NewEnglandFilm.com

In 1993, after two children (Braxton now age 14 and Teagan 11) Elizabeth Rose returned to law school to "stimulate her mind a little." If this doesn’t sound like an average person to you, you’re absolutely right. Now representing colleagues in entertainment/contract law, Rose is mother of three (Erin age 9 was born in her second of 5 ½ years of law school), actor, model, dancer, producer, lawyer, wife, and screenwriter. "It’s actually very funny how many actors and directors I know are non-practicing attorneys," Rose said in a recent interview with her. "Watch a great litigator and you see a great actor." I asked her a few questions about her role in the New England independent film community and the film "What I Want" which was an official selection of the New York International Film and Video Festival and is soon to be released on DVD.

Andrea Maxwell: You also produced "What I Want." Was this your first time as a producer and what did you think of the experience?

Elizabeth Rose: I received producer credit on "What I Want" because I did all of the actor and location contracts for the film. I actually do all the contracts for all Wolf Gang’s productions.

AM: Owner of Wolf Gang Pictures Carol Dykas called "What I Want" a "highly collaborative film — the actors worked closely with the director and were given the freedom to name their characters, and even contribute to their stories." Did you like this kind of freedom and how did you arrive at some of the choices you made, such as naming your character Andy.

Rose: I love the freedom I get on Andy and Carol’s films. It was actually very funny, I got a script this summer from Andy for "Wander Off," and there was all this dialogue. I thought, "Oh my god, I have to memorize something." Seriously, even with a script, Andy is very open to interpretation, and improvisation. In fact, he prefers it. It’s those moments, those small, unplanned responses we make, the way you cut someone else off or repeat what they say that make dialogue real. All his films have the flexibility to allow for that.

It’s kind of funny how I came up with my character’s name for "What I Want." Andy came up to Massachusetts to film the opening scene in the woods behind my house. I had been thinking about a name but had not come up with anything that felt right. I play a woman who is a real enigma, so I wanted a name that connoted that. So, we’re standing in my driveway and there Andy is, right in front of me, asking me what name and I picked his. It works perfectly. Andy: it can be either a man or a woman; a masculine person or a feminine one. The name doesn’t give away anything about the person who owns it. That’s what I wanted for the woman I was. I found out right after, that Caroline, who plays my sister in the film, had picked the name Anna. So our names worked really well together also.

Some of my choices in the film were very conscious choices. I specifically decided not to wear makeup for most of the film, and didn’t really comb my hair. I have a real issue with the films where everyone is always so beautiful. My character is a woman who has moved past a lot of things and is going through a really difficult time in her life. To be pretty all the time, to have my flaws concealed or my hair styled would not have been fair to her. It was interesting, when I finally got to see the film. There were times I was like, "aghhh, I need some lipstick here or maybe a little powder." But it was a risk that was worth taking as an actor and I’m proud of it. Though it definitely was hard to see at times; the ego in me… smash it down.

I only made a few conscious choices in how I delivered certain lines. My first words to my father, for example. But most of the scenes had no deliberation whatsoever before the camera started to role. My favorite scene, when I talk about an old boyfriend and the disintegration of my marriage came out of me really raw. It’s actually my favorite scene of mine in the film. And in scenes where there is dialog with another actor, my choices occurred on the first take. If I felt like it worked I stayed with it. If not, I tried something new.

AM: You’ve worked with Wolf Gang pictures twice before on "Wander Off" and "Rabbit" and I understand you’re filming with them now as well. What makes you want to continue working with them?

Rose: Working with Carol and Andy of Wolf Gang is like no other acting experience. I’ve worked with them on three features, and just completed a short that is part of a series that Andy wants to get on local television stations.

Why do I work with them over and over again? First off, they give back as much if not more every time I film with them. And they are so talented. Every shot of Andy’s is a work of art. "What I Want" is beautiful. Andy is a photographer and you can see how his eye works in every shot he lines up. There is also an amazing amount of personal creativity when you work with them. As an actor, they give you a huge amount of room to try new things. Finally, they have a great ensemble of actors working with them now. It says a lot that so many talented people want to stick with them in their filmmaking journey. You’re looking at some really great talent here.

It’s pretty much, at this point with Andy that I don’t even have to know what the project is. He calls me up and says he has a film idea, and I say, "Okay. I’m in. Send me the script."

AM: "What I Want" is described as ‘objective filmmaking.’ How would you describe the style? Did this change anything for you as an actress? Are you a fan of the style?

