In today's episode Sam gives a quick update on the launch of the Creativitorium with a recap of the episodes already available, as well as giving some helpful tips to overcoming your fear and anxiety of acting. Check out www.samber.productions to enroll in our free newsletter and check out the acting classes! Follow along on Instagram: www.instagram.com/samber.productions Remember, All the world is a stage!
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 creative torium podcast and action. Welcome, welcome. Welcome to the creativitorium podcast. I'm your host, Sam Prince, thank you for joining me. Thank you so much. So appreciate it. This is episode solo, episode number two of the brand new podcast How cool. So what I like to do is when I do my solo ones, kind of recap what we have talked about. So you can go back, review, re Listen, or newly listen to the ones that we just did. And then kind of give you a little preview a little sneak preview of what's up to come. What's up to come? What's upcoming? It's probably a better way to say it. So what have we learned so far? What what what did my guests share with us? That so cool? Well, we learned that you should never give up on your passions, no matter how old you are. And it's never too late. Never too late to do what your dreams are if acting directing, theater, film, being behind stage, lighting sound, whatever your passions dreams are, it's never too late to do it no matter how old you are. And you can stay in the business for decades. If that's what you want to do. There's, there's work out there, y'all. What else do we learn? Well, what to do when you don't get that audition, right? And things really reflect on when you don't get that audition. It's not the end of the world. But what can we do? What else did we learn? Like I just said, There's opportunities all over the world. We talked about that. We talked about how to portray historical characters and historical figures and the proper way. So that you're not looking like, you know. You're not looking like Yogi Bear. When you should be Abraham Lincoln. You know what I mean? How to do that. How to kind of was the best way to say it, the importance of keeping auditioning, right. Always audition, always get yourself out there. If you see a role that you think you might be good for, go for it. And then finally, we did a lot of talking about black theatre and Grand Rapids, Rapids, Michigan. And I love talking about that. I would love invite. If there's anyone out there wants to talk about their local community theater. History. What's going on now? Present Future? Let's do it. Hit me up. Love to have you as a guess. Right. So what's coming up? What do we got coming up in the next few episodes? Well, I'll tell you a pretty I'm super excited because first we're gonna have one of my guests. Really good friend talk about vocal performance. Vocal Performance sang his performance in a word. I'm not sure. But vocal performance. And she's also a vocal coach. So basically she singing diaphragm throat voice, that's her thing. And she's got years of experience doing she's gonna talk all about that. So singing is your thing. Let's be honest Singing is huge, right? I mean, musical theater is huge. Broadway would not be Broadway without music. Right? And if you're an actor, and you can sing, and you got the dual threat going on, man, now, you just elevated your game even more, right? I mean, those those, those actors on Broadway, those singers and actors on Broadway man, the most talented in the whole world, you know, they're acting and singing, and sometimes dancing too, you know. So dancing is a whole nother thing we'll be talking about, but not not now, later. But saying, I just can't emphasize enough how important that is. For example, I don't know if you've seen a show called mega dune. It's, it's a really satirical comedy series really about musical theater. And if you haven't seen it, check it out. Mega Dune is God's SC H. I m, no. Se HMIGA de on. Weird name. Right. But anyway, one of the main characters is Keegan Michael Key who I love him. He's great. I mean, he's from you know, that Key and Peele theme, where they're doing no skit comedy things. And then they just blew up and now appeals doing the movies, like get out and all those things and Keegan's just doing all kinds of TV shows and everything. So he's main character in this one. And what's funny is that he's like, so enticing and like, we'll give away the whole premise. But everybody sings in this seriously silly comedy series, right? Everybody thinks but him, right? He's like, I'm not saying it, you know? And I'm thinking in my head, he's probably not saying it, because He probably can't say, you know, I mean, you know, I mean, I just, I was assuming, right? That comes apart where he just thinks no, just evolved that way. He can sing his butt off. You know, like, I was like, wow, look at Keegan singing his little booty off. skinny little white skin like me booty off. So, you know, I was just further impressed by him, you know, me assuming I mean, I know a lot of actors who can say, you know, I mean, you know, they just, that's just not their thing, acting as a thing. Singing is not all good. You know what I mean? Sometimes singers can act, you know. So I assumed that Keegan was one of those actors, but