We lost money on the production and no agents or casting directors showed up. It was a credible production and we did get one review by Leah D Frank from Theater Reviews,November 1977 "Elements of the script show genuine talent. The dialogue is believable and the characters, with their fears of involvement,are drawn with sensitivity and understanding" and about the actors "an extraordinary cast, John Del Regno gives a trenchant performance as the warm ,loving albeit maudlin guy who desperately wants to be someone special". I never looked up what trenchant means but I guess it means good.
I was offered another play by a director,Julie, who showed up. She was going to direct a new play to be done at the 13th Street Theater in the West Village.
I wasn't ready to do another play and I almost turned it down before I read it. I was in the process of calling and to give her some stupid excuse . While the phone was ringing I opened the front page, saw the first bit of wild hipster dialogue and hung up the phone just as Julie answered. Thank goodness there was no caller ID in those days.
The play was called "Gray Spades" and it took place in Newark, New Jersey in the early 50's.It was a jazzy and authentic rendition of a group of junkies who would go out in the city to rob or sell their body for money to buy heroin. The writer lived this life and had actually done time in prison for drug dealing.
I had known junkies from growing up in New York and this play, while authentic,was a sympathetic portrayal of these characters.
During rehearsal, the director and writer would bring in ex-junkies to school us in the difference between a pill high and heroin. An interesting aspect of these characters was that they came from the last Irish families, in a neighborhood that went almost all African-American. These posers walked and talked as if they were black.
Here was a character that moved and spoke totally different from me. It was not just a accent but a physicality that was ingrained in the character. I struggled with "Stash" my character until one day I put on a flop hat the wardrobe person brought . Once I put on the hat I began walking around with a swagger and attitude that the writer said was right on the money. All the characters in this play were taken from real people.Sometimes that's all it takes. Playing a cop helps when you put on the gun, somehow an object or apparel can be the key to the character. It got a good review from Rob Baker at Daily News Oct.19,1977,It sounded like an absolutely dreadful idea- a play set in Newark just after WW2, involving a bunch of white hipsters, talking, moving and acting like blacks. But "Gray Spades" works beautiful from start to finish. "about me an outstanding cast, John Del Regno, as a love for hire,sex object of another flavor"
Erica went back to Michigan out of frustration from her stalled career.She could not take the frustration and began to doubt herself. She would go on a stupid commercial audition and question her every acting choice for hours. A 10 minute commercial audition would turn into a all night examination of her talent and prospects for the future. In my opinion many, actors with degrees in theater come to New York and La thinking that's all they need. The professor/instructor most times is not a professional actor or director and basically do not know the work. During rehearsal for the play we produced, I had to school Erica in some basic acting. I was lucky in that when I jumped in , I knew, I knew nothing.
With Erica gone, alone again,I looked around at my now empty looking apartment and I missed her. She was a pain in the ass but it was nice having her around. I should have listened to her more as I had a bad habit of talking politics,religion and science at parties or gatherings. Erica said I was just getting people mad at me and I should just talk about nothing or agree with whatever bullshit people were talking about. I said this was against my nature and she said just keep your mouth shut. She turned out to be correct.
I had done a lot of acting over the last 5 years but career wise I was still at the bottom going nowhere. I decided to get in tip top physical shape. I was now 33 years old and better hold on to whatever youth I had left.
I struck out in every audition I had for a year after Erica left. I was going through the worst time I had since I ventured into acting. Looking into the future, all I could see is me aging while driving a cab.
One Thursday, when Backstage would come out for all the auditions next week, there was an open call for the Eugene O'Neil Memorial Playwrights Conference in Conn. I usually didn't bother with open equity calls . The only reason they had them was because Equity required they have them occasionally. Either the producers knew who they wanted before the open call or they were already in rehearsal.Open calls for paying jobs never had the director there and were conducted by some assistant who merely took your pic and resume and would call if interested, they never did.
I thought I would go this time, at least there would be the usual crowd of actors that I knew . This was a very prestigious conference as they would do stage readings of 16 new hand picked plays and were covered by all the producers and agents from New York and La who were looking for new properties. Name actors,A- and Bplus, would jump at the chance to work there.
I went early to sign up and there were already 1500 actors before me and the chance to get in were slim but I had nothing to do so I just hung out. After a couple of hours, an actress Rosemary, who I had done some play readings,was rehearsing a PBS special in the building, saw me and asked what I was doing there. I told her I was hoping to get a interview for the O'Neil. She was very well known in the business and had won an Obie Award for a play she did Off-Broadway. Rosemary said she had worked there many times and would recommend me for an audition.
I went home without an interview and forgot all about it.After all, people in this business bullshit you all the time. A couple of days later I got a call from The O'Neil Cd, to come in for an audition. I asked if I could get the script beforehand to work on it. He said they don't let scripts out but to come a half hour early to look at the scenes I would read. I wasn't worried, I had become a pretty good cold reader. To give a good cold reading you have to decipher what the scene is about and what your character's intention is.
