Monday, November 2, 2020

The Life of and Actor/Actress

Within this blog, I am going to be exploring the elements required to be a successful performer. As a performer, your acting is a key part, however there are multiple skills such as your training, your communication with backstage and behind the scenes crew which all culminate to create an organised, skilled and a good overall actor/actress. There are multiple routes into the industry that I will explore initially and I'll go into personal developments required to be successful. As a performer, I feel qualified to give an insight into what you need to be aware of in this industry.  I have been involved in multiple live performances such as The Lion King, Blood Brothers and The Tempest, whilst I have done these, I have also participated in screen acting for a theatre company I was a part of for a while, in which I was not only involved in the acting side of things, but the script-writing as well. I would like aspiring actors to be interested in reading this blog so they can get a real taste of what life in the performing arts is truly like, not just what is portrayed on screen or in the media. The realities of life in the industry can be time-consuming, but in the end highly rewarding.
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Routes into the industry – There are multiple ways into the performance industry however, none of them guarantee a successful career. The most common route is drama/theatre school. A drama school is a specialised environment and is available post-16 and post-18. There are multiple options open to you such as access to an agent, being able to perform in professional environments in front of scouts, Russell Brand is an example of successful alumni from a renowned theatre school who felt that the environment he was in was beneficial to his career in the long run, but there are fees, and you may have to live away from home. You would however be around like-minded individuals all striving for the same goal, in contrast to somewhere like a university, where there are many degree courses available and the people you are surrounded by may not all want to pursue a career in performance or the performing arts. I personally believe that the pros outweigh the cons in terms of the opportunities available to you down this avenue because of the valuable experience and training you would receive. This route is also accessible to all, regardless of prior training – ability is what matters most. Your chances of being noticed/recognised by reputable agencies/production companies are also heightened, as many theatre schools have good relationships with these companies. Another route would be simply auditioning, these are often open-call and therefore you will not need prior experience, just the talent and performance skills required for the role advertised. Auditioning also allows for the ability to learn from others whilst in the performance space, as even if you are not selected for the job, you can see what others did right and improve from there. Sylvester Stallone is a famous actor who started off auditioning for roles as an extra and ended up being picked for bigger and better roles. The issues with this type of route are that an open call is its open to everyone, meaning there is a lot more competition than if an agent referred you for a job. You also must have high resilience levels to be able to enter the industry in this manner as the likelihood of you being rejected is high, and you need to bounce back from that. Your confidence must be good with all performance roles however at these types of auditions you will be auditioning in front of lots of other people and so need to be prepared for that, as well as the judgement and cattiness that can come hand in hand with auditions.

Interrelationships with other job roles – As I have previously referenced, to be an elite performer you must have the capability to perform amongst all the crew involved with productions. Your stage manager will need to ensure their communication with you, as the talent, is clear in order to ensure all the props and technical elements of the show are correct to create the best environment for an optimal performance. The scheduling of all rehearsals, warmups, cool downs, and performances will be down to the stage manager – therefore liaison with the SM is paramount and arguably the most important communication for an actor/actress with backstage. Being easy to work with matters most in a drama/theatre environment, highlighting the importance of effectively communicating how you feel to the right people. Your dialogue with the director is also a big component of being a good actor, as the director will have ultimate creative control over the piece being performed, therefore if you are not expressing the intentions they wish to be conveyed on stage – you will simply be replaced. Quentin Tarantino is an example of a successful director who allows room for the actors to create their own intentions and purposes for performance, whilst keeping on top of the big picture initially desired. An open level of conversation must be obtained between the actors and behind the scenes – the input a director has is paramount in my opinion, to an exceptional performance with the outcome wanted by all creatives involved in the process. Both parties are striving for the same goal, and whilst there may be differences in opinions, it is key to put emphasis on the similarities to maintain a good relationship and a happy working environment for all. There are also of course, the relationships between the actors and the costume/set designers and the hair/makeup artists for the show. A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits/costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume designer works alongside the director, scenic, lighting designer, sound designer, and other creative personnel. The costume designer may also collaborate with hair stylist, wig master, or makeup artist. In European theatre, the role is different, as the theatre designer usually designs both costume and scenic elements. They must also work in close conjunction with you as the actor in order to ensure the measurements are correct, so there isn't a wardrobe malfunction - as well as working with the makeup/SFX team to get the desired look onto your face. Your levels of social interaction as a performer must be high and maintained throughout your working life.

