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Ever wondered what the life of a performer just starting out in the musical theatre
industry is like?
For the past few years, AussieTheatre.com has taken a peek inside the life
of a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), via both Lucy
Maunder (2006 graduate) and Gemma-Ashley Kaplan (2007 graduate).
Now, 2008 graduate Kate Walder gives us an extraordinary insight into the life of a
WAAPA graduate.
Every Tuesday, we'll be having Coffee With Kate Walder to hear
about what she's been up to over the past seven days.
We'll be there every step of the way as we follow her journey from the 2008
WAAPA Showcase through to the strenuous audition process, general performances and future
success.
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Tuesday, December 16
Hi everyone! This is the last column for the year so I will wholeheartedly
endeavour to make you laugh and cry and change your life. Please note that I am not liable
if none of the above occur.
The past week I have been reflecting a lot on the transition from WAAPA to the
professional world and I have to be honest, it’s been a harsh wake-up call. Even
though I never had any delusions about the nature of the industry, I think many of us saw
showcase as a platform from which we could burst onto the scene and launch our stellar
careers. That’s a slight exaggeration but I really don’t think any of us were
prepared for the seemingly grinding halt that your life comes to when you graduate.
I won’t go into details because I know these feelings are inextricably linked to
drama school nostalgia. I am only beginning to fully realise that I don’t have
classes, teachers and resources at my fingertips and keeping my skills up will be costly.
I am also only beginning to fully realise what life is like without the financial support
of centrelink. I wonder if there is such thing as a starving actresses’ pension?
Of course it isn’t all bad. I have had some wonderful catch-ups with previous grads
this week where we have discussed these very things and they have given me much insight
and comfort. I also went to Showqueens on Sunday night at the Supper Club which was a
fantastic night of entertainment. The line-up included my lovely friend Adam Rennie,
Marney McQueen, Brendan Irving and the legendary Toni Lamond, who left me feeling so
inspired I thought I might spontaneously combust.
I have also been preparing a short cabaret slot that I am performing this Saturday as part
of the 6th Annual Cabaret Showcase Competition at Bar Me, so it was extremely helpful to
see one of Australia’s pre-eminent theatre and cabaret icons in her element.
To finish I’d like to leave you with a quote. "My will shall shape the future.
Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear
any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or
lose, only I hold the key to my destiny." – Elaine Maxwell.
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you all have a lovely Christmas. See you in the New
Year!
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Tuesday, December 9
Well here it is, another week in the life of me. I am starting to get quite bored
with myself so if anyone would like to give me a job or perhaps a visa to work overseas it
would make both me and my column more interesting!
Now as I mentioned last week, the big lesson I have had to learn during this period of
transition from WAAPA into the industry is the need to be proactive. I have recently put
this advice into action and the last seven days have been quite productive. I had a
meeting with an agent on Tuesday as well as a meeting with a casting director. I emailed
off a dozen headshots and CVs as well as following up a series of phone messages I had
left. It sounds trivial but calling again and keeping your name at the forefront of
someone’s memory can make all the difference. Of course it can also irritate them but
you just have to use your discretion. Take for example last week when I phoned an agent
and he said they had been considering me but unfortunately I looked exactly like a girl
they’d just signed two months ago. Using my superb tact and personal skills, I
replied in a casual scream "but I’m a different person inside!" Luckily
some agents have a sense of humour.
On a different note, I saw a fantastic movie the other night called Men’s Group.
Set in the rougher suburbs of Sydney, it is a brilliantly acted and directed piece of
Australian work that will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever known a typical Aussie
bloke – the type that thinks expressing one’s feelings is a
"sook-fest". It makes me very happy to see Australian stories being told.
Allow me to juxtapose that with something at the completely opposite end of the theatrical
spectrum - Little Shop Of Horrors. This is also an extremely high quality
production and enormous fun to watch. Although it is a co-op, it would give any
professional show a run for its money.
You may have noticed that the alleged "productivity" I spoke of earlier appeared
to cease rather quickly and there’s a good reason for that... it was my birthday! So
in truth much of the week was spent wining and dining. But as of next week, I am back in
the game!
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Tuesday, December 2
I began my last column by saying the previous seven days had been an absolute
rollercoaster ride. Well apparently the guy operating the aforementioned metaphorical
rollercoaster went for a cigarette break and forgot to let me off. Except this week it was
twice as fast and it was raining.
Disaster struck when my two avenues of distraction evaporated. The comp tickets to shows
ran out and with every piece of chocolate I ate, the prospect of obesity seemed imminent.
Combined with the very quiet response from agencies, it wasn’t the easiest of weeks.
