Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Rak.
Anna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Where do I even start? It’s been quite a journey full of challenges, risks, and loneliness. In 2010, when I got rejected from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Poland, I was devastated. I had no other plans and goals but to get accepted to that school. I lost my hope that I will ever be an artist. In order to forget about it all and find inspiration, I went to London for the summer. It was life-changing: I met a ton of wonderful people, saw great shows, saved up, and got motivated again.
I realized that I should focus on the amount of opportunities around me instead of my major failure at that time. London felt very liberating and inspiring. That experience exposed me to a totally different world. I realized that I have potential, and I could do whatever I want with my life. The following year, I applied to acting school in the UK. I picked some of the best, including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which is one of the top 10 acting schools in the world. After surviving the first four stages of the audition process, the fifth and final round didn’t prove successful for me. For the second time, I thought my life was falling apart.
Instead of returning to Poland, I stayed in London. I distracted myself with traveling, studying event management, and looking for other passions/ideas for the future. After doing that for three years, I felt like I was getting further from my “better plan for the future.” After my vacation to Brazil in 2014, I gave acting one last chance and applied for a summer conservatory at the Stella Adler Studio in New York City. My excitement prevented me from judging whether I could even afford the experience, but I needed to try. When I got accepted, my family didn’t support my decision about leaving for the summer. They knew that they couldn’t assist me financially, and their fear of me alone in the Big Apple overwhelmed them. To ease our collective minds, I quickly paid for the course, got myself health insurance, booked my flight, and found a room.
Despite a difficult start, I soon fell in love with the City’s diversity, culture, and art. After the summer course, I applied for the full-time professional conservatory and got accepted again! Since the school year started in January, I returned to London. I managed to save money for the first semester, got my student visa (which is pretty challenging) and returned to NYC. Over the course of my two years of studying at Stella, I could count my days off on one hand. After graduating, I felt like a real New Yorker: fast-paced, doing a million things a day, having several jobs to support myself, and creating my own work.
Stella Adler not only taught me how to take care of my craft but also how to embrace my differences. As soon as classes ended, I got involved in the Polish Theater Institute, where I played a lead role in a show for kids. Right after that, I played Antigone in an international production of Sophocles’ “Antigone.” In both productions, I was more than just an actor, but really a co-creator. I realized that I can’t just be a performer. I need to utilize my creativity and great organizational skills to create a platform for my fellow foreign artists. In 2017, I started the Eastern Bridge Theatre Troupe, which is a theater company that operates on the idea that there are many unheard stories that miss their chance to take flight. By creating this bridge for foreign artists within and outside the United States, our collective experiences motivate work that is revealing, significant, and provocative.
In 2017, I co-created, produced, and performed two original productions: “The Story of Two Poets” and “Strings.” I spent the following year producing and directing a series of monthly theatrical events entitled “Foreign Voices Are Us” as well as diving into the film world. I recently returned from Los Angeles, where I worked on a variety of sets as an actor, director, producer, camera assistant, and production assistant. My short film directorial debut, The Power of Termination is currently in the final stages of post-production. While in LA, I wanted to grasp every opportunity that came my way in order to make my future work better and more efficient.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It wasn’t easy and it definitely still isn’t. Being an artist is one of the most challenging professions out there. I’ve had to overcome financial difficulties, visa restrictions, and being far away from my family.
I still struggle daily with finding the right balance between my survival job and being a professional artist, not being able to plan far ahead, and only seeing relatives once a year. Every day I work on my craft, knock on doors that rarely open, and exercise my mind and body.
However, the hardest part of being a creative artist is the daily rejection.
Please tell us about your work.
I am a storyteller: I act, direct, write, and produce. I do anything I can to tell a good story and share something meaningful on stage or film. Making other people feel less lonely and be relatable is the main purpose of storytelling.
The artist’s life isn’t an easy task because you always feel like you must do more. It’s hard to feel satisfied. You’re always searching for great stories, great people to work with, great projects that resonate with you, and inspiration.
I regularly grow my “special skills” by taking online courses and learning new languages. My routine also includes attending networking events, seeing shows, and watching movies/TV shows. Storytelling podcasts are a great source of inspiration, as well.
When it comes to the Eastern Bridge Theatre Troupe, our mission is to provide platform to foreign voices living within and outside of the United States. While I am very proud of our shows and theatrical events, connecting like-minded artists is our greatest achievement.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have been kinder to myself and celebrate my personal achievements. That’s pretty much it. I would endure the struggle all over again. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger, right? It also makes us more relatable, and that’s what all artists need.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anna-rak.com
- Email: anna.ebtt@gmail.com
- Instagram: @anna.rak.artist / @easternbridgetheatre
- Facebook: @AnnaRakArtist
- Other: IMDB.me/annaerak
Image Credit:
From the top
Paweł Sarota,
Anna Kuzmin
Pawel Sarota
Dustin Pearlman (Photo no. 4, 5)
Pawel Sarota
Dustin Pearlman
Anna Kuzmina
Dustin Pearlman
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