Hello Beautiful People,
Austin is the definiton of a triple threat – he sings, he dances, and he acts, all with grace & ease. AND, to top it all off, he’s a teacher! Currently he is part of the ensemble of Evita on Broadway, (which closes January 26th, so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already seen it!) This is a friendship and interview we’re thrilled to introduce you to, ladies & gents, meet J. Austin Eyer…
TWT: What advice would you give to theater students in high school and in college?
AE: Absorb as much as you can! Things can get pretty hectic when you are studying the arts. The amount of hours you spend taking class and rehearsing a show can really add up. But, the more you can learn to focus NOW, and really put your heart into whatever you are working on in that moment, the more prepared you’ll be to manage your life as a professional actor. The technique and craft I learned in high school and college has helped me to have a successful career. So don’t blow off your training, and yes, right now you’re training. I call upon those skills on a daily basis as a performer and as a teacher. Do your homework, try to limit your “social time” till you’ve finished your homework, and in your spare time read plays, see movies, and most importantly read about what’s currently happening in the business right now.
TWT: Did anything influence you to become an actor in high school? If so, what was it?
AE: Funny enough, I was past being “influenced” in high school. I remember watching TV when I was really young and wanting to be like the child actors I saw on television, (it looked like so much fun). I also have this memory of seeing a duet performance of the Nutcracker in our elementary school cafeteria. That, mixed with my music classes in school, led me to sit my parents down at the age of seven for a very serious talk. I told them I decided I wanted to be an actor and wanted to start immediately because I was already behind in my training. My parents were a little shocked, but saw I was serious. So they researched some local theatre programs and agents…and so my journey began. I made my Broadway Debut when I was 10 years old. I was lucky; my parents helped me look for an amazing performing arts high school. And when we found it, the whole family actually relocated to Florida so I could go to Dr. Phillips High School. High school is where I discovered the “craft” of acting, and received a really solid foundation of acting technique. There was never any doubt before or during high school that this is how I wanted to make my living, but thanks to my experience at Dr. Phillips, it pushed me even further towards my goals.
TWT: What three things would you warn young actors to be careful of?
AE: Keep training! Training after high school is VERY important (whether it’s college or a conservatory program), but don’t expect to graduate, move to New York, and land your first Broadway show right away. Even when you land your first Broadway show, the work does not stop. Since I was seven I have been taking voice lessons, dance class, and acting classes on a weekly basis. Even today, I am still in class. Keep pushing yourself, maintaining your instrument (which is your body), and cultivating the areas of your craft that still need attention.
Save your money. Just because you get your first high paying gig don’t run out and find that apartment in Chelsea you’ve been dreaming of. Don’t buy the flat screen TV you want “just because I earned it.” Even when I have a Broadway contract I still act financially responsible, and I put every dollar I can into an emergency fund. I’m a big fan of Suze Orman. Act as if your high paying job is going to end next week…because it just might! Every show you do is going to close, and every great paying contract you have is going to end (probably sooner rather than later). ENJOY the job while you have it. Be sure to build up your funds so that while you are in between jobs you can live on your unemployment, for the alternative is taking a job at your corner restaurant, or another 9-5 gig that might inhibit you from auditioning.
Reputation is the key to a long career. I begin this with a disclaimer: you will NOT get along with everyone you work with, and some jobs will be VERY challenging mentally. However, the more you can do your absolute best to come into work, do your job, respect those around you, and stay professional…the better chance you’ll have of being hired again. Not just by the people who hired you this time, but also by fellow cast mates. I can’t tell you how unnerving it was to sit in the dressing room of my first adult Broadway show and see how the casting process can work sometimes. When someone is leaving a show, names are often suggested by people in the cast in regards to who would be a good replacement. Or, if the job is down to a couple of people, the creative team might ask, “What do you know about this person?” This business is small and people remember if you didn’t show up to work often, if you were rude to your dresser, if you were “difficult” to work with, or if you constantly badmouthed your director. My biggest piece of advice is to do each job as best as you can, be careful what you say and who you say it to, and get a friend or roommate that is NOT in the business to talk about all the crazy people you are working with.
TWT: Of all the roles you’ve played, which ones are the most memorable?
