Filing Your Taxes When You're A Playwright

Greetings, and welcome to theater is a sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and this is my little piece of the internet to talk about all things theater.  Yay for me.  Got some thoughts, get a blog--- why not?

I tend to write about what's on my mind for this blog, and what's on my mind right now is taxes, since the filing deadline is tomorrow (April 15th).  Now, taxes and theater do not an exciting combination make, but, there are a few things I learned as a playwright for schools and community theaters (the "amateur" market, as it is annoyingly called) about filing taxes made from royalties that not everyone may know, so I figured I would pass it along today.

First off, if one of the companies you're published with pays royalties only once a year, then they will send you your tax information with your royalty payments.  Others that pay twice, or quarterly, will send them out with the last payment you get of the calendar year.  The forms they send you are 1099-Misc forms, for "Miscellaneous Income".  The only boxes that will have anything in them are the payers address, the payer's federal identification number, the recipient's identification number (SSN), and then box number 2 for Royalties.

Here's the important thing to remember from this blog:  nothing is withheld from your royalties.  No Federal Income Tax, no State Income Tax, no medicare or anything like that.  This fact, of course, makes a big difference in how one handles their money.

Since nothing is withheld from your royalties, that means Uncle Sam is going to want his cut come tax time.  I know some playwrights and other artists under the 1099-Misc will make quarterly payments to the IRS, a kind of withholding as soon as they receive their funds.  But most people I know, myself included, just set aside money as soon as we receive our royalties.  If I get a payment from one of my publishers in October, and say it's for $1,200.00, I will 20% and tuck it into an account that won't be touched, so that I can have it ready to pay my taxes if need be.  I found that 20% is a good enough number for me that covers the bases.  Of course, I'm very poor, so I don't have to pay too much in too often, but, you get the idea.  So, with this $1,200.00 check, I would take $240.00 of it and squirrel it away.  Not necessarily a great feeling at the time, but better than worrying about paying it down the road when it's already been spent on your new sunglasses and meal or two at a restaurant with your sweetheart.

I do the same with every check I receive for royalties.  A simple, clean 20%.

A few other things to think about:

Since being a playwright means you are your business, think about saving receipts for certain items that are for your business--- obviously paper, printer ink, writing supplies will add up over time.  Certainly any travel expenses, like to a theater conference to make connections and hawk your scripts should be able to be used as deductions.  I once heard that going to the theater as "inspiration" and "keeping abreast of market trends" can be deducted by playwrights, but in all honesty, I've never tried.  That would certainly be cool though, wouldn't it?

So, that's all I really have on the subject.  If you're a 1099-MISC like myself, and you have other suggestions, please comment below.  Hey, tell me I'm wrong, if you want to.  I've only done what has worked for me over the years, and would be happy to hear other ways of handling our precious money.

All the best to you, and thanks for reading!  Not the most glamorous post, but I hope you found it somewhat helpful.

Upweek, High School, One-Act Plays, and Competition

A Student-Designed poster by a Student-Written Play

Greetings everyone, and thank you for checking in at Theater is a Sport.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and tonight's post is rather late.  Forgive me.  It is a busy week--- upweek.  Yes, all you theater people out there know what that means (some even like to call it H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKY-STICKS WEEK).  This is the week the shows I have been directing go up.  Friday and Saturday, an evening of one-act plays with my high school students.

You see, I am not just the playwright and theater blogger you all know and love, but I am also a part-time high school drama teacher, and the sole drama director at my old alma mater, Foxcroft Academy.   I teach a playwriting class, an intro to theater class, and I direct the school productions.  This week, I am presenting three one-act plays.  The first is a completely mixed up, weird and wild version of Little Red Riding Hood that came out of improvisations that my students have done over the last seven weeks or so, shaped (more or less) by me.  The second, is one I am really proud of, called Rabbits in the Garden (see poster design above) by a first-year student named Racquel Bozzelli.  She was in my playwriting class last semester--- Rabbits is her first play, and it deals with a young woman who is sent to an asylum, partly because of her experiments, which involve rabbits in the garden.  It is wonderfully creepy, and shows so much potential for a first play (let me put it this way--- I wish I could have written something this good when I was a freshman in high school).  I am super psyched, because the whole purpose of the playwriting class, aside from teaching the craft of playwriting, was to get student work on its feet.  I am a big believer in student-driven work.  And, finally, it is happening. 

The third play is a play I wrote called Aeroplane Over the Sea (which will one day get its very own blog post).  This play will serve as our competition play. 

