http://tschreiber.org/read-our-blogs/theatre-news/11-questions-with-cast-members-from-the-last-days-of-judas-iscariot-by-doug-strassler/
11 Questions with Cast Members from The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
By Doug Strassler

What do you like most about T. Schreiber?
Steve Carrieri (Judas): Terry Schreiber is great because he gives you the chance to try different things in class and during rehearsals without ever feeling insecure about the choices you make as an actor. Also there’s always been an inherent sense of community throughout the whole studio.

Ben Prayz (Caiaphas the Elder): Two things: one is the full faculty spectrum – acting, body, voice, dialect, etc. This creates the ideology that your whole being is the instrument. You have the opportunity to work on, and the staff is all aware of, different components, besides only the emotional, to allow your gifts to unfold.  Second, the bar here is set high.

Alexandra Turshen (Jesus): I walk through the doors and I know I have a place amongst some of the most talented, hard-working, and generous actors in NYC.
Brennan Vickery (Simon the Zealot/Matthias): I really enjoy the maturity and the commitment of the students and the faculty. I’ve attended other acting schools and there was definitely a lack of devotion to acting as something serious. I was left many times is frustration. Rehearsal is not going over the lines twice sitting on your bed!
 
What do you like most about Off-Off-Broadway theater?
Benjamin Jones (Butch Honeywell): My favorite part is non-corporate productions – it allows the real creative art to flow through the hearts of those who pay attention.

Turshen: More risk! Less ego!

Vickery: Off-Off Broadway theater gives artists, actors, writers, directors, the freedom to explore new work and have it be seen. I enjoy the daring and innovative risks some artists take when approaching new work.
 
When did you decide to become an actor, and why?
Erica McLaughlin (Saint Monica): I did theater since I was a little girl, but I still never thought I’d make a profession out of it. I was getting ready to go off to college to study political science or computer engineering, you know, something “practical” that my parents would like, when I won a playwriting competition and was awarded $2000. I used it to pay my own tuition at a community college which had an equity theatre company attached, and began acting there, guided by some of the finest performers in the country. I haven’t been able to quit.

Prayz: Recently, actually. I went to the High School of Performing Arts from there went straight to the conservatory at Purchase, then a year with Hagen.  So, I’d been around acting in my teens and as a younger man, and worked some, but mostly plodding around. I didn’t do anything with that training until five years ago. I was looking for something else, (I worked in business for many years), thought I’d open a coffee shop, and had a genuine eureka moment, when I remembered that I had acted years ago. In 2007 I enrolled at TSS, and started auditioning for, and getting, things. In 2010 I made the switch in my head and heart to move forward on this path and follow whatever it was that the road ahead would lay before me.
 
What do you like most about The Last Days of Judas Iscariot?
Jones: the play provides and humorous look through one’s eyes that raise the real questions of the missing pieces. I, too, have similar outlooks on the whole “Bible” and religion thing. Is it true? Was it real? How much has been skewed as the stories were passed down?

McLaughlin: What don’t I like? This play is freaking epic. Like from comic to serious in a moment, from challenging the Bible to quoting hip hop, it captures the heart of what urban Americans experience in terms of religion in daily life. There is something in it for everyone, and Stephen is such an amazing writer that you also get to listen to the poetry in motion as it all goes along.

Prayz: this cast – WHEW! Absolutely knocks my socks off, out the window and into the street with their talent and love. Goosebumps.

Turshen: This play has everything: philosophy, spirituality, humanity, and such humor!

Vickery:  Judas is a very raw play. I like that it requires actors to explore characters who are street; probably not those kids alongside them in acting school. I’m a spoken word artist and there are many overlapping themes found in this play and spoken word: mostly the heartache cause by some life choice. Spoken word tends to tackle serious subjects like bullying, abortion, faith, homosexuality, death, so on and so on. Judas explores these through dialogue and a very diverse mix of characters. It seems there is no way anyone couldn’t find the play to hit some hidden or more obvious conviction.

