Sam Prince is joined again by actress Jean Gerczak. In this episode Jean shares her best tips on memorizing your lines, getting into character, and what really transforms the audience. Jean has been in multiple plays, a musical, and a commercial! For acting classes from your host; Sam Prince, check out his website: www.samber.productions and follow along on Instagram: www.instagram.com/samberproductions
Sam Prince 0:05 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a great actor on stage or television? Do you wish you had an acting coach to help you get to the next level? Or maybe you just have a great idea for a movie series are played but aren't quite sure where to start? Well, you are in the right place my friend. My name is Sam Prince and I am the director of a production company here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have been an actor for over 30 years. I've directed and written plays, and screenplays and taught many acting classes. This podcast is your place to learn how to move forward with your career in acting, theater, film, playwriting, screenwriting, and much more. There will be inspiring conversations with special guests as well. So welcome to the creativitorium podcast and action. Welcome, welcome. Welcome back to the creativitorium podcast. My name is Sam Prince, and I am here again with my great friend, Jean. Gerczak. How are you? Jean Gerczak 1:27 Good. Great, Sam Prince 1:29 great, longtime no speak. That's what how great technology is. Wow. So let's start off with some tips. I always like to give like tips to the listeners, those aspiring actors and actors and even even the season ones. You know, it's always good to hear. You're out. We're always learning, you know? Oh, yes. You had a very long monologue. Yeah. Probably. Probably one of the longer ones. You know, besides what ones that Fredrik had to say, and it wasn't just, you know, you just standing there with your hands your side, either you act it out a lot of things, too. So what are some tips for those who have to do similar, longer monologues like that, okay, of how you how you memorize how you how you got all that down? So great. Jean Gerczak 2:25 Well, first of all, um, you know, in acting, Sam, one of the first things you you learn in your classes, you're going to do a little monologue. And it might be like a paragraph. But that's a paragraph, you still have to learn it. And you always think, how am I going to learn this? Well, number one, here's my, I'm lucky to tell you that I have. I'm great at memorizing Oh, and I can memorize long, and I know that about myself. But if you're not a great memorizer I first of all, after you gave me the script, right? I take it home. And I look at it. The you know the words and I look, I know this is gonna sound silly, but I look for big words in the sentences that make sense. Like in the first sentence, Frederick Douglass dropped dead in the hallway of his rested on a caster heights. Acosta Heights was one of the words like I remember. Right, right. Yeah, so I've got a caster heights, caster heights, right. Then I do the line across the heights that I go over line. Um, then I would do the second, I find significant words in each line, right. And then I'd learned the first line, the second line, and I would go over them in my mind. Sam Prince 3:51 Hmm, wow. Okay, it's interesting. So you can learn Jean Gerczak 3:55 and I go backwards with the lines. I know, this is gonna sound really weird. But I go backwards across two heights. So I'd go back across the heights, and I love that word. I would say it because I loved it. So then I'd go backwards. His residents, residents residents across Hi, then I go, You know what I mean? And then I start saying it to myself, Frederick Douglass, you know that up, and then I, I try I know, this is only sentences, but I try. And I tried different voices, you know, how do I want to sound? And I'd say it over and over again. Then you get the two lines in, right? And I just picked those words what's okay, what's going to make me remember the second line if I forget it, you know, right years, you know, and I remember Oh, he's in you know, the best detail. You know what I mean? Okay, he's in the best of health. So then you go on and I saw I pick those words. And I think okay, I know this word. I know this word and it brings back the other words together for me. Then I do the you know, the First paragraph. And once I got that I go over it, I think are pretty much got that that's