The Drive

I've been thinking about this since last week when I saw Speed Racer. It really was a fun movie, and at the heart of it, a movie about family and what brings people together.

I never was a Speed Racer fan. It was before my time, and even when I'd hear older boys talking about it, I just didn't get it, but the Wachowski Brothers' film really got me. The graphics were breathtaking and the actors weren't eclipsed by it, which can happen in some graphic-heavy films. The whole film was an effective, united effort, and everyone and everything in it was quite wonderful!

Some of the writing was really beautiful too. Susan Sarandon's speech as the mother, saying that watching her son race was like watching a master artist paint made me think of watching my little brother play the drum-set for the first time. He was 16, but had been playing since he was 12 while I was away at college and art school, and I was astounded watching him. It was just like watching a master painter at work.

And Racer X, the mysterious mentor figure in the film, gives great encouragement to Speed Racer, asking him what drives him. "We drive because we have to," he says. And it made me think of my friend, Tina, who started her own herbal magazine 7 years ago, and who I always encouraged to write, just as she encouraged me to act.

Whenever we had rough days, we'd always ask each other, "Well, what else would you do?" And we both agreed and still agree we HAVE to do our art, because it satisfies us like nothing else can.

So when I got off the elevator yesterday, going to an audition, and the maintenance man in my building said, "I wish I was like you....When you get old, you lose The Drive..." I looked at him, he who seemed so young for his 50 years of age, and I said, "Hang in there, man. No matter what, you gotta grab each moment."

And he said, "That you do!"

Cool Connections and Callbacks

You know, I didn't want to get up this morning. I was in class late last night, working on Shakespeare with Deloss Brown, which of course was invigorating and got all my senses a-whirling, so I didn't go to sleep til about midnight. Thus, when the alarm went off this morning to get me up early for audition sign-ups for the New York Stage and Film 2009 Season, I was a little groggy. But it's my biz, and I love the line-up of plays and musicals for the season, so I had to go.

The great speech from Henry V kept me going:

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..."

It's that never give up attitude, ya know?

And I'm SO glad I went!

Robert Marra, the director who brought me in for final call-backs for the Off Broadway revival of Snoopy, was there as an unexpected guest of the general manager. It was great to see him, and he was all waves and smiles, very encouraging, and it was a joy to get to show him my work outside of Snoopy, mainly rocking the house with a sexy pop rock song. It was a BLAST!

Then when I got back to my computer, there was an email from a lovely casting director whom I met a few years ago at callbacks for Wine Lovers, The Musical. I decided to submit for a new project she's working on for The Midtown International Theatre Festival, and lo and behold she called me in! I'm so excited about this opportunity! And it just amazes me to think that I almost didn't send my info out to her. Well, I've certainly learned to release my limitations and make a commitment to myself.

Again, a Shakespeare play I'm working on is brought to mind:

"Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt. Go to..."
- Measure for Measure

So no matter what, show up, do your mailings, and invest in yourself and your craft. Ya gotta keep on trying!

And keep your fingers crossed! ;)

In honor of my Mama

My beautiful friend, Tina, recently wrote this lovely post about her mother, and of course, it made me think of mine.

I got to see my Mama at the beginning of the month when I went to CA to see my little bro perform with Hippie Cream. And the cherry on the cake was that mom decided to come to the show too!

The gig was at an old hippie commune in LA. It was actually an old USC frat house that had a history of being a hippie commune in 1969, and Hippie Cream was invited to play at their 40th anniversary/reunion. So there we were - my Mom, me, my brother and the band, surrounded by hippies, old and new.

The old-timers were a really groovy group, I must say. Lots of silver hair and an absolute effervescence in spirit! And the newer group of hippies were more like goth kids mixed with hipster punk. It was such an interesting group and made me think how we are all unified in our search to express ourselves.

My Mom was 17 in '69 so she was more of a woman in the disco era, but she fit right in at the Hippie Cream gig and got along great with everyone.

I was so proud of her for coming along. It was a late gig and she didn't get home til 2 AM, but boy, was it cool that she was there to see her son drum! And I loved getting to hang out with her in this very groovy kind of way.

She actually is probably one of the reasons Sean and I are so artistic. She and Dad would play the Beatles endlessly - even into the 80s - so Sean and I grew up with some very cool music in our ears.

She also was the first one to encourage me to "live out loud" and she was so supportive with all the things I wanted to do as a child: ballet, gymnastics, acting and singing.

She volunteered to be a seamstress for my school plays, creating costumes and such, and I'll never forget going thrift store shopping with her at the age of 10, finding this gorgeous old prom dress that she turned into Cinderella's ball gown for my 5th grade play. I was Cinderella, and you can bet I felt so incredibly special, knowing my Mom was my very own fairy godmother, having created this beautiful dress for me.

We've always been friends as well as mother and daughter, and it was incredibly hard on both of us when I left CA to come to NY. Heck! It still is hard! But I feel like she's with me every day, sharing the highs and lows of my acting career and daily life.