Working Conditions for Acting – Depending on whether you are working in a theatre, a drama studio or on a cruise ship, the climate in which you are working matters to ensure your mental health and wellbeing is kept as a highly important matter in your job. If your working conditions are inadequate, the way in which you work and overall, your performance, will decline. Your physical working conditions may vary depending on the type of work you do. If you have a cruise ship job, you may be working indoors or outdoors – as well as being on a moving vessel, so you will have to adapt your physicality as a performer to cater for this. Whereas if you are working in a theatre, you will often be indoors in a specialist environment which allows for live performance. Working in a TV show or film however, you will have to perform wherever the setting of the show is. Your hours will again, vary dependant on the type of production you are in. You could be performing matinees, evening and night shows which could require 30+ hour weeks. If you are ‘on the road’ and performing, your life will surround your job, meaning your hours could become reliant on your schedule. Many actors, such as Will Huntingdon, who is currently on tour with 'A Murder Is Announced' by Agatha Christie, have noted how being away can mean up to a month with consistent shows, with no break. Hours may be irregular, usually working evening and weekends. If you are under the age of 18, your working conditions become a matter of law. Ages 9-17, you can only work for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week – meaning if a child is involved in a performance, multiple child actors could be required for the same role to ensure the company is working within the law, so one child may play the lead on weekdays, and another on weekends in a live performance setting. You must also be allowed breaks to eat, and rest throughout your time working. Your happiness as a performer should be at the forefront of a company’s mind to make sure they have the optimal settings to perform to the best of your ability. In terms of pay, it may be quite unstable as a performer as you are never guaranteed to be right or chosen for a job, but there are groups such as the British Actors’ Equity Association which is a trade union for all performers in the UK and makes sure that you are paid fairly, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or religious/personal beliefs. It also offers you protection, if you were experiencing harassment from a senior in the workplace, you could go to Equity and they would represent you and guarantee you are protected in all working performance environments. Essentially, if you ever felt uncomfortable, dismissed as an actor, underpaid or unfairly treated - the government as well as trade unions have enforced laws and conditions to make certain you are not underrepresented, or overworked.
Lifestyle Conditions for Acting- As a performer, your lifestyle can be very work-orientated and hectic, on a cruise ship for example, you live in your workplace and have to for possibly long periods of time. Therefore, you need to make sure before you sign contracts you are comfortable with the life you would have to lead for the time you would be working. Many, such as Katie Jarvis, feel the need to take breaks in between long jobs, so if you were working on a production for 6 months, or say on a soap indefinitely, once you leave that role you take respite in an ‘ordinary’ job like working in a shop, or backstage somewhere in a theatre, away from the limelight. Your life may become inflexible in terms of when you rehearse and perform, and so you would have to coordinate other aspects of your life around your work. If you work as a red-coat, you will have to adapt your personality around customers even when you are not performing, as that is the persona the company will want you to represent them with. This can be tiring but can positively impact on you as a person if you take it as your responsibility to reflect happiness onto others. You may not have stability in location either, as you may work in Manchester one year, London the next and Dubai the next, it’s all dependant on the jobs you audition for. 
Here is a real-life example of a day in the life of a cruise ship performer to give a real insight into the type of life you have in an environment like this. 
8am: Woken up by a loud announcement of music that starts our day.
9am: Explore the port close to where we have docked for the day, represent the cruise company appropriately by helping all guests throughout their day. Performance skills are not required until the show later in the day. 
5.30pm: Back to the ship to make the 6pm curfew. 6.45pm: Back to the cabin to change into standard formal wear for dinner at the passenger buffet – this exerts levels of professionalism required in this profession.
7pm: Have dinner and socialise with the other cast members – take the time to relax and interact, gain knowledge of the other types of performers. 
8pm: Time to mentally prepare for going on stage soon – takes time to go through lines or routines. 9.30pm: Time for the daily routine of stage makeup, hair curling and warming up. (The production used in this example is called the “Tropical Show” and is performed on the back deck by the pool rather than the stage. This requires the balance and skill needed to perform away from a staged environment. There are 7 shows in a 12-day cycle, and this night occurs at a later hour than the other shows as the ship is docked overnight - so passengers often return later from tours. Flexibility and adaptability are key to this job. 
10.30pm: Call time at the dressing room. Some last-minute exercises and final costume changes are finished as the preparation to go on stage begins. 
10.45pm: Character is attained as the performers walk out to greet their audience, their faces and attitudes must reflect the values of the company – the performance is beginning. 
10.55pm: The stage manager hands the mic as the cruise director does his usual starting act and we wait for the cue to take our positions on the deck for the opening number. 
11.45pm: The show has gone well. Lots of people stood around the edge of the deck and sit right in front of us. We collect our costume changes from the bathrooms and head back down to the dressing rooms. 
12am: I end up heading to the cabin next door to watch a movie with the cast. The 8am wakeup call tomorrow is the same as always, and this is the time the day ends. 

