Happy New Year (a little bit late, I know)!!
It's audition season again which means I should be having EPA's every week! Too bad that's not actually the case. As happens a lot in theatre, there are thousands of 20 year old hopefuls to the broadway scene and so few parts for us. Not to start on a negative note, but I'm starting to think there has got to be something more I can do to have my voice heard, to get that callback, to get a role.
It's been about a month, and with all the New Years resolutions slowly dying out, people are going back to their old habits (Thank goodness, I was sick of not being able to get a treadmill at the gym). After only my fourth audition this month, I was becoming bored and pretty dejected before I even walked in the room. Fortunately, I got a metaphorical kick in the butt from a free seminar with The Savvy Actor. It is a company that gives people a crash course in the MBA of theatre. How to brand/type yourself, know who you are and show it in every aspect of your career, and learn how to network (among many other things). This got me thinking that as much as I know myself, I'm still trying to be what the casting director wants instead of selling exactly who I am.
So, I signed up for the weekend long course, which I am incredibly excited about. At first, I feared paying so much money for something, but I took a step back and thought "Lys, you keep saving up money so that you can take all these acting courses, but you are never gonna have the large sum of money you want. You need to craft your theatre career now. There is only so much waiting you can do". I must say, I've never been so happy spending money in my life.
Not only that, I finally took, what I imagine should be a first step, to being an actor. I decided to call myself one. I'm no longer "a nanny that is trying to act" I'm an actor (who happens to nanny for money on the side). I live in the mecca of theatre and I need to jump on every opportunity whether laid out for me or not. I know some of you are reading this thinking "Duh, we all know this" but it is easy to forget and I just happened to be coming from an "ah ha" moment which I hope you all have frequently. I've even started improving at networking because if it's who you know, I better be starting as many conversations as I can! Even if it is about the weather...
Where is this positive attitude coming from? Well, besides the fact that I am an optimistic person, I am reading a book called "The Happiness Advantage" and it is changing my life. Everyone should read it no matter how happy or depressed you are. It's remarkable. And then we can have a book club and talk about it.
My challenge for this week or this year is to just do it (like Nike). Don't wait until you have gotten your footing, a job, money, house etc. Now is the right time.
P.S Go see Bare at New World Stages this week...it's the kind of musical that should be on Broadway. Truly pertinent, moving, and beautiful.
It's audition season again which means I should be having EPA's every week! Too bad that's not actually the case. As happens a lot in theatre, there are thousands of 20 year old hopefuls to the broadway scene and so few parts for us. Not to start on a negative note, but I'm starting to think there has got to be something more I can do to have my voice heard, to get that callback, to get a role.
It's been about a month, and with all the New Years resolutions slowly dying out, people are going back to their old habits (Thank goodness, I was sick of not being able to get a treadmill at the gym). After only my fourth audition this month, I was becoming bored and pretty dejected before I even walked in the room. Fortunately, I got a metaphorical kick in the butt from a free seminar with The Savvy Actor. It is a company that gives people a crash course in the MBA of theatre. How to brand/type yourself, know who you are and show it in every aspect of your career, and learn how to network (among many other things). This got me thinking that as much as I know myself, I'm still trying to be what the casting director wants instead of selling exactly who I am.
***Side Story: I was browsing a casting website when I came upon this descripition for a character: Beautiful, sexy girl who can easily switch to a plain jane, slightly ugly, overweight woman...
Wait, what?!?! How can anyone be these at the same time? Sure, I can be sexy and you can mess up my hair and stick a fat suit on me, or we can get some Princess Mia action going on, but these are the types of things people are asking for?!***
So, I signed up for the weekend long course, which I am incredibly excited about. At first, I feared paying so much money for something, but I took a step back and thought "Lys, you keep saving up money so that you can take all these acting courses, but you are never gonna have the large sum of money you want. You need to craft your theatre career now. There is only so much waiting you can do". I must say, I've never been so happy spending money in my life.
Not only that, I finally took, what I imagine should be a first step, to being an actor. I decided to call myself one. I'm no longer "a nanny that is trying to act" I'm an actor (who happens to nanny for money on the side). I live in the mecca of theatre and I need to jump on every opportunity whether laid out for me or not. I know some of you are reading this thinking "Duh, we all know this" but it is easy to forget and I just happened to be coming from an "ah ha" moment which I hope you all have frequently. I've even started improving at networking because if it's who you know, I better be starting as many conversations as I can! Even if it is about the weather...
Where is this positive attitude coming from? Well, besides the fact that I am an optimistic person, I am reading a book called "The Happiness Advantage" and it is changing my life. Everyone should read it no matter how happy or depressed you are. It's remarkable. And then we can have a book club and talk about it.
My challenge for this week or this year is to just do it (like Nike). Don't wait until you have gotten your footing, a job, money, house etc. Now is the right time.
P.S Go see Bare at New World Stages this week...it's the kind of musical that should be on Broadway. Truly pertinent, moving, and beautiful.
