Creative Actors Lab

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Max and Kelley talk about their experiences with ghosts in a Miami theater, Underground Atlanta, and seeing holiday lights at a park in Tallahassee, where we actually got photo evidence two years in a row of a ghost with a tri-corner hat and his friends. What we learned from those experiences is that respecting the spirits is crucial, and when you do, they will often leave you alone and maybe jump in for a photo op.

If you'd like to read about the ghosts we mention, this link to Kelley's blog called Ghost of a Chance with the two photos.  This is the link to the blog that Max read - Between Here and Ever After. Max's Kindle book, A River Between Zen and Chaos, also talks about his experience with the ghost of the Cinematheque, which was located in Coral Gables before it moved to Miami Beach. 

Thanks, stay curious and creative!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Join Kelley and Max as we explore a few well-known and not-so-well-known acting superstitions.  We explore what they are and offer logical explanations for why they came to be and include:

• Whistling backstage 
• Ghost lights
• No blue costumes on stage
• No mirrors on stage
• Bad dress rehearsals
• No peacock feathers 

We also discuss the origin of wishing someone luck by telling them to "break a leg" and how that came into our modern lexicon. Finally, we address the Scottish Play (Macbeth), how it has an unlucky and sometimes deadly history, and how to combat the curse if it's said in a theater.  We look at the history from the first performance when the actor playing Lady McB died to the most recent instance when Chris Rock congratulated Denzel Washington on his performance as the Scottish King, only to be slapped by Will Smith just a few minutes later. 

DISCLAIMER - if you are in a theater and superstitious, when we get to the part about the Scottish tragedy at minute 25:47, you might want to put the podcast on pause, but if you do hear the name of the Scottish king in the theater, we offer ways to combat the curse.  This is the link to the hilarious scene with arrogant actors in Black Adder that we mention. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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In this episode, Max and Kelley welcome their special guest, Amber Grimm, a fellow writer and one of the sweetest people on the planet. We discuss her children's book, Polly the Polite Possum, and the importance of manners in a world that seems to value rudeness.

We explore how being kind helps you feel better and that sometimes rude people might have issues we're unaware of. As teachers, we've had our share of challenging students, and Max shares one poignant story of a young man named Bobby, who he describes as a "Tasmanian Devil," but when he sat down with the five-year-old, he learned what was driving the misbehavior.   

For additional stories by Amber that were read on the podcast,  you can go to Episode 4 - Boo's Zoo Adventure and Other Stories, our fourth episode.  

Thanks so much. Stay curious, creative and of course, polite like Polly!
 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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Max and Kelley discuss the importance of taking care of yourself mentally, whether you're an actor or a creative dealing with rejection (creatives do get a lot of rejection) or someone in the business sphere. We talk about our experiences dealing with people and places that were less than kind and how important it is to reach out if you are feeling down or depressed. We also talk about anxiety, whether you're on stage or on the job.  Practicing self-love is essential, and stepping back if you feel anxious or overwhelmed. 

If your health insurance offers counseling, check for what would work for you. If you want to do counseling online and in the privacy of your home,  BetterHelp is a great option. Tap into the world's largest network of licensed, accredited, and experienced therapists who can help you with various issues, including depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, grief, and more (note - BetterHelp does not sponsor us).
go to Better Help - www.betterhelp.com/officeladies (you need to cut and paste into your browser if you want the discount; the hyperlink does not take you to the discount page) for your first month of sessions provided by The Office Ladies podcast.  

Take care of yourself, and know you're not alone if you do feel depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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In this episode, Max and Kelley explore the world of auditions, the ups and downs, and how it's changed from being in person to doing demo reels. We also look at some of the not-great experiences we've both had. We talk about our own mistakes auditioning and how to beware of scams, i.e., if someone wants you to audition at their home or apartment, don't put yourself in that position and ask to audition at their office during business hours. We also talk about Jenna Fisher's experience from her book, The Actor's Life, in which a singing audition was a scam for a call-girl ring. This is a link to the Creative Actors Lab site and the video -  Actor Be Aware to learn about more dos and don'ts (the last video on the page).

It's essential to be prepared, but you also need to be able to do other roles besides your monologue or demo reel. Our friend, Brett Newton, has a site called Weekly Audition, where you can download scripts to practice every week. It is a subscription service starting at $15 a  month, but you can video and post the scripts on social media and have them ready when a casting director wants to see something different than your demo reel.   

Enjoy and stay creative. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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This week, Max and Kelley discuss three books that have helped shape their lives as creatives and actors.  The first is An Acrobat of the Heart by Stephan Wangh, a physical approach to acting.  This is a link to Stephan Wangh's website, which includes more on his most recent projects. The second is Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Augusto Boal, which includes more games about acting and the origins of the Theater of Oppressed.  This is a website that goes into more detail about Augusto and his methods.  Lastly, Kelley reads from a book that has influenced how she teaches improv and acting. Improvisation for the Theater by Viola Spolin, the creator of theater games, and a system of actor training that uses games she devised to teach the formal rules of the theater organically.  Here is a link to a website that explains her influence on the world of acting. Her son, Paul Sills, founded Chicago's world-famous Second City improvisational theater.  You can purchase the books on the websites or on Amazon. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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In this week's episode, Kelley and Max  look at more tools in the creativity toolbox including the use of  Lateral thinking which is a manner of solving problems  using an indirect and creative approach  via reasoning  that is not immediately obvious. It involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic.  The term was first used in 1967 by Maltese psychologist Edward de Bono  in his book The Use of Lateral Thinking. 

We also discuss the Six Thinking Hats which is a tool that allows you to consider a decision or problem from different angles. It enables you to deliberately see aspects you might otherwise overlook, making your decision better and more resilient in the end. Kelley talkes about using this from an improv perspective  with games like The Royal Court, Yeah, You.  We discuss two wonderful actors - Bryan Cranston and Brian Cox.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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In this week's episode, Max and Kelley look at different techniques of using creativity for problem solving from using randomization like bibliomancy (opening a random text and pointing to a word or sentence for inspiration) to techniques use by Carl Jung and Salvadore Dali for dream interpretation.  Max explains the difference between intuition and intellect and that in problem solving you can't use the same mentality that created the problem to solve it.  The creative prompt for this week is open a book and point to a word or sentence and see what sort of creative spark you get from it. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!

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In this episode, Max and Kelley look at Commedia dell'arte stock characters and how an Italian improvisational art form from the 1600s still influences what we watch today, from sitcoms like The Office, Friends, and Brooklyn 99 to cartoons like Sponge Bob Squarepants to shows like Succession.  We also look at how Commedia was the first theatrical art that allowed women to perform and that it was used as a form of political protest against Napolean.  Its influence is seen in Shakespeare and the silent movie era.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel -  @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page.  Thanks so much for listening!