Okay, I didn't know the Producer of the show wanted us to PUSH for tickets. Originally, I didn't want to spread the word like this... After all, it has been a years since I last did a Theatre piece. So.. I'm just doing what I was told!!!
If you want to see me performing on stage (with Fangs), here's your chance!!! (If you are outside of the New York area, it is okay. DVD of the performance will be available early 2009)

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Tales of the Black Veil 6 - Sanguines on Stage is the latest incarnation of the Original Sanguine Stage Showcase begun by Nightforce International Productions in 1999. Tales of the Black Veil features stories, situations, monologues, and sketches - all with a vampiric slant. If its comedy, drama, philosophical, musical, etc-there will be a vampire involved! Some stories have been written by Vampyres and a few vampyres have been known to cross upon our stage. This version (as always) features new stories, some new performers and the same sensual sanguine theme. If you have a problem with our brand of Darkness, you are advised to stay home; but if you are even the least bit curious about our Dark World, you are more than welcome to the darkness...

Location:

Producers Club
358 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

Show Times:

• Wednesday (11/19/08) @ 8:00pm
• Thursday (11/20/08) @ 8:00pm
• Friday (11/21/08) @ 8:00pm
• Saturday (11/22/08) @ 2:00pm
• Saturday (11/22/08) @ 8:00pm
• Sunday (11/23/08) @ 2:00pm

For more info, please visit: http://www.nightforce.freeservers.com
Tickets: http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/145697

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TALES OF THE BLACK VEIL 6: SANGUINES ON STAGE PROGRAM LIST

Opening segment directed by Eugene Kopman

Host: Eugene Kopman
Cell Phone guy: jonathan Wexler
Vamps: Michael Harmon, Kapreme Lewis, Wayne Chang

Wedding Vows directed by John Bardy

Annie: Melissa Koval
Therapist: Lauren Piselli
Alex: Jonathan Wexler

Vampyrz Prey directed by Rod Barnes

Blain: Jonathan Wexler
Malki: Wayne Chang
Sarah: Melissa Jackman
Girl: Helen Tong
Cop: Julie Ann Colon

Strings directed by John Bardy

Evan: TJ Clark
Charlie: Wayne Chang
Beth: Amy Charowsky

Frederick Schwartz's Last Night on Earth directed by Rod Barnes

Schwartz: David A Barenfeld
Vamp: Cara Crompton
Dorian: Wayne Chang

Schwartz II: The return of the Koo-koo Banga King directed by John Bardy

Schwartz: David A Barenfeld
Margaret Wicks: Melissa
Silver Darius: Michael Harmon
Leslie: Canaan E Robinson Jr

Retribution directed by Rod Barnes

Nemesis: Michael Harmon
Carnal: Kapreme Lewis
Innocencia: Ji Young Kim

Blood Vendetta directed by Rod Barnes

Angelica: Melissa Jackman
Annicia: Jeannette Lutz
Sammael: Canaan Robinson Jr
Melanna: Helen Tong
Lord Praxys: D Michael McMillan
Jonas: TJ Clark
Anna Hawthorne: Carmella Bloom

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Thank you!!

Recently, I have been pretty active on Yahoo!Answers - responding questions about the business of acting. How to get started and where.

80% of the Questions were posted by Young Adults inquiry about wanting to be an actor, and wanting to be on the Disney Channel.

Everyday, I basically copy-and-paste my answers to one to another post (with some modifications based on the question). It's pretty much the same thing they wanted to know.

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Questions: I want to be on the Disney Channel. Where do I start?
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Answer:

Before you can land an audition for any Disney productions, you need the following:

1) Resume
2) Headshot
3) Talent Agent

I would strongly recommand you to take acting classes either at your school (Theater classes, or Drama Club). Get involved. If your school doesn't offer that, see if there are local Theatre Groups/Workshops that you can attend. (You can either find them in newspapers or online). If you want to be an actor/actress, you have to aquire the craft of acting first.

It is at your classes or workshops, that you will learn more about the business in acting. Develope your own network, or even, from your classmates, you'd get a referral to see their talent agents. - But do as much work as you can - audition for location theatre productions, student films, indie films... you name it. This will help you develope a good actor resume.

