Paddy Chayefsky

I'm working on a play by Paddy Chayefsky for my monologue class with Karen Kohlhaas at the Atlantic Theatre School, and I just had to pay kudos to this great writer. I've always been fascinated with his plays, The Tenth Man and Middle of the Night. His work is humble, human, and warmly intimate.

I'm really impressed with how timeless some of his work is. This play I'm currently working on is from the '50s and deals with "the real connection" between two people, particularly in a marriage. Sex, emotions, the mental connection of two like minds. It's all as relevant today as it was then, and I find myself constantly tipping my hat to Mr. Chayefksy and his wonderful writing.

One of my friends asked me who he was, so I did my research and discovered this beloved playwright was an Academy Award winning screenwriter:
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/chayefskypa/chayefskypa.htm

My parents were big fans of the films "Network" and "Altered States," and I find it fascinating that Mr. Chayefsky's work still resonates with so many generations. Very very cool.

Friends, Films, Family and Fun

While in the midst of working on my craft, it's always a joy to see others putting their art out into the world as well. There's something so inspiring about that, and there's this great sense of fellowship and community and artists supporting each other through the "birthing" process, getting a labor of love seen by the public at large.

My high school friend, Kara Herold, is bringing her documentary, "Bachelorette 34" to the Museum of Modern Art here in Manhattan next month, and I can't wait to see her and her film.

One reviewer said, "Forget five stars, this film deserves 34 stars...an exquisite, gem-quality of documation at its best.”

"Bacelorette 34" will be playing Friday, February 20 at 8:30pm in Titus 1 Sunday, February 22 at 1:30pm in Titus 2 at the MoMA.

Likewise, director Jonathan Betzler, whom I worked with at NYU on the 30 minute film, Sincerely Yours, is screening his feature film, "Homecoming" on Feb. 10th in New York City at 9pm at the Anthology Film Archives on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street in NYC, featured by the New Filmmakers Series. I'm so excited for him and can't wait to see this film.

And then there's my little bro, Sean, playing with Hippie Cream at Juanita's Club Flotsam in LA. Wish I could be there!

They all inspire me to keep on with my craft, to enjoy the ride of each day and to embrace each opportunity we have to be creative.

Groove on, you all!

A quick word

When I was in CA, my little brother imparted this wisdom to me:

"A mistake is only a mistake if you label it so."

And I had to giggle because my acting coach Karen said something very similar in class last night:

"If you make a mistake, say, 'GOOD,' and practice dealing with where this new energy takes you."

I love that!

In Effortless Mastery, Kenny Werner talks about how "there are no wrong notes," and my brother, Sean echoes this sentiment. As a musician, he's learned that a "mistake" can lead to an incredibly cool new riff, and I love that unlimited approach to art. Isn't that why we dig being creative in the first place?

Enjoy your process!

Risk-taking and Bravery

I'm on Week 2 of Karen Kohlhaas' Monologue Audition Class and we're moving from being "outside" the monologue (taking care of all the work your own "internal director" wants you to do during an audition) into the excitement of getting "inside" the acting of the piece. It's really exhilirating stuff, and I've been enjoying the homework. It makes me feel like I finally have the tools to take care of the technical aspects of an audition beforehand and then really enjoy it once I get in there.

Karen took us through a bunch of steps last week in class and it was fascinating to experience. Now this week all 8 of us in class will show the monologues we've been working on, and I tell ya, I'm excited to see what we all bring to the table.

I don't think I've ever run the lines of a monologue as much as I have for this class. Sure, I have 2 standard monologues memorized for auditions, but because they were done without these new tools I've acquired, they felt stale and flat and without a sense of direction. Sometimes I would hit the right emotion in an audition, because of where I was at that day, but now I feel like I can truly back myself up every time! It's like before I would be able to pull out A color to show during a piece, but now I feel like I've got a whole rainbow in my pocket, just waiting to come out. That is thrilling!Something yummy I also learned was about one of my favorite actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins, who reportedly runs his lines 200 times until "there is no more distinction between the actor and the words – he is what he has to say, and it comes out of him as effortlessly as if he were actually that character." There is no need to "embellish or push when he acts." And there are times I've hit that mode, but it can be so happenstance.

