Wedding Wows

The Fall is always a busy time for me. Usually I'm in the midst of juggling shows, and while I've been busy with readings, auditions and acting classes, this year is especially exciting because I'm planning an event that is incredibly close to my heart: my wedding.

My sweetheart, Rob, has been awesome about helping me with it. It's such a testament to how we always do things together - with a sense of adventure! So welcome to our wedding adventure!


On Friday we went to get our marriage license. The building was plain and simple, but inside, there were books upon books filled with marriage licenses. It was kind of cool to think that we were adding our names to the book, so to speak.

Then we were off to meet the pastor, Reverend Jane at Faith UCC. She is a really cool pastor and I'm glad she'll be doing our wedding. The church itself is very welcoming and has a really nice vibe. We've been to many events there, including Rob's sister's wedding, and it's going to be decorated so beautifully for Christmas. I'm absolutely delighted that I'll be walking down the aisle surrounded by poinsettias and pine.

Then we met with the florist and were also able to squeeze in time at our favorite jewelery shop, Fellin's.

This place is so beautiful and the staff is wonderfully helpful and friendly. Rob bought my engagement ring there and has given me many other little treasures from Fellin's over the years. It was neat to shop for our rings together, and we found exactly what we were looking for!

We also visited Pam at Pamkakes. Rob's sister Lani recommended her to us, and her cakes look amazing, so even though we ordered our cake with her last month, we still wanted to drop by to say hello!


And we met with a wonderful photographer, Tom Probert (tap1digital@verizon.net), who's starting his second career, doing what he's always loved to do. We'll be his third wedding, and his pics looked great! I'm very happy we'll be adding to his portfolio and he'll be helping us out by capturing some special moments of the day.

It's been so cool how everything for this wedding has just fallen into place. My brother-in-law remarked that it took them 2 years to do what we'd done in two days, so Rob and I felt pretty good about what we'd accomplished!

We're just so thrilled that there have been so many green lights along the way. And I am wonderfully warmed by all the love and support from our friends and families.

Looking forward to the rest of the adventure!

Hallowtide

I love this time of year - the chill in the breeze, the golden leaves. Growing up in CA, it was a time to grab onto those last days of summer, but here on the East Coast, it is a time to revel in the changes of the season and to make preparations for winter.


October is usually a busy month for me. Last year, I had just finished a run of Johnny On A Spot Off Broadway at the Theatre at St. Clements, and I had the immense honor of performing with F. Murray Abraham in a staged reading of Isaac Bashevis Singer's play, Sin.

This October has been just as busy. I was called in for voice over auditions to play a teenage vampire for an audio book and to play a crab for a new cartoon on HBO.

The best news is that my sweetheart and I decided to set a wedding date, and we're going to be married at the end of the year. Very very exciting stuff, and I have a ton to do, but everything has been miraculously falling into place. My Mom and I found this beautiful wedding dress at one of our favorite thrift stores! The gown is pristine, looks brand new and never worn!


One of Rob's co-workers, Annamarie, works on revamping gowns for ballroom dancing competitions, and she offered to alter the gown for me, so I'll be seeing her tomorrow.

Everything else has fallen miraculously into place! The pastor and church we wanted were available! The restaurant for the reception, the cake, the flowers, it's all coming together.

I keep saying how I want it to be a small, intimate event, but it's funny how these things seem to bloom. Guess it's like life. You can't control it. It just has to flow.

So needless to say my head has been filled with wedding bells this month! And it seems like Halloween snuck up on me.

There were also some sad tidings that have been on my mind as well. My Aunt Sharon, my Mom's sister, and my cousin JoAnn on my Dad's side, passed away. This was such shocking and heart-breaking news. I'm still processing it all. And I can't help but think of them with today and the Celtic tradition of celebrating the Final Harvest of the year. "It is still the custom in some areas to set a place for the dead at the feast, and to tell tales of the ancestors on that night."


These women were both a huge part of my childhood. My Mom's sister was always very beautiful, and it was only later in life that I learned she had patterned herself after her idol, Marilyn Monroe. I wish I had pictures of her from that time because she really was a beauty!

My cousin, Jo, on the right, was an absolute ray of sunshine. She was only 5 years older than me, and I always looked up to her. She lived in Arizona, but we would have long visits with each other almost every year, and it was such a treat, knowing I was going to be spending time with Jo. As we grew up, she got married and had kids, and I came out to the East Coast to live my dream of being a working actor. We'd still touch base with cards and what-not, and I'd see her every 5 years or so at big family functions. She was such an incredible woman, full of love and inspiration, and when we'd see each other, it felt like no time had gone by at all! I am so sad at her passing.

But I will pay my respects to these women every day by doing as they encouraged me to do, and living life to the fullest!

May your Hallowed Eve be full of many treats. Blessed be!

Class and Cartoons

I am astounded at how much can happen in a week! Is it just that whole NY minute thing? I'm not complaining, believe me! And I can tell from my friends around the country that they're zooming too!

Last week, I performed scenes from As You Like It for an NYU screen-writing class. It was really cool to meet some of the young writers afterward and talk about the shows, films, and music that's inspiring us all!

Then I jumped into the advanced monologue class with Karen Kohlhaas at the Atlantic Acting School. Man, I love that school! Just such a great vibe, and Karen's class is simply amazing! Like putting your foot on the gas to go-go-go!

One of the parts of the class focuses on goal-setting, from small (can do in a day) to medium (2 weeks to a month) to the really big deals! I tell ya, it really helps to look at things this way and to really celebrate all the steps we take towards fulfilling goals.

