The Experienced Actor

Most experienced actors; the successful ones, that is, enjoy being given performance notes by a director. Make no mistake... giving an actor performance notes is a distinct craft within itself. Some consider it to be the art of psychology at its highest state. Some actors have been known to be a little touchy, considering any suggestion to be a personal criticism. If an actor feels that way, the chance of improving his or her performance diminishes dramatically.

Each of us is equipped with a great listening device. It's called a brain. (Well, actually the ears come first. Even actors have them.) Albeit, not all actors use what they were endowed with: The ability to listen. While the brain allows us to listen to and cipher information, some human beings have a habit of turning off their receptors before the message is complete. As a director, my strongest virtue must be patience. When an actor interrupts to say they get it, and I haven't had the time to complete my notes to them, I almost always doubt their ability to win the job. I'm rarely surprised; most likely the next take will be a waste of my time. Not that I feel my words or advice are the end all in assuring an actor's success, but many actors have the malady I refer to as "premature election." They're willing to move on to what they feel is a new read, when in fact they've secured and mollified themselves with the old.

Few actors have any real understanding of how commercial voice casting works. There is much more to it than putting out a casting call in an attempt to find a certain sound. Oftentimes our casting team is involved in a multi-person casting meeting with the powers that be. I'm referring to the possibility of a writer, producer, creative of some type, and even the sponsor's representative; all offering a malaise of information. These are a group of supposedly intelligent personalities attempting to set forth information, which will solve all of our directional and casting needs. They think! Following the conference call, we begin putting together a statement in writing which we intend using as the substance of our casting call to go out to the variety of voice agents we deal with.

(As an aside... many of the voice agents are also guilty of "premature election." They often fall into the "we know what they're saying" before we say it category. And then there is the problem of the agents submitting what they have in their stable even if the actors being submitted aren't remotely right for our call.)

Professionally, we have been practicing our trade for thirty years. That alone should guarantee the actors would be tuned in to what we have to say to them.

I Never Met Ruth Suffield

To the best of my knowledge there is no person I’ve ever met by the name of Ruth Suffield. I have no idea where the name came from. There was and is a person I wrote to who by no stretch of the imagination happens to be an extremely well thought of professional writer. I have chosen the name Ruth Suffield as her nom de plume; actually when she writes she does use her real name, and certainly not the pseudonym I’ve chosen for her. It’s just that Ruth is really a very private person who has a tendency to become annoyed easily when her privacy is invaded. Ruth tolerates me because I’ve known her since before she was able to get away with being an impertinent crab-ass. In other words… I knew her when she was a little crab-ass and couldn’t get away with anything resembling her current attitude. I value Ruth’s assessment of things as much as any other person in this world.

*

To: Ruth Suffield
From: da harv
Re: Carmen Belasco request for information regarding her creative writing pursuit.

(Ruth, please excuse the formality of this letter. Nowadays, one never knows who will come in contact with what we might pen.)

Dear Ms. Suffield,

I write to you as one professional to another. Certainly I recognize that the term professional is all in the eyes and ears of the beholder. I find it similar to the subjectivity of an art form of any kind. One person reads a book, or views a painting and can do nothing but gush accolades, while, on the other hand, the very next reader, or viewer of the same work offers that they have never come in contact with a more repressive load of shit. And so you have the tribulations of those of us who have chosen the pursuit of any creative art form as a way of life. I think you would agree, we must all acknowledge the subjectivity of the world we live in.

I have been in receipt of a request submitted to me by one of my many fans, Carmen Belasco, asking if I might take the time to answer some questions regarding her endeavors in the search for an answer to a series of questions first posed to a struggler named William Shakespeare. It appears that our Ms. Belasco finds herself in a similar state of mind that I too experienced many years ago. Her quandary, as you might expect: Who, what, why, when, where, and of course, how, are the total ingredients of her not-yet-all-consuming-conundrum.

I know you must have a few vital inquires of your own, before attempting to answer her five basic questions. Since that would be impossibility, I thought I might offer some of what I have to say to her, or any other individual seeking answers regarding the subjective world in which we exist.

1. When did you begin writing with the intent of becoming a published author?

Answer: I began at age thirty-five.

2. Had you taken writing classes at that time to get focused again, or was writing something you always did throughout your life?