Stephen Alan Wilson (Satan): The writing.  Stephen is truly gifted and it’s a pleasure to speak his words.  I grew up in the church and I find the story very intriguing and thought provoking.  To see all these people come to life and interact with others, both fictional and real, is a lot of fun.
 
Have you ever seen Judas before?


Prayz: Nope.

Vickery: I have never seen this play before.

McLaughlin: Nope! But I heard it is pirated on YouTube. I’d never watch it before playing a character in it though.

Wilson: I’ve never seen a production of this play. On a side note, I did play Judas in a passion play many many years ago.
 
What is the most challenging thing about your character?
Prayz: Not seeming like a “bad” guy.

Turshen: I’m Jesus. It’s the most simple and most complex character I’ve ever played.
 
What do you hope the audience gets out of this show?
Prayz: Forgiveness is the number one healing component we can give ourselves as human beings and it does not mean one has to be weak – as a matter of fact, it requires great strength.
 
Do you have any pre-show ritual?
McLaughlin: Only about a billion. The one I can share with you is that I will be listening to 2Pac as part of my prep.

Adyana de la Torre (Cunningham): I apply organic essentials oils that release confidence, courage, alertness, and magnetism. And a little caffeine! I need my brain to work!

Wilson: I definitely have my routine, although it does very slightly from show to show. No matter what, it always starts with a good physical and vocal warm-up. With this show, my first entrance is not until an hour into the show so I have to be ready to jump on a moving train when the time comes.  I look forward to sitting off-stage every night and listening to my fellow cast members working and enjoying the audience’s energy before I join the fun.
 
Who is the biggest prankster in the cast?
Omar Bustamante (Pontius Pilate): Tommy Buck, hands down!
Prayz: Buck.
Torre: Tommy Buck.
Turshen: Tommy Buck or Bud!
 
What is your favorite role of those you have ever played?
Jones: Hal Carter from Picnic and Otto from Borrowed Parts.

Prayz: Marco in A View from the Bridge. Miller’s dialogue is butter and Marco has a clear point of view, gold for me.

Torre: Estelle in No Exit. Similarly that play also takes place in purgatory. Hmmmm….
 
What role would you like to play the most?
Bustamante: I’d definitely like a crack at John Wilmot in The Libertine.

Wilson: Santa Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. New York is a magical place during the holidays and I know it would be a blast!  Not to mention I have two nieces and a nephew and they’d love it.
 
Doug Strassler is a freelance writer covering film, theater, television, and pop culture. He is the managing editor at OffOffOnline and editor of the newsletter for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. His work can also be seen on such sites as New York Press, Theatermania, Show Business magazine, Back Stage, Our Town Downtown, West Side Spirit, Tail Slate, and The Critical Condition. Additionally, Doug is a past member of theDrama Desk nominating committee.



 

This semester I returned to Maryland to guest lecture for the third year on self promotion and personal management for artists at the UMBC Department of Theater's senior capstone course. The class is made up of would-be graduates to be in acting, design, and stage management.

We worked on defining their brand, their personal goals in the industry, their presentation and putting together their digital portfolio through their website. They kind of rock and I was very moved by them, so I decided to share! Looking for an actor in Baltimore? A competent intern in DC? These guys are multi-talented and ready for action!


Aja Morris-Smiley         
Brad Widener                 
Charlotte Moran              
Corie Bruins                   
David Brasington           
Erin Hanratty                   
Pixi Thistlily                   
Jessica Baker
Katie Hileman
Lena Salins
Liz Richardson    
Mike Haddaway
Sam Van Sant                   
Samrawit Belai

A portfolio career? What da heck is that? I just work all little bit here and there, like all the time. It’s all related though!
 
It turns out they’ve got a name for that. Go figure! I was asked to speak about Portfolio Careers for Artists and my new business venture, The Artist Office at  ASU’s p.a.v.e. arts entrepreneurship class. Thanks to it’s fearless leader, the brilliant professor Linda Essig, I was able to discover a new label for my varied career path. I was asked to speak with her class about my portfolio career which includes: my professional career as an actress, working full time in arts management for a premiere Broadway non-profit, working as an independent consultant in marketing, my private coaching, my entrepreneurship as creator of a performing arts business, my work as a video producer…ok I’m totally exhausted thinking about all of these things and probably should be getting back to work!
 
