Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Devil is in the Email....details

This picture is me, with my better half...aka the best piano player I know...and easily the best accompianist alive. Tike Bar time :)


As most of you know, I spend a good amount of time acting, mostly in theatre. Which means I spend even more time preparing for my auditions, auditioning, and then waiting by the phone or computer for the message that I've been called back or cast. Every time a director makes a decision it's very hard for me to try to get out of their heads and figure out what their reasoning is.








A few months ago I lost out on a role that I was perfect for, and frankly, better than anyone else at the callbacks. I was told, by the director, that I didn't look like the woman that would be playing my mother, which is weird because the role I was up for is the entire show and no one really gives two shits about the mother, what she looks like, etc. To further add salt to that wound, it's a courtroom drama for all three acts and we would both be sitting...the whole time...on opposite sides of the stage. Honestly, the audience wasn't going to care about the look of either actress, and knowing the politics of this particular theatre and how spineless this director is, I know that the reason I wasn't cast was because he caved. Unless he's one of those directors that doesn't cast based on talent level...I've never met one of those directors but I've heard they are out there.








The funny thing about that show is that I was practically begged to come out an audition and at the callback it was quite obvious I was the perfect choice. PS. I never say such arrogant remarks like that, it was just that clear. So it's frustrating in situations like that when you don't get cast because you feel you wasted your time. Which I did.





But I digress....








In my audition chaos, I recently auditioned for a show that I am not only fond of, but I feel, very good for. This show does rely on the interaction, looks, and chemistry of all the characters. It's a puzzle and everyone has to fit, so I believe.








I felt my audition was solid (aside from the really awful accompianist...though I am spoiled having the best piano player in the world living under my roof as my better half...) and I just found out I wasn't called back.








I've been on the fence and it is heavily debated how people should be contacted or not contacted if the director is not interested. Should a phone call even be made? Is it better to leave actors in the dark? Does it depend on the venue in which the show is being done?








I find that I'd rather not know in most instances. I'd rather never hear from them again until another audition notice goes up. Don't call me to turn me down, don't email, just don't bother. It's OK. I'm a big girl and I can handle it (because I can always smoke a cigar and have a glass/bottle of wine)....I've gotten my fair share of good roles, and fantastic opportunities and I eventually realize that God has a plan and that's what I trust in.








But let's talk about how crappy email is. You cannot hear tone, you cannot see expressions...it's black and white, yet people find all the colors of the rainbows in it...they hear what they want to hear, they disect it, they bring it to their friends to disect it...it's a clusterfuck basically. I've grown to hate communication via email, text, etc. I like this blog because I think you can hear my tone, and for those of you that know me, you absolutely can hear me.








So this show that I feel I'm perfect for...I just checked my email after having worked a 14 hour day yesterday. I see the subject line: "Callbacks for Little Shop".








Think about it. What does that subject line say to you?





"Callbacks for Little Shop."








Just process it. I can wait.

















...........








Body of the email?





"If you see your name on the below list you have been called back..."


(yeah....my name wasn't there...I checked about 40 times thinking I must have missed it....you know how it is when you want to see your name and you read and read the list over again because you simply must be missing it..after all, no way would your name JUMP out at you because you're used to seeing what it looks like...you must have missed it...)








Here's the issue: that subject line sucks. No one really thinks of a subject line, no one really gives it more than a nano-second of thought...but that nano-second is an eternity and from the time you see it to the time you read the body of the email you are so excited to see callback details.








What you see is a list, without your name basically saying "if your name is on this list you've been called back...if not, you haven't, regardless of how awesome you thought the subject line was."








It's weird, for a soceity so dependent on email, text, anything to avoid face to face or telephone conversation, we're still pretty sucky at it.





I never even thought about this type of situation popping up...but I know I will now be more careful with regard to my subject lines when sending emails, and maybe, if you're reading this, you will too.








Happy emailing.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Jaywalking in NYC

Jaywalking as defined by Wikipedia...."an informal term used to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of the roadway."

Ok.

There we have it: stay in the crosswalk. Or at least that's what I take from it, and it seems many others do as well. (Yes, there are other ways to jaywalk but we're not talking about that right now)..If not, why have the crosswalks in the first place? Why not just run (nay, walk) across 6th Avenue perpendicular to traffic?

Why not? Because you could die is why not.

I'm a fan of driving in NYC. It's aggressive, it takes skill, and I think it's sexy. The pedestrians seem to know the rules, know when to cross and where to cross. Last week however, as I was turning onto 6th from 30 something or other, three girls came flouncing out into the middle of the road.

The. Middle. Of. The. Road. Not where the white lines are are the corners, but right in the middle.

I absolutely did not have enough time to stop so I slowed down as much as I could and swerved to the left where no one else was. Then I stopped at the red light.

PS, it's summer and my windows and sunroof are allllll open. This will prove to be a bad idea in NYC.

I catch a quick look of death from the three girls that are jaywalking across 6th but whatever, I figured that would be it.

It wasn't, or else this blog wouldn't be here.

So the leader of the pack decides to shout in my direction "take off the sunglasses princess."...and then she scurries off because it's easier to shout at me and run because I am, afterall, behind the wheel of a car...

And I shout back to her: "don't jaywalk and use the crosswalk like everyone else."

She turns around, does the little neck head movement thing and says "oh really?"

To which I say "yes really. See those white lines over there? Everyone else manages to use them and perhaps you should give it a shot."

She then looks at my license plate and says "Ok Jersey" (PS she is still in the middle of 6th Ave. SIXTH AVENUE!!!!)...and I say "Ok Jersey? It's a NYC law that you cannot jaywalk you complete and total moron."

I then drive away because the light is now green. I make sure she can't use the crosswalk until after I get through the light.

Here's the thing....as annoying as some drivers can be, I would never go up against one while on foot. Furthermore, I wouldn't do what she did in the middle of a super busy street, especially in NYC. Unless I completely lost both my mind and desire to live.

This whole situation had me shaking my head the entire drive down saying "really? no really?"...and there was no one in the car with me...which is a shame, because you really had to see this. But I hope I painted one hell of a picture...next time you're on 6 and 30 something, think of this story and I guarantee you'll laugh.

Oh, and please stay in the lines.

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Magical Indoor Voice

I'm in Manhattan close to every day of the "work" week (that would be Monday through Friday)...I've recently decided that driving there, and parking is not only expensive but stressful. And after my recent encounter of almost plowing down three obnoxious girls while they were jaywalking (that will be in another blog where I'll discuss the definition of jaywalking), I've committed myself to taking the train in.

The people on the train are strange at best. Many have no idea that there is anyone else on the train. It doesn't matter if you're sitting right next to them, they have no idea that you are there.

How do I know this? Because many of them have yet to grasp the concept of the indoor voice. Either that or they really think that I care about how many shades of lowlights they recently put in their hair or what is on their grocery list.

It's interesting as well that the voices get louder once a cell phone comes into play. Just because the person on the other end might actually be 500 miles away, it doesn't mean your voice needs to get to the volume of extremely loud and annoying to reach them. You're both on the phone. Trust me, they can hear you...unless you're going through a tunnel right now which I hope you are because your call will be dropped...because not even the universe wants to hear what you have to say.

And trust me, no one else on the train does either.

...then again listening to "fat or pregnant", some game that 6 Australians came up with, while passing through Newark was entertaining...

So let's all remember back to 1st grade and use our indoor voices...and the train will be a much happier ride.

Unless it's late. Which it often is.

Better than hitting jaywalkers though, and parking for 10 minutes and spending $80 in less than an hour for a three minute go-see.

Shhhh....