For headshots - I would just suggest you to find a friend, with a good camera and take a neutral photo of you from the shoulder up. (Do not spend $500+ for professional photos, unless you're already in the Union and have done a bunch legit works) As a starting actor, a good quality headshot is enough. (My first headshot is the one I took of myself in the bathroom - and I landed a national commercial) Once you are signed with a talent agent, he/she will recommand a reasonable priced photographer to you. (But make sure you do a research on the agent and the photographer first. check out http://www.easybackgroundcheck.com)

To find an agent - well, google for them, check out local newspapers... The world of mouth is the best way. My first agent that I freelance with was though referral from another actor while we were on a filmset as background extras!! Remember, network, network, network!! Some acting school offers Netowrking/Seminar events - it's a good way to meet Talent Agents (or Casting Directors) face to face - and leave an impression. Who knows, maybe you will be called into their office and get signed.

Also, if you have been doing a lot of local theatre performances - you will been seen, and discovered. Some Talent Agents *DO* attend the shows!1 Ask your castmembers to invite their talent agents and managers to the show.

Once you have a good resume, a decent headshot, and a talent agent (or manager) to represent - then that's where you tell your agent/manager to look out for any breakdowns or auditions from a Disney production. As him/her to submit you to them and see if you'll get an audition invite.

If you already become a popular name in various theatrical productions and commercials - Disney will probably be asking for you before you have the chance to ask your agent to submit you.

Other ways to find an audition with Disney production is to check out disney website often (also, ABC.Com). Sometimes they will have casting notice for various of projects, either promotional, reality show, or game show contestants. All of them helps, to get your foot in the door.

Good Luck!!
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Places that are available for Young Adults/Teens to start acting in New York:

HB Studio: http://www.hbstudio.org/classes/index.htm (scroll down and click on "Young People's Class"

ACTeen:
http://www.acteen.com
They offer training classes as well as industry networking & seminars.

TVI Studios - Young Actor Program: http://www.tvistudios.com/youngactors

Stage Coach: http://www.stagecoach.co.uk/stagecoach/html/country_usa.php?cid=9

If you are in LA, then The Network Studio West offers Intensive classes for Teens: http://www.thenetworkstudioeast.com/los_angeles_intensives.php

Over the weekend, I went to the rehearsal for The Tales of the Black Veil 6 (Nightfore Production). Little did I know, they were still finalizing casting the full cast for the show.

Anyway, I went from working in just 1 Act, to two other Acts.

Since it has been a while since I last did a Theatre production, I really wanted to just focus on one character. However, I was asked to audition for the open roles on Saturday... And I got them. (Because the production is actually for both Black Veil 5 and Black Veil 6 - they placed most of the actors who came to the audition in Black Veil 5, and left very little Male Actors for Black Veil 6) Some actors in Black Veil 5 would continue their work into Black Veil 6. And actors in Black 6 - gets to do multiple roles.

Originally, I was only "Vampire Prey," protraiting a very 'comic' role. (It's about time I do a comedy) - But after I read the scrīpt for "Strings" - the characters are so mentally messed up, I couldn't help it but gave it my all at the audition. I wanted that role.

Because they were also casting the lead actress of the scene - The other actor and myself are rotate doing readings with each of the 7 actresses. At the end, I was exhausted. I re-lived Charlie's scene 4 times within 10 minutes. Each time, I did something a little different to give the actress more things to play-off, so all their performance will not be identical. (For the first reading, I sat myself pretty far from the actress, then for the next reading, I was start out sitting in mid-stage, the following reading, I stood at the center...and the last reading I sat RIGHT next to the actress)

ANYWAY - it turned out that "STRINGS" will open the show, followed by "Vampre Prey." To me, that's going to be a tough thing to do... Because It'll super hard for me, to jump from a dramatic piece right into a comic role within a short period of time. (If you come to see the show, you'll know how emotionally messed up I will be) The two characters are just so... different....

Okay, my dear readers (Does anyone read this?!) - we still have more roles open for The Tales of the Black Veil 6. If you are interest...

Rehearsals for Tales of The Black Veil has begun! There are still roles for both The Resurrection and Sanguines on Stage but they are going fast! send an email to RodBarnes@nightforce.freeservers.com or nightforceinternational@yahoo.com for consideration.

