February | 2015 | Intimate Excellent

7 Oct 2022

Gabriella Guzman

One of the characters in Zayd Dohrn’s play Reborning has a unique profession. And we don’t mean Kelly (Joanna Strapp), the gal who makes lifelike dolls. We’re talking about her boyfriend, Daizy (Ryan Doucette). He makes … well … how does Kelly politely describe them? “Adult rubber and latex items.” Dildos. Which Daizy waves about their NY loft in the play. So, when it came time to produce the LA Premiere of this funny and powerful comedy/drama, the Fountain was put in the unique and unusual position of needing to hire someone to paint the dildos so they looked as realistic as the dolls Kelly creates.

And where does one go to find a dildo painter? The Fountain turned to Gabriella Guzman, a student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Where are you from? Where did you get your art training?

Well my Cuban self was born in Virginia (random, right?), but my parents raised me in Miami, which is basically second Cuba. No lie. I pretty much get empanadas pelted at my face as soon as I step off the plane. I’ve been in public art schools my whole life, but I’m currently studying Illustration & Fine Art at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

How did you get this unique job on this production?

Apparently [Artistic Director/Producer] Stephen Sachs sat down at the dinner table one night and asked his son, Daniel [who also attends Art Center], if he had any friends who would be good at a penis paint job. Immediately, my name came to his mind. And to this day, I have no idea how to feel about that.

What was your reaction when you were offered this job?

My immediate reaction was to ask Daniel why in the heck he thought of me as the ideal penis painter. But after a while, I realized that this job makes for the greatest story because it’s my first job! After all, how many people can say their first job title was “Dildo Painter”?

Gabriella Guzman hard at work.

Have you ever painted anything like this before?

You know, as twisted as my mind is, I’ve actually never painted penises before. I should do it more often, though, cuz they definitely make great reference for trees or mushrooms or horrific worm demons. Seriously, just add teeth to one of those things and it’s a pelvic nightmare Dali wishes he would’ve painted.

How are the dildos used in the play?

One of the main characters, Daizy, makes photo-realistic penis sculptures for a living. At one point, he walks out on stage with one of the penises hanging out of his pants! I’m happy to say that the audience thinks it’s a real penis most of the time until they notice how big it is (HA! See what I did there?)

Kristin Carey, Joanna Strapp, Ryan Doucette

What’s it like painting a dildo? Did it make you uncomfortable at first?

Working with the rubber material was challenging at first because any paint I’d put on the surface would immediately crack once the rubber was bent or stretched, but luckily I got a lesson in material methods by a real Special FX Makeup Artist and I was able to use his supplies to produce better results. All in all, painting dildos made me feel like an incredibly unique human being at first, but after a while, I started wishing I was a lesbian just so I’d never have to see another dick again!

Did you tell your friends what you were dong? How did they react?

Joanna Strapp

As soon as I got the job, my immediate thought was “Omg FACEBOOOOK STATUUUS”, which just shows you where our culture is today. My male friends reacted by offering themselves up as reference, but golly gosh, as much as I loved those offers, I respectfully declined. I remember getting tagged in a lot of posts about phallic sculptures and there were quite a few enlarged stills of pornos messaged to me. Isn’t it great to have supportive friends?

Have you told your parents? What was their reaction?

My mom, being an old fashioned Cuban woman who is too sweet and pure to have heard of such things, reacted pleasantly when I told her I was a dildo painter simply because she had absolutely no idea what a dildo was. I remember her saying “Oh sweetie, how nice. Is that a type of plant?”

Do you enjoy painting them?

Gabby takes her work home.

I feel like there’s no way for me to answer these questions without sounding like I really like penises.

I do.

And painting them ain’t so bad either.

What is involved in painting a dildo? Can you briefly take us through the process?

You need to paint rubber using a special paint called Skin Illustrator, and the paint has to go on in very thin layers otherwise it’ll rub off or get clunky. It’s kind of like painting with watercolor, only instead of water, you use alcohol. Once the dildos are dry, you spray them with “Green Marble”, a makeup sealer that keeps everything from rubbing off for a good week or so. You drop off your finished dildos, go home, and once you’ve finally forgotten about penises, you get called to come back for a retouch. Rinse and repeat!

