Online support group helps local actors stay connected during Covid-19

Aug. 18, 2020

Jeffrey Adams Baxt is no stranger to joblessness.

A publicist by trade, an actor by passion, Baxt got walloped difficult in the last recession, out of comparable public relations work for four years, from 2009 to 2013.

"Depressed sluggishness, stagnation," Baxt says, describing the psychological struggle that accompanies unemployment. "It's disheartening. Yous feel like you did something wrong."

But because he struggled so hard the last time, Baxt already knew what to do when information technology hit this time, when part-time work undertaken after he semi-retired in 2022 dried upwardly in the pandemic and when his theater and commercial acting gigs came to a screeching halt: Get back up and get it chop-chop, because the biggest boxing in unemployment is the battle to preserve self-esteem while resisting depression, loneliness and isolation.

Of grade, in this pandemic, depression, loneliness and isolation are not the exclusive properties of the unemployed. Which is why, when a friend and interim colleague proposed gathering weekly for an actors' think tank via Zoom, Baxt was all in, immediately.

"It was a lot more fun. It feels like I'grand doing something for myself, it's something enjoyable. I'm not a world-form actor, simply I've grown my skills," says Baxt, who lives in Roxborough. "Acting, when you are in the moment—it's a lot of freeing up of tension."

Support groups sprout during recessions. Some of them accept been place-based, hosted by a church building, synagogue or library, serving unemployed across all fields from secretary to store director. Some focus on specific professions, such as support groups for marketing and fiscal directors or displaced C-suite executives.

"Depressed lethargy, stagnation," Baxt says, describing the psychological struggle that accompanies unemployment. "It'due south disheartening. You lot feel similar you did something wrong."

Either way, the concept is the same: the jobless have somewhere to go, combating isolation. They join new colleagues bound past the shared mission of landing a chore, sharing tips and leads. And, chiefly, they receive career-building advice on enhancing LinkedIn profiles, networking, and resumé-edifice, often from professionals who volunteer their services.

The grouping Baxt joined, the Actors' Think Tank, does all that, albeit via Zoom and minus the mediocre java, a support group staple.

Learning Tricks of the Trade

On a recent Wednesday, for example, James Doolittle was the guest. Doolittle'due south is the vice president of productions at All Ages Productions, a Philadelphia creative flick and video visitor that specializes in commercials and branding. In other words, a place where any of the 17 people on Wednesday's Actors' Call back Tank Zoom call would love to work—full-time, part-time or only as a gig.

Doolittle began by complimenting the group on their Zoom backgrounds. "Everybody's and then much meliorate than me," he said, before letting loose his large dizzy laugh. "I experience lacking."

And he was right—no nostril upshots, prissy obviously backdrops, make-upward in show. Conspicuously, the actors had gotten the bulletin about a professional person look. One past 1, the actors went around the Zoom filigree, unmuting in turns to tell their "slate," interim lingo for a short self intro.

"Even so in Philly, still pursuing the dream," thespian Vinny Ali said, reporting that he had only had two voiceover auditions.

Lynia Love offered to sweep the studio. "If you need anything, if you need someone to bring your coffee, just to learn," she said, adding that she was in the final stages of readying a self-funded, self-produced film.

"I dear to be in front of the camera," Gabi Faye said during his plough, but lately he's likewise been seeking work behind the camera.

Doolittle talked a lot and answered questions, most of them dancing effectually how they could become his attending after they hit Zoom's "Leave Meeting" push button on their computers.

His advice boiled downwardly to two points: When working with someone, endeavor to "leave a kernel of good will," minimizing stress for anybody on the job. Also, he said, get out something memorable in the head of the person y'all've met. "You are basically leaving in their database of retentivity, something they can call up" when another need arises.

And secondly, network. But, he said, don't network past simply sending a reel (Most of these actors have a short reel attached as part of their email signatures). Look to constitute some other connection, perhaps a link to something the person might savor. Or, instead of sending a whole reel, send ane sample of specially excellent work. Don't let information technology exist a form letter, he urged. "Observe an bodily connexion point."

Finding Financial Support

Player Rich Henkels of Lansdale, began the Actors' Call back Tank in March every bit one theater after some other canceled shows in mid-run. Later on that, there was the ripple effect—yep, the March shows were cancelled, but theaters even so held out hopes for alive theater in May.

And then, one afterward some other, those likewise were shut, and the situation, which started out dire became worse. Not only that, but theater people lost their back-up incomes as restaurants, where many work as servers, as well shut their doors.

In a March survey conducted by Theatre Philadelphia, the umbrella marketing group for the region's many theater companies, 98 percent of the respondents said they had lost income expected by the end of March, with a third saying they had lost all their projected income. Theaters predicted layoffs and cutbacks.

In this downturn, different others, there was unemployment available for gig workers, such equally actors, stage managers and lighting directors, but it hasn't been piece of cake to access.

In response, Theatre Philadelphia immediately launched a relief drive to provide $300 to $500 microgrants to the city'south theater workers, from actors to box part staff. Then far, Theatre Philadelphia has collected $289,000 and awarded 401 grants. People tin can use for 2d grants now, says LaNeshe Miller-White, the group's new executive director.

"Theater brings people together," Miller-White says. "I call up the fourth dimension we get to accept the audience's attending is the privileged moment where we can teach, where we can modify minds, where we can reaffirm who nosotros are. It has the potential to connect people that'south dissimilar from other art forms."

The 17 people on the Think Tank Zoom telephone call represent just a slice of the misery considering the impact is too felt region wide. The arts, including theater, contribute $iv.one billion to the region's economy and back up 55,000 full fourth dimension jobs, according to a 2022 study by Greater Philadelphia Cultural Brotherhood.

Discovering Connection on Zoom

"Theater brings people together," Miller-White says. "I call up the fourth dimension we become to take the audience'southward attention is the privileged moment where nosotros tin teach, where we tin change minds, where nosotros can reaffirm who we are. It has the potential to connect people that's different from other art forms."

For Henkels, contributing to that kind of connection felt important when it was so absent-minded in the early days of the pandemic. He immediately began to recall nearly his theater customs including some students in acting classes he had taught.

"I don't know how long this is going to last," says Henkels, who primarily works in commercials and films. "Most of the actors and actresses I know are actually going to struggle to stay continued and to know what to do with themselves and find means to continue to ameliorate. Actors' have to work on their craft, and you can't do that if you are non with people."

Every bit the grouping leader, he also tries to make sure that members run into each other as resources. "Everybody needs somebody to give something to," he says. "Y'all can see their eyes low-cal upward."

For example, actor Mike Provenzano is skilled at building websites and he has helped others in the grouping with theirs. Baxt, the publicist turned role player, helped develop a media entrada for Gabi Faye, who is launching a small indie product company, Andromeda Pictures. Sometimes, Henkel says, the "resource" is an encouraging private call at the right time.

At first the Think Tank was free, only participants at present pay Henkels $7.fifty a session. Some participants had to leave considering of the fee, although Henkels said he has been flexible most payment.

For Baxt, the sessions are worth it. Considering of them, he's now polishing his skills in an online form offered at New York's HB Studios by actor Austin Pendleton.

"What could I exist doing in the meantime to be set when the theaters open again?" Baxt says he asked himself. "If not for the Think Tank, I would not have been motivated to take a grade. Information technology'southward very inspirational for me."

Header photo: Local actors accept part in a recent Actors Think Tank gathering on Zoom

ripleyhature.blogspot.com

Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/actors-think-tank-philadelphia/

Share this post