Tag: actorsjourney

Let’s Rehearse! Part 3.

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! I hope you’re all having a great week. For the past two weeks, I’ve been sharing my rehearsal process experiences for scenes I’m working on for my acting class. Keep reading below 🙂

In Part 3, I wanted to share my experiences of going through the second 40 percent of the rehearsal process. 40/40/20 is a technique created by Richard Lawson to help us effectively utilize the time we have to work on something. The first 40 percent of the time you have to work on something consists of research and gathering information. The second 40 percent of the time you have to work on something involves implementing and applying the research and information you gathered in the first 40 percent (aka getting it up on its feet.) The last 20 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to locking in your product and coasting towards the finish line. Keep reading below 🙂

It had been a while since I last rehearsed a scene in person, so this second 40 percent was like learning how to ride a bike again. Here are some highlights from “Yellowstone”. Rehearsing face to face, in person, was a wildly different experience. I had to deal with another person in the flesh, and the level of energy and impingement was higher. More visceral. There was no Zoom screen keeping us apart or keeping us safe. We did a rough walk through and I blanked out on my lines. “Oh yeah. I need to remember how to walk and talk again!” I found myself being uncomfortable with stillness and feeling like I needed to move. I found myself being uncomfortable with arbitrary movement and feeling like I needed to be still. I implemented different ways of sitting at the top of the scene to discover which position would put me into the belief and experience of my actual event and moment before (I haven’t nailed this sitting position yet.) Keep reading below 🙂

Back at my office, I watched one of our recorded Zoom rehearsals, and took notes of what I wanted to change from my performance. Funny, I record all my auditions to see if my work is translating on camera, but this was the first time I recorded rehearsals for scene work. Duh! Recording the rehearsals and watching them afterward was invaluable. I spotted a technical and performance thing that I wanted to change. In this second 40 percent, we also had a couple of rehearsals over Zoom where we identified one emotional throughline at a time and played it throughout the entire scene to see what we could discover. Keep reading below 🙂

For “Beverly Hills Cop 2”, we did a series of improvisations to carve out our relationship and to implement some ideas we wrote down from previous rehearsals. It was great to see how several of the questions we asked and the research we did together made their way into our improvisations. Through these improvisations, we saw how the history of our relationship evolved and progressed to the present-day scene we are doing. I also began implementing the beginning of my character’s wardrobe and his physical stance in the scene. We implemented our subtext in a few of our run throughs and also implemented ideas into certain sections of the scene. I also recorded these improvisations and watched them back to study my performances. Keep reading below 🙂

See you all next week where I will share an improvisation or two from “Beverly Hills Cop 2” and continue the journey through the second 40 percent.

Let’s Rehearse! Part 2.

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! Last week, I mentioned being inspired by a series of rehearsal technique workshops at the Richard Lawson Studios and how I couldn’t wait to get into rehearsals for two scenes I’m working on for class. I also talked about utilizing the concept of 40/40/20 in my rehearsal process. 40/40/20 is a technique created by Richard to help us effectively utilize the time we have to work on something. Keep reading below 🙂

In Part 2, I continue going through the first 40 percent by sharing a few handwritten notes I took during my rehearsals! Think of it as a visual, inside look into my first 40 percent of the rehearsal process (notes aka the secret sauce I am using to create and make sense of what is going on before my scene partners and I get our scenes up on their feet.) As I mentioned last week, the first 40 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to research, gathering information, asking questions, and writing things down for further investigation and research. And please know that for each question or note that I wrote down in one rehearsal, I came back with answers and ideas for the next one. My scene partners did the same with their own questions and notes. (Also, a shout out to my scene partners for inspiring some of these questions and notes you’ll see below.) Also, there may be SPOILERS if you haven’t seen “Yellowstone” or “Beverly Hills Cop 2”. See you all next week where I will share my experiences with the second 40 percent of the rehearsal process. Keep reading below 🙂

Some of my notes from the “Yellowstone” rehearsals:

Some of my notes from the “Beverly Hills Cop 2” rehearsals:

Let’s Rehearse! Part 1.

