The "Glamorous" Life of Auditions - Day 35 & 36 ( Audition 41 & 42 )
Detective audition for another casting office I hadn't seen yet and who doesn't like seeing someone who's always busy casting? So many around town and yet when they don't know you, it's one of the most difficult processes to get into that room...even for the second time. This is why you make choices...safe may get you forgotten but doing a grounded risk will keep you in the back of their minds or not called in again so I always go for the risk - I mean why not, it ends up the same if you play it safe anyway, right? You win some, you lose some but it can never be said that you didn't try?!?! During my off day at the theatre helped keep the stress low along with just a couple of pages of dialogue so my mind wasn't pulled too much in any direction since my focus was to get my lines clear on this 57 page, 3 person monologue given, 8+ characters creatin' with some singing of a play!!!! I had it all pretty much in my noggin and made it barely on time only to get lost in the casting office because it runs way back...even with the lights seeming a bit dim, you just keep trekking towards the back and the office eventually comes up. I walked around and around thinking I was in the wrong space, lucky for me I saw a most familiar face in the waiting room, waiting on his audition. Good energy sprouted from Kiff, known because my beautiful gal Cheri from Flyin' West is married to this wonderful being. I finally realized it was the room at the end of the hall, signed in and started to look over my sides when another familiar face showed up from the show I did - "Cheetah In August." It's my lucky day when I get to see not only one, but 2 good souls...so I consider my day a win just because. Lovely catching you as well, Darneisha...the audition was good and I was able to tell her that they were cool in the room before they came out to get her. Listen, whenever you get the chance, let the others know they can relax and be prepared to have a good experience...we get emotional during auditions and to just spread the word that all is cool, helps settle a great many minds especially when the nerves can kick in. I told her to kill it and raced to the opening to catch Kiff and chit chat with him about the family and his reveal of being in the Star Wars cartoon, did I mention he's been in several block busters as well. Working actors doing whatever they can to survive and that is how you not only expand your horizons as an artist, you give yourself some leeway to make a living by being open to whatever may put some money in your pocket. Audio books, voice overs, theatre, short films etc., it may not be all glitz and glamour but giving your art permission to explore other avenues while still pursuing the major dreams can lead to creative fulfillment. It may not be what you had thought but it may be everything you may need to survive in this industry while making way for you to accomplish more. There isn't just one way to make it...open yourself up to using your gifts in other areas to make it all happen, build, build and keep building and soon enough the "other" stuff begins to open up. I did my scene which was a bit dragging since I took the compassion note written in the description of this character to an extreme so although I had the emotions, I had more of a counselor feel which I knew as I was reading. Lucky for me, he liked my choices and just asked me to take some of the air out and to keep the compassion shown but to move it more like a detective. Done with the note from the cd of "there it is..." and out of there with smiles from the room...again, it's not about getting the job, it's about getting the room to trust your work and see what you've got to give because everything else is up in the air. Superhero art on the walls, great audition and seeing wonderful faces made this audition day exactly as it was suppose to be - art happiness!
Wahoo to another day off finally because the shows for the play have finally started and I gets to return to an office I've been trying to get into for years!!! Before I had quit, I use to run over there and drop off my pictures like a mad woman in their box but nothing. When I came back, I finally got in for Dexter but it was only for a line and it wasn't anything to get me remembered by but getting the opportunity to come in for Major Crimes by a director who casted me for "Trouble Creek" was a door opener. It's hard when it comes to one line because it usually ends up being about the look and not really the read - it is what it is but because I was able to read for a full guest star role this last time, I was able to make a journey with my work and therefore take them on a ride as well. Thank goodness for the chance and I tried not to waste it, preparation meets opportunity so then you shine!!! I went in twice for 2 different good roles for the same episode of Major Crimes but didn't get either but I realized I had made some fans in the room and got the office to notice me and that is all I can ask for. So I am thrilled to get another shot to meet another one of the cds in the UDK office for a low budget film with a major executive producer playing a government worker. The scene takes place early in the morning but of course, showing up in jammies isn't my thing. I decided they can see me as the worker during the day, so black top and black slacks it is. Hair pulled up in a bun and this time I remembered to bring gel to keep the flyaways down, easy makeup and flats. Arrived way earlier than expected so I was able to relax, recheck hair and focus on my lines....get called in the room and lucky for me, there's a reader and he's great! I did a small improv line to get me into the scene and off I went into the read only to mess up the second line by chopping it short and stating a different time but I didn't let it deter me. I wasn't going to stop in front of a new Casting Director because I knew my intentions were clear and the line still made sense, the rest of the scene came out word perfect with who I wanted this character to be. After being done, he stated it was really a good read - twice, so I'll take his word for it with no redirects and a question about where I was from in which I spoke a little Korean to say thanks which made him chuckle. Yeah to a warm room, casting who paid attention and me screwing up a line and still powering through it because I knew I was in the pocket and nothing was going to get in the way. Theatre will do that for you...you mess up but you've got to recover and keep at it because the show must go on. No reason to beat myself up, as a matter of fact, celebrating the moment of pushing through an audition even though I flubbed a bit, chose to wait to see if casting needed me to do it again, not my ego and all was good. It's a whiskey celebratin' kinda night - HA!!!
