Unscripted - A Blog for Actors - Backstage

Ups and Downs

   I’ve been feeling in a bit of a funk lately. No matter how good I feel I am doing in the audition room, it doesn’t seem to go anywhere. One audition was so confidence-stripping, that I haven’t been able to bring myself to audition for a few weeks.

    I recently attended one of the Access to Agents auditions that Equity holds a few times a year. I eagerly arrived at 6am that morning, thinking that I’d be the first one in line. Wrong. I was greeted by at least 25 other actors who had dragged their sorry butts out of bed before the sun rose. After a few hours of reconnecting with the dirty NYC sidewalk, I was so excited to sign up for my audition appointment more than twelve hours later that evening.

   I was feeling really great. Really excited to show of my stuff for a few agents in town. As I walked in the room and gave them a hello, I received…nothing. Not even a head not, not even a murmur of recognition back. No, “What are you going to sing for us today, Brittany?” Nada. I would have welcomed even a burp to acknowledge that I was alive.

What the hell is a PRODUCER?

For the last month or so, I've found myself in the role of "producer." I wrote a 2 minute comedy sketch chronicling a little girls obsession with funding her future college career. I wrote it, was going to star in it, and who better to produce the video than me?

 

Boy did that prove to be a challenge onto itself.

A Blog About a Blog (or why I no longer think John Mayer is a douche)

 

I am the first to admit that John Mayer's antics with the Hollywood ladies makes me tired...

Sure, his music is awesome. Sure, he is gifted genius.

But as a human? I was less than impressed.

Until now. Because I read a blog. Specifically this Berklee Blog all about JM's visit and his inspirational chat with the students there. His THREE HOUR chat. And I say chat because it wasn't a concert. Yes, he played a few songs but they were more to illustrate a point. Instead he talked. And talked about good, important stuff. Stuff that is relative to us actors too.

I swear.

He touched on social media and fame and practice. And the art of it all. I now know JM is eloquent and smart and funny. And maybe just a bit less of a douche than I originally thought.

So now I will tell you to leave this blog. To go read another blog.

This blog:

http://www.berklee-blogs.com/2011/07/john-mayer-2011-clinic-manage-the-temptation-to-publish-yourself/

(Yes, it is linked above all fancy like. I want to be sure you don't miss it!)

Just trust me. It is worth the click.

-- Mercedes Rose

New Roomie!

Today, I can officially announce that on September 1st one of my very best girlfriends from Kentucky will be moving into my apartment here in NYC with me!  YAY!

Randa and I have known each other since kindergarten.  We went on vacations together as children, and I'll never forget the moment I switched from showers to baths:  When she informed me I was washing my hair in "butt-juice water"!  Ha!  We went to different high schools and drifted apart for that portion of our lives, but have since reconnected and I am SO excited for Randa to move in with me.

This picture is of us from the fourth grade.  (Randa is on the left, I am on the right, and another friend of ours - Cara - is in the middle).  Yes, we may take a second to note that I am wearing army fatigues.  I have come a long way since then, and so has Randa!  Just take a look at the next picture - from Randa's visit to NYC this past winter - to prove it.  

She is moving to the city for grad school and I needed a roomie so it was the perfect opportunity.  It will be so nice to have someone to travel home for the holidays with and have a great girlfriend that grew up with me sharing the apartment.  There's nothing quite like someone understanding what a change it is to move from eastern Kentucky to New York City!

 

--Jasmine Anne Osborne

Remember this Moment...

Before returning to Los Angeles, there were two special people I had to have dinner with while still in New York; the man who helped start my acting career, and the man whom he is now legally allowed to marry.

In 1983 producer John Glines accepted a Tony Award for Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy.

Glines thanked and honored many in his acceptance speech including his then partner and lover. Yes. He used the word 'lover'. 

Well...it's not like he could have used the word 'husband' back then, or even 'boyfriend', right?

A lover, to any one of us actor/artists, is someone that not only believes in and is dedicated to us, but who also loves us in the process.

And it takes a special kind of courage to be able to wrestle (in love) with an artist's demons alongside of them, while in the throws of creation. And, that night John Glines deeply thanked his 'lover'.

Apparently the ratings dropped before the cast of Torch Song Trilogy even walked off the stage that night, and for days afterwards Glines received death threats.

Finishing the Album, Pt. 1

In addition to being an actor, I am also a singer. For the last 4 years, my father (who is a Grammy-nominated pianist and songwriter) and I have been collaborating on my album. 

This summer, it was my goal to complete the project. We are now on day 2, and I figured it might be good to blog about the process.