She's come to NY a few times, and she especially came to see me as The Singing Nun. I tell ya, she just beamed with pride, and she was talking to everyone after the show, briefly becoming a mini Mama Rose. :) But it all came from a good place.

And it still does. It all comes from love.

Shopping and The Tonys

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I just got back from 2 auditions (The Glass Menagerie and Seattle Rep), and they both felt really good, so that is also cause for celebration! Ole!

Every time I audition, I learn so much - about myself, the character, the process. It's definitely fascinating! And I've entered a neat realm where it feels like the directors and casting directors are really looking at me. It's like they're trying to figure out where I'd fit, how they'd cast me, and this reminds me of my recent shopping spree with my Mom last week.

Mom and I hit everything from thrift stores to major brand stores, and we had a blast doing it. We'd load up on clothes and shoes that caught our eyes, and then we'd go try them on.

Now, this makes me think of the first phase of auditions, except that we, the actors, are the clothes, and the casting people are seeing if they want to try us on. Bonnie Gillespie likened this to a wine bar, but more along the lines of what kind of advice to "drink in," which is a really cool reminder that we're all in the same boat here, meaning it's not "us vs. them" or vice versa. Every aspect of show business is a group effort - even one person shows!

And this takes me to The Tonys.

Who knows how many tryouts there were for the shows that have been nominated? Or any of the shows on Broadway! I can imagine the lengthy process it's taken some of these folks to get to where they are.

The gang from Title of Show were part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, just like I was with The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, and we actually all intermingled at the NYMF Awards. They performed and I was a recipient, and now Hunter Bell is up for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Very cool!

I actually know two other people who are nominated or associated with nominated shows this year, and I guess that shouldn't surprise me because the same thing happened last year! I'd either worked with or been in classes with people in last year's Tony Awards too!

This year, Billy Elliot, the musical about the little British boy who is sent to boxing class but just wants to dance, has swept the nominations, earning 15 nods!BT McNicholl, my director for last summer's comedy KABOOM at Cherry Lane, is the Resident Director for Billy Elliot, and he was actually working on Billy at the same time as KABOOM, which had to be an intense stretch, but what a fun ride!

BT was always the epitome of professionalism and high energy, and I would work with him again in a heartbeat.

My other Tony-nom-blast-from-the-past is Christopher Sieber, who is nominated for his hilarious turn as Lord Farquaad in Shrek The Musical. I went to AMDA with Chris, and though we were in different sessions, I do remember him from when our groups would intermingle. He was very funny, charismatic and talented even then!

I believe he stayed on for a second year at AMDA, but I was offered the role of Rita in a regional production of Educating Rita, so I missed my second year for that role, but boy, it was worth it.

It's thrilling when someone you've worked with gets kudos for their work. And it's always encouraging to see one of your classmates making their dreams come true.

I know that every time I put myself out there, I'm making it happen too.

Congratulations to all of the nominees! :)

Back to Work

There's a really cool phrase in reference to art, and I don't know how long it's been around, but I really dig it. It's called "The Work," and it's usually in reference to good work, though in truth, I believe any commitment to one's craft is a good thing, and so the work that results from the effort one puts into one's craft must have benefit.

And it's is really cool when you hear someone say they liked your work. That happened today at my audition for Alan Ayckbourn's comedy, How the Other Half Loves, to be produced in CT. The artistic director was very generous with praise about my work, and I LOVE the work! :) Whether its performing a piece for an audition, class, or a show, I'm learning and growing, and I love it!

I actually just got back from vacation in CA last week, where I got to see my family and share the artistic ride with my little brother. He's a drummer for the band Hippie Cream, and they're a really groovy group of guys who make music that bounces around between lots of genres. Sean likes to say they're like The Muppets on acid, guest-starring Paul Simon.

They played for a hippie commune's 40th Anniversary at USC and man, that was wild! They made me think of early Oingo Boingo mixed with Johnny Cash and the Monkees. They also got comparisons to Frank Zappa, but truly Hippie Cream has their own sound, and they are FUN!

And you know, that's what I think good artists bring to their work: fun! I mean, you don't dedicate your life to something if you don't get any joy out of it! There can be frustrations and challenges, sure, but it's part of the ride, and it's all how you look at it.

Whether it's acting, music, painting, film, sculpture, writing, I don't know any artist who goes into their work without passion. And like a garden, one must tend to it daily.

So when I got back from vacation, I got back to work. Heck! Even while I was on vacation, I was working, reading scripts, finishing up postcards, and brainstorming ideas for shorts on YouTube. Talking with my brother always gets my artistic fire burning brightly. And inspiration abounds!

So now I'm back in New York, and I'm back to work! :)

The Bard's Birthday

Today is considered to be William Shakespeare's birthday. Ironically, it's also the same day he died.

