The Acting Business Boot Camp Podcast

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Monologues with Andrew Dolan

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Feeling triggered by other people’s posts.

“Sometimes I feel social media affects my confidence or self-esteem, even though I know it's primarily used as a highlight reel. Some actors post every single audition they go on to Facebook or Instagram. Others post throwback photos from past shoots or opportunities that they've had. And it can trick us into thinking, Well, why am I not there yet? A good example for me is there was of another actor same age as me, kind of type wise, playing similar roles. You know, we're different, but we're not different kind of a thing. And you know, she has some really good credits on stage on film, and she also has the advantage of, you know, coming from, you know, people who have been in the business before. And she loves posting a lot. And sometimes, you know, I feel like, I don't know the answer to how I should be investing energy into social media and how...

About Andrew:

Andrew Dolan’s credits include American Daughter (Broadway), Strictly Dishonorable (Vineyard), Pink, Ted Kaczynski (SPF), What Then (Clubbed Thumb), Tree House (NY Stage & Film), Measure for Measure (Target Margin) UK: Edmond (National Theatre). The Woods (National Studio), Boy from the Book (English Touring Theatre).

Regional: Mamba's Daughters (Spoleto Festival), Burn This, Marco Millions, Cyrano, 12th Night, Hapgood (ACT), Substance of Fire. Savage/Love (Magic Theatre), Loot, Amadeus (Arizona Theatre Co.), Road to Nirvana, Down the Road, Boy’s Life, Coming Attractions (Encore Theatre).

TV/Film: House of Cards, Your Honor, Chicago Med, Blue Bloods, Bull, Elementary, Good Cop, Blacklist, Handsome Harry Unstoppable, Partners in Crime, 28 Days, Being Human, David Letterman. all Law & Orders, Conviction, Return of Jezebel James.

Training: Bowdoin College, American Conservatory Theatre.

He is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. His play, The...

“By working on your acting training, you become more qualified for better acting jobs.”

Core work--> so you can clean out the gunk that stands in the way of receiving opportunities that you have previously prevented yourself from receiving.

Matt Corboy Interview: “Don’t put me into the role; put the role into me.”

The chunk of ice metaphor.

Talent is undeniable.

Use your mind to govern your brain.

One baby step by one baby step.

How do I counteract that negative voice inside of me?

Practice contrary action.

One moment at a time, one minute at a time.

Louis Haye:

Affirmation: It is safe to look within

“My Life Doesn’t Work:

I never get to do what I want to do. I can’t please anyone. I don’t know what I want to do. There is never any time for me. My needs and desires are always left out. I’m only doing this to please them. I am just a doormat. Nobody cares what I want to do. I have no talent. I can’t do anything...

About Matt:

Matt Corboy is a journeyman actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows and movies as well as over 125 national commercials.

Most notably, he was Cousin Ralph in the Academy Award-winning movie, The Descendants, alongside George Clooney; Officer Ray Carlson on Emmy Award-winning television series The Shield; and most recently, four episodes as Matt Dickson on This Is Us that aired this February on NBC.

When you're new, it's OK to be new, and you don't have to pretend that you're not. 

• That goes back to like being your authentic self.
• Nobody expects the first time you're on set to be like, "Yeah, hey, I just came from my trailer, and I'm ready for it." 
• You don't have to put on airs of anything. 
• Keep your mouth shut, observe, let it happen to you, and learn.

There's nobody on this planet who does you better than you.

The sooner you realize that authentic you...

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The Language of Letting Go:

“When I meet people or get in a new relationship, I start putting all these repressive restrictions on myself. I can't have my feelings, can't have my wants and needs, can't have my history, can't do the things I want, feel the feelings I'm feeling, or say what I need to say. I turn into this repressed, perfectionist robot instead of being who I am. Me.”

In auditions in the past, I would put restrictions, repressive restrictions on myself. 

• Don't laugh too hard. 
• Don't push
• Don’t flub.

The fact of the matter is, I'm far more charming being imperfect. 

If I am repressing myself and feeling like I can't have my wants in my needs, and I need to make this podcast absolutely perfect or, people aren't going to listen to it. 

It’s actually the opposite. 

When you have the courage to be yourself. You are magnetic, people are attracted to you.

Sometimes we feel like, “Oh,...

This is the miracle of Core Work: you can discover a new level of confidence, on a whole other level of self-assuredness, in a whole other level of the courage to be yourself.

