HPAG Workshop #9: Mind Blowingly Fantastic!

January 6, 2013......Hollywood Players Actor's Group Workshop #9

It's a brand New Year and the first Hollywood Players Actor's Group was more than I could have hoped for! We're starting off 2013 with a BANG!  I couldn't be more thrilled about the future of HPAG and the plans I have for the group!  This will be a great year!

INTRO
I spoke a bit about my background for the new people who were in the group. I also talked about the importance of during a mailing in the next two weeks before Pilot Season gets into full swing, because after that, the Agents will be too busy to look at new people.

I have been reading Ivana Chubbuck's "THE POWER OF THE ACTOR".  I decided to tell the group about Scene Objective, which is an important aspect of Ivana Chubbuck's technique. That the Scene Objective should create 'a give and take' with the other actor, so that there is Action. For example your scene objective could be "to make him love me" or "to make him save me" or "to make him feel sorry for me".  Also, the scene objective should have a beginning, middle and an end to each scene you perform.  Like a bunch of little stories that weave into one big story, the script! The Script Objective is different from scene objective, but they work together towards the big picture.  I recommended "The Power of the Actor" to the group.

CLASS INTRO
I had everyone get on stage is a rather large circle of 14 people!  Yes, it was a packed workshop!
I had each person say their name and 3 things about themselves.  This was rather humorous because they kept saying they were cold.  Carl Rolle was particularly jazzed about the possibilities of the New Year and before you knew it, he was getting High Fives for his positivity! I loved it! It was contagious! Thanks Carl.  You rock!

Since everyone was cold, I decided that a WARM UP was in order!

WARM UP
First I told everyone to stretch and get limber. 
Then, I had everyone turn to the person next to them and if they were a man, they bowed and if they were a woman, they curtsied.

I had everyone bring their arms up as we gathered in the middle of the circle and then back.
Then I had everyone do the Charleston. Shana Carr actually knew the words to a famous Charleston Song, so she helped up with our rhythm as we did the dance. Awesome Shana!

Next we did a pirouette, then we went into a Russian dance to the right and then brought it back to the left with a Charlie Chaplin pigeon style walk that he was famous for! It was awesome! Then I had everyone shake it out!

VOCAL WARM UP
We started with some Lip Trills to loosen up the voice and the facial muscles.  Then we went into some Mum mum mum mum's low to high.
Then we sang a song!  I handed out the words to John Lennon's "IMAGINE".
I had the group paired up in twos and told them that some were in group one and some were in group two. I had group one sing the first two lines of the song, then group two sang the next two lines and then we all song the last line in each verse. We also sang the Chorus together. It was very moving to say the least and the group sounded great!!  Loved it and perfect song for the New Year of New Wonderful Expectations.

EXERCISES
While in pairs, everyone did the "Face in the Mirror" exercise. Copying the other persons facial expressions, then we'd switch.
Next we did "STRIKE A POSE", where one of the two strikes a pose and the other must copy the pose. After some poses, we'd switch to the other person to do the posing! Fun!

IMPROVISATIONS
(I came up with all of these scenarios except for one. I have a vivid imagination.)

Improv #1: Starring Kelly Mullis and Patrick Duncan. We did a musical improv where I played a Princess trapped in a castle. I'm very lonely and long for my Prince Charming to come rescue me from my lonely life and from the Evil Queen! As I sing my sad song and put my wish out there for love to find me....Patrick is singing his song of whoa.  Finally he makes his way to my castle tower and we express our love and run away together.  All the dialogue was sung ala: Les Mis. It was so fun to do that!!  Good Job Patrick!

Improv #2: Starring Bivas Biswas and Rebecca Hirshfeld.  Bivas plays a man who runs a HIT MAN agency.  Rebecca comes in and wants to get a job as a "hit woman", she says that she has this 'Ninja Thing' that she can do and that she is sure that she'll be an asset to the agency.  All the while she's coming on to Bivas's character.  He's the cold and ruthless type, a bit of a womanizer.  He asks her to show him some of this Ninja stuff she is talking about at 11 PM that night.  Then he'll decide if the job is for her or not.  But we all know what's going to happen. Very good work guys!

