Audrey Francis has acted, directed and taught in Chicago for over 7 years. She is one of the co-founders and proud owners of Black Box Acting, home of The Studio and The Academy. Audrey is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, where she now returns to teach the Meisner Technique. She is a Jeff Nominated actor who has worked at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Victory Gardens, Writer's Theatre, Northlight, Pine Box Theater, The Hypocrites and many other Chicago theaters. She's appeared in multiple independent films most recently includingThe Promotion, Dustclouds, and Donnie Brasco- The Documentary. Audrey was also on the NBC series ER and can currently be seen on the new web series created by The Onion. Directing credits include: Life & Limb and The Most Liquid Currency in the World (Pine Box Theater); The Sugar Syndrome (Chicago Dramatists); The Sweetest Swing in Baseball (Step Up Productions); Master Harold and the Boys (a.d. Steppenwolf); Sexual Perversity in Chicagoand Proof (University of Chicago). Audrey is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in Journalism.
Audrey on...
The First Read
The first thing I look for in a script are the simple circumstances that exist within each character's life. I look for only the facts. Once I find those, I boil those facts down and ask myself how I, Audrey, could honestly find myself in that situation. Once I find that, the script, the punctuation, and my imagination help me find a way to actually walk in the "shoes" of that world and that circumstance. I look at the circumstances characters are forced to live under. I believe that is what drives decisions, dictates the way the language is used, and they way people either say "hello" or "goodbye" in every play. I don't worry if I can relate to the script, I just look to see what exactly the world of that play presents to each human in it.
KnowingThat's funny. I'm not sure I have realized it's a viable career yet. Yikes. What specifically inspired me though, was the movie Amadeus. Not in the sense of being an actor, but in the sense of what art is capable of. That movie taught me about the power of Art. I was already a little Mozart freak when I was 7, but seeing that movie brought his music, the power of all music and the ideas of passions, dreams and our own human limits to life. It was inspiring and terrifying all at the same time. I've watched that movie maybe 70 times. Every time I watch it, I'm reminded not only the responsibility, but the duty talented artist have to the rest of the world. Music, Film, Theatre, Dance, Painting, Writing - ART - is what brings people closer to a deeper understanding of humanity, love and truth. Art is what we learn from.
The Writer/Actor Relationship I'm going to be honest and say what is probably the "wrong answer." I get very nervous when writers are in the room. I get nervous that I'm ruining their work, that I'm not what they envisioned when they wrote the role and that I'm stifling all of my impulses because they may not have thought the scene go the way I'm feeling in the moment. I also worry that it would make me lazy or complacent when doing my half of the job. They wrote the words and my job is to figure out how to say what I mean and mean what I say, right? So if they are there, in the room with me, then I could just ask them "why" instead of forcing myself to do the work one my own terms. That being said, I have worked on a couple projects with the writers in the room and it was extraordinary. And writers are sexy. So this answer is clearly stemming from my own insecurities. But for right now, I'm more comfortable with a long distance relationship.
Writing
I have written quite a bit. I was a Journalism major, I've written one play, tons of blog entries for Black Box's Inside the Box and I also write the Curriculum for Black Box Acting. I do NOT envy the life of a writer. The easiest and most fun part, to me, is that I spend my time observing people and situations with as little judgment as possible. Then... I go back to my desk with a glass of whiskey and unleash every thought, opinion, judgment, hope and desire I've ever had onto the keyboard. The beauty in this, is that I can release everything inside of me, but with someone else's "face" attached to it. I can say everything I've wanted to say, but may have not had the balls to say it in person. This way I can express myself with the protection of the medium within which I am communicating. The most challenging is that it's lonely and too overarching. I could never be a writer because I don't think I could ever trust that my thoughts or ideas were substantial enough for an audience to witness.
The view from the writer's perspective absolutely affects my acting. I work my ass off to be word perfect and I work my ass off to honor the writer's punctuation. That's it. They wrote the story. I'll honor exactly how they wrote it. The rest is my job to fill in as the imperfect human that I am.
AdviceThis might be weird, but I got the best advice ever. I got really lucky. But, if I had to pick something... I would say that I wish someone would have told me to calm down before auditions and big meetings with professionals. To calm myself and ground myself. I have really nervous energy and I'm sure that I've lost a lot of jobs because people think I'm a lunatic. I'm just nervous and the way I handle my nerves... lacks grace. I wish someone would have told me to drink peppermint tea before big auditions/interviews, not coffee. I'm still working on this now.
Audrey Francis is the owner and co-founder of
Black Box Acting
For more information on Audrey's past, present, and future endeavors, check here.
