Actor and screenwriter Vincent Piazza ’94 was kind enough to visit the Stanner Players and Director Ms. Shannon Winters ‘06 as a virtual guest speaker via Zoom. Vincent talked about a range of topics including his path to acting, how to work with casting agents, how to mentally focus and prepare for scenes, how to identify with and become a character, and how to build confidence as an actor while managing doubt. He also shared stories from throughout his career, including being cast by Clint Eastwood as Tommy DeVito in the musical drama film Jersey Boys, despite limited prior experience singing. “It was a very ‘lived in’ musical, meaning the film featured actors who had done the actual musical onstage hundreds of times. I had done it zero times, but I worked with great people who put up with some of my early flubs,” joked Vincent.
Later in the conversation, Vincent discussed some of the ways the pandemic has affected film, television, and theater. While COVID-19 has caused a significant financial strain on the industry as a whole, the pandemic will also inspire many original works in the near and distant future. “We’re going through something generational together, and we all are living experiences that are uniquely our own,” he explained. “I hope you’ll all consider writing your experiences down. Preserving this moment is invaluable. You’ll look back on what you wrote and how this snapshot in time has affected your life.”
Thank you, Vincent, for spending time (virtually) with our students!