SDA masterclass on psychology uplifts artists

Industry guests talked candidly about the emotional struggles artists face working in the business and the resilience it takes to break into the entertainment realm at the Multihyphenate Masterclass. The event was hosted and moderated by the School of Dramatic Arts’ Chair of Performance Michele Shay at Bing Theatre Saturday. 

Multihyphenate describes celebrities with multiple skills or talents, such as acting, producing and writing. 

Jonas Pate, the screenwriter and producer of the Netflix series, “Outer Banks,” discussed how his plans to go to law school altered when he got an internship at Merchant Ivory, a production film company, during his senior year of college. Then, shortly after graduation, he got a job at Miramax and wrote a script that made it to Sundance. 

“The way to advance your career was to write,” Pate said. “So I grabbed every book on writing that I could find. I started to read about the filmmakers and how they had done it, I wrote a script, and then I had a friend who wanted to be a producer … The two of us came out to L.A. and started banging on doors and we eventually raised a million bucks.”

Pate emphasized the importance of staying resilient; the ability to tell stories is something that he will always have complete control over, no matter what the result may be.

“You’re going to get kicked in the teeth a lot,” Pate said. “You just gotta get back out. I’ve always.”

Isabelle Messner, a freshman majoring in theater, said she appreciated Pate’s advice about how everyone in the business should write, especially when feeling stuck. 

“Writing gives you a lot of agency,” Messner said. “It gives you a lot more power and a lot more motivation to keep going.”

This power allowed Pate to successfully write three seasons of one of Netflix’s top hits and give “Outer Banks” actor Chase Stokes his big break. 

Stokes’ rise in the industry was far from traditional. Originally a hockey player, he changed paths when an eighth concussion forced him to reconsider his future with his health in mind. The lightbulb moment came when, during his time doing television production in high school, his teacher told him to take a shot at acting. 

Stokes, a Florida-native, took up roles in commercials, worked bartending jobs to sustain himself while he auditioned, dug himself into an almost $30,000 debt and, at one point, slept in his car on and off for six months when he found himself unhoused and with nowhere to go. 

But, now, on the other side of adversity, Stokes described his gratitude for the experience.

“There’s a journey that I think is necessary for any artist, not just an actor, to really feel all of the different emotions,” Stokes said. “In order to truthfully tell a story and have an authentic take on those things, you have to actually experience them.”

His authenticity is precisely what landed him his role in “Outer Banks.” 

“My advice would be to be vulnerable — be yourself,” Pate said. “That’s your best shot.”

Stokes and Pate’s stories struck a chord with the audience, who attended to gain insight on how to navigate the unreliable waters of the entertainment industry.

“I definitely think that I learned a lot about how to stay resilient in the business because it’s so tough,” said Brooklyn Nelson, a freshman majoring in acting, stage and screen. “Hearing both of their stories … I was inspired to keep going.”

The masterclass not only focused on the resilience it takes to become an artist but also delved into the courage necessary for artists to shed themselves in order to create work that viewers can resonate with.

“You have to open up your heart and create art that you want other people to see,” Shay said. 

Panelists Judith Light and Larry Powell discussed the importance of using art as a means to provide for others. 

“The work that you do is your service,” actor Light said. “It’s your gift to someone else. This business is not about you.”

The multihyphenates encouraged artists who struggle with imposter syndrome to get out of themselves and focus on finding ways to contribute to society. To them, acts of service outside your craft allows you to find a community and serves as a reminder that you are a human before you are an artist.

“You don’t have to be anything — you already are something,” Light said.