My Movie Making Nightmares - Part Deux

Less than two months after I shot my first short film, I auditioned for and was cast in two feature length digital movies.   Digital has changed everything.  Now anyone with a video camera can make their own movies...AAAAAANNNNNNDD they do.  We are talking extremely low budget here.  And since I was non-union with little on camera experience, I did these movies for the footage for a reel.

 

The first film was produced by a young man with his own production company. His sister ran the auditions and did all the paperwork (i.e. signing your life away since there is no union jurisdiction) and she was also the caterer (she did all the cooking).  The film was shot on location in a vacant flower shop in Pomona, California, which is about 40 miles east of LA! The flower shop in effect was our studio, but only until December 5^th, at which point it would reopen for the holiday season to sell poinsettias. Exteriors were shot in the alley behind the shop where some homeless people had set up a little cardboard shantytown. Oh! Did I mention that our director’s father worked as the accountant for the florists’ owners?

 

The movie was about a young guy who has taken a job as a production assistant on a low budget vampire flick.  It’s his first day on the set and shows all the characters involved in the making of the movie and actual scenes from the vampire movie.  I played the part of the director of photography who speaks very softly, so softly in fact that no one can understand him when he speaks, except for our leading man, the PA.  I had a supporting role in this one and was only required for maybe two days of filming and both of them were just a few hours long.

 

My first day, I was called at 7:30 a.m.  The only other person who was there at that hour was our makeup girl.  Our leading man showed up a few minutes later, but our director didn’t show up for about 45 minutes.  He apologized profusely.  He never did this, but he had been up late the night before since the shoot ended around midnight and then he had to go home and prepare for the next day’s shoot.   There was a third actor involved in our scene as well.  When we were in makeup, he explained that he wasn’t prepared for the scene we were shooting because he had forgot his script on the set over the weekend and so he had not prepared.  So while we were in makeup, he was running his lines.  

 

We shot the scene in the back room of the shop. It’s our leading man and me. He’s supposed to be painting some props for the next scene that’s being shot and we talk about his girlfriend and their imminent breakup.  The third actor plays the part of the director and star of the vampire film, a former 1970s action star.  He comes into the middle of the scene.  We set up, rehearse and shoot the scene up until the third actor’s entrance.  He has to enter through a door that is shut.  We get to his entrance and nothing happens.  The director calls his name, “Curtis! Are you there?”  “Yes.”  “Did you hear your cue line?”  “No!”  “ Do you know what it is? It’s…”  We do it again.  Curtis does not enter the scene.   Director to writer/producer, “Go out there and cue him.”  We shoot again.  Curtis enters.  He delivers his lines to the wrong actors.  He doesn’t know which lines are to me and which lines are to the other actor. We cut and shoot again.

 

Incidentally, his line readings are awful.  I hate to sound unkind but they were very amateur.  The director got tired of cutting so finally he just kept the camera rolling and asked the writer to give him line readings and they asked Curtis to just repeat after Erik.  It worked.  He actually sounded convincing.  

 

BTW, in order to give you an idea how low budget this film was, the director was also the director of photography and the cameraman.  There was one light instrument used in this scene.  And the battery on the camera was out of power when we started.  Yes, that’s right, real big time movie making here.  

 

I had to wonder about Curtis.  He was a nice enough guy and all but I got the impression this was all very new to him, acting that is.  But it wasn’t just that, there was something else.  A few weeks earlier, we had a table read of the script with the entire cast present.  He sat next to me.  There were words that he kept mispronouncing. Not just difficult words, but easy ones too.  I thought maybe he was a little slow, but that didn’t seem right.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized he must be dyslexic.  It was the only explanation I could come up with. At one point he leaned over and asked me what ___ was.  I told him the word and he proceeded to mispronounce it. 

 

He was supposed to be this threatening character in the movie and he had none of that when he read his lines, until he was given a line reading by the director or writer and he copied them, then he sounded menacing.  It was great.  He was a big soft-spoken man in his mid-late thirties I’d say.

 

During a break my second day of shooting, I asked the director what Curtis’ story was.  Was he in fact dyslexic? No, he apparently only had a sixth grade level education. Thank you US education system!

 

Incidentally, the second day our leading man was over an hour late!  This did not go over big with the director, who was also late that day but only by a few minutes. And then he had the same problem with the camera, the battery was dead when he started to shoot the first scene.

 

Like the previous film, I was given little direction.  I wasn’t quite sure how soft spoken I should be.  I mean I had to be heard by the audience right?  But I couldn’t be too loud or the joke would be lost.  It was more a question of the character being that indistinguishable.  So I had to play him really low key and as if he had very little personality so he just kind of blended in to the background.

Film was never finished. Never saw or heard from the director after about a year.

Next week, my magnum opus...Wally Sitch Private Dick. Oy vey!

 

My Early Adventures in Los Angeles

I recently came across some notes I wrote 16 years ago detailing my my first experiences in as an actor in LA. It was intended to be a one man show about whats it really like as a working actor in LA.  Enjoy :

I was cast in my Second short film while I was filming my first.  This time, I had one of the leads. I was very excited about it.  It was a comedy set in the Air Force.  It was sort of like Office Space set in the military.  A lot of Austin Powers type humor in it.  I really felt good about this one.  The writer-director (another hyphenate) was a young guy who worked as an engineer in the Air Force.  He had just gone to film school and this was his first film. The story was based on his experiences on the job.

 

I played the antagonist of the piece, an ineffectual boss who stands in the way of getting the job done.  His name was Maj. Oscar Meyer.  That’s right, like the hot dog.  He was a brownnoser who treated his subordinates like dirt and kissed up to his superiors.  One of the running gags was that he had brown stuff on his nose whenever he came out of a meeting with his superiors.

 

It was a lot of fun, but there were also many problems.  The film was shot on location in an office in downtown LA.  Like the previous film, we only shot over the course of two weekends because everyone had full time jobs. Two of the main scenes were shot in a meeting room, which had glass walls on either side.  In the first scene, the one wall was covered with green screen for some special effects shooting.  There were two cameras being used simultaneously and combined with the glass and the lights, it took a few hours for the scene to be lit properly.

 

Two of the actors were not called until later in the day.  One of them, had requested permission to leave early because he had plans that night. He wanted to leave around 7:00 p.m.  He was not called until about 3:00 p.m.  He and his scene partner were there on time and were not called to the set until after 6:00 p.m.  He was not happy.  He had less than an hour.  He was all flustered and he kept forgetting his lines.  All he was thinking about was the fact that he had to get out of there.  We did take after take, and he kept blowing his lines.  Finally, at 7:15 he announced he was leaving.  He told the director he had to be out of there by 7:00.  And he left.  We continued to shoot the scene around him.

