out Risa’s wonderful Brains post, and learn more about the incredible acting careers of James Frain here and Keith David here.

We”ll see you at The Bootleg!

For tickets and more info, click here.

*After January 20th tickets are $40 and $45 the day of the event.

A Minerva Gift Wish List

The Brains — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:00:39 +0000

Like everyone else, we can’t believe it’s the holidays already! It seems we were clinking champagne glasses and twirling sparklers to welcome 2010 just moments ago….

Ah well, no point in lamenting. I have a confession to make. I am a terrible gift giver. That is not to say that I don’t sometimes give great gifts, but they are almost always on my own timetable, which rarely coincides with actual holidays or birthdays. My sister-in-law swears she loves “birthday in July” (her birthday is in February), but my goal is to stay a little more true to the calendar this holiday season. So, in an attempt to organize my own gift-giving, and to help you through this over-harried season, we’ve put together our own actor-centric gift wish list.

Happy Holidays!
Sarah

Sarah’s picks:

Tea and paraphernalia

Perhaps the best thing about chilly weather is the chance to drink lots of tea. From waking you up to calming pre-audition jitters, tea does it all. I cannot sit down to do anything- read a script, learn lines, write this article – until I have a pot of tea brewing beside me. I love these little Bee House pots, perfect for one with a strainer inside in sunny orange or this moody blue. Mountain Rose Herbs Firefly Chai has gotten Claire and I through many a meeting, and Jamie Oliver has come out with a line of teas so pretty they’re definitely gift worthy. When empty (alack the day), the re-usable tins would be great for pens or make-up brushes. Lastly, tea is also the best defense against unheated rehearsal rooms! Be sure your loved ones won’t go without by sending them off with this cordless kettle.

Letters to a Young Poet and Letters to a Young Artist

These books, the first by Rainer Maria Rilke, and the second, a response of sorts by Anna Deavere Smith, are dear friends to turn to again and again. Both written as a series of letters to a young artist, they are the guide and mentor through life and art that most of us can only dream of having. Full of inspiration, these books are amazing additions to any actor’s library and they are available in the Minerva shop.

Headshots

This is a bit of a jump in price point, but if you are looking for a big ticket item, often nothing looms larger on the actor wish list than new headshots. Great shots can re-energize an actor’s team and cause a leap forward in auditions, but setting aside the cash to not only shoot, but re-touch, print, and post to all the online sites can be extremely difficult. Picking a photographer is probably too personal a decision for you to make for someone else (or have someone make for you), but a gift card or cash clearly earmarked for new photos would be a lovely gift indeed.

Appetite by Nigel Slater

If you want to eat well on an actor’s erratic income, cooking is a necessary skill. I’ve just returned from my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, where cooking, baking, eating and all of the warmth and raucous conversation that attends such activities was in abundance. Cooking with my mom is hilarious, as first she tells you that she “just follows the recipe” and then proceeds to stop you before you add each ingredient with, “I actually use,” or “you can put more of that” or “taste, taste, taste!” Perhaps that’s why I like Appetite so much. Nigel gives you the basic outline of a dish and then tells you all the ways you can change it. The homey pictures make you ready to get your hands dirty and the words are a needed reminder to stop working for a minute to eat, drink and laugh with friends.

Tickets, Experiences, Time

I love experiential presents. Claire recently took me for my birthday to see Jonathan Franzen talk at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and it will stay with me far longer than a box of chocolates. Take someone with you or give tickets to the theater. A day at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens with lunch at the Rose Garden Tea Room might be perfect for your parents. Museum memberships will let your friends skip the long lines. At the end of the day, the irony of this busy time of year is often that we realize what we want is time with the people we love, far more than any thing, so don’t be afraid to give just that.

Claire’s picks:

Indie Filmmaker ‘Metal’ T-shirts and more…

Seldom do I find a film-related gift that might just be too pretentious for the likes of, well, me, but I daresay the fantabulous IFC Center in NY may have done it. For the aspiring auteur who wants to wear his love of Fassbinder on his chest, this series of t-shirts with notable filmmakers’ names given the 80s metal band graphic treatment does the trick. The Merchandise section of the IFC Center also offers up hard-to-find dvds and – yes, you’re reading this right – David Lynch’s specialty roast coffee beans (from which he claims to make his 10 daily cups…)

Simon Callow’s book Love Is Where It Falls

This book, written by actor/director/author (his Being an Actor is another must-read) is the story of Callow’s friendship with the late British agent Peggy Ramsay. It was given to me by a colleague and friend, actor/director and Brian McManamon, who, casting me in my first project after acting school, made me feel there was a place for my work in the world even when much else indicated otherwise…I always think of this book as a great way to honor a friendship that’s made one’s life in art possible.