Ah, yes!  Competition!  All across the country, high schools participate in one-act play competitions.  Here in Maine, of course, it is watched over by the Maine Principal's Association, and while I agree that everyone who participates in theater is a winner already, I am also a firm believer in competition pushing people to be the best that they can be.  Now, fortunately, in my experience, the competition festivals are very friendly... students are not cruel to one another, everyone is a good sport, every group gets applause and treated with respect.  This is important, and something I uphold with my students.

Having said this, I still go to win.  And everyone should.  Winning is fun, winning is good, but, most of all, winning is something that validates a program, something you can take home to your school and say, "See?  Theater's not THAT different from football, huh?"  Okay, so I'm kidding.  A little. 

I have found just in the short time I have been doing this that competition makes the kids snap to a little bit, makes them take things more seriously.  Like it or not, competition is a great motivator.  No one wants to go to any kind of competition,m even a friendly, good-natured one like a one-act play festival, with anything other than their A-game. 

Of course, these festivals can be frustrating for drama directors.  It basically boils down to three judges' opinions.  Three judges who are deemed "experts" by the MPA.  And don't get me wrong--- I've known plenty of fair judges, but I've also met plenty of mean ones.  Ones who, for whatever said reason, take their position as an opportunity to point out how they know SO MUCH more about theater than you possibly could. 

I guess that's why there are three of them. 

But even if you're lucky and get three really awesome judges, in truth, it is impossible for any one of them to take their personal preferences and separate themselves from what they simply like as people.  Yes, you can score things like volume and diction, but even scoring characterization opens the door to nothing but opinion.  Judges can't help but rate a peerson's characterization based on their own feelings of how a character should be portrayed.  Hence, Little Willy who played Hamlet with a bold choice of a lisp, probably has a lot going against him from the get-go, just like the director who decides to do a Cyrano without a big nose, or all sort of other choices. 

Still, it is educational for students to get feedback from these judges during the critique sessions.  It is a valuable lesson in learning how to take what is useful, and how to compartmentalize what is not. 

And, again, when I take my students to competition, just the very experience of them competing does make them winners in my eyes.

It's just that the goal is to be winners in EVERYONE'S eyes. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Gotta deal with upweek, that just so happens to be during a huge blizzard that may cancel my dress rehearsal tomorrow (with performance dates that can't be changed--- Ahhhhhh!), and with making sure the kids are getting the most out of the performances here in town. 

I was proud tonight.  As I said, a big blizzard is in the process of occuring, and I told my students that if school is called off tomorrow, so is there rehearsal (school policy).  These are high school students--- what high school student doesn't love a snow day?  But, God bless them, they said, "We better have school tomorrow... we have so much work to do!"

That attitude, in my mind, is worth four good dress rehearsals right there.

Thank you for reading this late post of mine.  And remember... competition can be a good thing in the arts, and theater, oh yes, is definitely a sport.

See you tomorrow.

COMMUNITY THEATRE IN ACTION: BOBBY KENISTON INTERVIEWS THREE WONDERFULLY TALENTED MEMBERS OF THE REEDY POINT PLAYERS IN DELAWARE



Emily Ciuffetelli as Kelly and Kevin Austra as Derk in Reedy Point Players' production of END O THE MOVIE by Bobby Keniston


Hi!  This is Bobby Keniston, and welcome to Theater is a Sport!  Today...

One of the great joys of being a playwrght is ocassionally being blessed to make contact with the people across the country who are prodcuding your plays.  For the last two years, I have been blessed to have been in contact with the Reedy Point Players of Delaware City, Delaware, ever since they put on a production of my play A Forgetful Remembrance.  This year, I learned they were producing my play End of the Movie, making them the first theatre group ever to produce more than one of my plays (my first repeat business, if you will)! 

I have been in touch with Gail Springer Wagner, who starred in A Forgeful Remembrance last year, via facebook, and she informed she would be directing End of the Movie for their annual one-act play festival.  I was overjoyed, and reached out to Kevin Austra and Emily Ciuffetelli, the two talented young stars, to offer to answer any qestions they may have while preparing for their performances.  I am delighted to say that I am now facebook friends with these three lovely individuals who worked so hard to come together and create a brilliant production of my play.  They received much acclaim with their recent performances during their one-act festival, by winning awards for Best Actress (Emily), Best Director (Gail), the audience's People's choice award, a special judge award, and an adjudicator's award.  And, most exciting of all, they were voted to repesent the Reedy Point Players at the upcoming Delaware Theatre Association's Festival. 

