Being an actor involves running all over town for auditions,
late nights in the theater and long hours on set. It’s very important to have
plenty of energy both emotionally and physically so you’ll need stamina to keep
up.
Now that I’m a woman of a certain age, I realize how important
it is to have an exercise regime. I’m not big on gym memberships so I’ve been
experimenting with activities that I enjoy and that give me a good workout at
the same time.I find that the more fun
I’m having, the more motivated I will be to keep up my routine. I’ve filled up
my week since I know one phone call could change my schedule so if I miss a
class one day, chances are I’ll replace it with something else the next.
Here’s a typical week of work-outs ((Remember, it’s not
often that I do all of these things every week):
Monday: Water Yoga/Swimming
Tuesday: Hoop Dance
Wednesday: African Drumming (certainly not a strenuous
workout but I’d like to think I burn a few calories and tone up the arms a bit)
Thursday: Pilates
Friday: Funkacize (dances and music from the 70’s/80’s
taught by an actress friend of mine)
Saturday: Lots of miles along the beach bike path
These are all things that get my heart rate up, burn
calories and cause those endorphins to soar!
While self-taping for my 30 Tips in 30 Days
Challenge, I learned that the proper way to hold my iPhone is sideways, or horizontal or in the landscape position.Even though I look thinner vertically I noticed that when I posted on
YouTube there was a lot of black space on either side of the video. I remember
someone telling me it would look better if I held the phone the other way but I
never knew why. I went online and discovered that I had a temporary case of
Vertical Video Syndrome.The reason we
should video in landscape and not portrait is because it does in fact look
better on YouTube. The entire space is filled with action and if you think
about it, televisions and movie screens are horizontal. So now that I’ve been
cured of this fictitious disease, I can go forward making more fun, interesting
and professional looking videos.
A vision board is a sacred space that displays what you want
and brings it to life. You will need a poster board, scissors, glue stick and
lots of magazines. Decide what your focus will be and how you want to feel. It
could be for one or more specific goals.
For example, if you want a new car, look through the
magazines and cut out pictures of the type of car you see yourself driving.
Then glue it on the board. Want to be successful? Look for photos of your role
models or for pictures of people doing activities that successful people do.
You can also cut out and paste on words or phrases that support your vision.
Have fun, make it pretty, and hang it where you will be sure to see it every
day. Take a few moments daily in the presence of your vision board and really
absorb what you have put out there. Then watch its
manifestations appear!
Back in the day, these were called Treasure Maps. They have
now evolved to the digital version. There are apps to create vision boards to
be used as a screen saver on your phone, iPad or computer. You could also make
one on Pinterest. The possibilities are endless.
This is Day 2 out of 31 in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.
Actors take scene study classes to strengthen their
technique. Singers take voice lessons to keep their instrument sharp. What
about taking a class just for the fun of it or to learn something that has
nothing to do with your area of expertise?
Take your mind off booking the next job and just live a
little. Enjoy nature with a photography class, unlock hidden talents with an
art class or see the world with a travel club. The more life you live outside
of entertainment, the more you will have to contribute to this fascinating
industry.
Sometimes the new ability you gain from a class will show up
in your acting career at a later time. It gives you something new
to add to your resume under “skills”, it may help land you a job or point you
in a new direction.
I took a stand up comedy class in 1990 because it was the “thing”
at the time. The jokes heard at comedy clubs across the country were becoming
sitcom scripts for network pilots.I
tried to take the comedy stage on my own but after sitting in the back of The
Comedy Store a few times, I just didn’t have the nerve to get up there. So I
took a class that culminated in every student performing 5 minutes of comedy at
a well known Los Angeles comedy club. Since taking that class, I’ve developed
my material, found my niche, taught my own stand-up comedy classes and had the
students perform in a comedy showcase that I produced for five years and most
recently produced a film based on that very showcase.
At one point in my career, I believed what others told me
about having a “Plan B in case this acting business” didn’t work out. Nothing
else brought me as much joy but I started noticing the sign language
interpreters on stage with me during my hosting gigs at festivals. It looked
like fun so I took a beginning American Sign Language course at a local
community college. I loved knowing another language and became fascinated with
Deaf culture. I took all the ASL classes they offered and the next thing I knew
I had an A.S. degree in sign language interpreting. I tried to interpret
professionally, I tried substitute teaching for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
but there was no passion there for me. My dream would be to combine it with my
acting career but didn’t know how to make that happen so I just left it alone.
I really just wanted to continue to be able communicate with people of a
different culture. Along the way, I made
many Deaf friends, one of whom is an actress. When she performed her solo show
in sign language, she asked me to voice it for her. I was also cast opposite
Marlee Maltin in Sweet Nothing In My Ear and most recently played the role of
Principal Rose in the ABC Family show, Switched At Birth because of my signing
ability.
So you never know where taking a class will lead you. It’s a
win/win situation for business or for feeding your soul.
What is something you
always wanted to learn but have been
putting it off?
This is Tip #1 in the Ask A Stage Goddess 30 Tips in 30 Days video series. Actress Carlease Burke shares tips for actors, comics and writers of all ages & levels of experience based on her day to day adventures in Hollywood.
Being on time for an audition is extremely important for 3 main reasons: 1) A relaxed state of mind. For me, it's much better to be calm on the way to an audition leaving plenty of time to find parking and go over my lines before walking into the casting office. If for some reason traffic is heavy, I don't get so stressed out, I'm a better driver and I arrive in a good mood. 2) Respect. Everyone's time is valuable. It can be considered rude to keep someone waiting. Take note of how you feel when someone is late for an appointment with you. When things come up beyond your control, make sure to make a courtesy call to give a heads up. Sometimes it's better to leave even earlier than normal to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.
3. Focus. It's difficult to concentrate on your audition if you're rushing out of the house, being angry at people for driving slowly and running through the door sweaty and out of breath. It's not a powerful position to be in to do your best work. Most actors have a little pre-audition ritual. Give yourself a few minutes to transition from the real world into the land of make believe.
Please share the importance of punctuality to you and your business.
Now that I’m a woman of a certain age, I realize how important
it is to have an exercise regime. I’m not big on gym memberships so I’ve been
experimenting with activities that I enjoy and that give me a good workout at
the same time. I find that the more fun
I’m having, the more motivated I will be to keep up my routine. I’ve filled up
my week since I know one phone call could change my schedule so if I miss a
class one day, chances are I’ll replace it with something else the next.
