The notion of working in the movies or performing had always been there, but fear paralyzed me from taking action. However, in 2020, amid tremendous life changes and personal upheaval, I embarked on the journey of becoming an actor as a New Year’s resolution. Then the pandemic hit, which indefinitely postponed my first acting class, Melanin & Meisner, at Black Box Acting Studio. Undeterred, I spent those early months sheltering in place and reading all of the actor books Amazon could ship to my door:
- Sanford Meisner – Sanford Meisner On Acting
- Stella Adler – The Art of Acting
- Constantin Stanislavski – An Actor Prepares
- Michael Shurtleff – Audition
- Uta Hagen – Respect for Acting
The more I read, the more I knew I was an actor. I intuitively understood these texts and doubled down on getting into class as soon as things opened up.
Today launches year four of this journey, and I couldn’t be more grateful and proud of my progress in the first three years. I begin 2023 with representation from 10 Talent Management, my debut in Chicago theater set for February 17, 2023, with the St. Sebastian Players, and confidence in my process thanks to 100 days of acting in The ACADEMY at Black Box Acting Studio last year. If the first three years were about education, training, and development, year four kicks off with the transition to professionalization, career experience, and nurturing my craft. So here are a few commitments I’m making to myself to ensure I get the most out of my time in 2023:
- Submit Weekly – Actors Access, Backstage, Casting Networks, etc.; roles and opportunities are available weekly.
- Attend Theater and See Movies – Be inspired, dream, discover roles, and connect with my passions through consistent experiences with the art form.
- 10 Minutes of Reading New Plays – Leverage the New Play Exchange to find plays that align with my artist statement and read them daily.
- Act – If I’m not in a play work on a short film. If there’s no budget, time, or script for the short film, make self-tapes of monologues. If monologues become contrived, get in class. No more preparing to become an actor; this year I am an actor.
- Learn a New Skill – Dancing, boxing, improv, it doesn’t matter what, but let’s add a new skill to the resume.
- Be Present in Community – From ensemble members to professional events, get outside and live in the artistic community.
- Market Me – Fill in my Instagram profile, monthly blogs on my website, share art projects that speak to my artist statement.
- Maintain My Instrument – Stick to my diet, go to the gym, and practice mindfulness daily.
- Whole Ass Preparation – When I can act professionally, tackle each process with maximum effort and intensity so that I’m prepared and confident in every performance.
- Celebrate – Life is hard and full of challenges; take time to enjoy the journey and truly bask in the light of being.
I’ve never been one for writing goals down, but I’ve never had a project that meant this much to me. I want to ensure that in the midst of work, family, and the general malaise of life, I keep sight of the daily activities that maintain momentum toward my dreams. Cheers to kicking off year four productively.
Love & light,
Jelani Julyus
