Thursday, November 12, 1998
All the world’s a stage
FEATURE: This week’s Real Bruins examines the life of a student
who balances acting with classes
By Jena Coghlan
Daily Bruin Contributor
Gerritt VanderMeer, an actor and Masters of Fine Arts student at
the school of Theater, Film and Television, had his defining moment
in high school. Following his performance in the play "Lovers and
Other Strangers" he identified himself as an actor.
"Being an actor is all about doing your job right. It’s so
rare," VanderMeer said, about how one can love his job so much in
today’s fast-paced, competitive society.
"It’s like you get up there on stage and you can do no wrong."
he added.
There’s a special recipe to VanderMeer’s drive. Determination,
commitment and passion are qualities that might seem unique to an
aspiring actor in Los Angeles, where they’re a dime a dozen, but
VanderMeer exudes all of these.
The 25-year-old actor began as an engineering major at Purdue
University in Indiana. By his senior year, though, the idea of a
nine-to-five job didn’t appeal to his real passion Â
acting.
"All my friends were going to get steady, 40-hour-a-week jobs to
support themselves." he said. "It wasn’t the way I wanted to spend
my life."
In addition to not wanting to do be an engineer, VanderMeer
didn’t think he’d be good at it.
"I didn’t have the talent for it." he said. But he finished what
he had started, and obtained both engineering and theater
undergraduate degrees.
Even though he was accepted to schools all over the country
VanderMeer chose to come to UCLA.
"There are two places to go and be an actor  New York or
Los Angeles. There seems to be no comparison elsewhere."
Here, VanderMeer studies dance, voice and drama. For example,
his modern dance class teaches how physical presence would be
incorporated into stagework.
"He’s an endless subject," said Jacque Heim, VanderMeer’s modern
dance professor, of his exuberant personality.
Toby Levine, an MFA graduate student, said VanderMeer has a lot
of energy, which makes his characters very interesting.
"He has the ability to become completely manic at any given
moment," Levine said. "It brings the character to life."
Building character is a lifelong challenge, which VanderMeer
related to his acting skills.
"They say it takes 15 years to be an actor and 20 years to be a
master," said VanderMeer. "It doesn’t happen overnight. I know when
I am working when I feel euphoria."
In VanderMeer’s current project, "The Winter’s Tale", he plays
Antigonus, King Leontes’ portentous right-hand man, as well as a
clown. The Shakespeare play focuses on rationale opposed to the
perverted nature of jealousy.
"It’s fun to make characters interesting. To downplay a
stereotypical role and just get really excited about the world,"
VanderMeer said.
The connection to the audience is very important to
VanderMeer.
"It’s about the process," he said. "Doing your job right is when
the situations are all coming together. The audience and you are
perfectly joined."
VanderMeer operates on a hectic schedule. His day begins at 6:30
a.m. with a trip to the Wooden Center where he lifts weights for an
hour. From there, he goes to classes and acts as a teaching
assistant for a beginning acting class in Macgowan Hall. At night,
he stays busy by developing stage and television projects.
As an aspiring actor, VanderMeer is affected by the Hollywood
myths of quick fame and luxury goods. But he understands the dream
of making it big happens once in a blue moon.
"When I graduate, I will literally be a struggling actor.
Really, an actor is someone who’s in business for himself," he
said.
"Yeah, everyone has horror stories. Everyone’s scared  the
directors, the producers, the writers  of themselves losing
their jobs because the industry is so fickle," he added.
VanderMeer thinks the most important thing to an actor, however,
is having an identity to set himself apart from the crowd.
"If he was a painter," said Mel Shapiro, VanderMeer’s theater
professor, "and I had a painting class, I’d correct him, study his
work. But would I make him another Van Gogh? We don’t need another
Van Gogh. Acting has a specific purpose; it has nothing to do with
becoming rich or famous."
Ultimately, though, VanderMeer’s overall love is teaching. In
addition to his graduate studies, he spends six hours a week
working with students at a performing arts high school in Mar
Vista.
"What I demand of myself carries into the students. I have a
huge responsibility to the people who taught me theater," he said
of his mentors.
At the high school, VanderMeer also works at "creating an
environment where the students are excited, engaged, and the
learning goes much deeper into themselves."
Acting is like an infinite number of hurdles, each stage
important to the challenge, which he describes as difficult.
"But it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life," VanderMeer
said.
Photos by DANIELA DECCA
Gerritt VanderMeer warms up at the beginning of his voice
class.
Susannah Conn (left) and Gerritt VanderMeer watch a student
perform a monologue from a play during their Shakespeare class.
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