Bashira Shamsid-Deen
Professor Wright
Journal Entry #3
7 April 2014 1. The Rewards of Being an Understudy by Ilene Starger
This article is about the importance of being an understudy and how you can reward from becoming one. Actors of difference levels of experience often decline being an understudy or they are just not that interested in that position. This is mainly because it is very frustrating for them to tie themselves to a job where they may never get a chance to go onstage and be seen. They also choose not to be understudies because it frustrates them to be thought of as “understudy material”. What these actors fail to realize is that being an understudy can be a tremendous opportunity because it requires an extensive skill set. It takes a lot of talent to cover for a lead role or even a supporting one because it strengthens the actor’s talent, their memorization skills, and their range.
Many people don’t know that understudies earn a weekly paycheck just like their other fellow actors in more stable parts and they are also able to build strong relationships, network, and be in a space where they can practice their craft around other people doing the same thing. First, let me explain what an understudy is. It is a person who learns another's role in order to be able to act as a replacement at short notice. This may sound like a job for a more inexperienced actor or someone who is just starting out in the field, but that is not true. There are actors and actress who have played the lead in productions before, who are considered ‘top-notch’ and ‘reliable’ and these same actors are go-to understudies because they will most likely do a great job at it. In this article, Starger makes it known that understudies are no less than the other actors. Sometimes they may understudy as well as have one or two other small roles in the same production or just being an understudy can open the door for them to get an on-stage role in that director’s next play. It is not a job for those who are complacent because understudies must be committed, fully prepared, and ready to possible go on stage in a moment’s notice. Understudies are extremely important and strong people and I understand that a lot better thanks to this article. http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/rewards-being-understudy/ 2. 5 Reasons I Won’t Discourage My Daughter from Acting by Cathy Reinking
This article by Cathy Reinking is about how her daughter wants to go into acting and although Reinking may not agree with her daughter’s decision, she will still support her on her quest. I find this article to be very personal and interesting because I have personally dealt with people in my community either assuming that I wouldn’t make it far being a drama major or looking down on my decision to become one. However, I have always had the support of my mother and I am grateful for that. On the other hand though, I have many friends who are majoring in pre-law, biology, or English, who have wanted to be drama majors or take up a double major in drama, but they did not have the support of their parents and were told that they would never make it in this field and need to be looking to get a stable career. While I do understand the concern of these parents, who are spending their hard earned dollars to put their children through school; I also disagree. Happiness and success in life comes from drive, hard work and passion. If I was a biology major just because someone told me that it would make me better money and lead to a stable and guaranteed career, I most likely still wouldn’t succeed in that field because I have no interest whatsoever in the sciences. Even if I was to excel in that major, I wouldn’t be happy because it is not my true passion. Cathy Reinking states that she has asked several well-known, working actors the question: “what if your child wants to be an actor?” and their answers have been that they would never allow that. Indeed, it does seem a bit hypocritical for a well-known and talented actor to deny his/her child of their rights to do the same exact thing, but it is true that this is an extremely tough career to get into. One day you can land a great gig and be in a commercial or in a tv show, and the next you could be sleeping out of your car or standing in the unemployment line. It is not easy trying to make it as an actor, but support is key. Reinking gives five reasons to why she would not stop her daughter from going after her dream to become an actress: 1. She obviously loves it. 2. Without actors, the world would be dull and lifeless. 3. Negative language about ANY profession should be ignored. 4. It is a parent’s job to support their child. 5. At the end of the day it is her decision. I enjoyed reading this article because I was able to relate. http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/5-reasons-i-wont-discourage-my-daughter-acting/ 3. 4 Free Things an Actor Can Do To Improve by Cathy Reinking
This article by Cathy Reinking focuses on the four major things that an actor can do to become better without spending any money at all. As an actress or even someone looking to do something in the field, whether it be behind the camera or in front, I have found that it is very expensive to do the mandatory things like get a headshot, print out a resume (if I don’t have a printer), put gas in the car to go to auditions, pay for plays, pay for websites that help locate auditions in the area, pay for books, classes, wardrobe and whatever else is needed to succeed in the craft. However according to Reinking, there are some other things that can be achieved to become a greater actor/actress and the first thing is to tape yourself every day. Now of course first you have to buy a camera (very backwards), but once you have that, you have a very important tool for self-critique and endless practice. Acting in front of a camera is just the same as acting in front of an audience, but in this case you can go back, watch the video, pinpoint exactly what you did wrong and how awkward your hand gestures and body movements may look, and then you get better! And if you don’t like how you look on camera…that is even more reason to practice looking better. The second tip that Reinking gave is to do Stand-Up. Now this may help to make it easier to act on stage because for stand-up you have to be in front of an audience and their entire reaction depends on you alone. It may be nerve-wracking because everyone doesn’t have the talent to make people laugh, but this could really help with stage presence and grabbing an audience’s attention. The last two tips are to form a support group and meet weekly as well as watch network shows and Youtube videos. I found this article to be very helpful.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/4-free-things-actor-can-do-improve/