Elliot Weiss
Actor, San Francisco CA
Artist Statement
I’m an actor, writer, performance poet and bass guitarist. For the past thirty plus years I’ve been actively involved in artistic expression. I’ve been performing an original one man show in venues associated with the arts and assisted living facilities. The show consists of humor, songs, monologues, and poetry. A portion of the show involves the audience. In the assisted living venue this portion has therapeutic results. Residents that initially aren’t making eye contact with me start to converse and focus. My original poetry and monologues are about our stories.
The range of human emotions are drawn upon to present these stories with vibrancy, comedy, drama, respect and sensitivity. We all have interesting stories. I have incorporated my own experiences and the stories of other people in my repertoire. The length of time required to write a poem can vary. My first poem Junky, that has been published by Coalesce Magazine 2014, took ten minutes to write, compared to There’s a Rebound that was ten years in the making. An original poem, Mr. Electric Bill Collector, that was partly based on a real incident became the genesis of the independent film Lights Out!, produced by Arthur Streeter 2000.
If there’s any place on this earth that I feel most normal it’s on stage. The stage could be a theatre stage or behind the mic hosting a radio show, as I did at San Francisco State University. My show Theatre of the Mind (2008-2010) was a variety show that included music, poetry, public service announcements, and afforded new and established talent exposure. This format was and is indicative of my purpose as an entertainer.
My Mfa Thesis comprises two projects. One is an autobiographical book and the other is a one man show…with a lot of help. The Extravaganza is the name of the show. The show includes humor, stories, poetry, monologues, songs and audience involvement. I’ve been influenced by the varied acts on a vaudeville program that in turn informs my show. My writing style lends itself to the inclusion of an orchestra, dancers, and actors. I’ve constructed my show to be portable. It can vary in length of time, content and appropriate in content for varied audiences. I can perform my show in assisted living facilities, by softening my intensity, voice, avoid profanity and utilizing a slower, deliberate acting delivery.
I feel it’s my time to open up avenues and promote artistic expression. At the California Institute of Integral Studies I’ve initiated and host a monthly open mic series. On Mission Open Mic welcomes all artists to express themselves. From the established artist to the first timer in need of support as they nervously present their artistic creations. My aim is to inspire people to think about the thoughts that I’m sharing and especially about exploring their own creativity.