Angela Milton

PART 1

Actor, Director, Writer

http://www.angelajmilton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ImmersiveResponse/

Let’s start by telling us a little about yourself:

I live in Scotland – the lovely Edinburgh (of Edinburgh Festival Fringe fame). I trained as an actor in London and then New York, graduating from the Company of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), New York, in 2007. Subsequent to that I was awarded an artist's visa (the O2 visa for Extraordinary Ability). I worked in both New York and Los Angeles, mainly in theatre but with a wee foray or two into film.

I now live in a wee house with my cheeky rescue cat Tibby and have slowly built up a network of fellow artists in Edinburgh, mainly at the grassroots level, which is wonderfully diverse and exciting, but financially challenging (ah, the life of an artist). I survive by having a day job as a student advisor, trying to problem solve and helping students in difficulties. The empathy that an actor has comes in very handy, and problem-solving is pretty much like being a producer so those skills are very useful!

In 2017 I decided to set up my own theatre company, Immersive Response, as I love working in immersive theatre, which I believe – when it works – can engage the audience much more without them even realising how much they are part of the show. Sneaky! My theory is that when an audience is immersed in the work, they will remember it more than just a regular show that they have watched as a passive audience member.

Early in your career, you were working in an entirely different industry, what made you switch to pursuing a life in theater?

I have always wanted to be involved in performing as a small child. My imagination knew no bounds and I could always be found, sitting in a corner reading books and imagining new worlds. However, I grew up in a small village in the north-east of Scotland and at the time there was no access to any type of drama class in the area. We only had a drama teacher for one year when I was at Secondary (High) School and even then, the work was extremely limited. So… the desire bubbled away until after I had studied another degree – Publishing – and then started work. I was bored!! I started taking drama classes part-time, moved to London, and eventually attended a foundation year at Mountview (then Arts Ed). 

In fact, you moved across the pond to pursue a degree in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York City. What made you decide to go there and how did you manage the transition?

I visited friends from Mountview who were attending drama school at AADA and I knew then where I wanted to be.

When my maternal grandparents passed away, they left me and my sister a little money which contributed to the loans I needed to go to drama school (the first loan that was approved was thanks to an understanding bank employee who had a sister who was a dancer!).

I was very lucky in that the company I had been working for in London had a flat in New York at the time (it came with their office there). They let me stay there for a couple of weeks until I found a room to live in. I also shipped a couple of boxes of things with me to have something familiar from home. I had also managed to meet up with a couple of people in London who were also going to be studying at AADA so it felt like I wasn’t entirely on my own. I literally finished my job in London on a Thursday, went to the wedding of one of my old flat-mates on Friday, and then the next morning flew to New York. I had a panic attack in the middle of the wee hours on Saturday, thinking WHAT HAVE I DONE?! But then I just had to get on the plane and go.

I had a fantastic time while at AADA. I had worried about being a mature student but discovered that there were actually loads of us. I made some great friends who I am still in contact with today and it really changed me as a performer. I learned a whole toolkit of skills which I still use in my work. The time spent getting a strong basis of training was invaluable as it gives you habits that will keep you going, even when the work is not as frequent or available. But it also made me aware that acting, and theatre, in general is still a business. Whether you are on stage or bringing it to life, the work still needs to be seen. 

It must have taken a lot of courage to pick up and go like that. What advice would you give someone on the verge of taking a big leap but might be too scared to follow through or don’t think they can?

Something I have always said – and try to live by for the most part – is that life is too short. I come from a family where, for many reasons, although lack of opportunity was a huge part of it, talent and ability was not allowed to flourish. The example that always stands out for me is that my maternal grandmother (the one I mentioned above) was not permitted to go to university by her father (not for the likes of her being from a working class family). And so an incredibly intelligent woman ended up living a good life, working hard as a cleaner, but a very different life to what might have been.

So I would say, trust your instincts and take the chances when you are given it. I have found that any time I did not trust my instinct, that was the wrong thing to do. It isn’t easy to listen to your inner voice, but without risk, there is no change. Also, it is never too late to get training, whatever that is for you.

Besides Edinburgh and New York, you’ve lived in various theater hubs including London and LA. What are the differences/similarities of the arts/theater scene in all these places?

The main differences between the UK and the US are to do with opportunity. In the UK, work tends to come via agents and very good contacts. If you do not have those contacts or an agent, it is incredibly hard although still possible. Making your own work is definitely the way forward here in the UK now.

In the UK, there are not usually open auditions and many auditions are not posted anywhere that actors can even find them. This is the opposite in the US which is what I loved about it. There is a company called Spotlight, that is the go-to place in the UK but even the auditions posted on there are at different levels, with only some of them available to actors, but the majority only to agents. Again, if you don’t have an agent it is very very hard.

