Adventures of an Actor: Revising the Revisions

October 08, 2016 by Tom Stewart

So, I wrote a play. Actually I've written several, but the one I'm referring to I started writing shortly after a breakup. That's what I do after a breakup; some get drunk, some travel to foreign and distant lands... me, I write. I started by dealing with that particular breakup by writing about a different and previous breakup. A very painful breakup. Yes I tried to deal with one breakup by recalling an even worse one. It made sense at the time.

Adventures of an Actor: Can't Get the Words Out

March 25, 2016 by Tom Stewart

Did you know I stutter? I do. I work to hide it because I have to as an actor.

Here's that story:

Adventures of an Actor: Everyone in or Everyone Out?

March 21, 2016 by Tom Stewart

The ensemble audition, with everyone in the room at once, is making something of a limited comeback. I’ve been at a few recently (all for comedies) and they’ve been something of a revelation to me. One; we’ve got some really talented actors in Seattle! Two; we’ve got some really bad actors in Seattle who don’t seem to understand just basic stuff.

Adventures of an Actor: The Real Buddy Holly

March 19, 2016 by Tom Stewart

Shorty after graduating from the mighty Cornish College of the Arts, I auditioned for a play advertised as a new work musical about country music. Do a contemporary monolog and bring your guitar! So I did.

Here, Catch!

March 16, 2016 by Tom Stewart

As I said in a previous part: fighting against the ‘non-firing firing’ was useless. They wanted you gone and they will make your life miserable until you leave. As you stand outside it, you can be objective and think ‘Oh, that poor person! Why don’t they just walk?” I’ve always believed in justice. Unfairness gets to me. I think comes from being a little brother. When my older brother Charlie put my head into a wall my mother did punish him but told me I should have just stayed away from him. Being smaller and weaker I didn’t have much say. So I fought back, even when I got my butt kicked. Which I did. A lot.

How Long Can You Take This?

March 15, 2016 by Tom Stewart

The announcement came again, “Tom Stewart, please report to the managing director’s office.” SCT never used that system, except for emergencies. I had told them I wasn’t coming. It was past my shift and I had been warned that if I stayed one second past my shift there would be “consequences”.

Anything For the Theatre

March 13, 2016 by Tom Stewart

Up until a few years ago I had a couple little two-drawer filing cabinets. Inside one was a very thick file of correspondence, emails, memos all relating to those last two years. It wascouple inches thick and heavy. I had gathered all the material as it happened or after the fact, building up the file and adding to it; letters from the labor relations board, memos to me from the managing director, printed out emails supporting me from HR, others condemning me from various admin personal (couple that were sent to me accidently). Like I said, it was heavy in terms of weight and emotion.

Five Minutes For Seven Years: A Seattle Children's Story

December 04, 2015 by Tom Stewart

Ah, how young I looked! Well, younger than I am now for sure. The photo was taken in May of 2002. I was in a western bib shirt phase and this is just one of them. This one was a bit itchy. I have my hand up, and Batman watch on and mouth open. I am pretending to yell. Normally I would have actually yelled, and I did but the photographer missed it. So, I faked it and he got a nice shot for the Sunday paper. Yes, this photo was published in the Sunday Seattle Times along with a very nice article on me by Times feature columnist Nichole Brodeur. Full color, below the fold on the Arts section. Now why would someone want to take my picture in such a pose? That is the odd tale I’m telling today. It really begins though a few years before 2002…

For the Love of Theatre Folk

September 24, 2015 by Tom Stewart

A great performance is like sex: you become one with a part, you connect at a gut/sensual level with the character and cast and you ride it all to the climax. And afterwards you feel elated and exhausted. Of course, cast mates may not want to cuddle afterword.