More Gang Confessions!

Gang Confession By Lazaro Viciedo 

My Live Theatre Gang experience began back in October 2001.  I was at work extremely bored and dealing with a bunch of no good yuppies when I came across the L.T.G website.  I often surf the net looking for my next opportunity and I read the audition notice seeking actors for this musical comedy called "Sista Scrooge", the name alone made me laugh so I decided to send in my headshot and resume.  I had been surfing and sending my resume to all sorts of places all month (all year) with little avail.  Even though I had been taking classes and acting for 6 years that’s not really acting professionally and in the professional theatre world such credits don't go very far.  I would think to myself, "Don't they know greatness when they see it!", then I would get sucked right back into reality.   You can imagine my surprise when I got a call back from L.T.G to set up in audition!  Just to get an audition in the city was a homerun for me.  I never knew it could be so hard just to be seen let alone score a gig. 

I was very nervous the day of the audition.  I didn't think any of my monologues would work so I prepared a new one.  The audition called for a song as well and even though I had just stared in a musical and got coached by a PHD in vocal training I knew I was no singer.  I walked into the audition room very nervous but ready to show some skills.  My monologue was weak because it was new and I didn't know it well enough, so that was a life lesson, go with what you know.  What did save me was the song believe it or not.  I just sang one of my favorites, 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and that got me some laughs.  2nd life lesson - enjoy your audition piece, it makes the difference. 

The next week I had a message on my machine from Eric Thomas,  I had gotten a part!  I thought - WOW-EE ZOW EE how lucky am I!  And I was. From the moment I stepped into that ol' apartment in Harlem for the first meeting the Live Theatre Gang made me feel at home.  They gave me the opportunity to be able to express my talents in an easy going, yet professional environment.  I had finally found a place where I can explore and voice my ideas with others who share a common passion - theatre.  What really impressed me is the fact that L.T.G means business.  They are willing to give you a chance if you are willing to be serious about acting.  And I was, Still am.

Ah-Keisha McCants direction was off the gancho (hook in Spanish)  and she always bought good energy to the rehearsals.  Being a director myself (The Peanut Gallery) I know how hard it can be to get what you want from your actors but she always had an interesting way of getting you to do what she wanted which made the experience  fun and the floor was always open for suggestion.  The show went up in December and I was very proud of it.  Being up there on the stage with the other fine performers gave me a great feeling of accomplishment.  Not only did I gain a great deal of experience acting but I had made some good friends and felt like part of a family.  Which is a rare thing in show-business.     

Thinking back on all this now is making me tear - FORGIVE ME!  I just want to thank Ah-Keisha and Reed as well as all the members of L.T.G. For giving me such a golden opportunity and allowing me to be part of something great.  Thank you. 

I look forward to my future with The Live Theatre Gang.          

My Adventure... by Madeline Reed

  
  


My Live Theatre Gang (LTG) experience begins from its conception here in New

York.  Nowhere in my wildest dreams was I prepared for such an amazing
adventure.  I am being taught by two, fantastic teachers--Reed and Ah-Keisha
McCants.  I have also met and been supported by an array of talented actors.
My becoming an actress was on a whim.  After seeing "Café Millennium," I was
motivated to try out for a role in Ah-Keisha McCants' play, "Sistá Scrooge."
I was humble and honored to be cast as Jackee Marley and unlike in last
year's production, I was given the opportunity to sing.  Boy, was I scared!
I hadn't sung a note for a whole lot of years.  I didn't know if  I could
sing the song Ah-Keisha wrote.  I must admit I got a little flustered, after
I had learned the song word-for-word, note-for-note, and then Ah-Keisha
changed the song on me.  It's a director's perogative!  My job is to do it
and do it well.  I did it. I sang the song. And as a youngster at the age of
42, what an achievement.  As Queen Mother Moore in "Great Women of Color" I
was given the opportunity to write and to bring to the forefront a bit of
history on a woman who is not well-known. 

