[Perform-Talk] Introduction

[Camryn Gattuso]

Hello.
My name is Camryn Gattuso, and I am twenty-two years old. I am interested
in acting, but I have not had good experiences with taking acting lessons.
Both of the acting coaches I have had think that what I tell them I am
interested in is the only thing I want to work on. For instance, I told my
last acting coach that I liked The Hobbit, and he only worked on The Hobbit
with me at every single lesson, even after I told him that I wanted to work
on new materials every week instead of doing the same thing over and over.
He also never responded to any of the emails I sent. He thought all I liked
was The Hobbit, and he misunderstood everything I said. When I was trying
to tell him why I think it is a double standard to let actors do the Gollum
voice from the movie while telling me to make up my own voice for a
character, he did not listen. He also tried reading to me even after I
proved to him I could read by bringing my BrailleNote Touch Plus to one of
the lessons and reading an excerpt from a script I was working on at the
time. Everybody is always negative toward me when it comes to acting. Both
acting coaches thought I took forever to connect to the Internet or pull up
a book or a script to read. I was unable to find any free scripts online,
even after going through pages of search results. The last acting coach
asked me to find a script, but all of the scripts I found required payment.
I spent 2 years of my life wanting to play Audrey in a production of Little
Shop Of Horrors; I went out and bought a blond wig and heeled shoes, and I
listened to Ellen Greene in preparation for the day when a local theater
would decide to perform the show. When one of the theaters did decide to do
the show, I asked the director the wrong question. I had downloaded the
script excerpt, which was attached to the audition form. I could read it
just fine, but I ended up asking the director how I could do a cold reading
from the script when I meant to ask if I could bring my BrailleNote Touch
Plus in so I could read like everybody else. She sent me a monologue, so I
pulled out of the audition. I now have a blond wig and heeled shoes that I
do not know what to do with. I also wrote my own script, which is a
reader's theater adaptation of The Hobbit. I cannot find anybody who would
want to perform it for educational purposes. I have been searching for
another acting coach, but I am unable to find one. All I want is to take
lessons with someone who will be positive with me instead of being
constantly negative. I want to work on new things instead of working on the
same thing over and over again.
Please help me.