Chasing The George

Now that I have fulfilled the required acting exercises as a returning student of the Richard Lawson Studios Thursday scene study class, it’s time to put up some scenes! I remember Richard working with two students earlier this year on the rehearsal process. Over the course of several weeks, the class got insight on how to rehearse effectively. Inspired by this series of rehearsal workshops, I couldn’t wait to start rehearsing my scenes. Over the next few weeks, I will be blogging about my experiences with the rehearsal process. Keep reading below 🙂

It feels good to be rehearsing and acting again with my fellow actors. Whether it be via Zoom or in person, it’s great to be working out again as an actor. I’m currently rehearsing a scene from “Yellowstone” (as Jamie) and “Beverly Hills Cop 2” (as Inspector Todd). My scene partner for “Yellowstone” is located in Los Angeles and my scene partner for “Beverly Hills Cop 2” is located in the U.K.! The training continues no matter where you are in the world. Keep reading below 🙂

Utilizing the notes I took from the rehearsal workshops, I knew that I wanted to apply the concept of 40/40/20 with these two scenes. 40/40/20 is a technique created by Richard to help us effectively utilize the time we have to work on something. Whether it’s an audition that’s due in 48 hours or a script that you want to have completed by a certain date, 40/40/20 can be applied to help you utilize your time sanely and successfully. The first 40 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to research and gathering information. The next 40 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to implementing and applying all of the research you’ve done. Get it up on its feet and work it out. The last 20 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to locking in your product and coasting towards the finish line. Don’t change a thing during this last 20 percent. Keep reading below 🙂

The first 40 percent of these two scene rehearsals was about research. For me, that entailed reading the script out loud over and over again with my scene partner. That entailed stopping and asking questions as we read the scene. That entailed looking up words and other things within the script that would help us make sense of the scene. That entailed writing ideas down. That entailed reading the scene out loud again and again with nothing on it and then reading it again and again with a singular choice in mind. That entailed identifying the Abbott and Costello (aka the differences) between my character and the other character. That entailed filling out the character chart for these scenes and writing in my subtext, my emotional through lines, and my chapters…and then modifying those things several times as I discovered more about the event of the scene, my character, my relationship with the other character, etc. I took notes during each rehearsal and gave myself homework to advance myself before the next rehearsal. Keep reading below 🙂

I remember my scene partner in the U.K. and I looking at the cultural differences between an American and an English person and how that can work its way into the dynamics of our relationship in “Beverly Hills Cop 2”. We looked at race and how that also affects our relationship since he and I are both people of color within this police department. We also devoted an entire rehearsal to researching Detroit, its police department, rankings within the department, crime statistics, etc. Keep reading below 🙂

For “Yellowstone”, we explored the journey of Jamie and Beth’s relationship as brother and sister over the course of this series. We looked at how and why we fight. We looked at our upward mobility and white-collar professions versus those of our other siblings. We looked at the Abbott and Costello of our characters. We looked at the dynamic of race and how that has come into play in the past because I’m Latinx and my scene partner is white. If you haven’t seen “Yellowstone”, I won’t give away anything about Jamie, but it works in the reality of us playing siblings. Keep reading below 🙂

I also wanted to share that I always feel like I’m a terrible actor when I read a scene out loud for the first time with my scene partner LOL. I always think to myself, “Let’s get this first reading out of the way as quickly as possible.” Once I get past that first reading, I’m good to go! And soon, I’m like, “Actually, I’m a good actor.” Reading it out loud and putting nothing on it is the first order of the day for me when I start rehearsing any scene. In this way, I can hear what is going on and start getting a lay of the land. I can also hear what my acting partner is bringing and providing in real time. And I’m not trying to act anything in the first few rehearsals. I’m trying to figure things out. Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week where I will share some of my handwritten notes from my rehearsals and continue the journey through the first 40 percent. (I’ve also provided links below to the next four parts of the rehearsal process and journey for your convenience.)