Have you ever been involved in a theater or play before?

I’ve never been involved in a play before or been part of any theater work. It was so exciting to see everyone scramble, to discover what it’s like to put a play together. It requires a lot of teamwork, I’ll tell you that much.

How did you feel on Opening Night, seeing your dildos up there on stage?

When Daizy ran out on stage with my dick hanging out of his pants, I punched my friend in the arm out of excitement.

What’s it like being part of the production team at the Fountain? Has it been a good experience?

I absolutely LOVED being a part of the production team at the Fountain! It was so amazing to feel like a functioning adult for a few weeks, with a job and a title! Everyone at the Fountain has been so accepting, kind, and professional. I’m proud to be a member of this family.

You can see Gabriella’s handiwork in the LA Premiere of Reborning at the Fountain Theatre, now playing to March 15th. Get Tickets/More Info

Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, dolls, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Art Center College of Design, dildo, Fountain Theatre, Gabriella Guzman, Joanna Strapp, Kristin Carey, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, new plays, Pasadena, penis, performing arts, plays, reborn artist, reborn dolls, Reborning, Ryan Doucette, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Zayd Dohrn

Matthew Hancock, Jennifer Finch

“Do anything, but let it produce joy.”
― Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Our company of theatre artists for our upcoming LA Premiere of I And You produced joy at the first rehearsal Monday afternoon at the Fountain. Actors Matthew Hancock and Jennifer Finch met for the first time under the caring eye of director Robin Larsen. Matthew returns to the Fountain after his acclaimed performance in The Brothers Size.

At the I And You first rehearsal, director Robin Larsen spoke about her vision for the play and producer Stephen Sachs guided the company through the production paperwork. Also present at the first reading were co-artistic director Deborah Lawlor, producing director Simon Levy, associate producer James Bennett, stage manager Josephine Austin, dramaturg Christopher Breyer, and publicist Lucy Pollak. Once the opening business was done, the two actors read the script marvelously.

I and You is a funny and beautifully moving new play by Lauren Gunderson about two high school kids thrown together under unusual circumstances. Caroline is sick and hasn’t been to school in months. Anthony suddenly arrives at her door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass’ and an urgent assignment from their high school lit teacher. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, the poetry assignment unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. Winner of the 2014 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Playwrighting Prize, and nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play, I and You is a funny and haunting play about youth, life, love, and the strange transcendent connections between us all.

I And You opens April 11th (323) 663-1525 Get Tickets/More Info

Enjoy Snapshots from the First Rehearsal

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Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Deborah Lawlor, Fountain Theatre, Helen Hayes Award, I and You, James Bennett, Jennifer Finch, Josephine Austin, Lauren Gunderson, Leaves of Grass, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, Lucy Pollak, Matthew Hancock, new plays, performing arts, plays, Robin Larsen, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, Susan Smith Blackburn Playwrighting Prize, The Brothers Size, theater, theatre, Walt Whitman

Reborning Now Playing to March 15 (323) 663-1525 MORE

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, director, dolls, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Fountain Theatre, Joanna Strapp, Kristin Carey, Lisa Temple, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwriting, reborn artist, reborn dolls, Reborning, Ryan Doucette, Simon Levy, theater, theatre, Theatre Around L.A., video, Zayd Dohrn

Heather Wolf at the casting table for ‘I And You’ at the Fountain Theatre.

by Heather Wolf

Ready? Show of hands: How many actors have ever wished to be the proverbial fly on the wall at an audition? Well, volunteering to be an audition reader may just contribute to that most integral tool in an actor’s arsenal: keeping your sanity.

I was given the opportunity to sit on the other side of the casting table during the Fountain Theatre’s casting of I and You, directed by Robin Larsen. It really was an invaluable experience. In preparation for the actor’s life (read constant, unavoidable rejection), there are countless articles, books and instructors all trying to drill in to our sensitive, artist brains that it is not personal. Well, let me add my voice to the throng: It is NOT PERSONAL.