The truth is that while I’ve always been active, my transition to working professional in New York is what prompted me to diversify my options. The challenges of working as a single, broke, relatively unknown, minority actress in New York City has really been great motivation to get creative with my career. So far it has worked, and I like to imagine my success is more fulfilling than if I had be led down a straight and narrow path. My life is more interesting, and I am proud and never bored by the life that I lead. That’s a rule. Never be bored by what you do. You are far too talented! So for my presentation I tried to put together knowledge gained from this experience in a not so boring way.
 
Here are my Ten Not Boring Tips for Managing a Successful Portfolio Career in the Performing Arts:

1. Remember: you’ve got skillz.
Anyone remember that terrible Shaq song? Anyway. Assuming you are all ready to work professionally as a performing artist, having completed the necessary training and practical experience has already prepared you to work in many fields other than your own. If you can find one that supports you financially in a related area of the performing arts, even better. Consider taking well paid work in a related area which can allow you more flexibility in options for payment for the job you really want. You will make valuable connections and show your dedication to the craft, which impresses those who want to hire you. You are by definition multi-talented, so put some of them to work! As an actress, my scene study classes taught me how to relate and establish connections quickly with strangers. I’ve now got ten years of customer service experience with jobs I’ve landed using these skills. 

2. Be a little self centered.
The advantage of working a number of jobs is choosing the ones that work best for you, provide the best hours for you, that fit your beliefs, practices, routines, rehearsal schedules etc. When you have a successful portfolio career going, you are your primary boss. If any one job conflicts with your dream life in the performing arts, you won’t go for broke while you look for another one. Allow yourself to take a stand for your personal goals, since the only job you are truly passionate about is the one you pursing in the performing arts. Make your career you-centric, with your needs and desires at the helm. Simply, do what you love.

3. Relax.
Part of the difference between managing a portfolio career and simply working like a slave is finding balance. You’ve got to approach your work with a more laid back, hippie-like, free approach and love whatever you do. Practice constantly “putting things into the universe”, and eventually they will make their way back to you. For example, your succesful lead generation doesn’t need to come from applying tremendous pressure to make something happen off a single interaction or networking event. Instead, embrace your job search as a disciplined, steady approach, where you are always exploring opportunities; then you will never feel trapped by depending on just one.

4. Embrace the slash.
Not that Slash.
Ok seriously. So wait, wait—you are truly an actor/director/puppeteer/screenwriter? A dancer/model/composer? Guess what? It’s okay. It doesn’t mean you are lost or lacking direction if you have truly got the credits to back it u.. You are again, multi-talented and hopefully you have found a healthy balance where the skills complement each other. If you are seriously working at all of these, be proud of it. What this does mean however, is 3 to 4 times more work and more marketing materials. Of course, be cautious that you aren’t simply parading your hobbies to make up for lack of credits elsewhere. Here’s the test: try creating a separate resume for each—if you’ve got significant experience in each “slash”, then have each resume fully prepared for when opportunities may arise. If not, consider waiting until you build additional experience before considering that another full career in your portfolio and instead highlight that experience to support your main resume so it stands out amongst the crowd.

5. Carry a deck of cards.
No, not the kind you play “go fish” with. You should have a variety of portable promotional materials that showcase what you do for that chance meeting with a potential employer, and your business card is at the center of this. Promotional materials are all about making you feel more comfortable when presenting yourself, so if you have a multi-faceted career, why not be prepared with cards that represent all that you do? Simply creating a business card for your second or third interest transcends your various passions and hobbies into a full career pursuit. You’ll make an impression and be considered a serious potential hire to those who you meet. My card deck is a literal deck, containing acting cards, cards for my full time job, consulting services, and mini ones just to make an impression. Also, they don’t have to be perfect: (ok, you can play go-fish here) Use your cards as incentive to get the cards of others. 