Improv #3:  Starring Shana Carr and Andy Wasif.  This was another Musical Improv where they sang all of their lines.  Shana is a trained operatic singer (in real life) and the moment she opened her mouth, I knew we were in for a treat. Her rich beautiful voice filled up the room as she crawled around the floor in torture because the man she loves, she must kill!  Her family and his family don't get a long. He is in the Montegue Family.  Andy was wonderful in response to the fact that she has to kill him. He wasn't expecting that little dagger.  But alas they find a way to be together and they run away! Shana was really theatrical. It was fabulous! Wonderful performance guys!

Improv #4: Starring James McLeod and Kayce Bae Hirschfelder.  James and Kayce are on a date at a restaurant.  James says to Kayce, "I'm really glad you were able to meet me tonight because I've got some exciting news to share with you."  Kayce's interest is piqued. "I'm moving to Thailand," he says, "to teach English to little Thai kids".  "WHAT?! But I like you. We just started dating. We haven't even had sex yet."  She goes on to say, "You have to take me with you." He doesn't really like that idea. She asks him if it's because he wants a Thai girlfriend.  He denies that accusation.  She says that he really should stay and get what she has to offer.  They finally negotiate and decide that they'll sleep together that night and he'll make his decision afterwards.   It was so funny and perfectly executed! Great job you two!

 Improv #5:  Starring Carl Rolle and Kerry Liu.  This was the last Musical Improv of the night. Carl Rolle is a 'gate keeper' to Heaven. Kerry really wants to get inside to see her Grandmother. Carl has a feeling that Kerry isn't the good person she says she is.  That becomes even more apparent as she lists of the reasons why he won't let her in.  She sings "It must have been that backpack I stole for school, or that time I cheated on that test.  Or the car that I stole"....etc.  Carl is making notes of her list of infractions and he is quite impressed with all her badness and says that she sounds like a lot of fun and if he was on Earth that they could hang out, but he's not, he's in Heaven and she's got to go to the 'other place'.  Carl says he's going to go and hang out with Kerry's grandma instead.  It was really funny. They did super great!  I loved it! Needless to say, Kerry doesn't get into Heaven! Carl's baritone voice was perfect for the Gate Keeper Character! Wonderful!  Kerry was great!

Improv #6: Starring Ardes Armstrong and Azra (this is the one I didn't make up). We got audience suggestions for this one.  The two ladies were given career jobs.  Ardes was an Artist/Painter and Azra was a baker.  Ardes comes to the bakery to get a job to put her paintings on Azra's cakes. Only problem is, is that Ardes's art is GOTHIC. Azra says that's not the direction she wants to go in with her cakes.  Ardes begs for a chance.  Azra says "Perhaps you should try the bakery down the street." Ardes informs her that she already went there, to no avail! That she just really needs a job.  Ardes says that she'll buy two cakes and take them home and do some artwork on the cakes and then she'll bring them to show Azra and then she can decide.  Azra says okay, reluctantly, and Ardes leaves hopeful! Super cute girls!  Good work.

Improv #7:  Starring Andy Wasif and Kristin Korsnes.  Andy plays a Lawyer that Kristin comes to hire. Kristin is an ex-Disney Star who used to have her own TV shows and Movies and now she can't get arrested! She's a grown up brat now and no one in the business wants to work with her. She's older now and not as cute as she used to be. She wants to hire Andy to sue Disney, her agent, and her mom! She says "It'll be a class action suit!" Andy corrects her by saying, "No, that's not a class action suit."  Very funny line. She begs and pleads with him saying that she's broke and this isn't fair.  He really doesn't want to take the case, because he's sure that they won't win.  But eventually he decides to do it pro-bono and he says they'll take them ALL to court.  Then he says that he might be moving offices soon and Kristin says in a kind of scary way "I'll find you."  Andy looks a bit freaked out! Super funny guys!  Really great work!