When I told some of my actor friends about the audition coming for the O'Neil, they were shocked, how did I manage that. Actors were trying for years to get a shot like this, just having the audition was a great milestone they explained to me and I should be happy to show them my work. Of coarse actually getting hired was beyond hope, or so they said.
I was offered another play by a director,Julie, who showed up. She was going to direct a new play to be done at the 13th Street Theater in the West Village.
I wasn't ready to do another play and I almost turned it down before I read it. I was in the process of calling and to give her some stupid excuse . While the phone was ringing I opened the front page, saw the first bit of wild hipster dialogue and hung up the phone just as Julie answered. Thank goodness there was no caller ID in those days.
The play was called "Gray Spades" and it took place in Newark, New Jersey in the early 50's.It was a jazzy and authentic rendition of a group of junkies who would go out in the city to rob or sell their body for money to buy heroin. The writer lived this life and had actually done time in prison for drug dealing.
I had known junkies from growing up in New York and this play, while authentic,was a sympathetic portrayal of these characters.
During rehearsal, the director and writer would bring in ex-junkies to school us in the difference between a pill high and heroin. An interesting aspect of these characters was that they came from the last Irish families, in a neighborhood that went almost all African-American. These posers walked and talked as if they were black.
Here was a character that moved and spoke totally different from me. It was not just a accent but a physicality that was ingrained in the character. I struggled with "Stash" my character until one day I put on a flop hat the wardrobe person brought . Once I put on the hat I began walking around with a swagger and attitude that the writer said was right on the money. All the characters in this play were taken from real people.Sometimes that's all it takes. Playing a cop helps when you put on the gun, somehow an object or apparel can be the key to the character. It got a good review from Rob Baker at Daily News Oct.19,1977,It sounded like an absolutely dreadful idea- a play set in Newark just after WW2, involving a bunch of white hipsters, talking, moving and acting like blacks. But "Gray Spades" works beautiful from start to finish. "about me an outstanding cast, John Del Regno, as a love for hire,sex object of another flavor"
Erica went back to Michigan out of frustration from her stalled career.She could not take the frustration and began to doubt herself. She would go on a stupid commercial audition and question her every acting choice for hours. A 10 minute commercial audition would turn into a all night examination of her talent and prospects for the future. In my opinion many, actors with degrees in theater come to New York and La thinking that's all they need. The professor/instructor most times is not a professional actor or director and basically do not know the work. During rehearsal for the play we produced, I had to school Erica in some basic acting. I was lucky in that when I jumped in , I knew, I knew nothing.
With Erica gone, alone again,I looked around at my now empty looking apartment and I missed her. She was a pain in the ass but it was nice having her around. I should have listened to her more as I had a bad habit of talking politics,religion and science at parties or gatherings. Erica said I was just getting people mad at me and I should just talk about nothing or agree with whatever bullshit people were talking about. I said this was against my nature and she said just keep your mouth shut. She turned out to be correct.
I had done a lot of acting over the last 5 years but career wise I was still at the bottom going nowhere. I decided to get in tip top physical shape. I was now 33 years old and better hold on to whatever youth I had left.
I struck out in every audition I had for a year after Erica left. I was going through the worst time I had since I ventured into acting. Looking into the future, all I could see is me aging while driving a cab.
One Thursday, when Backstage would come out for all the auditions next week, there was an open call for the Eugene O'Neil Memorial Playwrights Conference in Conn. I usually didn't bother with open equity calls . The only reason they had them was because Equity required they have them occasionally. Either the producers knew who they wanted before the open call or they were already in rehearsal.Open calls for paying jobs never had the director there and were conducted by some assistant who merely took your pic and resume and would call if interested, they never did.
I thought I would go this time, at least there would be the usual crowd of actors that I knew . This was a very prestigious conference as they would do stage readings of 16 new hand picked plays and were covered by all the producers and agents from New York and La who were looking for new properties. Name actors,A- and Bplus, would jump at the chance to work there.
I went early to sign up and there were already 1500 actors before me and the chance to get in were slim but I had nothing to do so I just hung out. After a couple of hours, an actress Rosemary, who I had done some play readings,was rehearsing a PBS special in the building, saw me and asked what I was doing there. I told her I was hoping to get a interview for the O'Neil. She was very well known in the business and had won an Obie Award for a play she did Off-Broadway. Rosemary said she had worked there many times and would recommend me for an audition.
I went home without an interview and forgot all about it.After all, people in this business bullshit you all the time. A couple of days later I got a call from The O'Neil Cd, to come in for an audition. I asked if I could get the script beforehand to work on it. He said they don't let scripts out but to come a half hour early to look at the scenes I would read. I wasn't worried, I had become a pretty good cold reader. To give a good cold reading you have to decipher what the scene is about and what your character's intention is.
When I told some of my actor friends about the audition coming for the O'Neil, they were shocked, how did I manage that. Actors were trying for years to get a shot like this, just having the audition was a great milestone they explained to me and I should be happy to show them my work. Of coarse actually getting hired was beyond hope, or so they said.
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