To be able to demystify the process and still respect it and enjoy it... I have truly found that this week with just drilling and drilling my monologue every chance I can get. Have I done it 200 times? Nope, not yet, but I'm working on it. :)

This next class focuses on the acting of the piece, on risk-taking and bravery while "acting on the character's behalf." Anyone who has done public speaking knows what a wild thing it is to get up in front of a group and speak. I thought about that yesterday with Barack Obama speaking his inaugural address to the huge crowd in front of the Capitol. He also spoke about risk-taking and bravery. And I know it might sound wild to compare my little class to the work of the now president of the United States. But it takes dedication to pursue one's dreams, and there is hard work, and there is a sense of absolutely taking risks in putting oneself out there to make your dreams come true.
I think of all my friends who choose to live fully, to take the road less traveled. I believe we all do the best we can every day. And we do it with guts and gusto. Some days require more risks and bravery than others, and actually, that's one of the things I love about auditioning - the challenging risk-factor. It can be scary as ever, and almost every award-winning actor remarks on the terror of auditioning. But now I have the tools to climb that mountain, and I am THRILLED.

Unity of purpose

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. " - Barack Obama

It is such a fascinating time. Watching Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, I was blown away by the amount of people there, but I totally get it. Everyone wants to really be there, sharing this historic moment. One of my neighbors even took the train down to DC with his partner, to celebrate this joyous occasion.

Watching it with some of my workmates, it truly felt like a unifying hour. I loved Biden's sincerity and confidence in taking his vows. I cheered Aretha Franklin on, though I wished the key of the song had been lowered so she could really belt it out. Still, she's Aretha and she's wonderful!

I was especially moved by the quartet (cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriella Montero) who played John Williams' composition, "Air and Simple Gifts." What a gorgeous tribute!

And of course, I was greatly inspired by our new president Barack Obama. His speech was awesome, and I was especially moved by these passages:

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. "

"It has not been the path for the faint-hearted... Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things.."

"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

"In this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations." - Barack Obama.

So it is time to meet the challenges before us and to press on with hope and prupose.

Baby, it's cold outside

A lot of people ask me, "Do you miss CA?" Like they're wondering why I would come to New York and leave the land of palm trees and orange groves. But I have always been drawn to the dark, mysterious east. Except for days like today when the temperature hovers around 9 degrees... that's when I really miss CA.Of course, I miss my friends and family in CA all year round. I had such a blast visiting them for the New Year. Something I particularly tried to do on this last trip was to visit local shops in town that are unique. My Mom turned me onto this little coffee shop that appeared before Starbucks came to my small hometown. It's called the Ya Ya's Coffee Shop, and I'm glad to see it's still alive and kicking. How cool is it that they did The Vagina Monologues last year? The place is really hip and perfect for intimate live performances like that.

They also make AWESOME "fluffy coffees." I had one called The Peppermint Patty and it was deee-lish!
My little bro, Sean, came with me and was diggin' the painted walls inside.The Ya Ya's Coffee house is located at 312 N San Jacinto St./Hemet, CA if you're in the mood for something groovy.

Support your local small business! :)

Class and Creativity

I had an awesome class last night with Karen Kohlhaas. It was my first time at the Atlantic Acting School which was such a treat. I've auditioned for productions in the actual theatre spaces for the Atlantic Theatre Company which is in a completely different building altogether. The classroom I was in for Karen's class was warm and cozy and a perfect space to mirror the many monologue audition spaces an actor will find themselves in.

I tell ya, if you've ever had any issues with monologues or wanted to get more out of them, this is the class to take! It lets you look at your work from the outside in, creating effective staging and guilde-lines for a work environment that lets you get the most out of your material, from creating clear choices to providing really meaty acting exercises once you get inside the piece.

I'm still reeling, taking it all in. What an absolute blast!