Though the exact date of his birth is not known, scholars believe it is either today - "the date celebrated in England since 1222 as the feast day of dragon-slaying St George" - though there is also evidence that it might have been yesterday, April 22nd, since his grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hall, married on April 22nd, 1626 "in honour of her famous relation." And apparently, records show he was baptised April 26th. In any case, I feel the dear Bard should be celebrated every day!

Film.com pays a lovely tribute to films that have done the bard justice. I'm currently enjoying Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. Truly, Shakespeare's words are best heard, best seen, in my humble opinion, to be fully experienced.

I'm in the midst of Shakespearean studies with former Juilliard professor, Deloss Brown, who also teaches at NYU, and I must say, it is such a joy! We're working on King Lear, which blows me away because I recently worked with Alvin Epstein on the staged reading of Sin with F. Murray Abraham, and here I come to find that both Mr. Abraham and Mr. Epstein played Lear! So fascinating! How the web of life entwines!

And so, today and everyday, I hope you find your inner bard, to work, to play, to explore life and love, to hear, to see, to learn, to grow. Enjoy it all!

"There was a star danced, and under that was I born."
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, 2.1

Great Works

Coming off of last week, I feel blissfully inspired. It was my birthday and I treated myself to a lot of theatre.

Actually I started this theatre-treat even earlier than last week, seeing Irena's Vow on April 1st. It's an incredibly moving play based on the true story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic girl who was forced into servitude by the Germans in WWII. She had endured all sorts of horrors by the Russians before this capture, but somehow her tenacious spirit and fierce faith got her through this hellish time. And strangely enough, her position as servant (she was housekeeper to an SS officer) afforded her the ability to save 13 Jews by hiding them in the German's own villa! It's an amazing story, and I wouldn't be surprised if it soon becomes a film.

It was heavy stuff, but I was amazed at the humor that would creep in throughout the play, especially in the character of Irena herself, brilliantly played by Tovah Feldshuh. But it makes sense to me: humor can help us get through anything.

Irena's Vow is an incredible play and almost everyone in the audience was in tears at the end. As a special treat, Irena's actual daughter came onstage after the show and answered some questions from the audience about her mother. Amazing stuff!

My next show was Blithe Spirit, which I saw on my birthday with my friends, Michael and Carl. We'd been excited about this show since we'd first read it was coming to Broadway, and so we decided to catch the matinee on my birthday. The boys took me to brunch, then we walked down Shubert Alley (even saw Jeremy Irons on his way to his show, Impressionism) and had a little Wicked fun along the way.

We had amazing seats for Blithe Spirit and the crowd went wild when the legendary Angela Lansbury took the stage! She was brilliant! I loved her as child when I first saw Bedknobs and Broomsticks on the Disney channel, and later saw clips of her Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance (how I wish I'd been alive to see her MAME)!

It was really miraculous to watch her work with the wonderful Blithe Spirit cast. To be 83 and still doing high kicks onstage... that's the life for me! :)

Then on Thursday I saw August Osage County with my friend Wayne Henry from Johnny On a Spot. Holy Toledo! What an amazing play! It raged like a rollercoaster from hell, and had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the dark humor, not knowing what was going to happen next!

The cast was phenomenal - it was my first time seeing Estelle Parsons onstage and she was simply magnetic! I had heard much of this "monster of a mother" character, but she made her Violet so human, so multi-faceted! In fact, each member of the cast was like a multi-faceted gem! They all brought these characters to life with great ease.

The set and lighting design, the direction, costumes, the writing... it was all truly a masterpiece.

And something interesting about 2 of these 3 of these plays was that 2 of the leading ladies - Tovah Feldshuh and Estelle Parsons - were tiny! And that inspired the heck out of me because I'm a tiny but mighty leading lady as well. Yet another reminder not to limit myself ever!

My Brother and Hippie Cream's "Life"

"I play for a living...Success is tied to a feeling of magic, which I can protect."

- M. Night Shyamalan

When I was 5, I asked my parents for a little brother or sister. You see, all of my friends in the neighborhood had little brothers or sisters to play with, and I desperately wanted a playmate. Well, my folks didn't fulfill this request for another 5 years. Being an Aries, and having a nephew who is also an Aries, I can understand this. We're firecrackers, for sure! But my folks were also young and trying to get it together, so I can understand them taking some time.

On May 26th shortly after midnight they finally brought into the world this amazing little fellow named Sean, and I couldn't wait to meet him!

I always tell my brother, "I was waiting for you to arrive," and boy, has he!

He's currently the drummer for a wildly eccentric band called Hippie Cream, and last week they filmed their first music video for a song from their latest album "On the Moon" in our hometown of Hemet, no less!

The song is "Life is Long" and the director is a young man named Daniel Philip Maggio. Dan, like myself, really loves Hippie Cream and their groovy tunes. He also seems to dig using his surroundings, and I'm a big fan of that. It's one of the reasons I love M. Night Shyamalan whose films tend to hover around Philadelphia, PA and its woodsy 'burbs.

