Update!

It's been a while! I do plan on updating this blog more regularly, but I've been so busy as of late! Since my last post quite a bit has happened:

The play I was in won a Critic's Pick Award from the New York Times... which was an amazing experience to say the least. We had full houses every night, and I got a chance to work with an incredibly talented cast. My role wasn't particularly huge, but I learned a lot. Part of that learning was seeing the show unfold from a script in an audition room to a fully-functioning, critically-acclaimed, theatrical production. Getting to see that journey up close changed my perspective on quite a bit.

Among other things, I also got an opportunity to perform in a 1 Act play with The Actors Studio Director's Unit. The Actors Studio... such a rich history. I remember reading about it as a kid. You step on to that stage and suddenly you remember it's the same stage that Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean put up work on... incredibly humbling. Equally humbling were the legendary actors that were in the room that evening. Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Estelle Parsons were moderating that night, and as a young actor, hearing their feedback was such a gift.

It's interesting what an experience like that does to you as an actor... ever since The Actors Studio I feel like I'd discovered a newfound confidence in my work. I'm no longer afraid at auditions. Standing in front of casting can be terrifying at times, but after getting a chance to work in front of a group like that... I just feel like I have nothing left to prove anymore. I feel looser. More relaxed.

In terms of writing, I've written two new plays. I'm very excited about both, and I've also shored up revisions on a screenplay which should soon be in the beginning stages of production. More to come on that soon!

-Jon

Lesson's in previews

It's been a while!

I was recently cast in a show (which has turned my schedule upside down), but I wanted to get off an update before our opening. We've been in previews all last week, and I'm delighted to say they've been nothing but fantastic. I'm blessed to be a part of such a great cast, and our audiences have been wonderfully engaged and responsive to the work.

Previews are a fun time. You really begin to fine tune things and let let the work you do in rehearsal  sink in and come to life. You also start figuring out how you're going to keep that performance alive and fresh five days a week after that "opening night" energy has worn off. A few things I find helpful:

1. Relax, let go, and listen - there comes a point in a show where I have to let go of the lines, and simply relax, listen to my surroundings, and live in the scene. It requires a lot of trust. Trust that everything (lines, actions, etc) will come to me from the muscle memory I've created in rehearsal.
2. I also find it best not to try and re-create moments. If I find a spontaneous moment that garners a response from the audience I don't try to force it the next night. Forcing things usually never works out. Instead, I focus on the work that got me that moment in the first place, and trust that I'll re-discover it the next night.
3. I like to focus on behavior and actions, not on the lines. Life is behavior. Dialogue is a small subset of behavior. When I focus on lines, it just connects my head to the scene, but when I focus on behavior it'll connect my whole body to the scene.
4. I like to let go of emotions. Emotional responses are great when they happen, but if I anticipate them they usually won't happen for me the next night. Or sometimes they'll happen in different and unexpected places (which can be a great discovery during the run of the show).

That's all for now! If anyone would like to see the show here's the info:

"The Man of the Hour"

playing at the Metropolitan Playhouse (220 E. 4th Street)

Tickets at:

http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/manofthehour

Doing the impossible

Anyone who has ever worked a day on film set knows that at some point you'll come across a task that needs doing, but is nearly impossible to execute by conventional standards.  The hallmark of a good producer is finding a way to get it done or "do the impossible" (so to speak).

I saw an excellent illustration of this while performing some holiday shopping:

I was buying a winter jacket at Barney's New York, but they didn't have the correct size.  They *did* have the right size at a store in Boston, MA and offered to ship it.  I told them I was headed out of town for Christmas, and they offered to overnight it and said it would arrive by tomorrow morning (Saturday).  Great.  Done deal.

So I open up my email, and I get the tracking number, and... yep... you guessed it: scheduled delivery was pushed back due to the holidays.  So I called up FedEx and asked if they could upgrade my shipping... they gave me the usual "sorry, there's nothing we can do about it" speech.