 

Now what got all of us, was this.  This is a man who has been in the business for over 20 years and knows how things work.  When you’re shooting a movie, especially a non-union or low budget film like this, you know you’re going to be there all day and night. Why would schedule something for that evening.  The director should not have granted permission to him.  Secondly, what the hell was he doing for three hours!  I mean he was there from 3:00 to 6:00 and then he gets on set and keeps blowing his lines.  He should have been running lines with his scene partner instead of complaining about not being able to get to his date on time.

 

That actor was fired between weekend one and weekend two of shooting. Fortunately, his big scene was not scheduled to shoot until the second weekend.  It turns out, he had been trouble all along.  We had a rehearsal on location a couple of nights before shooting began and he fought the director on every bit of direction he gave him.

 

While we’re on that subject, let’s talk about the direction you get as an actor on a student, short and/or low budget indie film…not much.  It’s pretty much left up to the actor, unlike stage.  I had to make all my own choices and quickly.  I’m not saying that as a stage actor I depend completely on the director.  I do make my own choices, but you do have that long rehearsal period in which you can explore and work together on finding the character.  That doesn’t exist in film and many film directors don’t work much with their actors.  You have to come in prepared and with your character there.  It was a struggle.  In my case, it was doubly difficult because I felt I my acting was too big or stagy if you will.  But no one was correcting me, so it must be all right.  Still, I couldn’t help editing myself. In fact, it was my “staginess” that got me the part.  The director wanted someone who was more theatrical in his or her acting style.  This did not fill me with confidence.  Was I too “stagy”?  I must do something about that. I must tone it down.  Once again, I was not pleased with the final result on film. I swear I gave a better performance than what ended up on film. He seemed to choose the one take where I didn’t say the line the exact way I said it in every other take.  

 

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.  I liked most of the other actors.  I thought it was a funny movie and it was a great part for me.  The final product wasn’t the best quality.  There were some pretty cheesy looking cuts and edits in the movie that reeked of amateur filmmaking.  I felt the script was really funny when I read it, but then on screen, it didn’t look so good.  Chalk it up to experience.

 

Next Week

Part Two: My first starring role in a feature! What could possibly go wrong?

Another Midlife Crisis (What? Again?)

So let's get up to speed here...

Last June I left my full-time job to free up my life for my acting career. It was a difficult choice and one I had been debating for years. I had money in the bank, I had a nice nest egg in my retirement plan and 401(k). I figured if worse came to worse, if I went through my savings, I could dip into my retirement plan. I could find part-time work. Bottom line: I wouldn't end up on the streets.

Its now been almost a year and I've learned some things. I don't like not having a full-time job.  It's tough getting up in the morning and not having a place to go. I feel I need that structure (routine) in my life. Without it, I feel somewhat aimless, lost. So set some goals, Richard. Create your own structure.

But in addition to that, I no longer have a group of people that I see and work with every day. People to talk to and share with. Its gone. It contributes to my feeling of aimlessness. I feel alone.

I went through almost my savings within six months because I didn't work much during that time. Then, in January I started working a couple of part-time jobs which cover most of my monthly expenses but not all. The part-time jobs offer me flexibility which I like very much. I can pretty much make my own schedule which is great for the acting career because it gives me the freedom to go to any auditions I want and work around those auditions. But the hourly rates are less than what I was making even 20 years ago and no benefits.

I pay for my own medical now and since I took early retirement rather than quitting I am able to keep my old dental and vision plans, (I could have done the same with my medical but it was ridiculously expensive!). I rolled over my retirement plan and 401(k) into an IRA. Like I said its there if I need it but it will come at a cost  if I withdraw since I am under 60.

My rent has gone up...again so there's an added expense there. No problem, I'll look for cheaper place olive. Nope. Rents are going up everywhere unless I want to downsize of move further out from central LA.  I'm doing that...yet.

I withdrew some money from my IRA a couple months back and put it in my savings account to help me out because I wasn't working many hours at the time and I had gone through my savings. But then I booked a commercial and then a couple weeks later got my tax refunds so no need to dip into the savings just yet. Meanwhile, I've increased my hours with both part-time jobs so I'm bringing home more money. Far less than what I'm used to but I'm still here.

But what's freaking me outs this...the first six weeks of this year I had 10 commercial auditions. I was called back for five of them and then placed on avail for 3 of those five callbacks. Amazing! Three on avails in one month. That's never happened to me before. And I booked one of those. Yes!

But then after that, nothing. March and April were dead. I've had a couple auditions in the last couple of weeks so I feel a little better. But man this is tough. I'm in a panic. Maybe I shouldn't have left the job. Umm, yes! I should have! I was miserable.  Do I get another job so I have three? Increase the number of hours I drive for Instacart? I do make decent money some shifts, like @ $22/hour. But then other shifts I'll average $15/hour.  If I can make $250 - $280 in 16 - 19 hours, I can make $400 - $500 in 40, right? But do I want to do that, drive around the valley for 40 hours a week?

The other job, merchandising, is nice because I work by myself and can do the work whenever I want as long as its done by the deadline and I usually have a 1 - 3 week window to complete my assignments. But it doesn't pay much.  So do I look for a new gig? If so, what?

What's amazed me is how the universe has provided. For instance, the timing of booking the commercial. It happened a couple times before as well.  Right when I was running low on funds in September, I got five weeks of contract work with my former employer. Then, in November a commercial I made a year earlier was renewed for another year so I got a nice paycheck for that and then some independent work from some friends. So I'm learning to trust the universe more.  I'm a year into this new chapter in my life and I'm doing okay.

As for the rest, I spend a lot more time alone. I've always done theater and I think Ive used that as an excuse form black of social life. Or rather, its always been a substitute for a social life. And I decided recently to cut back on doing theater to keep myself available for TV and commercial work. So as a result, I'm not interacting with people so much anymore.  Not having the income I once had, I'm less likely to go out and spend money like I was. And working independently makes me miss the daily interaction with my co-workers. It's lonely when you work for yourself and without anyone else.

I chose this path. This is the one I wanted and I'm doing it. I told myself a long time ago that I knew if worse came to worse I would not starve and I would not end up on the streets because I am smart and in good health. There's a lot I can do. It just scares me being alone in this and not knowing what's next.

When to join SAG. That is the question.

So its been a month.
A month since I closed The Full Monty. A month since I shot my commercial (which is now airing thank you very much) and a month since I've had a single audition. Yup. A whole month of nothing. A big fat nothing.