I asked Gail, Emily and Kevin if they would like to be interviewed for my blog, because I feel they exemplify some of the greatest joys community theatre has to offer.  I am very pleased they took the time to answer my questions.  So without waiting any longer, let me introduce you all to three talented, well-spoken, people who are truly passionate about the theatre they create.

BOBBY: Thank you Gail, Emily and Kevin for taking the time to answer some of my questions. As you know, the name of my blog is Theater is a Sport, because I believe that theater is not only a craft and an art form, but also requires the mental and physical commitment most athletes strive for. In your experiences, would you agree that theater is a sport? (feel free to give examples)

EMILY:  I completely agree that theater is a sport! Just like on a sports team we have to work very hard every day and "practice" to get a great final result. Being part of live theater in any aspect whether it's directing, acting, or being part of the crew requires you to constantly be on your toes and alert. I always say that rehearsals are like my yoga because they always calm me down and help me to relax. I'm actually doing my senior research project on music therapy and in one of the articles it talks about how arts in general are very valuable to having and maintaining good mental and emotional health which I could not agree more with.

GAIL:  I had never thought of theatre as a sport until you mentioned it in your blog.  Having been a serious athlete most of my life, I can now see how theatre is, indeed, a sport.  Superficially there are try-outs (auditions), the coach (director), the team (cast), equipment (props), field or court (stage).  We practice (rehearse) several times a week honing our movement (blocking).  Delving a little deeper, as actors we get into the zone the same as in sports and focus on the game (play).  While a play may followed a dictated course more than a sporting event, actors must be prepared mentally and physically for any turn of events such as a dropped or jumped line or malfunctioning props and recover to move forward with the play.  While we may not compete with other “teams” except in festivals, we do compete with ourselves to improve our stage skills.

KEVIN:  I would absolutely agree that theater is a sport! Just like an athlete would do prior to a game, theater has a lot of mental preparation and practice. It takes time to develop characters as it would take time to develop a "jump-shot" in basketball. Mental and physical commitment aside, it is VERY competitive!!!! Yes, I would definitely agree that theater is a sport!

BOBBY: You all appear to be regulars with the Reedy Point Players. Please give me some background on how you started with this fine group, a bit about the prductions you've worked on, and how the Reedy Point Players have shaped you as performers. Feel free to include details about the Reedy Point Players mission and their place in the community.

KEVIN:  The Reedy Point Players was the first theater group I've ever been part of. Originally, I got involved doing backstage work for community service hours for college applications! The first show I worked on was The Christmas Express (2004) which so happened to be the first show Gail Wagner did with the RPP. That was how Gail and I first met. It wasn't until the year after - 2005 - where I made my stage debut (in a cameo) as Harpo Marx on stage.  

RPP's mission is as follows:

“To present live theatre productions for the cultural education, entertainment, and inspiration of the community. 

To welcome and provide an avocational opportunity for all volunteers interested in the theatre arts to participate in the many activities of community theatre.”

GAIL:  When I graduated high school, I wanted to be an actor or a lawyer. I had never really been cast I much in high school because I wasn’t part of that “clique” or my sports schedule didn’t mesh.  Some coaches make you choose.  After auditioning for Ithaca University and tanking the audition, I lost my confidence.  I wasn’t aware of community theatre in my area or I may have been more involved.  After many years, I took some acting lessons locally and we worked on an indie film which brought the “bug” out of hibernation.   In 2005, I decided to jump back in with both feet and auditioned for 2 roles in different projects (1 with Reedy Point).  I was cast in four projects (2 through the other projects) which staged September, October, November, and December– the December project was my debut with Reedy Point and I was hooked.  Reedy Point has always been extremely welcoming without a lot of the cliques and “drama” that is sometimes prevalent in theatre. RPP is open and accepting of new talent both on and off the stage.  A few of our actors have taken a turn at writing their own plays – both full and one act –and have seen them staged by RPP.  Our Christmas shows cast children from the local community and helps them develop confidence and speaking skills.  Personally, the RPP stage has been my haven.  My parents both were very ill and passed within 6 weeks of each other – my father at Thanksgiving and my mother at New Year’s.  The Christmas show that year was my safe place to go and not be me for a little bit.  It helped keep me sane.

EMILY:  I first started with Reedy Point 4 years ago when I was a freshman in high school. Although having been at a performing arts school for middle school, I had only just started acting a few months before and only been in one show before. Matt, A friend also involved with the group, called me on the phone and said "Hey Emily, do you know the show Miracle on 34th street?"
"Well, I've seen the movie."