What I loved about the US was that you didn’t have the same need for an agent – although obviously it helps – but that it felt as if the opportunity was there, that anyone could get a chance and audition. Los Angeles had quite a big theatrical community, which I was surprised at and really enjoyed. I loved New York though – it still has my heart.

What brought you to Edinburgh?

The simple answer is money. I had graduated drama school at the height of the worldwide financial crash. I made it work for a while, but due to visa restrictions, I couldn’t simply get a day job as others could. If I did, I could be thrown out of the country. I was also homesick and so I returned to Scotland and to Edinburgh where I knew there was a theatre community. I was broke but completely enriched artistically. 

You’ve worked fairly extensively with the Edinburgh Fringe, what is that experience like?

I have realised that I love being able to see the audience and work in smaller, more intimate spaces. When you work with immersion, being able to feel part of the show is important – and this can absolutely be done without forcing it – which is easier in a smaller space than a larger, traditional space.

The Fringe itself is huge though, so it’s a difficult, competitive marketplace. It has both everything and too much of everything! The pros are that you can see theatre from about 9:00 in the morning until about 5:00 the next morning. The cons are that you never quite know the quality of what you are going to see. You can guess, but that will not always be correct. I guess this could also be a pro because it makes it more of an adventure and you can learn just as much from “bad” theatre as you can from “good”. I am thinking about venturing further afield though. Even with Edinburgh being the largest arts festival in the world, there are so many to experience that I need not to limit myself.

Let’s switch gears a bit shall we? In addition to acting, you are also an incredibly talented director. You’ve got a true talent for getting to the heart of a play and unearthing depth and humanity in characters and relationships that aren’t always obvious. What draws you to plays or stories generally?

Ah, the million dollar question! Does it come alive in my mind? Can I see the possibilities and does it inspire me? Do I care about this character and their journey? If not, then why would I bother engaging with the production?!

Usually it needs to trigger something in my imagination or pull at my heartstrings. I like things that are emotional but that come from a genuine place of being. I like to remind people it is okay to laugh, to cry, and to show feelings in general. Irish plays are great for this! It is why I love immersive work – if the world is around you, then you are connected to it whether you like it or not, and it will affect you. We human beings spend so long trying to put on a brave face. I am all about letting out what is underneath (not forcing it, just giving the freedom to allow it to come out as it needs).

What’s your process or style for directing a play or creating an experience?

Oooh, well, I was very much inspired by a director I have worked with while at AADA, Lisa Milinazzo, as well as the work of Mike Leigh the film director. They have similar processes to developing stories which I have consistently drawn on. Lisa worked in a very particular way, improving character work and building from the root up. This inspired me to be involved in directing and looking at a different way to tell a story. In a nutshell, I like to:

• Improvise around the story – what happened before, what happened after? By doing so you are giving life to the scene – it hasn’t just happened in that moment from nowhere, but has actually developed from a previous moment yet to be discovered. For example, I often look at shows where it is obvious an actor is just moving to a particular place, or sitting in a particular way just because they have been told to. While there is an element of that in direction, if it doesn’t come from a place of reality or authenticity, other than it simply looks good, then it doesn’t quite fit into the natural rhythm of a body. Actors can sometimes find a reason for that movement that will help make it natural, but that isn’t always the case and it will be those moments that jar and take the audience out of whatever connection they have had. They might not be able to articulate it, but I believe that is why people may watch something and think it is OK rather than great – the connection is lost.

• I love to plot the journey of a play with music, even if that ends up just being for my own purposes. The music should inspire an emotion, which, admittedly, will be different for different people. For example, there are certain songs that instantly take me to a time and place, so when I hear them, the emotion of that time is with me immediately. If a scene reflects a storyline that I think has that emotion, for me, that could tell the story within. In a way it is a bit like the score of a film. Often as viewers we are directed to feel something by the sounds in the background, whether that be the sound of children laughing or a piece by Bach. I ask actors to find a song/piece of music that embodies their character – whatever that means to them – and then help them develop that in their character work. Sometimes that can end up being the pre-show music, the warm-up music, or just what inspires me for direction.

• I always believe if you can make people (the audience) feel that they are in a certain time or place, then that is half the battle. With actors, you will have had time during rehearsal to find and develop this, but with the audience you need to envelop them in it as soon as possible. This isn’t just about a set, although that might sometimes be part of it, but often about setting the mood,. I am happy when some audience members spontaneously chat as they are leaving, saying that it jarred going back into the modern world. If they are living it, something has definitely worked! 