general, right. And then I'll move on to the second. And I just get these words in my mind. You know, I think about the words I think about how I want to say it. And I just go with it, just just say the lines over until you get it. But don't overdo it. Right? And then you go back to the lines, but I do a paragraph. And I'm like, Well, I want to do the next paragraph. And I do the next paragraph. But I go over, I say it to myself to write rhetoric, drama, you know what I mean? I say to myself, and but I always, you know, you first just sit there and you look at it, you read it, you get a feel, you know, and then find those words, instead of like, oh, you know, just thinking about the whole sentence, because you know, the end of your sentence is going to be a certain word, right? You're gonna say, in a certain way. So I kind of go backwards. I know that sounds silly, back, back. And then I go, Oh, Frederick, da, da, da, da, da, Costa heights, you know what I mean? So then, I mean, you know, so I kind of do it backwards. Because if you just go, oh, my gosh, I would say it word, what's that word? You know, think about what's going to help you with the rest of the sentence. Let's say you draw a blank when you're out there. Well, if you draw a blank, you better come up with something, you can just stand there. So think, Okay, think about one of the big words in the sentence. You know, and think about, you know, hands class, that's another one. I know, after that, you know, the mean, hands class, that type of thing. I know, that's at the end. And then they'll go right into the next segment. Because his wife back to the, you know what I mean? Thank you, mom. It was part of the, you know, part of the acting about, you know, doings at the console. And she's like, looking over there, you know. And so I tried to think back and forth. Okay. Oh, my gosh, I can't think of what happened next, you know, what's the doctor's name? You know what I mean? That type of thing. Now, the ones where you have trouble with, you can't remember it. I'm thinking, Oh, my gosh, what was his name? And I just sit there and stare at the name of it, say until it's like, okay, that's his name. Right? Yeah. And then once it starts to flow, and you stand up, and you while you say it to yourself, right? You go over and over, but not too fast. You got to get in rhythm, you know? And then once you kind of learn the lines, then you're like, who am I? Who am I? What type of person am I? What is my background? And it's interesting when I said and then at the end, always, after a while, after I look at the lines, I say to the director, what do you want? I need to know what you want. As far as the character goes, and Sam, what kind of you want her to have an accent? Right? Or whatever. You told me an Eastern accent? I go, No, wait a minute. Okay, I got this in my mind. In there's a dialect. There's different dialects. So I got, you know, you go on online, and you look at the different dialogues, right? And you will note that that's not good. That's not good. Then you have to find what, and they're like, wait a minute, she's educated. I say to myself, I pretend I'm her. I'm educated. But I'm, and I'm not. So I can't be you know, I have to sound educated, but you want to hear the accent, but not too much. But it's there. It's underneath, you can hear me my caster heights, you know, right mess or raw. All, but I'm educated. But I'm from the East. Of course, my accents not going to go away. But you can't have a harsh accent because that I'm educated. Right? I want to sound educated. I want you to hear a little bit of that Eastern accent because this is what you want. And I want you to say, oh, there it is, but it's not too harsh or too, you know, 20 it has to be I'm educated. Sure. Right. And then you you know, you go back and forth go, who am I? Who am I? Who am I? What do I look like? What is my character like? And then pretty soon you start getting into, oh my gosh, this is who I am. This is the time period. This is how I want to sound and then once you start going through your lines again, everything flows. Sam Prince 9:46 So if you live in a West Michigan area and close by you got to come check out our play, Frederick. It's going to take place February 11 through the 13th at the Kent theatre We're in Cedar Springs Samra Productions Presents Frederick. And it's about Frederick Douglass who, back in the 1800s, we're gonna take you back in time and tell you about his life from being born as a slave to becoming