Dan, Sean, and Wesley, who sings and plays fiddle, tie, and cowbell for the band, roamed about Hemet, filming the video. They had specific places in mind, and it's a treat to see the orange groves in there. That's one of my favorite things about the deserts of CA - the orange groves - and they're disappearing at an alarming rate! It's great to see them captured on film, and I hope they get preserved in other ways too!


The thing I dig about this video - and there are so many things I dig about it, but I love how it kicks my butt to get my own work online. Sound bites I've figured out and have no trouble with, but my career is an especially visual medium, and I need to get some of the short films I've done online.
"Sincerely Yours" would be a sweet treat, and I just got footage from the Hitchcock-inspired thriller, "Everyday" which is going to be shown this Friday night at 7:30 at the TISCH New Visions & Voices Intermediate Film Festival.

I also have decent clips of my work as Judy Garland in the musical Hell's Belles so I need to get crackin!

If you live in So. Cal and want to catch Hippie Cream, they're playing tonight at The Airliner at 9 PM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nElYG5PLqIU

Enjoying the Process

One of my friends was laid-off from his regular job right before Christmas, and he's just been starting to get job interviews lately. He's been nervous, but has been gathering his courage, putting himself out there, and I've been encouraging him to take pride in himself and his skillset.

It made me think about how much auditions are like job interviews. Instead of talking "qualifications" (and you may end up doing that if you get to talking about your resume with the director or casting director), I perform with a song, monologue, or read from the "sides" (the script for the show). And the thing I've been discovering lately - thanks to 3 really amazing teachers (VP Boyle, Karen Kohlhaas, and Deloss Brown) - is that I now really love auditioning. It's my two minutes to do what I really love to do. And yes, I'd love to get the job, but if I go into an audition with only that at the forefront of my mind, I'd be like a lot of people out there in the job market, besieged with the anxieties that come with the "get the job" mentality.

Learning to love auditioning is like learning to love your job interview. Why not enjoy that? Why not take pride in yourself and what you have to offer? Why not enjoy the growth process that comes from every interview? Why not boost that growth rate by taking classes to nurture yourself along your path?

My friend Tina would definitely say, "Look back and applaud yourself for what you have accomplished."

It's not about "them," those people across the table, conducting the job interview/audition. I mean, they're people too, and we're all in this together. Who knows what's on their plate or what they're dealing with as they try to fill this position? We don't. All we can do is put ourselves out there and support ourselves in this brave move to "show up."



But you know what else? We can enjoy it! We can learn from it! We can let it delight us!

Each audition lately has been an absolute gift, giving me the chance to perform and connect with others in unexpected ways and giving me the chance to love and appreciate myself and my process and what I have to give!

Karen Kohlhaas taught me this amazing thing called the "Big and Slow" entrance and exit. The minute we walk into a room (and I really believe this is for any interview, artistic or otherwise), we're on display. No wonder everyone feels absolutely nerve-wracked walking into an interview room! But there is a way to deal with it, to go into the room and to exit the room "big and slow" and to create that sense that you are amongst friends. It'd be unfair to detail it here since it's part of Karen's teaching process, so I highly suggest getting Karen's book, The Monologue Audition to get the details of how to do this. Needless to say, it's a mindset. It's how we talk to ourselves before, after and during an interview.

There's also a really helpful list at the beginning of Karen's book that defines everything within your control and everything not in your control (about auditioning). It really is absolutely brilliant and I believe can be of help to people who are simply in the job interview process. Realize what's in your control and what's not and forget about what isn't. :)

There's also a really great checklist at the end of the book that allows you to give yourself healthy feedback on what you've done in the audition/interview. It helps to assess where and how we're growing and how we want to grow. It's a delicious journey!

The more I work to my satisfaction, the more I challenge myself to really bring what I have to bring to the table, and to get out of my own way, the more I am having an absolute BLAST!

I hope you are enjoying your process and find great satisfaction and success in your work.

In Love with Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come,
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
- William Shakespeare - Sonnet #116.

I've always loved that sonnet. It has been with me since I first read Shakespeare in high school. And how much richer the words seem now!

After college, I was hired for the Shakespearean acting troupe for the PA Renaissance Faire. We were taught the Bard's language, Elizabethan history, and improv coupled with the Bard's words. Hence: Shakespearean improvisation. Very cool.


Iambic pentameter was taught to me by Vivian Hasbrouk, a great teacher and actress who ended up getting into casting. Hearing the rhythm of how Shakespeare's verse was to be metered out was such an insight! Especially since my training originated in musical theatre, I could easily feel the rhythm.

Tonight the learning continues! :) I have class with Deloss Brown, former Juilliard professor and current teacher at NYU. I began my studies with him last week, and I am enjoying every minute of it!