The funny thing is, I'm FROM Los Angeles, but I've never been seriously involved in Show Biz there.

A number of my friends are moving to the West Coast, some wrote me if there anything that I can recommend that will help them with their acting career in LA.
If you know me personally, you will know that I'm always about helping out and sharing experiences. So, I did my research.

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I have heard about a great bookstore in LA called Samuel French. Even though it’s a bookstore, there are postings for local theatre castings, private coaching, classes, school… You name it.

The Los Angeles location is at:

Samuel French Bookstore
11963 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
Website: http://www.samuelfrench.com

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If you are an actor, then you definately need to have an account with Actors Access. Once you log onto Actors Access, you can go to The Virtual Channel Network – they have a bunch of web-shows that you will learn so much about the industry. “Inside Casting,” “An Agent’s Eye,” and “Coaching Corner” are my favorite shows.

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Everything Acting Podcast – an online Radio show that gives you insights to the industry. Darbi and Roz are amazing hostesses.

Now, here comes the expensive stuff…

Actors Network (http://www.actors-network.com) is a paid (monthly) membership based service that offers networking opportunities, seminars, coaching, etc… You can browse through their website and look around. I do know they offer free orientations for new or potential members who want to learn more about Actors Network.

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I’m sure you have heard of Actors Connection in New York. (They rent out studios for auditions) At night they, have host industry seminars and classes. (Expensive, but you get to meet industry people face to face).

They also have something in Los Angeles called "LA Connection," but instead of pay-per-class/seminar basis, it’s going to be 7 days workshop/seminar/classes all roll into one.

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Here is another one just like Actors Connection - but it's the West Coast version. It's called the Actors Creative Workshops.
Where they have a bunch of workshops taught by industry people (Director, Casting Director...etc)

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Actors Boot Camp. This is very similiar to LA Connection, but with more focus on learning Acting Techniques. From Cold Reading, Scene Studies, Monologues, On-Camera, and Freeing your body and use your body as instruements, you name it.

It's also a good networking place to meet fellow actors in LA, and maintain good relationships with the instructors.

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I hope these would provide good resources for those who are new to Los Angeles and wanting to break into the industry. And I welcome you experienced LA-based Actors, to provide feedback on other resources that will be helpful, for the 'emerging' actors.

***
Here is a great article by Michael Kostroff:


HOW TO NETWORK
The transplant’s guide to meeting L.A. actors
BY MICHAEL KOSTROFF
bsweditorial@backstage.com

Hey there, new in town? Moving to L.A. can be a challenging transition for an actor. It can be even more challenging without help from those who know the lay of the land. So, after finding an apartment, a car, a day job, your supermarket, your Starbucks, and all the other basic necessities, one of your next top priorities will be to build a network of fellow actors--for the camaraderie and for the connections. Your new showbiz neighbors can guide you to local opportunities, connect you with contacts, and provide the kind of support that can only come from those who are on the same path. But how do you connect? Because L.A. has a car culture, meeting peers can be a challenge. Here are suggestions for places where you can make a start.

Company Policy
Joining a theatre company offers multiple benefits. You make friends, which is of no small value when you’ve recently arrived and don’t know a lot of people. Your fellow members—professional performers, like you—will know more about the L.A. acting scene and can fill you in. You get to keep your chops up by working on plays. And if it’s a respected company, you’ll start having opportunities to be seen by casting people. What’s more, being accepted to a theatre company is a form of approval, letting you know that you haven’t made a terrible mistake by moving here.

Classy Connections
In addition to the obvious benefits of training, acting classes are great places to get to know fellow actors. Meeting at a party is one thing, but when actors study together, they bond in a deeper and more substantial way. What’s more, if you’re agent-hunting, a fellow actor is far more likely to recommend you if he or she has seen your work in class. (See our related article, “How to Choose a Teacher.”)