a great political figure. And the coolest part is that we have some amazing West Michigan actors and actresses are going to be portraying Abraham Lincoln, Susan B, Anthony and more. You'll be amazed, trust me. So come check it out. February 11, through the 13th. Tickets are on Eventbrite when you go to Eventbrite, just search Frederick, and at Sandburg dot productions as well. Check it out. Yeah. Can't wait to see you. Jean Gerczak 10:50 And you're like, oh, my gosh, and once it starts to blow, and you can kind of remember those words, at the end of the sentence, okay, it ends with this, it ends with this, you know, then you can begin their sentences going, you know, this evening, okay? Then it rolls. It rolls for me anyway. I'm not saying because you can sit there and memorize, look at the papers, two pages, whatever you're like, oh, my gosh. Okay. All right. So let's say I memorize it, but I have to take it to the stage, right? And I have to also be natural. You know, so you start at the beginning, you look at your words, you'll go over and over the words, and you read it and you go, Okay, this is the story. Oh, okay. There, you know, this is where she's at, then you go through one sentence by that word, find the word that you love, you know, a cost is, you know, begin and then do it, do it, do it, and then in and take as long as you want. And then once it starts flowing, whether or not that sounds helpful or not, it will flow and and then as time goes on, you get into I am this person. I'm this person. Yeah, you know, do I sound like that? Am I you know, if this makes sense to you? Sam Prince 12:14 That was an amazing answer to my question. Jean Gerczak 12:18 Oh. Because I cannot just go oh, look at the line that it out it up. There's these beautiful words, right? And I like work. I like words, and my kids go. You like Costa heights? Like I love that word. Or Meza Rock Hall. Oh, you know what I mean? You got to love those words. And mesurer Paul is on this side of the page. You know, and he's 78 years, you know, but it's at the end of the sentence, not at the beginning, start your sentence, and move along. That's at the end, move along. And, and really, when I was Sam, like when you were practicing, and I knew I forgot a sensor, or I couldn't remember I go, I could remember the end of the sentence. You know, oh, that was the end of the sentence, and then it blinks back, your sentence comes back, and then sometimes, you know, you completely forget it. But if you do completely forget a word or a line, you can't let anybody know that. Right. Now, you just can't know. You know, you you move on and figure it out. But it should come naturally that you figured out. Sam Prince 13:36 Exactly, for sure. Wow. All right. So Heck, yeah, that's okay. I mean, I don't have to ask any more questions. Because yeah. Yeah. Everything because you're right. It's not just the life. It's not just the thing. And this is the, and he's went to the, you know, it's right. It's it's putting putting her into it. What kind of person is she? What's her education? What's her accent? What she talk like, which, yeah, Jean Gerczak 14:13 because I, you don't want to get your lines and I sit back and I'd sit back on my chair and I go, okay, okay, who am I? What, what is the time period? Okay. And look it up. If you don't know. Look it up. What am I? Especially if it's historical, you know, you got to habit Correct. What do I look like? What am I acting like? Obviously, I'm educated. But then I need to say, when all of that's done, and I got to get into it, I say to the director, whatever. What are you looking for? What do you need from me? What do you want? And what that means is, I'll get more information that I don't know. So if you say, you know, I'd like an English accent. Well, I better figure out what type because there's all different dialects. So Do I have to look it up and figure out? No, that's wrong, that's wrong. And then say it to yourself, Miss Hall, you know what I mean? And you go, Okay, wait, I think that's okay. And you go over and go, Oh, this is who I am, then pretty soon you are you're this person. And you're like, I like her. Yeah, you are this person. And so if you let's say, your plays done, Sam, and someone says to you, if they do at all, you did a great job. Now, what I'm interested in is, I then I always say, was it believable? Do you did you think that this play, and this character was believable to you? Sam Prince 15:39 Right? Right. Jean Gerczak 15:41 That's