So I called up Barney's and asked to speak to the shipping department.  After a few minutes I was transferred to the Operations Manager.  Immediately, I could tell by the tone of his voice that this was a man who knew what he was doing.  I explained the situation.  His response?  "Call you back in five minutes."  Five minutes later I get a phone call:  my package is scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning.  In addition, he's going to follow up with FedEx NY in the AM, and call me back with a delivery timetable.

Now, THAT, folks, is service.  And boy, was it a pleasure to interact with someone who has a passion for getting things done.  I imagine he's developed connections with the FedEx operations line, knew the right person to talk to, and simply knew how to make it work.  That is exactly how a great producer works.

I tip my hat to Barney's NY for helping me cut through some holiday red tape.


Merry Christmas everyone!

Powering through the cold....

Winter has arrived.   For me personally, the sudden change in climate can be demotivating (not to mention the darkening of the skies will leave me a bit depressed).  However, work still needs to be done, and I thought I'd share a few tricks I've found for powering through:

1)  Create a schedule.  I like to plan my day the night before.   I'll write down the things I'd like to do and by what time I'd like to do them by.  When I write a neat,  concise, organized list, I'm much more apt to get things done.  And getting things done makes me feel good :D

2) Drink some hot tea.  Nothing gets me focused on a cold day like a nice, hot mug of green tea.

3) Stay away from distractions.  Social media (yet ironically you're here :D) and internet-surfing are the worst.

4) Sometimes you just need to push yourself.  There are times where I'll literally strap myself in a chair, set a timer, and tell myself to suck it up and start writing.  And I do.  And things get done :D

Stay warm everyone!

Forcing art...

One of the biggest lessons I've learned as an actor/writer is not to force things.  This is in fundamental opposition to the demands placed upon us as artists.  Everyone wants results:  actors will often force specific emotions.   Writers will often force specific plot points/information/language to help carry the story.

The problem with forcing these things is that you stop listening.

• In acting, when you force an emotional result without paying attention to the world around you, the acting seems "over the top" or "inauthentic."  This is because in life humans rarely force emotions.  It's usually just the opposite.  We often try very hard to cover our feelings.
  
• In writing, when you force a scene to carry specific words, information, or plot points, you forget to pay attention to the character's behavior/objectives and the writing don't seem truthful.  In life, people generally don't plan words before they speak them.  "Dialogue" is a reaction to someone's behavior.  A "scene" is a reaction to someone's behavior.  You change one element of that behavior, and the scene/dialogue changes too.  The only way to figure out the new dialogue/scene is to listen to the characters as they play out the changes in your imagination.

Really listening is one of the most difficult things to do, not only as an artist, but in life as well.  It requires focus.  On a daily basis I encounter people who "force things" and don't listen.  On a daily basis I forget to listen and have to remind myself to do so.  Ultimately, though, not listening will manifest itself in substandard work.

Collaboration

Of the many skills an artist needs to master, perhaps the most important is the ability to collaborate.

I've yet to meet an artist who's not passionate about their work.  And I have yet to meet an artist who's unaffected by criticism.  This is not a bad thing.  It's the nature of the work, and it means we care about what we're doing.

Now, if only we were just performing in our bedrooms everything would be fine!  But we're not.  We're out in the world.  And good creative work requires collaboration.  Even artforms that are singular (such as painting and one-man shows) require collaboration (ie the participation of an audience).

I have seen some very talented people (including myself at times) hurt their careers because of their inability to get along.  It's not that they're unlikable.  Quite the opposite - most of them are quite charming.  But they have a hard time separating their creative ego from creative production.

I have found the following very helpful when it comes to collaboration:

• Be kind.  Take the high road  -  Don't lash out.  No matter how much you're in the right.  Personal attacks are poison to collaboration.  There is a right way and a wrong way to point out a mistake.  You can't focus on creativity when your mind is clouded with anger.
  
• Listen - Sometimes it's best to just sit back and listen.  You'll be amazed at what will happen.
  
