ACT IV: It's All About You

The New Year starts with a BANG in - err - February? January is just for those New-Years-Resolutioners and we can’t be bothered with that “one-month-a-year” crowd!

We have a date! The ACTion Collective’s ACT IV will be February 18th at 7:00pm at 440 Studios (440 Lafayette St., Manhattan). As we have always promised, this event is free, free, FREE!!! *maniacal laughter* And we will bring some refreshments (read: a few beers, some wine, crudite if you’re good).

To recap what we’re asking for ACT IV:

• Write a scene of not more than 5 minutes. Brevity = Soul of Wit.
• Keep the character list small but the parts BIG. You’re writing for actors, so give them a gift.
• Make it fantastic or make it sub-par. Just make it.
• You can direct it or you can be in it. It’s all about you.

So that brings us to the question:

How’s your scene coming along? Mine is coming along just fine, thank you for asking.*

*I wrote this a week ago - I do hope that things are actually going “fine” by the time you read this. When I wrote this I only had 3 lines written.

For those of you who haven’t written anything yet:

You should probably reply to this email right now and say you’re coming. That way you’ve gotta get started, unless you want to disappoint me…

For those of you who have cranked out a page:

Congrats! Keep hammering away, you’re doing great!

For those of you who have finished:

WOWZA! Do you think you’ll try to cast some people to rehearse it with you?

For those of you who have yet to find that inspiration, we thought we could offer you some fodder:

• Listen to your favorite album. What appeals to you about it? What stories is it trying to tell?
• Perhaps you can start with an interesting conflict.
• Check out our fans on Facebook for — yes — faces to get characters going.
• Don’t shy away from simple stories - it’s only five minutes.
• Oddly enough, I found that this article on masterpieces made writing seem less daunting.
• And if you just need a little kick in the pants to get you going - go here to get inspired.

Let us know if you’re coming, either by email or through our Facebook Invite.

And as always: ACT more! (And, uh — write some, too…)

ACT III: Nyuck Nyuck Nyuck

Our third event is on! It’s scheduled for Thursday, December 17th from 8:00 - 11:00 at 440 Studios (440 Lafayette Street) in Studio 4A. They say comedy happens in threes, so it seemed appropriate to make this one about comic acting.

Here’s the game:

If you’re in, next week we’ll email you examples of several short, two-person comic scenes - some famous ones, some less so.

At the event, you’ll come in with a familiarity with those scenes, but unrehearsed.

• Two will start us off
• At the end of the scene, one will remain on stage and the other swap out with a new partner.
• The new partner will decide whether to stick with the previous scene, or have a new one selected at random.
• And so on and so forth…

As usual, this event is totally free, and we’ll provide some modest nourishment and libation. If you haven’t been yet, this will be a great one to join in on (we had a ridiculous amount of fun in ACT II). If you have been and are returning, please remember that we’d love to have you bring along one person with whom youlove to work.  Respond, if you please, by Thursday, December 10th, either way.

Bonus:

If you’re really quick, you can submit suggestions for favorite scenes to us, and we’ll find them and use them.

ACT II: A Tale of Two Screens

We’re doing it again! Mark your calendar for The Action Collective’s “ACT II” on Monday, November 16th, 7:00 - 10:30 at 440 Studios (same as last time).

We weren’t sure that we could come up with an idea for ACT II we were as excited about as we were for ACT I (formerly known as Free Fun for Actors…!) until we thought about our favorite part of the first event: The people. So we’ve asked everyone who came last time to bring someone they want to work with, and we’re going to bring short, quick scenes to play around with.

It’s going to be much the same as last time - we’ll bring some beer and wine and you can bring what you would like to enjoy. We still want you to enjoy the work and one another, to relax and play hard, in whatever proportion you may need. We invite you to do what you love, to act, with people that love the same thing. And we’re excited to get to do that again!

ACT I: Free Fun for Actors! (on a Thursday)

Jeff Wills and Andrew Elliott are hosting an event on October 22nd from 7:30-10:30.  We’re calling it “Free Fun for Actors! (on a Thursday)”. The name might change, especially if it ever happens on another day of the week. Jeff and Andrew are inviting actors they’ve enjoyed working with and I’d love for you to be a part of it.  The plan is to have a small, relaxed meet-up for a few hours with people who are really interested in the craft of their acting.  We’ll bring a little bit of food and drink (and if you have a preferred beverage, please bring it along) and we’ll all do a little of what we love; we’ll act.

This idea started when we got to talking about how there’s never as much time as we’d like to work on the work itself during rehearsals, and there’s no real way to tell who you want to work with when you meet your fellow actors in the real world.  Essentially, we want to bring together people who are good to work with, who appreciate the work, and who are also good to spend time with as people.  You know: what everyone wants. So, the details:

• WHEN: 7:30pm October 22nd, a Thursday; to go no later than 10:45
• WHERE: 440 Studios - 3rd floor (across from the Public Theater, below Astor Place)
• WHAT: A gathering, with readings of short texts provided by you.