he is not he has got to dual threat. And that's what I'm saying, Man, and that just elevate your game. Alright, so what else we got? We got another good friend talking about Model Management, modeling? How huge is that if you want to be a model, you got to check out this episode. Right? Because modeling is also a form of performance. And also just a very lucrative business. You know, man, I've done some modeling myself, you know, it is all part of the acting, theater stage, performing arts world, it just fits right in there, you know, so don't miss that. And then I'm gonna have some more friends talk about theater, and theater versus film. And you know, that there's just two different nuances there. So there is a difference, you know, and you have to acknowledge that and I got some great friends who are veterans in and the field talking about that. Then very soon, and I hinted about this before, but I'm gonna have some pretty darn famous guests. Come on, you know, I mean, no wish someday I'll be able to get to Nicole Kidman and the Denzel Washington's of the world. But these are people that are rubbing shoulders and acting alongside the Nicole Kidman, cells of the world. You know what I mean? And I'm super excited to have them on just to be honored by whatever they want to talk about. You know what I mean? So very happy. That is the update y'all. That is the update. So let's get into the meat and potatoes of today. I am looking for two types of creative cats looking for people who want to learn how to act or want to improve their acting skills. I provide acting and audition coaching for every level. But I'm also looking for all those creative cats out there who have a play or screenplay idea. Or maybe you're just stuck and need help writing your masterpiece, I can help you with that too. Just go to Sambre dot productions, that's sa n, b e r dot productions, and click coaching. All your options are right there. And we will achieve your goals together. It's never too late. Alright, let's go. And I wanted to just talk about, you know, the elephant in the room, but none of us really want to talk about anxiety. Right. And the anxiety about acting, you know, and the nervousness that I know many people have, you know, those who, who haven't done any acting yet, but really want to, but are so nervous to get up in front of people. Like it just makes their palms sweat. You know? That is a real thing. That is a real darn thing. Right? And we have to be aware of it. We have to acknowledge it. And what I want to tell those people is we all have it. And when I say all I mean me, I mean, I'm gonna speak for themselves. I'm gonna speak for Nicole Kidman. I'm going to speak for every single actor out there. We all get nervous to this day, when I say action, but you know before they say action, before that curtain goes up. And those lights come on. We all have it. Even myself. I mean, I get real personal here, y'all. It might be a little too much TMI, but this is the truth. Before I go on stage, sometimes before I have to go on set, for a camera shoot or whatever. I'll be so nervous that I have to go to the bathroom. And I'm not talking number one. Alright, and it may be more than once. Like, I get myself so worked up. And my whole digestive system and colon and what's on your intestines, all that gets. So round up to this day. That that's what happens. As embarrassing it is so even I get nervous. And I'm telling you, every actor will tell you the same thing. If you're not getting nervous, and something's wrong. If you and here's the thing, if you say to me, your neck and you say you know what? I never get nervous. I'm cool as a cucumber, man, I bring those curtains up. I'm ready. Let's go. Alright, there's one or two things. Have you seen it? It's one of two things. One you know what? It may be true? No, I'm saying I'm speaking for Denzel Washington. He may go on to send me like, you know, I got this. You know? Maybe when I was younger, I was nervous. I'm not nervous. Nervous now. Let's go. That's a real reality. It's a rare at reality, though. You know? I mean, if you are that good at your craft, you don't get nervous anymore, then God bless you, man. Wow. That's amazing. But I'm going to tell you if you are somebody who's saying I got this of cool as a cucumber 98% of you is lying your booty off. You are lying to your face. Because if you aren't, if you aren't, you know, it's like anything. It's like It's like going to that that finals basketball game. You know, it's like being in the Super Bowl. You know, it's like anything that's huge. You will be nervous about it. You won't you when you're when you're in that. You know let's take the first first play the Super Bowl. Right? You're in line. No matter if you're a quarterback. You're on the line. Looking at that dude across from you. Wondering what the heck's gonna happen? You're nervous. Same thing, man. Those Those dudes get paid millions of dollars and they're still nervous. deadzone Nicole get paid millions of dollars. They're still nervous. Community Theater People don't get paid anything. And they're still nervous. Alright, so it is across the board. All right. So that's the first thing I would want to tell anybody who's having anxiety is that we all have it. All right. We all have and I could just end it right