COLD READINGS

"Distain" Starring James McLeod and Kerry Liu. Kerry plays an intensely, crazy and emotionally unstable wife to James.  She comes in looking for her pills, which she can't find and then she can't find her cigarettes. The abuse is very apparent.  She's abusive to him. He says that they missed yet another counseling session and she doesn't seem to care.  She berates him and insults him, saying that she'll start a rumor that he's gay. The scene is emotionally intense and heighten.  James was very good as the abused husband. He was sympathetic to her bipolar ways. Kerry was all over the place with her emotions. You just didn't know what she was going to do next. She was a live wire. I loved that performance. Great work.

"Allergic" Starring Kayce Bae Hirschfelder, Rebecca Hirshfeld, and Azra. Azra and Kayce play nurse interns who have been assigned to watch a patient who seemed to be doing okay. They are on break talking about how tired they are from their double shifts at the hospital.  Rebecca plays a doctor is livid and beside herself because the patient has died! She comes into the break room and demands to know what they gave the patient.  It turns out that the patient was allergic to morphine and that's what has killed him.  Rebecca really let the girls have it. Kayce was very worried about Azra's character. Azra delivered her lines very clearly and calmly, conveying the information that she needed to.  She didn't overact.  They were all very believable in this scene.  Good job girls.

"Till Death" Starring Patrick Duncan and Kristin Korsnes.  Patrick plays a teacher at a school. Kristin comes in after 10 years away and must confront this teacher who used to cruelly nickname all his students.  He was a bit of a bully.  The nickname he picked for her was  Dimbulb Duffy, which as a result caused her to need years of therapy.  Well, now the tables have turned and Ms. Duffy is in a position of power.  She changes his parking place to the roof where gang members hang out and she's getting the last laugh.  I love the dynamic between these two actors.  They were perfect with the comic timing and they hit every single joke with panache. Patrick is particularly good with facial expressions.  He was hilarious!  Ms. Duffy, Kristin, went from victim to bitch seamlessly. What a funny scene. Great you two!

"Hannibal" Starring Andy Wasif, Bivas Biswas, and Shana Carr.  Andy and Shana both play psychology professors and are discussing a patient who is under observation. They are discusses his weaknesses. Shana was very thoughtful as she delivered her dialogue. You could see she was truly concerned about this patient and how dangerous he really is. Andy was wonderful responding very naturally to her questions. The next scene, we meet Bivas's character named Will who has a close connection to a woman who just came out of a coma. Shana's character talks to Will about their options and she advices Will not to get involved again. He needs closure on this case.  Bivas was intense and mysterious. Shana was deliberate and thoughtful in her execution of the scene. I loved it!

 "The Following" Starring James McLeod, Ardes, and Michael. James plays a handsome detective who comes into Ardes's office. Ardes doesn't have time for small talk. She's a bit rude to James's character. These two definitely have a past. James calls her out and the tables turn. Ardes turns on the sexy charm and they make a date for later. Next scene, James's character is at the police prescient and he's got a bone to pick with Ryan, played by Michael. Ryan left James's character out to dry during a very bad situation out in the field. Michael was teaching him a lesson. Michael did great. He was intense and didn't do too much. James is the perfect TV Detective! Great faces and great voice. He can really carry off an intense character!

"Thin Ice" Starring Carl Rolle and Rebecca Hirshfeld. Carl plays Jesse, a State Police Chef being investigated by Rebecca Hirshfeld's character from Internal Affairs, Sidney, for an incident that occurred where a shooter was shot by Carl's character. They discuss that in his career there have been four fatalities under during his career as Police Chef.  Carl's character starts to flirt with Rebecca during the scene and the tone turns to sex. Carl did a great job as the cool under fire police chief. Rebecca missed a cue to stand so that Carl could get a look at her legs which was needed for the sexual tension of the scene. That's why it is always important to follow the stage directions.  They help to tell the story. The flirtation vibe did come across even without her getting to her feet, but it felt a bit stagnant with the two of them just going back and forth with their dialogue. 

