A Day in The Life
C.J. Gainer, 18, knew he wanted to be an actor when he handed Dorothy a rose playing a munchkin in an elementary school production of "The Wizard of Oz" back home in Riverside, California. Now a first year drama student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he attends the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, where he has discovered himself as an "actor for and in the world."
"We're here to shine a light on different things that are happening. Where legislation may not come through, and where we may not see a change politically, artists are still able to go out into the world and put happiness out there, or even educate people about different things that are happening. That's what I like about acting. I like that it's constructive, and that you can take something away from it and apply it to the real world and really help people."
C.J. Gainer, 18, of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, files into his first class of the day at Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. "Being an actor at the Stella Adler Studio tells me that I am not alone in what I feel actors are responsible for, and it gives me hope that there will be many others who want to create depth in art like I do."
Gainer stretches on the floor with other students before their voice and speech class. "I was listening to a podcast from one of my favorite actresses Carrie Coon, and in it she was talking about the importance of breathing in her voice and speech class, and how without it she wouldn't be able to stay 'in the moment.'"
Gainer and classmates Gaby Heckler and Ruby Harvey share a laugh in the lobby of the acting studio during lunch in between classes.
Gainer and his scene partner Genevieve Goodman rehearse lines from Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" as they cross Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District after class.
Gainer's character Chris confesses his love to the character of Annie, played by Goodman, in the scene. "It’s funny how much I repeat, 'I love you' in succession. I literally say it three times in a row, which makes things difficult for me because I know I have to make it sound authentic on the stage, when in reality it's really weird and funny."
Lady Gaga, Rihanna and editorial clippings keep company with Gainer in his dorm room.
Gainer dons his second outfit of the day. "My style and my clothes are a huge part of me as a person, so how I present myself to the public is important. I don't think I could ever just not care about what I am wearing. I am constantly changing my outfit whenever I go back to my room."
Gainer and his friend Justice Jones, a fellow first year Tisch drama student of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, walk on the Bowery at dusk.
Gainer and Jones chat over draft coffee in Greenwich Village in the early evening. "We talk about tons of things. We joke, we gossip, we talk about what we do everyday. Sometimes things get deep and we talk about the world, politics, how much we hate Trump, racial stereotypes and injustices, what drives us as people and our futures."
When not acting or hanging out with friends Gainer likes to find inspiration on Instagram, where he posts his own videos on '80s fashion or whatever is interesting him most in the moment.