6. www.allthatyoudo.com
Your website is the key to controlling the flow of information out there in the wilderness of the interweb about you, and in managing your own PR. It is also a place where you can organize your various pursuits and write your own narrative reflecting a full, successful career journey. There are no restricting rules for your website about bio length, structure or resume formatting, so present examples of the work that you are targeting up front, and then make it easy for employers to navigate through your other talents if they happen to seek them. Collect all the wonderful reviews, articles, videos, and other representations of you performing your dream job and post them here. Tell your story the way you want it told. Duplicate your “narrative of success” on all your social media sites, and be sure to use the same phrasing to help with SEO. Pretty soon you will be able to google yourself and see that the story that you want to tell is there for your employers to find.

7. Always be awesome.
AKA— Never suck. Pause—not every opportunity is right for you. You don’t need to start a profile on every new social media network. You don’t have to be at that workshop, party, networking happy hour, class, whatever right now. Now, if you have the time for it and you feel awesome while doing it, then do it. Otherwise, save face and do the things you enjoy doing the most, and leave good impressions everywhere. While networking is super important to creating a portfolio career; false, creepy and insincere interactions with future employers can cut you off and permanently blacklist you from endless future opportunities. 

8. Blur your focus.
Everyone and anyone, especially well meaning friends and family, who has heard how hard it is to make it in the performing arts will give you lots of “expert” advice on what it takes. Among it is always “stay focused”. And what they usually mean is to not do anything else but audition, rehearse, design, etc. Even excellent training programs are continuing to churn out performers with no other skills than those used onstage, and often as a result, we get highly trained professionals with very little personality, few quirks, business savvy or street smarts. Since when did being a professional become a synonym for being bland? Don’t be so focused that you are plain boring. The wild, eclectic, artist that you are is what is attractive to your potential buyers. Cultivating your other talents only makes you more valuable, unique and marketable. And you can keep bland uber-professional in your back pocket in case the role calls for it.

9. It’s a line dance, it ain’t a wedding march.
With a portfolio career, you are not simply marching down the aisle happily towards your destiny, but rather side stepping, bumping into people, picking up new moves and dancing until the music runs out. Don’t be afraid to side step to learn new skills along the way—consider yourself making small concentric circles around your ultimate goal, getting closer and closer to it, and as a result becoming more well rounded. Every small job that you acquire while waiting for the “big” one will provide you with skills that will serve you when you reach your career goal. Just make sure all of these “side steps” are dancing to the same tune.

10. Now put aside the portfolio.
One thing every artist hates is another label. If you are constantly working in the performing arts, you’ve got a career, plain and simple. A performing arts career will ultimately take a number of twists and turns and we will follow it willingly and excitedly, as we are oft more inspired by our dreams and intuitions than by facts and industry trends. So part of that is acceptance that ourcareers—made up by nature of a stream of part time jobs—are perfectly normal to our industry. The key to any form of financial success in our business is securing multiple roles/gigs, and the nature of the beast is that the path to booking them is about who you know and who knows you. Therefore any job that you do within in the industry is a part of marketing for your main focus. Celebrate your success in finding constant work!

MariselaTOrta: build authentic relationships, become part of a community, be a connector, promote/support your peers.
MariselaTOrta: doing all that will help you develop network of artists that will want to know yourr work & help you find advocates or your work.
claireannrice: Produce your own work and help other's produce theirs. Don't hate rejections, think of them as the first hand shake. 

Happy Halloween! I would love it if you came and partied with me and supported my latest project! Discounted tickets are on sale now through October 16th!


Begin your weekend long celebration on Friday night at Bulls Head Tavern:
We are partying in costume and raising money to create a shared office space for performing artists!

A small donation gets you access to:
-An exclusive late night happy hour for 4 whole hours with drinks starting at just $3!
-A DJ to keep the party going all night long
-A costume contest and raffle with great prizes including Broadway show tickets, headshot sessions, one on one coaching and more!