Rose: Objective filmmaking is basically the belief that your audience has as valid an opinion of what the film means as do the creators. Every part of the film is open to interpretation. The filmmaker in a sense is merely the one recording the events; there is no agenda, no preconceived meaning. The audience, in turn, is almost a voyeur in that they get to see things stripped down. Because the filmmaker is not trying to get a point across, everything you see is raw and unadorned.

There is a tremendous amount of improvisation, which is great as an actor. There is a tremendous amount of trust needed between Andy and Carol as well as between the actors involved, because we are experimenting and trying new things as the camera is rolling. I believe the reason why so much of what you see on the screen is so good in Andy’s films is that you see the actors taking huge risks.

AM: What attracts you to New England’s film community?

Rose: Would I want to do a "big studio production?" If "Hollywood" knocked on my door and offered me a role in the next big film, I most certainly would not pass it up. Few of us would. But I certainly would never give up doing indies. Look what’s going on in L.A. right now; look how many big names are doing independents. I think that a lot of mainstream actors are realizing what independent filmmakers have always known; that it’s an opportunity to break out of the big movie formula, to have a level of creative expression that doesn’t necessarily market to the masses. With independent films there are always new challenges; you can’t sit back and do what you did before because the next project is too different, a new, original voice that you have to rise up to. You are constantly being challenged as an actor. You are constantly afforded opportunities to try new things. That’s why doing this work is so great.

The New England film community is a really tight, cooperative market. I like that a lot. Filmmakers are constantly coming together; there is a barter mentality that allows people who would not necessarily be able to do this work to become involved. You help someone on their film, trust me, they’ll help you on yours. There is also a sense of fun here. We’re all serious about what we’re doing, about what’s being created, but not one person that I’ve worked with takes themselves too seriously. It’s still about loving what you’re doing. That’s how such great work gets made. I am very lucky that the place I’ve chosen to live, where my husband works and my kids go to school is also a place where such talented people are creating such great films.

AM: You were a classical dancer?

Rose: I started dancing when I was five. It was a movement class for kids but by seven or eight I was definitely immersed in ballet and by 13, I was dancing every day after school and all day on Saturday and Sunday. I danced all through high school and college, taking my sophomore year at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In terms of "formal training" — I still take class whenever I get this pull to dance. I’ve also had some tap and jazz training, and will take a modern dance class occasionally, but ballet is really what still fulfills me the most as a dancer.

AM: What attracts you to acting?

Rose: Acting is such a complete creative experience. It’s a whole body experience. You get to become your character in how you speak, nod your head, move your body, the way you pause in your speech rhythm, the way you focus your eyes. Every part of me becomes my character when I take on a role. It’s incredibly fulfilling. However, I’m not the kind of actor who is the character when I’m not "on." When the director says "action," I am that other person, but the minute I hear "cut," I’m me again. I don’t draw on personal experience when I’m acting, but tend, instead, to immerse myself in the circumstances of the storyline. That is not to say that my life experiences don’t make me a better actor. I feel that I am much stronger now that I’m older, because I have a history, but I don’t think of a specific part of that history while I’m performing.

I finally got to see "What I Want" recently. What struck and what was so wonderful, and so rare for me, is that in certain scenes, I forgot I was watching myself. I saw the woman I was in that film. That was fascinating to me. I am my own worst critic — we all are, I suppose. So to lose myself in the person on the screen for that moment was amazing. I turned to my daughter to tell her. She said she forgot it was me for a moment, too. That is when you know that you made it to that next step. That is what makes this so satisfying.

AM: How does your family fit into your career?

Rose: What I encourage my kids to do is what fulfills them. It’s more about finding out who they are and what is important to them rather than being taught specific things that might not necessarily work for them in the long run. Braxton is very into music and spends a lot of his day on the guitar and bass. Teagan is an incredible artist and spends most of her time in the art room at school. Erin is in third grade. Erin is my soccer player. I do bring all three kids to auditions when the opportunity seems a really good one. As it turns out, Teagan was in Jodom Pictures’ "A House Divided" with me.

My family has been incredibly supportive of what I do; I wouldn’t be able to do the kind of work I do if they weren’t. Up until recently, I’ve done a lot more work in film than stage because it is a lot easier on them; to be away for a weekend, filming, is much less invasive than taking a number of nights each week over an extended period of time to rehearse for a play. Though, in the last few months I’ve ramped up the stage productions. My kids are older, and incredibly independent, so I’m able to do more.

My husband has never had an issue with taking up the slack when I’m away, runs my lines with me, has been reading all my screenplays now that I’m writing, comes to all my shows. He and my kids are my biggest fans. I know I’m very lucky that they are so encouraging and so proud of me. My son was in the car with me the other day. He asked me if I wanted to be famous. When I asked him if he wanted me to be, he immediately replied that I already was to him. I must have smiled really quickly because he paused for a minute and then with this great grin, said, "that was a good answer, huh?" It was the perfect answer.