So incidents happen...negative people/things are here to pull you off track when you least expect it and those moments can get in the way if you allow it - DON'T LET IT!!! I had to deal with a bully recently and it just so happened to happen, all before my matinee show on Sunday at the International Theatre dealing with the parking attendant. To him I say, "I'M NOT LETTING YOU BULLY ME...." whatever the reason you may have or think you should, it is not okay and I will not stand for it. As we started the rehearsal process we all received parking passes, they ended up with expiring dates but the theatre had spoken to the company and they all knew who we were and where we were going. For the most part, everyone was super cool....all except one guy...one guy who thought it was his job to harass us all. No one was disrespectful that I'm aware of, I surely was not because I understand working a thankless job, I'm in the service industry, I get it. The pass expired, he stopped me and with much attitude asked to see my pass. I said sure, gave it to him and he made a big bruh ha ha about how it was expired...he knew it was and why and when I stated he could call the office if there was a problem, he just stated he was taking my pass and that I was lucky he wasn't going to charge me that day. I just chuckled and stated "Okay...thanks." Parked and chalked it all up as to him having a very bad day, YOU got a pass from me that day because YOU spoke rudely to me, took a pass YOU had no business taking and acted like YOU were doing me a favor and still I smiled. I told the incident to both stage managers who then got on the horn and we received the correct passes but was told he had no right to take our old ones and that they were talking to him. Again, every single other attendant was pleasant and cool every single day from the start to fast forward to this past Sunday, Oct. 22 when this guy was once again the one at the booth. I took a deep breath when I saw him and he saw me because I was behind the car he was letting through and he had to pass me to go into the booth. He looked at my car and kept walking, I figured he knew our passes was good so I started to roll forward only to hear a "HEY!" I immediately stopped and rolled down my window and said, "I have the pass man, it's all up to date, you know this" but I still grabbed it to show him. I then put it back into my window...he then nastily asked to see my pass as he looked around, I'm sure it was to make sure no one was looking. I told him he wasn't suppose to take passes but I still pulled it out for him...he then SNATCHED it and stated something about him being able to do whatever he wanted. My spirit swelled from this encounter, him literally harassing me over a ticket he knew was in the clear. He grabbed something from me like I was nothing...was it because I was alone? A woman? Black???? He too was a different minority and this type of animosity he had shoved in my face was overwhelming to a point that I had to react because it took everything in me not to fly out that car door and put him into submission for making me feel like I was just now threatened. I reminded myself of my show in a hour, I leaned out of my window, snatched the ticket back in which it tore in half and simply rose my voice an octave letting him know it was not okay, he was not going to snatch things from people, that I was done with this encounter and was going to discuss this with management immediately. I was so angry, I was shaking...to have a human being act as if I was nothing when I did everything to address the situation, treat him with respect by stopping when he said hey, speak to him....NO, I WILL NOT LET THIS PASS! I dropped my things off, called for the assistant stage manager and explained to him the incident, he then called the stage manager who was arriving and he went to discuss the situation with the attendant. This guy has been harassing the lot of us...every time he has worked, he has given attitude to the guys but he has seemed more confrontational with the women. The ticket being torn, drew more attention to this matter than I think he had planned. This creep told my stage manager who has seen me day in and day out with nothing but respect and professionalism, that I had an attitude and to ask me what happened since my SM was asking him to explain what happened. Yes, the old "she had an attitude" trick towards the black woman YOU'VE enraged because YOU decided to threaten her person. I quickly gave him the run down of the whole situation because I knew he was trying to deflect it all but see...I stopped for YOU, I didn't just roll on in with my attitude to park and not deal with YOU. I knew YOU were going to harass me and I stopped anyway. My presence is known within this company and I don't have an aggressive bone unless awakened/threatened, plus everyone has dealt with YOU so your story of my attitude, doesn't work this time, I wonder how many times he has used it and it worked? Because lord knows...black women... Head personnel soon came to speak to me before the show, getting my story, info and my car with everyone else putting in how he's harassed them...this bully has been doing this and getting away with it and today was not the day for me. I hope he doesn't lose his job, just written up because I don't know what his whole issue is but I hope this corrects it but if he does get fired, that's all on him. He made the choice to bully people in a job I guess he may have felt was thankless but he decided to bully the wrong person who had already given him a pass once. So if anywhere, you see a man whining about how a black girl ruining his day or screwed him...you now know, this guy was a HARASSING BULLY as a parking attendant who didn't get away with it. "YOU WILL NOT BULLY/HARASS ME NOR ANY PERSON PERIOD!"