Part of your style as a director is to not be limited by gender, age, or background when casting for a production. There were also times when you also didn’t encourage actors to change their accents (British or Australian) to something more standardized. For example, in your direction of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio was played by a woman (originally a man) and various actors maintained their British or Australian accents despite the play being produced in the US. Can you talk more about your philosophy regarding this?

Absolutely! I love working differently with characters. We are still, in this modern world of ours, telling a lot of stories that are reflecting the older standard of the white male experience. Nothing wrong with that per se, because there are some wonderful stories within that standard, but I like to ask myself if there is another story we could be telling. Does it fit with our actual lives? Who or what could reflect that more?

I also don’t think we realise how few women exist in plays or films until we consciously approach it. Does this character need to be a man? (Often, the answer is ‘no’.) If a man, does he need to be older than the woman, or stronger, or richer, or… you get the drift.

With accents, they are part of us, a natural reflection of our backgrounds and experience. I like to ask ‘does the accent need to be of the place the play is set?’ We live in a multicultural world. Very few places are filled with people who just grew up and lived only in that one place, so why not reflect it? People can absolutely put on an accent, adopt it, and then that becomes an added layer, though it fits more naturally for some than others.

I think it is also about just giving people a voice. We all have voices – as in an inner thought and perception of the world – so if we do not have that reflected on stage, we end up with a more narrow “voice” that then leads audience members to believing, or subconsciously accepting, that that is the voice that we should exist with and accept as set in stone. Em, NO!

Any advice for actors overwhelmed by the auditioning process?

Auditions are scary and wonderful. It is a skill, a chance to show what you can do, and so it is natural to have a fear of it when you audition far less than you would like. And… some people just hate the falseness of that one-off showing of what a person can do. All I can say is, think of it as being in the moment. It is just a moment. And keep in mind, you may have been the perfect fit for the casting director but not for the producer or vice versa. It isn’t always about being the best actor but often about the fit for the role, production, etc.

Also, find your people; play, rehearse, and find your coping mechanism – a reason why aspects of auditioning can be overwhelming is that we don’t get to practice it often enough, or with enough different people. And that any negativity in the room, more often than not, has nothing to do with you.

Let’s get a little corny. Has there been a favorite role/production in your career or one role/production you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

As a performer, in my final year at AADA I was in The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter, directed by Lisa Milinazzo, who I mentioned above. That role was fantastic and really spurred me on to realise I like the quirky, the different, and that being cast as such was not an issue!

I loved working on my WWI Wardrobe Project and am developing it further for next year (I hope). I want to work more in my writing.

I would love to be Nancy in Oliver Twist – I am fascinated by the layers in her character and how she can see in the good in an otherwise dark world.

As a director, I have a special place in my heart for Room 211 which really kicked it all off for me and then led to our adventures with Bare Shakespeare!

I have loads I want to direct and they are all in my head (ah, the time to devote to being creative..)

What scares you?

Life passing and not having enough time to create. Also ghosts.

What brings you the greatest joy?

Telling the story and looking up at the stars. In fact, even just looking up wherever – we only see so much when we look ahead, but we have much that is around.

What is a creative experience that moved or changed you?

The Birthday Party – I realised that I can act and do things my way. I had a very bad experience with a theatre company here in Edinburgh a few years ago – I won’t mention any more than that – but I realised that if I am going to give my time to something, it will have to be on my own terms and I need respect as an artist.

What is a favorite memory?

My first visit to New York in 2003 – a group of ex-Mountview people, all 10 of us, on top of one of the rocks in Central Park just before New Year. Less than one year later, I would be living in New York.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Oh, hmmm. Chipotle? Does Chipotle count? I miss Chipotle…

What would you like to do that you haven’t done yet?

Perform on stage here at the bigger known theatre spaces in Edinburgh. Work for the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). Direct a feature film. Write a Christmas movie. Be able to give up the day job and just work on being creative. Also… go into space (a dream for about 30 years now!)

What should everyone do at least once in their life?

LOOK UP! And travel, even just a wee bit – this world is both immense and small: it should be explored. Also, have a snowball fight – you have never felt properly alive until you have had a fight with cold slushy snow!!

Let’s end with some advice. What advice would you give to your teenage or younger self?

Oh, go and study acting at a younger age! Ask your parents for money to travel to drama classes. The kids at school will not understand your creativity but that’s OK. You don’t need to give up on your dreams just then – there is a whole lifetime to explore. Also, ask more questions of your grandparents – family history is a living thing: it makes us who we are, so remember it. Have fun!

Read Part 2 here.

Production photo credits : Mark Wyville and Jasmin Egner; Top headshot photo credit: Barry Spence