Chad Reid

Actor

Chad Reid

Chad reid

Photo credit to Diane Chappell

I have found over the years that I am not interested in winning an Oscar, becoming a massive celebrity, or making enormous sums of money. I am not interested in “making it.” If any of that does happen along the way, I welcome it, but it is not my goal. I am more interested in telling great stories, and telling them well. Creating on my own, and with others, is the greatest joy I have been able to find. To quote Jim Carrey, “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.”

Through acting I have found ways to expand my creativity and live the lives of characters I know well, and those I have never met. Entertainment is essential to America at this present moment, for better or worse. I want to be in that field, in whatever capacity I can. I have been fortunate to find out that acting is not the only thing I am talented in, nor the only thing that gives me pleasure. I find joy on and off the stage, working on sets, lights, concessions, and sound design. It simply brings me joy to be a part of the storytelling process. To give that to audiences is what gives me a sense of purpose.

I have also met the most inspirational people in theatre that I don’t think I could find anywhere else. Over the years I have found individuals with the most amazing drive that inspire me to keep working towards my goals. I don’t think I could do this on my own, and so I am immensely thankful to the artists I get to work with every day. Without other people there is no sense in creating.

Further experiences

Over the summer of 2016 I spent a month in the Berkshires of Massachusetts training with the members of Shakespeare & Company. I can safely say that it was the most transformative experience of my acting career. My time with the company firmly cemented that acting and performing was the direction I want to take my life. Furthermore I was trained extensively in Linklater voice techniques, clown work, and Elizabethan dance techniques.

What I will always take away from my time there is to jump in to something that scares me every day. To keep sticking my hand in the fire. As Shakes & Co founder Kevin Coleman kept telling us, “A lot of people talk about fire. They talk about the great fires that Peter O’Toole or Judi Dench had. Actors are the only ones who stick their hand in the fire. They do it again and again. That’s what you have to do.” His words are at the core of who I am as a performer: someone who is not afraid to stand up and jump in.

During the fall of my sophomore year at college I trained, created, and performed as a paid member of the Mosaic NY Theatre Company. The company is made up of students from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, directed by Prof. Heather May, and focuses their work on social justice. While a member of the company I learned about guerilla theatre and the many ways in which performance can be implemented. I think this was the most valuable part of my time in the company; performing unconventional theatre with an audience taken by surprise.

Mosaic played a large role in teaching me courage in performance. It is one thing to perform for your friends, family, and people who want to be there. It is another thing to take the message to those who do not wish to hear it, in an attempt to weaken the structures of injustice. Being in Mosaic gave me experience performing for extremely tough crowds, and keeping my performance compelling under that pressure. It will forever remain an important part of my acting experience.

Further Experiences