Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

We can divide a calendar into four quarters. The first quarter ends on March 31st.. The second on June 30th. The third on September 30th. The fourth on December 31st. Today is June 30th, the end of the second quarter. Tomorrow, July 1, marks the beginning of the third quarter. Is there a goal orContinue reading “The Quarter Commitment”

“What do you want?” For many, this question can be paralyzing. We often don’t know or can’t put it into words. Try asking a different question. “How do you want to feel?” Jot down your answers. Throughout your day, pay attention to your feelings. What specific activities cause you to feel the way you wantContinue reading “How Do You Want To Feel?”

“Nobody Cares. Work Harder.” -Jocko Willink It’s fashionable today, especially in our social media age, for people to signal how hard they’re working. Athletes constantly post their workout videos (#thegrind). Entrepreneurs post pics of themselves staying late in the office (#thehustle). Actors loooove to talk about how much research they spent preparing for a role.Continue reading “Nobody Cares How Hard You Worked”

Read a play. Read lots of plays. Read a play a day if you can. (Playwrights love when you read their plays.) When you come across a part that one of your actor friends would be dynamite in, tell them about it. Immediately. Even more generous…buy the play and send it to them. Write aContinue reading “A Most Generous Act”

Always. Be. Producing. Need some fire in your belly? Click HERE.

In a prior post, I discussed asking for the rights to material. What happens when your ask is met with a “No”? First, take a deep breath. Let out any frustration you may feel. When you’ve sufficiently processed, remind yourself that you’re not surprised by this response. The rights to good material, especially if it’sContinue reading “They Said “No.” Now What?”

I had a college friend, amateur philosopher, who used to drive me crazy by always asking the question, “Do you love the idea of the thing. Or the thing itself?” No subject was safe from his philosophizing…future career plans, what to do on a Friday night, even potential girlfriends. We’d have great debates. To him,Continue reading “The Idea Of The Thing Or The Thing?”

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One.” – Marcus Aurelius. Today is Juneteenth, a holiday that should be more widely observed and hopefully will be in the ensuing years. While it doesn’t mark the date of Lincoln’s proclamation that freed the slaves, but rather commemorates the day that aContinue reading “Now. Now. Now.”

You’ve got your play lined up. Your passion project. This is it. The One. You know it in your bones. You’ve spent months, years searching for it and now you’ve found it. You’re ready to pour blood, sweat and tears into it. Do everything you can to make this production an incredible experience for everyoneContinue reading “Did You Get The Rights?”

What do “To Kill A Mockingbird”, “Citizen Kane” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” have in common? They each have over a hundred, one star reviews on Amazon. You can’t please everyone. Even when you create a masterpiece. Go make your art.