That’s right: We’re asking you to bring a text (I guess nothing’s free, really) and as many copies of it as there are characters.  Some parameters:

• Short - in the range of 5-6 pages
• Small - 2-3 characters, no more
• Simple - no elaborate blocking, or huge chunks of descriptive text
• Start’n’Finish - as best you can, something with beginning-middle-end potential

Make it something fun.  Make it something you’d like to hear, but also would like to be in.  When we get to the “work” bit of the evening, we’ll cast the 1-2 other people in the scene from the assembled crowd, and you’ll have a little time to review, and then give a reading.  We may not use everyone’s piece, but everyone will be performing something.

Take Flight: A solo act

Record yourself performing a text related to “flight” and send it to me by 12/16 to be part of a live soundtrack!

A band, Black Yodel, has approached me asking for material for a live, improvised soundtrack they are performing over a silent film entitled “Flight.” Their concept is to incorporate multiple layers of prerecorded text about flight through pedal effects (fuzz, reverb, loops, etc). The text can be anything that relates to the idea of flight: descriptions of birds, airplane technical manuals, a Superman comic, re-telling a flying dream, etc.; it can be work you find, or work you make. They are looking for it to have a sense of “found material,” so you don’t even have to concern yourself too much with sound quality.  The performance is in Pittsburgh on 12/18.

This is for no pay, but you’ll probably have fun doing it and you will be credited. We’ll make sure you can have access to a copy of the performance.

Four or five minutes is a good place to aim, but there is no length requirement.

“All of this sounds great! I have absolutely no idea how to make that happen.”

You have a few options:

• On a Mac - You can use GarageBand
• On Windows XP (and 95,98, 2000) - You can use Sound Recorder
• On Windows Vista (and Windows 7) - Use these Sound Recorder instructions

Then just attach it to an email and send it to me!

And if any of that seems too complex - you can just leave it on The Action Collective voicemail!

• Just call, wait for the beep and read, hang up when you’re done.
• Please call again afterward to tell me who you are (so we can credit you properly).
• Don’t worry what time it is, this is just a machine - it doesn’t ring a phone.

For the phone # or email address, please send us a Facebook message or tweet us @ACTionColl.

Good show, and enjoy!

-The Action Collective

Our Actors

Bodine Alexander is an actor, freelance video editor and producer.  She is a graduate of Barnard College, and has performed in New York at PS122, Rattlestick Theater and HERE Arts Center, as well as in three feature films and many shorts.  Very recently, she produced and edited The Ted Haggard Monologues, a feature-length dark comedy film written by and starring Michael Yates Crowley.

Bodine’s favorite advice to the actor: In film, a totally blank expression can sometimes be inferred to have a lot of meaning, based on context.  Don’t be afraid of being very, very small in that medium.

Laura Boling’s NYC credits include All the Rage, A Lie of the Mind, Miss Julie (Dark Brew Prod) and Good (Beulahland Prod) at manhattan theatre source; Snowing at Delphi and Cyclone (646 Theatre Company); readings: St. Lucia (Personal Space Theatrics), Gypsy King (First Look Theatre), The Collector (Small Pond Entertainment); The Reel Life (Actors Repertory Theatre).  Reg: The Dybbuk (Syracuse Stage) Moon Over Buffalo (Northern Stage). Tours: ENCORE! Nat’l TYA (Chamber Repertory Theatre), Romeo and Juliet NYC TYA (The Touring Company).  TV/Film: Stella (Comedy Central), leads in indie features One-Some and Kaleidoscope. Voice of BloomingKids.com, edu-software for autistic children. B.F.A. in Acting from Syracuse University.

Jason Carden is an actor, freelance producer and director. He earned his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.  In addition to producing and starring in a web series called Three Percent Enemies, Jason can be seen every Saturday night as captain of the football team Blake Williams in The Awesome 80s Prom at Webster Hall.

jasoncarden.com

Jason’s favorite advice for the actor: Learn as much as you can about every aspect of the process, every approach, every philosophy, and from as many people as possible. You don’t know when and where it will come in handy, but it will.

Kate Chadwick grew up in Twin Peaks, CA and went to the University of California, Irvine (B.A., Drama, magna cum laude and high honors in musical theatre). She also has a post-graduate degree from the Oxford School of Drama in England. Some previous roles include: Maria in The Sound of Music, Marian in The Music Man, Fiona in Brigadoon, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sarah in Guys and Dolls, and Bessie Higginbotham in A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot. She is currently working on a CD of old standards from the 30s and 40s (her favorite era), and a play based on silly bacteriologists.

katechadwick.com

Kate’s favorite advice for the actor: Stay funny. Nothing is so bad when you can laugh at it.

Andrew Elliott is a founding member of The Action Collective. Andrew is an actor, director, writer and filmmaker. He earned a BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts studying acting and directing at Experimental Theatre Wing and Playwrights Horizons studios.