On that highly creative note, I'm wearing my Hippie Cream shirt today in honor of my little brother and the awesome band he's playing with this weekend at The Beach Comber in Oxnard, CA. They are racking up gigs in LA pretty quickly as people are catching onto their groovy tunes. I believe they even got an invite to play in 'Frisco and Las Vegas, so catch the wave! If you like music that ranges from soulful to silly, old-school rock n roll punk to funky-country-folk, Hippie Cream might just be your cup of tea. :)
(my Mom and me show the love with Hippie Cream T's).

Rock on and have a great weekend!

Snow Days

A lot of my friends in the Midwest are having snow days today. I imagine they're home with their kids, and I hope they're enjoying some hot chocolate.

In the meantime, it's business as usual in the Big Apple. I love it when it snows here. There's something so magical about how the snowflakes blow about the city and then settle in piles. When the sun shines on them it's like walking on glitter.

Growing up in the desert of southern CA, snow was unusual and didn't appear unless you went into the mountains in search of it. So now, to be in a place, where winter truly drags her long white coat over the land, is always a marvel.

This is not to say that I'm impervious to the cold. On the contrary, I've spent many a day out in the cold, waiting to get into an audition, and I have to say that I think actors are as dedicated as the postman, because when it comes to auditions, we'll show up in rain, sleet, and snow. See, here in NY, even though an audition will be listed with a start time of 9 or 10 AM, people will show up as early as 6 AM to make sure they get an audition slot. Some of us are pretty driven when it comes to getting out product out there, and we'll run all over town, hitting different audition spaces at different casting offices or rehearsal spaces, to hit as many auditions as possible.

I've become a lot more focused over the years, targeting specific auditions, and fortunately, I've reached a point where I've been getting called in directly from the casting director or director for specific appointments, which is great. Still, I go to the general Equity auditions when there's something that really grabs me.

Tonight, I'll be hiking across town to The Atlantic Theatre Company to start classes with Karen Kohlhaas. I've been interested in her monologue class for quite a while, but I've been so booked up with gigs that I haven't been able to jump into it til now. So tonight's the night! I'm so excited and have been enjoying the preparation for the class, revelling in the homework.

When I was in CA, my brother and I talked about how every class we take adds to the whole package of what we bring to the table as artists. He's a drummer who also plays gorgeous acoustic guitar and is an incredible writer. He went back to school after years of working solely as a musician, and I'm so inspired by his choice to take classes that stretch him. He could argue philosophy with the best of 'em! And the cool thing is that musically he keeps growing too.

So I'm off to class! Tell ya about it later!

The clouds are shifting

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

This quote has appeared twice to me today, and when that happens, I know it's a sign to pay attention. I see so many of my friends struggling with day to day fears like being out of work, or scared about what to do for an interview/audition, for life and school... all these transitions... and I know they're working through their stuff just as I am. But I think of that great quote from Frank Herbert's novel, Dune:

"Fear is the mind killer... I will face my fear... and when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

I believe we can overcome our fears.

One of my friends was talking about how when we're kids we never think to focus on the obstacles. We just think, "I'm going to do that!" No limitations. But as we age, something happens and we become aware of perceived hurdles. If we waste our energy focusing on the hurdle instead of getting over it then we're missing the joy of what's beyond it. Or the joy of leaping over it.

As my friend Tina says, "If there's a wall in your way, just walk around it. It doesn't need to block your view."She recently posted this awesome blog on coming out of the darkness - as a small business owner and as a woman. And I can't help but salute her and thank her for shining her light, for bringing hope to others by sending out a shout of hope for the future.

James Wolcott mentions this in his recent article in Vanity Fair, how people in New York City (considered the cynical capital of the world) are still wearing their Obama buttons, and I still see Obama bumper stickers in store windows. People are hopeful, I believe. We have to look to the light. There will be a dawn.

Bonnie Gillespie wrote about focusing on the positive in her column, The Actors Voice, paying kudos to Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers: "We--as a society--can conspire to create greater success for all of us. Sure, there are predictors such as socioeconomic status, IQ level, raw talent, era in which you were born, and geographical advantages. All of those matter too. But perhaps just as important is a person's practical intelligence (or social intelligence), i.e.: charm, wit, even chutzpah. And because those things can be developed and supported by a community that rallies around a person to make success more feasible, we actually have far greater control over whether we succeed or fail in life than we may have always thought (or been taught or been told, based on how or where or when we grew up)."

