These are the items we discussed at the top of our meeting:
Web site updates
1. Performance calendar added
If you are performing somewhere live, your film is being screened, or your episode of that TV show is airing, please let us know so that we can add it to the NEW Collective Member Performance Calendar. It is a place for us and the general public to find out where our members are working outside The Collective.
2. Member blog
If you are reading this, you are already one of the people who knows to check the blog for updates and reminders. The idea is not to absolve members from attending or coming on time to meetings, but to distill, summarize, provide detail and/or remind members what's happening.
Moderators
Those working on Mondays should be sure to check in with the moderators to identify specific points for discussion.
Moderators will initiate the post-work discussion and then open up the discussion. Please try to keep feedback focused on what you OBSERVE in the behavior, and not on directorial notes, acting lessons, or suggestions for different choices YOU would have made. Ask a question about what you observe, if you have one, but let the actors working decide how to address the issues raised. We are peers, not directors or teachers.
These are NOT performances, they are work sessions. As such, those working should feel empowered to do what they need to create the right environment. If you need to start over, do it. If you need more time for your prep, take it. If you need a line, call for it. If you need a drink of water, get it. YES, we expect those working to be prepared, and we have had consistently full dockets with a lot of work to get through, BUT if it takes a few extra minutes to improve conditions to facilitate the work, then it is worth it. We ALL learn from the process.
Work opportunities
1. Off the Hook
See last week's blog entry for details about this volunteer opportunity for actors and directors. The program is still in need of a couple female actors and directors. And, people with skills in stage management, lighting, sound, etc. are also needed. We all understand what it takes to produce a stage production, so please volunteer to help with this project if you are able.
2. Nyquil commercial casting
This was forwarded to me from a fellow actress.
-------------------------------------------
Hey everyone we are casting a new print job for Nyquil and it's a pretty fun one. We are looking for attractive men and woman between the ages of 25 and 45 who have something a little unique or quirky about them that gives them character.
For example:
We are looking for someone who might have a broken nose, think Owen Wilson.
Someone who has slightly crooked teeth like singer songwriter Jewel or has a gap between their teeth like Madonna.
Are you sporting an afro? Do you have a big mop of curls like Orphan Annie, the bigger better!
We are looking for someone who has a ton of freckles on their face, or lips that put Angelina Jolie's to shame.
Do you have wild eyebrows, or a great big smile with braces?
Do you have really small eyes or crazy long nose hair.
If so we would love to take a quick photo of you and submit you for Nyquil's upcoming print ad.
If interested please email me a recent photo of yourself, preferably a close up that shows your face and hair to nefertitijones@yahoo.com
I will be putting people on camera Tuesday and Wednesday this week in the Union Square area. It will only take five min. I will be there between 10:00-6:00
If you are selected the shoot date is April 6th so you must be available in order to audition.
The Photographer is Olaf Blecker
Pay Rate: $1,500.00 for the shoot date and an additional 1,500.00 if you end up in the Ad.
This is for print and internet use only, it will not be seen on TV.
Usage 1 year.
Thank you,
Nefertiti Jones
www.jonesbonesproductions.com
--------------------------------------------------
Shout outs
Great to see founding member Brian Bannan (a.k.a. The Champ) back in NYC. Brian has kept us all motivated from his satellite office up North, and we love to see him back, even if it's only a few days at a time.
Best wishes to Joe Kathrein, who is heading home to Michigan for a while. We know that members are able to contribute from a distance (see also: Bannan, Brian), so we hope that we will continue to hear from Joe and see him back in NYC from time to time.
Congratulations and welcome to those who continue to make their Collective Monday work debuts.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Collective Monday - March 23, 2009
These were the items discussed at the top of our meeting:
Moderators
We will continue to review the purpose and function of the moderators at each meeting.
Those working should seek out the moderators at the top of the meeting to review with them specific points for discussion.
Announced guests are welcome at our Monday meetings. We do ask that you take responsibility for your guests and request that they merely OBSERVE for their first few visits before offering comments.
Comments should be concise, and focused on the discussion points raised by the moderators. We are peers, not teachers or directors. Please comment on what you OBSERVE in the behavior, and not on directorial notes or suggestions about different choices you would make. Do not make assumptions about what the actor's choices are. Pose a question, if you have one, and let the actor decide how to address it.
