‘For me, theater is my sanctuary’
News | Published on August 19, 2024 at 3:34pm CDT
MAHS graduate talks about his life path with cast of Showstoppers
By Kris Goracke
Reporter
“For me, theater is my sanctuary.” During a high school play as a senior at Minnewaska Area High School, Spencer Kramber realized that theater wasn’t just an activity; it had become his sanctuary and life path.
Kramber, a 1994 graduate of Minnewaska, began pursuing his dreams of acting after high school by enrolling at Minnesota State University, Mankato to study theater. During his time at Minnewaska, he was actively involved in various performances, including one-act play competitions, plays, musicals and speech. He also participated in football, tennis, student council and choir.
Kramber’s theater work is now tri-fold with his business which can be found on the internet site, ACTWithSpencer.com. The first aspect of his business is workshops. Kramber provides group workshops to schools and organizations, offering firsthand on-camera audition experience. He conducts these workshops both in-person and virtually.
According to his webpage, the on-camera audition technique workshop is a three-hour session for 10-12 students. The students can expect to be immersed in the audition experience, being recorded on camera as though they are in an actual audition. The workshop continues with lectures and scheduled individual meetings for a more personalized experience.
The second aspect of Kramber’s work is a casting session director. In this role, he runs auditions for over 30 casting offices, logging over 10,000 hours auditioning actors, working on over 1,000 projects, and overseeing over 100,000 individual auditions.
The third aspect is Kramber’s performance as an actor.
Each aspect of his work brings Kramber different joys. As a teacher, he is passionate about helping others. “I would like my workshops to continue but offer something new. Offering acting as an outlet to express emotions and work through different life scenarios is something theater can provide,” he said. “I hope high schools will utilize these workshops as learning opportunities for students.”
As a casting director, Kramber works with actors preparing for their commercial auditions. “It is my job to prepare the actors for the audition. Once the auditions are done, there are callbacks, and then, generally, two actors are chosen. The first choice’s audition is sent to the client for their input,” he explained.
For example, suppose a fast-food restaurant hires an advertising agency for a commercial. In that case, the agency creates and pitches the script to the client – the fast food restaurant. Once the script is approved, a director is hired, and acting agencies are notified of the opportunity. Typically, 3,000 submissions are received for the audition, from which 84 are selected. That’s when Kramber’s job begins, preparing the actors for the audition. After the auditions, the chosen actor waits for client approval. Sometimes, the client approves the suggested actor; other times, the second choice is selected. Occasionally, the process starts over again.
Regarding his acting career, Kramber’s journey to California was anything but direct. After graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato, he traveled to Ireland and worked for the Samuel Beckett Theater, at Trinity College. “I enjoyed working and living in Ireland, but my visa ran out, and I returned to the States.”
He then toured with the National Theater for Children and performed in Shakespeare in the Park in Minneapolis. “I lived out of a suitcase for two years,” he said. He later moved on to the Boston Chamber Theater, where he performed 19th-century literature like “Sleepy Hollow” to school-age children. As an understudy, he also had duties like greeting audience members and running sound for the performances.
An opportunity arose to attend graduate school at UCLA, so in the fall of 2000, Kramber moved to California to further his studies and craft.
Kramber’s big break came when he landed the role as the groom riding on the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile. Working at a casting facility, he was asked to hop in and explain what he would do with the Wiener Mobile for a day. His story earned him a callback and, eventually, the commercial role.
In the commercial, Kramber rides the Wiener Mobile with his actor bride. “This commercial was significant because it was a union job. Once part of the acting union, other acting opportunities opened up.”
Highlights of Kramber’s acting resume include a T-Mobile commercial with Molly Shannon and Snoop Dogg, voice over of a hockey puck in a Geico commercial, and playing a dad in a Clorox Bleach commercial, to name a few. He also appeared in TV shows like “The Young and the Restless,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Them.”
In film, he can be seen in the Oscar-qualified short film Sarajin, directed by Justin Kim, and the award-winning short film Pop Music, directed by Patrick Muhlberger.
Kramber’s most recent release is the Amazon Prime film You Can’t Run Forever, in which he shares the screen with J.K. Simmons under the direction of Michelle Schumacher. “Meeting J.K. Simmons was thrilling, and working with him and Michelle was a great experience” said Kramber.
Recently celebrating his 30-year high school class reunion, Kramber advises new graduates: “Find your joy and just do it. Say yes, and show up early. Find your sanctuary—your tribe.” For those focused on a theater career, he suggests learning all aspects—lights, costumes, acting, directing and stage design. “The days of ‘just being an actor’ are over. You need to be your own writer, director and publicist. Learn to market yourself and be a self-promoter.”