Andrew’s favorite advice for the actor: As your first contact with a script, read the entire script aloud and embody all characters with as much individuality as possible.

Ben Jaeger-Thomas is a working actor in NYC and currently makes his living primarily through voice-over commercial work. He studied Theatre for three years at The University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, and has also worked with Josh Pais from The Atlantic Theatre School in addition to several courses in improv at Upright Citizens Brigade.

jaeger-thomas.com

Ben’s favorite advice for the actor: An actor must always be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Patrick Lacey’s New York credits include The Soldier Dreams (Spiral Inc.), Icarus (Six Figures Fairy Tale Festival 04), The Secret of Steep Ravines (Ripetime Productions at P.S. 122), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Witch of Edmonton (REV Theatre), Significant Circus (Horseback Productions), The Indian Princess (Target Margin) The Incubus (Yorkville Rep), En Attendant Moscow (Chekhov Now! Festival). Seattle credits: Bread and Circus, Interrogating the Nude, This End Up and others (Annex Theatre: company member). The Revenger’s Tragedy, Holy Ghosts, Innocence (Aha! Theatre). The Swan (Northwest Actors Studio). Patrick also designs masks which have appeared in productions in New York, Washington, Indiana, Canada and Ireland.

Patrick’s favorite advice for the actor: When things are going badly, get your attention off yourself, and back on your scene partner.  Find something new.  There’s always something.  He or she will surprise you, and nothing puts you in the moment better than surprise.

Adam Laupus recently finished dark original fairy-tales Hinterland by Ben Adair Murphey, and experimental musical workshop, Pyrates! with composer Stephanie Johnstone and writer/director Josh Gelb. Earlier this year, he completed his first major leading film role in an indie film in India, A Decent Arrangement directed by Sarovar Banka. He is also co-founder of brilliant-but-canceled sketch team Fresh Meat and toured at several Fringe Festivals around the country and Canada. TV credits:  Kings, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, As The World Turns, Guiding Light. B.F.A. in Drama from NYU.

Chelsea O’Connor is originally from Michigan, and has been living and acting in New York for over 3 years.  Currently, Chelsea is a member of Panoply Performance Laboratory, a non-profit arts collective.  She recently performed with PPL in a deserted Wall Street bank vault, as a part of the LMCC Swing Space.  Other NYC Theatre credits include Hamlet (Gorilla Repertory), Endoftheworldlovesong (Flea Theatre), and 7 Ways to Mourn the Dead (MCC PlayLab Reading Series).

Anastasia Olowin is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and currently resides on the island of Manhattan. She holds a B.F.A. in acting from New York University, where she studied at the Experimental Theatre Wing. She has also trained at the Moscow Art Theatre and the American Conservatory Theater. In addition to performing, Anastasia works as a creator and choreographer.

Risa Sarachan has a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she studied at the Experimental Theatre Wing. Past credits include: Bang/Whimper (NY Fringe), Learning to Love Me More (Ontological Hysterical), Claire and Daniel (Atlantic Theatre Stage 2) and The History of My Domestication (TigerMilk Collective). You can also see Risa in the indie film My Friends Told Me About You now available in the Wholpin’s DVD Collection. Two other films, Moziba and hItec!, will be screened in NYC in early 2010. She will also be appearing in the 31DOWN premiere production of their work Red Over Red at the Ontological Theatre this spring.

risasarachan.com

Jeff Wills (AEA) is a founding member of The Action Collective. Jeff is an actor, director, teacher and playwright. He earned his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Jeff has continued his studies in physical theatre and expanded into circus, Suzuki, Viewpoints, commedia dell’arte and clowning. He is a founding member of the circus/theatre group Kirkos, and the commedia dell’arte troupe Zuppa del Giorno, and frequently works as a teaching actor in NYU’s playwriting and film directing courses. He is a freelance teacher, and also instructs in the Electric Theatre Company’s Actor’s Conservatory.

jeffwills.net

Jeff’s favorite advice for the actor: Listen with your whole body, all the time.  It’s a good way to be there for a scene partner, and the best practice in life for being open in performance.

Interested in becoming a member of The Action Collective?

Our Mission

The Action Collective is a community of theater artists dedicated to exploring and expanding the actor’s role in the theatrical process. The Action Collective cultivates a unique social and creative environment by nurturing its community of working players.

The Action Collective formed to offer an alternative to the inherently hurried nature of a traditional rehearsal process, which often demands results at the expense of reflection. The Action Collective provides actors with a forum to connect with one another artistically, immediately. Actors are empowered through The Action Collective extend invitations to create work together.

The Action Collective responds to essential dilemmas within the acting community:

• How does an actor continue to explore craft outside of “work”?
• How is knowledge and experience conveyed in the acting community?
• How do actors meet one another outside of performance?

The Action Collective grows and encompasses new people by way of members inviting people they have enjoyed working with in the past. It began as a small, relaxed meet-up for a few hours with people who are really interested in the craft of their acting. It is a social setting, but fully committed toward the goal of doing more of what we love: acting.