Here is a real-life video of how a television performer experiences their day - view how their day differs in comparison to that of a cruise ship performer. You should see that there is a sense of daily normality i.e., living at home with screen acting, whereas with cruise ship performance, your job becomes your whole life for the time you're working.
 

Acting is not always easy when it comes to your lifestyle, especially when you’re starting out, however if it truly is your passion then it should motivate you to endure whatever you have to to get to success. Personally, I believe life on a cruise ship, or as a red coat, where you live where you work would be the easiest to get to grips with as you can include your personal life in your work and you would have some levels of normality for an extended amount of time, whereas working in different locations regularly, I would find taxing, and the instability of being in changing places would affect my performance, however if you enjoy change and exploring new places, that may be a viable option and way of working for you. 
Performance Skills – The types of skills required for a good performance are vast, with multiple different elements attributing. 
Vocal skills – Clarity and articulation are key to a good performance. The words are the baseline to a performance and if you are not audible, your performance aims will not be portrayed to the audience. Expression in your voice is also vital, it requires pre-thought and also prior knowledge of the type of attitude you want to convey and what type of feeling toward the characters you want to leave the audience with. Pitch and inflection both determine the type of tone you are setting you scene with, and projection is necessary to ensure your performance is heard throughout the theatre, auditorium, or studio. Confidence in your ability to play your role and perform to the best of your ability is also necessary to create the best production. Screen acting vocals can be far more subtle than the vocals required for musical theatre, or stage acting however both have certain features which must be used effectively. Line learning is the core essence of performance but is needed so the director and script writer’s intentions are shown. Clark Gable believed that accessing acting was mainly to do with your expression vocally. 
Physical skills – As an actor, your physicality is debatably the most important part of your role. You must have good dynamics and energy that matches the situation/scene you are performing in, you must have the characterisation accurate to your role in order to be convincing – exercises such as hot seating can be good ways to enable effective characterisation. Your posture also represents the mood or tone your character imposes on the audience – and so needs to be correct. Your communication and movement with other actors also massively affect how smooth the performance will be, you must be well rehearsed and also keep eye contact with the actors on stage to ensure no collisions or problems with props. Balance, whilst a more minor feature, is more important to dancers however if working with physical theatre – still a core requirement for performing arts work. 
Interpretive skills – The performers must analyse and interpret their lines, to find the intention behind them. Using FGMBV (Facial Expression, Gesture, Movement, Body Language and Vocal Expression) can help with finding intention as well as knowing the context behind the lines – context within the play and context within the time it is set. This creates for a more telling and convincing performance. Method acting and relating the character and plot to yourself and an experience in your own life can also help with the characterisation and interpretation of the role. Costume, hair and makeup can also play a big factor in your role – how you physically appear to the audience matters in the way they will view you, therefore how you choose your character to appear will determine the type of performance and impact you end up having on the audience. Interpretation in dance has a lot more to do with personal takes on the dance, however in drama it can sometimes include your personal takes on certain subject matters, especially if it’s in a piece you have created or devised. Your opinion on certain areas will always affect your performance, but that is what makes it personal to you as an actor. 
Technical Skills – Lighting and Sound are the key technical skills in drama, and whilst it is often not necessary for actors to be able to operate these, the cues that the technicians give the actors are paramount to performance. If certain sound cues instigate a movement, or a line, and the actors are not aware of these cues then it could throw off the whole of the show and cause possible gaps and awkward pauses. The same with lighting, how the stage is lit sets the tone of the scene that is about to be performed, therefore if the lighting isn’t right, or the say the actor isn’t standing where the spotlight is shone for them, it takes away professionalism from the show. Both of these need just as much attention to detail as the vocals and physicality of the actor/actress in a performance or production. 

