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Tales from the Script

The Infinite Need Presents: Tales from the Script – Audition and Workshop Stories from Hell – “Paired Scene with a Nonagenerian”

On 14, Jul 2012 | No Comments | In Tales from the Script | By mandymayc

From PA in Canada:

I am an actress of a certain generation who has had a career on stage and screen spanning more than 50 years. I am, however, always looking for ways to discover and develop my craft.

I attended an on-camera workshop for experienced actors. The teacher’s private coaching of my monologue was brilliant.

His group workshop, however was full of rank amateurs primarily … & he paired me with a scene partner, a charming 90 yr old dame who’s never acted in her life….just takes courses to keep her mind active …. gave us a sitcom scene ….and the gal is fucking DEAF!

Wears a hearing aid which does almost nothing.

Ya wanna know what it’s like to play tight comedy with a DEAF person? FUUUCKKK. A scene which absolutely DEPENDS upon spot on timing, building and topping each other in specific areas, especially the ones where three points are involved, and the ones where the 2nd person is imitating the 1st? Man, it was SO angry making. I was LIVID. Hell, I rehearsed with the sweet woman 4 times in my home, she just didn’t get it. So I wasn’t angry at HER, i was raging at HIM. But nah, could I SAY that in class? NO, that would have been incredibly unkind to her.

I DID let him have it in an email the following week.

I should have demanded my money back, and frankly, when i told a friend of mine who is a union rep and KNOWS this business – she said he should damn well be PAYING ME and any other accomplished professional to be in his class.

I think it is important that if someone is going to teach acting that they know what their strengths and weaknesses are as an instructor, AND that they represent their classes frankly to those in attendance – especially since many of them ask for your resume in advance and know whether the class will be useful for them.

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