“Find all the good teachers and study with them, [and] get involved in acting to act, not to be famous or for the money,” the late Philip Seymour Hoffman once said. For young performers, training under a mentor is vital—and it’s even better if that person is a working actor themselves.
Take Mary Claire Garcia, who teaches at the California Institute of the Arts’ School of Theater while acting on television; her recent credits include “Grown-ish,” “9-1-1: Lone Star,” and “Criminal Minds.” There’s one lesson she learned from one of her own mentors, dialect coach Denise Woods, that she makes sure to impart to her students: “Work begets work.”
Garcia believes that “lived experience” in the industry is vital to an actor’s longevity. “It’s not in spite of but because of being a working actor that I’m able to share with my students what it can look like to create a living with this art, and how one might best prepare [to become] a professionally savvy working actor,” she says.
Gregory Wallace, an acting professor at Yale University’s prestigious David Geffen School of Drama, has plenty of firsthand experience under his belt, including multiple credits at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. He’s also worked with legendary directors like Austin Pendleton and Bill Irwin. Wallace believes that “it requires courage and some real guts” to embark on an acting career, and that “authenticity is absolutely necessary.”
He tries to steer his students away from “the ‘tortured artist’ mentality,” instead prioritizing patience and a holistic approach to the craft. “Younger actors who are determined to establish themselves in the theater community and are hell-bent on ‘getting things right’ can lose sight of how taking the time to enjoy the work can actually transform the work.”
Barbara Chisholm teaches acting in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin; her professional credits include Richard Linklater’s Oscar-winning “Boyhood” and critically acclaimed series like “American Crime” and “Friday Night Lights,” as well as Ellen Rodnianski’s upcoming film “American Baby.” As a theater actor, she’s performed in productions at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.;
and the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis.
She says that maintaining her acting career keeps her “relevant with what’s going on in our field. Every time I’m working, I’m learning; every time I’m in a play or film, I can bring [that experience] into the classroom. It makes me a better teacher to keep [my career] alive.”
Barbara Chisholm in “Misery” at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Credit: Mikki Schaffner
Chisholm stresses that staying up-to-date with the industry means taking regular trips to the cinema and theater, and keeping on top of current buzzy TV shows. This allows students to familiarize themselves with up-and-coming actors: the kind of projects they choose, the people they work with, and the communities they’re fostering.
Sticking around after theatrical performances can also be a great opportunity to connect with future collaborators. “Sometimes, you’ll see plays or performances that you don’t respond to as much. That’s fine; but get to know those people, too. Be the person people want to work with,” she advises.
Randy Kovitz, an actor, fight director, and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, agrees that his on-set experience allows him to impart specific knowledge to his students. His extensive screen credits include “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” and “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.”
He cites an example from the time he appeared on a 2012 episode of NBC mockumentary series “Parks and Recreation.” “I had never shot in that style before. I’m more used to four cameras or more of a theater-type experience, but this was kind of a hybrid of that. They had two cameras [mounted] on apple boxes, and they were wheeling them around the set,” he explains.
He mentioned the novelty of the experience to the show’s star, Amy Poehler. “I remember looking over at her and saying, ‘This was interesting, with these cameras like this.’ She said, ‘Yeah, it’s really good for your acting.’ What she meant was that you basically forget that there’s a camera there, so you’re working in the circumstances as your character. That was really interesting to me.”
The proof is in the pudding. Kovitz says that nothing makes him more grateful for his 20 years as a teacher than when past students reach out to tell him that they’ve booked work—like when Myha’la video-called him from the U.K. while shooting Season 1 of HBO’s “Industry,” or when he heard from Kennedy McMann when she landed the title role on the CW’s “Nancy Drew.”
Garcia believes that she has an obligation to help guide future actors toward success. “It’s written on my heart to support this next generation’s growth. Over the years, I have been blessed with colleagues and mentors that have helped light the way when I felt [my own light] dimming. Now, it’s my turn to pay it forward,” she explains.
“Being in conversation with all generations is crucial to collaborative storytelling and understanding one another’s humanity. I believe in listening to the youth; I know it made a pivotal difference when adults listened to [me when I was young].”
This story originally appeared in the Oct. 31 issue of Backstage Magazine.
Randy Kovitz Credit: louis stein/Gregory Wallace Headshot Credit: David Muller