The party benefits The Artists' Office, a shared office space where performing artists can work on the business of their art!  (More info on this at www.indiegogo.com/workofyourart)

All actors should be taught marketing, business skills, management, organization, fundraising, social media, bartending, oh… and acting.

After all, it’s not that tough to show up and be a pretty face, right? Just living in New York makes it possible for anyone to succeed as an actor under the right circumstances I mean all you have to do is: workafewstrenuoussidejobs to makeenoughmoney to afford adozenorsoactingclasses, agaggleofexpensiveheadshots, and a honestrealestatebroker so you can sleeponacleancot in Midtownsoyoucanbecloseenough and healthinsurance so youcanbehealthyenough to havetheenergy to getupearlyenough to befirstinline at theopenrequiredEPA for the assistanttotheassociatecastingdirectortothedirector and then hurryupandwait for the phone call.

< /rant>

<…Ok maybe not yet. >

I’d love to be a master of all of these things. I work hard at learning additional business skills to increase my personal value as a performer and my worth to each company that I work with, and often end up wearing multiple hats when working on smaller productions—I’ll do everything from email marketer to assistant stage manager. I do consider it part of the deal of creating collaborative indie theater. And assuming we could all be compensated/rewarded for their contributions, wouldn’t it be great if all companies had skilled performing artists who could work in that way? Or wouldn’t it be even better if I could just use all of the skills to further my own acting career?

More than sturdy bootstraps to pull upward on are needed to develop a community of multitalented individuals, who are then willing to work for peanuts or love of craft. Particularly for performing artists like me, where there is little mentorship by other performers or loyalty from theater companies, we are often going at it alone. I frequently have the feeling that my chosen profession (though thank God I am now getting paid for this) is very professional at all. Occasionally I often even envy business types passing by in briefcases as I slop to rehearsal in my sweats (ok… most of the time I actually like this part). I look at those heading into their offices and just wish I had a place to go where I could receive personalized mentorship while completing daunting tasks like industry mailings, where I could print a resume as I am running out the door, or simply a place to commiserate with others while working on my website.

So then I had this revolutionary idea: Let’s create that space. A place for performing artists to go to work: where they can master the business needs the industry requires. A place where actors like me can receive training, mentorship, communal support. Let’s create a membership-based office space where we can work-out those skills together, or meet with our favorite personal trainer, like at the gym. So I launched this IndieGogo Campaign as a start. I’ve got some awesome supporters on board, including 2amt. With your help, we could:

-create an interactive learning space which contains a small library’s worth of industry information, scripts, sheet music, casting notices, call sheets, sample promotional materials, and more.

- train performing artists on cutting edge technologies, social media outlets, marketing skills and more so that they are empowered to apply the skills to their career, or elsewhere in the workforce.

-instill each member artist with a sense of security and pride that is gained from walking into the office each day to focus on a career that they love.

-create a base camp where incredible theater innovators can meet, provide training and services to our members, host meetings, and more.

- employ numerous out of work actors, musicians, dancers, and more who will then go on inspire others with their art.

I am hoping to rent an office space in Midtown Manhattan, and equip it with:

• Multiple workstations, desks
• Computers with Photoshop, web design creation tools, and more 
• Shared conference room and kitchen 
• Virtual library of usual documents, trade magazines, castings, industry guides 
• Physical library of industry mags, guides, call sheets, labels, and more 
• Necessary office supplies including headshot envelopes, highlighters, staplers, labels, organization tools and more 
• Online calendar for reserving the space and booking consulting sessions 
• EXPERT STAFF during all operating hours to assist members (So we aren’t just helping artists get employed, we are also employing artists who are doing it right)

Consider donating today to help create this place. We could develop a whole army of actor/marketer/promoter/producer/fundraisers, or simply, more well-trained and prepared actors. Either way, the theater community benefits. And the community that develops around the space itself might then create work, support each other, contribute financially, well the possibilities are endless.Make a space so I can get to work.