We're working on King Lear, and I am surprised at how insatiable I am with the material. I've always loved Shakespeare, but have tended to go more for the comedies like Midsummer Night's Dream or Much Ado About Nothing. But Lear... wow! "Lear" literally means "learning," and was olde English of "lere a lesson," meaning to teach (learn) a lesson.

Shakespeare's King Lear is filled with lessons and the tragedy of learning too late.

You'd think this would be heavy fare, but it's fascinating, and Deloss teaches with such insight and good humor. We met the royal family last week in Act 1 scene 1. Tonight we meet the villain, Edmund.

The Blue Rose

When I was a kid, I used to love to watch the Family Film Festival on Saturday afternoons. There was usually some fantastic adventure movie on, and one that I loved was a story about a princess who is cursed by an evil sorcerer and can only be saved if her valiant sweetheart finds and gives her the magical, one-and-only blue rose.

Sadly, I can't remember the name of this film, so if anyone knows it, please share! :) The story was so powerful and fantastical and the hero goes through all sorts of trials and tribulations to get this magical blue rose to save his lady and his love.

Not to be a spoiler, but he gets it and just as he's about to give it to her, the rose is destroyed. The kingdom absolutely despairs, but the princess rises up from her sick-bed, and takes a white rose from the garden and says, "If you love me, then this is the blue rose!"


Sure enough, they kiss and the rose turns into a beautiful blue rose cradled gently in her fingers.

Well, today I saw a blue rose at the corner grocery. A lot of delis in NY have rows of flowers that you can buy outside their shops, and when I saw this blue rose, I just had to have it. It doesn't matter if it's "not real." In fact, if anything, the fairytale above just goes to show that any rose has the power to bloom and be whatever we want it to be. If we believe.

And of course, I've been getting comments from strangers all over town, saying, "Wow! Is that a blue rose???"

It's magic, I tell ya.

And I feel like a rose myself. I feel like I'm blooming! With each audition I hit, with each class I take, with each show I see, with each play I read, each song I sing, I feel so full of potential and possibilities.

I feel like the blue rose in bloom. :)

This just in!

I had to post this! It's from The Producer's Perspective, an awesome blog by Broadway and Off Broadway producer, Ken Davenport.

Top 10 tips for Actors

Absolutely brilliant!

I especially like #10: Always audition.

"The best way to master auditioning is just like everything else. Do it over and over. You'll get numb to the nerves. You'll be able to be yourself. And you'll get free practice! I used to go to dance calls, because learning a dance combination at an audition is a free dance class (and I needed them). Actors who get to work on sides with directors at an audition get a free coaching." - Ken Davenport

I have to laugh because that's something I was just telling my friend, Tina. She had advised when I first came to the city to audition for everything for practice, which I didn't understand because I was like, "Shouldn't I be going for the job?"

But now I realize it's so much more than that. There are so many things we can't control about the multi-layered aspect of an audition, BUT we get to perform for 2 minutes, we get to show our work, and I tell ya, every time I do a song or monologue or read side from the script, I learn. I learn more about the characters I'm working on, more about myself, and more about the process, and it is an absolute BLAST! :)

Hope you're enjoying your process as well. :)

Spring in the City

I love this time of year! Every time I look at the trees, it seems their buds are unfurling a little further each day. The birds are singing, flower stalks are starting to appear. Some plants are beginning to flower. It is so beautiful!

My friend, Tina, put it best: With everything beginning to "green up, the same thing is happening in a certain way to me. Everything quickens and the pace picks up. Winter is over. A new year begins."

I've been feeling that way with each audition I've been hitting. Lately, I've been so blessed to receive incredible responses after each audition. Directors, casting directors, artistic directors, everyone has been saying, "That was GREAT," and then they'll talk with me further about my audition piece or a show they saw me in. One casting director even remembered me from The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, which I did a few years ago. And some directors are taking time to give me notes or encouragement on my audition pieces. It's really cool, because I feel like I'm getting through.

Like the little leaf-buds on the trees, I'm growing further each day and soon I'll be unfurling! :)

If you're a city-dweller like me and would like to take in some luscious sights of Spring in the woodsy countryside, check out my friend, Tina's blog: http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/

She's the editor and chief behind the magazine, The Essential Herbal, and if you'd like an in-depth glimpse of this delicious compilation of recipes, remedies, and delightful stories, check out the free download of last year's issue, The Victory Garden: www.essentialherbal.com/MarchApril2008forweb.pdf


Tina always rocks my world because she's a self-starter who brings people together. She's almost always all-inclusive and that's such an amazing thing for a small business owner. She always inspires me.

Here we grow! :)

Great Gradations!

gradation - noun - any process or change taking place through a series of stages, by degrees, or in a gradual manner.

I feel like I've graduated in a way, and yet it seems too early to talk about caps and gowns, especially since I have a bunch of classes on the horizon.