AM: What do you look for in a director? Good cast members? How do you choose a project?

Rose: In any project I do, I look for people who are respectful of each other and the process. A good director is someone who is passionate about what they are trying to create while being compassionate to all the people who have come together to work on the project with them. There is nothing that I would not try to do to help make a film extraordinary; I expect the same from the people working with me.

For a period of time last year, I took on projects that pushed a lot of boundaries for me. I did a play out in Worcester called "Steambath" where I was nude on stage. I sat for a photographer, who is doing a book called Lids, predominantly nudes — the book is a photo essay of women in hats. I wrote the forward for the book; it was a great project for me. "What I Want" was filmed last year and I have a scene that is incredibly intimate; more so than anything else I’ve done, but the right choice for me at that time. I’m very proud of the work I did over this period, I felt empowered by it.

I always try to pick projects that give me diverse opportunities. I’ve been an abusive mother, an aging porn star, a lesbian, a woman stalked, a vampire, a woman with multiple personality disorder, and a happily married deadbeat, to name a few. I don’t ever want to be typecast so I look for different ways to stretch myself as an actor. My son saw me in a play this past June that was pretty depressing. He asked me when I was going to play someone even a little bit happy. It pointed out to me how many roles I had recently taken that were sad. It so happened that in the film I did over the summer with Wolf Gang, my character had this great sense of humor; the actor who played against me was a stand up comic. It felt really good to do this shoot.

Lately, the projects I have chosen have a lot to do with the people doing them. I have ongoing relationships with the filmmakers I’ve worked with in the past as well as with a number of playwrights as I get more and more immersed in the local theater scene. I love working with these people and am flattered they continue to want to work with me; so when they call I’m always ready to work with them.

AM: What is the difference between modeling, acting onstage, in film, and in commercials? Do you like one more than the others?

Rose: There is no one medium that I like more than another; they all afford me different things while giving me the opportunity to be creative and to be someone else. Even as a model, you become the image that the photographer needs you to portray. I feel very lucky to be able to work in so many different venues.

I love being on the stage. It’s a familiar space for me; it feels really good to be there. What makes the stage so stimulating is that it’s always changing. On any given night, during a performance, a fellow actor has only to say one word with a different inflection and the whole dynamic of the moment changes. This same thing happens with your audience, in a way another character, because where they laugh or cry. However they respond, also makes every performance different. It never feels stale.

I was new to film when I started acting again. Growing up, it was only stage work; I’m addicted now. The technology allows for so much creativity. You can portray anything you want these days. And what you can’t do with the camera you can most likely do in post production so what is coming out at every level is pretty extraordinary. It’s exciting to be a part of this.

The most noticeable difference for me, between film and stage is on the stage, you can make different choices at a moment’s notice, whereas on film, the need for consistency is huge; where you place your hand, how you smoke a cigarette, when you turn you head, the way the light hits the side of your face, everything has to be taken into account and remembered so when the editor gets all the footage, pieces can be combined smoothly and seamlessly. I love playing with that; having that heightened awareness of the small pieces that make up the scene. And it pays off when someone like Carol from Wolf Gang can say to me that editing my footage is incredibly easy because my work is so consistent.

Acting, at this point, has become for me what dance was for so many years: as much a need and something that gives me incredible joy. If too much time goes by I find myself aching for that next, new project.

AM: How do you approach each new character? Is it a series of physical decisions? How much of you is in each role?

Rose: On the one hand, I don’t really make many choices about how I am going to play a certain character. They basically come out of me, really quickly, once I read the script and I find that a lot of what comes out first is what I stick with. The stuff that is raw tends to be the stuff that is genuine and the most successful. I find I’m actually really good at cold readings because of this, and many times I’ve used in a performance the things I used during my auditions.

On the flip side, there are many roles where you need to make conscious choices. The role of Laura King in "A House Divided" is a perfect example. Because I was playing a woman with multiple personalities it was essential that I was consistent in who I was being at any given time. How each personality wore her hair, moved her hands, her head, her inflections, the tone of her voice, all of those things had to be really deliberate. Plus I had to be consistent with the character choices of all the actors who played all the personalities. I really enjoyed that challenge.

