Episode 31: Episode 31 The Beauty of Repetition: A conversation with Ashley Rideaux of BGB Studios, Ellie Clark and Evan Bergman of Arvold Warner Studios in Atlanta

Acting: Conversations on Craft

Please note there is some language in this episode. The one good thing that has come out of the pandemic (for me) is that I have been given the opportunity to expand my acting community outside of my physical location. I have taken classes at the BGB Studios in LA and have joined the Arvold Warner Studios membership in Atlanta. This means I get to talk to even more people about craft. Today I asked Ashley Rideaux from BGB and Ellie Clark and Evan Bergman of the Arvold Warner Studios to talk to me about the Meisner Repetition exercise.So many classes include repetition as part of the class, even if they don’t include any of the other Meisner activities, that I wanted to know why. The basic premise of the Repetition exercise is that you are focusing on the behavior of your scene partner and not focused on the words you are saying. The words are essentially unimportant. “It’s an exercise in subtext. What we’re saying isn’t what matters. Ashley, Ellie, and Evan all talk about the importance of speaking your truth and putting your attention on the other person. As Evan says, “When you put your attention on the other person, they become more important than your discomfort.” Ashley points out that the exercise is a way to prevent you from planning a map for yourself in the scene. She says, “If you can’t bring truth and yourself to what it is you’re offering in a scene then nobody cares…You’ve got to show up and be a real actualized human engaging with another person.” For her the repetition exercise helps you achieve that. For Ellie, “it is setting you up to actually get to the art of doing and crafting and specificity.” I hope you enjoy my conversation with these wonderful teaching artists as much as I did. After graduating from SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting, Ashley did what some would call the impossible, and supported herself for years performing on regional theatre stages across the country. A few of her favorite roles include the titular role in ANTIGONE, Paulina from THE WINTER’S TALE, Ruth Younger in A RAISIN IN THE SUN, and Malcolm (among several other characters) in a six-person, all-female cast of MACBETH. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has appeared in numerous national commercials, indie projects, Annapurna Interactive‘s live action video game, TELLING LIES, THE AFFAIR, and most recently 9-1-1 and AMERICAN CRIME STORY: IMPEACHMENT. Currently she is wearing the hat of producer, writer, and content creator, and had her first digital series optioned a few years ago. Ashley is a champion of diversity, truth, and finding strength through vulnerability. When she’s not acting, writing, or producing, you can find her teaching yoga, meditation, pranayama, philosophy classes, teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats all over the world. Find out more about Ashley RideauxThe BGB Studios: https://www.bramongarciabraun.com/bgb-teachers/ashley-rideauxIG: @ashleyrideauxhttps://www.yoga-with-ashley.com/blank-mpvle Ellie Clark is an Atlanta-based actress and teaching artist. Her most recent credits include The Wonder Yearson ABC, First Wives Club on BET, and a recurring role on Tyler Perry’s Sistas. She has performed throughout the United States and across the pond in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her most notable credits include Antony & Cleopatra (Cleopatra), Pride & Prejudice (Elizabeth Bennet), A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella), Marie Antoinette (Marie), Dancing at Lughnasa (Agnes), and A Chorus Line (Sheila). Ellie has taught acting and physical actor training for 20+ years. She is the co-Artistic Director of Arvold Warner Studio in Atlanta, a training ground for artists pursuing film and TV. She is co-founder of Voices Amplified, an arts activism initiative that cranks up the volume on under-represented and mis-represented voices. She also acts as the Chair of Drama for the Kentucky Governor’s School for (continued)