So keep positive, people. Hang in there. And shine your light!

The Start of Something Special

You know when you read that first line of a book or hear a piece of music that just grabs you? You know you're in for something special, and that's how my New Year started.

I was in CA visiting my family and I got to hear the phenomenal band Hippie Cream at this fun club in Venice called Good Hurt. My little bro, Sean, is the drummer for the band, and they've been steadily growing in recognition and reputation. :)

I'm just so proud of him, because he's a cool cat to begin with, and he's played with some really neat bands, but this one... there's just something special about Hippie Cream.

They were the early band at Good Hurt, so there were only a few people there, but we all could feel the fun factor increase a hundredfold when they started to play, and everyone went nuts for them. Even the other bands that were arriving to play later in the evening were like, "Wow! Glad we got here early to hear you guys!"

It made me think of all those great "beginnings" where audiences got to first hear The Doors or Oingo Boingo in whatever small setting they first rocked. Those are two bands whom I really love, and ironically Hippie Cream reminds me of them. Apparently I'm not alone in this, because Hippie Cream reminds everyone of their favorite band! One guy at the show said they reminded him of Elvis Costello. Another person said they were like The Grateful Dead. I also sense a bit of Bob Dylan in their material, and yet they still have their own wildly unique sound. It was a blast to be part of that.Even some of my pictures of them turned out psychadelic. :)

Ironically, their performance made me think of the musical theatre scene, because that scene has been growing much more pop-rock flavored. Heck, musical theatre has been rocking since HAIR and Hippie Cream would be a great comparison to that freedom-loving scene.

As I watched them perform and then watched some of the other bands, I was reminded of my musical theatre audition classes. Strange parallel, I know, yet you can learn so much by watching AND doing. For example, if you have a group of 12 performers, and 10 people decide to do slow ballads, but 2 performers decide to do something wildly different, guess who's going to standout? This isn't to say the balladic folks aren't going to work... some of them work really well. Look at Evansence. But I think the thing that works so well with Hippie Cream is that they are unfettered, and I know I've always felt more successful in auditions and performances when I'm letting everything flow like these guys were. They're just having fun - whether they're rockin a punk-flavored tune like Cuddles the Vampire, which played on the radio on KXLU's Demolisten 01.02.2009 or crooning some crazy country love song like, "Pray That When I Die" that's on their latest album, On The Moon. They are unique, and they're just letting their sound out and having fun doing it. It's awesome.

If you want to catch them, they've got some gigs at The Beachcomber next weekend and will be back at Good Hurt in LA on March 22nd.Boogie on!

2008 Highlights

One of my favorite columnists, casting director Bonnie Gillespie, recently posed this question to her readers: What did you learn in 2008? The responses were all so wonderful and educational, and that's one of the reasons I love that column so much. There's this great sense of community and shared knowledge.

For me, there were so many great strides and a sense of expansion last year. As I assess it all, I have this feeling of "putting things in order" as I get ready for the New Year.

I think the big lesson for me this year was simply to embrace all aspects of myself. Something a friend had told me years ago was to "Embrace the 3 B's: BIG, BOLD, and BEAUTIFUL!" In the theatre, this is such a great mantra, because so many of the characters I have played fully call for the 3 B's.

I got to stretch my wings and play Judy Garland, making an angelic appearance from heaven for the musical revue, Hell's Belles. For weeks, I watched clips of her interviews and performances. It was an incredible gift to immerse myself in Judy, and another gift to have a director who kept urging me to go bigger with my embodiment of her. When you're playing someone that "big," you can't be small. And that was another amazing thing! Judy and I were the same height: 4'11". Just a funky coincidence.

The 3 B's definitely applied to Judy, and it was wonderful to see and hear the audiences' reaction to my portrayal of her.