"Have any interest in being a part of it?"
"Yeah sure!"

"Great! You have an audition in two days!"

So I went and auditioned and was cast as Susan Walker (Natalie Woods' character) and  the rest is history. I've done 15 shows over the past four years, nine of which were with Reedy Point. I owe so much to Reedy Point Players. They introduced me to fabulous people who have provided me many opportunities and have helped me grow not only as a performer but as a person.

BOBBY: Emily, I see that you attend a performing arts high school. First off, I think it's very cool that Cab Calloway has a school named after him--- he was a great performer. Secondly, I have always wondered what the experience of a performing arts high school would be like (outside of playing Schlomo in a production of "Fame", I don't know much about them). Tell me a little bit about your experience at Cab Calloway and what the curriculum is like, and how it has shaped you as a performer.

EMILY:  I could talk forever about Cab but I'll try to be brief!  Cab Calloway School of the Arts has a middle school and a high school which you audition for prior to 6th and 9th grade. I have been there since 6th grade and have always been a vocal music major. This year I triple major in vocal, advanced acting, and triple threat. Being at a performing arts school provided a very unique experience and environment to grow in. While we are a performing arts school we don't just sing and dance around all day (like most people think) academics are very important to us and we are actually 2nd in the state for academics. No they were not exaggerating in Fame that there is constantly singing, acting, or instruments playing in the halls. There is always something happening. The best part about going to an arts school, is that everyone is talented, and the worst part about going to an arts school, is that everyone is talented. Meaning that you don't nearly stand out as much and there are very talented people who may never get cast in the shows but, you get an arts education like no other and that's something I wouldn't trade for the world. Also, oddly enough, there aren't really "cliques" at Cab. Everyone can get along with everyone else. In fact most of my friends aren't in the same majors I am. Before I came to Cab I was bullied and very shy and had very little self-confidence. Now they've "created a monster" and the real me can really shine. Being accepted and having the self-confidence I have now is something I could never thank them enough for.

BOBBY: Kevin and Emily: you both are young performers. What are some lessons you feel you have learned from being a part of theater that you can take with you as move on to the next chapter of your lives?

KEVIN:  I have learned SO MUCH from community theater. So many people who want to learn how to act go out and pay lots of money for lessons and such and in a way - I see that as a scam. Yes, those places teach upcoming actors "the ropes" of the business and offer them good advice, but take it from me, community theater gives you so much experience, insight and education of acting and theater and it's FREE! The lessons I have learned is networking (always keep in touch and stay on good terms with the people you work with), always show up on time - to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and most importantly to be humble.

EMILY:  Wow that's a great question. Of course working well with others of all ages is a big one. In a monologue a friend of mine performed recently there was a line directed to the invisible scene partner that said "Do you know why you can't act? Because you can't put yourself in someone else's shoes." That is so true. To be an actor you have to be able to put yourself in other situations that may have never happened to you. You have to be able to imagine how you and/or your character would react and feel to being in those situations. I think that alone could be the most valuable thing I could possibly take with me from theater.

QUESTION 5: Gail, you appeared in "Forgetful Remembrance" for Reedy Point Players last year, and this year directed "End of the Movie". Do you prefer acting to directing or vice versa? Why?

Gail Wagner in Reedy Point Players' production of "Forgetful Remembrance"

GAIL:  I love acting and usually when I act, I am still jazzed after I walk off that stage running on an adrenaline buzz similar to what I experience after a game. The audience gives me feedback and I know if the job I am doing is correct.  When I act, I really only have to worry about me and my character and making sure I perform well.  I may have concerns about the production as a whole but my focus is doing my job right.  Now, as a director, I love taking the seed of the play and watching it come to life.  At our theatre, the Director also usually ends up being the stage manager as well.  Our directors are very hands on.  No play is staged unless it has a director and the director takes the play from its submission through the performance and strike.  As a director, though, I worry about it ALL.  Costumes, lines, actors, set, lighting, audience, strike, parking, box office, etc.  It is an enormous job.  When I am done a show each night as a director, I am both physically and mentally exhausted.  It is the reason I try not to do any directing in a row.  I have encouraged actors to direct one acts or skits so they better understand the process and thereby, in my opinion, making them better actors.  I prefer acting but to see a particular piece staged, I will volunteer to direct.  It was the case with End of the Movie. The only caveat I wanted to add was that Kevin cast me as Sister Aloysius in Doubt.  It was the most mentally demanding role I had ever performed.  It was a challenge to be someone so against my own character and I was so exhausted (but satisfied) at the end of each performance.  It is a highlight for me.

