This evening I had my first interview. I had a lot of nerves going into the interview because I didn’t want the actors I was meeting with to feel like they were wasting their time. I wanted to ask intelligent questions and wanted to make sure I listened to get the full experience I should from my discussion with them.
My first interview was with Christian Borle and Michael Rupert of Legally Blonde. I was so excited they agreed to meet with me. They both have thriving careers on Broadway and I was very interested to hear their stories. Christian came from Carnegie Mellon to the city in 1995. Michael is a longtime veteran and I would say a sort of Jack of all trades. He writes, directs and teaches. The energy in the room was so exciting.
I met Natalie Joy Johnson at the stage door this evening, which was another exciting moment because I have been looking forward to meeting her for some time. She had set up the interview for me and greeted me with a huge hug, which just put my nerves at ease. We then headed upstairs to Christian’s dressing room. This room was much more comfortable and larger than I ever thought it would be because I have always heard of the spaces in New York theatres being so cramped, but it was so homey.
They both were interested in who I was, but I was most interested in hearing them so I talked for a brief moment about where I am on my journey and then moved in to ask them about themselves. They had such interesting things to say. I asked them about their lives working in New York and what it was like starting out and how they find the drive and motivation to do the work they do.
They spoke about the need to really love this work because there is no other way you will survive. They told me to go for anything. I should do any work I can because even while working on something, no matter how small, it is an audition. You never know who is in the audience and who will remember you for a role. That is how they were found to be in Legally Blonde. They both had done work with the director or he had seen them in work somewhere and he remembered them and thought that they would be good for their respective roles. Christian was seen in a reading that he couldn’t believe the director found him interesting in, but was so honored to be asked.
These actors of course are at a very different place than I will be in a few short months, but to hear them speak of their struggles was cool. Christian told me about how I should I remember that everyone is on a different timeline in the business, and I shouldn’t get discouraged if there are successes around me and I am not finding work immediately. If I want it bad enough and I pursue the right training and I put my best talents forward it will find me someday. This gave me a great sense of hope. Michael also spoke about the need for me to establish a support system wherever I end up, which was an interesting point. He said that it was so important that you have people there for the good times and the bad times, people in the business and some outsiders because they will help you keep your motivation and keep you grounded. This made me think of Jon and Lucia who I am moving to DC with at the end of the semester.
They also said that I should spend a lot of time with myself. I should know myself really well. They said that they have heard so many times how important it is to casting directors and directors that an actor appears to know themselves when they walk in the room. I should know who I am as a person and I should know myself as an actor. I should figure out what kinds of roles I am built for and I should use this knowledge when I choose auditions. This is not to say I should stretch for roles, but that I will probably find more success if I can find the opportunities to show my true strengths. As a person I should have a good sense of who I am and what I want. It is like discovering a character. I need to know the ins and outs of myself and be able to show these people who are looking to hire me that I understand myself because it gives them faith that I will be able to discover the desires of the character I am playing and their essence.
My discussion with them was wonderful. I wished I could have had even more time with them, but the half hour they spared for me was worth more to me than any words I can find. I thank them so much for doing it.
Tomorrow, Steve and I will meet with Bryce Ryness who is an ensemble member of the show. I am greatly looking forward to it.
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