After busting my ass with auditions for the fits six weeks of 2018, I have had nothing at all. But that's the nature of the business. Its either feast or famine. Always has been. I've been through this before. But still, it always makes me think..."What am I doing wrong?" or better still, "What can I be doing differently?"

I hate these slow periods. What do I do to keep myself going creatively? Well, I can write. Which is kind of the point of these blogs...to keep my creative juices flowing. I can vocalize and sing. I'm thinking about putting together another cabaret act. Its been about five years since my last one. I haven't vocalized regularly in a long time.  All my voice lessons are on cassette tapes and my last cassette player died a couple years ago. So I recently purchased a tape to digital converter off of Amazon and voila! I know have my voice lessons on my computer. No more excuses.

On to the title of this blog, SAG.  Why is that there? Well, because I am not a SAG member. Nor have I ever been. I am SAG eligible and have been for about a dozen  years since I was Taft Hartleyed on a commercial. But I have never booked another SAG job since. Now eligible means that I can join at any time. I don't have to yet but I can.  It also means that I can audition for SAG jobs. Which is why agents tend to say wait until you have to join before joining it's the best of both worlds they can submit you for both union and non-union work. And also because I make money doing non-union commercials, it makes sense to stay non-union.

And then, more and more work is going non-union. So more and more SAG actors are going financial core, which means they can work non-union jobs. This means they are fee paying non-members. You're still a SAG member but you lose your voting rights and the right to participate in SAG events, seminars, etc.

But I have also been in this business for a couple of decades and I am a man of, shall we say,  a certain age. Managers say why is someone this age still non-union?

I ask myself, is it keeping me from getting further in my career. Am I not getting auditions for TV shows and union commercials because it doesn't say SAG on my resume? Well, not really because I DO get those auditions, just not often. This last year, I had 7 episodic TV auditions, and the last few went very well. I booked the room as they say. One office called me back a second time and all the casting people in the room laughed at my one line. So I know I booked the room if not the job.

Also, it costs $3,300 just to join the union. That's just to join. Then there's annual dues on top of that. Who has $3,300 lying around? Not me.  So, if I join will I get those auditions I so desperately want? Or will I see even less activity because so many commercials now use non-union talent?

That is the dilemma and why agents want me to stay non-union. But I can't help wondering if I might get to the next level if I go SAG.

What do you think? Post your comments in the comments section of this blog. I'd love to know what you think.

A Look Back at 2017

On New Years, people make lists. They look back at the last year and list their top 10s or just reflect on the highs and lows of the past year and make resolutions or perhaps set goals for the next year.

I am not one for making New Years' resolutions.  Why use the first of a new year as a reason to make changes or improvement in my life?  It should be ongoing.  Right? However, the end of the year can't help but make you reflect on the past year. And so much has changed in my life this past year, I do want to take stock of where I was and where I am.

I spent all of 2017 working in the theater. And I got to play a variety of roles in various genres. I started the year playing (don't laugh!) Cornelius Hackl in Hello Dolly. The reason you may be hearing about for the first time here is because it was for a one-weekend only church benefit cast mostly with church regulars and I was one of the pros brought into the production.  You may scoff at me playing Cornelius at my age but based on the age of the other actors, it worked and I got to check off a dream role from my bucket list. Cornelius is the heart and sole of this show and I got sing a beautiful, ballad, dance and show off my comedy skills.

I went straight from Hello Dolly to 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont.  I had a great time working there and may some new friendships that have lasted beyond the run of that show. I played Pat Denning and while not a huge role and once again I was back in a musical in an almost non-singing role, Pat Denning sings about 16 bars of one song. But he does play a pivotal part in the plot as Dorothy Brock's love.  I played opposite the wonderful Sarah Meals as Dorothy and I know I'll be back to Candlelight in the future.

While performing in 42nd Street, I began rehearsals for Hello Again, the musical which I directed at Chromolume Theatre in the spring. It was a big challenge. Not only is it rarely produced but it is the compete opposite of a Broadway blockbuster like the previous two shows.  And as is typical of me, I had some pretty serious doubts that I could pull it off. But I did.

While in rehearsals for Hello Again, I heard from two other theaters in town asking if I would be interested in auditioning for their upcoming shows. Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood was producing an original play written by one of their Co-Artistic Directors. Somewhere in the Middle was a comedy-drama about a Jewish-Catholic family whose college-age daughter brings home a black, Palestinian, Muslim fiancé to meet the family on Passover. Think Norman Lear 1970s sitcom. I played the father and I loved being able to play a straight role as the patriarch of a family.  We got great reviews and extended for a couple weekends.

And finally, I was asked to audition for the part of the Old Man in a stage adaptation of A Christmas Story, not the musical recently seen on FOX, but a straight play based on Jean Shepherd's stories. We opened in mid-November and closed on New Years Eve. The show was amazing. We sold out almost the entire run. The set, props and costumes were all top notch and the reviews were all raves. And best of all I had a role that was a real showcase for my talents. It was probably the most physically demanding role I have ever had. I was constantly out of breath backstage early in the run but as the run progressed, I noticed I wasn't as out of breath. And I lost some weight. Like seriously, my pants are hanging off of me.

And next, to start 2018, I return to one of my favorite roles of all time, Harold in The Full Monty, opening January 26 at San Diego Music Theatre and running through February 25. I start rehearsals tomorrow. Its a great to start the new year.

As I look back at last year, one word comes to mind...GRATEFUL. Look at the parts I played this year. All very different. Big budget musicals, small family dramas and comedies. I got to stretch my acting muscles and play so many different roles.

But the biggest step I took this year was quitting my job of 11 years so I could focus on my acting. Scary. Risky. Some might say Bold, maybe even crazy. Time will tell. I am scared but I also know that if I want to make a living as an actor, I need to focus on that and nothing else.

My goal this year is to book some co-stars on TV. I'm already off to a decent start with some auditions in the last couple of months. Based on the words listed at the top of this blog, what shows would you cast me in? Let me know in the comments section of this blog.

Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Show Opening and New Works

For the past two months I have been rehearsing a new play. An original piece called Somewhere in the Middle or Guess Who's Coming to Passover?  Tonight we have our first preview performance at Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood. Official opening is next Saturday September 2.  For more info, click here:

Crown City Theatre


Its been a challenging experience for me, having the opportunity to create a role in an original piece. Typically, I am in a well known play or musical that most everyone is familiar with.  In the last two years I've been in productions of Hello Dolly, 42nd Street, How to Succeed, Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Odd Couple. You get the picture.