Through that mess, I was able to pull myself together before the show, calm my nerves and put myself back into peace, love and alignment because the house was packed and the show must go on! I have to say, we had one of our best shows that day...I feel like me knowing that everyone had my back and that people were coming together to state their experience with this dude gelled us all in. What a show, what an Opening Weekend it was...from a rocky start of Previews for me feeling disconnected but getting it on the first day, to chomping at the bit the 2nd day, to Opening Night goodness and finishing it off Saturday and Sunday almost without any hitches and playing for goodness sake!!! I wore a dress given to me by the lovely Danette which is a good luck charm and even saw a few familiar faces ( Christianne & Lowes during Previews, Ken on Opening Night, Pat on Saturday and Steven on Sunday ) although I didn't get pictures with Pat or with the theatre critic Steven, I can't thank you all enough for your support and love! I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding show to be a part of now in this juncture of my career. I was told to sing out more via friends, that my voice wasn't half as bad as I imagined because I've been comparing my voice to my wonderful counterpart Angela who has the gift of gospel in her tone and so I am! 8 plus characters, each with defining characteristics and some singing ya'll...it's been a blast! Thank goodness Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris thought of me once again to call me into another audition I shied away from. I went in for them and now doing this for me - yes, to that! Glad I accepted this challenge, even though I had ran away from it at first...JUMP, just DO IT because when you fly, you know it was well earned and that incredible feeling will take you into the next job! Plus, who doesn't like their own dressing room and pictures in the lobby as their characters to boot?!?! HA!
Through all this, I forgot I booked a short film via a referral from another actor I've worked with doing Kimba Henderson's plays - Derrex Brady, thanks for seeing my art and giving me a nod with your peeps!!! Nothing like having an Opening Night at the theatre with a party after to waking up bright and early to jam on out to a shoot while wearing 90's garb on a fun set with great people only to grab a quick nap and race on off to the theatre to do it all again!!! I got to play a mom at a school auditorium, watching her kid on stage...let's keep at it folks, you never know when and where the next job may come from but it's coming! Keep doing the work, keep at it...one step atta time!!! When it comes, close your eyes and dance like no one's watching... <3
Detective audition for another casting office I hadn't seen yet and who doesn't like seeing someone who's always busy casting? So many around town and yet when they don't know you, it's one of the most difficult processes to get into that room...even for the second time. This is why you make choices...safe may get you forgotten but doing a grounded risk will keep you in the back of their minds or not called in again so I always go for the risk - I mean why not, it ends up the same if you play it safe anyway, right? You win some, you lose some but it can never be said that you didn't try?!?! During my off day at the theatre helped keep the stress low along with just a couple of pages of dialogue so my mind wasn't pulled too much in any direction since my focus was to get my lines clear on this 57 page, 3 person monologue given, 8+ characters creatin' with some singing of a play!!!! I had it all pretty much in my noggin and made it barely on time only to get lost in the casting office because it runs way back...even with the lights seeming a bit dim, you just keep trekking towards the back and the office eventually comes up. I walked around and around thinking I was in the wrong space, lucky for me I saw a most familiar face in the waiting room, waiting on his audition. Good energy sprouted from Kiff, known because my beautiful gal Cheri from Flyin' West is married to this wonderful being. I finally realized it was the room at the end of the hall, signed in and started to look over my sides when another familiar face showed up from the show I did - "Cheetah In August." It's my lucky day when I get to see not only one, but 2 good souls...so I consider my day a win just because. Lovely catching you as well, Darneisha...the audition was good and I was able to tell her that they were cool in the room before they came out to get her. Listen, whenever you get the chance, let the others know they can relax and be prepared to have a good experience...we get emotional during auditions and to just spread the word that all is cool, helps settle a great many minds especially when the nerves can kick in. I told her to kill it and raced to the opening to catch Kiff and chit chat with him about the family and his reveal of being in the Star Wars cartoon, did I mention he's been in several block busters as well. Working actors