Our Director of Education Kate's Start in Acting
My Journey to Acting
From the time I was very young, for no identifiable reason, I wanted to be an actor. There were no actors in my family. We didn’t go see plays, and I grew up in Northern Michigan where there was one movie theatre that played one movie for months at a time, so I didn’t see that many movies either.
So the only thing I can figure is that acting was something that I was born wanting to do. I did plays in high school and even went to theatre camp at Eastern Michigan University (shout out to SummerQuest - which was my first interaction with a professional actor!). I had so much fun at theatre camp the first time, that I went back a second year and that is where everything changed. That second year we had a new teacher –an incredible woman with hair all the way down her back who smoked Benson and Hedges on our breaks in class– she taught us how to create work that mattered using our own personal stories.
One day after a particularly emotional exercise she pulled me aside and said:
“You know you can do this. You can be a professional actor if you want to.”
I have carried those words in my heart for over 30 years. Sure, people told me I did a great job in the school play, or on the forensics team, but while those complements were sincere, they didn’t really matter, because what the fuck did those people know? But here was a real live professional actor, director and acting teacher. Someone who had actually LIVED THE LIFE. And she was telling me that she recognized me as one of her people. She saw in me what I had blindly believed on faith for my entire life up until that moment: I CAN DO THIS.
I AM AN ACTOR.
While I was fortunate enough to have a family willing to support my dreams, they also had absolutely no clue how a person went about becoming an actor. I remember how frustrating it was knowing that this was something that I needed to do, and having no idea how.
Perhaps you can relate?
When you have the desire and no plan what do you do?
My best advice is FIND YOUR PEOPLE.
If you want to be an actor, find the actors. The best place to start is in an acting class taught by someone who has professional experience. In a class (or at least, in a good class) you will have the opportunity to get to know a working professional. The acting community, while difficult to break into, is actually pretty small. Once you know one person, your web of connections actually becomes pretty impressive.
From the time I met the acting teacher who believed in me, it was 2 years before I booked my first professional acting gig. This is not a coincidence.
Networking often (rightfully) gets a bad reputation because people think it’s about shmoozing and being fake. But when done right, networking is about who you get to know. It’s about naturally and honestly forming connections with people.
The art of acting is about collaboration, and the business of acting is too.
CASTING CALL:
(all info is in this listing if you have questions email or call Fyl. Also, this has not been vetted so do your research and trust your gut!)
We're looking for a male 35-45 actor to play a small role as a bookie's muscle. It's a very small part and only has a handful of lines. Ideally we want someone large and imposing, but anyone who can look menacing is welcome to try out. Please have anyone interested reach out to Fyl at roguebardmeddia@gmail.com or call him at 734-306-9117.
Rogue Bard Media
www.roguebardmedia.com
Girl, caucasian age 10-12
short film to be shot in Michigan in August (non-union). The short is a dark comedy about an awkward girl struggling with her weight and the bullies around her, including her own family. I need to cast my lead role, a caucasian girl aged 10-12. If you have anyone who fits this description or know of any resources that may be helpful, please reach out! Little to no acting experience is required.
Open Audition time: It’s student film time at MPI, and that means all Detroit area actors are invited to audition. Over a dozen movies are casting, so visit the website at https://www.motionpicture.edu/open-auditions-student-films/ and come to the Saturday Open Audition on June 25th.
Congratulations to certificate student Beth Hyland who was featured in the short film “Uncle” which is an official selection in the We Make Movies International Film Festival! Beth shot this award-winning short while she was still a student. Just goes to show you- you never know where a project might lead!
Fall Registration Starts Soon!
Join us for a fun semester of acting, voice over classes, and Kids & Teens classes! Registration opens on July 18th!
https://www.michiganactorsstudio.com
Are you ready for representation?
If you’re at that point in your training where you feel ready to get out there and start auditioning, SAG-franchised agency The iGroup located in Metro-Detroit is always accepting submissions.
Check out this link for explicit instructions on how to submit for representation:
https://www.theigroup.com/join