Not only am I working on a new piece, but the director is also the playwright so its especially daunting knowing that you are bringing his vision, his creation to life. Unlike an already published or well known piece, and depending on the author/director, you have some input on the development of the character.  Its been a very nice experience. If any lines don't make sense coming out of my mouth, I can bring it up. If I have trouble with a line it will get cut or re-written as we fine tune the piece.

It's also a small ensemble piece, meaning there are only 6 in the cast and there are no lead roles. We are all equal. Its the story of a family: mother, father (me), college age daughter, teenage son and grandmother (my mother) and the daughter's new boyfriend who she brings home to meet the family. They are a white, Jewish-Christian family. The bf is Black, Muslim and Palestinian. Wacky chaos ensues.  Just kidding. Chaos does ensue as the various family members argue the various sides of several issues including race, religion and the middle east. But its not wacky.  Its thoughtful and intelligent with a great deal of humor thrown in. If you're in LA over the next 6 weeks, come see us. Tickets are only $20.

In other news, I've done some writing and I have ideas for sketches and short films I want to film. I have also thought about doing a vlog on youtube. But I'm having trouble deciding what it should be about. I have followed several on youtube. They always seem to be made by young people under 35. And their vlogs are not about anything in particular. They just show their lives. Every day they release a new video to youtube or maybe once a week.  Its just their day. Nothing special. But hey are always well put together, nice editing, photography, music etc. But, again, nothing special. Just their lives.

And they get thousands of hits per video. Thousands! They get sponsors and merchandise. Just from posting videos of their days. Why is that? What makes them go viral? And why don't I see any made by people of my generation? Is there a market or need for that? Is this a generational thing just for the young whippersnappers out there?

If I were to do a vlog, what would you want to see on there? Something geared towards my generation? Something like education on how to use youtube? or the many apps and new technology that are out there? Advice? Ask Richard?

Write in and tell me what you would like to see on my vlogs. Seriously, write me and let me know what you'd like to see.  And check out my updated website when you get chance:

RichardVanSlyke.com

It's been three weeks! What am I doing with my life?

In my last blog, I shared that I had left my job of 11 years.  My last day on the job was June 30.  Today marks three full weeks since leaving the job. What have I been doing with myself since then?
Not a damn thing. Well, that's a slight exaggeration. I have been out hiking in the hills and I've taken my bike out on a couple of rides on the beach and along the LA River. And I've been going to the gym.

And last week was spent in my hometown of Albany, NY visiting family, which means I went to Saratoga Race Track and Lake George.

Saratoga Race Track Opening Day

I have managed to roll over my retirement plan to an IRA and I have elected options for dental and eye care plans. But I still have not figured out the health care.  I did manage to go online to the Obamacare site and to the CA State site and look around at all the options. Its overwhelming! And as soon as I put in my personal information, my phone starts ringing off the hook with calls from sales reps trying to sell me insurance plans.  Within 5 minutes of putting in my info, the phone rang. And while I was on that call, the phone was ringing with another. I told the guy I wanted to research on the Internet and decide what I wanted. I hung up. Within the next 40 minutes, the phone rang several times. I continued getting calls every day through this past Friday. Today is the first weekday that it hasn't rung. Phew!


In the meantime, how is the acting career going? Well, I have the play I'm rehearsing. But we're off for the month of July so I'm on my own learning lines. Although I managed to get 2 of my 5 co-stars over to run lines one night. I'm interviewing for a directing job tonight. And I met the Artistic Director of another theater 10 days ago about directing and/or acting there next season.

But other than that...cricket. cricket. Hello? McFly?  Is anybody there? This is what happens. I take time off so I can have the freedom to go to more auditions and not a single audition since I left the job. My last one was two days before I left the job.

I have no income at this point. But I do have a savings account. And there is the IRA. And I rolled over my retirement plan into an IRA to make it easier to access the funds IF NEED BE. its only for emergencies. But its there. So I'm not panicking. At the same time, I am worried. Because, well...there's no income!! And I am a worrier. This is tough.  One of the reasons I've worked full time is because I need the daily structure in my life. Being freelance feels weird. Like I'm skipping school! "What's he doing home in the middle of the day?" "Why does that man have to time to be hiking during a work day?" Those are the voices in my head talking to me.

I've got a couple jobs I've applied for online. And I'll be spending the next couple weeks applying for more. Ideally looking for a couple of part time jobs to give me enough to live off of.  Till then, I'm writing and learning lines. And submitting myself for everything that sounds remotely possible for me.

The Next Chapter

I've been keeping this one to myself...mostly.  As of two days ago, it became official. I am no longer employed full-time. Now this news is likely to concern some people. But the simple truth of the matter is I was miserable. Absolutely, 100%, out of my mind, trapped like a rat in a maze I couldn't get out of and afraid if I didn't do something soon I would crack and lose it miserable. There were some very, VERY low times in the last few years. I had to get out of there.  And after years of contemplating, debating, discussing, threatening, ruminating, I finally took the step and gave my notice about two and half months ago.

Friday, I left my job of nearly 11 years. That's the longest I've worked anywhere and its been great for me financially. I've put some money away. I've got a nice retirement plan/401(k). I have a nice car. I live in a nice place and typically don't have to worry about my expenses. For all of that, I am extremely grateful. But my mental state was not good.

I moved here from NYC to further pursue my acting career on TV and in film. And when I came here I told myself, if I didn't succeed as an actor then come hell or high water I would work in the entertainment industry no matter what. So, how did I end up working in Legal Compliance for a large finance firm in downtown LA? First off, I wasn't aware that anyone moved to LA for anything other than TV or film. I mean why move here. That's all that's here, right?

So I came. I started temping almost immediately and was placed at one of the big studios. I got an agent. I went out on commercial auditions. I did theater. I did some really (And I mean REALLY) low budget movies. I temped at that studio for well over two years. And then it came to an end, but I was immediately called by another temp agency that saw my resume online and was placed within days of leaving my last temp assignment at the studio at a finance firm in Pasadena for two weeks. It lasted over three months. And then the day after that assignment ended, another agency called that also found my resume online. The next day I went to their office and registered and the following day interviewed at the finance firm downtown and two days later started as a temp. And here I am 11 years and three promotions later....burnt out.

You see at the same time, I was working in the theater...almost constantly. In two or three shows a year.  And also going out on commercial and TV auditions. In recent years, its been tough to juggle. I'll go out on an audition during the work day and usually I'm back within an hour and a half. But every once in a while, I'm gone two hours, two and half hours. And every once in a while, my boss would notice and call me in wanting to know where I was. Stress. Anxiety. Anyone who knows me knows I can't handle a) stress, b) people not liking me and c) not being a perfect worker/employee/son/student/brother etc. I have to be perfect always, the good boy, the one who follows the rules and never does anything wrong. I cannot make mistakes, ever! It's a lot of pressure.

