It's Memorial Day Weekend, everybody!  What are you doing out there for fun??  Well I know alot of my theatre friends are busy working away in Technical Rehearsals, working Matinee performances...What are we doing in SW FL?  Kayaking on the Caloosahatchie and eating watermelon!  We went out this morning for a casual kayak around the water here and tried to get back in before the sun got too hot...I think I may be in need of some Lavender Oil this evening because my arms are already feeling a little hot and Brendan's face is looking a little pink..Luckily we are armed and ready...

     We are headed straight towards audition season, dear actor friends.  And you know what that means?  Get your materials together, get your monologues brushed up, make those appointments early...I hate to say it but auditions are for the birds.  I mean they suck, ok?  For EVERYBODY.  I know, I have been on both sides of the table and have seen some really fantastic actors really stink up the place during their 2 minute chance to show a producer what big chops they have.  AND from a producers/directors point of view, everyone is really hoping that you will be good.  That you are THE person for the job.  But it is a trial and tribulation all the same...and  alas this is the business that we are in.  If you want to work, you must audition and you better be able to pull it together.  Which brings me to my point...
     So on Saturday I had a Skype audition for a short film being shot in Florida by a director from Portugal who is new to Naples.  I am in Maine with Brendan till the end of his contract.  The god's must be crazy...bc every time we go out of town some where, any where... one of our agents or someone reaches out to us to audition in the place we just left...Am I right??!??  But this time, in spite of the Cardinal Cross, these kind folks allowed me to do a Skype audition.  We read the sides together, we talked, we laughed and we "hung up."  Monday (the off-day) we had 2 appointments for 2 theatres here in Maine.  Both very nice theatres, with VERY nice Artistic Directors. 
     Ok side bar -- I started this blog as part of this site because several years ago I started a blog on my professional page and got cold feet but this time around I was like "what the hell" let's just do it...actors are so worried about their images and how they come off to other actors and more importantly perhaps how they come off to producers & agents.  The gatekeepers, if you will.  And I get it.  I know you can't be totally transparent about EVERYTHING (I'm not an idiot) but come on already...Brendan and I have been at this career for about 20 years each.  oooff-ta.  What can I say.  Which leads me back to my story --
     So..... I went up at one of the auditions.  I totally went up. Like WAYYY up.  And instead of just going on and making up some old bullshit like they "teach" you to do--  I just stopped.  I just looked straight out, started laughing and I stopped.  I said 'Hey, I am up and I... yeah."  I was sort of in shock but I just didn't want to bullshit my way through something that I knew was not going to be any good.  (I am actually laughing again right now about it...). I began again and it was focused.  I guess, here's the thing -- to just be totally real...  The job is really about getting the work.  If you are a full time actor, most of your time is spent seeking out work.  Which is exhausting and hell on the psyche and all the rest of it.  And everyone has bad days at work, right?  So Monday was a tricky day at the office.  But the flip side was I was back on track for the 2nd audition of the day.  And I just wanted to put that out there bc so many actors don't really tell the truth about this shit for fear of looking weak or bad or stupid or whatever-- myself included up till now! I am fessing up to this one.  Moral of the story-- by the end of the day I booked the short film from the Saturday audition. Yippy!  But my phone died while I was out in the woods of Maine on these theatre auditions and I had absolutely convinced myself that they had gone in another direction...Until I plugged in my phone and heard the voice mail.  Actors are crazy people.  Happy auditions everyone!  Break those legs and remember to BREATHE!!!

So.  Here we go.  Thank you for looking at this page! Ok.  Where to begin...
I will not bore you with the whole saga of the how, why and the when of my acting career, at least not yet.  I guess I have really been amazed at the lack of resources for actors who are stressed out and needing these resources when they are between gigs and looking for jobs.  We have to take care of ourselves people!  I mean we ALL have to take care of ourselves but us theatre folk use our bodies and voices to produce the work, so you better be taking extra good care of yourselves.  Which is where this page comes in...we are all looking for tips, right?  Tips on what to do if you have a cold or tips if you are loosing your voice or tips if you have pulled a muscle but don't want to fill out of workman's comp for...some...reason.  And where do you go to find the solutions?!? Other actors of course!  And where do you find them?  IN THE GREEN ROOM!  So stay posted...More to come.  "Prepare to have your mind blown..."