Lisa Carlson Actress Portfolio - News & Articles

Lisa's Spanish medical video for a major hospital

Sun, 21 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

It was a two-day shoot at Media One in San Francisco.

One hundred pages of Spanish script were covered, and it went so well!

Here's what the director said about my work:

Lisa brought the goods in a very challenging situation. She was able to deliver a great performance with little or no rehearsal. We finished our work in the time allotted, due in no small part to Lisa's acting abilities. As for her language skills, her Spanish was perfect, and she was able to make small script corrections on the fly! Thanks, Lisa!

CABARET CREME books four shows for 2015

Sun, 21 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

CABARET CREME is a group of 8 - 10 performers of a certain age.

We sing classic French songs and put on short excerpts from French plays, we recite poetry, and read text, too.

We had three shows last year, in Berkeley and at Rossmoor, a retirement community.

For 2015 we expect to deliver four shows around the San Francisco Bay Area.

See excerpts from a recent show here:http://youtu.be/XERo30_9MS0

"Marius" is a hit!

Mon, 19 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

"Marius" reviewed on Yelp!

A low-budget but wonderful version of Marcel Pagnol's classic play Marius is currently at the Southside Theater at Fort Mason, through August 25, 2013. Although in English, the play is suffused with French culture and attitudes, and anyone who has been to France will feel as though they have been transported back there. The play has been expertly translated by the director David Valayre and the acting is excellent. It is 3 hours long and all scenes occur in the same cafe in Marseilles, but the play is riveting and full of humor and emotional tension. Marius is the first part of the Pagnol trilogy. The second part, Fanny, is planned for next summer and the final part, Cesar, for the following summer. I am looking forward to returning next summer for the next installment. One of the characters of this trilogy, Panisse, was Alice Waters' inspiration for her famous Berkeley restaurant's name.
- Chris K.

Be transported to Marseille and enjoy a great French story by Marcel Pagnol, Marius, the story of a small bar and its patrons sur le Vieux Port!
The cast is excellent and so is the directing. It is playing through August 25th. Do not miss it. You will not regret it!

- Chloe S.

Making the "Marius" trailer

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

http://generationtheatre.com/ContentPages/General/StartupPage.aspx

Last weekend, at Fort Mason Center, we actors thrived under Roland David Valayre's guidance as he directed us in selected scenes from Marcel Pagnol's "Marius," having already designed and hung a velvet backdrop, figured out the simple lighting and camera and mic placements, and arranged the props.

"Marius" at Fort Mason Center

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2013 – GenerationTheatre will première Marius, by Marcel Pagnol, in a new English translation by R. David Valayre. The production will open on August 8 and run through August 25, 2013 at the Southside Theatre, at Fort Mason Center. Curtain time is 8:00pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 3:00pm on Sunday. GenerationTheatre’s production of Marius has been selected and is sponsored by Fort Mason Center as part of its annual arts festival, Fort Mason Center Presents.
Marius is the first play in Marcel Pagnol’s celebrated and heart-warming “Marseille Trilogy” composed of Marius, Fanny, César. Together, the three plays tell the story of a small bar on Marseille’s Old Harbor over an entire generation. In the endearing style of Marcel Pagnol’s dramas (My Father’s Castle, Manon of the Springs, The Baker’s Wife, etc.) the Trilogy invites us into the cycles of love, heart break, and joy that fill the lives of now famous characters: Marius, César, Fanny, Panisse, Monsieur Brun, Escartefigue.
“All French kids and all true Francophiles have a soft spot in their heart for Pagnol’s characters,” says GenerationTheatre’s Artistic Director, David Valayre, who also directs Marius. “A constant feature of Marcel Pagnol's work is the way it is rooted in Southern France. Yet, eluding the traps of regionalism, he turned that region into the centre of the world, giving his characters and themes a universal dimension, as he did with Marius, a young man in search of his own self, attracted by remote places and held back by love; with Fanny, sacrificing her life to bring happiness to the man she loves,” wrote Nicolas Pagnol, Marcel’s grandson and a wholehearted supporter of GenerationTheatre’s Trilogy project.
GenerationTheatre will offer its Bay Area audience, not only Pagnol’s entire Trilogy, which will be staged at the pace of one play per season, but an entire evening of Provençal celebration, at the Southside Theatre at Fort Mason Center – now the company’s permanent home. With the collaboration of the French Consulate, the Berkeley Alliance Française and French and local sponsors, the Southside Lobby and the House will be open to the public one hour before curtain, for live music and presentations on Provence, Marcel Pagnol and Marius, a Provençal café, and French books, records and products.
Marius, by Marcel Pagnol, translated and directed by Roland David Valayre, interpreted by Alan Badger, Lisa Carlson, Jim Gasperini, Nastassia Maltsava, Nicolas Poler, Nathan Putnam, Matthew Surrence, and Ket Watters. August 8-25, 2013 - Southside Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, San Francisco
Information: http://generationtheatre.com
Ticket Prices: $35 - $20; school and group rates upon request
Tickets: https://app.ticketturtle.com/index.php?show=34171
Press contacts: Judy Curtis | SIPR for GenerationTheatre – judy@sipr.com - T. (650) 274 1509
R. David Valayre can be reached at info@generationtheatre.com - T. (415) 800-4464
Generation Theatre is an ensemble theater company and a California non-profit corporation.

