So I’ve been away for the last 5 weeks and I have tried to see as much theatre as possible.  I saw many shows in London as well as a show in the ancient theatre at Epidaurus in the Peloponnese in Greece.  The theatre there was built in the 4th century B.C. and seats nearly 15,000 people. (My dad pointed out that that is 3,000 more seats than Poly Pavilion where the UCLA basketball team plays!)  The theatre boasts perfect acoustics – which is a delight to the actor.  My sister and I saw Helen Mirren in Phaedre when we were visit the theatre.  It was a very interesting and exciting experience. Although they did not have an ATM… a very frustrating experience when you’re coming from New York City.  We do get spoiled by an ATM every block… . (because we didn’t have any cash we couldn’t eat from about 3pm until 1am….)

Helen Mirren in PHAEDRA

Well, before the show started we walked around the ancient site.  There were temples to different gods, and bath houses for healing as well as a very large stadium.  The theatre was set on one side of the city and looked out into the hills sourrounding it.  What blew my mind was that the theatre, essentially in the middle of nowhere, sat that many people.  And when Helen Mirren whispered the word “Hyppolytus” because she couldn’t find the strength to bring  more volume to the name of the man she loved, all of the thousands of us present could hear it perfectly.  It was chillingly exciting. And it got me thinking about how we really don’t need all the intricate and fancy modern conveniences that we have grown accustomed to in order to put on great theatre.

Besides these perfect acoustics, there are no perks to the theatre. No plush seats, no cocktail bar, no huge chandelier… no intermission.  It was all about the audience coming to hear a story being told by actors.  There were 3 chairs on stage and I even thought that that was too much.  The simplicity made me think about how we do theatre back home in the states. Glitz and glamour and pleasing th ehigh paying patrons has become such a priority that tickets are over $100  to see a show.  Many people are no longer able to afford theatre.  And that is a problem.

Theatre was a religious experience for the ancient Greeks.  And so they came in droves.  Even though not much in contemporary society is religious anymore, theatre can still be a space in time that is magical, uplifting, and unique.  And necessary.

I saw All’s Well That Ends Well at the National when I was in London. By no means was it a low budget show, although somehow they did make tickets affordable (the highest ticket price was 30 pounds).  There were huge sets and wonderful costumes.  But they all meant something.  Every single piece of the set served a purpose and helped tell the story.

Since we are, obviously, living in today’s world, and not in the 4th century B.C., our audiences expect an interesting set or costumes or something when they come to a big show.  But I hope more and more theatres do what the National did and take a lesson from the fact that theatre is one of the oldest trades in the game.  It has been around for thousands of years.  And it is because we all want to hear and tell stories.  It’s just as simple as that.

Well, I have to say that the cast was superb, the set was stunning and the costumes were gorgeous.  And here is the real kicker – Anne Hathaway was wonderful! it is so rare that stars are stars for a reason, but she is constantly showing up because she is the real deal – and guess what -

She won’t go away.  This has been a great year for plays in New York.  And in this stand out year, we have seen a great many American actors of b oth stage AND screen who have delivered wonderful performances for us.  In a year with its unquestionable difficulties not only in theatre but in most industries, it is inspiring to see people who could no doubt be making much m ore money in Hollywood come to New York and do solid work.

Among the list of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows this season with big names in it are Exit the King (Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush), God of Carnage (James Gandolfini, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels), Waiting for Godot (Bill Irwin, Nathan Lane, John Glover, John Goodman), The Wiz (Ashanti), and of course Twelfth Night.  These productions are not selling because of the star power that I just listed, but because they are wonderful pieces of art that make people think and believe in the power of live theatre to change.

I applaud the teams that cast these stars for their prudence and vision.  So for as much trash talk as I talk about stars being cast to sell tickets, when I see Anne Hathaway I realize that us theatre snobs should not fault someone for being famous.  Because sometimes they are magical.

Most people have seen A Chorus Line, but I experience it on a daily basis.  I often leave auditions thinking that I am the worst auditioner ever.  I am a good actress but I never get cast.  It can be an incredibly frustrating experience.  If you’re not an actor you know how it feels too.  Especially in this economic climate.  Jobs in general hard hard to come by, and watching other people climb the ladder right next to you can be demoralizing.  I meet tons of people every day and I know that I have just as much to offer if not more than they do, but for some reason I am not the one in the shows.  They are.

So what am I doing wrong?!!

Well, I don’t know. And maybe I’m not doing anything wrong.  When I look in the news and see the amount of unemployment in this country I don’t blame the people who have lost their jobs.  There are fewer shows being produced and so there is less work in general for all theatre practioners.  We must be prepared at all times and ready at a moments beacon to do anything that we are called upon to do.

We must read playbill.com, broadway.com, check the actor’s equity website and backstage.com daily.  We must watch films and read at least one play a week.  we have to go to the drama book shop and search through plays and listings of agents, managers and casting directors.  We should find ways to make as many contacts as possible through places such as The Network, Actor’s Connection, One on One, or just making new friends.  People who might not be able to help you out now may someday in the future.

In the mean time, I have to do my best when I am at an audition.  What I do know is that I am asked to prepare something, I do.  I try to bring my heart and soul to share with the people across the table.  I want to make people feel and think and experience theatre in a way that they haven’t done before.  But all I can do is keep auditioning and keep waiting and keep knowing that one day it will be different.  That one day I will look on Actors Equity and I will bereading my story about how I got my card.  I will look on playbill and see an ad and an article about a show that I am in and feel confident that I am adding something to the theatre community and the larger community of New York.

That’s what keeps me going.  That’s what keeps most actors going.  Of course, all this isn’t to say that I never work.  I constantly work on smaller projects and things I won’t get paid for but that I do for the love of the art.  That’s what keeps my acting muscles working.  I’m not waiting to be famous by any stretch of the imagination.  What I want, and what I think most actors want, is to find a way to make a living acting and making great art.  And who knows?  Theatre companies that I work with today, such as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shakespeare could be the next Steppenwolf.  Who knows?

– Ronit Aranoff

After meeting me for about one minute, there are two things that people know about me:

1) I am an actress,

and

2)I am Jewish. 

So I thought that I would dedicate this post to something that combines both. . .  Yiddish Theatre!! 

Most people in the theatre world don’t know much about it, and yet we are all very much influenced by it.  Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg first experienced theatre in Yiddish.  Although the methods that they adapted were in large part a reaction to the melodramatic nature of the yiddish theatre, it is impossible to deny the impact that Yiddish theatre had on the creation of modern day realism in America.

The great thing to know is that there is still Yiddish theatre going on in New York.  The Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre is one of the last four Yiddish Theatres in operation today, and the only one in the US.  In fact, it is the oldest continually running Off-Broadway theatre, and is celebrating its 94th consecutive season this year: a testament to the fighting nature of the Yiddish culture. Click to read more on Yiddish Theater in New York City Monday June 8th they will be holding their annual gala for which Elie Wiesel is the Honorary Chairman. Many notable actors have performed at past galas including Tovah Feldshuh and Theodore Bikel.  If you are interested in getting a good idea of the Yiddish theatre community, it would be a wonderful event to attend.

Another interesting Yiddish Theatre event in the city is the readings of Shalom Aleichem’s Stempenyu in honor of his 150th birthday.  (You might have heard of Shalom Aleichem: his short stories served as the basis for Fiddler On The Roof)  All tickets are free to the public thanks to CUNY.  There is more information on The Folksbine website.  

I recently saw a production of Gimpel Tam, which was a facinating look into the tradition of melodrama that our theatrical forefathers were raised in.  In case you missed it, click this link for video footage.  http://www.folksbiene.org/gimpltam-video.html.  Daniella Rabbani

 starred as the promiscuous wife of a simple man.  Watching a young woman breathe life into this aging tradition of theatre gives audiences hope and excitement for the durability and future of the Yiddish theatre.  

Attending the Yiddish Theatre is something that I strongly suggest for people interested in how theatre in America became the way that it is today.  Its pretty cool that we have this opportunity to take part in living history.  So lets! 

 (If you want to learn more about Yiddish Theatre and its beginnings, you can always reference the ever helpful Wikipedia . . . what did we do with out that?!!) 

Today I embark on the small but noble task of enlightening the world on the proper way to date  an actress. You might not think this applies to you, but a touring company could show in your  city, and while you are out for an innocent night with your friends, you could unwittingly end up  with a tongue down your throat because you were the first straight guy to look her way for the  last six months. So please read on….

1. There is the auditioning actor, the rehearsing actor, the performing actor, and sometimes, an actor who is auditioning, rehearsing and performing all at once. If you are dating the latter, you will be able to see her between the hours of 2am and 6am. Other than that expect her schedule to change on a whim, for her to be gone late into the night, sometimes through the night, sometimes up before dawn. There is no telling. Be patient. She is busier than you and won’t mind hearing just how busy she is. Often.
2. She is doing the most important thing in the world. If you are a brain surgeon, curing cancer or AIDS, saving babies from burning buildings or Jack Bauer, this does not matter. Acting is important like nothing else, and you must know this… if you do not, leave her, it won’t work out.
3. She will be kissing many other men besides you. Man up. She’s “in the moment.” And if she’s been with you this long, she’ll go home with you at the end of the night. Anyway, he’s probably gay.
4. If you have money… she doesn’t. Take her out if you ever want to do more than ordering in Chinese take out and watching whatever TV show is currently filming in your city. She’ll return the favor… but in other ways…
5. Romantic date = you pick her up at her place with flowers and take her to a long dinner at a nice restaurant (see above note) with at least one bottle of wine, followed by a carriage ride in the park where you talk about your feelings… Let’s face it… after performing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, or The Bros’ Play, when you say romantic, we’re not wooed with Chipotle.

-Ronit Aranoff