AE: From Tony in Billy Elliot, to Hamlet, to Burrs in The Wild Party, I’ve gotten to do some really troubled, angry, and FUN characters. But, I have to say my favorite was doing Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. It’s rare that you get to do a role where you feel like you are using every bit of your talents. As Eric, I got to stand onstage and sing a solo with a full Broadway orchestra, but I also got the chance to really create an acting journey each and every show. AND, to top it off, I got to dance a duet with Ariel. I was in heaven every time I stepped onstage.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
AE: I didn’t grow up in a theatre family – we watched television. It’s because of the music classes I took in elementary school that I was even exposed to the arts in the first place. I took my first movement class in my school gym; I saw my first ballet during an in-school performance. I’m working on Broadway today because of that early exposure to the arts. But more than that, the arts make you a better/healthier person. It can be an outlet for negative emotions, it can motivate kids to work harder in their academics, and it can give the “misfits” a place to be encouraged and accepted. I can’t tell you how many of my theatre classmates from high school and college have gone on to do AMAZING things that have nothing to do with the arts. From working for NASA, to starting a successful clothing line, to running their own Internet company…the list is endless, for the skills you learn in the arts translate to so many other mediums.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?
AE: My favorite film is Drop Dead Gorgeous; it’s the only movie I’ve seen more than 10 times. My favorite play is something a little dark like Macbeth.
TWT: What role would you love to play?
AE: In 10 years I would looooove to play Sweeney in Sweeney Todd.
TWT: Can you tell our readers more about the work that goes on at CAP21?
AE: I fell in love with CAP21 back when I was 16 years old. I started looking for a college musical theatre program early, and had gone to visit all the top programs around the country. The summer before my senior year I went to CAP21’s summer pre-college program, and that was it, I knew I had to go there. CAP21 stands for Collaborative Arts Project for the 21st Century, and that’s exactly what they are, collaborative. Most of the schools I looked at had a really good music program, or really strong dance program, or really just focused on acting. I wanted a program where I would get equal training in dancing, singing, and acting. Now, as a teacher and advisor at CAP21, I see firsthand what makes the program so successful. We don’t have separate departments for voice, acting, and dance. We have faculty meetings where we try to streamline interdisciplinary vocabulary. The faculty is constantly having meetings where we discuss specific students and how best to support them in every class. The curriculum supports each student to be trained as a triple threat. Also, almost all of my colleagues that teach at CAP21 are still working in the business and are still invested in what’s happening in the Arts right now. Another thing that really made me choose this program is their belief that there is a place for all different types in this business. CAP21 tries to cultivate the strengths and weaknesses of each individual student. Show business, like life, is made up of all different shapes and sizes of people, and I love that each student leaves knowing where they might fit in.
TWT: If you had to give three pieces of advice to our readers who are teaching artists, what would you say?
AE:Patience. Encouragement. High Expectations. Patience is important because each student needs time to learn at their own pace, some students need time for things to sink in, while others can pick up new things rather quickly. Encouragement is important to those who are trying their best. This business can be VERY discouraging, so I encourage students to stay focused on their path of training and to not give up just because they didn’t get something on the first, second, or third try. And lastly, I think teachers need to have high expectations in the classroom. I expect every student to be working at their full potential from the moment they walk in the door, till the time they leave. When I see this isn’t happening, I push them, I challenge them to go further. It’s important that they learn how to be a professional now, and part of that knowledge will come from working EVERY class.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
AE:Teachers are amazing, and I think we are all made of up those who have taught us along the way. All of my teachers exist in my head, they are still there to encourage and push me when I need it. On a daily basis, as both a performer and a teacher, I may call on something that I learned when I was 8 with my first voice teacher Valerie Kennedy, whose passion was infectious. Or, maybe I remember something from when I was 14 and my high school acting teacher Karen Rugerio introduced me to Uta Hagen, or when I was 16 being pushed to work harder as a true professional by Pamela Bolling, OR in my college modern dance class where my teacher Elizabeth Roxas kept reminding me to forget about counts, and instead connect to my artist and dance to the music. I’m so grateful for all the amazing people I’ve worked with. That’s why it’s so important that we all give back to those who want to learn our profession, and teaching is truly the way to thank your teachers, for it’s how we pass on what they’ve taught us.
Thank you, Austin!
Live, Love, Learn,