"How Office Rumors Get Started" Starring Patrick Duncan and Kayce Bae Hirschfelder.  This was one of my favorite scenes of the night! Patrick plays a boss who is very inappropriate.  Kayce plays a temp who is trying to win over her boss. It's after hours and she asks if there's anything else he needs from her.  He says no and good night.  She returns moments later with a very expensive bottle of scotch and says that someone left it on her desk when she was at lunch.  Patrick has no clue who it could be from. She says goodnight again and moment later comes into his office again with a present from her, two high balls glasses.  Patrick is pleased and now they have no reason, but to have a drink to celebrate her first great day at the office. At first Kayce says she couldn't possibly have a drink because rumors would fly if the office knew they'd had a drink and then she says what the heck. Patrick pours them a drink into the new glasses and Kayce downs it like a shot! Patrick states "Uh, this is scotch, it's meant to be sipped." She gets another shot of scotch and down the hatch it goes.  She gets a bit rowdy and says "I love this job!" Patrick gets nervous because something bad could certainly go down at that moment, he says he has work to do. Kayce exclaims that she can't wait to tell Joanne in Accounting that she and the boss had some drinks together after hours! Patrick's face was priceless.  They both did amazing during this scene.  I told Kayce that she should have turned on the sexy a little bit more in the beginning of the scene and that she should have amped it up every time she came back in to see the boss.  Like a slow seduction and by the time she was drinking the scotch and getting drunk, she should have been completely out of control!  They really did great!

"Date Night" Starring Andy Wasif and Kristin Korsnes. Andy plays a husband who is at a restaurant waiting for his wife to arrive.  This other woman sits down with him and starts coming on to him and rubbing his leg and whispering suggestive sexual things in his ear and he's very uncomfortable and worried that his wife might thing something awful if she sees them.  She continues to flirt and he makes her go away.  Then moments later she returns and we realize that she IS the WIFE and they are trying to do Role Play to spice up the relationship. The scene was really cute. Both actors did a great job of not giving away the joke in the beginning. I thought they were very enduring in this scene. 

"Vampire Diaries" Starring Bivas Biswas and James McLeod.  Bivas plays Vaughn, a very dangerous and sadistic human and a killer to James's character, Damon, who is a Vampire and who is currently Vaughn prisoner. Vaughn asks Damon about a woman that Damon is in love with and what are his plans with her.  Then Vaughn says "I guess you won't mind if I kill her." This makes Damon mad. Vaughn enjoys that he's getting under Damon skin. The second scene, Vaughn and Damon are on foot and the word games continue. They are really getting at each other and trying to defuse each others strength. Vaughn puts Damon in his place and then informs Damon that he will kill both he and his brother.  Vaughn draws out a stake! Bivas is so scary in this scene. I almost wish he was playing a vampire. Both actors had the right amount of tension and game as they executed the dialogue. Damon, James, had the right amount of fear, yet cockiness to match Vaughn, Bivas's character. Wonderful work!

"Blue Bloods" Starring Carl Rolle and James McLeod. Carl Rolle plays a janitor who comes into the police squad to get interviewed by Danny played by James McLeod.  Carl is being questioned in the death of an ex-vet that lived in an alley. Carl's character, also a Veteran, knew him and would offer him money which he'd always refuse, but he would take the chicken noodle soup that Carl's wife would make.  Danny asks him if the ex-vet ever had anyone else around him and Carl tells him that there was this 20 year old girl that the vet used to watch out for, but that she was no where to be found. Danny asks if they get a sketch artist, could he give a description of the girl. Carl tells Danny when he got back from the war, that there were a couple of shaky years, but he never hit the streets like that kid did.  Carl did the role wonderfully well. He did an accent and made "Lopez" a full live character! I would have cast Carl in that role. He did the dialogue perfectly and slow enough. It was a moving and very interesting scene! James plays a great police detective and is very good with interview dialogue as well. Love the scene guys!  :) 

