The statement, "After I graduate, I plan on acting" usually elicits a patronizing roll of the eyes, a slight smile, and an urge to give the brave soul with dreams of Hollywood a pat on the head.
It's hard to take people who want to be professional actors seriously, because, honestly, the Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies of this world are few and far between.
That said, Tufts has a pretty good record when it comes to successful acting alumni. Among others, graduates include William Hurt, Oliver Platt and Hank Azaria. While that is all fine and good, doesn't it seem that these folks are a little out-dated? Luckily, old alums aren't the only ones gracing the silver screen.
The future looks promising for Laura Semine (LA '06), the star of the independent film, "Absent Meaning." The 20-minute movie depicts a transformation in the life of Semine's character, Svetlana, who recently immigrated to the United States from Belarus. Svetlana's job as a waitress in New England isn't living up to her expectations of the American dream, and, feeling that she has no effect on anyone around her, she soon becomes suicidal.
Little does Svetlana realize that a slip of paper, part of one of her suicide notes, is traveling from patron to patron around the diner where she works, profoundly impacting the lives of everyone who comes in contact with it.
"Absent Meaning" may initially sound as if it were written by an un-medicated manic-depressive, but in reality, the film's dark humor keeps it from being too much of a downer. In the words of Semine, "It's pretty freakin' funny."
Unfortunately for viewers, "Absent Meaning" won't premiere until early next spring at the Coolidge Theater in Brookline, after which, the producers will enter it into several film festivals. By then, Semine hopes to be fully immersed into non-collegiate acting.
Getting thrown out into the real world after college is a little disorienting, especially for performers used to the university environment where there are a lot of acting opportunities and fairly limited competition. Semine was understandably "really grateful" to score the first part she auditioned for, a leading role, straight out of school.
"There's no other place I wanted to be after graduation," Semine said, "My biggest fear is becoming a struggling actress/waitress. I want to use my mind and avoid that clich?©."
Laura Semine's resolve seems to have served her well in the past. "I came to college knowing exactly what I wanted to do," she said, "I wanted to act."
And act she did. Throughout college, Semine heavily participated in theater. Students may remember her as a lesbian Lysander in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Mariah in "Twelfth Night," or Julia in "A Delicate Balance."
Despite her involvement with theatre, Semine says she prefers film acting to stage acting. "It's more raw; it's less performance and more acting," she says, "You don't have to worry about the last row of the audience."
But don't get the idea that film acting is easy. During the making of "Absent Meaning," Semine worked 12-hour days, rarely getting a chance to sit down. "The hours are hard, and the acting is different. Lines aren't as big of a deal, but you have to remember minute blocking. The camera picks up every idiosyncrasy in your expression," Semine said.
Considering her background in performance and her plans to begin professional acting after graduation, it may come as a surprise that Semine didn't major in theater. She instead chose psychology, which she thinks has helped her acting.
Semine credits the broad education that she received at Tufts and especially the time she spent abroad in London for helping her succeed after graduation. "Tufts gave me a base education that has really helped me deal with other people," said Semine. "Dumb actors, you can see right through."
As for the future, Semine hopes to continue acting. She plans to move to New York City next month in search of more career opportunities. For now, she wants to stick with independent films.
"Indie films tend to be more gritty, more real, with less rules," Semine said. "They aren't just pretty people looking pretty."
Whether it's the indie scene or Hollywood, Laura Semine promises to be one pretty face that won't get lost in the crowd.