• Let the best idea win - I watched an interview with Steve Jobs. He was asked how Apple managed to attract talented designers.  His response:  "We have a rule.  The best idea always wins.  There are no egos at Apple.  Talented people won't stick around if they're not being utilized."
  
• Thank people for their work.  Sounds simple, but it makes a big difference.  Being positive brings out the best in people.
  
• Lead by example.  Rather than telling someone to "work harder" or "do better," lead by example and show them how it's done.  Kindness and respect goes a long way towards motivating your team.
  
• Remember that they care.  Keep in mind that the person you're working with is probably just as committed to their art as you are to yours.  Give them the same respect that you would give yourself.
  
  

Creating Great Characters

One of the most important elements of screenwriting (that's oft overlooked) is the creation of truly compelling characters.  An audience needs someone that they can root for.  An audience needs someone that can grab their attention the moment they walk on the screen.

So what makes a great character?  I believe the definition is surprisingly simple when you boil it down.  A great character is someone who behaves with great character.  Sounds obvious, right?  I remember my grandpa telling me about the old spaghetti westerns:  he said, "people like Clint Eastwood because they get to see justice done."  And it's true.  Look at the characters he plays - they all have a strong sense of justice, morality, and idealism.  They're not ruled by fear and fight with valor to achieve their goals.  Who wouldn't root for such a man?

I think it's also important to give the protagonist a few flaws.  They can't be too perfect or they won't seem real, and a fatal flaw gives a character potential for growth and change.  Take "Simba" in The Lion King.  His biggest flaw is his inability to come to terms with his guilt (ie that he's responsible for his father's death).  It's so strong that he runs away from home and refuses to take his rightful place on the throne.  This provides the story with a beautiful arc when he finally returns and faces down his fears.

Now... it's not too difficult to write a good protagonist, but what about a villain?  Poorly written villains are just cruel for no reason and will annoy you throughout the film.  It's much harder to create a villain with depth and complexity.  For a shining example, look no further than "Darth Vader" of Star Wars - one of the most charismatic villains in cinema history.  Yes, he's evil and wicked, and he's committed countless atrocities against the universe.  But he has many strong qualities as well.  He's disciplined, he's focused, he doesn't tolerate failure - he's also gained mastery of a powerful art.  He has a kind side.  He wants his son back.  He wants to restore order to the galaxy, and most importantly, he's not beyond redemption.  All these things add up to that incredibly moving scene in Return of the Jedi where he tosses the Emperor overboard in an attempt to save his son.

Staying focused

It's been a while since I've updated this blog.  Nearly a year has passed, and I've grown not only as an artist, but as a human as well.  I don't feel you can separate the two - ie. who you are as a person versus your artistic talents.  The two are intertwined, and an adjustment in one will have a profound impact on the other.

Probably the biggest lesson I've learned over the years is staying focused.  I think it's one of the greatest struggles an artist will face.  

For most, talent generally isn't an issue.  If you're crazy enough to pursue an acting career, it's probably because somewhere along the way you felt or experienced a quality of work that gave you the idea that you could play in the big leagues.

So what separates talent from success?  To quote one of my favorite authors, Charles Dickens (from the semi-autobiographical "David Copperfield"):

I have been very fortunate in worldly matters; many men have worked much harder, and not succeeded half so well; but I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time, no matter how quickly its successor should come upon its heels, which I then formed.

Order.  Concentration.  Focus.  These are the things that separate the wheat from the chaff.  Unfortunately, we live in a society with tremendous distractions. Facebook.  The Internet.  Shopping.  Alcohol.  Video Games.  TV.  None of these things are inherently evil, but they will not make you a better artist. They will not propel you towards success in your goals.

Focus is knowing what you want.  Focus is knowing what's important in your life, and having the strength and wisdom to realize when something's a distraction.