Hunger, a film by Steve McQueen
Those who have seen this film have been truly affected. It is only playing through Tuesday, March 24th at IFC. This film centers on the 1980s hunger strikes in Ireland, and is the same material about which the play "The Whales of Long Kesh" is written. The play was given to The Collective and subsequently submitted to the NYC Int'l Fringe Festival for consideration. If you have the chance to catch the film, it would be a great way to get more familiar with the subject. Notification of acceptance by the Fringe should come by end of April. Anyone who wants to read the play can request a copy via the gmail account.
Off the Hook project
A fellow actress is part of a company named Falconworks Artists Group in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her company runs a youth theater program called "Off the Hook" which takes 6 kids (aged 11-15) from the neighborhood through a 13-week workshop series where they learn how to act and how to write a play. The plays they write are original, unedited scripts based on whatever their hearts desire to express. Once the plays are done, they get professional actors and directors to work directly with the budding playwright to bring their play to the stage. It's an incredible and kind of whirlwind process.
Are any of you actors or directors interested? It's about a 6-7 day volunteer commitment. It's definitely gratifying work. Proposed schedule is below.
Anyone interested can contact Robert (info@robertzgrant.com) for the email contact to the project.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rehearsals: (lunch provided)
Saturday, April 25, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm (Directors arrive at 11:00 am for orientation; actors arrive at 12:00 noon for meet and greet brunch; rehearsal begins promptly at 1:00 pm)
Saturday, May 2, from 1:00 pm until 5:00
Production Schedule
May 4, 5 or 6: Tech Rehearsal (1 ½ hour between 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm)
Thursday, May 7: Dress Rehearsal 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 pm
Friday, May 8: 7:00 pm Presentation (6:00 pm call)
Saturday, May 9: 3:00 pm Presentation (2:00 pm call)
Moderators
We will continue to review the purpose and function of the moderators at each meeting.
Those working should seek out the moderators at the top of the meeting to review with them specific points for discussion.
Announced guests are welcome at our Monday meetings. We do ask that you take responsibility for your guests and request that they merely OBSERVE for their first few visits before offering comments.
Comments should be concise, and focused on the discussion points raised by the moderators. We are peers, not teachers or directors. Please comment on what you OBSERVE in the behavior, and not on directorial notes or suggestions about different choices you would make. Do not make assumptions about what the actor's choices are. Pose a question, if you have one, and let the actor decide how to address it.
Hunger, a film by Steve McQueen
Those who have seen this film have been truly affected. It is only playing through Tuesday, March 24th at IFC. This film centers on the 1980s hunger strikes in Ireland, and is the same material about which the play "The Whales of Long Kesh" is written. The play was given to The Collective and subsequently submitted to the NYC Int'l Fringe Festival for consideration. If you have the chance to catch the film, it would be a great way to get more familiar with the subject. Notification of acceptance by the Fringe should come by end of April. Anyone who wants to read the play can request a copy via the gmail account.
Off the Hook project
A fellow actress is part of a company named Falconworks Artists Group in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her company runs a youth theater program called "Off the Hook" which takes 6 kids (aged 11-15) from the neighborhood through a 13-week workshop series where they learn how to act and how to write a play. The plays they write are original, unedited scripts based on whatever their hearts desire to express. Once the plays are done, they get professional actors and directors to work directly with the budding playwright to bring their play to the stage. It's an incredible and kind of whirlwind process.
Are any of you actors or directors interested? It's about a 6-7 day volunteer commitment. It's definitely gratifying work. Proposed schedule is below.
Anyone interested can contact Robert (info@robertzgrant.com) for the email contact to the project.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rehearsals: (lunch provided)
Saturday, April 25, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm (Directors arrive at 11:00 am for orientation; actors arrive at 12:00 noon for meet and greet brunch; rehearsal begins promptly at 1:00 pm)
Saturday, May 2, from 1:00 pm until 5:00
Production Schedule
May 4, 5 or 6: Tech Rehearsal (1 ½ hour between 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm)
Thursday, May 7: Dress Rehearsal 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 pm
Friday, May 8: 7:00 pm Presentation (6:00 pm call)
Saturday, May 9: 3:00 pm Presentation (2:00 pm call)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Collective Monday - March 2, 2009
Thanks again to Sam Doerr for booking us in the lovely Laura Pels Theater ON BROADWAY!! Many of our members made their unofficial Broadway stage debuts tonight. Very exciting. We were also pleased to be able to offer this opportunity at no cost to those in attendance-- the usual $5 contribution was waived this evening.
