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| Can't you see that we are SERIOUS ACTORS?!! |
We did the individual Self Introductions today. Everyone said a bit about themselves and how they found their way to the HPAG Workshop!
WARM UP
After some stretching, we did some running in place, jumping jacks, & scissor kicks.
Then we threw a fake baseball into the middle of the circle.
We tossed the fake baseball around to each other in the group, sense memory.
Then the ball became a bowling ball. Sense Memory changed.
VOCAL WARM UP
We did some vocal warm up by doing LALALALALA, low and then high then back to low.
Followed by some FAFAFAFAFAFA, low then high then back to low.
Then we did some "FE FI FOE FUM, I smell the blood of an Englishman!" 3 X.
Then we did some British Dialogue:
"Hello, how are things?"
"Fine, thanks, how are you?"
"Well, I've been better."
"I'm sorry."
"That's alright."
(that was kind of funny!)
ACTING EXERCISES
We did some Meisner Repetition. Always a good warm up.
Then we did something super fun. We beat each other up....in a fake acting way, of course.
We did fake stage slapping and punching. It was so fun to do and watch!
Someone would sit in a chair like an interrogation and the other person would fake slap or punch them. The one getting hit would have to respond accordingly. The actors were slapping their own hands for the great sound effects!
When I did my interrogation, I did a Russian accent and it was so fun! :)
Sharon Spence beat me up. Good times!
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| Dennis is rolling up his sleeves to give it to Sharon Spence. No one was harmed in this exercise! |
Improv #1: starring Andy Wasif and Michael Beardsley playing two guys watching the Super Bowl Game having a chat about their dating life. Andy tells Michael that he's met a great gal and they have really hit it off and that she's Japanese. Then Michael says he met someone as well and she's also Japanese. Then Andy suggests that they have a double date and mentions his ladies name. Michael can't believe his ears....they are dating the same girl. Michael goes a little crazy and Andy talks about the 'man code'. It was quiet funny! 
Improv #2: starring Patrick Duncan and Sharon Spence. Patrick is sitting on the sofa watching "Finding Bigfoot" when his wife Sharon comes into the room and drops a bomb on him. She says that her friend Shelia was at the same conference that Patrick was at and shows him a photo that her friend took of Patrick and "Patricia" talking very closely at the conference. He tries to brush it off by saying that she was asking him a question about something at the conference. Then Sharon says, yes, but then Patricia sent me this photo of you two. She shows Patrick and the gig is up! Sharon makes him leave and he's bummed because he can't watch the rest of his TV program. Busted! :) Good stuff you two.
Improv#3: starring Kelly Mullis and Dennis Hodapp. Dennis plays a very wealthy oil tycoon who has agreed to take a meeting with a Hollywood Producer played by Kelly, me. I thank him for taking the time to meet with me and explain that I have a few projects I'd like to pitch to him for possible financing. He gets a call and has to take it. It's business. After he gets off the phone, I pitch the first film about Alien Spaceships that hover over LA, New York and, of course, Houston, Texas. He loves the idea. I explain that Aliens that look like Giant Ants will come down and infiltrate the human race until all humans are destroyed. The next film I pitch stars Matthew Mcconaughey and I talk about his recent weight loss, but that now he looks normal again. Then Dennis has to make a call. "Hello honey, yeah, it's me, I've got a guy from Hollywood here pitching me some films. I'm gonna be late for dinner." When he hangs up, I say, "Did you just call me a guy?" He looks me up and down. "I'm staying at the Four Seasons if you'd like to talk about this further." Next thing I know, he's swiped his desk clean of the scripts and papers and we embrace and act like a couple of teenagers going at it! Totally didn't expect that! Super funny. Really great work Dennis. :)
COLD READING SCENES
"Twelve Monkeys" starring Michael Beardsley and Sharon Spence. Michael plays Cole a person in a mental institute who isn't sure what year it is. He thinks he's in the future. He wants to get out of there badly. Sharon plays his therapist. She was wonderfully compassionate and patient with crazy Michael who played his role perfectly, sitting on the floor and in a silent panic state. I loved it.
"Blue Bloods" starring Dennis Hodapp and Patrick Duncan. Patrick plays a group counselor for cops. Dennis plays Danny who arrives late with a bad attitude. He doesn't want to be there and just wants to get it over with. He'd rather be using his time to solve an important case. The banter between the cop and therapist goes on. Both Dennis and Patrick did a stand out job with their attitudes and convictions of the characters. I'd love this piece to be worked on. I love the writing. Great job guys!
"Kate & Ben" starring Patrick Duncan, Andy Wasif and Dennis Hodapp. This was a very funny scene where Patrick plays a Teacher who is trying to plan out the School Prom. Andy who plays Ben in this scene volunteers to make the Prom the best one ever. The only problem...they need more money. Patrick says he can get about $25 more dollars. Andy is excited because he thinks that means $2500. Wrong! LOL! Dennis played Andy's friend in the scene. They did a really great job. Patrick and Andy have the most wonderful comedy chops! Great work!
"Kidnapped" written by Kelly Mullis, starring Dennis Hodapp, Michael Beardsley and Kelly Mullis. This is a scene that I wrote with hopes of shooting for my demo reel. Michael plays a bad guy who as kidnapped me and taunts me in the creepiest way possible. I have my hands restrained and recoil his advances towards me. He tries to kiss me and I bite his lip, then he slaps me. At that moment Dennis comes in and yells at Michael for being inappropriate with me. He apologizes to me and explains that there's been a mistake and that he would like to compensate me for my troubles. I loved acting out this scene with Dennis and Michael. They both did stellar jobs as their characters. I was really impressed with both men. I felt that I did my role pretty good as well. You'd have to ask the audience for sure though! So fun! 
"Austin & Alley" starring Sharon Spence, Kelly Mullis, and Andy Wasif. Kelly plays a young singing sensation who is supposed to be meeting a new Producer at a coffee shop. Sharon is my manager and when Andy comes in to the coffee shop, she waves him over to me. I am hyper and overly excited when I meet Andy and I hug him and explain that I'm excited to meet him. Then we go into the studio and I start playing some of my original songs on the keyboard for him and singing my very cheesy lyric, only to find out that he's the wrong guy. He was only there to interview for a job at the Coffee Shop. Cute scene. I think it went very well. My co-stars were wonderful! 
"The Glades" starring Patrick Duncan, Kelly Mullis, Andy Wasif and Dennis Hodapp. Andy and Dennis play a couple of guys at a bar where Kelly is a 'shot girl'. Andy wants to meet the girl on cardboard cutout. Kelly is pretty bitchy and says that the girl on the cutout only goes out with rich guys with fast cars. Andy shows Kelly his keys proving he has a Beamer and she takes the keys away from him saying they've had enough to drink. Patrick plays the detective that comes to question Kelly about what she knows about the 'missing girl' from the cardboard cutout. Turns out that Kelly's been cashing her dad's pension checks even though he's been dead for quiet some time. Kelly and the missing girl have some kind of secret business they are in. Kelly gets busted by Patrick for Fraud. Yes! Good scene. Great writing. Great characters! I want to do that scene again and get off book on it. It could be super good! 
That concludes yet another fabulous Hollywood Players Actor's Group Workshop!
You never know what fun things will occur at this workshop!
If you'd like to join us for the next workshop on Sunday, February 10th 3-6 PM, please send me an email to kellyart@pacbell.net or call 323.428.3739 to get on the list for next Sunday!
Thanks for reading!
See you on the Stage,
Kelly Mullis, Artistic Director
Hollywood Players Actor's Group
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