Not sure if any of you have been in a recording studio before, but there's alot of down time. It can get frustrating. Waiting for Sebelius to load up, waiting for the producer to find the right beat or the perfect chord, lots of WAITING.

When the Going Gets Tough...

you need a good cry.  I tend to be a very positive person, especially when it comes to my career.  Most of the time not hearing back from an audition, or getting little-to-no feedback in the room, doesn't bother me.  It's part of the biz after all.  But every once in a while it's all just too much. Today falls into the latter category.

My morning started out strong actually.  I had two auditions at Equity.  I was a great fit for both of them and couldn't have been happier with my performance.  I got strong complimentary feedback in both rooms, and left with a big smile on my face and a spring in my step.  

The aforementioned spring was not only due to my favorable morning experiences.  I was particularly happy because I was on my way to my next endeavor: an appointment call for 
Little Shop of Horrors.  This audition was doubly good: 1. It was an appointment call vs. an EPA.  It's always nice to be called in after a pre-screening. 2. Audrey is my top out-side-the-box dream role.  But therein lies the problem...

A Support System

Time for a bit of "real life". You know, as opposed to "reel life".

Bare with me here...

My hubby and I recently celebrated 18 years of marriage. As the kid of divorced parents I consider this a major accomplishment. One of my best in fact. Right up there with these three incredible humans I somehow birthed and my Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Steel Magnolias (local theater but whatever) I figure anyone willing to put up with all my crazy for that long deserves his own award.

Okay, time to tie this back to the "reel life"...

This milestone made me think about the support we need (and hopefully get) as performers. Our jobs are...odd to say the least. We face rejection that makes us cry like babies, we have to kiss (and more) other people and our paychecks (when we get them) fluctuate dramatically.

Our. Jobs. Are. Weird.

To have a support system that allows us to fail makes our lives (and jobs) just that much easier.

Cheap Chinese aka My Picture Blog #17

You know that scene in Sex and the City where Carrie is struggling to find the money to buy her apartment back from Aidan (the guy she might have married if the show was real life), and opens her fortune cookie after dinner with the girls in Chinatown to find that there is no fortune inside...?

Check out My Picture Blog #17, after eating some chinese myself...

No fortune. None. Sad. Hilarious. Crusty.

(photos courtesy of yours truly)

Yours Truly -- Ann Hu

Networking Is A Skill (That I Don't Possess)

A few days ago I went to a free seminar hosted by Betsy Capes of Capes Coaching. I had heard about this career service from two people, both who raved about it.

Their premise is this: Feeling unfocused? Not sure about how to go about clearing your path to your art? Well, this series of classes would really help give you the tools to get re-focused.

So when I heard that they were holding a free hour and a half class, I immediately signed up. I had been feeling all over the place in regards to my work. Lots of time spent of focusing on what other people are doing, and not enough time focusing on what's awesome about what I do and making that as good as it can be.

Showcase Showdown

Every actor at some point in the span of their career seeks representation. An agent, a manager….both. There are numerous ways to do so: mass mailings (eek!), workshops, referrals or through a showcase.

I, myself, am currently seeking new representation so this past week I took part in an Agent Showcase. It happened to be one of the most fun and least stressful attempts I’ve ever made at getting an agent.

How did I get involved in this showcase you may ask? Read on.

So Close to City Living!

I’m officially moving to New York City over Labor Day weekend.  I can’t believe that my dream of living in the city I’ve been bussing back and forth to is finally becoming a reality.

This past weekend I went to the city to celebrate my birthday.  While there, I saw the apartment unit that I will be moving into and could hardly contain my excitement.  I am so happy about not only my new apartment, but about the inconveniences I’m leaving behind.

No more buses. No more schlepping my suitcase to an audition.  No more sweating on the streets on the city as I run to catch the Bolt Bus.  No more sleeping on air mattresses or couches in the apartments of friends, or shelling out hundreds of dollars for hotel rooms.  I have my space.  I have my bathroom with my shampoo.  My decorations.  And walking down Wall Street, I couldn’t believe that this will be my neighborhood.

"You're Perfect For This Role"

Imagine sitting down for an audition, reading the script you're handed, and then being stopped by the auditor in the middle of the read so he can say "Well, that's all I need to see. You're perfect for this."

No way that would ever happen, right?

...right?

Net-Working It!

Networking...blech!  Or at least that's what I used to think.  Now I love to network.  Ok, that's not true, but I'm trying really hard to convince myself that it is because, like it or not, it is so important in this business to know people.  It's even more important that the people you know don't think you're a total tool.  This has been my problem with networking in the past.  Not that people thought I was a tool. (Gosh, I hope not.) But that I viewed people who devoted themselves to actively networking as insincere opportunists.  I was young, I was stupid, and evidently I had my heart set on going nowhere because again, you gotta know people.

