♪ ♪ ♪ Bill Terrell> Hi and welcome to another session of the Job Man Caravan.

I'm Bill Terrell.

The Job Man Caravan is a television show designed to bring you job information, community information, and plenty of entertainment.

Today on the Job Man Caravan, we'll take a look at careers in theater.

♪ And the entertainment from Ashford and Simpson.

(indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) It's a quiet, peaceful land.

The land of his beginnings.

Whoa, whoa.

(indiscernible) It's almost Paradise.

The earth smells sweet.

(indiscernible) Samuel L. Jackson> I love the land.

the soft, beautiful black sand crushing beneath my feet.

(indiscernible) (indiscernible) I love the rain that feeds the earth.

It's especially nice to me.

The warm spot where the drops cover your face.

And the ground is sweet.

(indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) (indiscernible) Gramps, give me a hand.

Uncle Louis.

You're on your own today.

I got (indiscernible) I love the land.

I love it...

I never leave it Uncle Lousi I wanna be a farmer like you a gramps, a lawyer or a schoolteacher.

You will be.

No.... me and Brown will never leave.

Whatever you say.

(indiscernible) ...wash up.

It's time for supper.

We won't never leave...

I love the land.

(women start singing) Terrell> The excitement of opening night.

The thrill of an audience's applause, the joy of public recognition, the opportunity for creative self-expression, and the development of one's artistic talent are just a few of the reasons why so many people are attracted to the performing arts.

When expressing their art, people in this field may say something serious or profound, or they may just provide entertainment.

But regardless of the art, all performing artists have in common the goal of communicating with and affecting the emotions of the audience.

>> Well, I, I do, as I said, have my glass collection.

A little articles have it ornaments mostly.

Most of them are little animals made out of glass or the tiniest little animals in the world.

Mother comes to my glass menagerie.

>> I need anything to prove to myself that I wasn't... You know what I mean?

Yeah.

When I joined the mighty Jensen started a lucrative career as a (indiscernible) I mean, after I drew first blood against the zombies.

Hey, I didn't doubt myself ever again.

(laughs) There you go, Frankie.

Phyllis Larrymore> And there's this one who hurt you.

When you left, three or four times and just walk right on back to where you were.

And I had nothing.

I mean, just walk right on back to where you were hurt.

After you put my heart in the bottom of your shoe, just walk around it.

while I had nothing.

I was...the professional field at South Carolina state college where I'm a senior now.

But for us, education this concern.

First of all, you have to have your mind made up that you want to go into theater.

It's just can't be something that you decide.

at spur of the moment.

It's something that you have to really think about.

Because this is a very competitive field and you have to concentrate a lot on your work that you're taught in class and in theory, you have to learn how to put it on stage.

It's not just all about in the classroom.

You have to be able to do what you're taught and put your best foot forward at all times and be able to take take some hard blows when you don't get a role that you really want and use that to make you more, you know, and to encourage you to go on.

Terrell> The difficulty of earning a living as a performer is one factor young people should remember when considering a career in the performing arts.

In fact, some may want to consider the possibility of making the art a hobby rather than a profession.

Even the most talented artist must be willing to spend years of their lives mastering a skill, and then waiting for a break an opportunity to perform or exhibit their work.

Because to succeed in the performing arts not only takes great natural talent, but also determination and a willingness to work long and hard and overwhelming interest in your chosen field.

And of course, some luck.

♪ You're watching the Job Man Caravan.

And this week on the Job Man Caravan.

We're, taking a look at careers in theater, Ashford and Simpson will be coming up soon right here on the Job Man Caravan providing us with entertainment.

But to be or not to be an actor or an actress, perhaps that is the question with you.

And that is the reason this week on the Caravan, that we're taking a look at careers in theater to better acquaint you with what goes on, the possibilities of your getting into it, the hard work involved, and no better way to bring you the the whole story than to consult with some professional actors and actresses.

We had them on the Job Man Caravan.

These are actresses and an actors from the play "Home" on the Job Man Caravan with this information.

Carol Lynn Maillard, Sam L Jackson and L Scott Caldwell are professional actors with the Negro Ensemble Company.

While conducting an acting workshop at a local high school, they told us how they became interested in the acting profession.

Carol Lynn Maillard> About two years old.

Yeah, seriously, about two years old.

I decided that, I wanted to perform and that I wanted to be to dance and sing and do the whole number.