Booked a Spanish VO at my agent's

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Do you know how many times I have trekked into San Francisco - with bridge, toll, and parking expenses - to audition? How many times I have recorded a narration at my agent's, as a VO audition? I haven't counted, either. But, I do know that it has taken four years for me to book a gig at the agent's office, and today - The Ides of March - was the day! It was short, sweet, and in Spanish. Here's the part that really rocks: the client will be using the audition VO as their final piece. Very rare!

Another Local Vocals Variety Show - Lisa reads poetry

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Performance and readings: 7 - 9 Friday, March 15, 2013 at Progressive Grounds Cafe, Bryant Street, SF.

Theme: "Wavelength."

My mother, Marcia Carlson, is 95 and has always been quite private about her poetry, which was published in "The New Yorker" and by Black Sun Press. These days her fondest wish is to see her entire poetry collection published. At least having her daughter read it in public is a good start...!

http://www.14blackpoppies.com/local-vocals-variety-show.html

Thrilled to announce I've been cast as Honorine in "Marius" by Marcel Pagnol

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

"Marius" rehearsals begin this week. Presented by Generation Theater. Southside Theater at Fort Mason Center, August 8 -25.

http://generationtheatre.com/ContentPages/Marius/MariusWelcome.aspx

My featured interview about "In-World War"

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

My character is a toughie, a former physical trainer morphed into an older trainer of people who are desperate to get a job to save their credit.

