Taped Auditions and Terrific Scene Work By All!

January 12th, 2014 Workshop was Insightful and Inspirational!

This was a very special workshop co-hosted by myself and my wonderful actor/writer/director friend David Beatty.

IMPROVISATIONS
We started off the workshop with some 1 minute improvisations where people could just be in the scene with no expectations as to where it could go.  They were able to just be themselves.
Once everyone did the 1 minute, we changed it to a 2 minute improvisation where they had to move the scene along in some manner.  That was fun.  There were some wild moments during that.

FREEZE TAG followed the improvisations.

MOCK AUDITIONS
Then we took a break and let everyone go out in the hall to read thru their cold reading scenes and their auditions scenes which would be taped by David and shown to the group.

I had selected 3 different audition pieces.  One for the younger women, one for the old women and one for the men. 

I read along with each other actors.  I really enjoyed seeing the different way each actor performed their auditions.  After everyone was finished, we watched the play back and David asked each actor how they felt and I had my notes for everyone as well.  It was a very wonderful learning experience for everyone.  Thank you David for bringing in your camera and equipment to make that happen.

COLD READINGS 
"Perception" with Tessa, Tom, and Paul. Tessa plays a girl on the stand who has been forced into prostitution. She plays this role very stoically, doing her lines in almost a numb and robotic way. Tom is the prosecutor. He played it very well.  Then in the second scene, Tessa is at home and a mental health counselor played by Tom comes to her door and she eventually lets him in and the truth come out about the man who abused her and forced her into this line of work. That second part was beautiful to watch! Great work you guys!

 Paul as the Mental Health Counselor with Tessa.

"GREY'S ANATOMY" with Tom playing a doctor. Michael B. is the patient who has a large growth in his stomach and Tessa plays his very annoyed wife! This scene was so funny and I loved how everyone played the comedy and absurdity of the scene.  Except for the doctor who took it all very serious! Great work! 
"UNDER THE DOME" Leilani plays a new character on the show who has come to teach the children.  Big Jim is up to his usual no good and she knows not to trust him but she is still very charming and friendly.  Leilani's natural instints with the character were right on the money. Paul as Big Jim was charming and perhaps a little too nice. But still, you could tell he had something up his sleeve 

"GEORGIA RULE" Kerry plays the alcoholic mother to Leilani and there is definitely some bad blood between these two! The scene starts to build as each character starts to loose it with the other. Until the end, Leilani confesses that she has been physically abused by a 'friend' of her mother's. Of course her Mother will hear none of it! Nor will she believe the truth.  Very nice work ladies!

"CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND" with Tom playing Byrd, the George Clooney character who tried to recruit the loose cannon bad attitude Barris, Michael, into working for the FBI. Michael played the character very sarcastically and it was pretty humorous how the two men worked off each other. I quite liked it.  Tom was very cool and calm and suave. Michael was the opposite. It totally worked.

"PASSION FISH" with Kareema playing Chantelle, the hired help to assist in helping Mary Alice played by Lisa Shows.  Mary Alice has a drinking problem and his desperate for a bottle of wine and tries to negotiate a deal for Chantelle to go get her a bottle.  Chantelle will have nothing of that and stands her ground, much to the frustration of Mary Alice. I loved this scene between these two ladies. They were perfectly cast in this. Passion Fish is a great film with a very unlikely and beautiful friendship that will rip your heart out!  See it if you can.  I want to see this scene off book!! 

 "SAME TIME NEXT YEAR" Kelly and Paul play a couple who have been having a 15 year one night stand.  Kelly's character has gone back to school and is dressed like a hippy. Paul's character is a very conservative man who is in a bad mood and not very agreeable with the things that his long time lover is saying. Finally Kelly asks Paul to tell her a story about how awful his wife, Helen is and he does.  The scene went very well. We were off book and it was fun.  Unfortunately the headband I was wearing made my hair do something ridiculous and that was embarrassing, but oh well, that's showbiz!  I hope to get this scene on tape very soon.  Good work to my scene partner!

"GRACE POINT" Tom is playing a detective questioning David about his whereabouts and who is was with during the night before when someone was killed. David is caught in a lie. Tom is very strategic with his questioning and it was quiet interesting to watch the dynamic between these two actors.  I really liked it. I wanted to see more.  Tom used a cigar as a menacing prop and it was very cool. 

That was our wonderful workshop! Thank you to all who participated! You guys rocked the house! Isn't acting fabulous!