Seize the Day

It is absolutely amazing and astonishing that everything tends to fall on the same day, or come to fruition at the same time. I have not been writing because the last couple of days I was called in for interviews, had to run errands, etc., and by the end of the day - I was beat. Exhausted. Drained. Well, that's sort of how I am right now, too; however, I felt a blog post was necessary.

I was offered (and I accepted) a job at Starbucks. I am thrilled, first off, that I got a job. Secondly, it's for a company that I love. Let's be real - I am practically their unofficial (and unpaid) spokesman (Please refer back to my love of the holiday cup season. yea.). I think this will be an excellent opportunity to use my people skills, talents, and be in a good environment. On an acting note, it will be AMAZING to be able to meet (ahem, study) all of the different characters that come in. In case you didn't know this about me, I am an avid people watcher, but not a people watcher in the normal sense. No. I really study them. (Please don't be creeped out, it's all for acting, I swear.) I take in their physicality, their little unique nuances, their voice and accent. I also try to figure out their back story, or I create stories for them at the present. (Anyone that has gone to a bar with me knows I make up stories about the people there.) Anyway, this is an excellent resource for me because I will be getting paid to do character study everyday. I did this in NYC, and ended up with spot on characters of some of the seniors. (Marnie used to answer the office phone and think it was me pranking when it was actually the seniors calling. haha) This type of work is invaluable for an actor. Why? Because in the future, when I am developing a character, something about one of the people that I have studied may strike me, and in turn, will be able to be used for a character. Fascinating, right?

I had my first rehearsal today for "Shudder" at the Zombie Joe Underground Theatre in North Hollywood. It's a new play based off of the Grimm's story "The boy who went forth to learn what fear was." It's a very interesting and intriguing play. Definitely something different from what I have done before because of the content and the blood that is involved. Yes, blood. However, it is an amazing experience so far. The set will be minimal. Therefore, the scene changes, sets, atmosphere, will have to be established by the actors. The actors have to bring their imagination to light in such detail, to which it will bring the audience into this world with them. This is very similar to what we did with "Vincent" at Studio 5; scene changes occurred by the actors changing the atmosphere. Brilliant acting that involved total focus. It's very ensemble driven. This means that the entire cast works together to transform either themselves or the scene. For example, today we worked out how two people were going to be a gnarly old tree. The end result, a beautiful gnarly old tree. That is what I mean about the imagination also. By the actors being so committed, the audience is drawn into that world, and in their mind they are able to see every piece of that tree -from the bark, to the branches, to the leaves barely hanging on. I am so excited to see what else will come from this. For me, personally, I feel like this is going to be an amazing opportunity to grow. Already, I have explored some of the uncharted waters in terms of my acting ability that I didn't even know existed. That is both exciting and exhilarating.

Afterward, I headed over to the Project Studio Film Company's Meet & Greet. I was able to meet the other actors I will be working with in the coming months, as well as the crew that will be working on these films. (Backstory for those who don't know. The Project Studio Film Company is an independent film company that cast a group of 16 actors for their "acting troupe." For the four independent features they plan on filming in 2011, they will be using these 16 actors as their principal characters. I was cast in this troupe.) It was great to meet all of these other artists and hear the passion that they have for their craft, what they are doing currently in their careers, where they came from, etc. I don't know too much else...except the first film is titled "Second Chance to Live" and begins production in January. They're hoping that the films will be picked up by major distributors, which in turn will mean that I get paid. :)

One month and seven days. That is how long I have been in LA. I can hardly believe it has already been that long. Time really flies by. What I do have to say, though, is that I have spent every day here "seizing the day." Yes, I take time to chill out, relax, and veg out, but I have also been busting my butt every single day searching for jobs, applying to jobs, submitting to auditions, going on auditions...I keep going. I guess my drive is one of my better qualities...and my persistence. When I put my mind to something and set a goal, nothing can get in the way of me succeeding. Patience. Persistence. Drive. Seize the day, for you never know; that one day may change your life.