This week’s show features an interview with Randy Williams, a look at Florida Studio Theatre and Tee’s musings on the Oscar Process.

Title: On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line

Authors: Robert Viagas, Baayork Lee, Thommie Walsh With the entire original Cast

IBSN: 978-0-87910-336-1

Advice: For the True fans of Musical Theatre

On the Line is a book about the landmark musical, A Chorus Line. The book relays the details of the idea behind, the development, and eventual success of a musical based on the lives of dancers auditioning for a show. It is written by those people directly involved in the process which gives the book a great sense of authenticity. Vaigas, Lee, and Walsh share alot of personal insight into the creation, rehearsal and pains of success that causes the book to read like an episode of VH1 ’s Behind the Music.

This book was orginally published in 1990 but has been updated to take into a slight account of the re-mounting of the 2006 production currently running on Broadway. I enjoyed this aspect because it caused the book to feel “current” and not like a history book. I found the appendix on the original cast very interesting. The fact that some eventual left the theatre all together and for some like Baayork Lee, A Chorus Line, has become almost a large portion of their career. Lee who created the role of Connie; for example, has directed more than thirty-five productions of A Chorus Line world wide and was directly involved in the 2006 Broadway revival as choreographer. Walsh who orignated the role of Bobby went on to a very successful career as a director and choreographer, collaborating with Tommy Tune which garnered him two Tony and Drama Desk Awards (A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine , 1980 and My One and Only, 1983). Every orginal cast member is updated and what I found fascinating was how a group of artists could be involved in such an intense experience that directly or indirectly continued to shape their lives after the last curtain call.

The book is a must read for the fans of A Chorus Line which I admit might be the understatement of the year; however, fans of Broadway and theatre will learn a lot from this tale. I was impressed by how much dedication and passion have to go into getting a show to broadway. It is easy to get lost in the “numbers” and “profit margin” of a show bound for Broadway that you lose sight of the human connection to the material which is ultimately required for the project to be successful. On the Line reminds me of this “human” element by relaying all the triumphs, losses, and hard work that this particular group of people experienced. This 376 page book (complete with photos from various stages in the evolution of this musical) demonstrates how “powerful” theatre is made by passionate people striving to tell a deeply “human” story.

This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the Inexplicable Dumb Show! We were fortunate to have nearly 45 minutes to spend on the phone with Dr. José Angel Santana who was one of the featured students on the Sanford Meisner Master Class DVD. He talked about his current projects as well as his recollections of working under Mr. Meisner and the filming of the Master Class.

Also be listening for Episode 28 of the IDS!  We are going to be GIVING AWAY a copy of the Sanford Meisner Master Class DVD, but you have to be listening to win!!

Title: Year of the King: An Actor’s Diary and Sketchbook, 20th Anniversary Edition

Author: Antony Sher

ISBN: 978-0-87910-335-3

Publisher: Limelight Editions

My Advice: Own It

I first became acquainted with Sher’s work during my time in grad school. I was working on Richard III for scene work in class and the book was recommended to me by my professor. In addition to his own insights into the preparation for this role, the thing that struck me most about this book is that it’s the best book I have ever read on the actor’s process. Sher found out he was cast in this role one year before opening night. He spent that entire year in his own type of preparation for the role. Thankfully, for us, he journalized the entire experience - complete with his own sketches of images that helped him shape the role.

In this edition, Sher takes a step back in time (along with a little help from his dresser at the RSC) to reminisc about his experiences with this role some 20 years ago.

If Sher were to try this same thing today, I don’t know if it would have the same effect. It might have been done in blog/online journal form and while I believe in the power of this technology, I don’t think it has the same heart. When you read this book and see his sketches and drawings, there is a sense of the gritty raw reality that comes from from the live theatre. It’s almost like you can see the drops of sweat from his brow on every page of this book. You just can’t get that same thing from a website.