all I care about. I don't care about the rugs. I don't care about any of it wasn't believable to you. What we presented? Was it like you were there, historically? And did I move you that's all I care. I don't care about anything else. I could care less what you see, or how I look? Or how good or bad or look or whatever. That's not even my issue. Did you think that was hurt? And if they say yes or no, or whatever, then you're like, Oh, okay. And you walk away knowing I got it. I get it. Exactly. Exactly. And that's, Sam Prince 16:19 that's everything. Right. And that should be the ultimate goal for Jean Gerczak 16:23 Yep. Yep. You just bring it and to the best of your ability. And even if it is, like, if you had one or two lines or whatever, if you bring it you brought it. You know what I mean? You're like, Okay, now I'm done. But you still brought it in those two? They go. Oh, I believe you. That's right. Yeah. And you walk away. Go. Okay. I'm good. Sam Prince 16:46 Right? Yeah. No, Jean Gerczak 16:49 don't forget that you are important. It is important, what you say and how you say it. For sure. Sam Prince 16:56 For sure. Yeah. Well, awesome. So that was some great tips. Man. There's, there's like 50 Great tips in there. Jean Gerczak 17:07 Sam, you know, I'm not at a loss for words. Sam Prince 17:10 Yeah. Right. So great. Yeah. Keep it up. Don't ever change. ever change? Well, yeah. So I so let's play game. Okay. So I asked you to give me your top eight. Actors and actresses. Yeah. And we're gonna kind of put them up against each other, and we're gonna see who your favorite one is, as of today. Okay. All right. And you gave this list that you have was so great. I mean, really one of my favorites so far, because these are actors and actresses that I think all of them I love. But they just don't come up as people's favorites. Favorites, you know what I mean? Exactly, but, but they're all amazing. Actors. Right. Right. Yeah. So let's, let's go. So first, first bracket. We got Daniel Day Lewis. Okay, verse versus Gary Oldman. Oh, no, no, that's a tough one. Oh, Jean Gerczak 18:24 my God. Okay. No, no. Okay. All right. Oh, I have to say it. And these are people that I cannot if they're in a movie or something. I cannot not go. Because I Oh, no, I'm going to have to I didn't get ever say this. Okay, I'm going to have to say Gary Oldman. Sam Prince 18:49 Yeah. Why is Jean Gerczak 18:52 it Daniel Day Lewis. Always is like the first in my mind. I've seen everything he's done. Very versatile. Very oldman. There. I, I just have to listen to him. I don't care what he does. He is different in each role, different in each room. And he's nasty. He's he can be my favorite, of course is Dracula. But um, he's did Sid Vicious loved it. And he was Sam Prince 19:21 he was he was the commissioner in Batman. Jean Gerczak 19:25 Yeah, I and he looks different. He talks different acts different. You don't see him? Around talk. Okay. Let's see interviews too much. No, he doesn't have to. I don't have to. Um, and I have to, I don't know. Fifth Element he was in he was funny. Yeah. He's been a lawyer and there's really not anything I don't think in his mind. He thinks I can't do he's just like, Okay, I'll pick this up, pick that study and do it Lola. But I cannot not see him on TV or anything. I can't. It's just I can't, it just makes me, um, Harry Potter when he was there. He brings something so different and special and he just does it. Yeah. Sam Prince 20:11 Yeah, I completely agree. is one of my favorites too. Oh my god. Yeah. Alright, so then now the next bracket we got is Kevin Bacon. And William Defoe. Jean Gerczak 20:27 Oh, no. Okay. Okay, hands down. And I think there's not one thing that Kevin Bacon hasn't done that he can't do. But William DePaul is just in this bracket. I don't even know what to say. He is. Oh, William defaul. I just saw him the other what was he in the other night? Oh. Oh, the movie at the movie theater Batman. He would come back as the Green Goblin. Sam Prince 20:55 Well, yeah, Spider Man. Jean Gerczak 20:57 Spider Man. Sorry, Spider Man. Yeah, I can't be so great. I just think you're like, oh, my gosh, William Defoe. Now it's even better. And he just does nasty characters. And you're like, Oh, Sam Prince 21:10 my God is aged a bit? Jean Gerczak 21:13 No, not at all. What the heck? Yeah, he is just so intense. And he can be really nasty. And, and, and then very, like when he was in platoon very. Oh, you know? You're like, Oh, he's a he's a good