So take all this into an audition and well, you get the picture.  As I sit there in the waiting room, I'm checking the clock. Why is this taking so long? NO! Don't take a bathroom break. I have to get back to work! What if I get stuck in bad traffic? How will I explain myself?

I don't need that energy at an audition. Now, I'll be honest, once I'm in the audition room, I leave all that outside.  But as soon as I am out that door, I am OUT that door.  The stress of trying to juggle the full-time job and the auditions was too much. Now, I may go weeks without an issue but then I'll go through a stretch where I may have a couple of weeks with multiple auditions and me coming and going from work. Not so great. And lastly, I'm not 22 anymore! I'm exhausted all the time.

I need some rest. I need to relax and I need to give myself some time to prepare for each audition.
I'm not independently wealthy and I will need to find another way to support myself. But at this point, I'm looking for something part-time so I can have some flexibility.  I don't know what it will be just yet. I may open a store, or a franchise, or maybe work as a professional organizer. I'd like to teach acting to kids. Or maybe I'll just work as a barista at Starbucks. Who knows?

So if any of you know of a job or want to hire someone for some work around the house, let me know. I'm available.

Post thoughts on Hello Again (the show I directed)

I directed a production of the musical Hello Again by Michael John LaChiusa that closed this past weekend, after a four week run.

The cast and crew of Hello Again at Chromolume Theatre

Now that a couple of days have gone by, I have time to reflect on the experience. For those of you who don't know unlike TV or film, once a show opens, a director's job is done. Typically. He or she might be called in to put in a new actor or actress after the show has been running for a while. But usually, the show is turned over to the stage manager once the show has opened. It is the stage manager's job to maintain the integrity of the director's vision from that point on. The stage manager will give notes if an actor has changed their blocking or the intent of a line or scene, etc.

So the last four weeks have been rather uneventful and not so stressful for me because, basically, my job was done. But this theater's policy is to guarantee all of its understudies two performances which meant we had to rehearse and put in all of them. But other than that, I had little to do.

The four weeks of rehearsal leading up to opening night was very stressful though.

Me "Directing"

We had an amazing turn out for auditions back in March. The talent was outstanding and it was very difficult to cast this show because there were so many great performers there. But we came up with our ten actors and five understudies. Rehearsals went smoothly for the most part.  We had difficulty sometimes with scheduling as the theater rents out its studios and stage to paying customers. Makes sense. So we might sometimes have to relocate to a different space from where we were originally schedule to rehearse. 

The music for this show is very difficult. It styles span all 10 decades of the 20th century and the composers music is often dissonant which can make it hard for performers to learn. And its not an easy piece to play either. In addition, we performed on a very low budget. We could only afford one musician, the piano player also our Music Director. I have to give a major shout out to here to Brenda Varda my partner in all of this. She was in fact a last minute replacement for someone else.  And we really lucked out. She worked so hard. I literally could not have done it without her. She blew me away.  She played that score solo every single night. And she worked with the actors and whipped them into shape. There are some difficult harmonies. And there were a couple of harmonies that were not coming together. Two nights before we opened, there were still some harmony issues with a couple moments in the show. And I told her, if the actors involved cannot fix it by final dress, then those harmonies will need to be cut. They came together and never faltered from that day on. I love this woman!

I stress over everything. I stressed that I wouldn't have a music director. I stressed that I wasn't casting any friends that auditioned and they would hold a grudge. I stressed that the actors who were cast would quit out of frustration since this was such a low budget show and they might not like the circumstances. I stressed that there was no way we could afford to costume the show. I stressed that understudies might feel short changed. I stressed that one or more of the actors might refuse to let their understudy go on. I stressed the set wouldn't look good. I stressed we would run out of money and have no sets or no costumes. I stressed that I didn't have what it takes to direct this piece.

I was really scared I was over my head. And then I remembered something. I felt exactly this way the last time I directed. And the time before that. And the time before that. In fact every time I've directed, I have felt that way. Exactly that way. And the shows always turned out great.

And you know what else was pointed out to me? Most those things I was stressing about are out of my control. That's right. I can control what's on the stage. The look, the performances, the staging. 

But that's it. All I can do is make sure my cast is well rehearsed and that they are comfortable doing what I have asked of them and doing what they bring to their roles. I provide a place for them to experiment and play and develop their performances. Its a collaboration between us. We work together to find their performances.

My cast was excellent through and through. They all brought their unique talents to their roles. The show looked good. It was very low budget. The set was minimal but it worked for us. The cast looked and sounded great. Again, thank you Brenda! The costumes were wonderful. They helped us in setting the time and place for each scene. We didn't need the sets to do that.  We got three excellent reviews. This is an unusual piece and not for everyone so that's something.

Now that its over I breathe a sigh of relief and I move on to the next project. Well two projects actually, both as actor. I'm currently rehearsing Chaturbate the Musical for the Hollywood Fringe Festival as part of the NMI programs.  The week before that opens I start rehearsals for an original play called Somewhere in the Middle at Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood, opening September 1.

So when is my next directing project? I don't know yet. Chromolume has asked me about a show for 2019.  For now, I'm happy to act and write my next project. Another web series maybe? Or some shorts for youtube? We'll see.

Sometimes I Get Depressed

Sometimes I get depressed. No, really depressed. I feel like I'm all alone. There is no one here for me. I feel like my life has no meaning, no purpose. I'm just drifting through life. No place to go. Nothing to do.

I do like my alone time and at my age I've grown used to it. But sometimes, it gets to me. When I feel like I'm not accomplishing much in my life. When I stop and think that no one has called me in ages. When I think about the future. When I think about my day job that I absolutely hate but I have no idea what I would do if I were to quit.  And sometimes it all adds up and gets me super depressed.
And the the lack of auditions also causes me to lose confidence in my abilities as an actor. My friends on facebook are impressed with how much I do, but in my mind it's not enough. Its never enough. I'm a failure.  I'm always acting in something. Well, yes, but its not Broadway. Its not a part on a big network TV show. I'm not making a living at this.

Then I start thinking I'm not that good at this. I'll take a class for instance and there are other people in the class better than me. So clearly I'm not the best and therefore I am not loved nor liked. I'm a hack, an amateur. I'm untalented. The other actors don't have respect for or admire me.

There were times when I was younger, I would be surprised that fellow cast mates or classmates would praise me and love and laugh at everything I did. I felt like I wasn't even trying.  I didn't earn it. I couldn't understand why they liked me so much.