Wine of Substance’s 2009 Malbec

The Sound’s Jeffrey and I drained a bottle of this recently as we watched People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Rest assured, though, Jeffrey’s taste in wine is more of the caliber of his music preferences than his reality TV picks…It’s smooth, full-bodied, goes with almost everything, and can help you savor the ‘you booked it’ phone call or console you after the ‘you almost booked it’ phone call.

Gift Certificate for Olympic Spa

This Koreatown spot features several of the standard spa treatments, but the $15 ‘Simple Soak’ is my go-to healthy indulgence. For $15 you can soak in the whirlpools, lie in the jade sauna, and thumb through back issues of Allure while laying on the heated floor of the lounge area.

Heath Ceramics

I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t like shopping. I also don’t like wearing H&M shirts eaten by moths or serving guests from the chipped Ikea mugs I got 6 years ago at Goodwill. Thus, I am vowing to invest in the good stuff that lasts. Heath Ceramics makes beautiful and simple housewares that can make an uber-fancy place look down-to-earth and a dump look like it’s inhabited by someone with serious potential.

Coupons for Union Dues

The pesky semi-annual bills have a terrible habit of coming a) all at the same time from the 3 entities (WTF?) and b) when I have no money and/or c) just when some financial emergency has sprung up. Hence, I’ve endured some slides into late fees and mad dashes to the AEA office to pay up when a can’t-miss EPA is on the horizon…If you have someone in your life who’s just relocated or is going through another financial transition, you can help them keep their career on track with a coupon for a cycle or two of SAG, AFTRA or AEA dues.

What’s on your wish list? Do you have the perfect present that you can’t wait to give one of your actor friends? Let us know your ideas in the comments!

Photo by Cláudia*~Assad

The Actorvist – Broadway’s Rory O’Malley on Blending Your Life’s Art and Activism

Special Guest — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 09:00:48 +0000

Originally from Cleveland, Rory O’Malley has been living and working in New York City since 2006. He received his BFA from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. Most notably he has performed on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he originated the role of Richie Cunningham in Garry Marshall’s Happy Days: The Musical!, and is featured in the motion picture Dreamgirls as Dave, the crooner who steals Cadillac Car from Eddie Murphy. In the fall of 2008, Rory joined his friends Jenny Kanelos and Gavin Creel and founded Broadway Impact to educate and inspire the theater community to stand up for marriage equality. His experience with Broadway Impact has given him the opportunity to consult for other equality organizations including the Human Rights Campaign.

Today I started rehearsals for a new acting gig. In my past experience the thrill of that first day is indescribable. It’s almost like a runner’s high. As any actor knows, getting to that first rehearsal involves a lot more than a subway ride. The years of blood sweat and tears that are represented by walking through that door can make it feel more like crossing the finish line of the marathon.

But today was different. Today was August 4, 2010 and 3,000 miles away a federal judge in California overturned Proposition 8. This dwarfed my acting gig euphoria and sent my activist adrenaline on overdrive. You see, exactly 21 months earlier proposition 8 passed and a couple of my friends and I started an organization called Broadway Impact. It aims to educate and inspire the public about marriage equality using the power of theater. The news that Prop 8 was dead was huge and quite frankly, totally distracting. So while I should have been focused on meeting my new cast mates, I was desperately texting and emailing my Broadway Impact team for updates. During a multitasking moment of learning music and reading tweets from The Advocate, I asked myself, “How did this happen? How did I become, what my boyfriend calls, an actorvist? When did my one-track actor mind make time for letter writing campaigns and rallies?”

In the summer of 2008 during a performance of Happy Days, the Musical!, I had a thought that would change my life. It was the middle of the wrestling scene when my character Richie Cunningham is put in a half Nelson lock by the evil Malachi Brothers until Fonzie, the epitome of cool, arrives to rescue him. It was at that moment with my face planted on the floor (a position I had grown accustomed to after working on the same show for four years) that I had this thought… “I wonder what I would be doing right now if I had gone to law school?” I guess the short answer is I would probably be wrestling for a client in a courtroom rather than with two 70′s sitcom characters. Don’t get me wrong, working on Happy Days was one of the best jobs of my life and law school was never really an option- too many books and briefs. The thought was bigger than that. I had never allowed myself to ponder about anything but my performing career. Straying focus from my dream in any way had been sacrilegious, but here I was fantasizing about other paths. This was easy to do when I was unemployed, but while onstage? It was the moment I realized that I wanted to carve out a life as an actor that included more than just wrestling scenes, but more what? I had no idea.

When the show ended that July, I got a mass email from Barack Obama’s campaign offering training seminars on campaigning that would then set you up with an office in a part of the country that needed help. Obama Camp. As a political junkie it was something I was dying to do but my vow to be a faithful actor who is always on call for that life changing audition was nagging at me. I was afraid that expanding my horizons in this way would open the door to giving up on being an actor and giving up my passion was not a possibility. In the end the call of HOPE from Barack won out over the hope of a call from my agent.

