The actual pick.
I mean, I definitely appreciate a good sense of humor, but sometimes I need to hunker down, focus, and get serious about this business. And I am already, but even more so. Being an actor is no joke...unless I’m doing a comedy, of course!
It is the eve of Summer Solstice in New York! The weather has been beautiful -- high 70s/low 80s, with a delicious breeze! I know I’m in for a sticky, humid couple of months, but right now I’m enjoying the end of Spring, and planning ahead for the upcoming weeks.
However, in the last month and a half, I’ve had a lot of good stuff:
First! I heard from my San Francisco agent (STARS) that the NorCal Honda commercial I voiced last year will be re-airing, so I will be receiving payment for that. Woo! (If you see a commercial where two sisters are discussing which Honda to get, one of those voices is mine!)
Shotz in May was a blast! The ten-minute play I was in, titled The Garden of Unearthly Delights, was well received by both audiences, which included my two roommates, my college friend Michelle, and my MFA brother Ryan. So nice to have work to do, and people to come support me!
My new headshots were delivered (see above, and visit my headshot page for others). These are an essential tool for all of my auditions, submitting to agents, and other casting opportunities. This is part of my getting serious. I’m also looking for some classes to take to sharpen my skills, and I need to narrow down my list of agents I would like to contact. There’s only about 900 of them, give or take...
I am continuing to audition. This week I plan on attending about five more EPAs (Equity Professional Auditions, aka “open calls”) and I will surpass my 100TH AUDITION SINCE MOVING TO NEW YORK IN DECEMBER. That’s right. ONE. HUNDRED. I told you, I’m serious...
I collaborated with another artist I met during my Suzuki Workshop in January to start our very own “Sunday Movement Church.” Chris, along with his friend David (who he met doing a Viewpoints class), and I gathered a group of twelve to meet for a couple hours and do some movement work. We incorporated Suzuki, Viewpoints, and a bit of yoga/meditation, and we hope that we can turn this into a regular thing. It was really fun and rewarding.
I completed my 12th career half marathon on May 21, the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which set a record for the largest-attended race in the U.S. with over 27,000 runners (including, ahem, [Tony Winner] Cynthia Ervo)! I set a personal best time of 1:50:55 (8:28/mile) as I crossed the finish line in Coney Island. I treated myself to a massage after! And maybe a hot dog...
I took a trip home! This was the longest I had ever been away from San Francisco. Even during Grad School in South Carolina, I had enough seasonal breaks that it was only maybe four months or so? But, boy, it felt so weird coming home to something so familiar, yet kind of not. The impetus was to see my cousin Carl get married (Yay, Love!), but it fatefully coincided with my boyfriend Will’s production of Rock of Ages at Center Rep in Walnut Creek. Now, I may be biased, but it was so much fun, I had to see it twice! They have just one week remaining, so you still have a chance to rock with them! And you definitely want to! Will is incredible as “Dennis,” the owner of “The Bourbon Room.” I’m so glad I got to see him work and just be with my love! I also spent time with some of my best friends, saw other friends’ theater work, went to a San Francisco Giants game (duh), and just took a week OFF. (Except for the two video auditions Will helped me record and submit... I guess I can’t really stop!) There’s many people I didn’t get to see in that short, quick week, but I was so happy to be home, see my family, and just relax a little.
Once I got back to NY, it took me a solid day before attempting to get back into the “New York State of Mind.” I was unemployed, hot, and a bit overwhelmed. I had completed my temp job assignment at the credit firm, but the temp agency called and scheduled an interview for me the following day. After 15 minutes of meeting with the VP of Scholastic’s Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, she offered me the job and wanted me to start the following week! So I’m now Office Assistant at their headquarters in SoHo, but just for the month, as they need some help to get through the end of their fiscal year. And that’s fine with me! The very next day, I ran the all-female New York Mini 10K race in Central Park. Because sometimes a gal’s just gotta run. I must’ve needed it, too, because I ran a swift 8:07/mile!
So I have a job, goals, and some fun auditions coming up! I am seriously ready!