The only way you become creative is by serving someone else’s creativity aka something useful for actors or how to shine your light around town. By Yvette Edery
INT: ARGENTUM PHOTO LAB – DAY
A puppeteer, young actress, award winning short film director, Tisch NYU performance instructor, and granddaughter of a Holocaust Survivor, walks into Ajay Jhaveri’s office. He immediately motions her in.
YVETTE EDERY (to herself)
How does he know I’m not here for headshots?
The office has five men in it but it almost immediately empties. She has come because no one picked up the phone, and she was on a mission; endorsements for her small business “Standing in the Sunshine, personal training for artists, actors, and creative types.”
She sits, rolls off her teaching credentials, including Princeton University.
His eyes sparkle as he chats with her about Los Angeles.
He interviews her.
YVETTE EDERY
My philosophy is practice and process oriented, based in scientific research and spiritual personal experience. I believe you have to coach every day to see any success, not just before your auditions, but most coaching is cost prohibitive for even a single session, much less seven days a week. That’s why I very, very selectively audition well trained and well versed actors for martial artist like, daily coaching, at an affordable price.
AJAY JHAVERI
Interesting. Can you discuss the value of watching an audition tape, after the fact? Or the benefit of solo versus group coaching?
She is gifted, ambitious, and has a natural inclination to help others.
YVETTE EDERY
Yes! If you invested in making a tape or having one made you are already a step above every theatrical actor, because you have no need for a mirror. You can study yourself, train yourself; like exposure therapy. A group has the dynamic of everyone inside of it. While the five men were in here earlier, I had to play to the group, this is much more intimate, the dynamic is just ours. It is a controlled environment.
AJAY JHAVERI
You have rock star teaching credentials.
YVETTE EDERY
I’m a great acting coach because I don’t lie. I don’t box actors in. I am extremely creative. I can see with incredible perspicacity. All of my films have been cast and crewed by my students. I only coach people I want on my team. Right now, I’m looking for Shakespeare actors, because most actors who just want to get famous quick aren’t willing to invest in learning Shakespeare like the ones who love acting will. Also, redheaded females from the South.
AJAY JHAVERI
Why redheaded females? Are there redheads in the South?
He makes her laugh.
YVETTE EDERY
I’ve written a lead role for one in my next feature film. Some women like roses, some like daisies, some like lilacs. Right now, as a director, and as someone with a background in the fine arts, I look at the actor’s physicality as part of them. This is the flower I’m fascinated with right now.
He is gracious, generous.
AJAY JHAVERI
Okay. You’ll be my first guest blogger for the Headshot Café. Write something that is useful for actors. We have a list of 33,000 subscribers.
A gorgeous young actress is waiting to speak with him; she is visible through the glass wall.
AJAY JHAVERI
Who is this? Okay, Yvette, you are out, she is in.
Mission almost accomplished, she thanks him from her heart, and bounds out of Argentum.
YVETTE EDERY (to herself)
Something useful for actors! Like how to shine your light around town. Got it.
INT. YVETTE EDERY’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Yvette sits at her computer, with a Dr. Pepper, Pellegrino and lime, and udon soup.
A little lamp is lit, she wears the iconic gingham dress with lace straps she is known for, and reties her Grandmother’s scarf around her head, tying it into a bow like a flower by her ear.
Around her, the string puppet marionettes from the film, The Heart is a Mirror, recently purchased to be part of the permanent collection at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, hang in the corner.
On the opposite wall, the poster of her directorial debut, including the testimonial quote from her hero, Darren Aronofsky, hangs next to the “Love who you are sign” from Jillian Dillon, recently purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, after playing hundreds of films festivals, and winning awards, internationally.
They are both testimony to her love of her grandmother.
Hamlet sits next to the laptop.
She looks at her grandmother’s photo.
YVETTE EDERY
Ok. I’m going to tell them what you told me. To read. To write. Because they are intelligent.
She begins to type.
YVETTE EDERY (to herself)
Come to think of it, that’s all the advice I’ve ever been given too. From Darren, from Sharon Chatten, from Ronnie Burkett, from Mary Conlin, anyone I’ve ever looked up to. Keep developing yourself. Get your own camera. Move anywhere you have to in order to keep growing, focus on your own work.
She looks back at the photo of her grandmother.
YVETTE EDERY
It is a good thing you gave me so much love. It has strengthened my heart. Thank you.
She writes.
YVETTE EDERY
“Just understand, you’ve been given a gift, and be grateful. Say, ‘Thank you, GD, for making me an actor.’ Say it. Say it out loud. Right now. Say it like you mean it. Say it every day. “
She pauses. Remembers the story about her other hero, Ghandi, refusing to tell a young boy to stop eating sugar, till he had stopped eating it himself.
YVETTE EDERY
THANK YOU, GD, FOR MAKING ME AN ACTOR!
She wonders.
She always wonders.
YVETTE EDERY (to herself)
Will they know that I mean, born one? Ok, let go control, Yvette. Everyone will read it differently.
She saves the document. Blows her grandmother a kiss. Reties the scarf around her head. Readies herself for the next round of auditions and interviews for Standing in the Sunshine. Sprays some perfume.
Everybody has a GD, or a grandmother, right?
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