doing whatever they can to survive and that is how you not only expand your horizons as an artist, you give yourself some leeway to make a living by being open to whatever may put some money in your pocket. Audio books, voice overs, theatre, short films etc., it may not be all glitz and glamour but giving your art permission to explore other avenues while still pursuing the major dreams can lead to creative fulfillment. It may not be what you had thought but it may be everything you may need to survive in this industry while making way for you to accomplish more. There isn't just one way to make it...open yourself up to using your gifts in other areas to make it all happen, build, build and keep building and soon enough the "other" stuff begins to open up. I did my scene which was a bit dragging since I took the compassion note written in the description of this character to an extreme so although I had the emotions, I had more of a counselor feel which I knew as I was reading. Lucky for me, he liked my choices and just asked me to take some of the air out and to keep the compassion shown but to move it more like a detective. Done with the note from the cd of "there it is..." and out of there with smiles from the room...again, it's not about getting the job, it's about getting the room to trust your work and see what you've got to give because everything else is up in the air. Superhero art on the walls, great audition and seeing wonderful faces made this audition day exactly as it was suppose to be - art happiness!
So incidents happen...negative people/things are here to pull you off track when you least expect it and those moments can get in the way if you allow it - DON'T LET IT!!! I had to deal with a bully recently and it just so happened to happen, all before my matinee show on Sunday at the International Theatre dealing with the parking attendant. To him I say, "I'M NOT LETTING YOU BULLY ME...." whatever the reason you may have or think you should, it is not okay and I will not stand for it. As we started the rehearsal process we all received parking passes, they ended up with expiring dates but the theatre had spoken to the company and they all knew who we were and where we were going. For the most part, everyone was super cool....all except one guy...one guy who thought it was his job to harass us all. No one was disrespectful that I'm aware of, I surely was not because I understand working a thankless job, I'm in the service industry, I get it. The pass expired, he stopped me and with much attitude asked to see my pass. I said sure, gave it to him and he made a big bruh ha ha about how it was expired...he knew it was and why and when I stated he could call the office if there was a problem, he just stated he was taking my pass and that I was lucky he wasn't going to charge me that day. I just chuckled and stated "Okay...thanks." Parked and chalked it all up as to him having a very bad day, YOU got a pass from me that day because YOU spoke rudely to me, took a pass YOU had no business taking and acted like YOU were doing me a favor and still I smiled. I told the incident to both stage managers who then got on the horn and we received the correct passes but was told he had no right to take our old ones and that they were talking to him. Again, every single other attendant was pleasant and cool every single day from the start to fast forward to this past Sunday, Oct. 22 when this guy was once again the one at the booth. I took a deep breath when I saw him and he saw me because I was behind the car he was letting through and he had to pass me to go into the booth. He looked at my car and kept walking, I figured he knew our passes was good so I started to roll forward only to hear a "HEY!" I immediately stopped and rolled down my window and said, "I have the pass man, it's all up to date, you know this" but I still grabbed it to show him. I then put it back into my window...he then nastily asked to see my pass as he looked around, I'm sure it was to make sure no one was looking. I told him he wasn't suppose to take passes but I still pulled it out for him...he then SNATCHED it and stated something about him being able to do whatever he wanted. My spirit swelled from this encounter, him literally harassing me over a ticket he knew was in the clear. He grabbed something from me like I was nothing...was it because I was alone? A woman? Black???? He too was a different minority and this type of animosity he had shoved in my face was overwhelming to a point that I had to react because it took everything in me not to fly out that car door and put him into submission for making me feel like I was just now threatened. I reminded myself of my show in a hour, I leaned out of my window, snatched the ticket back in which it tore in half and simply rose my voice an octave letting him know it was not okay, he was not going to snatch things from people, that I was done with this encounter and was going to discuss this with management immediately. I was so angry, I was shaking...to have a human being act as if I was