BOBBY: This question is for all three of you: please tell me a bit about the rehearsal process for "End of the Movie".... though it is a short piece, there are a number of complex emotions involved. Gail, as the director, how did you guide your cast into building these characters, and Kevin and Emily, what are some ways you brought your own personal insights into the creation of these young people?

GAIL:  The actors needed to be able to carry those emotions and Emily and Kevin, or SuperKev as we refer to him, nailed it.  We worked on the show in chunks but always with an entire read or run first.  I feel it gets the actors into characters.  I also had Kevin and Emily write a bio for their characters – this, to me, helps gel the character in the actors mind and creates the back story.  We then discussed their backgrounds.  There were certain ways I wanted some things said or done but the actors also brought their own style to the characters.  They would try different ways of saying certain lines or moving a certain way.  I would ask for their opinion because the actor needs to be vested in the character.  We also worked on the pauses and silence and not rushing the lines.  It was one of the comments made to us about Forgetful Remembrance by a judge was to make sure we took advantage of the pauses.  In End of the Movie, they are powerful.  One item Emily and I incorporated was when Derek is looking at jumping the second time, she begins to use the fencing as a ballet bar.  To me it illustrated that Derek was trying to use the railing as an instrument of his death and Kelly was making it into something else entirely and distracting him.  Kevin and Emily are friends and have great chemistry together so they are willing to get into each other’s faces during the argument.  It really helped.   A conscious decision I had was for them not to touch until the end when they are leaving the stage.  Kelly hip checks Derek and playfully puts his arm around her.

KEVIN:  The rehearsal process for End of the Movie was - what I would call - 4 week boot camp! Although it was a simple One Act, we only had about 7 days total of rehearsal (not including Tech Week) which is not the norm. Emily and I had to pay strict attention during rehearsals and write all over our scripts with notes that Gail provided us. We were expected to use those notes in our performance - which required us to go home and practice and return for the next rehearsal and be better. Furthermore, Gail wanted us to develop a background for our characters so that we could relate to them and understand their pain - which we did, as well as presented them. The material for Derek I couldn't personally relate to it BUT I understood it - which is most important. By understanding the context, it's easier to fall into character and start "becoming." 

EMILY:  First off let me just say that Kelly is one of my favorite roles yet. It is one of the more emotional roles I've played and I love getting to play around with the levels her dialogue offers. Kevin and I have known each other and been good friends since I was in Miracle on 34th Street which really helped with building the relationship between Kelly and Derek because we aren't afraid to try things with one another and get in each other’s faces. Kelly doesn't have much of a background in the script. You know she's from the 80's and that she killed herself but you don't know why or what her life was like. So Gail asked Kevin and I to write bios for our characters. I had many options to go with Kelly but I decided to help with the bond between her and Derek that her story should relate to his. I had that she had never actually met her mom because she died when she was a baby from brain cancer and she also didn't have a very good relationship with her father. I saw Kelly as being an outcast at school and not having many, if any, real friends. She was bullied a lot except by one boy who had always been nice to her since kindergarten. But one day his friends pressured him into being very cruel to her and she had just reached her breaking point. In the beginning of the show I play Kelly as being on the verge of almost too peppy, then moving to very upset during her outburst, to being more of her real self after she recovers. I have her as overly peppy in the beginning because I feel as though after being depressed her whole life she is working on being more positive in her "group therapy sessions" so she tends to over-compensate. I had also decided that this was Kelly's first assignment on her own which makes her even more nervous and unsure of her own roundabout way of saving Derek. I really take the approach of how the lines make me feel and then relate them to how I think Kelly feels. Performing this show is exhausting with the amount of emotion that's stuffed into its short timeline. I loved and still love exploring Kelly and going on her journey.

BOBBY: I am happy that you will be taking "End of the Movie" to the Delaware Theater Association Festival. Would you say that the DTA is a good networking opportunity for the Reedy Point Players? Is it valuable keeping up-to-date with what other theaters are up to?

EMILY:  I personally have never been to DTA before but I am looking forward to going to meet more Delaware thespians and see what everyone else has to offer.