These are the topics we discussed at the top of our meeting:
Collective Comedy wrap-up
Thursday night's event was the most unbelievable line-up to date-- Todd Barry, Judah Friedlander, headliner Patrice Oneal, terrific debuts by Prescott and Khamil, and a hilarious new sketch from our own Amy Schumer. Only down-side is: our attendance was at about HALF our previous Collective Comedy events. Our members still performed beautifully when it came to the set-up and strike of the event, and pitched in to do whatever needed to be done. It all went really smoothly, logistically speaking.
Financially, our goal was to recoup our $2,900 loss from UPRISING. We fell short of that goal due to low attendance, and will net a profit of about $900. Considering that Collective members contributed about $450 of that, we will need to return to our attendance numbers from previous shows in order to warrant continuing Collective Comedy. It is an important (and our only current) source of revenue for our company. The success of Collective Comedy relates DIRECTLY to our ability to produce more opportunities for our members to get on stage.
We spent some time discussing some of the factors:
1. Not publicizing specific names of comics
Some noted that the show was a tougher sell because they could not attach a specific name to it. Although, it was also suggested that publicizing the list of comics that showed up THIS time around WOULD impact attendance for the next show. These comics are performing in our show as a personal favor to Amy, so we have to respect the choice to release names or not. It is also partly about weighing the "surprise" nature of an unannounced line-up against the disappointment of publicizing big names that then cancel last-minute.
2. End of the month date
Some suggested that perhaps having the event earlier in the month when people may have more disposable cash may increase attendance. We have held this event fairly consistently in the third week of the month and have managed to draw big crowds, so timing may not be a real factor.
3. Student discounts
Consider using discounts to get some of the Esper community who is aware of the event, but just doesn't feel comfortable dropping $20.
4. Use a ticketing service or donation site (PayPal)
It was proposed that giving people a way to donate when they are unable to attend may add some revenue. We will continue to pursue our not-for-profit tax status as a way to increase donations overall.
5. Too close on the heels of our last event
Some raised the concern that they had gotten their friends to come see shows during UPRISING, and met with some resistance getting friends to come to another event two weeks later.
6. Too heavy on the FREE BEER angle
It was suggested that we may be able to send alternate emails to appeal to our increasingly broad email base. Shouting about the free booze seems to make the event feel like a drink-fest and only speaks to a portion of our total audience.
7. More listings
Everyone should continue to get the show listed in Time Out, Comedy Central, and any other listings we can come up with. Submit to any free listing service you know (newspapers, magazines, online, etc.)
8. The overall economic picture
Despite the incredible entertainment and value Collective Comedy provides, it is not recession-proof. Lower attendance is surely attributable, in part, to a universal wallet-tightening.
Role of the Moderators at Collective Mondays
We will continue to define and refine this important task at Collective Mondays. Moderators are there to initiate specific feedback requested by those working that night, and then to facilitate the discussion by opening it up to the larger group. We will not be able to hear from everyone, and as always, we ask that your invited guests only OBSERVE for their first couple of visits to Collective Mondays before offering feedback. It is important that we develop a common language that honors our objectives of truthful behavior and the reality of doing, and that we do not compromise the trust we have built in that room.
We will continue for the next several meetings to review the format of the work and the feedback. Some common ideas to keep in mind:
--Please remember to keep comments brief and on topic.
--We are developing a separate writers' forum, so feedback on Collective Mondays should be limited to OBSERVED BEHAVIOR as actors, not about script content or playwriting.
--Those working should speak to the moderators to advise specific points for discussion.
--These are NOT performances. We are all working on our craft.
--We are not directors or teachers. We are peers. Please avoid giving directorial notes, or notes on acting technique. Instead, focus on observed behavior. Look for unclear, non-specific or inactive choices (or perceived lack of a choice) and address them without providing your own personal suggestions for alternate possibilities. Let the actor who is working decide how to address any issues raised.
--Do NOT apologize for using meeting time for your work. If you have done your homework and share our collective goals of realizing truthful behavior, then this is YOUR time. Don't tarnish the work worrying about whether your fellow members are losing interest or that your scene is 'too long'. It is up to those in attendance to invest as much in your work as they would their own. Moderators will do what they can to manage the evening's schedule to accommodate as much work as possible and to keep feedback concise.
