Episode 1: The Life of Real Actor
Dante talks to his first guest, Jordan, about his life as an actor and what it means to be an actor.
This podcast is brought to you by ‘Jsk Stories. JSK Stories is a safe, online community where kids and teenagers can learn about all things theatre and film.
For more content like this, and to stay up to date on current and future projects, like our newly released scripted web series, “An Open Letter to Isabella Beck,” follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at ‘JSK Stories’, or online at ‘jskstories.com’. Thank you and enjoy the show!
[INTRO]
DANTE
Dante’s Acting Adventures!
[THEME MUSIC]
Hey everybody! It’s me, Dante and welcome to my podcast!
Today is Episode 1, ‘The Life of a Real Actor’. Today I will be interviewing my very first guest. Jordan. Jordan is a real life actor. Jordan is 24…a lot older than me. His favorite color is-
JORDAN
Blue.
DANTE
-and when he’s not acting, his favorite thing to do is-
JORDAN
Play Guitar.
DANTE
I’ll be asking him what being an actor is all about.
[MUSIC FADES] Places!
[ORCHESTRA TUNING SOUNDS THAT FADE]
DANTE
Hellooooo Jordan!
JORDAN
Hey Dante.
DANTE
How are you doing today?
JORDAN
I’m doing good buddy, how are you doing?
DANTE
I’m doing pretty good. I can’t believe that you’re on my podcast.
JORDAN
Yeah. Neither can I, this is a big honor.
DANTE
Wow, it’s a big honor for me, thanks for being here.
JORDAN
Yeah! Thanks for having me.
DANTE
So, you’re a real life actor?
JORDAN
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
DANTE
Wow! How long have you been an actor for?
JORDAN
Umm. Well. Probably 13 years.
DANTE
That’s longer than I’ve been alive.
JORDAN
Really?
DANTE
Does that make you feel old?
JORDAN
Not a bit.
DANTE
Good. Well, I guess we should get started. What do you think?
JORDAN
I think so!
DANTE
I have 5 questions for you. Is that too much?
JORDAN
Nope, that’s perfect.
DANTE
Alright! Question number one!
[MUSIC]
What is an actor?
JORDAN
Well. An actor is anybody who plays pretend.
DANTE
What do you mean play pretend?
JORDAN
When you were younger, did you ever get together with your friends and pretend to be superheroes or pirates or…
DANTE
Oh! Oh! Oh! Do you mean like, like, one time me and my friends, we were playing in my backyard, and we would pretend like the sandbox was mars and we would all be astronauts and my astronaut was named, Freddy!
JORDAN
Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean.
DANTE
Really? Do you mean that I was an actor all along?
JORDAN
Yeah, I think so.
DANTE
No way! That’s really cool!
JORDAN
Yeah, isn’t it? So, if you think about it, you might be acting more than you think.
DANTE
I’ve never thought about it like that before. Alright, let’s keep moving.
Question number 2!
[MUSIC]
Who can be an actor?
JORDAN
Anybody can be an actor.
DANTE
Anybody anybody?
JORDAN
Anybody anybody.
DANTE
Are you telling me that I’m kind of already an actor?
JORDAN
Yeah, I think so.
DANTE
That’s pretty cool.
JORDAN
Isn’t it?
DANTE
I bet my friends will think that’s really cool.
JORDAN
I think they will too.
DANTE
I bet I could tell Miss Griffin that I’m a real actor, and don’t need to do this project anymore!
JORDAN
Well, you could, and you’d probably be a good actor. But every great actor never stops learning.
DANTE
Well, I want to be a great actor. Question number 3!
[MUSIC]
How do you become an actor?
JORDAN
Well, there are lots of different ways to become an actor. I started when I was in school.
DANTE
Oh. You mean like the time I was in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at my school?
JORDAN
Yeah!
DANTE
Really?
JORDAN
Yeah. When I was in 6th grade, I did a Shakespeare play.
DANTE
Woah. What one did you do?
JORDAN
We did ‘Twelfth Night’.
DANTE
‘Twelfth Night’. Sounds a lot longer than ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
JORDAN
Yeah, probably a little bit.
DANTE
Did you have the lead?
JORDAN
No, I played the bad guy.
DANTE
The bad guy?
JORDAN
Yeah, Malvolio.
DANTE
But you look like such a nice guy!
JORDAN
[LAUGHS] I guess, but that’s the fun of acting! You can play whoever you want.