When I got to high school, I went in for Glee Club, and I ended up in the orchestra and ended up playing the violin for four years, and I got a scholarship to go to Catholic University of America.

I ended up, auditioning for some shows at Catholic University, and I liked acting, and people saw that I had something in it, and I got involved with the DC Black Repertory Company.

I started singing with the acapella group called Sweet Honey in the Rock, and I worked with Sweet Honey for about five years, stayed with the rep, learned character acting.

I got into dancing with Lewis Johnson and taught high school students for about two years.

I just did it.

I was just totally consumed with it.

I was just my life.

And in 76, I couldn't take it anymore.

I came to New York and God willing, you know, I'll continue to work.

I've only been I've been able to earn a living working in theater since I've been involved in it.

You know, And I think that's because at two years old, I saw I had a vision and I stuck with it.

And that's my story.

Jackson> Well, I guess from, from a childhood for a while I had to do it because my aunt was always in charge of the dances cultural program, whatever.

But.

So I had to dance and recite and be Humpty Dumpty and Egg and all this kind of stuff.

So I hated it, and I got away from and did everything else.

I played in the band.

I was a cheerleader, all kinds of stuff.

And then one night I had a date with a young lady who told me if I wanted to see her, I had to come to a play.

Play?

Had never even been in the Fine Arts building at Spelman College.

I was a junior at Morehouse, so I went over there and NEC was there doing (indiscernible) .

It wore me out.

I loved it.

And the very next week I was in three Penny opera, and I've been doing it ever since.

Well, I got put out school for a while.

When I went back to I did it.

L. Scott Caldwell> I got, interested in acting, when I was a kid.

You know, I used to, you know, read a lot and watch a lot of television and go to movies a lot.

And I used to, you know, start to dress up, excuse me?

In other people's clothes and stuff and boys clothes.

I had a real thing about being a boy put on, you know, man, shoes and men's clothes.

You know, and try to pretend to be a man.

And, you know, just just anything I could do, you know, to create little characters for myself.

But the thing that I would do is I wouldn't just do them for a few minutes.

It would go on for days, you know, seriously, pretend to be these little characters I created.

So I just always had that with me.

And, I think the way it started to manifest itself is I used to also pretend to be a teacher, you know, when I, you know, get little kids around me.

And I would always be the teacher, and they liked me being the teacher.

And I got a little confused, to the point where I thought, okay, I want to be a teacher.

When I grow up, I'll get the idea that I became a teacher.

But after I became a teacher, I found out that what I really liked about pretending to be the teacher was the pretend, you know?

And so that's when I moved back into, acting, you know, when I moved to New York, two years ago.

And I've been working there ever since.

Maillard> There are many ways that you can pursue a theatrical career.

We were just saying earlier, some people take the New York route.

Some people take the LA route and go straight into movies and television, and even there's a whole nother realm of theater.

Well, I guess, theory in the business commercials is a whole nother line of business.

There's some people who don't do anything but commercials.

That's all they do is commercials.

That's what they're they're like.

They take classes for commercials.

There's repertory theater, there's children's theater, there's touring theaters.

There's, going to Europe, you know, and finding things there that are valid for you.

There's going to Africa, to the University of Lagos.

And if they, you know, to to study, I believe that's where it is.

It's you have to really understand what it is you want to do, and then find all of the information you can about directly getting to it.

Caldwell> The problem that I had when I was a child is that nobody in my family supported or understood, you know what I wanted to do.

And I've always felt sort of cheated that I didn't get the head start, that a lot of, little white actresses get.

Jackson> Nobody ever, ever told me when I was growing up that I could be an actor.

So there was nothing.

But I think the really difficult part about trying to be a professional actor is being willing to really learn what's going on, because there are a lot of actors that really don't know the fundamentals of, you know, moving around on a stage, mechanics, you know, the stage mechanics, things like that, going to class and doing all that stuff, once you established that helps you a lot.

But technique can take you a long way, and a lot of people don't have that because they just didn't study or learn it.

And it's, it's it's it's boring.

It's a drag.

But I mean, you have to know how they did it so you can do it, you know, correctly and do it correct.

Because that's the way to learn about ten years waiting to go to New York to work on my craft after I had it mechanically straight.

And I found out once I got there, I probably, you know, it was in Atlanta five years too long.

But I cherish those years because I actually got to do something that a lot of actors in New York don't get to do, which is perform in front of people and find out if I was really acting.

