The Acting Podcast

Clayton Farris is an Actor. He’s a comedian, a filmmaker, a content creator, a great guy… and… he most of all is an Actor dedicated to being the Best Actor he can possibly be. Clayton is a long-time member of the BGB Studio, and Risa has had the privilege of working with him here and watching him work hard and grow brilliantly. His fellow BGB actors adore him, as does she. Risa and Clayton talk ab...

This is our 60th episode of The Acting Podcast 🙌 which is a big deal for us here at The BGB Studio. So welcome to #60, and How to be Awesome. You ARE awesome. Say that to yourself, maybe even in the mirror; try it! I AM AWESOME. Now let it land. It’s TRUE. And while this Industry may not see you in your awesomeness- now or yet or since whenever- it’s your job… responsibility… privilege… to step i...

Sidenotes “Hope = the fire in the rear view is smaller, the further we get”

You’ve Been Lurking Here “A hazy memory of treasure and ruin in New Mexico”

The Creek“Things left said” 

Incomplete Knowledge“Desire spirals into obsession amidst the labyrinthine canals of Venice.”

Hand Tools “Hand tools and family trees”

Found Words “A trip to Wales to find connection led to more than she could have ever imagined”

Cynthia Continued “A bitter green salad and the awful reality of transactional relationships”

Losing My Religion“It’s 1992… painting houses, a break up, a presidential election, and poetry”

Trastevere “Impossible moments and a Maestro’s long game”

Murder at Heaven Avenue“A mountaintop revelation changed everything”

Hunting Season“A story, in three parts, about Catfish Queens, Virgin Marys, and Losing your Damn Mind in the Mississippi Delta”

Muqtada’s Room“An invitation to stay in bed gets him out of bed and into the dream”

Saturday Boy “A tale driving you into the heart of car bonnets, old ladies and existential dread”

At our most recent BGB Actors Summit, Risa and Steve gathered with actors from all over the world- from Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, from Glasgow to San Antonio, from Buffalo to all over Los Angeles. They offered the fundamental and practical steps necessary to nurture and rebuild your career, your collaboration with other creative professionals, and your art. These are essential practices that take...

It’s Horror month. Halloween… and all. 🎃In the spirit of spooky movies, I talk with 2 of our amazing BGB Master Teachers, Sydney Walsh & Corey Parker , on Zoom (so you can watch!) about what it was like to act in the HORROR genre- they each have starred in a few iconic Horror Movies. We talk Horror movie acting, and acting in any Genre, plus what it was like to audition in the 80s and 90s whe...

An actor's mindset can make or break a career. Your job is to open your heart, remain sensitive and open. And you’re asked to do that job in an Industry that doesn't have the capacity to care for your needs and in which scarcity is the norm. You will lose faith. It’s inevitable. But how gracefully you can find it again is the difference between auditioning with the full power of your talent, and a...

Risa talked on Zoom with with Anthony Meindl of fellow acting studio, AMAW (which is Anthony Meindl's Acting Workshop) about EVERYTHING… about art, big tech, climate change, self-tapes, casting, how Tik Tok is killing our attention span, and how things are really really hard right now. They talked about both getting started in the NY theatre and the power of community, and, something that resonate...

Risa sat down with some of our amazing BGB teachers ( Cate Cohen , Sydney Walsh , Corey Parker , and David DeSantos ) for an inspiring conversation about redefining your relationship with the Industry. About how to successfully step into your power in your work, your art, and your career. What leadership looks like so that you're in the driver’s seat, not waiting for the Industry to invite you in....

Change is the only constant and the changes have come fast and hard. So what is the Industry now? What does it mean to be an Actor right now? What does it take to make it today?  Risa and Steve discuss the current state of Industry, what actors can expect from the Industry and the essential shifts actors need to make right now to position themselves for success. Listen in and let us know how this...

“Script Analysis” is an often misunderstood term that can result in an actor robbing a scene of its art by reducing it to mathematical calculations. Some actors love the idea of script analysis so they can “solve” the scene and control it. Other actors abandon the idea of script analysis altogether because they are afraid of adding any structure to their art. The truth of Script Analysis is more i...

An actor who books work consistently is an actor who has the capacity to remain vulnerable in the face of intense rejection, to stay focused in a world full of distractions and to stay sharp in one of the most competitive Industries around. The actor who books work consistently has found a way to stand out from hundreds of others. They have expressed themselves in away that makes them a singularit...

2023 was a really intense year. Two strikes, wars, a contracting industry, inflation, lingering effects of the pandemic effects, etc. And the intensity revealed some powerful lessons that every actor must hear and understand if they want to be a working actor in 2024.  Risa and Steve reveal the lessons of 2023 that point to the new reality for actors and light the path to success in the new year....

Ok, so the Industry is back. But it won't be business as usual. It can't be. Too much has changed. And if you want to book work in this new reality, you're going to have to change too. So listen in and let us know what speaks to you! You can meet this moment, but it won't be easy. Risa and Steve discuss where the Industry is at right now and the important first steps that every actor must take now...