These are the topics we discussed at the top of our meeting:
Collective Comedy wrap-up
Thursday night's event was the most unbelievable line-up to date-- Todd Barry, Judah Friedlander, headliner Patrice Oneal, terrific debuts by Prescott and Khamil, and a hilarious new sketch from our own Amy Schumer. Only down-side is: our attendance was at about HALF our previous Collective Comedy events. Our members still performed beautifully when it came to the set-up and strike of the event, and pitched in to do whatever needed to be done. It all went really smoothly, logistically speaking.
Financially, our goal was to recoup our $2,900 loss from UPRISING. We fell short of that goal due to low attendance, and will net a profit of about $900. Considering that Collective members contributed about $450 of that, we will need to return to our attendance numbers from previous shows in order to warrant continuing Collective Comedy. It is an important (and our only current) source of revenue for our company. The success of Collective Comedy relates DIRECTLY to our ability to produce more opportunities for our members to get on stage.
We spent some time discussing some of the factors:
1. Not publicizing specific names of comics
Some noted that the show was a tougher sell because they could not attach a specific name to it. Although, it was also suggested that publicizing the list of comics that showed up THIS time around WOULD impact attendance for the next show. These comics are performing in our show as a personal favor to Amy, so we have to respect the choice to release names or not. It is also partly about weighing the "surprise" nature of an unannounced line-up against the disappointment of publicizing big names that then cancel last-minute.
2. End of the month date
Some suggested that perhaps having the event earlier in the month when people may have more disposable cash may increase attendance. We have held this event fairly consistently in the third week of the month and have managed to draw big crowds, so timing may not be a real factor.
3. Student discounts
Consider using discounts to get some of the Esper community who is aware of the event, but just doesn't feel comfortable dropping $20.
4. Use a ticketing service or donation site (PayPal)
It was proposed that giving people a way to donate when they are unable to attend may add some revenue. We will continue to pursue our not-for-profit tax status as a way to increase donations overall.
5. Too close on the heels of our last event
Some raised the concern that they had gotten their friends to come see shows during UPRISING, and met with some resistance getting friends to come to another event two weeks later.
6. Too heavy on the FREE BEER angle
It was suggested that we may be able to send alternate emails to appeal to our increasingly broad email base. Shouting about the free booze seems to make the event feel like a drink-fest and only speaks to a portion of our total audience.
7. More listings
Everyone should continue to get the show listed in Time Out, Comedy Central, and any other listings we can come up with. Submit to any free listing service you know (newspapers, magazines, online, etc.)
8. The overall economic picture
Despite the incredible entertainment and value Collective Comedy provides, it is not recession-proof. Lower attendance is surely attributable, in part, to a universal wallet-tightening.
Role of the Moderators at Collective Mondays
We will continue to define and refine this important task at Collective Mondays. Moderators are there to initiate specific feedback requested by those working that night, and then to facilitate the discussion by opening it up to the larger group. We will not be able to hear from everyone, and as always, we ask that your invited guests only OBSERVE for their first couple of visits to Collective Mondays before offering feedback. It is important that we develop a common language that honors our objectives of truthful behavior and the reality of doing, and that we do not compromise the trust we have built in that room.
We will continue for the next several meetings to review the format of the work and the feedback. Some common ideas to keep in mind:
--Please remember to keep comments brief and on topic.
--We are developing a separate writers' forum, so feedback on Collective Mondays should be limited to OBSERVED BEHAVIOR as actors, not about script content or playwriting.
--Those working should speak to the moderators to advise specific points for discussion.
--These are NOT performances. We are all working on our craft.
--We are not directors or teachers. We are peers. Please avoid giving directorial notes, or notes on acting technique. Instead, focus on observed behavior. Look for unclear, non-specific or inactive choices (or perceived lack of a choice) and address them without providing your own personal suggestions for alternate possibilities. Let the actor who is working decide how to address any issues raised.
--Do NOT apologize for using meeting time for your work. If you have done your homework and share our collective goals of realizing truthful behavior, then this is YOUR time. Don't tarnish the work worrying about whether your fellow members are losing interest or that your scene is 'too long'. It is up to those in attendance to invest as much in your work as they would their own. Moderators will do what they can to manage the evening's schedule to accommodate as much work as possible and to keep feedback concise.
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