♪ Terrell> This is the Job Man Caravan.

And this week we're taking a look at careers in theater all happening for you on the Job Man Caravan standing by Ashford and Simpson.

with some entertainment on the Job Man Caravan.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Caldwell> I think we all went the academic route.

A lot of actors don't.

But I'm finding more and more.

I'm meeting people that are in theater that are university educated and maybe had theater as a major or speech or something like that.

But yeah, I think it's it's very important.

And the main reason that it is, is sometimes we do find ourselves having to do other things, having to market ourselves in, in other ways, and it's best to be prepared for that.

And plus, the total educational experience, I think really broadens you, you know, and your ability to do characters.

And you cannot be an actor unless you have some intelligence.

Truly, you cannot do it unless you have some intellectual ability to decipher what that is in front of you, you know, Jackson> Number one being able to read and comprehend.

If you can't do that, you can't act.

Caldwell> Yeah.

Jackson> You know, plus, it also behooves people to learn how to build sets, hang lights, make costumes, to make up everything because you can keep yourself in a working situation without having to go out and wait tables and do stuff and still be able to make money and be in a theater situation and keep in touch with the business.

Cause you can reach a point where you don't work for a while.

Maillard> I really don't know anything about, I'm familiar with the set building, and I mean, I've done a little bit of that, Jackson> You can stage manage.

>> I could do it, if I had to do it.

But, you know, other than learning those kinds of things, working on your vocal thing, working on your physical, taking that ballet course and putting that leotard on, gentlemen, you know, even if you do feel stupid, go in there and learn how to control your body so that, when you have to play an older person, you understand what muscles, you know, have to, to have to go.

If you play in a, y'know, you can be flexible enough so that you can fall and not really hurt yourself, if that's what it's about.

Some people may find they may think they want to act, but they may find that taking that acting experience and teaching and using it to teach might give them much.

Or directing a high school group once they, you know, take that experience and make it work by bringing other Black students and other people into the the art.

Jackson> Well, you need a very good self-image.

Maillard> Yeah.

Jackson> Number one, because, as much as people want to want to tell you, go into auditions and things like that it's not a personal thing.

It is.

You know, they don't want you.

You have to be able to take that after work.

After hearing that about 19 times, you go, I can't act anymore.

Caldwell> Oh, yeah.

Maillard> Yeah.

>> You sit and look at yourself in the mirror and wonder, well, what do I need to do?

Do I need to grow a mustache, a beard?

Do I need to slash my face?

Do I need to go learn something else?

Caldwell> Am I too dark?

Am I too light?

>> You have to go for a... You've got to be positive about who you are and have faith in that person, that this person can work.

It's just not my time.

Caldwell> You know, sometimes we're tending to maybe, you know, talk a little bit on the professional level.

But if you're 13 years old and you're thinking about, acting, a lot of what we're saying does apply.

And in addition to that, reading, you know, as much as you can, you know, for comprehension, is something that'll really be good for somebody that's interested in acting in and starting to to do characters and the actual reading, if it's a novel or whatever.

I found that as the as a kid, that was one thing that really helped me because there weren't plays and they weren't black plays, but to just to have a written word, you know, to be able to interpret written words, you know, was very important.

In the...film club, you know, go to community theater, you know, whatever is available to you and, you know, communicate to people that that's what you want to do, because a lot of us will have this dream in our head and it'll stay there, and nobody will ever know that.

That's what we really want to do.

You know, he has so many people say, I always wanted to be an actor.

You know, when I was a kid, I just never did it, you know, because you never told anybody.

Maillard> peer pressure too Caldwell> Right.

Maillard> Being different.

Don't worry about being different because being in this business, you are you are special and you're different.

You got a little extra blessing.

You are strange and I talk, you know, when I think I have talked to a lot of my friends and they always say that they were the ones in the neighborhood or in their families that were weird and little weird, just a little outside.

So.

So use that weirdness because they can work for you, Jackson> You know, I just really Just do all the reading.

I could if I...you know, especially if I didn't have an outlet for acting.

It's not like them living in New York.

Caldwell> The other thing I wanted to say is, and this goes back to communicating that this is really what you want to do, find a support system.

You know, find it because it's out there for you somewhere.

Maybe there's a teacher in the high school that, acted at once or something.

you know, and just isn't involved in the drama club, but, I mean, put it out there that that's really what you want to do.