KEVIN:  Absolutely, it's a good networking opportunity! For the Reedy Point Players, DTA is a "promotional event!" It's our chance to get out there and show other theaters that we exist! It's also a way to recruit other actors/actress into our shows - which has happened before. Entering these festivals is NOT a money maker for us, rather it's a way for our theater to get noticed and to draw and bigger audience. It's valuable keeping up-to-date with what other theaters are up to because it gives the "artist" inspiration. Not only does it provide inspiration but there's nothing wrong with some healthy competitiveness. 

GAIL:  Yes, the 1^st time we entered a competition 5 years ago, we had no idea what we were doing but we brought back 2 very accomplished actors to perform at our theatre in another show.  We make contacts at the festival and can borrow sets/costumes/props from each other.  It also allows other theatres to see the actors.  I was offered a role in a show w/o audition because the person has seen my Forgetful Remembrance performance. 

BOBBY: (Again, for all of you) What are your personal goals or aspirations when in it comes to performing? How important is it to you that theatre remain a part of your life?

 GAIL:  Very important – it fills my creative need

 KEVIN:  In a perfect world, YES, I would love to be a professional actor! Whether it be Broadway, film, or TV, I would love to be part of it! Regardless, of the road I take in life, theater will ALWAYS remain part of my life as it is my creative outlet! There is truly nothing like it. 

EMILY:  Theater will always be a part of my life. I have always known that. I will be attending Elon University (North Carolina) in the fall as either a Musical Theater or a Theater Studies major while taking the education courses so I can teach it. I have experience directing and love that as well. I've always wanted to try writing a script so I see that in my future as well. In a dream world I would be a working actor for as long as possible and then settling down and teaching theater at a high school or college level. Last year I created and taught the theater program at the Delaware School For The Deaf and perhaps would like to make deaf theater a part of my aspirations to teach or at least influence.

BOBBY: This is not so much a question, as an opportunity for each of you to share a story you feel exemplifies the best of your experiences with performing, whether with Reedy Point, or any of your other experiences.

EMILY:  As I said before when I was in elementary school I was bullied a lot and had very few friends. I never felt accepted anywhere or like I really fit in. Even my first two years at Cab I felt a bit like an outsider. But then I was given my first role at the end of 8th grade. I auditioned and got the role of Todd, a 5 year old boy in Check, Please! Being in that show and on that stage was the first time I ever felt like I was home. And that was when I knew theater was what I wanted to do. That's my favorite theater story of mine because although I had always been exposed to theater since very young that's where it really started for me.

GAIL:  I have so many but the ones that jump right up are 1) Kevin Austra’s grandmother saying that the acting is Doubt was as good as she saw in NYC; 2) hearing people cry in the audience during Forgetful Remembrance and having men tell me they were mad at me for making them cry; and 3) most importantly, watching the actors grow and mature, especially the younger ones.  I see them grow in confidence and ability.  I always have a sense of pride when I see that happen.

KEVIN:  Plain and simple, I have had the most fun experiences in my life in community theatre. The people I have done shows with in the past have been incredible actors and friends and the relationship's I've developed with them has been something I will always treasure. You become a "Family" doing shows and that is very important to us as human beings - having that connection. 

BOBBY: If you could tell people one thing about community theatre in order to convince them to become a part of it, what would that one thing be?

KEVIN:  Community theatre is FUN. You meet loads of new people and you get the pleasure of captivating an audience! 

GAIL:  It is fulfilling on some many levels

EMILY:  Do it. Just get up and try it. I guarantee you will walk away learning at least one new thing about yourself even if it's just that performing is not for you. It's an experience everyone should have.

BOBBY:  FINAL SHOUT-OUT: Please feel free to give a shout-out to some special people who have made your time in the theatre so wonderful! 

GAIL:  All my fellow players for helping me grow as an actor, RPP for getting me back into acting and giving me a shot at directing, my husband for lending a hand where needed, and my two sons who are great actors on their own.

KEVIN:  Kristina Lynn (former RPP President and Founder), was the director of The Christmas Express and was the one that got me on board to do the backstage work. If it wasn't for her generosity, I probably would have never discovered this artistic realm. 

EMILY:  There are so many fabulous people I have worked with over the past few years! Some of the standouts are of course Gail who has watched and helped me to grow as an actor and taking me to new levels. Kevin is always a pleasure to work with and makes relationships on stage so easy. David Reyne has been a mentor for me and I could never thank him enough for what he has taught me not only as an actor but as a young adult. My best friend Molly Keifer who is my best friend that I met through Reedy Point and I know if she's not in the show is always in the audience to support me and I can always count on her to give me an honest critique of my work. And of course my parents who have never stopped driving me to rehearsals and feeding the fire to me "theater- junkie" life style. Much love to you all!

