How Do You Give Notes?
"I think giving notes is among the most important tasks a director must do. And how one gives a note is often as crucial as what the note is." -- Scott Alan Evans, Co-Artistic Director of Actors Company Theatre More »

Look Like Someone Famous?
"That's a tough one. [In] the casting director game, it's half this and half that. There are situations where it could help." -- John Papsidera More »

How Should Actors Prepare for Pilot Season?
"If you have an audition for pilot season, prepare for the part by studying the sides until you know the material so well that it flows." - Ken Lerner, Ken Lerner Studio More »

When Should an Actor Get a Publicist?
"I would advise actors to not hire a publicist until they have an important and visible project or role to promote—for example, a television series, studio film, or great indie film" - Lee Wallman More »

Bad Audition Recovery?
"The funny thing about auditions: Sometimes when I think I've totally blown it, that's when I get the callback. The same can be true for a performance," --Scott Kerns More »

Actor's Responsibilties on Set?
What do you expect from actors when they show up on the set? What are their responsibilities? More »

What Do You Expect From Actors On Set?
"I think being available is very important. Sometimes you have to dial yourself down to zero, so you're available for the character, for the director's directions, for the scene to happen." - Ang Lee More »

Seeking Audition Feedback?
"In my experience, CDs are more apt to give feedback if they had a strong feeling about the reading, good or bad. If I think the feedback will help the actor, I pass it along." More »

How Can an Actor Be Proactive in His or Her Career?
How to engage our developing clients in their own destiny, how to empower them, how to put them in the driver's seat -- those are the questions we confront daily. More »

How Do You Cast Superheroes?
"With Peter Parker [in "Spider-Man"], it's interesting because he's sort of the anti-superhero. He's the nerd who becomes powerful against his will." More »

How Can You Use Improvisation in Preparing for a Role?
"Improvisation is the art of finding your freedom within a moment. Acting in film is about creating and shaping moments for the camera.One cannot create and shape moments without freedom." More »

The Hollywood Closet
I now have a chance to go to Hollywood, but I've been told I need to go way back into the closet if I want to be a leading man there. More »

Worst Acting Conditions?
"Once I hit the stage and experienced the hot glare of the lights, the oppressive heat transformed me into a fountain of sweat, with my leather pants sticking to every inch of my lower body." More »

Giving Notes?
"Giving notes to actors is a craft unto itself. It's about efficiency and timing. Knowing how and when to give a note is sometimes more important than the note itself." More »

Common Mistakes
"Doing too much in their montages. Even having a montage. Directors and casting directors really want to cut to the chase with you, not see little bits of everything you've ever done." More »

A Day In Your Office
"If you are able, I recommend that every actor should intern at an agent's office for at least a week. I started in this business as an actor interning for the agency who represented me." More »

Should I Sign with a Rep?
"Be wise to those who coast on their reputations, are always looking backward, or hold themselves out as a friend. You want a friend, get a dog." More »

Costumes and Props at an Audition?
If dressing in character or carrying a phone works, use it! The time an actor spends in the audition room is that actor's time to get the role. More »

Approaching a Role with an Accent
My actors are required to master accents. They use dialect CDs offering a step-by-step approach with specific drills and exercises. More »

Typed Out?
I want to stretch, to play parts that challenge me, but I seem instead to always be cast in similar roles. It's undermining my self-confidence. Am I kidding myself about my acting talent? More »

How Do You Collaborate With Actors?
I  like to think of a play as a blueprint for a house. All of the people involved in the production help build the house. In the context of a new play, the actors are the heavy lifters—they are the ones laying the foundation, brick by brick, of the emotional substance of the house. More »

Of All Your Performances, Which One Are You Most Proud Of?
Two years ago, I did a Shakespeare play, "Pericles," for a small Shakespeare company in Seattle, with a director named Sheila Daniels. I played Thaisa, which is not a huge part, but from start to finish the production was one of the most collaborative. More »

Can Comedic Timing Be Taught, or Is It Innate?
An acting teacher of mine (quoting an acting teacher of his, who was quoting an acting teacher of his, etc., ad infinitum) once said, "Emotion is to the actor what sweat is to the athlete." More »

What Does an Actor Need to Know Before Moving to New York?
Moving to New York to pursue your career is the first step toward a promising future, but that future isn't always as rosy as it may appear from your hometown bedroom. More »

Do You Attend Workshops and/or Showcases?
I love to attend showcases and workshops. The problem is allotting the time to do so. More »