On Tuesday we had rehearsals for the Opera and Arts Support Foundation concert and for
Kookaburra’s Up Close And Musical. This post-showcase period is always a
difficult time to be with your classmates because some people get calls from agencies and
some don’t. So you can imagine my relief and excitement when I was informed of a top
secret surprise mission – Kaplan style. On Thursday morning Gem flew in from New York
for a whirlwind Sydney visit. It had been a year since we last saw each other and it was
wonderful to have someone take my mind off all the unease and inspire me with stories of
life and theatre in the Big Apple.
On Friday night we performed in the concert along with other theatre luminaries such as
Tony Farrell, Margi Di Ferranti, James Millar, Melle Stewart, Tyran Parke, Shaun Rennie
and Virginia Gay to name a few. I’m so glad we were able to be involved in such an
important event and extend our gratitude to the Foundation, which has been financially
supporting young emerging artists for many years. Afterwards we rushed to the Seymour
Centre to perform our short cabaret at Up Close And Musical.
That all sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. All
I know is that after the show I felt very lost and it took the wise words of a friend to
force me to get some perspective. "The industry doesn’t wait for anyone and you
cannot wait for it." I have since spent the weekend being extremely proactive and
fostering a much more positive attitude. That, in the end, is what gets you there.
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Tuesday, November 25
Hello all. Wow that week went quickly! Unfortunately I'm not famous yet but I
suppose patience is a virtue. I'll give it till Christmas. If I'm not on Broadway by then
I'm becoming a plumber.
The last seven days has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. On Tuesday we heard the
terrible news about our dear friend Cal, the details of which everyone is now aware. It
was a devastating shock that left none of us in the mood for doing a technical rehearsal
of showcase. That evening we all tried to come to terms with what had happened and somehow
prepare ourselves for the following day.
Something that I have learnt in my time at WAAPA is the necessary skill of
compartmentalising my emotions or rather, detaching from reality in order to focus on the
task at hand. Often it is very useful and interesting to allow whatever you are feeling to
become a part of your performance, but in cases such as these you have to find a way to
temporarily put it aside. While our thoughts for Cal were in our hearts and minds, we had
a very important few hours ahead of us.
The shows went extremely well. It was fantastic being in a space the size of the Everest
theatre at the Seymour Centre. Afterwards we all congregated in the foyer for the standard
'down a glass of wine to ease the nerves' and chat with the invited guests, namely
representatives from talent and casting agencies. Showcase in Sydney also marks the
official end of our WAAPA journey. From here on in, we're on our own!
For most of us, the next few weeks will be spent securing an agent. In the meantime I have
been trying to distract myself from sitting obsessively by the telephone and willing it to
ring (and for it not to be from a family member asking if I'm employed yet). My attempts
have taken on two forms, the first - eat as much chocolate as is available, the second -
see as many shows as possible, one of which absolutely blew my mind. Complicite: A
Disappearing Number is a brilliant piece of work. It is so refreshing to see
intelligent theatre that challenges the way you think about the world. I have also never
seen such a seamless and creative use of different media - visual projections, movement,
singing and acting. I very much hope to be involved in that sort of work one day. Perhaps
I should lay off the chocolate.
Have a great week.
Kate x
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Tuesday, November 18
Hello everyone and welcome to the first Coffee with Kate. I’d like to start by
extending my thanks to AussieTheatre.com for giving me the chance to talk at
length about myself on a weekly basis. I’d also like to thank the wonderful
Gemma-Ashley Kaplan for setting the bar so extraordinarily high by conquering the
entertainment industry on a national, international and inter-galactic scale in her first
year out. It's a hard act to follow!
Jokes aside, I am very much looking forward to sharing the next year with you as I
embark on my journey into the unknown…beginning with Showcase!
We arrived in Melbourne last weekend, blotchy-eyed and tear-stained from saying our
goodbyes at the annual airport scene in Perth. It’s always very emotional because it
marks the end of a huge chapter of our lives. WAAPA is such an intensive time of study and
self-discovery and it is exciting but also sad to accept that it’s all over. However
we couldn’t spend too long dwelling on the past because we immediately launched into
a hectic week of Equity meetings, showcase rehearsals and performances, go-sees with
various casting agencies and of course exploring Melbourne!
Showcase day was both nerve-racking and exhilarating. We’re lucky to have a morning
show for friends and family that allows us to adjust to the new space we’re working
in. Chapel off Chapel is a lovely venue but very different to the theatre at WAAPA so it
was great to have a preview before the industry show in the afternoon. We have just
arrived in Sydney and will be doing it all over again at the Seymour Centre. I am
originally from Sydney and am delighted to have the opportunity to perform in my home city
after so long.
To conclude, Gem is one of my closest friends and I have watched her career unfold this
year with enormous pride and excitement as I'm sure you all have. I have no idea what the
next year holds for me but I hope that it is filled with creativity, mistakes, learning,
inspiration and adventure so that I can be as informative and helpful as possible in
writing these columns for you. If you would ever like to contact me or ask me to write
about something in the column, please feel free to send an email to info@aussietheatre.com and it'll be forwarded to
me.
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