The courage to be “Peter Pamela Rose,” and show the world who that is, and be totally delighted whether the reaction is, “oh, I love her”o r “oh no, thank you.” 

That feeling of being alive and that feeling of utter gratitude for my love, for my life and for what I have, and for my future. And it's an incredible, incredible place to be. 

You may be asking: Well, how do I get there?

Go back to some of my previous Core Work Lessons.

• Listen to the episode, you can be at Whole Foods or, you know, walking down the street, listen to it once.
• Then go back when you're sitting at home or in a coffee shop and listen to it.  
• And write down the questions and take notes. 
• And when I ask Empowering Questions like, "why does this make me feel that way?"
• Set your...

About Annie:

Annie Tippe is a director and creator of new work, film, and music theater. Recent: Premiere of Dave Malloy's OCTET at the Signature Theatre (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Direction, SDC Callaway Award Finalist) and GHOST QUARTET (Premiere, The Bushwick Starr, etc...), Leslye Headland's CULT OF LOVE (Premiere, IAMA Theatre Company), Bess Wohl's CONTINUITY (Goodman Theatre), Molly Beach Murphy + Jeanna Phillips’ COWBOY BOB (Village Theatre; New York Stage + Film), James + Jerome’s INK (w. Rachel Chavkin, Under the Radar/Met Museum) and THE CONVERSATIONALISTS (Bushwick Starr). Former Ars Nova Director-in-Residence, Drama League Directing Fellow, Williamstown Directing Corps.

Upcoming: OCTET (Berkeley Rep, April 22); LIFE AFTER (Goodman Theatre, June 22). www.annietippe.com

Pursue people who inspire you.

Follow good taste.

The power of saying no: You cannot take things that do not excite you.

You have to say no in order to open up the possibility of...

Energy Vampires= people who take away valuable energy you need to push past the things that are standing in the way of your dreams.

Level 10 energy

Who to watch out for: People who zap your energy.

How do we protect ourselves?

• Put on an imaginary bubble suit.
• Their stuff does not need to affect you.
• You have the opportunity to arrive late and leave early.

Other kinds of Vampires

• Other Actors on set.
  • No is a complete sentence.
• People preying on the actors in the Industry.
• Family who is not supportive.

Tips and tools:

• Get the focus off of you
• No is a complete sentence
• Don't cosign on someone else’s drama
• Ask yourself, is this going to be a healthy thing to be involved in or unhealthy?
• Your life depends on deflecting the energy suckers
• Don’t treat someone like a priority who treats you like an option

Be kind to these people, if they could be doing better they would.

About Ryan:

RYAN ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM (she/her) is a queer writer/director and Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer who recently launched the development company Running Woman with the goal of telling stories that haven’t been heard before. 

She represented the TV projects THE FUGITIVE GAME (2018), TRANSMANIA (2019), and MARY (2020) in the IFP (now The Gotham) Project Forum. Ryan is very passionate about promoting equality, women’s issues, LGBTQ+ stories, and neurodiversity in her work.

She's EP/Director on the standup special ILANA GLAZER: THE PLANET IS BURNING (Amazon), the docuseries EXPECTING AMY (HBO Max), and an upcoming Pride special for Showtime.  Select TV producer credits include BROAD CITY and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (Comedy Central), SEARCH PARTY and THE LAST O.G. (TBS); LOUIE (FX); STRANGERS (Facebook); THE SHIVERING TRUTH (Adult Swim); HORACE AND PETE (Hulu); THE ELECTRIC COMPANY (PBS), as well as several prominent...

Fantasy can become a liability.

It can become a crutch, “one day I'll ______”

You keep pushing to the future and you don’t deal with the reality of what needs to happen NOW.

Spiral it out to get to the seed of what you really want.

• Why do you want to become an actor?
• Well, why do you love acting?
• Continue to break down the reason.
• Continue asking why.
• Then what is the reality for me around this want?

Once we unpack the fantasy, we can turn it into a reality

Fantasy can also destroy the good seed of why you want to do it.

It’s your ego. It takes away the beauty.

Ask yourself: How does my fantasy about becoming a famous actor, corrode my love for the art of acting?

Reality:

Every day we need to be doing actions that move us closer to our goal.

It’s hard work.

You need to focus on The Three Pillars:

1. Acting training
2. Business skills
3. Core work