From the day he found out he was cast in the role, Sher noted everything in his journal. Even the smallest details of his personal life seemed to find a way into this journal and ultimately into his performance. Every interaction with another human being, every bit of current events, every geographical landmark seemed to find its way into this journal. His sketches of what Gloucester should look like, both inside and out, are quite simply breathtaking. And, remarkably, Sher’s own insecurities as an actor take center stage. He is very candid with his readers about how he was constantly nagged by the feeling that he simply wasn’t up to preparing this role, let alone playing the role. Even as the opening night approached, his feelings of inadequacies seemed to almost bury him deeper and deeper. In fact, in his own words, during his opening night performance, he is still worried about his process:

The second half is much better. The audience appears to have decided it’s not at all bad. They’re more relaxed and confident and therefore so am I. Who’s in charge here?

My voice lasts well and, thank God, I’ve got some big guns left for the oration. But no breakthrough on the nightmare speech.

Every actor I know has had some experience similar to this. As I constantly say to my acting students, live theatre is the only artform where you get immediate and raw feedback from your patrons. For good or for ill, you are in each other’s hands. If you don’t like them, they won’t like you, but thankfully, the reverse is also true.

Sher proves something else for actors in his book. I have no idea whether this was intended or not, but the theme of this book seems to be: Only through opening yourself up and laying all of your gorey messy insides out for all to see can you truly succeed as an artist. There is no other book that I know of that puts for this idea so clearly without beating you over the head with it.

I would have loved to have seen this performance. I feel like I have lived through the process!

Thank you, Mr. Sher.

We are pleased to announce that we will soon be featuring an interview with José Angel Santana, Ph.D on the podcast!  (Seen at right with Kevin Spacey  in Trevor Griffiths (Reds) at the Williamstown Theater Festival, 1984.)

Why, you ask? Well, it just so happnes that a younger Dr. Santana was one of the featured students on the Sanford Meisner Master Class DVD. We will be talking with him about that very experience and the projects he’s been working on in the interim.

What? You haven’t seen the DVD? Why don’t you buy it from Amazon?

Anyway, be on the lookout for it of at the Dumb Show. In the meantime, check out Dr. Santana’s website and tell him you got there from here!

Speaking of the Sanford Meisner DVD, you also need to be listening to the podcast for your chance to win a copy of the DVD thanks to Open Road Films! Information on that will be coming soon!

Title:  So You Want to Be in Show Business

Author:  Steve Stevens Sr. with John D. Cady

ISBN:  1-58182-453-X

My Advice:  You’ve got to check this one out…

“I’ve always wanted to be an actor.”

How many times have we heard that in our lives?  Of course, where I’m from, that sentence is usually followed by looks of consternation and dismay from whoever happened to hear it.  And after that, it’s usually followed by advice for that person to stay in school and get good grades and to become a[n]  [doctor/lawyer/nurse/auto mechanic/salesman].

This book makes the case that it doesn’t always have to be this way!  Mr. Stevens has put together a book that is filled with the simple tasks and information that anyone can do to have a successful career in the entertainment business.  Everything from getting an agent, auditioning, meeting with casting directors, getting headshots, and getting into and working with the unions.

His advice is well founded.  Mr. Stevens has had a long career in The Business since he was thirteen.  He’s been an actor, producer, casting director, and finally, an agent.  He’s worked with pretty much every Hollywood “name” that you can think of and has “discovered” and represented a great deal of them along the way.

I must admit, I was skeptical about this book when I looked at the title.  There are so many of these books on the shelf of your local bookstore that it seems that everyone has the knowledge of how to make it in this business.  There’s only one little problem:  If they know how to do it, why aren’t they out there doing it, right?  Why do they need to write a book talking about it rather than actually doing it? 

Mr. Stevens is the exception.  He has done it!  He provides information from pretty much every angle you can imagine.  And he transitions from giving advice as an actor seemlessly into giving you advice as an agent.  In fact, some of his best advice is on how to work with your agent once you get one.  His advice is most worthy because he has experienced both sides of this relationship.

If you are just getting into the business and really want to know what type of work you will really be doing, you should pick this book up. 

This week we interview KCACTF Region 4 chair Jeff Gibson.