Uniting Through the Unions
Our actors’ unions offer wonderful programs, workshops, and seminars, which are well worth attending for their own merits. But an added advantage is that these events facilitate gatherings of actors, and they do so in an atmosphere of learning and solidarity. The SAG Foundation (www.sagfoundation.org) offers Conversations, “a national speaker series inviting high-profile industry professionals to share their experiences in the industry with an audience of actors,” and LifeRaft, “a professional development program that provides insight into the business of acting; giving SAG members practical industry skills and knowledge to help guide their careers and make informed decisions.” AFTRA also offers a series of classes and seminars for members, listed at www.aftra.com/locals/losangeles/membereducation.html, as does the Actors’ Equity Association. Information about Equity’s Education and Outreach program can be found at www.actorsequity.org/EducationOutreach/edoutreachhome.asp. Union educational events are nearly always offered without charge. (See our related article, “How to Join the Unions.”)

Meeting Under Protest
For better or worse, performing arts’ unions have had their share of strikes lately. On the up side, there’s no better place than a picket line to literally rub elbows with your peers. And there’s plenty of time to chat about the business—or lack thereof—as you tote your sign back and forth. Membership meetings are also good places to enhance your circle while staying actively involved with your unions.

Park It
When I moved from New York, I had a pretty snobby attitude about theme parks. That was before I learned that lots of performers with major Broadway and regional theatre credits work at places like Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. I did too, for years, and they were some of the best support jobs I ever had. I made a living performing, and I made friends and contacts—lots of them, many of whom I’m still in touch with. And the schedule is such that you have substantial breaks between shows. It’s a great time for hanging out and getting to know your new cohorts.

Site Search
Many actors stay in touch via websites like MySpace and Facebook, where you can join groups, communicate with peers, ask for advice, promote shows you’re in, organize gatherings, read reviews, and get information on classes, teachers, theatre companies, and just about any other actor-related topic you can think of.

Some actors choose to commune away from their professional settings. Here are a few of those places.

At Your Service
If you’re spiritually inclined, why not choose a house of worship where you can attend alongside fellow thesps? Agape, described on its website, www.agapelive.com, as a “transdenominational spiritual community,” seems to be a popular actors’ church, frequented even by those who don’t consider themselves religious. The Synagogue for the Performing Arts, www.sftpa.com, speaks for itself, and Valley Beth Shalom, www.vbs.org, attracts industry types as well. There’s also InterMission Hollywood, www.inter-mission.net, an interdenominational organization for Christians in the entertainment industry. Several Christian churches cater to the industry as well, such as Ecclesia Hollywood (ecclesiahollywood.org), and Mosaic (mosaic.org).

Get With the Program
You really want to meet actors? Go to a 12-step program. That’s not a joke, a recommendation, or a judgment. We’re just saying that if you choose to go, you’ll find comrades there. And because of the nature of these groups, 12-steppers also tend to be more supportive than competitive, and willing to help you get acclimated.

Helping Helps
You know what they say: If you want something, give something…or something like that. Volunteering is good for the soul, good for the world and a good way to connect. And since here, two out of every three people seem to be actors, you’re bound to meet some along the way.

Hangouts and Habitats
When not working on their careers, actors are often found at the gym, at the coffee house, or engaged in what is apparently our favorite pastime: eating and talking. The short stretch of shops and restaurants on Franklin Avenue, between Tamarind and Bronson, is an actors’ mecca, as is the 101 Coffee Shop a few blocks west. The hike at Runyon Canyon seems designed for reunions, as you’ll rarely get to the top without stopping to swap war stories with a contemporary. Some gravitate toward the Farmers Market on Fairfax, some gather at the Aroma Café in Studio City. The point is, you’ll meet more of your fellow artistes if you leave your house.
So welcome to L.A. It’s a strange place. But by connecting early on with your new showbiz comrades, you’ll find it a lot easier to navigate.

Michael Kostroff
Back Stage Columnist
www.backstage.com/workingactor
Author of "Letters from Backstage"

I had the pleasure working with photographer Christine Chang this past weekend. She's actually based in Los Angeles, but is in New York for a mini-vacation.

We took several shots in the Meat Packing District - with two different looks. I have say, she's a very 'precise' photographer. That, is actually nice, because she will physically adjust you to make sure you look your best in her shots.



At the mean time...

Currently, Christine is in New York until Mid-October, and she's offering her headshot package of $150 for 1 Hour Session (60-80 shots), and two touched up photos in high resolution picked by the talent.
Feel free to check out her portfolio at http://www.christinechangphoto.com