A BRAND NEW NIGHT FOR SCENE STUDY will open up Tuesday, April 24th in
San Francisco. The hours and tuition are the same as the existing Monday night class. What this means is that you can choose between Monday and Tuesday classes. Pick one! Do not come Monday one week and Tuesday the next! If you try to do that, you will have a mess on
your hands with rehearsals and scene partners.

THE NEW Film Demo Workshop WILL START APRIL 25TH. LAST ONE IN SAN FRANCISCO! THERE ARE ONLY A FEW SPACES REMAINING.

There will be one more film class in San Francisco before I move to Chicago. It will meet on Wednesday nights, 7-10:30, starting April 25th and will be limited to sixteen actors. This will be a
twelve-week class (instead of eight weeks as previously announced) and the tuition is $675.

This new format is actually better for you, the actor. Each student will develop two scenes for a video demo reel. We will shoot on digital video and then edit on iMovie. I will put on titles and add
music, and then the scenes will be transferred to VHS. In this class, you not only work on camera technique, but you are introduced to the principles of editing, and you work on cold-reading audition technique for movies and TV.

COMMERCIALS WORKSHOP

There will be three more weekend commercials workshops: April 28-29, June 9-10, July 28-29. Tuition is $250. Half price ($125) if you had the class before and want to repeat.

READING ASSIGNMENT
If you can find a copy of the March issue of Los Angeles Magazine, it was devoted totally to acting, with interesting articles on LA acting coaches, theatrical photos, movie casting procedures, plus in-depth profiles into the working methods of actors like Ed Harris and Joan Allen. The April issue of Los Angeles Magazine is also worthwhile because it includes an article about the current SAG morass.

And as long as you have your reading glasses on, take a look on-line at a pretty good interview with playwright HAROLD PINTER in the Progressive. He talks about his plays and his politics.
http://www.progressive.org/intv0301.html

HOOKS IS A FEATURED GUEST IN AN ASIFA-SF (INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED
FILM SOCIETY) EVENT AT EXPLORATORIUM THEATER IN SAN FRANCISCO, MAY 30TH...
This is one of my Acting for Animators functions. I'll be giving a talk about acting and animation and then signing copies of my book "Acting for Animators". If you would like to attend, let me know,
and I'll put you in touch with the organizers. A good time will be had by all!

VOTE FOR BONE BABE!
SUSAN GARD (comml - '01) is in a competition to be the "bone babe" representative for a San Francisco rock radio station. Let's all vote for her and make her dreams come true. Here's the link for voting. That's her in the Week Four photo block. Go, Susan! Bone Babe! Yes! You're a ten in my book. http://www.1077thebone.com/promotions/bone_babes/vote.html

HOOKS ACTORS WORKING
DEBBIE FRANK (s.stdy - current) has been cast in a student film entitled "A Woman's Clothes". SUSAN GARD (comml - 01) got a costarring role in an independent short titled "Crossroads" plus the lead in an animated short called "Chance". Susan can also be seen in "Tragos", screening for two nights only at Venue 9 in San Francisco, March 15-16. NICOLE DOHERTY (comml - '00) played the title role in "The Little Prince" at San Francisco City College last month. NEIL HOWARD (comml-'99) is also in that movie. For info, go to: http://www.verticalpool.com/tragos.html. KATHLEEN PARK (comml - '99) shot an indie entitled "The Cat" and was recently cast as the lead for another indie, "Lei-la". ROCKY LAROCHELLE (f/tv - '00)has landed roles in two indies, "Imposing Beliefs" and "7-10 Split". He also did a national commercial for Bulbman. DEENA DI MARCO (comml -'01) shot an independent short called "Dirty Rat" for Expressions Center for Media Arts in Emeryville. JOHN PELLMAN (f/tv - '01) portrays Tom Hayden in "The Chicago Conspiracy Trial" at River Stage in Sacramento. JEANETTE HARRISON (f/tv - '00)) costars in A Festival of Shorts at Playhouse West, a collection of eight 10-minute comedic plays. Running March 29th through April 29th. For info: 925-942-0300. BAIRD TINKEY (s.stdy-'00) shot his first commercial, for Popcast.com. JAXY BOYD (all classes - '94-'97) appears in "Bee" at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco, through April 15th. Call 415-474-8800 for ticket info. MIA PASCHAL (s.stdy - '97-'99) shot a commercial for Heald College. BRETT ROSENBERG (comml-'99) snagged a two-day gig on "Days of Our Lives." JEFF DE LUCIO-BROCK (all classes - '99-'00) has roles in three indie films, "The New Year", "Pins and Needles" and "The City".