Again, I would like to thank Gail, Emily and Kevin for taking the time to answer my questions, but, even more, to thank them for working so hard to bring my play to life.  If you would like to learn more about the Reedy Point Players, check out their website here:  http://reedypointplayers.com/  To check out their facebook page and become a fan, click here;  https://www.facebook.com/messages/#!/reedypointplayers?fref=ts

To become a fan of Theater is a Sport on facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/messages/#!/TheaterIsASport

And to learn more about A Forgetful Remembrance and End of the Movie, visit www.brookpub.com and search for me, Bobby Keniston.

I am truly proud to be a playwright when I get to meet folks like Gail, Emily and Kevin.  They, and many others like them, are why I love to write plays, and it is their enthusiasm that keeps me working hard at it.  I wish them all the best at the Delaware Theatre Association's Festival! 

Until tomorrow, please remember:  theater is a sport!

THEATER STORIES, VOL I: BOBBY KENISTON AUDITIONS FOR ACTING SCHOOL (AUDITION ADVICE, PART 2)



High School Musical production of "Once Upon a Mattress".  I'm the Jester.

How many of you high school seniors out there know, just KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you want to be an actor, either for the stage or for the screen (or, of course, both)?  That's all I ever wanted growing up.  From the age of 10 and beyond I was addicted to performing, and the very notion of Bobby the Actor felt inseparable for Bobby the Person.  I read tons of plays, books about acting, biographies of Brando (oh, how I loved the stories of his early days on the Broadway stage in "A Streetcar Named Desire").  My only dream in the world was to be an actor like that, an actor who moved people and even changed people.  It was a foregone conclusion and everyone knew it, even the people who couldn't stand me--- Bobby was going to be an actor.   And, with any luck (and, I thought, why shouldn't I be able to have that?), a pretty famous and successful one.  After all, it wasn't about the fame or the applause.  It was about the process, it was about how I felt completely at home stepping on a stage (I still do), it was all about the creation of it all. 

Does this dream sound familiar to any of high school seniors out there?  Any of you who might have sufered under the label of "drama geek" or worse for quite some time, but plowed forward in the knowledge you were on the right path? 
Good.  I hope so.  Because there is nothing wrong with that dream, and it is a dream that is attainable, though not without severe focus and drive. 

The first step for many of you may well be applying to acting schools. 

One day I might write a blog about why these days I might advise promising young actors to study a broad array of subjects instead of sticking to a conservatory education, but not today.  Today is all about how I auditioned for and was accepted into Boston University's School For the Arts conservatory. 

I won't lie to you... I was scared my senior year of high school.  I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how I wanted to proceed.  I even knew it was Boston University I wanted, more than Syracuse (where I sent a ridiculous videotaped audition, but nevertheless was accepted), more than NYU, more than anyplace else (except maybe DePaul in Chicago, but I couldn't make it to any of their auditions). 

I was scared because I was from Dover-Foxcroft, ME, a small town, and I only had a resume of community theater and school theater credits.  Also, I was very short.  And, my resume wasn't a professional resume, but a sheet of paper with a senior picture stapled to it (which, in all fairness, was considered an "acceptable" resume for the BU audition).  I knew BU's School for the Arts was (and probably still is) very selective.  I had read something like only 40 students out of 1000s who audtioned were acceped (actually, my year, the freshman class wound up being 65 I believe, one of their largest, with four five of them being from Maine).    What if I was not one of the lucky ones?  My academics were not going to save me and get me into the program (I was rather brainy in high school). 

And I was short.  (Yes, still am, but it bothered me a great deal when I was considering acting schools... I wanted to be at least 5/8", Brando's height).

Still, I knew my desire was high, and believed that it was possible I wanted it more than others, and that the Universe would help me make it happen.  So I got an audition date, and my parents rented a motel room and two bus tickets (one for me and one for my dad), and off we went.

The weeks leading up to the audition were nerve-wracking to say the very least, and filled with self-doubt and a million awful "what if" scenerios.  I had to prepare two monologues, one classical and one contemporary.  BU's packet came with samples, but I didn't want to use any of them... they didn't click with me.  For my contemporary piece, I chose a monologue from "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad", a piece from the character Jonathan, who has a heavy stutter.  For my classical monologue, I chose a monologue from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream", Puck, of course (though not his ending monologue, but a different one, telling the story of affixing the donkey head to Bottom). 

