PERFORMANCE: The Actors' Roundtable: "Company vs. Solo"

Each week, Paden Fallis poses one question to a group of professional working actors from a variety of backgrounds. Our goal is not to demystify the work of the actor or explore their careers, but to dig a bit deeper into their artistic working process. ACTOR’S ROUNDTABLE: COMPANY VS. SOLO I overheard two actors talking about the benefits and drawbacks of an actor working with a company versus on their own. The company actor enjoys the assurance of roles given to them through the company season. Consequently, he or she does not have to worry about “hustling” just to land a job. The solo actor has no guarantees of employment, as they spend a lot of their time simply trying to procure work. The downside for the company actor might be that a degree of lethargy and “taking things for granted” might imbue their work with less urgency. The positives, though, mean that with less worry about unemployment, they might have more energy and focus with each role. However, the solo actor, scraping and clawing for each and every job, might have a more acute hunger, appreciate the work more, and deliver a stronger performance. At the same time, he might find himself fighting the negative energy that associates itself with constant unemployment. Assurance of work vs. lack of security. Which breeds better work?

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MUSIC: 2012 Philadelphia Folk Festival

(Cedric Burnside. Photo: Thomas V. Hartmann)

Over the course of its 51-year history, The Philadelphia Folk Festival Festival has evolved to become a showcase for a wide range of contemporary music, from traditional American folk and other roots music to bluegrass, alt-country, world, and blues, as well as music that isn’t so easy to categorize, like the jazz-soul-funk fusion of this year’s headliner, Trombone Shorty. See the full PFF lineup HERE.

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Doug Aitken's Acid Modernism

The Venice, CA home that artist Doug Aitken shares with Gemma Ponsa is representative of what he calls “Acid Modernism.” It is trippy and mod, with tables that can be played as instruments, secret doors, and walls painted to match the outdoor foliage you see through adjacent windows.

PERFORMANCE: The Actors' Roundtable: "Practice Vs. Game Day"

Each week, Paden Fallis poses one question to a group of professional working actors from a variety of backgrounds. Our goal is not to demystify the work of the actor or explore their careers, but to dig a bit deeper into their artistic working process. ACTOR’S ROUNDTABLE: PRACTICE VS. GAME DAY In sports, we sometimes hear of the distinction between the practice player and the game day player. The practice player excels during practice, oftentimes showing true greatness, but then struggles under the pressures of the game. The game day player might also excel in practice, but has the ability to take that next step on game day. I see a correlation between this and actors and actor training. Many times I’ve experienced actors who in the classroom can really deliver exciting work, but put in the context of the professional environment, seem unable to duplicate this success. They are practice players, but not game day players. What’s your take on this? What skills do you employ to excel not only in the classroom, but in the professional world as well?

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PERFORMANCE: The Actors' Roundtable: "Stage Fright"

Each week, Paden Fallis poses one question to a group of professional working actors from a variety of backgrounds. Our goal is not to demystify the work of the actor or explore their careers, but to dig a bit deeper into their artistic working process. ACTOR’S ROUNDTABLE: STAGE FRIGHT In my one-man show, The Play About The Coach, the thoughts and actions run a mile a minute—a sprint from beginning to end. At moments during the show, I become aware of the speed that my mouth is moving and the pace that the words are flying. I worry that if I drop a word or a line, the whole thing might go off the rails. At other points in the play, I’ll feel the watchful eye of the audience bearing down and the pressure is such that I fear I might figuratively drop the ball and break down in tears. I cite these two examples as being the seeds of Stage Fright. Stage fright is one of those terms that actors have heard since day one. I’ve yet to experience a real bout of stage fright, but we know it can hit any of us, from Olivier on down. It’s the price of doing business in live performance. Have you experienced stage fright? And, if so, how clearly can you explain that feeling to us? Conversely, if you don’t have the experience, do you fear it?

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