Winners Circle

Hi all,

I am squeezing this post in so there’s one for September. My precious doggy, Thor, had to be put to sleep and I am really sad. He was the smartest, cutest, most cuddly poodle ever.

I’ve been getting a great deal of things done acting-wise. I have new headshots that you are guaranteed to love, taken by Scott Hays. It was the real LA or New York experience they always talk about in the fashion magazines about the shoot with the celebrity on the cover. He had an Apple TV with satellite radio for whatever kind of music you want. I also had an official hair and make-up artist, which I have only had once before. I was also cast in a one-act for the Herberger Festival of the Arts. The performance will be at 12:45pm on Saturday, October 5. The show is called Spirit and it is about a group of dead people in a grave yard. I play a young woman who recently died and is really confused about where she is.

Yesterday, I had an audition for a film company to be its spokesperson. I did really well and someone I know is on the production staff. I think I have gotten to know a great deal of people in film here. I recently came upon the Hack Hollywood site run by David Patrick Green, a working actor with major television credits. He said a key to success is establishing relationships with the people you want to hire you. I’ve been trying to do that, but there is not solid way for me to establish relationships with LA casting directors and producers from where I am. The only LA casting director who knows me is Helen McCready because she travels here often and sometimes has local auditions. I’m all for networking, but having the people hiring know who you are is no guarantee they will cast you or even give you an audition. I wonder what to do with theatre companies who won’t hire you and casting directors who will not ever give you an audition. I am hoping to break in somewhere.

I dumped the trial manager because he started demanding I give him my financial details, which is not the business of anyone who isn’t your personal banker. He swore I must be in debt because I was reluctant to spend money on Backstage and Actors Access membership. At first, he told me I could have great success and encouraged me to connect with LA casting directors. Then he starts telling me that I have serious roadblocks and not to connect with them because I was not able to return to LA immediately. I don’t know why someone assumes I could just pack-up and go being the starving artist that I am. It simply started getting too personal and invasive. So, that was the end of that. Who gets a manger in another country anyway?

I love my new agent. She works really hard and regulary submits all her clients. I got a casting for a really well-paying commercial gig and I am available for the audition and shooting dates.

I will be auditioning for Fiddler on the Roof at Desert Stages in Scottsdale much later in October.  I got a callback there for The Mousetrap this past Spring.

Speaking of auditions, something funny happened recently. I submitted for a paying short film and received an e-mail saying they were currently considering applicants and would get back to us soon. Then, this past week I received an e-mail to say they were not going to audition me and how they were so many talented people who applied. What annoys me about this is they don’t need to tell me they aren’t going to audition me. If I don’t hear for a few weeks, I just assume a response to that effect.