People asked me if I wanted to practice in front of them, and I turned everyone down.  I don't know why, but I decided that the only people who were going to see my audition pieces would be the people I was auditioning for.  Again, I am not recommending this, per se.  I was a weird guy.  Most people would probably want feedback from others before such an important audition, but, for some reason in my going-on-eighteen-year-old head, I wanted to either fly or fail on my own choices and merits, without any influence from anyone who was not me. 

I praciticed in the mirror a lot.  I worked tremendously hard on the stutter, making it seem as real as I could, like it took the entirety of my upper body to finally force the words out of my mouth.  I also worked hard on being "magical" for Puck, and for making the language seem like it was really coming out of my mouth.  Or, at least I did my best.

So my dad and I get to Boston in the late afternoon before my audition.  Our hotel was in walking distance from the School for the Arts.  I had very little with me.  I had decided to wear black for my aution, black pants, black t-shirt (yeah, I know, I know, but I was a kid from a small town who didn't know at all what to wear, and this all-black made me feel kind of comfortable and fairly confident.  I liked wearing black). 

The night before my audition in the hotel room my dad and I were sharing, I somewhat broke my promise to myself.  I let my dad LISTEN to me recite the monologue from "Oh Dad, Poor Dad", but wouldn't let him watch me, and I kept Puck a secret. 

So, the next morning, I walked to the School for the Arts with my dad, wearing my black and clutching my cheap resume, and found myself in a waiting room with other nervous would-be BU students, some of them talking about attending specialized drama camps, and even one kid talking about some touring company he had been a part of.  I immediately felt I was out of my league, looking at the others with their professional headshots in their hands.  I thought my chances were probably zero to negative 50. 

And, yes, I was the shortest guy in the room.

I thought I was going to be auditioning for 3 or 4 people, but it turns out I was put into a room with an audience of one, a woman named Eve who, I believe, was the assistant dean, or something of that nature.  I can't truly remember. 

She was very personable and seemed kind enough, but she did have an air of professionalism about her as well.  She had me begin with my contemporary monologue.  So I dove in. 

After about twenty seconds, she stopped me.  "Uh, Robert," she said (Oh, God, why didn't I put Bobby on my resume?  I hate being called Robert), "Could you finish the monologue without the stutter, please?"

The stutter had been one of my major keys to the character.  I had practiced over and over and over and over and over, with the stutter.  But, of course, she was in charge.  "Sure," I said.  And I went through the monologue with the same body language and didn't (I don't think) stutter again (except for maybe one tiny one).  When I finished, she merly said, "Thank you, that was a nice adjustment, Robert.  And your classical?"  And I went into my Puck monologue, and she didn't laugh once (but, then again, even though it was a part of BU's packet, she'd probably heard it a bunch... it wasn't all that obscure).  When I finished, she said, "Thank you.  Do you have any questions for me?"   "No," I said, because I didn't think I could scrounge up a coherent one for at least an hour.  "Thank you for coming," she said, then told me they would be in touch with their decision. 

I walked out of the office, and my dad and I started walking back to the hotel.  We were getting on a bus in just a few hours.  "How'd it go?" my dad asked.  "I did my best," I said, which was true, but in my mind, I was thinking, "I don't think I got this.  What am I going to do?"

Older and wiser, I have learned that one should probably never do a major audition, whether it be for school or any other professional placement, with a monologue featuring a character with any kind of speech impediment.  This never crossed my mind.  I just liked the monologue and thought I could do well.  I understand that Eve stopped me not because it wasn't right for the character, but so she could hear me SPEAK.  I also understand that my making the adjustment was probably a big bonus point in my favor. 

I never mean to be iconoclastic, but I guess, somewhat out of ignorance on my part, it kind of happens.  Becaue I got it. 

And yes, it was a happy day, probably the happiest day I had ever felt up until that point in my life.

So, I realize I'm telling you my theater story that probably contains advice that wannabe acting students should, in all liklihood, avoid.  Except for a few:

1.  Don't presume that who you are or where you're from means that you are less talented than anyone else,
and
2.  All black is always classy.

Thanks for reading my memories on this important time in my life.

Come back to Theater is a Sport tomorrow for an awesome interview with the wonderfully talented and prolific playwright, Pat Cook!  I'm so excited he agreed to be my first official interview for this blog!  You won't want to miss this one!

So, until tomorrow, remember--- theater is a sport.