nothing when I did everything to address the situation, treat him with respect by stopping when he said hey, speak to him....NO, I WILL NOT LET THIS PASS! I dropped my things off, called for the assistant stage manager and explained to him the incident, he then called the stage manager who was arriving and he went to discuss the situation with the attendant. This guy has been harassing the lot of us...every time he has worked, he has given attitude to the guys but he has seemed more confrontational with the women. The ticket being torn, drew more attention to this matter than I think he had planned. This creep told my stage manager who has seen me day in and day out with nothing but respect and professionalism, that I had an attitude and to ask me what happened since my SM was asking him to explain what happened. Yes, the old "she had an attitude" trick towards the black woman YOU'VE enraged because YOU decided to threaten her person. I quickly gave him the run down of the whole situation because I knew he was trying to deflect it all but see...I stopped for YOU, I didn't just roll on in with my attitude to park and not deal with YOU. I knew YOU were going to harass me and I stopped anyway. My presence is known within this company and I don't have an aggressive bone unless awakened/threatened, plus everyone has dealt with YOU so your story of my attitude, doesn't work this time, I wonder how many times he has used it and it worked? Because lord knows...black women... Head personnel soon came to speak to me before the show, getting my story, info and my car with everyone else putting in how he's harassed them...this bully has been doing this and getting away with it and today was not the day for me. I hope he doesn't lose his job, just written up because I don't know what his whole issue is but I hope this corrects it but if he does get fired, that's all on him. He made the choice to bully people in a job I guess he may have felt was thankless but he decided to bully the wrong person who had already given him a pass once. So if anywhere, you see a man whining about how a black girl ruining his day or screwed him...you now know, this guy was a HARASSING BULLY as a parking attendant who didn't get away with it. "YOU WILL NOT BULLY/HARASS ME NOR ANY PERSON PERIOD!" 
Through that mess, I was able to pull myself together before the show, calm my nerves and put myself back into peace, love and alignment because the house was packed and the show must go on! I have to say, we had one of our best shows that day...I feel like me knowing that everyone had my back and that people were coming together to state their experience with this dude gelled us all in. What a show, what an Opening Weekend it was...from a rocky start of Previews for me feeling disconnected but getting it on the first day, to chomping at the bit the 2nd day, to Opening Night goodness and finishing it off Saturday and Sunday almost without any hitches and playing for goodness sake!!! I wore a dress given to me by the lovely Danette which is a good luck charm and even saw a few familiar faces ( Christianne & Lowes during Previews, Ken on Opening Night, Pat on Saturday and Steven on Sunday ) although I didn't get pictures with Pat or with the theatre critic Steven, I can't thank you all enough for your support and love! I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding show to be a part of now in this juncture of my career. I was told to sing out more via friends, that my voice wasn't half as bad as I imagined because I've been comparing my voice to my wonderful counterpart Angela who has the gift of gospel in her tone and so I am! 8 plus characters, each with defining characteristics and some singing ya'll...it's been a blast! Thank goodness Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris thought of me once again to call me into another audition I shied away from. I went in for them and now doing this for me - yes, to that! Glad I accepted this challenge, even though I had ran away from it at first...JUMP, just DO IT because when you fly, you know it was well earned and that incredible feeling will take you into the next job! Plus, who doesn't like their own dressing room and pictures in the lobby as their characters to boot?!?! HA! 
Through all this, I forgot I booked a short film via a referral from another actor I've worked with doing Kimba Henderson's plays - Derrex Brady, thanks for seeing my art and giving me a nod with your peeps!!! Nothing like having an Opening Night at the theatre with a party after to waking up bright and early to jam on out to a shoot while wearing 90's garb on a fun set with great people only to grab a quick nap and race on off to the theatre to do it all again!!! I got to play a mom at a school auditorium, watching her kid on stage...let's keep at it folks, you never know when and where the next job may come from but it's coming! Keep doing the work, keep at it...one step atta time!!! When it comes, close your eyes and dance like no one's watching... <3
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