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 Actor - Rachael Lawrence: Vh-1's "I Hate My 30's" Submitted Oct 23, 2007
Interviewed by Joanna Parson Tell us about "I Hate My Thirties." What kind of show is it and what's it about? IHM30s is an off-the-wall scripted comedy about the life challenges one faces during adulthood. The show centers on a group of co-workers who must deal with mind-exhausting social pressures such as marriage, babies, career, or lack thereof. Anything can happen on this show, from song and dance outbreaks to cartoon characters with major issues who feel it necessary to share their life lessons. How does the show incorporate music? What's fun is that music can happen randomly on IHM30s. Sometimes the show turns into what looks like a Broadway musical number where even the most non-musical character must sing his heart out. Other times, you’ll see music videos made by the wannabe punk rock receptionist Vicki (the role I play) about her coworkers being old or her online boyfriends being hot. When did you first audition for the show? Why do you think you stood out and booked the job? Lucky for me, I did not have to audition for the show. This cast has been working together for years doing sketch comedy in LA. VH1 came to our company and offered us a show and gave us a lot of creative freedom. David Fickas and Brice Beckham who wrote, directed and produced the show have told me that the role of Vicki was specifically written for me to play. How do the music sequences get shot? Is most of the show shot to playback, or is there any live on-set singing? How long does a typical musical sequence take to shoot? All of the songs were pre-recorded in the studio. When you shoot a music sequence, generally it is as simple as playing a song on your stereo and lip synching to it. The musical numbers were not very time consuming unless there was choreography involved. Since most of the cast have been used to throwing together a sketch for the live shows in a matter of days, accomplishing anything on film where you can retake mistakes seemed like a luxury. You have a hand in writing some of the music—how does that happen? Are you approached for specific songs? How do you interact with the other writers of the show? The writers of this show happen to be some of my closest friends. They know that my background lies heavily in the music world. They were determined to have me co-write most of the songs with them and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to do everything I love to do on one show. You've done a lot of musical video parodies and short musical Internet work—stuff that wasn't really being produced ten years ago besides Weird Al Yankovic. Is it a new world for musical comedy video nowadays? Why? Music is definitely a strength of mine, so of course, I want to flood it into as much of my creative work as possible. I think especially within the last few years with the popularity of American Idol and other such talent shows, the world wants more music… So I’ll give it to them. Is Los Angeles the place to be for people who are interested in a cutting edge music scene AND acting? Tell us about how the two scenes interact. Los Angeles is obviously a mecca for creativity. I don’t believe an actor HAS to be a musician, or vice-versa. However, I believe that an artist who can connect emotionally to all kinds of art, can achieve a deeper level of connection and understanding to themselves and to their work. I personally find that very rewarding while working on any project. You went to the University of Southern California . Why did you choose USC? What kind of people do you think would most enjoy going there? There was just something magical about walking onto that campus for the first time. I just felt like I belonged and that I had something to offer the school. I definitely wanted to be in Los Angeles to pursue the arts, and I had heard wonderful things about their Theater School. I think USC is meant for people who want to work hard and are determined to stand out from the crowd. The people I know from USC are definitely leaders rather than followers. You've worked with world-renowned vocal coach Seth Riggs. What can you tell us about his specific approach to singing? I am a Speech Level Singing Instructor certified under Seth Riggs. I can’t imagine a more amazing technique to achieve optimum results as a singer. In lamest terms, this technique is, “To sing as easily as you talk.” It is an amazing way to get any singer sounding rich and powerful, without all of the “work” that one thinks would be involved with strengthening the voice. It’s the only technique that has ever worked for me and it is wonderful to be able to share it with other singers. Check out: www.speechlevelsinging.com. Do you think any actor can learn to sing? Or should? I think every actor would benefit from voice lessons. It doesn’t mean that they will become top selling recording artists, but when an actor is acting, he or she generally has to use the voice. Voice lessons can really help an artist understand how their voice works. Actors tend to spend very little time exploring how their voices actually create sound. As a teacher, I never choose clients based on singing ability. If you want to learn, I’ll teach ya! You've been involved in creating a lot of sketch comedy pieces for stage and screen. How do you think that has helped your career? Are you ever afraid of being typecast as a sketch comedy actor? I believe at some point in our careers, we all fall into different pockets. Sketch Comedy happened to be one of the many arenas that just stuck with me. Of course, it has helped my career, but not because of the fact that I have exposure or a television show because of it. It has helped me because I enjoy doing it, and that makes me a success. If I am known as a sketch comedy performer until the end of my days, how could I possibly NOT be ok with that? It’s wonderful. USC has a strong relationship with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and most years you can find some USC students or alumni doing something at the festival, the largest arts festival in the world. What was your experience with Edinburgh ? Going to Edinburgh was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Imagine what a Theater Boot Camp would look like. That’s the Fringe Festival. I got to travel to Scotland with amazingly talented fellow college theater buddies, put up 12 plays in a few weeks, musically direct four of the shows, experience living abroad, and… barely get any sleep. It was perfect. It was one of the most remarkable theatrical experiences. When I got home, I felt like I could conquer the world. In any of the work you've created, how have you made sure that it gets seen and out there? How have you created buzz around your video projects or sketch shows? The internet is heaven for an artist. With sites like YouTube and MySpace [Rachael's character "Vicki" has a page here], anything is possible. I make sure to always send out emails or bulletins, telling my friends, family and fans about my work. We’re only here for a short time…let your voice be heard! How did you get involved with your team at Drama ¾ Management? Were you working with industry representation before you met them? Drama ¾ happened through the friendships of fellow actors from USC. When you find a group this talented, you don’t go anywhere. We all stuck together, and that is why I believe, if IHM30s were to end without a second season, it would be just the beginning for Drama 3/4. These friends have been a part of my life ever since I got to Los Angeles in 1995. I can’t imagine being here without them. Give us an "If I knew then what I knew now" story. What can you tell young actors who want to find themselves using their musical talents AND landing on a TV show someday? My best advice is, “Don’t sit around and wait for people to do things for you. Do it yourself. Get your talented friends together and make something. ANYTHING. Make a video, write a song, do a play, film a movie…the opportunities and possibilities are endless. If you work hard, and you keep working hard, great things can happen. Never say “no” to a project; keep doing and seeing and meeting people. Remain active, and go get ‘em!" |