Suicide Math (formerly known as "Life Could be a Dream")

I'd just like to give a shout out to the cast and crew of Suicide Math (one of the plays I'm producing).  We sold out our opening night, got a glowing review from nytheatre.com, and more importantly we had a terrific show.  I was also just notified that we'll be listed under "Best of the Fringe Festival" at nytheatre.com come Monday.

If anyone's curious here's a few quotes from the review:

"A tight, bright script that does not let up, even for a moment."

"What makes Suicide Math such an engaging work is that the characters are organically gifted with the ability to describe their cages, even as they are fundamentally unable to escape them.

"[David] Gelles digs into his mountains of words with a carnivorous vigor that alone is worth the price of admission"

"[Jonathan Randell] Silver rises to the challenge"

We have a show today at 2:15PM, and we have a handful of shows before we close next Sunday.  If you're in the area, come check us out.  Tickets are $15 online and $18 at the door.  We play at the Robert Moss Theater (440 Lafayette St) and you can find more information at www.suicidemath.com

Great Piece of Advice

Just want to highlight a terrific piece of advice for any actor:

http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/secret-agent-man/advance-your-career-yourself/

If you read this blog you probably know that I produced my own play last year.  The aftermath of that:  I'm involved in three productions right now.  A short film, a play in the NY International Fringe Festival, and a feature film.  One of them is paying me a salary.  One of them has the potential to put me on the map as an actor and a writer.  ALL of them are giving me invaluable experience and improving my network of connections.  I wouldn't be doing ANY of them had I not produced my play last year.  Every single one of these opportunities sprung out of the work I did for my play.

Create your own work.  It's the way the industry is moving these days.

Keep It Professional...

I've recently signed on to produce the play "Suicide Math" at the New York International Fringe Festival.  We're currently in the process of casting, and I'm reminded again of how often actors get in their own way.

So I'm combing through the submissions, and I finally see a headshot I like.  Solid resume.  Solid training.  Great.  I'll bring him in.  Then I look at his other headshots and I see something that resembles a family vacation photo.  I shake my head and move on.

We get hundreds of submissions.  We bring in maybe 40 people.  Every detail counts.  We want to work with perfectionists.  We have to be picky.  If you can't manage to present yourself in a professional manner then what does that say about the commitment to your craft?

Why Actors Get Paid

It's been a while since my last posting.  I'm happy to say that things have been busy for me.  I was cast in a new play (which had a staged reading a few weeks ago), a short film, and this weekend I'll be acting in a trailer for another short film.  I'm also revising my latest script ("Nice Guys Finish Last") which I'm happy to say is nearing the end of its development process.  Last week I attended Vanity Fair's 2013 Tribeca Film Festival party and got to rub elbows with acting legends like Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken.

The point of all this work is to make an income, and so I thought a good topic for today's blog should be Why Actors Get Paid.

The business of acting has huge supply and demand problems, and from an actor's point of view the numbers are not in your favor.  For every role that goes out, there are literally thousands of talented actors that are willing to do it for free to advance their career.  So with all this free talent floating around, why would a producer pay anything at all?  Two reasons:

1)  Your Marketing Value.  Producers need to sell tickets.  They need to fill seats.  You can produce the best film in the world, but if it's marketed poorly, you won't make a dime.  One of the best marketing tools a producer can employ is casting a well known actor.  Actor's like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise have huge fan-bases.  When they star in a new movie, millions of fans will flock to the theaters and buy a ticket.  That's why these guys can command their $20 million+ salaries.

But this works on a smaller scale too.  Producers also need their films reviewed by critics and seen by industry executives.  Contrary to what you might think, the press does not review everything that's submitted to them.  It's actually just the opposite.  They're very selective.  But casting a up and coming young actor can get their attention.  So suppose you don't yet have a fan-base, but you've won a few minor awards and your work's been generating a lot of buzz in the industry.  Critics and studio heads are mildly curious about your work.  That's an extremely valuable commodity for an actor to have, and producers will pay well for it.