The 3 B's also applied to Barbara Webster, the tempestuous southern belle in the Off Broadway revival of Charles MacArthur's 1940's play, Johnny on a Spot. I had worked with director Dan Wackerman on the staged reading of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with Emily Skinner, and when he called me in for Johnny On A Spot, I felt like Jean Harlow. Sassy, sexy... a real firecracker! Getting to play Barbara was such a blast!

Another thing I learned this year is commitment. This was especially true with getting engaged to my sweetheart of many years. We took a very important and absolutely joyous step. And boy, did he give me a sparkly! Wow!

Commitment is also required in one's art. I especially learned this in comedy since great comedy works when the artists are fully committed to the situation, no matter how outlandish it might be. You can see this in the masters like Chaplin, and it was SO apparent in the movie Tropic Thunder. It worked and worked well.

When I booked the modern farce, Kaboom, I had no idea how far I'd stretch! Boy, was it awesome! The script was constantly being retooled, and there was tons of memorization, not to mention mastering the intensely focused energy of a fast-paced farce. Director BT McNicholl was phenomenal with keeping rehearsals positive and focused. He also really helped me understand the speed of such a comedy, and it's a pity we only got to perform 5 shows, because by the 5th show, the entire cast had really found the groove of the piece and it was a delight!

Playing Kandy in Kaboom was like being on a sugar high, and I actually felt a similar energy with Barbara in Johnny On a Spot. These two characters demanded that I put my foot on the gas and go! :)

To be challenged like that, and to hear the reward of the audiences' laughter and applause - both of these characters got "exit applause" on their major exits - was such a blast!

So what did I learn? To get out of my own way - NO LIMITATIONS - and to trust myself.

These are great gifts to take into 2009. It's going to be sublime!

Happy New Year!!!!

The Show Must Go On

On Friday I reteamed with my Hell's Belles writer, Bryan D. Leys and some of my HB castmates, Deborah Radloff and Omri Schein, for a recording of the new musical Argentina Rumpus. We were joined by the delightful Richard Binder who played my dear Mr. Freud in the staged reading of Vienna.

Now this would've seemed like an ideal reunion if it weren't for the fact that I caught the flu and nearly lost my voice. I was so distressed - I took every remedy possible but still couldn't kick the bug. Fortunately, Chip, the sound engineer, said that a lot of recording artists had been sick as well, and he gave me something to gargle with that seemed to help with the rest of the recording. So though I felt lower than low, I was pleased that the sound on the playback was pretty decent. They say you can sing through anything, and apparently, I did!

It made me think of the many times I've been sick and still had to "go on." When I was 14, I studied voice with Wynne Hammond, called "Winnie" by those closest to her. She had a bunch of wild stories about singing in the chorus for many films in the late 30s and 40s, her claim to fame being one of the chorus for The Wizard of Oz. She also had some amazing "close calls," losing various lead roles because of impending motherhood, which starlets just didn't do (publicly) back then, so she retired from Hollywood and became a music teacher in Palm Springs with her husband.

When I met her, her husband had passed away and she was teaching privately in Hemet. I joined her troupe, The Wynne Hammond Singers and toured about Southern CA with her and a bunch of young girls my age. We performed for all sorts of groups like women's luncheons in Palm Springs, cultural centers, what-have-you. And of course, Christmas was always big on the list! We'd travel all over the place, singing jazzy carols, and Winnie was great about making sure we all had solos. She even took me to San Bernadino and helped me get my first professional paid gig as an orphan in Annie at the Civic Light Opera.

Well, of course, it happens, you get sick and you still have to sing. I was in some competition of some sort and sick as a dog, but Winnie nursed me through and made me this special lemon juice drink that seemed to help me get through the performance.

I couldn't help thinking of her - and of all the artists - who've had to perform through illness. Gene Kelly famously performed Singing in the Rain with a major fever. Barbra Streisand was supposedly sick during the recording of her first Christmas album. You just do what you have to do and you do the best you can.