Let’s Rehearse! Part 2. https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/10/15/lets-rehearse-part-2/

Let’s Rehearse! Part 3. https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/10/22/lets-rehearse-part-3/

Let’s Rehearse! Part 4. https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/10/29/lets-rehearse-part-4/

Let’s Rehearse! The Finale. https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/11/05/lets-rehearse-the-finale/

A Sampling Of My 2021 Wins!

Chasing The George

Happy Holidays! As we near the end of 2021, I wanted to share a SAMPLING of the wins (both professional and personal) that I’ve had this year. I study and teach at the Richard Lawson Studios, and one of the concepts at this studio is the tracking of wins and the corresponding celebrations for those wins.

I like this definition of “win” from dictionary.com: “To succeed by striving or effort. To succeed in reaching (a place, condition, etc.), especially by great effort.” In my classes, I also add this point of view: A win is anything that has moved you at least one step forward. And as an example, one of my students shared in class on December 14th that she accumulated 321 wins in 2021!

Tracking wins and celebrating them maintains the journey we are on to have the careers that we want. Tracking wins and celebrating them helps us stay in a state of gratitude and claiming for oneself. At the RLS, a few of the classes were assigned to do a “Wins Film” to take stock of their 2021 wins in 3 minutes or less.

So join me! What wins have you collected in 2021? Take stock of them and you’ll be shocked and amazed at how many wins you have. Large, small, everything in between. A win is a win. It all counts towards the journey.

Enjoy my Wins Film below!

Why My Artistic Anniversary Was So Special!

Chasing The George

On August 26th, 2021, I celebrated 19 years of living in Los Angeles. And what made my anniversary so special, what made it a full circle moment, was that I shot a role on an Amazon Prime feature film that day!

19 years ago, I flew out to LA on a one-way flight from NYC, armed with one suitcase, my leather CD book, and a resolution to pursue my artistic dreams full-time. I had no job lined up. I had no apartment lined up. I had no car lined up. I just had my dreams that out-created what I temporarily lacked. When I landed in LAX, I got into a taxi and immediately quoted Madonna when she landed in NYC in 1977 and got into a taxi as well: “Take me to the center of everything.” Madonna’s taxi driver took her to Times Square and my taxi driver took me to Beverly Hills LOL. The rest, as they say, is history.

As I sat in my trailer on August 26th, 2021, I was filled with so much gratitude. Shooting a role on my 19th anniversary of living in LA was not lost on me. But beyond the role, I was filled with so much gratitude because I am still doing what I love to do. 19 years later and I am still actively involved as an artist. 19 years later and I am still going. 19 years later and I am still standing. And it’s such a testament to my raison d’être, my career bus that contains a community of persons, places, and things that keep me going. My community. My DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka business plan that we learn to create and build at the Richard Lawson Studios.) My DOIN is so important and I literally pulled it up two days before I booked this role to add and edit some things within it.

I am grateful to still be on this journey when a lot of people have stopped their own artistic journeys to pursue other endeavors (no judgement by the way!)

I am grateful that since I landed in LA 19 years ago, I have become a more causative, 360-degree artist. To know that 19 years later, I have weathered the highs and lows, the ups and downs. I mean, come on: The Covid-19 pandemic could have destroyed and obliterated me, but I found myself so creatively plugged in during 2020 by attending classes over Zoom, by working on my writing, by building my own rocking self-tape station and being able to film self-tape auditions, by submitting filmed monologues and scenes to various casting director open calls, by teaching classes over Zoom, by researching various industry topics, by attending artistic panels over Zoom, etc.

2021 has also been filled with artistic excitement. Some highlights:

**Self-tape auditions for TV series on Hulu, Netflix, Fox, HBO, ABC, etc.

**My feature film script placed as a semi-finalist in a big industry writing competition (Scriptapalooza) and it will be promoted to a network of 125 producers for one whole year.