In our modest rehearsal space, we work hard and often times, many hours to
make our productions an enjoyable and memorable experience.  Not only for
the audience, but, for ourselves as well.  I sure do love it when people let
me know that I put my foot in a performance!  Rehearsals are fun, emotional
learning-experiences.  We have our share of goofing-Jomo, Eric, Ah-Keisha,
Michelle, alright, all of us.

LTG is not just a group of people getting together to rehearse and perform.
We have become a family.  We are given the ticket to learn every aspect of
the entertainment field.  For many of us who are loyal to our craft and the
continuance of LTG and its originality and production of (it seems),
never-ending new material, we are striving along with its Founder, Reed
McCants, to make a name for LTG that will be placed on a podium of
recognition for its contribution to new and creative entertainment.  This
may sound like an advertisement; however, these are my feelings!  This is my
adventure!

My First Time… By Carla Cruz

I always wondered what my first time would be like.  Would I be nervous?  Would I be any good?  Would it be obvious that I was a virgin?  To the stage, that is. 

The Live Theatre Gang’s production of Sista Scrooge was my stage debut and I’d say it turned out pretty well.  My beginning with LTG began on a cold, cold, autumn night…nah, I’m just playin. 
I’ve been studying acting for about a year now at and was itching to get out there and actually do the real thing.  I wanted to know what it felt to be out there in front of an audience.  I dreamed of it.  So while venting my lack of experience with a cast member of Sista Scrooge, I was told to call up the LTG and introduce myself to them and ask if there were any auditions being held for future productions.  So I did.  After the long and jumbled message I left for them (I was really nervous) I didn’t think I’d ever hear from them.  Imagine my surprise when I heard a message from Ah-Keisha, the writer/director of Sista Scrooge, the very next day telling me that there was a part available for me in the Sista Scrooge production that was to be performed in two weeks.  

I was absolutely thrilled!  Then she told me it was a part in the chorus.  Thinking that I was about to be fired from my first acting job, I sadly told her that I couldn’t sing.  However, she said that it was not necessary for the part.  Ummm…I’m going to be a part of a chorus but I don’t need to know how to carry a tune??  I’ll take it!!!

My first rehearsal was absolutely mind blowing.  It was nerve racking because all of the actors had already been working together for 5 or 6 weeks and had a really good repertoire with each other.  However, I walked in and everybody welcomed me with open arms.  So far so good I said to myself.  The rehearsal took place in a small apartment with minimum ventilation.  It didn’t matter too much though because the energy in the place was phenomenal.  The positive and creative vibe in that cast was something that I hadn’t experienced in a long, long time.  From that moment I was hooked.

Thank god everyone was extremely patient with my lack of experience.  But I knew my hard work and desire would help to make up for it.  Despite the fact that Ah-Keisha said that singing was not a requirement of the role, it became obviously clear that I needed to at least be able to hold a tune without my voice cracking.  I also immediately realized that I was the only chorus girl that couldn’t sing.  I was HORRIBLE.  Anyway, at rehearsals I embarrassingly did what I could.  While at home though I practiced my small singing roles so that my inexperienced, and somewhat crackly voice blended in by showtime.  Well, practice didn’t make perfect but practice did help a whole lot.  My voice got a little stronger and I felt more confident singing than I originally did. 

I was nervous waiting for our first show to begin.  I was also determined to make this the best chorus girl performance ever known to man.  There’s no small parts right?  So, the first show was a little shaky, but the others that followed were smooth sailing. 

I learned a lot from my first experience such as blocking, projection, pronunciation, etc.  However, there is one thing that I am absolutely grateful for in my experience with LTG.  I now know what that incredible, addictive feeling of performing on stage.  That feeling is what I call absolute freedom and I wouldn’t change my experience of it for anything in the world.  I now spend a lot of my free time looking for monologues and reading plays trying to find the perfect piece to audition for a future LTG production.  The whole experience has been nothing but motivational and I hope to work with many of the talented people in the Sista Scrooge production in the near future.

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