It pays to show up

"Eighty percent of success is showing up." - Woody Allen

This has always been one of my favorite quotes, and it's so true! Today I had rehearsal for a demo recording of a new musical, and one of the actresses didn't show up, so the writer asked if I could pick up the part. Well, sure! How fun! And how versatile! I get to play "the crazy nun" (what IS it with me and nuns?) and the femme fatale. VERY cool!

I look back at the work I've been doing the past few years and so much about it has been "showing up." If I didn't go to the Equity audition for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, I wouldn't have got the callback for The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. And if I didn't do NUN (I was up for another show as well), I would've missed getting the NYMF Award and getting to do the Bound for Broadway concert last December!

If it hadn't been for Bound for Broadway, I wouldn't have met director John Znidarsic, who brought me in for Hell's Belles, which gave me the opportunity to play Judy Garland and Janis Joplin, AND introduced me to so many wonderful people and possibilities.

(The Hell's Belles cast: me, Elaina Cope, Omri Schein, Deborah Radloff, Alicia Sable)

One of the Off Broadway shows I did this summer was because a friend from Hell's Belles recommended me to the director for a staged reading of another show. Heck! The gig today was for the Hell's Belles writer, who's working on a new show called Argentina Rumpus.

So, boy, does it pay to show up! I've been going non-stop since last December and feel so fortunate! All this good stuff is a reminder to keep going, to keep working on my craft, and to keep hitting those auditions. It's all part of the process of making dreams come true. :)

Make your dreams come true!

Happy Harvey Holidays

"Oh, oh, oh
Woke up today
Feeling the way I always do
Oh, oh, oh
Hungry for something that I can't eat
Then I hear that beat
The rhythm of town
Starts calling me down
It's like a message from High above
Oh, oh, oh
Pulling me out
To the smiles and the streets that I love..."
("Good Morning Baltimore" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)

That's the opening song from the musical, Hairspray, and I totally feel that way almost every day in Manhattan. There's a music and beat to this city that simply captures my heart.

This weekend my guy and I did our traditional holiday run around town. Rob's sister comes up every year from PA to celebrate Rob's birthday and to catch some of the New York holiday spirit. We always join the crowd at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree...

...and Lani likes to do some big-city-shopping, so we hit all sorts of shops including "the mall" at Columbus Circle. They do a really neat light show with stars.

This year was extra special because we decided to catch Hairspray on Broadway. It's closing January 4th and some of the original cast members have come back to take the show out in style, including Harvey Fierstein (pictured below with Lani and Rob).
I saw Harvey this summer in the musical, A Catered Affair, which was more like a play with music. It was almost operatic in its beauty, drama and high emotions. It also marked my friend, Kristine Zbornik's Broadway debut. She and I worked together in The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. Then after the show, my sweetheart, Rob, proposed to me! So needless to say, it's been a good year!

We greatly enjoyed seeing Harvey and the gang in Hairspray on Broadway. Rob and I are both fans of John Waters' original film, and Rob's little sister reminds us greatly of the forward-thinking, trend-setting Tracy, so we had to have her join us at the show. It was a great treat for all of us, and I hope you can catch this musical before it closes on January 4th.

I can't think of a better way to end 2008 and ring in the New Year than by singing and dancing to "You Can't Stop the Beat!"

Rock on!

Remembering Bettie

There will be a lot of people paying tribute to Bettie Page today. She was a mystery from the 50s, but I "discovered" her while I was in the acting troupe for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. One of my castmates was wearing a Rocketeer t-shirt, the like of which I've never seen since. It was a picture of the Rocketeer saving this beautiful, sassy brunette, whom I came to know as Bettie Page.

"Page's career began one day in October 1950 when she took a respite from her job as a secretary in a New York office for a walk along the beach at Coney Island. An amateur photographer named Jerry Tibbs admired the 27-year-old's firm, curvy body and asked her to pose."

Looking back on the career that followed (which included nude and fetish photographs), she told Playboy in 1998: "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."

Nudity didn't bother her, she said, explaining: "God approves of nudity. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked as jaybirds."

I think this interview shows her sense of spirit which seemed to be apparent in all of her modeling work. The film, The Notorious Bettie Page, also gives an interesting glimpse into this sweet girl who became an iconic legend.