Answer: I was born with an appreciation for everything and anything creative.

I have never taken a writing class.

I have written or expressed my honest emotions for the better part of the last thirty years+.

Spare time has little or nothing to do with my spare time as a writer. (I began making presentations to other students in the second grade. Most of the material that I used in those formal presentments were written by me.)

3. Why did you think your writing was good enough to be published? Did you just start writing about things that interested you and then asked members of your family to give you their feedback?

Answer: Stories that I would relate to friends about my past experiences would often draw laughter and tears, and surprisingly to me, complete attention from those listening to what I had to say.

I began having an idea or two for a TV show. I joined forces with another young guy and between the two of us began knocking out a few treatments for television shows. At the time I was already in the industry as a Stage Manager in a variety of shows around town.

The only relative that had anything to say about my work was my then wife, who also functioned as a rewrite person for me.

I really never gave much thought to how good my writing actually was.

4. How do you know if it’s just the “idea” of writing that makes you think you can write, or if you really can write?

Answer: I write for myself. I don’t expect people to either like or understand where da harv is coming from. In my opinion, the only reason a person may determine if what they write will ever be able to support their lifestyle, is if they are content with their own work.

Each and every day some of my lines are put to paper, and stored away in the deep dark environs of a hard drive, that may some day be either celebrated or serve to corroborate my off-balanced disdain for the average person. I might point out that the average person has served as a welcome target for the spewing of ridicule that so richly enhances my life.

5. (And what follows is Ms. Belasco’s most ardent series of run-on questions, each requiring a degree of supposition, making an answer or even an educated opinion, more arduous a task than my personal sagacity could do justice.) If you get to the point that you want to dedicate time to writing, how do you know if you would be a good freelance writer for a magazine/local newspaper, or a three liner sentimental greeting card writer, an author of a children’s book? (I know I can clearly define things things that I am not interested in writing; like a novel for example, but what are the tools that you use to define yourself, or is that not even something you worry about in the early stages of writing?)

Answer: (At first I prayed for guidance. Then a calm came over me as I realized that I wasn’t God, and that my answers to her questions weren’t required to be God-like. All I could do was honestly recall and forward some of my experiences, in hope that Ms. Belasco might find solace and meaning within da harv’s literary trials.)

Magazines/local newspapers/three line sentimental greeting cards, or the author of a children’s book. How do you know?

You know your work is acceptable (good) after you continuously submit your work to these venues, seeking acceptance.

I could fill drawers with turndowns from all of the above. I would write an unsolicited piece, send it out and continue to write not waiting for any one company to send back anything resembling their appreciation. All I did was write and send; over and over, write and send. I became accustomed to opening the mail being well prepared for the rejection notice that I knew would be there. One day, to my surprise, the full size envelope containing my writing also contained an offer. I had written a celebrity interview with an actor named Mike Connors. They (the editor of the newspaper) required that I rewrite the article with a third party removed format as opposed to first person singular. That same afternoon I completed the rewrite and hand-carried my work to the newspaper office (I really wanted to frame the papers $125 check, but we needed it to eat).

The lines that I wrote for a local greeting card company were as risqué as my mind could create; still a payday.

At this stage of the game my writing has included radio copy as well as a few eulogies. I have written lines for stand-up comics and have registered the lyrics for six songs. I have written letters of complaint, letters of congratulations, and letters of sympathy. And after all this, I have only single certainty to offer Ms. Belasco. This time it isn’t da harv as the scribe. “To thine own self be true,” must be credited to another author of substance. But that phrase all by itself is the most important verbiage I’ve ever become a believer in.

What I have to share with people, succinctly stated is the most important commodity in my possession: It is my truth. Each and every line I write, or say, or give in the way of my direction to people represents da harv’s truth. While some may not appreciate my truth, and may even vehemently disagree with what I’ve brought forward, they nevertheless, in the long run, find something within my attempt at communication.

Place honest words on paper, and then send the paper away from you. Your honest words will ultimately stimulate love in the form of approval. Never put a price on your work as the criteria for determining your skills as a writer. Never, ever, value the input of any person who tells you that you have little or no writing skills. Be a journeyman writer. That is to say… write with your mind and heart simultaneously without thinking which of these two beautiful God-given reservoirs you're drawing your creativity from. If it’s your thought, then at that moment in time you have equaled and achieved the single most important substantive purpose that any of us have in this lifetime. Bequeath that thought, send it out there in whatever form you so desire. This truthfully will be the determining factor as a guide to what you will continue to write.

