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For Drama Students, It's California Here We Come By GILLIAN JACOBS
After four years of classical theater, subways, and winters of biting cold, Juilliard's fourth-year drama students are about to experience the land of palm trees, freeways, and plastic surgery. In short, Group 33 is headed for Los Angeles at the end of this month. What on earth could possess the actors to leave their cramped apartments and, en masse, get on a plane to L.A.? Well, for only the second time in Drama Division history, the drama students will be performing their Actor Presentations in the land of motion-picture milk and honey.
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The Los Angeles trip is not only a chance to make connections now, but also a long-term investment in the careers of Juilliard students.
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What exactly are these presentations, anyway? The Actor Presentations are the graduating class's introduction to the professional world. Every year in New York City—in front of a packed audience of agents, managers, and casting directors—each actor performs two contrasting scenes or monologues. After seeing the show, the theatrical professionals select those students they would like to meet, and many then come to see the students perform in Juilliard's repertory shows in March and April. Hopefully, by the end of the repertory season, each student ends up with an agent and a good introduction to the industry. (This year's Actor Presentations were directed by Stuart Howard, a noted casting director in the city who teaches audition techniques at Juilliard.)While the New York presentations have long been a staple of the Drama Division's program and those of many other conservatory training programs around the country, within the past 10 years many of these other schools had begun traveling to Los Angeles to perform as well. Their students have gained access to a whole different community of professionals and many opportunities have arisen for them, so Michael Kahn and Kathy Hood, the artistic and administrative directors of the Drama Division, respectively, began discussing the possibility of a Juilliard trip out West.One problem they faced was lack of funding; there was simply no allowance in the Drama Division budget for the expenses of the trip. So, when the members of Group 32 petitioned Michael Kahn in September 2002 to make the L.A. trip, they committed themselves to paying their own expenses, including travel and room-and-board. With this agreement from Group 32 and their willingness to help organize the event, Kathy and Michael felt confident to make the arrangements.A partial solution to the problem of expenses came from a partnership with the University of Washington's graduate acting program. By sharing a venue and performing on the same day, Juilliard could minimize the cost of space rental and the valet parking and catering that were expected by the industry professionals in Los Angeles. Partnering with the University of Washington also gave the students another group of peers to share their experiences with and another source of support.But what really enabled the project to come to fruition was President Joseph W. Polisi's efforts on its behalf, which led to a grant being provided toward the students' expenses from the Peter Jay Sharp Fund. "This year's trip would not have been possible without Joseph's intervention and support," says Kathy. "His belief that this trip is an important professional stepping stone for our students led to his involvement in securing funds, and we are enormously grateful to both President Polisi and the Peter Jay Sharp Fund for their support of this endeavor."Yet, after all this planning, no one knew for sure how the event would come off. Would anyone show up? Would those who did respond to the material and the actors? Would they like us? Luckily for all involved, the first presentation last May was a resounding success. The professionals in Los Angeles were anxious to see the Juilliard actors and all four performances were filled to capacity. Several students decided to move to Los Angeles after the presentation, and Jessica Chastain even snagged a holding contract. (For non-industry folks, that's a contract binding an actor to a particular network or producer for a given number of years, while they work on creating a role or show for him. The actor is paid even if the project doesn't materialize, but during that period, he cannot accept work anywhere else.)At this point you may be wondering, why does the Drama Division need to travel to Los Angeles? Our students receive the best classical theater training in the country; everyone in New York has seen their work. Well, like everything else, the entertainment industry was greatly affected by the recent economic downturn. One doesn't have to look far to see the changes the past few years have wrought. Open The New York Times to the Arts & Leisure section and take a peek at the theater listings: one or two new plays a year, hundreds of musicals, and (most depressing to actors) dozens of movie stars and television actors.Theater producers are increasingly fearful of investing in a project without a built-in audience: a familiar movie-turned-play, a former teen idol from the '80s, anything that will bring audiences into the seats. This means there are fewer and fewer chances for young actors in the New York theater. In order to get a part on Broadway (or even in the smaller Off-Broadway theaters), you now need to have created a name for yourself in film and television.Another important aspect of the trip, both this year and last, is the alumni gathering hosted by drama alumnus Keith David (Group 8). This provides a chance for alums who have relocated to the West Coast to network and to meet the graduating class. A large number of Juilliard graduates are now living on the West Coast; turn on the television and you will see Kelsey Grammer, Bradley Whitford, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, and John Benjamin Hickey, to name a few. For the graduating class to have exposure to the Los Angeles community from the beginning of their careers gives the students a greater chance at incorporating film and television into their professional lives. Kathy Hood remarked, "Juilliard actors are trained for a versatile career and are able to move from one medium to the next. The L.A. trip is not about booking a TV pilot, but your commercial work helps to support your theatrical work."All that said, the 15 members of Group 33 are in for some culture shock (except, of course, for those members who lived in Los Angeles before attending Juilliard). The rest of us will be behind the wheel of a car again for the first time in a few years, dealing with traffic jams and gas prices.There are probably professional shocks in store for the actors as well. In Los Angeles, there is a different relationship between manager and client, and the trip is a good opportunity to observe that dynamic in action. The business also seems less formal there than in New York, where agents fill out sheets requesting interviews with actors. In Los Angeles, it is more likely they'll hand you a business card and ask you to call them. In New York, each network has one casting director, while in Los Angeles, each show within a network has its own casting person. There are many more people involved in film and television there, as well as the studio system (which is nonexistent in New York).In total, the trip is not only a chance to make connections in the Los Angeles community now, but a long-term investment in the careers of Juilliard students. It is hoped that, as these trips continue, the network of Juilliard alums in Los Angeles will grow and strengthen, so that new graduates will have a community in California to nurture and guide them through the first, difficult years of their acting careers. I personally can't wait to experience the new and bizarre world awaiting me on the West Coast—if only for two weeks!Gillian Jacobs is a fourth-year drama student.
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