Big Attitude

Comedy with character.

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Tips for Breaking into Commercial Acting in Boston

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This post is an excerpt from brianagosta.com

 

“Hey Brian, any advice on being a working commercial actor in Boston?”

About once a year or so, somebody asks me for advice on how they can break into commercial acting in Boston. Or they have a nephew who just graduated. Or they’ve been doing improv for years and are looking to switch it up. So what started as an email forward turned into a Google Doc, and then turned into this blog post: advice for breaking into commercial acting in Boston, 2020 style.  [Read more…] about Tips for Breaking into Commercial Acting in Boston

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Compelling Improv: How to Play Consistently Funny Characters – SERIES – Part 2

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I love playing characters on stage in improv: big, bold, super hilarious characters. My favorite creation is a washed-up 1980s rock star who is super excitable and thinks he’s way sexier than he has any right to be. No, I’m not talking about Lil’ Sweet from the Dr, Pepper commercials. I also created a sexy rock superstar, completely coincidentally, who happens to be part David Lee Roth and part Miss Piggy. (And I’m not jealous of Justin Guarini’s career, you are!) [Read more…] about Compelling Improv: How to Play Consistently Funny Characters – SERIES – Part 2

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The Secret to Compelling Improv – SERIES – Pt. 1

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Sometimes Improv is Hard to Watch (and Do)

“I just don’t get it: It looks like a bunch of people just messing around on stage.”
– Anonymous

Wow. Harsh, but you’ve heard it before, yeah? I have. Maybe you haven’t actually stood sweating on stage, suffering through this kind of moment, desperate to prove yourself worthy in front of a skeptical audience. Maybe you’ve only been in an audience during a show that wasn’t working. But let’s put you back on stage. You’re out of it, the audience is out of it. The jokes are just NOT working and you start flailing around trying anything to get a laugh. But no matter how clever you are, how many puns you have, or how well you’re playing the “game,” it’s just falling flat.

So… how do you fix that? How can you make shows more compelling to watch, be less “in your head,” and never risk freezing up without the “right” thing to do or say?
[Read more…] about The Secret to Compelling Improv – SERIES – Pt. 1