The tremendous loss of Ann Marsden and a few random items as well

Ann Marsden died on Sunday, July 8th, after a long back and forth with cervical cancer. Here's a post on the State of the Arts blog full of lovely memories of Ann shared by members of the Twin Cities arts community. Ann was a photographer but she was much more than that. Her presence was ubiquitous in the Minnesota theater world not just because at least %50 of the actors working today have had headshots taken by Ann at some point in their careers but because of how interacting with Ann made you feel. I didn't know Ann Marsden well. But the context through which I can view her passing is a very personal one for me. I had never intended to work in the theater. I had no relationship with theater until I was in my 20s. And my introduction was through improv comedy and sketch so when someone first floated the idea past me that I should get something called 'headshots' I got sweaty and confused. As an obese teen and then the funny fat guy in an improv troupe the experience of being photographed had only been awful for me. But I liked being on stage and a bunch of people told me that if I wanted to do more of that I needed to let someone take pictures of me. Fifteen years ago everyone, actors, directors, writers, agents, when asked who I should get headshots from said Ann Marsden. The closest thing to someone not recommending Ann Marsden was one actor telling me that if I didn't have much money to spend I should ask Ann Marsden to recommend a less expensive photographer. So I got a phone number and with trembling, insecure hands I called Ann. I think, and I truly wish I had recorded the call, that I said something to the effect of, "Hi, I need to get headshots taken and I don't know what I'm doing or how it works or anything." She didn't laugh or tell me to stop bothering her with my inexperienced nonsense as I'm certain she had plenty of other clients to work with and didn't need to waste her time on me. Instead my call was treated as the best thing that had happened to Ann that day. We set up a date and she told me to bring a few different shirts and some music that I liked to her studio/house and sounded really excited about the whole thing. When the day of the shoot came I was not excited about getting my picture taken. I've never thought highly of my appearance, viewing it largely as an obstacle to be overcome in order to do the work I care about and enjoy. But it took about 3 minutes in Ann's studio for me to feel more comfortable in front of a camera than I had ever felt in my life. And when I say more comfortable than I've ever felt it continues to this day. I'm certain that every on camera job I've ever done would have been greatly improved by just having Ann on-set. Beyond just getting comfortable Ann brought out a confidence with myself and my relationship to the camera that I can't fully comprehend. In the 90 or so minutes we spent in that photo shoot and again in the 30 minutes of looking at the proofs days later I had the confidence of someone who had just won a championship game or sold his internet start-up. There was a gentleness and an energy and an immediate depth of emotional connection that I don't think a person can learn. She just had this quality and this ability to make you feel like you were amazing. And it translated to her photos. I don't know that Ann ever thought of me after I left her studio or if she ever saw me on stage but I left that shoot feeling like this was a person who would be in my life forever. And she will. -------- John Gaspard has put together a fun video project about the audition process called ”Next!” “Next!” explores the emotions of the audition process from the people who live it every day: working actors, who put themselves (and their self-respect) on the line every time they hear the words “Next!” Do you have good audition stories? -------- Swandive theater is trying to win a Toyota Tacoma truck and they need your help. Here's how Damon Runnals describes it: "Today is a big day for Meg and I at Swandive Theatre. In just 15 min voting goes live at 100carsforgood.com With your help we have a chance to win a brand new Toyota Tacoma for Swandive. We hope you'll do 3 simple things for us today. Starting at 9a ET until 5p you can help Swandive by doing the following. 1. Go to 100carsforgood.com and sign in with you facebook account 2. Click on Swandive Theatre and vote for us in today's drawing. 3. Share that you have voted on ANY of your social networks (there are buttons next to our entry on the site so it is easy to share on facebook, twitter, and google+)." Seems like a pretty simple way to help some theater compatriots out. -------- Michael Rohd wrote a great piece for HowlRound about the assets that theater artists can bring to a civic practice. I love the idea that theater artists can be a tremendous force for good and change in the world, especially in places beyond the stage. And I'm particularly fond of the idea of artists as an untapped resource. The New Work of Building Civic Practice Give Michael's entry a read and then let's all start planning ways to make the world a better place. Deal? -------- Did you know the 2012 Minnesota Fringe Festival website is officially up and pretty fun to tool around on? Check it out Kudos to Matt Foster and Craig VanDerSchaegen Also, we'll have some fringe festival bloggers writing again this year during the festival, running August 2nd through August 12th so hopefully you'll read and respond to what they have to say. -------- Hey, the Guthrie is holding their non-union general auditions for the 2012-2013 season. Want to be in a show at the Guthrie? Want to hone your auditioning chops? This is a good way to go after either or both of those goals. -------- Alright, that's some stuff that's currently going around. If you have something that's going around I hope you'll consider sharing it with Minnesota Playlist. We'll help make whatever you have infectious! Also, if you know someone who is doing something awesome why not take a minute to tell them. Have a week -Levi