You see, I grew up in the south, where people are often really, really nice to your face.  Which is great!  Until you find out some of those sweet, sweet darling people (bless their hearts) are saying nasty, nasty stuff about me, you, and everyone we know when we're off raising a glass to how nice they are. When I moved to the Northeast for college, I was so relieved to meet people who would dislike me to my face!  Then I got my fill of that and wanted to be around lots of nice people again.  

So I moved to LA, and I was relieved to meet tons and tons of really nice people.  That is, until I realized that many of these people were rifling through our conversations for any link to people in the business with whom I might have a personal, professional or familial connection.  Some were subtle and some not so much.  That's when I realized that there is an art to networking.

Magnum Opus

 

Several of my friends from the East Coast to the West Coast are working on their magnum opus. Hearing them talk about it always raises the hair on the back of my neck. They are so passionate, so dedicated, so singularly focused on this one work. Their enthusiasm for their work is exhilarating to behold.

My friend M is working on bringing a little-known comic-book to life in a live-action, feature length movie. This project has been years in the making and is now in the early stages of pre-production.

M came across the comic years ago. His first thought upon reading it was, “I have to make this into a movie.” One of the other members of M's current production team, D, had exactly the same experience when he first read the comic. M and D didn’t know each other at the time nor did they have mutual friends.

Bandwagon: Web Series Suggestion for Actors

Since I'm becoming quite the YouTube girl myself, I thought I would suggest a web series that I'm currently addicted to.

Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Timer) has created a completely hysterical series, Bandwagon, that focuses a great deal on life in the entertainment industry.

As an actor, the comedy in Bandwagon makes me want to hit the "pause" button on my video player so that I can stop and laugh for a few minutes before watching the next scene. Truly. The series would be fun for anyone to watch, but I feel like those of us in the entertainment industry (at least those that have a sense of humor about it all) would have a special appreciation for this. I know I do!

Season Two of the series just started (the first episode of the new season is below) but I highly suggest watching the first season as well.

Check it out and let me know what you think! Are there any online series that you're obsessed with?

--Laura Hunter

Out of the Mouths of Babes

The question was:

How do you feel about fame?

And the answers were widespread:

"Many actors (and others!) want to be famous. But they don't really understand what that actually means."

"I don't know what I would do with fame...does it look good with these sneakers?"

"Fame isn't real. It is an illusion."

"Fine in moderation. I would always like good publicity but bad publicity is what scares me."

"Good...as long as it's for me. If not, it's overrated....or not. I can never decide."

"I suspect if I ever got it, I would crave more."

"My hope is that when I achieve some level of  'fame' I use it for good."

"I love it. I want it. I will have it."

"I believe there is no such thing as fame."

And, my favorite: "It was a great movie!"

I Have Twitter Now...

...the name is...AnnHuActor (click to follow). I gave in. And I look like this on Twitter...just a head and the top of my arm. For now.

Everyone has it. Everyone uses it. Please follow me. And I will follow you. Thank you.

(photos courtesy of Hanson Tse)

Yours Truly -- Ann Hu

 

How to Survive a Heatwave

It is so, so hot in NYC.  I feel like I'm melting into a Lemony-gooey pool of coconut water and gummy bears.  It sounds like it could be cute,...but it's not cute at all.  My barista looked at me like I was crazy this morning when I insisted on a hot americano.  Then I felt dizzy after I downed the steaming beverage and stepped into the sun...I walked two blocks and ducked into a corner store to buy and gulp a whole bottle of Smart Water.  

I don't have air-conditioning in my bedroom, so I hope my roommates don't mind that I've set up my new bedroom in the living room.  I also hope they don't mind that my new favorite spot to sit in my new bedroom is the cozy chair directly in front of the air-conditioner.  I'm from Nebraska, which can get as equally hot and steamy, (but without the smelly factor of NYC.), and I know there are only two ways to escape heat like this: the pool and air-conditioning.

Audition Metaphor

While audition monologues seem to be shortening everywhere due to time constraints of auditors everywhere, there seems to be some confusion about how to handle it. I know I wasn't sure how to make what I thought was a great two minute monologue into a minute long piece. Because from what I can tell, one minute is starting to be the new normal for auditions. 

When we read the literature, when we take our training, we're told that we need to select a piece that has an arc, that tells a story. But I had an interesting experience recently about stories that had nothing to do with auditions that has made me rethink this very slightly.