Put it in the universe, and somebody will find you to support you because you don't always get it.

You know, in your family, you know, maybe mother didn't have time to deal with that.

You know, the focus is on survival or something else.

And maybe you don't have a support around you, but it's out there somewhere, you know, and if you put it in the universe that that's what you really need, it'll find you.

We open the doors of the church this morning to receive you.

You know, I don't know if there is one among you.

Let him raise his hand.

(singing) ♪ ♪ ♪ Jackson> I'm ready Reverend...I think.

>> Well... (Inaudible) The father, the son, the blessed Holy Ghost keep your eye on this one, honey, he ain't a whole Christian.

>> I will, Reverend... Terrell> You're on the Job Man Caravan.

And this week, we're taking a look at careers in theaters.

Some members of the play Home with the Negro Ensemble Company appearing with us on the Job Man Caravan.

We'd like to thank them.

Maybe at this point on the program, we'd like to put a warning sign, a warning strong warning sign on this program.

And that warning sign would be to reiterate some of the things that have been said in this program, and that is by putting all of your eggs in one basket that is aspiring to become an actor or an actress sometimes can become devastating simply because to a great many people who want to be successful in an acting career, who do not make it or not to the level that they can support themselves.

So we remind you once again, it's good to be able to learn how to communicate and to pursue this field of acting.

If that is your desire.

But keep in mind the chances are very, very, very slim that you succeed.

More information can be obtained about this program by your writing us at Job Man Caravan ETV Drawer L Columbia, South Carolina 29250.

Write to us.

We're looking to hear from you.

(indiscernible) Terrell> Young people who aspire to careers in the performing arts should consider some of the other jobs in the field.

Frank Mundy, instructor of drama and the director of the Henderson Davis Players at South Carolina State College, tells us about some of the technical careers in theater.

>> Drama is divided into two areas here.

We try to deal with students who are interested in going into theater, as professional actors.

We also deal with those students who want to go into the theater as teachers, and we also deal with those students who want to go into the theater as technicians.

At this particular point, we are trying to encourage most of our students to go into the technical end of theater, for we feel that that's where the jobs are.

Now, the, the types of positions that we have here are pretty much covered by our students.

We treat the theater as a learning laboratory.

In actuality, the students get training not only from the acting directing standpoint, but they also train from the technical standpoint.

(indiscernible) In the technical area.

We deal with lighting design.

We deal with costume design.

We deal with, we deal with set design and set construction, stagecraft, as well as sound design.

The lighting designer is actually responsible for illuminating, the set, illuminating the actors.

The lighting designer's job entails many things.

The lighting design is responsible for helping to set the mood of the play, helping to set the locale, the time period, etc.

all of those things come under his auspices, and they are very important.

The costuming designer, of course, works hand in hand with the lighting designer.

Of course it is the costumers, job to visualize or help to amplify the time period of a play via the costumes that are being worn.

The set design, or the scenic concept, of course, is the scenic reinforcement, which once again hones in on the particular locale and also the condition of the play.

The sound technician through sound and sound effects, of course, helps to add the realism that we need in the play, or helps to underscore the the mood or the tempo of the play.

The director is responsible for the concept of the play, because it is the director who chooses the script, who has envisioned the finished product long before anyone else has envisioned it.

The director is responsible for holding the production meetings and making sure that each of the technical areas is moving as they should move, and that the finished product is going to come, together when it needs to.

Once the product has been mounted, you've gone through your final dress rehearsal, your final tech rehearsal, the director then, gives the show the run of the show to the stage manager and the stage manager's primary responsibility is making sure that the show runs as it is, as it has been designed to run.

Well, we tend to think.

And, indications seem to show us that the technical jobs are by far more plentiful than the professional job, that is the jobs for an actor or an actress.

The technical jobs will cover a large spectrum of things.

For example, a person who has some kind of background, let's say, in sound, with additional training, can go out and, perhaps get a job as an acoustical engineer or an acoustical designer, or might be able to get a job in, let's say, a television studio or a movie studio or something along those lines, a lighting design, the same thing is there, lighting technicians, good lighting technicians, good lighting designers are in demand for television example for, movies, films, as well as the stage.

The same thing happens with good costumers, good box office people, public relations people, theater managers.

The jobs in theater tend to be more in those kinds of areas, which is the area behind the scenes.

♪ ♪