For example, late on Friday, I got an email to audition for a new cartoon about life in an aquarium. I was sent a scene, which was really cute, and just had to get a decent recording to send to the casting director. Thank the gods, I already had gone through the process of making MP3s for a voice over company a few months ago! So I was able to get my recordings done in a few hours and get the best ones mailed out. That felt great!

Now I'm working on a new monologue for class, and researching one for a specific audition coming up next week. I also have rehearsal with one of my classmates tonight.

I LOVE being in the groove with this great sense of moving forward! Vroooom! :)

Wild Week

My head is still spinning from all that's going on, so let me backtrack.

The readings for Got You went really well. We received a lot of positive feedback, and I was floored to have a 2-time Tony Award winning actress tell me how much she loved my work! It was such an unexpected, magical moment, and rather surreal when someone you've seen on Broadway and in film is suddenly right there in front of you. To have her say how much she enjoyed my performance was simply mind-blowing, and I felt so honored to be able to share with her how much I admired her work as well.

I love love love how theatre (and any kind of art-form really) can bring people together in unexpected ways. It is wonderful to come together and share what moves us.

Next up - I'm going into rehearsals for a guest performance as Celia in As You Like It at NYU.

45 Bleecker Theatre

I just got back from tech rehearsal for Got You, and had to gush about 45 Bleecker Theatre.

For one thing, you can't miss it. There's a giant "45" painted on the doors, and the place simply oozes art!


The inside is a combination theatre-lobby and art gallery. There are some amazing paintings on display!

And you know what floored me? A few years ago, I had auditioned there for an Off Broadway show, and I remember thinking at the time how much I would love to perform in the space, because it's so open and inviting. And now I am!

How cool is that? :)

Busy Bees!

So much good stuff going on!

First, Got You, the play-reading I'm doing, has a website:

http://michaelsmallnyc.com/got_you/


We're in the Bleeker Theatre today, doing tech (lights and sound), and then we're performing on Thursday and Friday at 9:30 PM if you're in the mood for some dark comedy in the Village. :)

It's really cool to be part of something in the beginning stages, seeing it all take shape.

I have so many friends and cohorts working on projects too - I have to give them a cheer!

My Shakespeare coach, Deloss Brown, is directing a new play, Boxed In, starring Ron Voz, the lovely gentleman who worked with me in Lucky Stiff at the Astoria Performing Arts Center.


Selda Sahin and Carl Danielsen, who had me sing the title role in their demo of Lilly's Big Day, are doing a reading of their new musical based on Jane Austen's "Persuasion."

And Andy Monroe, who composed The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, is going into rehearsals for The Kid, his new musical slated to be staged by The New Group in 2010.

Really exciting stuff! Bravo, everyone!

Overnight Success

I was reading about the new movie 9 the other day, and was surprised to discover that the feature film was based on director Shane Acker's student film of the same name.

He completed the 11 minute short film in 2004, received an Academy Award nomination for the film in 2006, and was awarded various honors from film festivals all over the world.

Nurtured by producers Jim Lemley, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, Dana Ginsburg, and Jinko Gotoh, 9 was released on 9/9/09 and it's on my must-see list.

It also made me think of a student thesis I did quite a few years ago called Sincerely Yours, which won various honors at NYU (including an acting award for yours truly) and how, if the right producers had picked up the film, perhaps it could have grown some "legs" like 9 did.

Then I came upon an interview with one of my favorite authors, Charlaine Harris, whose books include the popular Sookie Stackhouse series, upon which HBO's show True Blood is based. Apparently, Ms. Harris got her start by taking a creative writing class in St. Louis! And after twenty-five years of getting her books published, she is now "an overnight success."

I just love these instances of people doing what they love to do and putting their work out there. And how many years it took for these projects to really zoom!

Some projects only take a few years to catch on while others require growth over time, and it's a great lesson to keep investing in yourself and what you love to do, and to put your work out into the world.

Speaking of, I'm doing a reading of a new play called Got You next week at the HOWL Festival. I'm working with some of my Kaboom folks from last summer: Penny Ayn Maas is directing, Fred Rose (pictured far right) is performing with me, and Michael Small is the playwright. I'm also working with the delightful Heather Laws (seated right) and Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone (left).

Performances for Sept. 24-25 at 9:30 PM at 45 Bleeker St. Lobby Theatre. Tix are $10.

Hope to see you there!

To Serve and Protect

This morning, on my way to sign up for auditions, I passed a group of policemen assembled at Columbus Circle. They all stood at attention while one fellow held the American flag and another officer read the names of their comrades who had passed away 9 years ago at the World Trade Center. I caught them just as they were finishing the list of fallen heroes, and they bowed their heads for a moment of silence.

I stopped as well and bowed my head, thinking of all the people who were lost in that tragedy.

A few other pedestrians stopped as well, and I thought, "Wouldn't be it amazing if everyone stopped at the same time to pay their respects?"

And some people actually stopped and bowed their heads, but a lot of people still zoomed by us on their way to work, and I too, had to leave as well.

Of course, I'm still thinking of those warriors, standing so tall, hoping they are strong and brave and true. In this cynical world, it seems there are some folks who constantly preach negativity and seek to undermine others, but when I think of all the officers, fire-fighters and medical personnel who lost their lives trying to save others on 9-11-01, I am overcome with the good that can manifest in humanity.

And I have hope.

Blessed be.