I got it!
I made a list of the places in New York where I would be happy to hold a full time job. This was my #1 choice. After three rounds of interviews and a week of hanging in limbo, I got the call. Awesome! More details as I find them out but for now I’m celebrating.
Since moving to New York, I’ve found the most exhausting aspect of my life is summoning the motivation to pursue my artistic goals. I alone am responsible for gathering auditions and contacts, improving my work, and keeping my creative self alive. It is a huge change from the life I held last year at The Actors Theatre of Louisville where, in the nine months I served as an Acting Apprentice, the majority of my days were structured by our amazing program directors. While at Actors I had much less free time and performed much more grunt labor, but I was in an environment which fostered a safe creative home by cherishing the contributions of each of its members. It felt like four years of college rolled into one, and I emerged with a second family who has become my greatest support network since moving to New York. (Read more…)
I think my desk clock is broken. It’s a really nice clock I received for having “consistently demonstrated excellence in acting” by the culmination of my four year stint at Centre. Funny story, I was actually tore up about it when I received it because I didn’t get the award given to the person “judged to have contributed most to the Dramatic Arts Program over a period of four years.” Whatever. Perspective is everything. Now I just want my clock to work. I changed the batteries and it’s still slow. Feels like my acting career.
I did have my call back for the New Georges’ production of Milk this morning, though! (Read more…)
Well, I felt great about the audition today for Milk. I was having fun and the room was super friendly. And apparently I’m not the only one who felt this way because I just got a call from Paul Davis at Calleri Casting, and I’m called back in on Monday morning for round 2. Success!
I mentioned last week that I went to an EPA for New Georges’ upcoming production of Milk in which my fellow apprentice-friend, Anna, has already been cast. Well, I’ve been invited to attend an audition (this time by appointment!) with the director, Jessica Bauman, producer, Susan Bernfield, and playwright, Emily DeVoti. And apparently, it just so happens that Anna will be my reader, which makes my day. I’m super excited. Wish me good thoughts around 10am!
Well I’m back at it. This morning I revisited the Equity building for my first EPA in a few months. The auditions were for the play Milk, in which my dear friend Anna is already cast. But a part was available for an adult male who could play 15, and I was carded last year at a movie theatre, so that has to count for something right?
Anyways, the morning went well. I was able to wake up at 6:00, get to the building a few minutes before 8:00, and audition by 10:30. Not only that, but while waiting for my audition, I ran into my old Shakespeare teacher from Berkshire Theatre Festival, Johnny Epstein. He’s pretty much exactly as I remember him, which is how it should be.
On the way home I dropped off my library books – A Collection of Kafka essays and Tolkien’s The Return on the King, the second of which, I sadly did not find the time to read before it was due back. Yet, despite this fact, I felt my pro-active behavior of the morning merited a reward and thus treated myself to a blueberry muffin from The Oak & Iris, my favorite local coffee shop. Finally I bought stamps from my post office, which, despite the wait, was an overall neutral experience and, along with risen rate of found vs. lost mail, leads me to believe that postal code 11218 may be deserving of a rank above the worst post office as determined by Google. Good Job 11218!
I’m back in New York! And I’m looking forward to partying in the New Year in Harlem tonight! But before I move on to next year, I wanted to take a look back at the last one. It’s a tradition I began on an old blog, and I’ve found it to be immeasurably satisfying to look back and see what is possible in a year. So without further ado…
I love New York. I’m glad I live there. With that said, I’m glad to be spending Christmas where I am safe from the weather gods who just dumped over a foot of snow on the northeast. I woke up to a light dusting of two inches. This seems just right.
It’s good to have time with family. I wasn’t able to spend Thanksgiving with them (although I did receive and incredibly generous invitation from my roommate Ed to join his family in Connecticut, one which I gratefully accepted), so from watching the Cats on a real TV, to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, making chocolate fudge, shoe shopping, and family dinners, it’s good to be home.
Right now I’m just taking it easy. But there’s exciting news on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to getting back home. Because New York is home now, and I’ll be back for the New Year.
I occasionally find myself bored in this city. It seems impossible, I know, but without an infinite cash flow, you eventually have a day where the desire to go out and have fun meets the realities of needing to pay rent at the end of the month. Last night I went out with some guys from work for nachos and margaritas; this was fun and expensive, so today necessitated a boredom day. As such, I woke up this morning, realized I had no reason to get up, and promptly went back to bed. (Read more…)