So how does one develop market value?  Or a fan-base?  Well... ultimately it boils down to talent.  Which is why it's so important for an actor to master their craft.  It's not enough to be "above average."  You have to excel.  You have to be among the very best.  Movie stars have fan-bases because at some point in their careers they did some incredible work.  Their "break out" role.  And people enjoyed it so much they're willing to pay money to see them again.

But what if you're just starting out, and you're name doesn't have any marketing value?  Shouldn't you get paid too?  Of course you should, and that brings us to the second reason why actor's get paid:

2)  Unions.  Every actor should get down and thank God that unions exists.  Because without them most of us wouldn't get paid a dime.  It's a cut-throat business and producers have to be very tight with how they spend money.  If they could get away with hiring actors for free, they'd probably do it.  If you don't believe me, just look at all the non-union work that pays nothing.  Unions require producers to pay us a fair rate, and since all the big name actors are union, any production that wants to hire them needs to be union as well.

This is why it's so important for actors to join the union.  It's nearly impossible to make a living if you don't.

The Golden Rule

I'm working on several projects right now - one of which is a staged reading for a new play called The Darling Siblings by Ty DeMartino.  I'm one of the producers, and one of my responsibilities is to find and book a venue and a rehearsal space.  I've checked out a dozen or so small theaters, and something happened the other day that reminded me just how important it is to treat people with love and respect.

I was touring a space that we were considering for a venue, and the woman at the front desk was incredibly rude to me.  I won't go into details, but suffice to say, I'm generally a really nice guy, and it takes a lot to upset me.  So I politely excused myself and left.  Not worth my time.  Here's the aftermath:  

• They lost out on the rentals for the event which totaled around $1,500.  
• I've used this studio in the past for auditions, rehearsal rentals, etc.  Won't be doing that anymore.  Over the the next five years that could total several thousand dollars.
• People ask me all the time about where to rent space for theatrical projects.  Guess who I'm not recommending?

In the grand scheme of things it's not that big of a deal.  It was a small slip of the tongue.  But that small slip cost that company several thousand dollars over the next few years.  In today's economy that could be the difference between being in profit or operating in the red.

Apply this lesson to anyone working in a creative field:  it's hard enough to make it as it is.  It's even harder when you act rude to people.  Doesn't matter if you had a bad day or if there is some small misunderstanding.  People don't forget it when you're rude.  And you never know who it is that you're speaking to (or who they might become).  Nobody makes it alone.  That relationship you just burned?  It might have been the one person who would've propelled you to success.

People will forgive you for doing a bad job (always strive to do a good job, but we all know nobody's perfect).  People will not forgive you if you're rude to them. 

Designing a Website

The past few weeks I've spent a lot of time creating my own personal website (JonKakaley.com) so I can promote myself to casting, agents, directors, and producers.  

Back when I was working on A Hole In His Heart I learned a lot about how powerful a website can be if properly designed.  Just to give you an idea, 20% of the people who visited our website wound up getting a ticket.  That's a phenomenally high ratio, and I used a lot of the same concepts when designing a site of my own.  I figure a lot of other actors, singers, and artists would be curious, so for this blog post, I present you with a bullet point list on how to create a website:

• Adobe Dreamweaver - Dreamweaver is the best web design software on the market.  It's an industry standard.  In addition to creating complex sites quickly and efficiently, it has an array of other great features - like a tool that will help you resize your site to look good on mobile devices such as an iPhone or iPad.  Dreamweaver is not cheap (and there's a learning curve as well) but it's an investment that will pay you big dividends in the future.  I also recommend getting Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere.  With these tools you'll be able to design your own art work, retouch your own photos, and edit your own reel.  That way you won't be dependent on anyone else for your marketing materials.

• Choosing a Good Color Scheme.  Some people have a gift for matching colors.  Most people (including myself) do not.  Fortunately, there is an amazing tool called "Kuler" that does the work for you.  Go to  http://kuler.adobe.com/  and you'll find a catalog of great looking color schemes that match each other perfect.  And if you have Adobe Illustrator, this tool is already built in.  Pick a color scheme that matches your personality and that goes well with your media.

