I read for 2 classes of 5th Graders on Friday for Read Across America. I started doing it 4 or 5 years back. A friend who is a teacher at the school is also an actress I've worked with in plays. She enlisted actor friends to do the reading for the students. The librarian, Susan, says that the kids get a kick out of people other than the teachers reading to them. New is always better.
I got there Friday morning and looked at the classes I was to read to. 5th Grade? The book I usually pick it pictured above. Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. It's a cool book about pirate bunnies and how the one who reads saves them all. The book is fun, I get to do a bunch of pirate voices, and it shows the importance of reading.
The first class I read to paid attention. Since it's a kids book it had pictures which I would show to the class. I'd read the two pages and then show the book. After I finished the class asked me questions. I answered the questions about acting, What I do. The one question that came up in both classes was "Do you know any famous people?" I would tell them yes. I have a few buddies that are known to them. When I dropped the name, their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open.
In the second class I was more calm. The nerves from the first class were gone and I was having more fun with the whole thing. I read the book and showed the pictures and then fielded questions from the class. The teacher asked a couple of me. What's my favorite role I played. "Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet." was my reply. She asked where I was from. And when the kids asked something that she didn't think was appropriate, she would say, "You shouldn't ask that!" Those questions were "How much do you make as an actor?" and "How old are you?" I didn't take offense at the questions. The money one I answered by saying I make part of my money from acting and the other part from other sources. I didn't give an exact number. Nor did I tell them my age. I did tell them in Hollywood people ask "what age range do you play?" Which is usually a 10 year span. "35-45" or some such.
There was a blonde girl in the back. She is an actress and has an agent. She asked me about auditions. How do you not take it personally. I told her that there are lots of people in the mix for the casting decisions and that so much of it has nothing to do with you. Do your best in the audition and walk away from it. If you obsess about it it will make you miserable. Also she asked about crying on cue. I said at 10 years old you haven't been kicked around by Life. As you get older you have a pool of experiences to use to touch emotion when acting. Or there's some tricks to fake it. Whatever works, right?
I finished up in the second class room. As I was leaving I passed by the blond actress and said "Good Luck." I thought about maybe giving my email to the librarian and telling her the little actress could emial me questions. I don't know. Would a gesture of wanting to help be seen as creepy? Everyone needs a mentor at some point.
I went back to the library. One of the readers had a son there. His day job was as a fireman. So he was in the full fireman gear and read books of fire safety to the kids. Very cool in my book. When I was leaving the kids were out on recess. The fireman's son jumped into his dad's arms and hugged him. The kids circled him and asked questions about his job.
Good to know there are some real heroes in the world. I just play one on TV.
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