guy. And cool guy. You know, I don't know he. I just don't think if you're acting with him, boy. I don't know. Because I would just watch him I think. Yeah, I just don't think I could. Yeah. So yeah. Willing to fall. Yeah. Sam Prince 21:48 Yeah. Yeah. That again to great actors. So glad you picked them. Because they, but I agree. I agree. I have to be true. All right. All right. So then, next to man, these are great ones too. Oh, Tom Hardy. Yep. And Sally Field. Jean Gerczak 22:15 Ah. Oh, see, Tom Hardy's my new love. But Sally feel? Oh my gosh, think of where she started. Is that cute? Little non right. Yeah. Sam Prince 22:28 Oh, she was so cute. And that was? Jean Gerczak 22:31 I thought she's cute. And she's done. Huh? Which shows a gene apply? None. Line? None. Yeah. Yeah. And she's done everything. And Sally Field. I loved her in Lincoln, when she was his wife. And you've seen other people play? Lincoln and Lincoln's wife, right? They're not even close to her. She was so intense. Very realistic to the mental health issues to losing her children her son and I just don't I don't think there's anybody that can do everything that she does. She does calm they be and she's so intense. But she's really fun. Sam Prince 23:14 Yeah. Oh my gosh. Jean Gerczak 23:20 Oh my god. Sam Prince 23:21 I just remember, I just rewatched iPhone A Jean Gerczak 23:27 Yes, man. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh, that was kind of Sam Prince 23:33 a review one. Yeah, it was creepy. Yeah, wasn't it creepy, Jean Gerczak 23:37 but she was so I thought, ooh, that's so creepy. But she is I don't know. I I see her as a mother grandmother. Anything that she does. I just think she's great at and I think boy, she's really believable. She's funny. You know, smoking the bandit. You're like, she's just miles and gotten better if that's even possible. Yeah. Yeah, lover. Sam Prince 24:01 All right. So she beats time by a little bit. Jean Gerczak 24:04 Oh, yeah. Good. Yeah. Sam Prince 24:10 Thanks to Amy Adams. Against Kate. Jean Gerczak 24:17 Oh, no, you know what? Darn it. I even though Cate Blanchett. There's nothing she can't do and hasn't been in. I have to go with Amy. I know. The last thing I saw her in was little Superman and all that but sharp, sharp edges or something that was on HBO. Oh my gosh, Sam. Oh, wait. If Sam was pretty sure, like Yes. Sam Prince 24:44 We're back to your hometown. Yeah, yeah. Oh, man. That was amazing. Yeah, Jean Gerczak 24:49 i i She's very intense. Um, she just brings it. She can do anything. And I like her presence. And I like the way she talks and looks at I don't know what it is about her. She's another one that I have to go watch, because she can get really nasty, but she can be very, like a little princess to type of thing. And so there's something about her ID. I think she hasn't even done our best stuff. So Sam Prince 25:20 yeah, I agree. I agree. Alright, so now we got the final floor. Oh, no, no. So as these are great, so great. So Gary home and against William Defoe. Oh, no, Jean Gerczak 25:38 I'm okay. I cannot go against Gary Oldman. I can't. Okay. I can't. Okay, I won't know. Sam Prince 25:46 That's that's that's okay. All right. Sally feel against Amy Adams. Jean Gerczak 25:56 Oh, no. Oh, oh. Oh, no. Okay. I can't No, I can't do Amy. I'm sorry. Because I've been following Sally for too long. Sam Prince 26:08 So is she Jean Gerczak 26:11 she's in her own place. And Amy has work to do. Yep. Sam Prince 26:14 Exactly. Right. Right. I mean, it's just Sally's just been around. Wait. Jean Gerczak 26:19 I just can't. Yeah, lover. Sam Prince 26:21 She was added. Remember? She was on ER, for a minute. Yeah. Me. Oh, my gosh, just see Jean Gerczak 26:31 where the I mean, where they ban where they go. i It's just unbelievable. But I I just see Sally Field in things. And I just, I don't know, you know, what's going to be special and really funny and intense. And you're like, I'm just gonna sit here and wait, I'm waiting. Right? Oh, yeah. I'm just waiting to see. I don't care how old she gets either. I'm just going to sit there and watch. Sam Prince 26:54 Yep. Yeah. So ironically, we got the two veteran. Amazing going against each other channels. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Gary Oldman again, Sally Field. Jean Gerczak 27:10 Oh, no. I cannot. I'm sorry. I cannot go against your Wow. Yeah, I can't do it. I can't do it. I won't. Sam Prince 27:22 Oh, eight years of experience fun. Jean Gerczak 27:25 Yeah. No, I can't No, no, remember Dracula? Remember? Shimano? Yes. I can't. I can't do it. Because I feel bad. Sam Prince 27:36 Yeah. Oh. I love him. I mean, but yeah, I Jean Gerczak 27:40 just can't Yeah, I have to. I have to stay with him. Sam Prince 27:43 Yeah. You see a book, Eli? Jean Gerczak 27:47 Yes. Oh my god. That's another one. You know what that movie? I watch over and over again. I just didn't watch it. And I cannot not watch it. Sam Prince 27:56 Alright. Me neither do my, probably my top five favorite movie of all time. Jean Gerczak 28:03 Oh, my God, and I'll sit there next year. It is on again. I'm watching it, enjoying every Sam Prince 28:09 bit of it? With every bit of it. And honestly, I think it was probably one of those best movies in my opinion. Jean Gerczak 28:17 He you know what? And Denzel. You can't ever forget Denzel because what can you do bad? Right. I mean, how is it? He? It's just impossible. Sam Prince 28:28 It is impossible. It's impossible. But for him to Yes. You sit back and watch him. Good for him to be have to fight do those fight scenes and yeah, and and. And then go against Gary Oldman. I mean, those two together, it's like, yeah, Jean Gerczak 28:47 yeah. Yeah. You just can't. I mean, it's, it's impossible that Yeah. Because see, because, you know, Denzel, you can sit back and go, Ah, I'm just gonna enjoy myself. Let's see what he because you know, you're going to write, and then Gary, I'm always like, what you got to do. I want to see what you do how you say it. How are you going to be? And how intense you're gonna, you know, and I'm just like, I'm waiting. You know, but I know that it's going to be perfect. Yeah, exactly. Sam Prince 29:17 All right, Gary Oldman is the winner. Jean Gerczak 29:19 Yeah. I'm sorry. He has to be Sam Prince 29:22 a do not apologize because he is the man. I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yo, what's up and s? Jean masterplans. Now as far as acting goes, I mean, we have are playing in February. Yeah. Any plans after that? Jean Gerczak 29:43 You know, I was talking to now now that you mentioned it. i The last time I saw Angela, I was saying what's going on with the theater that she's involved with? I know that theater. Yeah. And it's nice and and then of course you I always have civic and I think I would like to dabble in, see what's down, like, what's going on? What's going on with the acting, but then again, it has to be the right age, the right role, whatever. Um, and I still want to maintain my contacts and and I'm just here so right, you know, make contacts will work Sam Prince 30:23 for food. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Jean Gerczak 30:26 Yeah. You name it, I'll do it. Um, you know, this. Yeah. Whatever. Hopefully, let's say I just got to think I've got to get back out there. And of course, you know, you got to figure out what, what do you think is right. I wouldn't mind singing a little. But just, you know, don't count me out. I'll think of something. All right. Well, Sam Prince 30:57 that's awesome. And that's all it really is. You know, it's about getting out there. But yeah. Waiting for that. Right. Good feeling, Jean Gerczak 31:06 right. Don't worry. I'm gonna get out there and try though. See, what, what what it looks like what what are the roles what is what looks possible and see what you may be could add to it. Some type of thing, and then just hope for the best. Sam Prince 31:26 Exactly. right thing to do. To get your name on it. I'm just gonna say, Jane, listen. While we're, while we're doing, this is your role. Jean Gerczak 31:38 Now, remember, and now remember, I'll do anything. All right. Okay. I mean, you know, Nikki. All right. Sam Prince 31:55 Well, thank you so much for joining me again. You bet. This was so much fun. Jean Gerczak 32:01 It was fun. And thank you for your time and I really enjoy working with you. Sam Prince 32:17 Hey, thank you for listening to the creativitorium podcast. Again, my name is Sam Prince. And it is my honor to be your host and thank you so much for listening. I would also be honored if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts and say some nice things about what you just heard. And definitely please listen every week. We come out every Tuesday. Also, for more information about coaching classes, workshops, and upcoming productions, please check out our website Samber dot productions, that's s a m b e r dot productions. And you can also subscribe to our newsletter. And remember all the worlds a stage