Whenever I witness a terrific live theater production, I am struck with the desire to be involved in acting after high school.
An individual who lives out this aspiration is Greg Grannis, President of Roger Rocka’s Junior Company Foundation, a division of Roger Rocka’s Good Company Theater. Both provide local entertainment and an opportunity to obtain experience in the acting arena for those who share a love of dramatics. Grannis’ parents introduced him to the Junior Good Company Theater group at a young age as a way to help him break out of his shell and overcome his shyness.
This is the second part of Grannis’s interview. Read Part I: Drama provides theater administrator with personal merit.
Houts: Do you have any degrees/formal lessons for singing or acting?
Grannis: You really can?t perform on a regular basis without having some type of training. My degree happened to be in Communications, so I was looking to go into broadcasting and TV. I didn?t take formal dance or music training, but I already had that experience from my time with the Junior Company. Everyone needs some kind of training, though. You can?t sing and dance in eight shows a week without training, because not only will you hurt yourself, you?ll have a miserable time. You can?t just get up and expect to wing it.
The problem with shows like American Idol is that the contestants rarely have any training and they have to be able to do tours and sing at concerts. If you don?t know how to stretch and breathe properly, you can hurt yourself. It?s like being an athlete. If it?s too dramatic of an injury, you won?t recover and your body won?t be the same as it was before. You can blow your vocal chords out and, unfortunately, when vocal chords become too damaged they will never fully repair.
I encourage the kids to know their bodies and voices and if they are too tired to sing or rehearse, they should speak with the director. Once you start hurting yourself it just builds up into a much greater injury and shortens your career. Once you?re out, you?re out. They won?t wait for you to get better because there are a lot of people who want to take your place.
Houts: What challenges do young performers face?
Grannis: For young people, it?s hard to get exposure. It?s a combination of having talent and being in the right place at the right time. It’s a crazy formula from heaven. There are a lot of talented people who never get to do anything because they weren?t at the right place or the right audition. Other people who aren?t as talented but happen to be at the right place get a job, so I think people need to have a backup plan just in case they don’t make it.
It?s not really fair to believe that you?ll fly to New York and make it in the acting world, because at any casting call there will be hundreds or even thousands of people. It?s tough. The auditions typecast you out; if you don?t look the part they won?t let you sing or dance. There are some things you can?t control. The things we can control are training and hard work and being professional at all times. Agents and managers can help you but they often cost money. It?s a great life as long as you love it, but you really have to love it. For most people there are hard times you have to get over in order to have a good career.
Houts: Would you consider acting anywhere other than with Good Company Players? Where else might others gain acting experience?
Grannis: I did, actually. I went up north and performed in theater works and I’ve also worked down south in some regional theaters. Now it would be hard to do because I?d have to relocate for a period of time.
There is a lot of great regional theaters out there, especially in California. A lot of people are under the impression that you have to go to New York, but you can actually get a lot of experience in San Diego. A lot of places in California are good training grounds. If you want to do Broadway, obviously you have to go to New York, but without the regional experience to put on your resume, you won?t get very far. There are a lot of great schools in California that are known for Theater Arts, such as [University of California] Irvine. When you audition and they see that on your resume, they?ll know you have a good track record and some experience.
Houts: What qualities do you look for in an aspiring actor?
Grannis: There?s something about a person who?s just naturally talented. They can either sing, dance, act or all three, which is the best thing you can find. We look for honest performers that are not trying to copy someone else. This can be hard because when you?re auditioning for a role, sometimes it?s associated with one specific person.
Also, hard workers may not be as good as the person next to them, but I know they?ll go farther due to the effort they put forth. When I look at the auditions, I take into account their personality and make sure they are people that come in on time, do their job and know their lines, lyrics and dance moves. As a director, that?s what I?m looking for because it makes my job easier and the cast is happier and the show is better. Everyone?s goal should be for the show to be as good as it can possibly be.
Houts: Do you have any advice for aspiring actors?
Grannis: It?s pretty standard, but my advice is to get the training first. Don?t run off to New York or a big city thinking you’re going to get in with an American Idol audition. That?s not realistic. You have to have the training. You have to put in the work. You can?t just expect to say ?Oh, I can do this,? because there?s so much more involved than just wanting to do it.
Also, be smart. There?s the thing about having something to fall back on, which is really important. Even if you have success as a performer, at some point there may be a reason why you have to get out of the business. A backup plan gives you a boost of confidence because then you can explore a passion in theater, but in the end you still have something you can fall back on. I always had my degree and my job to fall back on so I?d go to auditions and not be as worried as other people who had to get the job to pay their phone bills. I encourage everyone to go after their dreams, but be smart about it.
Houts: Has your experience in the theater assisted you in other areas of your life?
Grannis: I wrote a young adult children’s fantasy novel based on my upbringing in the theater called Lottie Bright and the Starmaker’s Universe. It was published a couple of years back and now I’m discussing the possibility of creating a TV show based on the story. It’s a Harry Potter meets American Idol kind of book. I have been asked to write a sequel, although really, who has the time? But we’ll see.
Also, I wouldn?t have my advertising job if not for my acting experience, truth be told. I?m lucky; I get to make a living doing something I love and not everyone can say that. It?s based on my ability to understand scripts and language, some of which I got from my Communications degree, but a lot is from hands on experience. I was lucky that my parents, who didn?t know what to do with a shy kid, took me to the theater because it forced me to say “I can do this” and not be afraid of my shadow. Without my theater degree, I would not have made it in advertising. You have to have a combination of talent, luck and perseverance, which is almost the exact same thing it takes to be in performing.
Whether you?re in advertising, TV sitcoms, etc., there?s a lot of rejection. However, if you have the talent, the day you become successful will arrive and you have to believe that.
For more drama articles, read the March 25 article, Young actors shine in ‘The Little Mermaid, Jr.’.