Is it because I'm older now? I'm not young and so I'm not cool. (BTW: I was never cool!) Maybe because I'm older, younger cast mates, etc think I'm unapproachable or I'm older and therefore secure and confident and don't need to be praised. Or why hang out with me? I'm too old. Believe me, it's not true. I'm just as insecure and lacking in self-confidence as I have ever been.

I'm thinking about not only quitting my job, but getting out of pursuing acting as a career. I'm also thinking I don't want to be in Los Angeles anymore. I don't think I like it here. The weather is nice. It's better then the Northeast, where I'm from. But where would I go? I miss NYC sometimes, but what would I do if I moved back there? And my hometown area, Albany, NY? Not crazy about the winters. And again, what would I do?

Maybe if there were someone in my life to share my life with, I would feel better about myself. Or even the feeling of a real sense of family among a group of friends. But I have none of that.

My therapist says it's good to share or to disclose your feelings so that is what I am doing here. Will this surprise some of you who know me? Perhaps. I do tend to not let on. I think you would be surprised how often and how deep this goes.  Full Disclosure: it's been really bad at times. Really bad. Not right now, but in the past.

I need a change. That's for certain. And perhaps being in class will strengthen my confidence. But right now, I'm not in a good place. This too shall pass. It always does. As soon as I book another acting gig it will probably pass. :)

Survival Jobs

I'm an actor. Did you know that? I am. And being an actor, I have spent a great deal of my adult life working survival jobs.

Mostly, day jobs in offices. I temped for many years in a variety of offices in a variety of fields. Every once in a while I decide that I need health care and a steady paycheck so I accept the full-time job and stay a while.

For many years, (my 20s), I worked in retail. I briefly attempted to live in New York City and pursue an acting career. I went through all my money in a couple of months. I refused to get a full-time job and only took part-time jobs that didn't pay enough. I hated the insecurity and I had no confidence in myself. I ran home to Albany, NY and my parents house and went right back into retail.

I did local theater at night. One show after another. Whenever and wherever. My retail career began to flourish. Eventually, I ended up as a buyer for a local chain of department stores. And I was really good at it. I liked it. But it was a small company and the pay was not great. My dream was to work Saks Fifth Avenue or Lord & Taylor. But then, I realized that the pressure of the corporate world would be too much.

And where I worked in Schenectady was too small time for me. I did not want to stay in Schenectady. All that time, something kept pulling at me. You have to go back to New York. Besides, the store I was working for was on its last legs. It went under about a year after I left.

So I went to NYC, but not without a job. I was a store manager for The Gap in Flushing Queens for just over a year. And then I burned out. I quit and I lost my rent controlled apartment in Kew Gardens in the same week. No job. No place to live. And in debt.

I started temping. I joined a theatre company on the East Side in Manhattan. After a few temp assignments, I ended up taking a job in the production department of the Public Finance division at Moody's Investors Service.  I took voice lessons, casting workshops, built up my resume at St. Bart's Playhouse. Eventually, I quit my full-time job and went back to temping and started getting acting work.

I briefly tried other jobs, telemarketing selling book clubs for Weekly Reader, working at men's store in SoHo... I lasted there less than a day. I walked out for lunch and didn't go back. I believe that's what they call job abandonment. I temped at a jewelry wholesaler in the Village for a few weeks where the people in the department were at war with another and putting me in the middle. I asked to be taken off that assignment.

I temped a few days a week. I worked in the men's department at Bloomingdale's nights and weekends. I auditioned. I got acting gigs. I came back to town and temped. I did long-time gigs in the Advertising Sales department at The New Yorker, the production department at Conde Nast Publishing and a couple of assignments at The NFL, which became my next full-time job when I decided it was high time I fixed the hernia I had been walking around with for about five years. I stayed there for four years while also working part-time in a couple of Broadway - NYC gift shops in the theatre district. Worked a Christmas at Lord & Taylor. Got out of debt. Lived on my own in Washington Heights. Got my Equity card. But things got stale, so I moved to Los Angeles.

More temping during the day and theater at night. A couple of years at Disney and then a couple of financial firms until I ended up in the compliance department at The Capital Group Companies in downtown LA.

I've been there almost ten years.

I've never waited tables, or tended bar or tutored or gone back to school to get licensed to do massage therapy or real estate. Just temped in offices. And I gotta tell ya, I love the benefits and the that fact that I have a pretty decent quality of life. And I do get to do theatre.

It works for me. I'm comfortable. Its not for everyone.

What do you do for survival jobs? Tell me about your worst survival jobs.

Let's Put On A Show! The Full Monty

Today, I was surfing the internet and came across some publicity photos from a show I did eight years ago. (Really? Eight years? It can't be) And don't ask me how I "happened" to find pictures of myself online! Alright! You caught me! I was googling myself. But, it was for research. Honestly. I wanted to see if my website came up in the searches. And guess what? It didn't! So there?

So, anyway! I found these pictures from a production of the musical, The Full Monty, that I did eight years ago. (Still can't believe it's been eight years!)

That's me as Harold dipping my wife, Vicki played by Ellen Caranasos-Sharp

This has to be one of my all-time favorite times I ever had on stage. We were with this show for close to six months. We auditioned just before Labor Day 2007. The show opened a week after Thanksgiving and played four weeks. Closed for the holidays and re-opened in mid-January and closed in mid-February.

The best cast ever and to be perfectly frank a perfect role for me. I loved it and I never wanted it to end. And there's also a great back story. An underdog story for the ages!

I was a member of a theater company and The Full Monty was on their schedule. We had auditions, callbacks and were cast. And then a week went by. No communication from the production team. A little over a week after being cast, we received an email saying there will be a cast meeting at the theater on Saturday morning. So, I got my script ready, highlighted all my lines and stage directions in yellow. Got my Ticonderoga yellow number 2 pencil and an eraser, packed my backpack and headed to the theater. But in the back of my mind, I wondered, "Why did it say cast meeting and not read through or rehearsal?"

So, we arrive at the theater only to be informed by the production team that unfortunately the theater company did not have the finances to pay for the production. They were behind in the rent and had to pay the bills of the last two shows. So because the production team had worked so hard to assemble this great cast, (and it was  great cast), they had been meeting all and had finally come up with a way to do the shows with the cast. They negotiated with the owner of the theater, found a producer to pay for the show.

That's Not he Goods (that's me furthest right crouching behind the couch)

We were assured that this would not affect our membership in the theater company. We would still be members in good standing with our theater company and this would also give the theater an opportunity to focus on paying the bills and not go further into debt. Were we all on board?