**The same feature film script film script also placed in the top 15% of discoverable projects on Coverfly.

**I placed as a semi-finalist (in the top 6% of applicants) for a program with the Writers Guild Foundation.

**I’m waiting to hear back from other established industry writing competitions and programs.

**I revisited and rewrote a TV pilot script and I am now revisiting and rewriting another feature film script.

**Weekly career administration group meetings where we hold each other accountable to our artistic goals.

**Attending weekly classes.

**Writing meetings with the PDP 3.0 collective.

**I bought printer ink so that I can print up my sides (yes, even buying printer ink is a big win!)

**Relationship map building and outflow.

**In the 36 hours leading up to my film shoot, I had to complete two Covid tests, I had wardrobe fittings, I taught class, and I had to film two self-tape auditions for two different primetime TV series on ABC (one of which was due in six hours!)

So, as I sat in my trailer, the last 36 hours was not lost on me. 2021 was not lost on me. 2020 was not lost on me. My 19-year anniversary in LA was not lost on me.

Happy Anniversary!

Featured photo courtesy of: https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/champagne-glasses-happy-anniversary-card/5051937310033.html

Why My Anniversary Was So Special!

Chasing The George

On August 26th, 2021, I celebrated 19 years of living in Los Angeles. And what made my anniversary so special, what made it a full circle moment, was that I shot a role on an Amazon Prime feature film that day!

19 years ago, I flew out to LA on a one-way flight from NYC, armed with one suitcase, my leather CD book, and a resolution to pursue my artistic dreams full-time. I had no job lined up. I had no apartment lined up. I had no car lined up. I just had my dreams that out-created what I temporarily lacked. When I landed in LAX, I got into a taxi and immediately quoted Madonna when she landed in NYC in 1977 and got into a taxi as well: “Take me to the center of everything.” Madonna’s taxi driver took her to Times Square and my taxi driver took me to Beverly Hills LOL. The rest, as they say, is history.

As I sat in my trailer on August 26th, 2021, I was filled with so much gratitude. Shooting a role on my 19th anniversary of living in LA was not lost on me. But beyond the role, I was filled with so much gratitude because I am still doing what I love to do. 19 years later and I am still actively involved as an artist. 19 years later and I am still going. 19 years later and I am still standing. And it’s such a testament to my raison d’être, my career bus that contains a community of persons, places, and things that keep me going. My community. My DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka business plan that we learn to create and build at the Richard Lawson Studios.) My DOIN is so important and I literally pulled it up two days before I booked this role to add and edit some things within it.

I am grateful to still be on this journey when a lot of people have stopped their own artistic journeys to pursue other endeavors (no judgement by the way!)

I am grateful that since I landed in LA 19 years ago, I have become a more causative, 360-degree artist. To know that 19 years later, I have weathered the highs and lows, the ups and downs. I mean, come on: The Covid-19 pandemic could have destroyed and obliterated me, but I found myself so creatively plugged in during 2020 by attending classes over Zoom, by working on my writing, by building my own rocking self-tape station and being able to film self-tape auditions, by submitting filmed monologues and scenes to various casting director open calls, by teaching classes over Zoom, by researching various industry topics, by attending artistic panels over Zoom, etc.

2021 has also been filled with artistic excitement. Some highlights:

**Self-tape auditions for TV series on Hulu, Netflix, Fox, HBO, ABC, etc.

**My feature film script placed as a semi-finalist in a big industry writing competition (Scriptapalooza) and it will be promoted to a network of 125 producers for one whole year.

**The same feature film script film script also placed in the top 15% of discoverable projects on Coverfly.

**I placed as a semi-finalist (in the top 6% of applicants) for a program with the Writers Guild Foundation.

**I’m waiting to hear back from other established industry writing competitions and programs.

**I revisited and rewrote a TV pilot script and I am now revisiting and rewriting another feature film script.

**Weekly career administration group meetings where we hold each other accountable to our artistic goals.

**Attending weekly classes.

**Writing meetings with the PDP 3.0 collective.

**I bought printer ink so that I can print up my sides (yes, even buying printer ink is a big win!)

**Relationship map building and outflow.

**In the 36 hours leading up to my film shoot, I had to complete two Covid tests, I had wardrobe fittings, I taught class, and I had to film two self-tape auditions for two different primetime TV series on ABC (one of which was due in six hours!)

