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Along with Kellin Watson, who's this amazing folk singer from Asheville. It was a wild situation. I went to see Amos Lee, who was in concert at the Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa, and she opened for him, and I was just stunned by her talent, and I sent her an e-mail. That's how I met her. I said, "Listen, I listened to your music. It was incredible, and I bought your CD at the gig, and I just think you're talented, and I'd love to work with you at some point, and I'd love to introduce you to some A&R people in Los Angeles if that would help you get your career happening."
And we became friends, and subsequently she works a lot and tours with a lot of great bands. So I'm really glad she's in the show, too. She's incredible in it.
So is Actor's Lab going to be bicoastal, or will future productions originate here in Charlotte?
I'm really based here now, and I have teachers who teach my classes in LA. So I'm just sort of building it here. I'm at the Hart-Witzen now, but I think I'd like to actually create a theater space. I love all of those old warehouses, and I'd love to find one of those old warehouses and renovate it into a 100-seat theater. Over the years, my thing has been I love developing new work. That's my calling, and we have a group of actors now in Charlotte, who have all studied with me, who are doing writing workshops. After we do AmerWrecka, we're going to focus on doing an evening of original one-acts.
The Lab has been going for 20 years, and we just are always creating new theater.
From here on out, then, the casts aren't going to be fueled from L.A.
Ninety percent of the cast for AmerWrecka were students of mine here in Charlotte. You know, I tell everybody -- I go to L.A., and I go, "Watch out, because the people in Charlotte are way more talented than you people." I'm not kidding. Listen, I was shocked. And I told Keisha at JTA, one of the agencies here -- I go, "I'm floored by the level of talent in Charlotte."
And in fact, a number of my students here who've studied with me ... One is Paul Shaw, who works a lot here in Charlotte, just moved to L.A., and I got him an agent in L.A., and he just read for a lead in a sitcom pilot. I mean, I think it's great to be here and do the work, and hopefully we can create a little company here. Then if people want to go out and pursue TV or more film work, they can either go to Wilmington or L.A. and sort of keep the hub here.
That definitely sounds like you're putting in some commitment to the community here.
I feel honestly that I came here at a time -- and I'm not blowing smoke -- I feel like I'm in Haight-Ashbury in 1969. I feel like it's just about to explode artistically. NoDa is really cool. To tell you the truth, I didn't know that much about SouthEnd until we got involved at the Art League, and I really love that whole area, too. People say different things. A lot of people say, "Oh, the SouthEnd's the one that's going to explode," and other people say, "NoDa is really about to take off.", I just feel like, while the rest of the country is in recession, Charlotte's a cool place.
Well, we've had some really dismal developments in the theater realm dating back to when Charlotte Rep folded. North Carolina Stage Company, similar to Actor's Lab, was looking toward being based in Asheville and Charlotte, but they just canceled the rest of their Charlotte season. And Epic Arts is retrenching with their season. So it is rather strange amid all the layoffs and all the handwringing to hear you sounding so upbeat.
Well, as an acting coach for the last 20 years, I've been through a few hard times of recession, and you know, actors act -- whether there's a recession or not. I think art's an important thing, especially in a recession. People want to escape and sit in a theater or a movie theater. It is tough times, but during the Depression, you know, Hollywood made movies. I guess I'm just such a hippie and an artist myself, and I don't buy into the whole recession thing. Whatever, I'm making art!