• Know Your Audience.  A personal website is something that you'll be showing to agents, casting directors, and other players in the industry.  That's a very different audience than say, TomCruise.com, which is a website devoted to his fans.  Think about what your "audience" is looking for when they visit, and let that guide you.

• Keep It Simple.  Agents, CDs, etc are very busy people.  And every day they are inundated by submissions from aspiring artists.  If they look at your site, they will have a very short attention span. Probably one or two minutes.  The layout should be simple and easy to navigate.  You should have a short bio, a reel, a handful of photos, your resume, and a link to some sort of site where you can post updates.

• Don't Make the Font Too Small.  There's a good chance that people with bad eyesight will be visiting your site.  And some people aren't too tech savy and don't know how to navigate through your site.  Using larger fonts will help with that.  To give you an idea, my menu bar is an 18 point font in uppercase bold, and most of the text is a 16 point font.

• Only Use Your Best.  A personal website is not a catalog of every single photo you've ever taken or every single film you've ever done.  It should be your best work.  You do not want an agent or CD to see anything other than your best work.  One great photo is far better than twelve mediocre ones.  One great reel is far better than two hours of film showcasing all your work.

• Make It Very Easy to Contact You.  Back when I was working on A Hole In His Heart, we made a simple change to the website that dramatically increased sales.  We put a large "Get Tickets" button on the top of every page.  I was blown away.  How could something so simple make such a big impact?  What it means is that a lot of people wanted to buy a ticket, but couldn't figure out how to find the small ticket page at the bottom of the screen (and after fifteen or so seconds they gave up).  It's a lesson I'll remember for the rest of my life.
  
  Now apply this same concept to a personal website.  What do you ultimately want them to do?  You want them to contact you and bring you in for an audition or job.  So make your contact information large and obvious, and put it at the top of every page.  If you're represented by an agency, their contact information should be at the top of every page too.  And make sure any email address is a clickable link.

• Posting Updates.  It's a good idea to link your site to some sort of blog so you can post updates about your career.  I'm using blogpot, but there are other sites (such as twitter) that are just as good.  There are also ways to embed your blog in your site, and so long as it doesn't look tacky, that's fine too.  Word of warning - if you're going to use Facebook, make sure you keep it professional.  If people in casting see a post about how bad your date was last night they won't take you seriously.

That's all I've got for today!  If you'd like to see a template of what these concepts look like when put together, check out my website at JonKakaley.com

Long overdue...

It's been a while hasn't it?

Life after the show has been interesting, and I've been fairly quiet these last few months.  A lot of people have asked what I've been up to.  To tell you the truth I've been incredibly busy.  A lot of good things are on the horizon, and while some of it is beyond the scope of this post, be rest assured I'll share the details in the coming weeks.

I've been doing a lot of learning.  At the end of the day, your success is determined by the quality of your work, and since the play I've focused on becoming a better artist.  Some of you may be curious as to what this entails.  I certainly don't have all the answers, but I compiled a list of what I've been doing, and hopefully it'll be of some use.

Reading Great Plays.  If you want to be a great writer, you would be wise to study those who have come before you.  As such, I've been reading a lot of classic plays and trying to figure out what exactly makes them a classic.  I've found some real gems along the way.  Check out Anna Christie and Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neil (both plays won the Pulitzer),  Orpheus Descending and Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, and The Rainmaker by Richard Nash.  Phenomenal examples of dramatic writing.

Reading  Books on Writing.  The craft of writing is an arcane one, and anyone who claims to have a "magic formula" is a charlatan and a liar.  With that said, there is a craft to it, and many a good book has been written on the subject.  Two that I've found to be particularly useful are The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell and The Writer's Journey by Christopher Volgar.  The former takes classic myths and fairy tales throughout history and provides a deep literary analysis, and the latter is a good textbook on plot structure and character archetypes in modern dramatic writing.