So, as I sat in my trailer, the last 36 hours was not lost on me. 2021 was not lost on me. 2020 was not lost on me. My 19-year anniversary in LA was not lost on me.

Happy Anniversary!

Featured photo courtesy of: https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/champagne-glasses-happy-anniversary-card/5051937310033.html

How To Respond To Your Friends’ Successes

Chasing The George

HELLO! HELLO! HELLO! (as RuPaul says!)

It’s so nice to be back. I hope everyone is thriving both personally and professionally. I have been missing in action because I have been focused on both the acting and writing sides of my career from self-tape auditions for co-star and series regular roles to submitting my writing content to various competitions and writing programs to just being fabulous 🙂 I am grateful that I was able to stay connected and grounded with everything that occurred in 2020.

I hope to continue blogging on a more consistent basis so that I can include all of you on the journey I’m on to have the career I want, while also sharing the lessons and advice I am learning along the way.

The major catalyst that brought me out of blog hibernation was a friend and colleague of mine who I had the pleasure of talking to over the phone recently. A powerhouse of a person and artist, we caught up and by the end of our conversation, she asked, “What happened to your blog?” She proceeded to tell me that my blog was a way for her to stay connected and in the loop.

And so here we are. Do it now! And because we both had a synchronistic week that helped us to reconnect, I knew what I wanted this blog entry to be about. You see, before we called each other and caught up, I had been wanting to write a blog entry about how to respond or react when your friends are winning and succeeding. So, here is my take, my advice, on that. Because the way I responded over the phone when hearing my friend’s successes is a way you should respond as well.

When your friends are winning, be happy for them! Celebrate with them! Cheer them on! Because what goes around, comes around. If I react with a sense of jealousy or resentment, then I’m just putting out a negative energy that A) They feel and B) The universe feels. And I’ve just cut myself off from any abundant, wonderful inflow that can come back my way.

Be happy for your friends! Today it’s them. Tomorrow it’s you. We are coming up together. They are not better than me. I am not better than them. We are in this together. And so when my friend shared her wins, I was truly enthusiastic and proud of her.

I remember attending an alumni panel in LA. The panel was made up of industry types from actors to TV executive producers. I saw some friends of mine in the audience and this was the first time we had seen each other since graduation. Afterwards, we caught up during the reception portion of the event and we got to the famous question, “So, what have you been up to? What have you been working on?” When it was my turn to share, I did so with enthusiasm, excitement, and a real sense of wanting to share. When I was done sharing my recent wins and successes, there was a silence in the air before they said, “Well. What have you been working on?” and they proceeded to the next person. I didn’t receive any acknowledgement. They were filled with jealousy, envy, and resentment. As if I had done something wrong. It feels shitty when you feel people resenting you for the hard work you’ve done. Needless to say, I kicked them off of my career bus with the quickness.

If you’re struck with jealousy, ask yourself why. There are plenty of opportunities out there. There are plenty of jobs out there. There are plenty of doors that can open. There are a myriad of ways to create for yourself and get yourself noticed. Stay the course. It takes work. A sustained effort. Keep track of your journey so that you know where you started, where you are now, and where you are headed next.

So when your friends are winning, respond like Queen Meryl Streep below:

Featured image courtesy of cottonbro at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-toasting-wine-glasses-3171837/

31 Days Of Christmas

Chasing The George
I’m BAAACCK! Reunited and it feels so good.
 
2020. What a fucking year. I’ve been away fighting the good fight for racial equality, preserving our democracy and continuing to administrate my career. Hope all of you are well and also fighting the good fight.
 