*

And in closing, I’d like to thank you, Ms. Suffield, for taking your time. I look forward to your response. I value the thoughts of any successful person, especially a person who has been a participant in so many of our wonderful life experiences.

Cordially, and with a degree of growing respect, I remain yours truly,

Harvey Kalmenson
AKA: da harv

*

Letter from Ruth:

Dear da harv,

Please offer these words to Ms. Belasco:

Stop asking so many questions. What was right for me or for Mr. Misplaced is not necessarily the correct thing or method she should pursue. Tell her to do what I did; take up drinking. Single malt scotch, if she can afford it would be the best advice I might offer. Make sure she doesn’t do something stupid like getting married. No matter how stupid the topic might appear to be, write about it. Save everything you write. Never throw anything away. Just store the shit in a box and every so often come back to it. If and when you come back to the shit you’ve written and you find it to be still a good read; take it from me, you haven’t grown one bit. If you fall in love with your own work, you’re not taking enough chances with the subject matter. When I stopped getting people all riled up, I simultaneously lost favor with the same people who were in love with my work to begin with.

If my words of advice are help, then fine and so be it. If my words don’t mean anything to Belasco, I really don’t care that much anyway.

Stay well,

You know who

What If

What if I don't make it in show biz? Have I wasted my years of training?

What about my singing, dancing and elocution lessons? Have I wasted all that money and training?

At Kalmenson & Kalmenson, we follow not only the Stanislavsky method of progressive study, but also the theme of social grace and proper living etiquette as prescribed by the world's most accredited philosophers and behavioral scientists. Our students come from all walks of life as well as being aspiring actors. Our successful Kalmenson Method has been a working key, helping people to better their communication skills from the basic social relationships through corporate board rooms all over the country and, in some cases, with students now living in other parts of the world. Many prominent doctors and attorneys have come to us as a social and communication enabler.

So whether an individual makes it as an actor or merely improves their lifestyle... our method will continue to bolster the strengths of the human condition, while softening the downside of our day-to-day communication problems.

The Competitive Life: A Precept for Living

Don’t compete! It isn’t necessary or required. Being well schooled or being in the habit of practicing your craft is your requirement in order for success to happen; that is to say… if it ever happens. For what we do or contrive to do as actors is our addiction to nothing more than a personal dream. Ultimately, we may or may not reach fruition because of the hard work I profess to be our most necessary ingredient for even a chance at success. The fallacy of it all, simply stated, is society's assessment of the meaning of success.

For the masses, success has as its equivalent only one descriptive word: money.

The other day a well-known actor very succinctly summed up our world in a nutshell. When I asked him how things were going he responded with, "It’s time for me to hit the lottery again.” The actor I’m referring to was coming off a tremendous run in a network television series. In the past, I had heard him thank God for his luck to have experienced such great success. Yes, he’s a good actor, by no means a great one. As John Houseman might say, our actor is a journeyman. He recognizes the frailty of our profession. Some of our strongest brethren never experience acclaim or monetary rewards comparable to their strenuous efforts at reaching for the stars. In other words…the expertise you develop is absolutely a necessity in order to maintain your own sanity. You are the one who must be satisfied your attempts at success are at least well founded.

Interviewin' da harv

Interviews can be fun and informative, especially when the interviewer has done their homework.

Yi Tian not only enjoys her work, but shows up thoroughly prepared as a professional interviewer. I found her questions to be well thought out, and substantive. I do believe most actors may gain something from what follows.

You can find the interview here. I welcome your feedback.

-Harvey Kalmenson

Improvisation

Answering a question I’ve been asked over and over again is worthwhile for me to do, when I determine the number of actors my answer may be helping.

One question comes at me more often than any of the others.

“What can I do to keep myself up to date and in the game?”