Writing Material.  You learn by doing.  You can read all the books in the world, but you're only going to get better if you pick up the pen and begin to write.  A lot of writers are scared that they'll sit down and nothing will materialize. Force yourself.  Some of my best writing came when I wasn't in the mood, but I forced myself anyways.  Look at it this way, sitting around and doing nothing certainly won't get you anywhere, so what do you have to lose?

Learning to Concentrate.  Ever have one of those days where you feel you can't focus?  Of course you have.  If you didn't, you wouldn't be human.  Concentration is particularly important to great acting (and useful for every other facet of our lives as well).  We live in a fast paced world, and exposure to modern media has destroyed our ability to focus.  Fortunately, there are exercises and techniques that can strengthen concentration, and anyone in the performing arts would be wise to do so.  I've begun the study of the art of meditation for this very reason.  Meditation (like acting) is one of those thing you have to "do."  Reading a book is not going to help much, but if you want to know some good exercises that will strengthen your ability to concentrate check out Concentration by Mouni Sadhu.

Reading  Books on Marketing.  If you plan on producing in any capacity, you need to have a good understanding of how marketing works.  And even if you don't produce, you need to know how to market yourself as an independent artist.  Marketing is an exact science, and basing your campaign on "instinct" is like taking an SAT test and guessing on the answers.  A few recommendations:  Scientific Advertising by Claude C Hopkins, Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing by Drayton Bird, Purple Cow by Seth Goodin, and Influence by Robert Cialdini.


By the way, I plan to update this blog on a regular basis.  Once every other week.  Next time I'll talk about some of my upcoming projects.

What I learned

It's been two weeks since load out, and I've had quite a bit of time to reflect on the show.  As I was walking out the door, the space manager at Atlantic congratulated me and said that producing a play is like "a trial by fire."  Sometimes making it out alive is a victory in and of itself.  To an extent that's true.  There was a lot of good that came out of this, but there were also flaws.  And you gotta take the good with the bad.  I figure I'd share them both.

First I'll start with the bad.  No matter how good you are or what your intentions may be, you'll always fall short of perfection.  I'm certainly not immune to that.  And anytime you get more than ten people in an audience, there will inevitably be someone who doesn't like your show.  That's life, and you have to learn to deal with it.  We had a few critics stop by, and while they had some very kind things said about our show, they also had some criticism as well.

But I'm grateful for the criticism.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn, and I'm grateful for the honestly.  So to all the critics out there - thank you very much for your feedback.  I'll apply it to my future work, and hopefully you'll come review that as well.

Now for the good.  I'd like to share a few numbers with you.  We opened with about 80 tickets sold in advance.  That's not a very high number, and at first I was a little disappointed.  However, over the course of our 1 week run, that number climbed to nearly 240.  That's triple what we started with.  In one week's time-span.  I did very little marketing once the play opened, which means that despite any flaws the show might have had, people enjoyed it and we had a good word of mouth.  For a group of unknown actors, working for an unknown theater company (working on a first play by an unknown writer), that is a very impressive statistic, and everyone involved should be extremely proud.

I'd also like to comment on the acting, which I thought was quite good.  One thing most critics did praise were the performances.   Makes sense.  I've been acting for seven years and I've been writing for three.  I have a lot of room for growth in both, but it makes sense that I'm a better actor.

And I couldn't have picked a better cast.  They should all be extremely proud.  I can't begin to tell you how many compliments I got on their work.  Every night was different, and while some nights were better than others, I thought that every show was good, and I thought that we "showed up" as a cast every single night.

We also had a fair amount of attention from the industry.  About 10 or so production companies came to see the show, and a few of them contacted me asking to see more work.  Several members of the press stopped by (including Vanity Fair), and many of them wrote me back after the show.