In looking at creating a new blog entry after being away for a long period of time, I couldn’t help but circle back to the power of art and of being an artist. Amongst other things, staying connected to my art has kept me sane, present and grounded in the midst of all of the incredible challenges that 2020 has brought to all of us. I’ve had many wonderful wins despite the crazy twists and turns of 2020.
 
As 2020 quickly comes to an end, I wanted to challenge myself to do 31 things for my career over 31 days in December. I call it “31 Days of Christmas” because quite frankly, doing administration for my career is fun and rewarding. It feels like Christmas every time I’m in the driver’s seat of my career. And I wanted to create this challenge because I know how easy it can be to slow down and take it easy during December. To think that things are over. However, I want to maintain a sense of outflow to create inflow…inflow that will pay off immediately in December and also in 2021…plant those seeds and water them!
 
And it won’t be 31 things just to do 31 things. I don’t want to be busy for the sake of being busy. These 31 things will be influenced by my raison d’etre (purpose; reason for being; reason for existence) and to advance my postulates. So I am moving and administrating with intention.
 
I’m excited because a lot can happen in 31 days!
 
And no worries, I’ll still make sure to celebrate along the way, take in the holiday spirit, drink some eggnog, play Christmas music, read some good books, relax, have some champagne, watch some Christmas movies, etc.
 
So come on. Does anyone want to join me? Let’s do this!

Is Typecasting A Good Thing?

Chasing The George

Typecast:

According to Google: Assign (an actor or actress) repeatedly to the same type of role, as a result of the appropriateness of their appearance or previous success in such roles.

According to Lexico: Represent or regard (a person or their role) as a stereotype.

According to Wikipedia: In television, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups. There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters.

There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters.

After working with, acting with, coaching and teaching many actors, this is a fear that comes up. And I’ve been asked many times what my point of view is on the topic of typecasting.

For ME, the best advice I can give is:

Get typecast. Get typecast so you can get in the door. And as you’re getting in the door, create the evidence for yourself that reveals what else you can do (and, most likely, what you’re more interested in and passionate about.) So that when you’re on hiatus from your series regular role or after you’ve booked X amount of roles as a particular casting, then you’re creating and distributing content to your team, your followers, your relationship map, etc…that reveals another aspect of your casting that you are probably more interested in, more connected to and more passionate about.

Again, that’s just me. You have to make your own personal decision at the end of the day. If you don’t feel comfortable being typecast or if you have strict policies and principles against that, cool. Then be about creating and carving out what you want to do, what you want to play and how you’re going to achieve that.

Ultimately, what do you see for yourself and how do you get there? Follow your instincts.

That First Moment When…

Chasing The George

Hello artists! How the heck are you?!?! Wow! It’s been a MINUTE since I last posted a blog entry! My focus over the last few weeks has been on putting the finishing touches on the pitch package I’ve been building for the new TV series I created and developed.

I hope your summer 2019 has been filled with exciting artistic possibilities and opportunities!

As consumed as I have been with my new TV series, I had a moment one day that reminded me of why I entered the entertainment business in the first place: I was a little kid when I first watched Christopher Reeve play the role of Superman. Christopher Reeve played the role of Superman in the 1978 movie.

It was several years later that I would watch this film for the first time…and it changed my life forever. I KNEW right then and there that I wanted to save the planet with my super powers. Every time I watched this version of Superman as a kid, I would tie my baby blanket (which I still have) around my neck and “fly” around my room…visiting places on Earth and beyond…and fighting any bad guys in the process.

I knew that I wanted to be Superman. I wanted to be on screen and fly and save and protect and be a hero. I knew that I didn’t want to be a normal person. I didn’t want to be an anonymous entity. I didn’t want to be ordinary. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I wanted to be someone. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to be a star. I wanted to fly. Superman represented what I wanted to be and so I started my journey of being an actor…an artist…an entertainer. Superman made a difference in his world………….and I wanted to do the same in mine.

Superman was the moment I knew I wanted to be an artist.

What was THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW you wanted to be an artist?

I’d love to read your answers in the comments section!!!

See you soon!

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