j o l i e - b e t h t a l e n t
* singer * actress, * vocal teacher * acting coach * writer * creative thinker *
acting & perormance coaching
WHAT YOU LEARN
AUDITION PREPARATION
Nerves get the best of most people. There are many ways to get through it; however, one of the most effective methods is to practice technique. Know your craft. Come prepared.
Auditioning is a skill in its self and everything is a learning experience. Much like going on a job interview, going on a date, or meeting new friends, you have about two minutes to make a positive impression. Jolie-Beth Talent's students have been able to conquer fears by doing the work and knowing who they are. They have been taught to focus on what they have become and not on how they used to see themselves. They have been encouraged to not let the world tell them who they are, but rather to show the world, with out a shadow of a doubt, WHO THEY ARE. This brings confidence and the old, leftover, useless fears start shedding away just like a caterpillar's cocoon.
Poise, positivity, tenacity, training, a good work ethic, and a cheerful and professional attitude escalates one above the rest. In any field, people hire those who can do the job, who they can rely on, and most importantly, who they like. Period. Jolie-Beth Talent covers all of those bases.
After their first audition, many of students wonder why they were so scared in the first place and realize their true potential.
And that is when the butterfly wings start a' fluttering!
This 1980 something photo taken of a young teenage young lady auditioning for a show is me. I am not sure what show I was auditioning for, but I can assure you that I was prepared for it.
If I knew the title of the show, I read the book, watched the movie and edited my own monologues months before the audition date. If I didn't know, I had several monologues and vocal solos on hand prepared. If this is what you want to do, then do it well. If you don't, others will.
There are many who have training. There are many who have talent. The ones who are tenacious in their passion and are likeable are the ones who stand out and outlast their competition. Notice the body language in this photo. Relaxed. Real. Smiling genuinely. Humble confidence. At the end of the day, or audition, is all about being the person you yourself would want to work with.
ad lib | witty comedy
If it is not true, it is not funny.
Whether an actor is performing in a musical or a movie, a quick wit is extremely beneficial in both styles of acting. Thinking on your feet, reacting instead of acting, and finding just the right line to deliver even when there is no script is so much fun for the audience and the performer. How does one gain this wit? Ironically, most comedians get their material from very sorrowful circumstances that happened through out life. What truly captures an audience is the ability to tell the bitter painful truth, spin it, make it amusing, relatable, and funny.
There are many tricks of the trade that I teach and use regularly, but again..
If it is not true, it is not funny.
Just knowing this alone is helpful in finding your inner voice and becoming an authentic artist.
Jolie-Beth Talent teaches technique AND authenticity. Want a fake, nervous laugh from the audience or a heart felt belly hurting type of laugh. Do you want less than or more than? For that, one has to test the limits and inner boundaries. It is so much fun to explore. It is freeing. It is a dance inside your mind and very therapeutic.
Authentic performances are hard to come by. Be genuine, even when you are being funny.
method acting
If you don't believe it , neither will your audience.
- Bill Parr
Bill Parr was just one of the many directors I had the privilege to learn so much from. He said this all the time. It is so true. The more real the performance, the more real the reaction from the audience. Method acting is where the actor dives in to the character so much so that they become that person. The actor is not portraying a character. The actor is the person created in their own mind's eye and just happens to be on stage or on the set.
I only coach method acting if it is necessary, the actor is ready for it, or they are already doing it. It is deep and fun, but very intensive. At one time, I was known to be a so much of a method actress that I was not cast as Bloody Mary for the fear of me becoming her even for a brief period of time. Later I lightened up and branched out into comedy and discovered I, too, could be funny. Who knew?
I will coach the techniques of Method Acting when it is called for. However, it is not for everybody.
Regardless, JBT encourages actors and actresses to actually feel the line they are delivering. In speech class, one is taught to make the vocal tone fluctuate from high to low in order to make it interesting. That is all well and good and might get one far; however, that alone will not make an actor exceptional.
The audience yearns to see and experience the heart strings they themselves are too afraid to reveal.
Be brave. That is my heart felt advice.