I am so grateful for that moment of clarity. I spent the next three months in my hometown of Cleveland running phone banks and going door to door for Barack. It changed my life in all the ways I couldn’t even imagine while in that half Nelson. When I came back to NYC feeling like we had changed the world, I was devastated to hear the news that proposition 8 had passed in California. How could a country make such progress with the election of Obama and in the same breath take away civil rights from a minority? Had I gone to the wrong state? I had to do something. It was a perfect storm. I was angry but felt empowered by my experience in Ohio.

I went to NYC rallies in protest of prop 8, with my friends Jenny Kanelos and Gavin Creel. We saw the Broadway community coming out in droves. We began to approach LGBT organizations saying, “How can the Broadway community help? Where do we go?” the answers were usually just to write a letter or call your representatives. These were good answers but we were shocked that the fight for marriage equality didn’t have a way to harness the power of the theater community. After failing to find the organization that we thought had to exist, we decided to create it ourselves. That was the birth of Broadway Impact.

I think the only thing we had going for us was determination. None of us had any experience in activism or in anything like this, so starting from scratch seemed totally overwhelming. We locked our selves in an apartment for a few days and brainstormed all the ways that the theater community could make a difference. We took meetings with the head of Broadway Cares, gay rights leaders, heads of media companies- basically anyone who knew more than us and would let us buy them lunch. You would be amazed how willing people were to help us get the ball rolling. With in two months we had a logo, website, and mailing list.

That winter we started a letter writing campaign to the New York State Senate asking them to pass the Marriage Equality bill. When we collected 3,000 letters from actors, stage managers, fans and more, it became clear that we had tapped into something huge. By May our rally near Bryant Park drew thousands of people to see Cynthia Nixon, David Hyde Pierce, Audra McDonald and numerous Broadway Stars tell them to contact their state senators to pass the Marriage Equality Bill in New York State. When we got the idea, we were hoping for some press and a few hundred people, but the day before we realized it had grown into something much bigger when we got calls from Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Patterson’s offices, letting us know that they would be joining. It was like putting on a community theater show and getting a call that Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline would like to be the leads. Unimaginable. That rally turned into a month of phone banking for the bill that produced 16,000 calls. That fall we participated in the national Equality March in DC. We sent 1400 New Yorkers to Washington DC for free on 24 busses sponsored by various Broadway stars and other Broadway Impact supporters. We were the largest group in the nation to attend the march.

Now six months earlier if you had told me this was all going to happen, I would have ran in the other direction. But little by little, I realized that being a good actor did not mean shutting out other passions in life. It meant embracing them. By the end of the year I had grown into a full-fledged actorvist. That half nelson thought of a year before had opened a door of purpose that gives me joy on a daily basis. Adding another element to my dream has only enriched my acting life. I look at my next acting gig as a happy surprise and not as a chance to breathe again after holding my breath in between jobs. I would encourage any actor to seek other ways to expand his or her dream and not worry about losing focus from the bright lights. Chances are, it will only make them brighter.

BROADWAY IMPACT
To get involved with Broadway’s fight for Marriage Equality, join us at www.BroadwayImpact.com where you can learn how to educate and inspire your community using the power of theater.

Relationships: a Minerva Compilation

The Brains — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:00:45 +0000

As Jeffrey Marcus’ wonderful article The Craft of Romance reminds us, we create neither art nor love (& especially the love in art) alone. Today we highlight the Minerva pieces that celebrate the special relationships that create our work and which create the lives that make our work possible.

Shelene Atanacio on Stretching Out of Your Comfort Zone

How Volunteering Enriches My Life in Acting by Sarah Sido

Connection, Wisdom and Inspiration: My Friendship with Tony-Winning Actor Elizabeth Wilson by Liz Morton

Perseverance: My Lessons with Judith Ivey by Robert Dolan

Breaking into Winter’s Bone: an Interview with Lauren Sweetzer by Laine Monica Baker

Love, Work and Documentaries by Claire Winters

So I Married an Actor by Jody Rosen Knower

Photo by Assaf Shtilman

TED Talks to Get the Juices Flowing

The Brains — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:55 +0000

I love TED talks. To me, they are the epitome of what the internet does at it’s best: the democratization of wisdom and access. I hope for all of us that we get to chat with J.J. Abrams in person one of these days, but in the meantime, we get to know the gifts his grandfather gave him and secrets from the set of Mission Impossible 3. Mystery, theater, comedy and happiness are the subjects explored in the talks below. What are some of your favorite TED talks?

J.J. Abrams’ Mystery Box

Patsy Rodenburg “Why I do Theater”

OK, not technically a TED talk, but part of their “Best of the Web” series

Jamil Abu-Wardeh on Bringing Comedy to the Axis of Evil

Dan Gilbert Researches Happiness

We are taking an end of summer break. We’ll be back with new content on September 14th.

Photo by dorena-wm