Basically what all of us want to know is what can we do in order to improve our chances of wining. The most common answer most actors get has to do with practicing one's craft. Some refer to it as keeping our chops up. Certainly in the voice over field, it is absolutely essential an actor be a good reader. If you can’t get through the script without bobbles, or dropping words, it makes sense you’re not going to have much chance of having a successful audition. And as we all know, the audition is the voice over actor's work. So, obviously the vo actor must make it a point to stay tuned by reading every day. Some call it "practicing the scales." Being a good reader will allow you to be creative during the audition. But what is not ever mentioned vigorously enough is the importance of the adlib or improvisation during the audition. This way of life happens to apply to just about every theatrical audition today.

In discussions with a variety of the better-known actors in our community of players, I find a noticeable consensus of opinion; almost all agree: Improvisation is an absolute necessity in order to be successful at almost all auditions, regardless of the venue.

Stephen Tobolowsky, who is perhaps one of the most notable teachers in the improvisation field, as well as an extremely sought after acting talent, agrees. Stephen allows, he can’t remember when he wasn’t required to improvise during an audition or the actual gig itself. And we’re not merely talking about making people smile or laugh; we’re talking about an art form: "Comedy as well as Drama for the serious actor." Today, it’s a must do for the actor. Whether its voice over, or film; improvisation has become the lifeblood of the successful thespian.

I'm proud to say that Stephen Tobolowsky teaches Improvisation at Kalmenson & Kalmenson, and we see the results in our auditions every day. If you have a serious interest in the world of improvisation, we have much more we can tell you here: kalmenson.com/improv.htm

Cope!

Often, as most of us do, as we wade through more of life’s unexpected chores, we may boohoo the happening as being undeserved, unwarranted, and even unfair. “Why me Lord, oh why me?” is often murmured to one's self. Is there a person out there who hasn’t had a comparable inner debate at one time or another? I doubt it. If we live and breath, there will always occur a "deal with it" moment on the horizon. The undeserved, the unwarranted, and even the unfair are always just around the corner, seemingly a happening for each of us; and for those in this no business (no biz) like our business world, our own special and regular dose of destiny.

How to cope and not be a gloomy mope? How to stay pleased and at ease, all the time knowing that up tight will lose the fight; knowing being bright and sunny is what your pending audition calls for? Regardless of what our call in our no biz life, we are expected to be up and bright. No illnesses for our families or us; no back taxes; no kids needing braces; and certainly roofs that leak, brakes that squeak, neighbors who freak; and a parent who has become your child.

All these are part of life’s eternal bestowal. But the bottom line, as I see it, is how lucky I am to be alive and able to cope. I say the words every night, and every day. Yesterday, I lost a directing job many of my colleagues would equally have prized. But, in reflection, and of course after I had murmured under my breath a couple of appropriate expletives, I said, “Okay then. Been there, done that. Boy did they blow it!” I have my wife, and we’re both healthy, and only on rare occasions considered to be cantankerous. (Actually I’m the one they consider cantankerous.)

What stimulated my offering these words is simply the number of questions I’m constantly getting from actors, asking me how I always seem to be smiling and having it together. The fact is, what the actors see is my game face. I want them to do the best they can. My job is to be a form of inspiration, not a driving force cultivating hopeless desperation. But inside, at any given time, I too am experiencing some of the aforementioned bumps in the road.

So, what does "da harv" do to bolster his own spirits? I follow what I grew up with; as directed by my father, I make it a point to regularly count my blessings. My dad used to say, "There by the grace of God, go I.” When I was a very young man, I said my dad's words, but I began to really feel their meaning more and more as life’s pressures marred my way. Dad also encouraged me to read about the great leaders of the world; what made them great, and the most dominant and underlying ability to display and build confidence in others. His favorite man of history became mine. My problems were miniscule compared to his. He had an entire world dependant on his stamina and inspiration.

What follows are the words penned by the greatest leader and statesman, in my estimation, of all time. I doubt if any other human being ever answered his country's, and the world's call more propitiously than Winston Churchill; the World War II prime minister of Great Britain. Arguably, without him our cherished United States of America would not and could not exist the way we know it today.

Perhaps Sir Winston can provide you with the same wisdom I was able to glean:

"It may be that the most glorious chapters of our history are yet to be written. Indeed, the very problems and dangers that encompass us and our country ought to make Englishmen and women of this generation glad to be here at such a time. We ought to rejoice at the responsibilities with which destiny has honoured us, and be proud that we are guardians of our country in an age when her life is at stake."
- Winston Spencer Churchill, April 1933