I don’t need to think of something real that happened in my own life to feel something as my character. However, so much of who I am comes out in every character that I play. It’s an interesting phenomenon for me how I become a character while she becomes me at the same time. There’s a merging happening from the moment I get the script. It’s funny sometimes, my characters come home with me, and I find myself using certain parts of who I am when I’m really immersed in a production; the way I stand or use my hands, the rhythm of my speech. When I was the vampire I used a Russian accent; I talked like that for days.

AM: What advice could you give an aspiring actor?

Rose: Whether it’s for film, theater, or commercial work, foremost, just get out there and keep doing it. Go to auditions, get used to being in front of the camera, doing cold readings, presenting a practiced monologue. Get there early. Meet your peers, remember their names and exchange contacts. Write thank you’s. It’s amazing how close this community really is. I run into the same people all the time; be it at an audition or during a production. In fact, at this point for me, I get a lot of work without having to do the audition process. The producer on one film may be the DP on the next and I’ll just get a call that there is a role that’s right for me. So the more exposure you get and the more people you know, the more work I believe will come your way.

I truly believe that it is just as much the talent you bring as the attitude you project. These are tight productions; self-funded, small crews. You’re not just an actor when you’re on the set, so help out, be willing to do other things, be flexible, understand that it will always take longer than you think. It’s about the love of the sport not about you, so work hard and leave your agenda at the door. I get a lot of work because people have heard I’m easy to work with. Of course, I wouldn’t get the role if I couldn’t act, but if it comes down to two people for a role, trust me, the prima donna will not be cast. Not at the independent level.

AM: How did you break into independent film?

Rose: I broke into this in a backhand way. A modeling agency was interested in my kids. When I took them in, the agency asked if I was interested as well; that there was a strong market for my age range in New England. I had modeled when I was younger but not for many years. So I got some photos taken and started working right away, which was great. I wasn’t really looking to move into acting but was on NewEnglandFilm.com (how appropriate) one day and saw a listing for a student film out of Keene State up in New Hampshire. The story line sounded too good to pass up, so I sent my headshot and landed the role. Once that happened I started auditioning, sending out resumes and getting work.

My suggestion for breaking in: do as many student films as you can. It was great for me when I first started because it afforded me the opportunity to refine my skills after so many years of not acting while learning how to make a film — something I had not done until that point. That first film is actually still one of my favorites.

If you’ve never been in front of a camera before, take an "on camera" class, especially if you want to do commercial work. A lot of the casting agencies have classes. You really only need one, but it’s worth doing before you make that first impression. Remember, this community is tight; your first impression could end up lasting a really long time. Also, try and take a class on auditioning techniques. Anything you can do that will help you be your best when you get in front of people is worth investing the time in.

Get a great headshot. You don’t have to spend a lot of money; but again, many times it’s the first someone will see of you, so it should show you at your best. And make sure it looks like you. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone to auditions and been told how much I look like my photo. It shows me how many people don’t; and that’s not fair to the people you are marketing yourself to, or to yourself. My headshots are done by Elie Photography.

AM: What have been your most memorable moments?

Rose: As a dancer, the moment that stands out in my mind was when I danced in Washington Square Park in New York City. I was working with a filmmaker who was shooting an experimental piece for a graduate film class. I danced around that park for most of a day. It was all improvisation; I moved to whatever music I happened to be dancing past at the time. The sun was shining and the park was packed. I still smile when I think about this.

My most memorable experience as an actor was during the filming of Jodom Pictures’ "A House Divided." It was the first weekend I was filming the role of Laura King. I had only learned three days earlier that I was taking over the lead and though I was already playing a supporting role and had read for the lead during auditions, so was familiar with the part, there was a lot of work to do in a really short amount of time. Mike Amato rehearsed with me the day before, but I know everyone on the set was a little nervous about it. By lunchtime we were all feeling really good. I was so proud of my performance that day and equally as proud of the feedback and the support I got from the other members of the cast and crew. And the final gift was when Mike pulled me aside at one point during a break in shooting to tell me he had found the heart of his film. That will always stay with me.

AM: What are your future plans?

Rose: I wrote my first screenplay this summer. I hadn’t really thought about writing in this medium before, but then last spring, Bush signed into law a statute that attacks the very core of women’s rights and pro-choice issues, but no-one was really talking about it, on the news–anywhere. I thought that a screenplay could address the issue in a non-threatening way while reaching the most amounts of people. As an English major, I obviously wrote a lot in college, and always wrote poetry and prose growing up. But the screenplay format is new to me. I really like it, and have started two others on my own and am collaborating on a third. I also just completed a 10-minute play which I submitted to the Boston Theater Marathon. I’m reworking it and plan on also filming it this winter. I seem to have found a lot of new creative outlets recently and I’m really enjoying them all, so we’ll see where it all goes.