Hell yes we were! And on we went. We lost one actress a couple weeks into rehearsals. She just was not a good match. I knew immediately at the read through. We all sat in a big circle. She sat in a corner outside the circle. Now, granted, she had a bad cold. So I gave her the benefit of the doubt. But then she started acting surly. She was having none of our goofing around and having fun. I chalked it up to her sickness. But in the weeks to come, she missed rehearsals or showed up late. And after a couple weeks, one of the producers called her and gave her an out. She clearly didn't want to be there. So she left and one of my dearest friends (who was also part of the production team) came in. Yes!

Normally, shows in Los Angeles run six weekends. Our original plan, was to open the last weekend in October and close in six weeks mid-December. But because of the late start, we opened a week after Thanksgiving and closed the weekend before Christmas. And then a last minute extension for four weeks after the holidays.

On the left, Me with Ellen as Harold and Vicki. On the right, Aileen-Marie Scott and Ed McBride as Georgie and Dave. 

I played Harold Nichols, the laid-off, uptight middle manager of the steel mill in Buffalo, NY. He thinks he's better than all the others because he's management and lives a better lifestyle than them. And they blackmail him into helping them. I loved the show, loved the part, loved the cast. I am still good friends with most everyone from that show.

The show was performed in a 99-seat theatre space in Los Angeles. The sets reflected a scrappy industrial look. It really was an underdog production. And the reviews were amazing!

I've been lucky an had many, many wonderful experiences in the theater. But this one holds a very special place and always will. I feel like we could do it again tomorrow if we wanted.

I miss this one. Anyone out there want to produce it again for me? I'll be your friend forever!

The men of The Full Monty about to take it all off. (L-R Tim Hearl, Ben Euphrat, Ed McBride, Me, Keith Wright)

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving week. Not just the day itself, but the week. Why? Because it means a day off in the middle of the week. It means we get to leave work a couple of hours early on Wednesday. It also means that even though I will go into work on Friday, half the office will be out of the office and it will be quiet and more relaxed. That's why!

I have plans for Thanksgiving Day. I usually go to a friend's house. She and her husband have lovely outdoor entertaining area and we eat outside. And later when the sun sets and it cools off, we sit around the fie pit and maybe play games. It's nice.

And in recent years, I have hosted a Thanksgiving Eve game night at my place so that makes the holiday even more special. Better than the years when I would stay home by myself and sulk, maybe binge watch some TV. Sometimes on Thanksgiving Day, I would go out and get dinner at a drive through...El Pollo Loco. One year, I even went into Kmart just because I was curious to see who would be shopping on Thanksgiving Day. It got me out of the house.

My family is all back in Albany, NY. I live in Los Angeles. I have lived here for 12 years now. I have not been back for Thanksgiving since I moved to LA. I do go back for Christmas. Before that I lived in New York City for 13 and a half years.  When I lived in NYC, I went home every Thanksgiving, except the the couple of years that I was working acting jobs on the road. And there were two years when I decided to stay in NYC for Thanksgiving. That was so much fun.

The first time, I was sharing an apartment on the Upper West Side, and the night before my friend Bruin came over and he and I went to a local bar that was on the UWS in the 1990s called The Works on Columbus Ave right behind the Museum of Natural History. The streets all around the area here is where all the floats and balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are assembled and blown up the night before. And the area is mobbed with people walking around checking them out. My friend Brian worked at The Capezio Store on Broadway over the Winter Garden Theatre and on Thanksgiving morning they hosted a pot luck brunch for employees, family and friends where you could watch the parade. It was awesome because we were on the second floor and it was all windows facing Broadway. It was kind of a gloomy day and we were inside and eye level with all the celebrities on the floats. Really great. After, we went to see a showing of Aladdin at the Loew's down the block from our apartment and then went to a diner on Amsterdam that served Turkey Dinner. It was the best.

10 years later, I did it again with my friend Mark, minus the parade and we ate at Virgil's BBQ in Times Square. I decided not to go home until the day after Thanksgiving. I wanted to be there for my friend Mark who was not going home because he was going to work the day after Thanksgiving (he waited tables at Orso). And it gave me an excuse to not go home.  To be honest I didn't like spending the holidays with my sister's in laws. I just wanted to celebrate with my family. I don't want strangers there. I want just my family. No strangers. Yes, I'm a big baby.

So I went home the day after Thanksgiving and spent the rest of the weekend in Albany with my family. My cousin and his new wife were visiting from England, so I got to meet her. It also turned out to be the last time I would see my father. I had no way of knowing that at the time. He wasn't close to death. But about two weeks later, he had a heart attack and died. Made me wish I had gone home for Thanksgiving Day.

I know there's no sense in running things like that over in your head...If only I'd gone back for that Thanksgiving Day, I would have had another day with him. I was there. Just a day later. That's what counts. He did see me. Imagine if I hadn't gone home at all? I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.

Fall in So Cal

Its cold out. No really. Its cold out. Its 61 degrees at 9:40 pm. Freezing. I need to turn the heat on in my apartment. This morning, I got out the wool peacoat. It's freezing! I've got the sniffles and I'm taking echinacea.

What?! 61 degrees and I'm cold? I lived in New York City for 13 and a half years for Gods sake. This is nothing. Wait! And before that, I lived in Albany, NY for the first 28 years of my life. What happened to me? 61 degrees is cold to me? Yes! Dag nab it! It is.

When I moved here from NY, I donated more than half my sweaters to Goodwill. I had a few coats too. I got rid of all but one. I'm moving to Los Angeles, I thought. What use would I have for these? What use indeed.  You back in the Northeast may laugh and perhaps sneer at my complaining of the cold. But you try it. You move out here and see it you don't eventually convert too. If the temps drop below 60, you try and walk around in a short sleeve shirt or in shorts. You can't. I dare you. You'll be just like me.

It must be something in the air.  It does something to our blood. After you've been living here for a while, your body adjust so you can no longer tolerate anything under 60. Or you acclimate to the point that you body doesn't remember what it felt like to live in a colder climate.

As much as I love the warmer climate here and as much as I hate the long cold hard winters of upstate New York...I do miss the seasons. We don't really get them here. All we get is a drop in the temperature and maybe some rain. That's it. The leaves don't change color. There is no smell of burning leaves in the air. And its always green (or maybe yellow and some browning but that's only because there's a drought here). That's our winter and fall. Rain. Cold. Nothing more.  And at any time, the temperature can suddenly skyrocket to 90 degrees. It was in the 90s just a couple of weeks ago!

