Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Aaron Speiser Acting Studio

I recently audited a class at the Aaron Speiser Acting Studion in LA. My best friend Lauren Ervin had actually got me to go telling me she had seen it featured on Backstage and was wondering if I was interested in taking an acting class. I said definitely because I'm all for really working at my craft and getting another perspective on acting especially since I'm so used to one style after having been trained at the University of La Verne for 3 years.

Laure had preciously audited the class and was going to pay her dues when I went with her on Wednesday. It's a small space, black box, with about 40 some seats (I counted, more on that later...) simplistic is the word that comes to mind. The studio specializes in film and television which is something I've only studied briefly. I've been debating on what course I want to take (theatre or film) and it's a hard choice. I don't even know if I want to choose, I want to do both.

The class started with the teacher, Susan, telling us about herself, she's a working performer, actress and singer, who also teaches a voice class in addition to the Technique class which I was attending that night. Another teacher also spoke to us about the Improv class he teaches and how the students that take all the classes are the ones who are hungry, the ones who show a greater growth than those who take one at a time. These teachers are passionate about their craft and they want us (students) to be too. He spoke about how people get cast in one thing, that's their break, the only thing they're known for, he calls that an "accident." He said: "You don't want to be an accident, you want to be actors." I was ready to sign up for this class immediately. They had me before we even started. Later, Susan told me that at the studio they want us to have longevity in our careers, which is ultimately what I want. I want to work on my craft in all stages of my life applying all the experiences I have and will have. I'm not one of those people terrified of getting old, I'm terrified of not being able to use my youth for my craft, but not of getting older. So many other roles I can do when I'm 30, 40, 50, 60! That's exciting to me. In theatre, especially in college, I was givent he opportunity to play older characters because well we were all college kids, but when I get to be a 30 year old or a mother I'll have a different perspective than that of a 21 year old playing a grandmother. I'll be able to bring somthing to the character that I wasn't able to when I was younger.

Anyways, Lauren had said the class was similar to how our professor Steve Kent taught; a combination of Theatre, Acting, & Performance and Acting Studio. The first half of the class consisted of games, much like TAP, and almost every time we started a game and Susan would explain, Lauren would give me the knowing eyes, we both knew this game already. It was fun. The environment was fun, safe, insightful, imaginative, intellectual, and so much more. Steve Kent would always say that he doesn't trust any acting teachers in Hollywood, he comes from a different time and a different perspective and I totally understan that, but I trust Aaron Speiser Acting Studio. The way the teachers conduct their classes and talk about their craft is inspiring and beautiful really. Unfortunately for me, I wouldn't be able to join until I get back from my European Vacation, but I'm hungry. I want to take all the classes, I want to learn, I love to learn. I think having the opportunity to be taught by working actors in the business is going to be totally different from my recent acting training, but that's what's so beautiful about acting. There's so many methods, I can always learn something new. I know I'm good, really good, but I also know I'm not the best. I'm glad for that. I wouldn't want to be. If I was "top dog" who would I learn from? I wouldn't have anywhere to go. But I know I can be better, will be better, so I can only go up. I know that if everyone else considered me best, I still wouldn't think so. There's always more to learn and that is my greatest quality; that I'm hungry.

I mentioned counting. We did an exercise after Susan's lecture where we counted every possible spot we could sit in the room. When the next group went up (Lauren and mine) we were supposed to think of someone we loved. Then she said we and that person we loved were being held hostage and that we had to count every possible spot we could sit in the room and the one person who got the right number, their loved one would be spared. We had two minutes. It was brutal. At first I felt determined, I thought I could just count fast. But as the time went on and Susan told us how much time was left I was frantic, frustrated, angry even when people got in my way of my counting. It was hard to let go afterward, but I thought it was a wonderful exercise that I'll never forget. That feeling of anxiousness, frantic, helplessness will now be easily accessible to me because of this exercise. I've done a similar one, but this night it was very different and affected me a big way. I thank Susan for that, and I thank Aaron Speiser and his studio. I can't wait to be a member. I'm excited.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Audition Videos

I auditioned for a summer intership in Florida, didn't get it, but learned a few things from doing these videos. A proper camera would have been nice, but I'm limited in technological advances so as Blanche Du Bois would say: "I depend on the kindnest of stragers." Thanks to a friend I got a camera that records things and not a video camera, but it was fine. It would also be important for said camera person to not recond me doing nervous finger twitching, but alas that was because of the weird timing on the camera. Oh well. I think it represented me in a way since at fist I am quite nervous and quiet, but that's more a behind the scenes thing than who I actually am. I think the biggest hurdle in the audition is simply walking in and introducing yourself which still terrifies me, but I think I've learned by now how to take charge of a room and be confident.
 
Both of these videos are the same audition, two different times featuring two of my favorite characters: Katy Jume from Jim Grimsley's "Mr. Universe" and Lena "Mama" Younger from Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" which also happened to be my Senior Performance Thesis at the University of La Verne.
Katy Jume is close to my heart especially, I consider her my best friend. She is a character I studied back in my first year at La Verne and without her I wouldn't have grown as much as I have in the past 3 years. She is a character I would very much like to play in the future (and will if I have my way, which I plan to).

ULV: Bertolt Brecht's: Three Penny Opera dir. Steve Kent January 2011

La Saraghina (Whore)










ULV: Jean Genet's: The Screens dir. Georgij Paro Spring 2011

 
Warda








1st time blogger!

My name is Gemma Alfaro. I'm an actor, writer, & producer. I'm a recent grad from the University of La Verne Class of 2013! Double Major: BA Theatre Arts and BA Creative Writing I'm starting this blog to better maket myself on the interwebs. I'll be putting up production photos, videos, headshots, resume, and catalogue currents works I'm in to. This should be fun!