Take this quiz in order to find out what type of performer you are -

Strategies for Professional Development – You may be wondering, how to begin an acting career, how to make it big in the industry, or even how to get into the industry at all. The first thing to do is get yourself noticed. Attend multiple open auditions, apply to agencies, be an extra in shows – any type of experience is valuable, even if you get turned down it should not deter you. In the beginning, you will need to make your own opportunities – as it is a highly competitive industry. Also, do you research into the types of acting you would be interested in, as well as what is most appropriate to you. Amateur dramatic associations such as youth theatres are a great way to gain insight into what it will be like to professionally perform, the National Youth Theatre do summer programmes for example, which would be an incredible opportunity. Use auditions not only as a way to get jobs, but as a learning process, you should see what works for you and develop your skills and confidence. Finding auditions through online websites such as Backstage and using your initiative is a good way to enable yourself access to jobs. Do not feel the need to limit yourself to only screen or stage acting straight away, go through the process of auditions for both and see what feels most natural. The question is, if you wish to pursue further training/education to develop professionally, where should you go? In the UK, there are many notable schools such as Oxford School of Drama, Italia Conti, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and Central School of Speech and Drama. Tegan Westall was a junior stage/LAMDA teacher before she decided to begin acting, this gave her the background knowledge she needed to develop into an actress, as a profession. If you truly feel this is the best option for you, you may need to consider moving away from home. You are likely to gain representation if you attend a specialist education institute and agents will always have strong relationships with performance companies and give you greater chances of being noticed. It is crucial to gain an agent if you wish to develop into making this a job. Doing self-tapes, like slates, are useful for casting directors. Profiles, with measurements will also give directors the information required to make a judgement on suitability for the role. 
Evaluation - Overall, I feel the life of a performer is very personal to the route you wish to go down. It is a lot of hard work, but the rewards can often outweigh the hard work you need to put in. It has to be your passion and desire in order for you to be successful, you can throw as much money as you like at dance and drama schools however if your heart is not in the industry – it will be apparent in all your performances and auditions. This path is not for everybody, but if you have considered the pros and cons of the work required, and you still feel this is the right route and you’re ready, then you are already halfway there. Hopefully, this blog has informed you as to what is required and what responsibilities you hold as a performer, in order to deliver what is needed of you onstage/in a production. Although the likelihood can seem small of you making it big enough to call yourself an actor/actress as a job, anything is possible so long as the dedication is there. 
Lara Rushton Gadsby 
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The Life of and Actor/Actress

Within this blog, I am going to be exploring the elements required to be a successful performer. As a performer, your acting is a key part, ...

  • The Life of and Actor/Actress
    Within this blog, I am going to be exploring the elements required to be a successful performer. As a performer, your acting is a key part, ...