Arts Ed at The Granada Presents
Visiting Artists Series

Spring 2010 Series launches with Afternoons with the Industry
This dynamic free program is aimed at area high school and college students interested in the many creative facets of the performing arts. The series introduces successful writers, directors, producers and performers to students with an intimate conversation to inspire and share their “real world” wisdom. Seating is limited to 100, so reserve early by calling 899.2222. Student ID is required for admittance. Additionally, a few seats are reserved for educators. Please call Laura Inks at 899.3000 x 108. Click to view the spring schedule.

Lloyd takes eager young minds back to the future
A review by Laura Inks, Granada Director of Education

Saturday, Feb. 6 - A wet weekend afternoon seemed a perfect day to be in The Granada's cozy Founders Room as 50 local performing arts students sat rapt during an intimate conversation with actor Christopher Lloyd.

Shy, charming and accessible, Lloyd spoke plainly about growing up in a small Connecticut town, studying with renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner in New York, and going after his first roles in Hollywood. He recalled his early days in LA, having come from a New York theatre tradition, admittedly a bit snobby at first. But soon he would settle in, taking the industry by storm in the classic film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. As a youth he'd seen all the Jack Nicholson movies and watched and marveled at each take, where the actor would say his lines in a slightly different manner each time to keep it fresh, exploring the nuances of delivery. "Pick up everything along the way," he said to his eager audience.

When asked about perhaps his most memorable role for this generation, Doc Brown in Back to the Future, Lloyd said he modeled the character after Albert Einstein and Conductor Leopold Stokowski. He apparently hit the mark, embodying both the madness of scientist and artist alike, in the trilogy of pop culture hits.

Lloyd reminisced about working with acting legend Meredith Burgess, thinking how old he looked in the make-up chair, and then watching how animated and how alive he became on stage. He quipped, "One good thing, there is no predetermined age to retire." Indeed at 71, Lloyd loves acting and continues to re-invent himself, regularly working in comedy, drama and voice. One student asked how it was different doing voice work, citing his work on Anastasia as Grigori Rasputin. He said he was a snob about voice work at first, then became invigorated by the challenge, and now loves it. He said it wipes him out after a voice recording session since he gives as much, if not more energy, to it than an acting role.

At one point Lloyd quoted his mentor Meisner by saying, "Acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances." He urged the aspiring performing artists to show tenacity and strength of character while staying true to their core of self knowledge. He recalled a particular instance early in his career when he won a part that a new agency had set him up for. Already into filming, upon seeing the first set of dailies he sensed the vibe of the production would not be right for him. He said no thanks and left the set. When his agent Bob Gersh called to calmly question his actions, he explained his feelings and fully expected to be released, but Gersh would have otherwise. In honoring his self knowing and not doing something where it felt unauthentic, it turned out to be a good thing. He is still with Gersh today.

He admitted to having a few flops, but seemed to take it in stride as with all those rejections in the beginning, as just a part of the process.  The students asked a myriad of questions and through his delightful ramblings you learned so much more than just the answer to your question. Asked whether he'd had a back up plan if the "acting thing" didn't work out, he simply replied..."NO, I'd be a disaster at most anything else!"