Mark Evans Studio

 It Would Be Easier To NOT! Last week I led the first session of the new Mark Evans Studio - Acting Through Song group class which was incredibly inspiring and those in attendance had a great time.  There was an uplifting, supportive energy in the room because every student who was there described, at the top of class, how this was the first time they were going to sing in front of people after a break of a few months, up to a few years depending on the student.  One person said that it took courage to even sign up. Once she had, then in the few weeks leading up to class she was anxious about it and even on the morning of the first session she contemplated not coming. "I could just not go" she thought.  Isn't that so often the case? I have even felt that about auditions for jobs I really would like to book. The anticipation of the audition was so nerve wracking that I scrolled through excuses in my head not to go. Whenever we are faced with challenging, daunting, anx...

    Stop DOING stuff!  You’ve heard it many times, no doubt. “Less  doing , more  being ”. I want to say it again because it’s important to sometimes be reminded of the simple fundamental elements of acting.  I’m also seeing a lot of students recently whose default mode is to  fill  the scene with extra stuff which usually comes from a place of not trusting simplicity and truthfulness.  Let me be clear,  I do not ever tell students to ‘do less’. Just don’t do anything that isn’t honest. If  you’re behaving in an authentic, truthful way, ALL behavior is appropriate and can serve the scene.  What I’m focusing on here, specifically, are the habits that creep in when actors or singers feel the need to DO  something because the vulnerability of stillness is too uncomfortable. Film yourself, whether it’s for a self tape audition or just out of curiosity and you’ll notice what things you’re doing because you feel you  should...

YOU'VE GOT TO GET IT DONE! Earlier this year I accepted a job offer that sounded appealing to me as a way to exercise my inner clown as an actor. The job offer was to play Squidward Q. Tentacles in The SpongeBob Musical at Sacramento Music Circus.  Well, I am currently DOING that job and I want to share a little something with you that I've been reminded of through this experience.  Firstly, this is a summer stock gig. What does that mean? I call it microwave theatre ;-)  You have less than two weeks to put together a FULL scale Broadway/West End caliber production and then perform it for just one week and then, ping, the job is done and its over.  What that means is that there's very little time for discovery or nurturing. You, as an actor or singer or dancer (or all three) are required to fully commit to bold choices in order to see what works and what doesn't in as little time as possible. There is absolutely zero room to be precious about anything. It can be daun...

  You’re Not Being Assessed! I recently was leading auditions for an Off Broadway play that I am on the creative team for.  I am always genuinely ROOTING for every single person who walks into the space.  I always find it so interesting to witness the behavior of all the different actors that walk in. You’re reading this because you're clearly curious and want to continue expanding and growing in your work. What I want to share with you is this:  You are in that room for the creative team to explore your skill set,  not to assess your worthiness of being in the room in the first place.  Multiple people walked in and were clearly SO focussed on making a lasting or good impression that it often got in the way of us getting to truly see their work.  Feeling discomfort standing in front of a panel is a REAL THING. Trust me, I’ve felt it too.  But if you allow the moment to be ABOUT that discomfort by cracking a lot of jokes or commenting too much on...

  What Would Somebody Have To Know To Play You? This is a direct quote from the wonderful acting teacher Larry Moss. Ask yourself “What would somebody have to know to play me?” If there was a biopic about your life, think of the long, long conversations an actor could have with you (if they were lucky enough to access to you) about all the little details of your life and the specific memories you have and the little nuanced quirks within your personality. We’re so complex, right?! Why then, are we so impatient when it comes to trying to get to know the human being we’re bringing to life in a scene? In order to behave impulsively, instinctively and spontaneously in the circumstances of a scene we must first understand the scene, the circumstances, the conflict and WHY each character is saying what they’re saying. That's when you can allow the character to be fully fleshed out by your own version of each of these things. With YOUR point of view and YOUR understanding of these n...

  The Reliability Of Change.  I often say that there is one similarity between the entertainment industry and being a parent: Just when you think you’ve figured it out, something proves you wrong. The nap schedule changes. Your TV pilot doesn’t get picked up. Your kid doesn’t like that food anymore. The show you’re on announces it’s closing. Your kids pediatrician announces she’s leaving the office indefinitely The vacation you just booked needs to be canceled because you booked the job you thought you didn’t get.  What we do as artists - especially if you’re a professional artist and creating/performing is ideally how you pay the bills - is extremely vulnerable.  I do private coaching with a lot of students and I often see a recurring theme of “I will be happy when……..” coming up in the work. Oftentimes it’s “If I just book this job” or “once I get an agent” or “when I make my Broadway debut.  I believe this way of thinking works against us (and I say “ us” b...

  It’s the taking part that counts We’ve all heard the saying right? “It’s not about winning, it’s the taking part that counts”.  I want you to focus on the second part of that phrase and remember it. I teach and coach a lot of students and there seems to be a similar theme in a lot of them recently, where I’ve found myself regularly promoting participation .  I’ll give a few examples. “I have an Actors Access page but I haven’t activated it yet” “I was asked to audition for a student film but I’m not sure if I’m gonna submit” “I have been given the email address of a casting director who’s casting a project I know I’m right for but I haven’t emailed them yet”  After we discussed these things, I helped my students discover for themselves what the clear reason was in their decision making. Here’s the truth they courageously shared: “Once I go ‘live’ with it, I’ll feel more professional and what happens if I never book a job?” “What if I don’t even get picked to do an ...