Maria-Luiza Müller
www.marialuizamuller.com

Since graduating college, I have been working on projects generated by me and my frequent collaborators. I wrote a film called Where Are You From Again? which I also played the lead in and I produced it together with Rohan Gurbaxani (who also starred alongside me) and Jillian Rezen, both Stonestreet alumni, and Sara Atehortua. The film is currently in post-production and it will soon enter the festival circuit. 

I am also the co-founder and co-artistic director of Et Alia, a NYC based theater company, whose mission is to create an accepting community that inspires artists to create beyond their comfort zones and collide with an array of international voices which may be culturally unfamiliar. Et Alia is Latin for ‘And Other’: we are inspired to create art for the other, by the other, and about the other. So far, we have put up four shows, one of them being a production of my play On How To Be A Monster, directed by Federica Borlenghi, that went up at The Tank. We are currently preparing a full season of new shows and we look forward to putting it up as soon as everything goes back to normal. 

I have also auditioned for and got cast in a few productions, one of which being Where Are You?, directed by Yan Ying Sim that is going up at Mabou Mines.

Immediately after graduating, I was scared – like many others probably – of not being able to find work. There are so many talented actors in NYC, so why me? I did not have an agent and, even though I had a subscription to almost every existing casting website, I was afraid that it wasn’t going to be enough. In time, I realized that an agent is not an absolute necessity right away and that you can do so much with what you have; which is why I decided to make my own work, like I was told I should time and time again at Stonestreet.

I was most excited about spending my time doing the things I wanted to do. As college progressed, there were less and less mandatory courses that I had to take in order to graduate, but I still had some until the very last semester. While I enjoyed almost all of my classes and I learnt so much from each of them, having to do lengthy assignments for them or study for midterms and finals was not how I wanted to spend my time. I was excited to create my own schedule and dedicate my energy to the things I was passionate about.

I wish I knew that there is no such thing as a “right” path. I was told this in school multiple times by multiple wonderful teachers, but I guess I never really listened. I was very preoccupied with trying to do what other people were doing, because they must have the recipe for success! It took me a while to stop and ask myself what I am interested in and what I want to do, instead of following in someone else’s footsteps. And if there were things that didn’t seem to work for me, I had to learn to let them go and do something different. I am still very much learning that. There is truly no way of determining what works for you until you try multiple things out.

The most valuable lesson I learned is that being surrounded by artists you admire and trust almost does the work for you. Throwing an idea – that might seem small – in a room full of talented and hard-working people will help it grow and become better. Learning to listen and go off of someone’s suggestion makes the job so much easier. There have been multiple situations in which I have developed entire projects that seemed impossible just by bringing them up to the right people. Everything is possible when you surround yourself with amazing artists.

Connor Vasile
www.connorvasile.com

There is often a fervent anticipation of life after graduating college. “How will my schedule change? What should my survival job be? Should I start creating my own work now? How will COVID-19 affect my chances?” A mixture of excitement, fear, and elation is felt by so many new actors and filmmakers fresh out of college. Some might say it's confusing or even frightening. But it is actually more simple than that. 

If you look at working actors today- not just famous ones but those who consistently work- they have two big things going for them: determination and consistency. It’s crazy seeing all these new actors who think their training is done and roles will come flying in left and right. Without actively putting yourself in positions where you grow not only as an artist but also as a person, you won’t find success. I strive to keep close to this mindset while I act and audition. In fact, I wish it was something I started doing more actively WHILE in school. Though I did search for acting gigs and worked on several indie productions before graduation, I can’t help but think how much more I could’ve gotten if I had that website published earlier, got new headshots, applied for that one job that could have conflicted with my work schedule,... 

Devoting my time, energy and skill while at Stonestreet Studios and Tisch School of the Arts really prepared me for the “real world”, and helped me realize that the work done out there is not that different from what we did in Stonestreet.  I still devise screenplays, work on projects with fellow graduates, and continue to meet and build relationships with casting directors, agents, and managers. My time focusing in school and facing all obstacles with determination- whether that be producing a short, trying to find rep, and booking auditions- continues in the real world. Since last May, I’ve booked and worked on two features, six shorts, and a commercial.  To put it in perspective, I submit myself 40 to 50 times a day on Backstage, Actors Access, and Casting Networks. 

The road at first was very exciting and a little scary: to have the freedom of auditioning and working for myself, to not worry about grades and schedules, and to take responsibility for myself and do work. It was definitely a bit overwhelming. I found that people (actors especially) tend to overanalyze things. Putting myself out there and doing the work, not comparing myself to others, or what I ‘should’ be doing allowed for a focus untainted by hesitation, fear, or those great “what if” moments. Staying busy pushed me forward and I saw results.  But despite staying “busy”, I never feel satiated. I have to keep working as that is the only way I’ll quench my artistic thirst, and continue to grow. Maybe it’s just me, but I find that those who actively search for opportunities are the ones who succeed. 

Another thing that is great for recent graduates is that you have a whole community of artists who share a place in the same boat as you! Everyone is excited, everyone's a little scared, it’s ok. But you should know that you have so many people supporting you. Your friends, colleagues, and former teachers are now all your collaborators. So don’t think you can stride off like Superman and save the world all by yourself now. Don’t forget about the people you work with. You never know when they may need you and vice versa. This isn’t a competition or race to see who can ‘make it first’. If you respect yourself, your craft, and those around you, you’ll see that it’s more rewarding when everyone is having a good time. Stonestreet prepared me for what is expected of me in the industry, but graduating and actually doing the work showed that it is so much more than just being a good actor. Anyone can learn how to act, but if you’re a passionate, professional, and HUMBLE person who understands that we are all in it for the long haul, you can find joy and even new friends among the chaotic nature of being an artist in 2020.