On Time!

I'm tired, but managed to remember. This is, again, another 'day in the life of an aspiring actress' (not a bad title, but too long, really).

So - Monday. Business class, in which we turned in a list of people in the industry we'd like to know (or more specifically, we'd like them to know us), and then she brought in a second acting friend of hers. This woman mostly does stage work, which, while crazy fun, doesn't pay much. Like, between $200 and about $800. And that's being part of Actor's Equity. But the pay does go through the entire rehearsal and for every week of performance, and performances are about 8 a week.

Later on, Diego (a friend of mine who's an aspiring director) took pictures of me for some of his photographic homework. (Whee!) It was pretty fun, and I think he could actually be a pretty good director.

I've also picked up a regional accent CD, specifically Midwest. It's meant to sound 'farmy' and 'cowboy (or girl) -ly" without sounding Southern. Thus far, it seems like a softened version of the Southern accent but with some nasally tones in there. Those'll be hard for me - I still haven't caught on to doing that in my voice class, and apparently it really doesn't help that I'm dealing with allergies, even if it's only on a very minor scale.

I intend to put that (and as many other accents I can learn) on my resume, along with my recent addition of familiarity with guns. I have used them before, though never to shoot anything (there's a threat of rattlesnakes (and other vermin) where I live), so I got a refresher. I'll be putting on revolver (semiautomatic and double-action), rifle (20-20, semiautomatic), and shotgun (410, single shot). My resume looks rather farm girly, so this'll be a nice addition.

Acting 'oops'!

Trials of An Actress

I missed a day again! :P At least I caught it before it got too late, this time.

So - Wednesday. Kind of an 'oops' day anyway, but I'd made an appointment back in January to register with Central Casting, and so I went down there, all makeup, clothes, and hair done. Of course, I get there and discover I forgot my social security card (typical). They were nice enough to reset my appointment for next week. Considering they're stopping the appointment system they had (but still honoring the appointments that people set up before they ended them), it's great for me. So! I'll just have to be more put together, next week :D.

That's pretty much all that went on - I spent the morning running around getting ready, brushing my teeth, washing my hair, picking my clothes (shoes, shirt, and pants), and doing makeup. Then I was (again) exhausted when I got home (way I live my life, pretty much. I suspect that's why I keep trying to leave my computer in various classrooms).

Little Prince Play and School

Our fourth show is done! Only six more to go!

This last one was especially exciting to me as my parents were there, and it's my mom who taught me the southern accent I use. (And it's an accent, a real accent, and it doesn't mean uneducated. Irritates me to no end that the director (who's an English teacher) has me say "ain't" instead of "have not" or "it's not.") My little part went well, although I'm starting to think that I really ought to take an improv class. I'm terribly weak at that; panic's the first thought that comes to mind whenever the Prince doesn't give me the correct cue lines.

The more I act, the funner it gets. Maybe sometime I'll be brave enough to take an improv course at school.

I kind of wanted to chatter about my classes, but there's not much to say: I like my "about theatre" class except for the kids (I think they're high school) who won't. be. quiet, I've got one computer science teacher who's way too fond of conspiracy theories ( I mean, they're fun and amusing, but... - and my Java class is - well, I'm better at theory than programming. And over the summer I'd forgotten how to speak Java... it's frustrating. And not my thing.

I like physics, understanding the "real world" (not computers), and I like to create. I think I'd go crazy without creating, whether or not I can make a living doing it. Wouldn't it be funny if I did make it as an actress, after having gotten my (very hard-earned) B.S. in physics?

On stage in October!

I think I mentioned in a previous post (or I meant to, anyway) that I'm in a play. Like, on the stage. In a theater.

It's called The Prince, and while I think the story itself is a little odd, I'm overly ecstatic about being in it. I've only got a small part as the Lamplighter (turning a light on and off on my tiny, tiny planet that's only big enough for one person), but like I said, I'm pleased.

I think this is the fifth play that I've auditioned for, and this was the first time I'd ever gotten a callback, (and from there, the first part I've ever had). I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the email offering me the part. Rehearsal is now in full swing (and I love my costume! - even if it's a bit itchy, it looks adorable) and we'll be opening on October first. Squee!

I said it was a bit of an odd story. The Prince is about a prince who lives on a planet all by himself until a Rose grows there. The prince is all confused about how she makes him feel, so he goes on a journey to find answers. He goes to a variety of planets (including mine) and finally makes his way to Earth. On Earth he meets several people, one of which is the person who is actually telling this story - an aviator whose plane crashed in the Sahara. The aviator used to draw, when he was a child, and when the 'grownups' didn't understand his drawings, he stopped drawing. Until he meets the prince.

The ending's the odd part, since the prince has to 'die' to go back to his planet. Or he doesn't; I'm not sure. Anyway, it's a kid's story, but there's parts only adults will actually understand, and a love story (I think, though I don't think that's the main plot), and it's probably more the aviator's story than the prince's. Anyway, it's a cute story.

As an Christian actress (not actor, I'm female, thanks), I'm poking my head into a world that a lot of Christian's have abandoned, and as such a lot of what's out there for me as options for me to get involved in isn't Christian in nature. I really, really wish there was more out there. A lot of shows (on stage and film) are filled with characters that I wouldn't want to play. Kinda stifles me. And training is interesting... if there's a Christian university with a theater major, I'd love to know about it.