Living for the Weekend

So, if you’re wondering where I’ve been for the last two weeks, here’s the scoop.

I love doing the theater! The people are fun, the dancing is challenging and I get to wear fantastic outfits all the time. The only problem is… 

On Friday afternoons, most people get to put the week in their rear view and head home early. What am I doing at 5pm? I’m driving to Tacoma Musical Playhouse to get ready to put on a full scale production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat. The show starts at 8 and we usually get out of there around 10:15. Then it’s back home for a few hours of sleep before pulling off two shows on Saturday and another on Sunday. Let’s not forget the cast parties and that “gig high” that fend sleep off like a knight. But what if you have a blog to write? Or a film to shoot? Or a song to record?

Finding the time becomes harder all the time.  How is an artist supposed to choose which projects to put on the back burner and which deserve high heat? Especially with time breathing down our necks! “I’m getting older every day, there are parts I’ll never play, all this stress will turn me gray.” Oh no, now even my writing sounds like a musical! 🙂
Lately I’ve been racking my brain to find a solution to this prioritizing problem. Here’s my dilemma. 

People say “Do what makes you happy.” but I just wrote a blog post last month called “It’s NOT all about me!” Movies, T.V. and club acts are fun and usually pay well but…

Who’s my audience, who am I reaching?
What does my performance really mean?
What am I giving up at home to be here?

I’m finding that sleepless nights are easier and decisions become simpler when I know what I’m fighting for. And there is no better place to see that than in the theater. The smiles on kids faces when they walk into the lobby are magical. Talking with an old timer about when he saw this show in London with his late wife will bring tears to your eyes. The stories we get to act, dance and sing mean something to people just as they mean so much to us.

Show People

If you’re one of us, one of these “show people”, you know what I’m talking about and I commend you. For all the rest, thanks for supporting us and checking out our shows and projects when you can. What we do would mean nothing if people weren’t there to enjoy it.

No Pay, No Gain? – why film, even for free, is always a good idea

For many actors, making the transition to film has been a dream since childhood. But unless you’re a supermodel, pop star or a famous socialite, you’re going to have to start small.

It’s been years since my last feature film, Frayed (check out the trailer!) and I’ve been looking for a fun way to get back in the game.

 

I’m hiding from a psycho 🙂

Recently, I checked out a Cold Note concert and my writing partner introduced me to Whitney Sherwood of Filmateria Studios. You never know if something exciting will come from a connection so always follow up and send along your headshot and resume.

As luck would have it, I got an e-mail from Whitney about three weeks after our meeting. She mentioned that her team, “irate”  was looking for actors for their upcoming 48 Hour Film Project entry. There are many rules for this contest but one big one is that it’s all completely volunteer. No pay.

As a freelance performer, you have to be careful to pick and choose the “pro bono” work you sign up for. Do too much and you undervalue yourself. Do too little, and your resume will have nothing on it. That being said, working on a film with a group of professionals is always a good idea. It gets you fantastic experience and you never know where the connections will lead you. One of the men on the production team for this job has actually won this contest twice. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be part of a film that ends up at Cannes? You can’t win if you’re not in the game.

Make sure you show up to meetings on time, dress well and be low maintenance. Let them know what you bring to the table, without being cocky. Your resume should say it all, you just need to be gracious and offer to help in any way you can. If they like your attitude and work ethic, you have a much better shot at being featured. For most local projects, the script isn’t in stone. If they find someone they like, aka YOU, a small part can turn into a feature very quickly.

I’ll keep you posted on how this project goes. We’ll be receiving our genre, line of dialogue and prop on Friday the 13th of this month at 6 PM. Tacoma Musical Playhouse was nice enough to give us a great deal on costume rentals so we’ll be pulling clothes that night. The writers will pull an all nighter so we’re free to shoot Saturday morning. Score and any post production happens after that and Sunday they finish it up and drop it off.

It’s going to be quick and dirty but pretty much painless. These are the best free projects to do, low time commitment and high probability of success. Film is always fun and definitely worth your time!