DANTE
You mean, you think I could play the bad guy one day?
JORDAN
Sure, if you wanted to.
DANTE
Woah. How would I learn to be a bad guy?
JORDAN
Practice and using some of that make believe we talked about earlier.
DANTE
That’s cool. Wait, so pretty much, I can just become anything I wanted.
JORDAN
Yeah. Pretty much.
DANTE
Question number 4!
[MUSIC]
Why does the world need actors?
JORDAN
Well. The world needs actors because everyone has a story to tell.
DANTE
Everybody?
JORDAN
Yeah. Everybody.
DANTE
But…what about all the boring people?
JORDAN
Well, boring stories can be interesting too. Just ask Chekov.
DANTE
Who’s Chekov?
[BOOM-BOOM-CRASH]
JORDAN
We’ll probably have to talk about him some other time.
DANTE
Alright.
JORDAN
But truly, everybody does have a story to tell. As an actor you get to help tell the stories of people and situations that we might not otherwise know about.
DANTE
You make it sound like acting and telling stories could change the world.
JORDAN
I hope so.
DANTE
Me too. I want to change the world one day.
JORDAN
I bet you will.
DANTE
Thanks! Question number 5!
[MUSIC]
What is your favorite character you’ve ever played?
JORDAN
I think one of my favorite characters was when I got to play ‘Frog’ in the musical, ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’.
DANTE
Frog and Toad is a musical?!
[SONG CLIP FROM SHOW]
JORDAN
Yeah!
DANTE
I love those books!
JORDAN
Me too.
DANTE
You got to play the Frog?
JORDAN
I did! Yeah!
DANTE
Woah! Did you have to paint yourself green?
JORDAN
No. I didn’t have to paint my whole self green, but they did color my hair green, but they colored my hair green.
DANTE
You had green hair?
JORDAN
I sure did.
DANTE
So, tell me more about why it was your favorite role to play.
JORDAN
Well, one of the reasons it was my favorite was that at the end of the day, it’s a story about friendship. That’s important to remember because deep down everybody just wants a friend.
DANTE
You’re right. I don’t know what I would do without my friends. That sure is important to remember. Well Jordan, I have one last question for you today.
JORDAN
Okay.
DANTE
Why did you become an actor?
JORDAN
Well, I think I became an actor because deep down, I always knew I was. And I really love storytelling. Especially when I get to do it with my friends.
DANTE
That’s the best kind of storytelling there is, isn’t there?
JORDAN
I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.
DANTE
Me too! You know, I’m beginning to think that we’re becoming friends.
JORDAN
I think so too Dante.
DANTE
I’ll have to tell my sister Emma, that now I get to hang out with you.
JORDAN
[LAUGHS] Okay! Just let me know, I’ll come over any time.
DANTE
Thanks for coming on my podcast today and for being my very first guest!
JORDAN
Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
DANTE
You bet! Oh, and before we leave today, would you help me with telling one fun-fact about theater?
JORDAN
Sure!
DANTE
You had a really good one. Take it away!
[MUSIC]
JORDAN
Well, thank you. Do you know where the terms upstage and downstage came from?
DANTE
I have no idea.
JORDAN
Back in the day actors used to perform on a raked stage. That’s when a stage is built on a slight upward angle. So, if an actor was at the top of the slant, they would be up-stage, and if he was at the bottom of the slant, they would be down-stage.
DANTE
Oh! I see what you mean. But why did they rake the stage?
JORDAN
Well, there is a couple of different reasons. But the main one, was to make it easier to see the actors.
DANTE
I see. So, you’re saying when an actor goes up to the highest part of the stage, they were upstage, so that they could still be seen by everybody.
JORDAN
Yep!
DANTE
That’s pretty cool. Do we still perform on raked stages today?
JORDAN
Not as much anymore, but sometimes we do. I performed on a raked stage once.
DANTE
Really? Was it for ‘Frog and Toad?’
JORDAN
No, not for ‘Frog and Toad’. It was for another Shakespeare show.
DANTE
Maybe I’ll get a chance to perform on a raked stage one day.
JORDAN
Maybe you will.
DANTE
Well thanks for sharing a fun fact with us.
JORDAN
You’re welcome.
[SOUND]
DANTE
Thanks for tuning in this week everybody. For me and my guest, Jordan and our discussion on, ‘The Life of a Real Actor’. Don’t forget to tune in next week for Episode 2! “What is an Audition?” See you soon!
[FADE MUSIC]