This just feels like such an incredible time of great change for me. Yesterday I went to an audition for the play, Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam. Because I am a petite actress, I've often played young adults for what feels like forever. And I'm not knocking this. Hey! I made it to final callbacks for Sally Brown in Snoopy, so obviously, it's a niche! And for this play, I'm probably a "tweener" (in-between the ages of the characters, and could be cast either way), so I decided to embrace my full-grown womanhood and read for The Teacher. It was a bold choice but felt... FULL. And I received great response from the director on my audition, which was wonderfully encouraging.

It was just such a cool feeling, working to my satisfaction, making bold choices for the character in the short amount of time I got to know her (we were cold-reading scenes from the script). I truly felt like I graduated from "student" to "teacher" in that moment. It was so empowering!

And yet this year I have immersed myself in my studies. It started with the Monologue Audition workshop with Karen Kohlhaas at The Atlantic Theatre School. I wanted to take more classes at ATS but our schedules weren't in sync, so I contacted one of Karen's recommendations, Deloss Brown, a former Juilliard teacher, and will be diving into his 7-week Shakespeare workshop. As one of my favorite actors from Slings and Arrows once said (and I'm paraphrasing), "If you can do Shakespeare, you can do anything." His work is timeless, and I love it!

So as I continue to "walk my talk" and put my work out there, learning from each audition, and working on new material, I have this feeling of "lift-off," of incredible growth, and it is indeed worth celebrating.

"You've got to build your foundation and get out there, because no class is going to teach you what auditioning and performing will teach you." - Karen Kohlhaas

4.........3......... 2........ 1...

BLAST OFF!!!!! :)

Life and Death

With the sudden loss of Natasha Richardson, I find this such a keen reminder how utterly slim the line is between life and death. Not to be morose... some of my friends have been facing this "fine line" daily.

My dear friend, Lisa (below), is a nurse who works in the intensive care unit (ICU), and she sees this life and death struggle daily. My Mom is also a nurse, and she works with cardio patients, and has had some heart-pounding experiences, to be sure. I love these ladies and their ability to help people in their true life-n-death battles.

Then there's my friend, Tina, who's been going through "the fight for life" with her brother, John, as he waits for a liver transplant. She actually has the incredible mindset to realize this time is precious and will someday be looked back on as The Good Old Days.

They're all incredible people.

And what does this have to do with Natasha Richardson? Well, like many folks, I was greatly saddened and shocked by her sudden death, and my heart goes out to her family.

I remember first seeing her in the film The Handmaid's Tale. I had just finished reading Margaret Atwood's novel, and was very interested to see the film. Natasha Richardson was luminous and perfectly cast as Offred, the fertile Handmaid. She was so intriguing and I kept an eye open for her other films, enjoying her work as Mary Shelley in Gothic, as Dr. Paula Olsen (pictured below with her husband Liam Neeson) with Jodie Foster's wild-child Nell, Disney's remake of The Parent Trap, and as one of the ugly step-sisters in the modern Cinderella tale with Jennifer Lopez, Maid in Manhattan. She was so brilliant at moving from drama to comedy, absolutely seamless, and I'm glad her work has been capured on film.

I didn't get to see her work on Broadway, and man, I wish I could have. I remember watching the Tony Awards and being mesmerized by her brief appearances as Anna Christie (with her husband Liam Neeson), her saucy Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. I'm inspired by her growth and work as an actress, going from Ibsen ingenues to Williams' tragic willow. Her range was obviously incredible.

Her passion for acting was "rivalled only by cooking," and she was quoted as saying (of acting), "The best feeling in the world is when you don't know what will happen next but you're in control... It's like flying."

I've been finding that feeling as well.

She was heralded as a "brave, tenacious, wonderful woman" and I salute her spirit. I am grateful for her inspiration as an artist and how she has made me think of all the brave and beautiful women in my life.

I pray her family will find comfort and healing during this challenging time.

Blessed be.

Voices

Well, I got my voice over demos on my Media page:

Clairol Nice 'N Easy

Citi Identity Theft Solutions (Valley Girl)

These are ads from the UK with the appropriate British accent:

New Lux

Bodyfrom (working class)

Hope you dig it! :)

Begin Where You Are

I met a young artist recently who asked me, "How do you get started (in acting)?"

After I gave him this huge laundry list of basics like checking Backstage.com and Actors Access and Actors Equity for auditions, the Ross Reports for agent and casting director info, reading and researching the biz and the art (Karen Kohlhaas has a great recommended reading list - maybe I should make one too!), I was reminded of something my friend, Tina, always tells me: "Look back on your progress. See where you've come from and where you've been." It helps give encouragement to know where you're going.

And I heard this message today: "Begin where you are."

To me that represents starting with a clean slate, being in the present moment, accepting yourself as you are right now and using that as your springboard to grow where you want to be.

Begin where you are. Look around at your surroundings, at yourself, and nurture yourself where you are right now.