There's something about Bettie that provokes a reaction. She inspired countless generations and was more than a mere icon from the '50s. She set pop culture on fire and has continued to do so decade after decade.

I don't believe she was photographed in her later years. Once she stopped modeling and tried to find herself, she only allowed interviews years later, and even then preferred no pictures.

"Please remember me as I was. I hope that you understand. I am content now. I enjoy my privacy and my simple life. I have no regrets." - Bettie Page

When Robbie met Laura

One of my first paid acting gigs was working in the professional acting company for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It was the first and only year they came to Los Angeles to hire some of their actors, because the directors for that season were from LA. I'd just finished doing Educating Rita at the Palace West Playhouse, so I was all geared up for more British lit. Besides, Shakespeare was a fave. I'd done a few scenes as Miranda from The Tempest and Kate from The Taming of the Shrew in acting class, so I was excited to learn more.

Training at the Faire was intense. We were taught Shakespeare and improvisation from some of the best coaches in New York, stage combat from certified fight trainers from LA, and Elizabethan customs, manners and history from the PA dramaturges. It was a lot like college, but with the bonus of getting paid to do what I loved.

Many of the friends I made there have become life-long companions, including the love of my life, Robbie. He was cast as the comic villain, Cardinal Synne, and I played a little thief named Polly. We both sang, so we were cast in the musical shows as well - Madrigals and Bawdy Ballads - and we became fast friends.

One of my favorite movies at that time was When Harry Met Sally, and over the years this film has made me think of aspects of Rob and me, because we're friends who fell in love. As Harry says in the movie, "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

December always feels like our month, because we consider the first week our anniversary. And today is his birthday! Happy Birthday, honey! Thank you for sharing this life-ride with me! Each moment is magical!

Love,

Laura

Unconventional Christmas Tales and Homemade Holiday Gifts

I've always taken "the road less traveled," and I'm always delighted when I meet others along the way. For example, I love the holidays and will indulge in all the traditional holiday fare, but I also LOVE the quirky and unconventional stuff that is inspired by this time of year.

Right now I'm reading LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. It's wonderfully funny, irreverent, and yes, spiritual and beautiful. Really thought-provoking stuff in the midst of absurd humor.

I'm also reading the play, Well, by Lisa Kron and it's such a neat insight into health, family, community, Judaism, and a solo performer as she tries to navigate her first play with other actors involved. I highly recommend it, though it does come with several warnings such as "returning to parent's house may result in sudden bouts of immaturity." An excellent piece!

In the film/TV realm, I greatly enjoyed Fred Claus last night as I wrote our holiday cards. Vince Vaughn is such a master comedian and I loved the rest of the cast! Paul Giamatti is a lovely St. Nick, and I was thrilled to see some of my favorite British actors like Miranda Richardson (you HAVE to see her as Queen Elizabeth in the Black Adder series) and Rachel Weisz.

Speaking of the UK, a new favorite in our household is "The Hogfather," based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld books which mix magic, scifi, ancient lore and good ol' British humor into a wonderful cauldron of fun! It's what happens when the Hogather, a Father Christmas-like character, goes missing, so Death takes over the holiday in an effort to keep the spirit alive. It's great fun, a little macabre, and quite philosophical as well.

Last but not least, I must point to one of my favorite sites, The Essential Herbal and the daily homemade gift ideas Tina is posting. These are some AWESOME gift ideas - from simmering potpourris, to eye-pillows and sachets, incense, oils, cooking recipes. Sounds simple but it is SUMPTUOUS stuff!

Very Motivational

Almost 3 years ago, I took a class called The Musical Theatre Forum and it was one of those life-changing experiences. It's taught by VP Boyle who is the consummate "man of many hats" since he juggles work as a director, casting director, actor, singer, writer, producer and one of the best audition coaches in this country.
VP recently published a book called Audition Freedom, and apparently yours truly is in a story within the pages. :)

Last year at this time, he coached me on my rendition of Janis Joplin for the musical, Hell's Belles. We had such a blast finding my whiskey growl! :) This morning VP sent me this amazingly motivational clip called "Motivational... Period!" I just had to share it here because it really is amazing what we can accomplish when we aren't hampered by perceived limitations.

