‘Newsies’ actress hosts workshop at South Fayette
Ginna Claire Mason wants prospective actors to know their verbs and nouns. Knowing how to develop a character on the spot with five minutes to go before an audition is what can land an aspiring actor a gig – or leave with a squandered opportunity.
The Nashville native has been in Pittsburgh performing in the cast of “Newsies,” and stopped by South Fayette High School Tuesday to advise theater classes how to crank out their best performances.
“If you’re handed a script for a cold read (audition), you typically have less than five minutes to draw on that character based on the lines you’re given. So, one good way to help your performance is to write verbs at the end of each line isolating actions that would be natural for that character. Writing ‘throws across the room’ could be a description for your physical actions as well as the volume of your voice,” Mason said.
The Elon University graduate was Gloria in a national tour of “Flashdance” and hopes the first-ever tour for “Newsies” continues on for a while.
“I hope it stays on the road as long as it can. Shows like ‘Wicked’ show how popular a program can stay once it gets off of Broadway due to demand. ‘Newsies’ is great because it’s a story about standing up for what you believe in, and it’s based on a true story, so you’re bringing real life to the stage,” she said.
Mason’s one-hour talk in South Fayette’s theater was organized by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s ArtMASTERS program, which invites touring professionals to offer workshops to regional schools. Though a handful of students expressed interest in a career in acting, some of Mason’s advice can be parlayed into other careers.
“Singing, acting – it’s building confidence. If you do this stuff in high school or college, it helps in other areas, like interviewing. If you can audition for a gig, you can interview for a gig. But for those who want to do this, you have to be nervous. You have to be excited-type of nervous, otherwise, you might not be bringing your best, and being nervous means you care.”
One student, 17-year-old Rachel Williams, said she appreciated how Mason advised working with other actors.
“How she told us to give each other good reads and trust each other – it’s important to realize your performance should be confident, and the other person’s confidence plays off of that,” Williams said.
Williams’ cold-read partner, Aaron James, said he doesn’t see himself in front of any camera, but behind it.
“I’m contemplating film production. With cinematography, it’s an intriguing mix of art and technical expertise that I’m drawn to. You’re given parameters, ‘get this shot in such a way,’ but you also have the freedom to express how those scenes should be viewed,” the 17-year-old said.
Whether the arts or the technical side of theater, Mason touted the overall benefits of a liberal arts education.
“Take classes not related to acting. Psychology: It helps you relate a character, or interpret another person’s character on stage. Business classes, all of it. A well-rounded person is a well-rounded performer.”