And enjoy the ride! :)

Look what's sprouting!

My title makes me think of this song from the musical Mack and Mabel called "Look What Happened to Mabel." It's the supposed story of Mabel Normand, who, in the musical starts as a waitress, is "discovered" by Mack, and becomes the "Queen of Comedy." Her song happens when she sees herself on the big movie screen, and cries out, "Oh Jumpin' St. Jude, Look What Happened to Mabel!"

I remember having that same feeling when I first saw myself in the NYU film, Sincerely Yours. That was a lovely 30 minute film about an unusual WWII romance conducted through letters, and the entire experience from beginning to end (auditions, callbacks, filming at 3 in the morning in an old diner in PA... walking across a bridge at dawn for a spontaneous shot, and then seeing the film 9 months later) was exquisite!

That wasn't the original reason for my post, but it might as well be. I was just marveling at how a "seed" I sowed somewhere around ten years ago just sprouted.

When I first moved to New York, I was a little girl with long dark hair, not unlike our silent moviestar above. :) I ended up meeting with a reputable Talent Management company that worked with young actors, and while we had a lovely meeting, it ended with them saying, "We'll keep you on file."

Zoom to ten years later. Yesterday, I heard from this same agency, requesting sound files from me for a very big commercial. I've just begun to do recordings for musicals, but do not have a huge voice over demo list. YET. You can BET I'll be remedying that this weekend. And they're waiting for me.

The thing that really hit me is that you never know how some audition/meeting you attended, or whom you might've met years ago, might have an impact on your present and your future.

One of my friends (a big gardener and herbal gal as a matter of fact) always talks about planting seeds and giving everything its chance to grow. You can't force the growth - you can't tug on the plants or you might pull up the roots. But you can nurture your seeds with water and light and love, sunshine and pruning, getting rid of the weeds, and your seeds will grow.

You just never know when. So keep on keeping on. :) And enjoy each day of growth!

The Leap

"I've noticed a very interesting phenomenon over the years. The greater risks we take, the greater the rewards. And when we dare to go after our dreams things have a funny way of working out to our advantage. Of course, there are no guarantees. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But if we don't take the leap, we'll never know." - Mark Sikes, Casting Corner

I started a class last night at One on One Productions called TV Bootcamp by Ross Meyerson and it was a great class. There are many places out there where you pay money to meet and work with a top level casting director and I always sort of chafed at that before. But I tell you, Ross' class made it all make sense, because like he said, if you didn't go to Juilliard or Yale or Carnegie Mellon, then the best way of getting seen by top level casting directors is to take a workshop with them. That way, you get to show your work and to learn "the tools of the trade."

Going from theatrical acting to acting for film and TV is a big change and yet... it's the same. It's the same in that great acting comes from truthful story-telling (in my opinion). From Meisner to Mamet... and like William H. Macy said in a recent interview on NY1 (and pardon my paraphrasing), "If I pursue the action, the words take care of themselves."

It all reminds me to get out of my own way. "Stop waiting to feel comfortable." And take the leap. :)

I feel like an onion, peeling away the layers, or like a rose opening its petals...


It feels fabulous!

Women who watched "The Watchmen"

There have been a lot of critiques about the new film, The Watchmen, and one that caught my eye was, "Will women watch it?" Well, I was there opening weekend with my fanboys and girls, and we all truly enjoyed it. Our group was comprised of small business owners, a literature professor (Jayne in the red), an economist, a chef, a graphic designer, myself the actress, and other movers and shakers. Everyone seemed to really dig the picture, and I would recommend it, though I would NOT recommend taking kids to it.

This is a very adult superhero film where violence reigns and the superheroes have been told, "thanks, but no thanks" since the government has decided it only needs one superhero, Dr. Manhattan, to take care of all the "big" issues like averting nuclear war. So what about the rest of the retired vigilantes? There's still a lot of distress on the streets and in homes, and one subversive hero named Rorschach (played with passionate intensity by the incredible Jackie Earle Haley) refuses to lay low.

When an ex-hero named The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered, the Watchmen inadvertently come together to battle some unknown evil once again.

The thing that's fascinating about this film is the basic premise of good and evil in every person. The Comedian, it turns out, was really more of a hired gun, committing all sorts of atrocities for the government in the name of "good." Very chilling.

The rest of the heroes include Nite Owl played by Patrick Wilson (whom I loved in Angels in America and Little Children), and this character is an obvious nod to Batman; Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), a business mogul considered to be the fastest and smartest man alive, and Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), a martial artist-type hottie whose mother (lusciously played by Carla Gugino, who nearly steals the show in my opinion) was a superhero of the same name. And lastly, there's Dr. Manhattan, beautifully played by Billy Crudup (even when he's glowing blue), a full-fledged superman who can destroy matter (and that includes people) with a thought. Needless to say, this hero's mind is so far-reaching that he's losing his touch with humanity.