We weer complaining about the 90 degree heat. Now we're complaining about the cold temps, which really aren't that cold. Downright balmy compared to the East Coast. When did I become such a wimp? What happened to my blood? Am I no longer a true New Yorker? Am I a Californian now?

I always thought of myself as a New Yorker. No longer how long I live here, I still day I'm a New Yorker. Maybe I can't say that anymore? I still grumble at people that won't step in the crosswalk unless the Walk light is on. Please ! Bitch! I'm from New York City, we don't wait for no stinking Walk light!

I curse at cars that don't pull up all the way into the intersection when they are waiting to make a left hand turn. C'mon! Move INTO the intersection. Don't wait behind the crosswalk until there is a gap to turn. Los Angelenos! Geez!

Yeah, despite my lower tolerance of the cold, I am still a died in the wool New Yorker and you can never take that away from me!

Award Season in LA

Last night the Ovation Awards were handed out in Los Angeles. The Ovation Awards are LA's version of the TONY Awards given to theaters in LA.  The awards are broken down into two categories, Intimate Theatre and Large Theatre. And I love that they do that. Otherwise it would be like the big Broadway shows going up against the little Off-Off-Broadway houses.  There are so many intimate theaters here in Los Angeles, that I couldn't possibly name them all and I shan't!

The Broadway World Award nominations were announced yesterday as well. And again, even more friends and colleagues were nominated for awards. I wasn't. :( Boo Hoo! But then neither were the couple of productions I was in. That's okay because last year I got some love. Now, unlike the Ovations, there are a lot of categories. Unfortunately, the Broadway World Awards does not separate by smaller and larger theaters. But then they do separate the touring productions from the local productions. And they have cabaret awards. Thems a lot of awards!

But imagine being with a small theater in the Valley (that's the San Fernando Valley, the other side of the hills from Hollywood and West Hollywood for those of you outside of LA) and you're in your theatre company's intimate production of Uncle Vanya and you're up against Annette Bening inThe Cherry Orchard at The Geffen or Dame Judi Dench in The Importance of Being Ernest at The Ahmanson. It's hardly fair. (BTW I made those up Judi Dench did not do Ernest at The Ahmanson. But can  you imagine? Squee! Oh! But apparently Annette Bening did do The Cheery Orchard..at the Mark Taper...in 2006. I knew I didn't just pull that out of my ass) So yay to the Ovations for splitting up the categories.

So a handful of friends were nominated for Ovations and a couple even won! Yay!  But most of the nominated shows, I've never seen or even heard of.  I go to theater almost every weekend, yet I managed to miss so many great shows. Why is that? Poor taste in what I choose to see? I try to support my friends in their shows. My friends have poor taste in the project they choose to be in?

None of the above. It's simply this. There is a hell of a lot of theatre in Los Angeles. A ton of it! You can't possibly see all of it there is so much. That's right. Los Angeles. Big theater town. You didn't know that did you? Well, it's true. There are dozens and dozens of little theaters all over town. There are storefronts in almost every neighborhood of this city that have been converted into performance spaces. I have friends opening in shows every weekend. I wish I could see them all. And I want my friends to know right here and now that I really do have the best intentions and I really want to see them all but its tough. And obviously if I'm in a show, well then, it can't be done.

In the last few weeks alone I've one friend do standup, a group of friends and acquaintances from my acme Comedy Theatre days doing their improv show, Sondheim on Sondheim, Damn Yankees, Willy Wonka, Guys & Dolls, Broadway Bound and Spring Awakening.  Coming up, I have Heathers, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Arsenic and Old Lace and Deathtrap. Lots of old stalwarts there. Plus a cabaret act. And I'll bet there are a couple of other shows that I will have to see coming up, some new pieces.

Well, I have to go. Lots of theater to see. Congrats to all the nominees and winners! Go. Support Theatre!

Stand Up Sondheim and Sketch. Oh My!

I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I am an actor/writer/director. Not full of confidence in my abilities and modest to a fault. Which may be why it's taken me two weeks of blogging to come right out and tell you this.

I am telling you this to share some of my life with you.  This weekend I am going to see friends in shows. This is a frequent activity for me because here in Los Angeles, (now you know where I live! Don't come after me!) There isn't a day that goes by that I don't receive emails and facebook invites to friend's shows. When I am in a show, its obviously hard for me to go see my friends's shows unless they perform on one of my off nights. In the time I took to write this paragraph, I got two email invites, (No lie!)

I still have friends in productions of Arsenic and Old Lace, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, an original musical at a small theater in Burbank, and a reading of a new musical at a theater in North Hollywood. All happening this weekend. And then I have others in rehearsals for shows that will be opening in a couple of weeks. And there are the theaters I have worked at in the past, whose shows I try to see as often as I can. I want to support them all. I really do. But obviously it's hard to do. When I'm not in a show it is easier, My schedule is lighter Here is a typical slow week:

Monday night, I took a dance class (see my November 7 blog). Tuesday night I took an acting class. Wednesday night I went to pick up my bike from the bike shop (I brought it in for a tune up). Thursday night I went to see a friend do stand up. Tonight, I rest. Tomorrow (Saturday night) I got to Long Beach to Sondheim on Sondheim at ICT starring a friend and then Sunday I go to a sketch show starring a group of people I  used to sketch with at Acme Comedy Theatre in Hollywood.  Oh! and did mention? I have a full time job. That's right. I work Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. Some weeks from 6:30am to 3:30 pm.

AND! I go to auditions during the day sometimes. Today for instance, I had a commercial audition. Last week, I had an audition for a new crime drama and on Friday I had a commercial audition. You may ask, "How do I do that when I have a full time job?" Well, let me tell you. It ain't easy, bucko!

You may remember in an earlier blog this week I touched on friends with significant others and children and me with none of those things. This may offer some insight: I'm pooped! I go to the auditions, but then I go back to my office in downtown Los Angeles and I go back to work (I started to type that I go back to sleep! That's how tired I am). I claim those auditions as my lunch hour. But this being Los Angeles and there being tons of traffic at any given moment in any given place without any rhyme or reason, I could be gone longer than an hour. What do I do in those instances? I work later or I come in earlier in anticipation of the audition that day. Today, I was lucky. I was only gone for 1 hour and 10 minutes. But there have been times when I've been gone for 2 to 3 hours!  My boss isn't too happy about those. But then sometimes, she doesn't even notice.

So tonight, I watch TV and veg..Oh! I almost forgot. I have a theater audition in Thousand Oaks Sunday afternoon so I will have to work on that some. In between working out at the gym and doing laundry, grocery shopping for the coming week and washing the car. And I should probably do some house cleaning too. Well, my weekend is gone. See you next week!