In theater, it’s good to know the right people and have the right timing. Just ask Robert Westenberg, a professor of theater at Drury University.
The Scoop recently met with Westenberg, or “Westy” as the students call him, to talk about the process of working as an actor. He got his start as an undergraduate student studying theater, although he didn’t become a theater major until his junior year.
He then got into a graduate program at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, where he went for three years. His graduating class of five students —the only five to make it through the entire program — were engaged in a forum called the League Auditions, where the top 10 conservatories come and audition for agents, directors, and casting directors.
Through this process, Westenberg got an agent, which led to him getting professional acting jobs in Washington, D.C., and New York City. One of these was “Into The Woods,” for which he received a Tony nomination. The play ran from 1987 to 1989.
Audition often
To be successful in this area of work, auditioning is key. Westenberg said he went to four to five auditions per week. “And that includes commercials, theater, film, television, and radio,” he said.
Even with a job in hand, actors should continue to audition. “I mean, I did ‘Into The Woods’ for two years, and I never stopped auditioning,” he said. “Your agents are always pushing to get you another job.”
Acting rewards
Eventually, the benefits come. Westenberg remembers the nomination for a Tony, the Oscar of stage theater. “It was great to get that validation from the industry,” he said. “It was a real head spinner.”
Being nominated meant that what he was doing was resonating with people. But, he added: “It can be very distracting as well. You know you are being critiqued and judged, and there are people [in the play] who did not get nominations who felt that they should have gotten nominations and causes separations within the cast. It’s kind of funky.”
Making connections
In the business, actors sometimes get the chance to work one-on-one with big names.
Throughout his career, Westenberg has gotten to do about five shows with lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim, including “Into the Woods” and “Sunday in the Park with George.”
“We developed a pretty strong working relationship,” Westenberg said. “Steve’s fantastic. First of all, a) he’s a genius, and b) he’s there for the right reasons. He really respects actors. He really respects singers. He understands how hard it is to do.”
Coming home
During his time in “Into The Woods,” Westenberg met his wife, Kim Crosby, who played opposite him as Cinderella. They married, and after about 25 years in New York, decided to move to Springfield where Crosby is originally from.
“I have always wanted to teach, and I have an MFA (master of fine arts degree),” Westenberg said. “Teaching has always been in the back of my mind. I really like Springfield, and it’s a nice manageable town. It’s sane. It’s polite. It’s respectful. It’s livable, and I thought it would be a nice place to raise the kids.”
Westenberg also likes the size of Drury. “We put a really reasonable cap on sizes of the acting classes, and we can give students the individual attention that they need to make each class count as much as possible,” he said. “This is your time and your money.”