I had nothing but the best time working on this.  I'd even go as far as to say that January was the best month of my life.  I want to thank everyone who came to see it.  You really don't have a show without an audience, and I'm grateful for everyone - even the critics.  It couldn't have happened without you, and hopefully you'll come see me in the future.  I can't wait to do it again.


Until next time,


Jon Kakaley



P.S.  I'll be maintaining this blog, but less frequent.  Probably around once a week (until my next show gets going).

The Aftermath

For anyone who's been following the blog - I'm still alive and well.  I've just been on a little vacation.  It was a long hard journey and I decided to take the following week off after load out was concluded.  But I haven't forgotten the blog, and over the next few days I'm going to post some of the results and how we did.

But I will say this:  while you can always grow and improve in all areas of production, for our first time, we did very very well.

Stay tuned!

Last show

I would by lying if I said I wasn't a little sad that tonight is my last performance.

What an experience!  Some days have been exhausting, some days have been filled with great joy, but one thing is for sure:  I have had the time of my life working on this.  I'm incredibly proud of everyone who's worked on this show, and I'm so sad to see it close.  I had nothing but the best time, and I hope I can do this again as soon as possible.

I try to approach every performance like it's my last, but tonight I literally have no choice.  It will be a special show this evening, that's for sure (hopefully that means I'll be good!)  In addition, Chris Thompson (the kid I talked about in my attitude and passion blog tinyurl.com/84u9jw6) will be making his theater debut tonight.  The actor he's understudying had to attend a wedding, and I gave Chris the call two days ago.  He's been amazing in rehearsals, and I'm sure that'll carry over to the stage.

Tonight's shaping up to be a great show.  If you haven't seen it, now's your chance.  Student tickets and HOLA! members just $12.

The Show Must Go On...

A couple days ago we had a little scare.  Our light & sound board operator had to go to the ER two hours before our 8:00 curtain.  I of course sent her to the hospital right away (it would have been extremely foolish to get her to do the show - not to mention immoral).

Two hours before curtain and no lights and sound.  What to do.  What to do.

1. First thing is I didn't panic.  That never helps anyone.  Nothing ever goes according to plan, and production is all about dealing with the bumps in the road.
2. Second thing is I called my director.  We entertained the idea of doing the show without lights and sound (it's better to have nothing than to have them go off in the wrong places all night), but it adds so much to show that we decided against it.
3. We formed a new plan.  My director and stage manager would sit up in the booth and do the light and sound together.  The supporting cast would take over the stage manager's responsibilities.
4. I went to the green room to start my acting warm ups, but before I did, Jake pulled me aside and said, "Jon, we're gonna do sound, but if something goes wrong, we're gonna bail.  Just keep going."   Haha.  Good to know. This was about 30 minutes before showtime.  
5. At around 8:10, Jake came out and announced to the audience that the show must go on and that he'd be running the board.  Applause.  So far so good.
6. Lights went up and the show went off...  without a hitch.
7. Well, a few hitches.  We had to use the master dimmers instead of the light cues, so we lost a lot of the detail that our lighting designer created.  A blackout happened too soon, some of the scene changes were a tad too long, and we lost the "rain" effect in the final scene. However, these are all minor details, and considering the situation - it went very smooth.

And that's how you handle a situation like that.  I'm extremely proud of my cast and crew.  We could have taken the easy way out and done the show without lights and sound.  But they stepped up to the plate and made it happen.  I'm also happy to report that our light and sound operator is ok, and will be back for the remainder of the show.

We have two days left.  Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday).  Student tickets just $12.  Also, if you're a member of HOLA! (http://www.hellohola.org/), show your ID at the door and get the student rate as well.  Come on out and see the show!

Student Tickets

We had a great response from the preview that we opened up to students.  Since then several students have contacted me about some sort of promotion for the show.  As a result, we've decided to offer student tickets for $12.  So if you're a student, simply go to the box office, tell them what school you're with, and you can get in the show for less than the price of a movie.

Only three shows left!  Hope to see you there.