DON'T FORGET, ED WILL BE IN CHICAGO APRIL 8-13.
I will be in Chicago April 8-13th, checking out neighborhoods with my family. We'll be staying at the Embassy Suites, 600 N. State Street, downtown. If you want to say hello in person, ring me up. The hotel number is, I think, 312-943-3800. I understand there is a Starbuck's downstairs.

LOOKING AHEAD TO GERMANY...
I'm looking forward to teaching acting to animators in Germany the last week of June and first week of July. I'll be in Stuttgart (Filmakademie Baden-Wortenberg), Frankfurt (public class) and Munich
(Scanline Productions).

CRAFT NOTES
WHAT MAKES ACTING EXCITING?
Acting at its best is dangerous, unpredictable and thrilling. A scene, whether it be from a light comedy like "All's Well that Ends Well" or a tragedy like "Medea", works best when something actually happens to the actors on stage. The theatrical experience requires true emotion in the present moment coupled with the pursuit of theatrical relevance and story telling. I stress this last part about relevance and story telling because far too many new actors have the misconception that emotion is enough to carry the show. The truth is that an audience doesn't much care about an actor's ability to make herself emote on stage and, if she does it too much, they will actually turn off to her altogether. The important element in a performance is how the character you are playing is surviving in life. It is via emotion that the audience relates to the proceedings (empathy) on stage, but it is an exploration of survival that delivers them to the theater in the first place. Remember that
acting is a shamanistic activity. Actors are teaching the tribe how to survive. Just as life involves risk, so to does an effective performance.

Unlike other artists such as painters and novelists, actors put their physical selves on the line. They are not writing about life experience nor are they painting impressions of it with pastels and
oils on a canvas. They're not taking photographs of it with a camera. Actors get out on the stage in front of an audience and, using their bodies and minds, make something happen in the present
moment. When Caesar, in his dying moment, says to his son (yes, it is his son, but that's subject matter for another Craft Notes...), "And you, Brutus...", the moment is electric because it is about the very essence of life. If the actors are playing the scene well, the balance between life and death will hover over the stage, will be there in a distilled, almost tangible form.

If you want to be an exciting actor, the name of the game is risk. That is why acting requires courage.

....AND NOW A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT FEAR

I talk to a lot of actors who are trying to get up the nerve to commit to a professional career or, in a smaller arena, to commit to true exposure in a scene in class. They are afraid of risk because
of the fear of the unknown. Anxiety is a factor of not being in the present moment. If you are anxious, you are worried about something that you fear is going to happen soon or something that has already happened. A key to good acting as well as to success in life is to have the courage to be in the present moment as you move forward.

Change is probably one of the most fearful aspects of life. The last time any of us had certifiable comfort and safety was when we were held to our mom's bosom. It is scary to love, scary to leave and scary to grow. It is scary to act, scary to move to Los Angeles and scary to admit that we are all ultimately alone. Every inch of growth in life involves extending yourself beyond the comfort zone
you enjoyed a short while ago. Your option is to remain static or to embrace change.

We are all afraid to some degree. Maturity involves accepting that that life is fearsome as well as thrilling. If it were not, this would be a boring world. Convert fear to excitement and get on with
it. Capture the wind in your sail, and go forth. Breathe!

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