How can I say such a thing? Knowing that it is, quite literally, your life? I know what makes it such a personal and consuming experience for an actor. But across that table, it really is nothing personal. In a good way. Guess what? While you walk out the door obsessing over every moment from your audition, your pic & res is already in the “Yes”, “No” or “Maybe” pile and probably not for the reasons you think.

You may have been the production team’s favorite actor and won’t even get a callback because of [insert-character- stat-here]. How is that fair? How is this supposed to help with the whole staying sane thing? What you keep hearing is true: all you can be is you, all you can control is your work, let the rest go. I am a witness.

More good news: everyone staring at you from across that casting table is on your side. They want you to be great as much as you do. They understand the courage it takes just to walk through that door. When they smile and welcome you and try to put you at ease, it is genuine. So breathe, try and calm those pesky nerves and remember why all those people are there. Putting actors first is the modus operandi of The Fountain Theatre and they actually deliver. Even if you’re just passing through on an audition. After hearing the same lines read over and over, hour after hour, day after day, they are still rooting for you when you walk through that door; hoping that you will be the answer to their casting prayers. It is as difficult for, and means as much to, the people on the other side of the casting table as it does to you.

The audition room at the Fountain Theatre.

As an actor, I intellectually understood these concepts. But experiencing it first-hand from the other side of the casting table is another thing altogether. Every actor should be an audition reader at least once. If offered the opportunity, grab it. It really is a priceless and freeing experience for any actor.

So, here are my ten audition tips taken from the other side of the table:

Relax. They want you to be there. They are on your side. They want every single actor who walks in — including you — to be the answer to their casting prayers.
Be professional. Be prepared. Be on time. Arriving early is on time and on time is late.
Always bring your headshot and resume. Even if you know they already have it. At the end of the day when the headshots are spread across the casting table so they can make their callback choices, you want your lovely face shining up at them from that table reminding them who your are. Not an empty blank white sheet of paper with your name scribbled on it.
Do your work. All you can really control is what you put into your audition. You may be a cold-read ninja and think you can just walk in and nail it. But if you have actually been provided advanced notice with the sides and the script, take that gift! Give yourself every advantage. You’ll need it.
You don’t have to memorize the lines. It impresses no one. I know many actors feel that having their lines memorized is part of doing the work, but that is not what matters most. This from Stephen Sachs, award-winning director and co-founder of The Fountain Theatre: “We really don’t care if the lines are memorized or not. It means nothing to us. What matters is their performance, the freedom of their work. Often, an actor will memorize the lines thinking it will “free” them and enable them to do their best work but then they are concentrating so hard on remembering the words that it completely locks them up. I see it all the time.”
It is okay to make mistakes. Honestly. Skipping a line, having to start over, glancing at your sides, does not impact whether you’re cast or not. Strive for perfection, just don’t be derailed when imperfection strikes. It may be the best part of our day.
Be flexible and directable. Most actors claim they love direction. Listen and process what you are being given. Because if you go back and give the exact same read? Your goose is pretty well cooked. If you need clarification, ask!
The audition room is a “no fly” zone. Walk calmly, don’t fly in and out the door. The second you have said your last line and hear “thank you” doesn’t mean you are required to turn tail and run. Gather your things, say your final “goodbye” or “have a nice day” and exit at a reasonable pace. I promise, you have the time.
Leave it in the room. However you feel you did, leave it in the room. Your job is done. It is out of your control. Just keep on keepin’ on.
Be an audition reader at least once. Volunteer, ask friends, do a show and run your own session, but find a way. The perspective it gives you as an actor, the understanding of the process, knowing first hand what the other side of the table has to deal with and what you can and cannot control, is genuinely priceless. At least it was for me.

Posted in Acting, actors, arts organizations, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre

Tagged acting, actors, audition, casting, casting call, casting director, Fountain Theatre, Heather Wolf, I and You, Los Angeles, performing arts, plays, Robin Larsen, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre