Until then, I’ll settle for a nice compliment from a fellow actor named Rob Kolinsky, who also posed a question:
I’d like to take the time to thank you for motivating many aspiring actors with the words, wisdom and humor that you inject into your blog. I am not an aspiring actor, but rather an actor! (See, I learned something too!) Albeit a “newly minted” working actor. I’m still quite a few paces behind you, but I’m getting there.
I hope you don't mind, but I have question for you: I have always heard that casting workshops are a waste of time, to watch out for shifty workshops, and to never bring your headshot to one. However, reading your blog seems to suggest that it’s an actor’s best-kept secret. Which workshops would you suggest, and which would you avoid like the plague?
Don’t mind at all, Rob. A quick recap for those not familiar: casting directors attend workshops in their free time, watching actors perform scenes and offering critiques. They’re paid for this, but more than anything, they love discovering new talent and seeing actors they know show off their latest skills. They receive copies of our headshots, and keep us top of mind when casting TV shows and movies.
Regarding “shifty” workshops, a few years ago some of the workshops around town were essentially scams, promising actors work and gouging them with costs so badly that local politicians had to step in and regulate them.
These days, they’re legit, and one of the best ways to forge relationships with the biggest gatekeepers in town. Plus you get a great workout, performing scenes and taking direction. I love them.
Here are some of my favorite workshops around town:
Actor’s Key. Locations in both Burbank and Santa Monica. A bit pricey, but you choose your own scene and perform it with a reader, thus lessening the chance you get a scene partner with shitty skills. Biggest negative: each workshop begins with a Q&A, and the rookie actors ask the stupidest effin’ questions on God’s earth, which reflect badly on the rest of us. Some chick last week asked something so preposterous, the casting director was slightly stunned. I contemplated choking the bitch.
Reel Pros. Solid. Sherman Oaks. Mostly scenes in which you pair up with partners, but they ask casting folks to pair the more seasoned actors up with each other. Minor negative: in addition to charging for each workshop, there’s a monthly fee. (George Clooney once said, “As an actor, the best investment you can make is in yourself.” I have that tattooed backwards across my chest Memento-style.)
ITA. Love them. Cheapest prices in town. Great west-side location. You have to audition to get in, and actors tend to be older, so no bullshit questions in the Q&As. Workshops elsewhere can run three hours long; at ITA one Saturday morning, we started at 10 a.m., no one asked a question, we all learned and performed our scenes in one take and were done at 10:25. I had an erection. It was practically a drive-thru workshop.
So yes, workshop costs can add up, and you gotta get in front of some serious decision makers and knock your scenes out of the park every time. But we’re actors. We invest in ourselves and live for this. And besides, the only thing we have to fear is “No Fear” clothing.
Hope that helps.