"Dead Source" Starring Patrick Duncan, Kerry Liu and Azra. Patrick and Kerry play two detectives that come into a Diner to ask Azra's character who is a waitress some questions about a murder. Patrick and Kerry have some detective banter in the beginning which is very cute and funny. We get a sense of their relationship and history on the beat! Inside the diner, the detectives take a booth and Azra answers their questions.  Kerry was doing great as the hard nosed detective, she looked amazing and I was thinking how perfect she'd be on an night time episodic....but then she started getting the giggles and she started smiling during a very serious moment in the scene! Azra answered their questions in a very calm manner. She's has such an innocence to her and she reminds me of a young Natalie Portland.  Patrick was terrific as the good cop to Kerry's bad cop. I loved the scene, but I had to call Kerry out on her smiling! She was smiling when she said that the lady who'd been shot had actually died! I said, "you need to think of something horrible if you get the giggles during a line like that! Don't break character."  Lesson learned. Good scene though! Azra would make a wonderful guest star on a series!

"Trev's Heartache" Starring Andy Wasif, Ardes Armstrong, and Bivas Biswas. Andy and Ardes play a couple who are trying to sleep. Andy wants some action, but Ardes shoots him down because they have a house guest.  Bivas is their friend who is staying over because he's had his heart broken. He knocks on their door and Andy answers it reluctantly.  Bivas says that he had a bad dream about his ex-girlfriend and he's so sad.  Ardes gets annoyed and tells him to go back to room and cry his eyes out and tomorrow he's going to get a new life and get over it! Then she goes to the kitchen to get a snack. Trev, Bivas, says he'll do what Ardes said and maybe God will make him never wake up. Trev leaves. Ardes returns with ice cream and informs Andy that he has to make Bivas leave by the weekend, that she can't take this! There is another knock at the door. Ardes gets up, it's Bivas looking for more sympathy! Ardes decides that desperate measures are in order, so she flashes Bivas and hands him the ice cream and he goes straight to bed.  Very funny and cute scene. Great job everyone!

"Pimp Bobby" Starring Kerry Liu and Shana Carr. We ended this workshop with a bang. Kerry and Shana are paying their respects at a funeral. Shana's character husband is the one in the open casket. She is clearly distraught. Kerry is sad, but just kind of there showing her respects. Shana asks Kerry if she is family. Kerry acts a bit sketchy and then informs Shana that Bobby was her pimp. Shana is sure she must have the wrong man and that she's at the wrong funeral. She goes on to say what a great pimp 'Bobby' was and how he got all the girls insurance and apartments.  Shana is beside herself with shock. Shana tries to convince Kerry that she's definitely got the wrong man. Kerry gets mad and says "Look here bitch..." then she goes on to say that "Bobby" helped them bring in $80 K a month and he only took 25%.  Shana's timing with the next line was perfect.  She starts to speak and then her face changes as she ponders what a great opportunity she might have stumbled on here.  She starts doing her own math in her head and makes a proposal to Kerry.  Kerry says that she'd need to talk to the other girls and that they'd like about 20% to go for daycare.  Kerry and Shana pulled this scene off with wonderful comedic timing on both their parts!  I loved it.  Kerry had this really crazy way of saying the lines really slow and sporadic which made her character really interesting and made the audience hang on to every word she said.  It was quiet brilliant!  You ladies ROCK!

WRAP UP
And that concludes another fantastic HPAG Workshop!
The next one is on January 13, 2013.  If you'd like to get on the list, please send me a message on Facebook or via email:  kellyart@pacbell.net

Thank you all for your wonderful commitment to the work.
And for all your amazing talent!

See you on the STAGE!!

PS:  HPAG Workshop is in the planning stages of a SHOWCASE for agents, casting director, managers, friends and family that I would like to put together for February 22, 2013. If you'd like more information about that, please contact me.  Thank you! 

Kelly Mullis, Artistic Director of HPAG

Follow your Dreams in 2013!

Happy Actors!

I love my Workshop! Come Join us!!