And I would say that's partially a danger for the film as well. It tries to cram so much in and reaches for such lofty heights... sometimes it feels like it's trying too hard.

But there are incredible spectacles to see! And I love the major questions that come into play such as, What is "good" and what should be done for the greater good and who truly knows what that is?

It made me want to check out Alan Moore's original graphic novel, especially in light of this blog I found that focused on the women of The Watchmen. That was my only complaint (other than the film being a little too long, clocking at 2 hours and 45 minutes): the ladies seemed to be relegated to eye candy. Ass-kicking eye-candy, but still.... I just didn't believe that Silk Spectre II had it in her to be the type of woman that truly inspired great men to do great things... unless it was only based on a sexual charge, because yeah, she exuded sexy innocence, but there wasn't a true sense of soul-searching depth, and that was frustrating, because I could tell from the writing that she was supposed to be that type of ultimate human inspiration. Ya know?

Anyway, because of that missing element, the love story was just sort of "eh" for me.

But the rest of the film worked in a mind-blowing, graphically dazzling, terrifyingly thought-provoking kind of way.

My favorite character was Rorschach (above far right), whose blank mask would shift with inkblots like the famed Rorchach Test. Jackie Earle Haley absolutely captivated me with his intensity. He exuded a bazillion emotions while masked and unmasked and brought this character to full-bodied life. There's a great interview about his process behind the character here.

So if you're in the mood for an especially epic and dark superhero film, give The Watchmen a go.

Return of the Blue Coyotes and The Essential Herbal Blog Contest

Two subjects today. :)

First of all, if you're looking for some interesting downtown theatre in New York, check out the Blue Coyote Theatre Company. My friend, Tracey Gilbert, who was my co-star in The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun, is a member of the company, and I must say, it's always a pleasure to support this innovative group.

Their latest production is Conversations on Russian Literature Plus Three More Plays by David Johnston. Really interesting stuff. Tracey performs in a delightful piece called Mothra is Waiting, about two over-the-hill chanteuses, one of whom is sure that a fictional Japanese monster will rescue them from their dreary lives. Tracey is electrically funny and a joy to watch. I love seeing her work and it's even better getting to work with her! :)

Conversations runs through this weekend only, so if you can, catch it!

My other "nod" is to my friend, Tina, of The Essential Herbal, who's having a Blog Contest. 10 blogs are involved, and you can enter to win simply by posting a comment on one or all ten of the blogs.

I had written for one of Tina's "companion books" The Fairy Home Companion, and the prize for this blog contest are fairyland cookie cutters! Really cute!

I love this "contest" simply because it's a great way to see other blogs that are out there, focused on nature's elements, and the sense of community that is built from promoting these small businesses.

When is an audition like a Tea Party?

My sweetheart has a fondness for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and we often toss around quotes from that world. A hard day at work can often seem like the Mad Tea Party, don't you find?

But today started beautifully for me. I woke up nice and early to go wait in line for the Equity Principal Actors' call for The Norman Conquests. Most EPAs are like that - you get up early so you can make sure you get an assigned time to audition later in the day. This time of year many auditions are jam-packed and there's a reason they're likened to a "cattle call," because everyone's jammed together and "moo-ing" about something.

This morning, however, was a breath of fresh air! I don't know if it's because the call was so specific, looking for actors to understudy the British cast that's being brought over from the successful run at The Old Vic, but there were only about 15 of us there to start, all ladies (the gents arrived later).

Usually, when I'm waiting in line, I'll put my headphones on and focus on whatever I'm currently reading. As I said, most of the auditions can be noisy and crazed, but the minute I stepped off the elevator today, these ladies were all so lovely and welcoming, even offering me a rocking chair that seemed to be waiting just for me. We all sat and talked lightly about shows, fashion, and the news (one gal had a newspaper and would make little "reports"). There was such an air of congeniality. It made me think very much of English tea parties. Truly, all we needed was the proper setting for tea and the mood would've been complete!I'm hoping the audition itself will be just as lovely. I love Alan Ayckbourn's plays, so getting to read from the script should be a treat indeed!

Patience

The message of patience has appeared to me twice today, and when that happens, I realize it's time to pay attention.

My first sighting of this message was on the Actors Voice POV, the March 1st entry:

"When opportunity knocks, you better know what to do... And who knows when that opportunity will come around again? So when you get an audition, make the most of it. It's not that difficult, really. Just be on time, be prepared, and do the best you can... Every audition is a free learning experience and a chance to change your life." - John Schultz, Manager

The British singer, Adele, also encourages patience while pursing an artistic career in her interview with ExploreTalent.com.

I find this gentle nudge helpful as I gear up for auditions and networking events with agents this week. I continue to grow with my monologue repertoire and am looking at new songs for musical auditions. I just want to really cultivate work I enjoy, and that includes working on myself, my instrument, taking classes, going to the gym, being aware, being good to myself as I nurture myself on this artistic path. It's all good.