And from The Pursuit of Happyness: "Don't ever let somebody tell you... you can't do something... You want something. Go get it. Period."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnudujlBZI&feature=related

Too Much to Blog About!

Do you ever experience things throughout your day, and tuck it away, thinking, I'll blog about that later? And then wham! A week goes by! Well, heck! The holidays especially tend to be that way. I still feel like it's Halloween! There have been so many marvelous treats! Or maybe it's just that wonderful sense of generosity that is the undercurrent of this time of year. Whatever it is, I love it!

Thanksgiving was lovely and I hope yours was as well. I spent it with my sweetie in the Big Apple with our NY crew.

(L-R: my honey, Rob, Michael, Carl and Ataman)

I also made lots of calls to my family on the West Coast, so I was there in spirit.

Then Rob and I went shopping this weekend, running around from The Lower East Side to The Village. I had to laugh because we crossed Delancey Street twice, and I was reminded of my favorite movie as a kid, "Crossing Delancey." It's a wonderful story by Susan Sandler who also wrote the play, and it's about a young woman trying to find herself and love in Manhattan.

There's a side story in the film that one of her suitors tells her. He's Sam, the Pickle Man, and he talks about how his grandfather never crossed Delancey (thus referring to how sectionalized New Yorkers can get - we don't do it on purpose, we just get comfortable). But one day his hat is blown across the street and he is forced to chase it, thus Crossing Delancey. Of course, this changes his life, as I believe he meets his true love when he buys a new hat. And this is only the side-story! But it's about making changes that are good for ourselves, trying on a "new hat" and I really love that.

Interestingly enough, I've been making some changes myself recently. I got a sassy haircut that makes me feel like a million bucks and booked a photo session with Ben Strothmann, who had taken such wonderful pictures for The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun. Ben and I found each other on Facebook and I discovered that in the midst of his own acting work, he also does headshot photography. He's photographed a gazillion Broadway stars like Laura Bell Bundy, Sierra Boggess, Donna McKechnie, Cheyenne Jackson, and so many more marvelous artists!

I've been wanting to get new pics for a while since some of the casting folks I've met recently have said they felt there was more to me than meets the eye where my headshots were concerned, so when I noticed Ben was doing headshot sessions, I jumped at the chance to work with him.

He works with an incredible makeup artist named Alexis Velez, who has such a great understanding of the industry and that "you want to look like yourself but yourself at your best."I certainly felt fabulous after my makeup session with her. She didn't pile it on - I felt like I was hardly wearing anything aside from a sense of pizazz - and the result was WONDERFUL!

Then Ben started taking pictures. I have never had SO MUCH FUN while getting my headshots taken. I couldn't stop laughing! It was like being with an old friend - we just chatted away. And he would show me the pics on his digicam, so I could see how things were developing, and it was SO COOL! I cannot recommend him enough! He is so amazingly affordable which is so rare, and he's even doing a $99 hour-long special right now, which is a steal considering how talented he is! Seriously I feel like I won the lottery with Ben! So if you need new pics, definitely contact him! :)

The Wind at my Back

There was an interesting moment this morning when it felt as if the wind was behind me, gently pushing me along, and I was reminded of that expression, "the wind at your back."

I googled the phrase and found a cool article on The Sweet Spot about marketing during a recession. Really interesting stuff, because as an actor, you also have to be savvy about marketing your career.

Bonnie Gillespie writes about this all the time on The Actors Voice, knowing your product and your market. It's one of those essential ingredients to understanding the business of show business, and I've become more and more aware of it as I've been getting clearer on my type and the type of work I want to do. Clarity is good! :)

Anyway, that feeling of the wind at my back, and all of these little signs that have sprung up today - like hearing from new people associated with my biz in different and interesting ways - it just makes me feel like I'm on the right path. And the wind is blowing me gently on my way.

Very cool.