there. You know, in this podcast over Yep. Yep. That's it. We all have it done. Because really, when you think about it that way, like what everybody is scared like me. Everybody's nervous like me. Sam has been acting for 20 3040 years. And still nervous. Wow. Wow. Huh? No. But let's take a step further. So for those who have never acted before, right, those are neg this is for this is for y'all. We already talked about, you know, everybody has that anxiety, everybody has that fear. So what you need to do now is show shift that focus off yourself and that fear to the enjoyment of the audience and what you're about to do. So take that fear. Put it behind you. Think about the performance of Jupiter bar to portray that is going to be this enjoyment of the audience and they're just gonna laugh. Well, they're gonna cry, or they're just gonna be a while by a performance. That just gonna Trump completely. That fear that you do put behind you. And you're gonna be like, Oh, my gosh, when it's over, you're gonna be like, Oh, my goodness. Why was I so scared? That was a coolest darn thing I've ever done. They, their audience so loved me. And they so were so amazed by my performance, that that fear is so infinitesimal compared to the enjoyment. I just gave a whole bunch of people. You know, and if it's a camera, same thing. Yeah, there's no audience. But there will be. You know, I mean, there's gonna be people watching what you are portraying right now. So focus on that. Forget about their fear. Yes, they're compartmentalize it. But think about the enjoyment. What you're about to do your portrayal. Right. So don't focus on what could go wrong. That's the other thing we have talked about. That's, that's, that's where a lot of anxiety comes from. Right? We're afraid. We're gonna flop. I forget our lines. We're gonna look like a fool an idiot. For a whole bunch of people. Again, we all have it. Have I dropped a line? Of course. But you keep going. It didn't stop me. I didn't say oh, man, I messed up. And now I can't ever do this forever, because I'm going to suck. No. You keep going. Because everybody doesn't. Again, if there's an actor out there that says, I've never dropped a line. See, it just makes me laugh. Just thinking about it. Any actor I would talk to anybody in Have you ever dropped a line? Course? Forgot? Of course, if they did, they had to say cut. Because you messed up that line? Of course. So don't worry about that. We all do it. Don't focus on what could go wrong. Focus on Waco. Right. Right, because you practice those lines so much, that you're going to make it right. And you're going to thrill everybody decision. That's what you need to focus on. Not the fear. be thrilled by what you're about to do. So that goes to the people who are completely acting free. In other words, they've never done any acting at all, though, those little tidbits of advice goes to you. Right. We all have it. shift the focus off yourself in the fear to the enjoyment. You know, don't focus on What could be go wrong? Don't have that self doubt. Right? Acting is not about self doubt. Right? It's about it's about performing and doing the best that you can. But let's talk about those who still have anxiety doing acting, you know? I mean, I'm one of them. Right? What do you do? First thing, really just two things, practice and practice some more. That's just the first thing I got do have another one. I said, practice twice. Because it's very important. Practice, practice, practice a set of three times. Because the more you practice, the more you know, your lines, the confident you're going to be. And the more less anxiety less mistakes, the less things you have to worry about what happened because you know, those lines backwards and forwards, you got it, you got those, you got the lines down. I said before that I've never had an actor say that they've never had anxiety. But I've definitely had actors say, I got my lines down, you know, I'm confident about my lines. And then that you can be confident about, you can be confident, say, I got my lines down, backwards and forwards, I can say him backwards if you want me to. And that comes from practice. And that's why they say that. So, practice, practice, practice. And then the second one is really just simple. You know, limit the caffeine and the sugar that you have right before the shows before you got to go on set. You know that? I know it's simple, but those things, raise your blood pressure, raise all kinds of things. You know, so water, stick with water, caffeine and sugar can really make the anxiety worse. Alright, so there we go. I mean, the overall thing that I can say about anxiety and fear about acting is that we all do it. And you got to shift your focus to what you're about to do the good things, the amazing things you're about to do. And don't focus on the self doubt and things that you're not going to do. Because that's not going to happen, right? Because you practiced and you're gonna Wow. And that that that's the goal. That is the ultimate goal. Well, thank y'all for joining me for this episode, solo number two. I hope you learned a little something. I'll be heard about what we talked about before was coming up. More importantly, thank you for listening. 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 words a stage.