Behind-The-Scenes Interview: Lisa Carlson

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews with the people behind In-World War. Filmmaking is a team sport; it takes a village to make a movie.
Lisa Carlson plays the role of Trainer Terry.
How would you describe In-World War (the film itself) in no more than seven words?
Sci-fi for a planet off its axis.
What was your role on IWW and what did you do?I play Trainer Terry. It's a short scene early in the film. She introduces a desperate group of people gathered in a classroom to what may be their only opportunity to survive by becoming workers in the In-World War virtual world.
Why did you get involved with it? How did you hear about it?
I was captivated by the premise of the script - that there could actually be global warfare forever. I read it during a time that brought radically new changes to American foreign policy, three years ago. This script is incredibly prescient on so many levels. Heard about it on Craigslist.
Did you enjoy working on the film? What was the best part for you?
I totally loved working on this, figuring out my wardrobe, and participating in a slice of futurism.
What interested you about this film in particular?
The political framework fused with the sci-fi context really captivated me. For example, the story posits that to keep one’s credit in check some people would do almost anything. And, that was written before the recent credit crises and foreclosure debacles!
How long have you been working in film/involved with film?
At age 16, after shooting an award-winning 16-mm documentary, Cleo, I wanted to be a filmmaker. Instead, I become an audio-visual producer for business, went into creative services sales, then morphed into a tech writer/editor, and did not realize a whole new career awaited me as an actress until a couple of years ago – a lifetime later.
What is your goal in filmmaking generally (director, writer, director of photography, key grip, etc.) and why?Acting has scooped me up. I hope to be cast in more captivating roles in film and theater. Meanwhile, I am also developing new skills as a live storyteller.
In your view, why is filmmaking and making art important to society as a whole? Without art our souls wither and die. No matter what else we are involved in, the arts are our lifeline to our deepest humanity.
Did helping make an indie film leave you with a positive or negative outlook on this type of ultra-low budget filmmaking (and why)?
I loved the work, the scope of the film, and the commitment of the talented crew and director towards this visionary creative goal. I find it difficult, though, to wait out the process and the funding. It’s frustrating, as a new actress, to have to wait several years to see how I looked on one particular day of shooting. I am skeptical of most audition invitations by directors with skeletal budgets and support. But, if I read the script and like it as much as I loved In-World War, I am likely to want to participate.
How do you feel about the genre of science fiction? Is sci-fi just for fun or can we tell serious stories that are culturally relevant? (Okay, that’s a loaded question....but still, what do you think?)
I love sci-fi when it’s well written and embodies greater truths and consequences through the narrative.
Before you started with IWW, what did you expect it to be like working on the film?I had no idea what to expect, at first. But, the call for actors on Craigslist was actually pretty honest. There would be a lot of actors involved, a lot of extras, and we would not be paid very much. We would provide our own wardrobes, and we could spend a lot of hours on set. All true.
What did your experience of working on IWW tell you about humanity and people in general?People are kind. Many people are unexpectedly gracious under pressure. The greater humanity in all of us embraces artistic visionaries. Our director Brant Smith [aka DJ Bad Vegan] embraces gratitude, and it shows.
What have you been doing since you worked on the film? What other film projects have you done?
I have worked on dozens of projects. I have done several TV commercials, including one for Blue Shield of CA, where I played myself as a caregiver, and a recent one in Spanish, for Discount Diabetic, where I play a housewife who loves pie, and a lot of training videos. I played the Head Nun in a production in Danville, CA, of John Guare’s The House of Blue Leaves, and an aging Valley girl in The Little Nebbish, in a black box theater in Long Beach.
Why should people get involved with, donate money and/or help out on IWW?
Involvement, financially or artistically, in the film gives you an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a captivating project by a totally original director who has talent, vision, and probably a couple of more astounding scripts in his back pocket.
What else would you like to say about your experience on IWW? Any funny anecdotes or behind the scenes stories?
I ran out to Dress Barn to buy an inexpensive gray business suit for my character, Trainer Terry. Little did I know that more than two years later I’d actually be wearing it again, to business meetings, in a real marketing communications day job, in a continuing effort to hang on to my good credit rating. Oh, how art imitates life, how life imitates art…

Smashing evening at Progressive Grounds Cafe

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The show at Progressive Grounds was a smash. I read from my memoir, hanging on to my mike and concentrating hard againnst a raucus background of birthday revellers.

The Local Vocals Variety Show

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I'll be sharing a story at The Local Vocals Variety Show in San Francisco, Friday, October 19, 7 p. m. Hosted by my fellow actor, Brian Vouglas.

PROGRESSIVE GROUNDS MISSION

2301 BRYANT STREET @ 21st.

7 - 9 p.m.

Donations at the door.

Coming soon!

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

We are anxiously awaiting release of the video of our staged reading of Mike Fordyce's project, the feature film script, "Abandoned Ship." I hope to post it here soon.

Lisa Carlson publishes new website

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:05:03 -0400

Welcome to Lisa Carlson's official website. Here you will find all things from the world of Lisa Carlson.