Sunday, April 1, 2007

Do patent leather shoes really reflect up?

Thursday morning was glorious because I didn't have to be anywhere at 7:15 or even 7:30, although I did go to the gym around then anyways. My callback for Millbrook Playhouse was scheduled for 10-2 which prevented other morning auditions...I actually loved the freedom in that! The first part of our callback was a dance audition...we learned a pretty simple "Ugg-a-wugg" sort of routine appropriate for "Peter Pan" which is part of their season. I tried to have fun but I have to say I was really really nervous, again mostly because of my hyper-awareness of Carolyn in the room. I was decent, I think, but not a stand-out. One funny thing was that one of the directors called out about 5 people who he said were unrecognizable from their headshots. He even went as far to say a few of them looked nothing like their pictures. Ouch. As I start investigating my NY style headshots, I'm definitely aiming for pictures that look like me, whatever ethnicity I am that day! Hahah!
I was really excited to see my new friend Lauren at the callbacks. We had met a few weeks ago at an open call when we both reading our Bibles and that opened us up to discovering we both went to Redeemer. It was really nice to see her and have her to cheer for! I also ran into Amanda, a girl I met on the train on Monday. Waiting for about an hour and a half as they brought small groups downstairs to sing and read, I did get a little antsy and annoyed at all the nervous actor chatter all around. When I finally did get to sing, "If I Loved You" felt a little rough but I got asked to read which was a sign that I was not immediately cut. I was called back for the role of Sister Helen in a catholic-school-meets-Grease musical called, "Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" Sister Helen is the soprano, which makes her the nice nun, of course. The director hadn't brought any sides for her so instead he asked me to read a silly poem as a nice nun. I read it once and then he directed me to try it again, but this time a little bit more like an airhead. I had so much fun with that reading and felt like I made a big adjustment. The director seemed pleased and I was released. I had a really good feeling about the outcome of that audition, first, because the reading went really well and second, because I took careful note that I was the only one reading for the nice nun at the callback.
I tried not to get my hopes up as I wandered over to Fairway, the next best grocery store to Trader Joes that is on 74th and Broadway, right next to Steps and also the Vital Theatre Co. where my callback was held. Fairway, just like Trader Joes, is also quite an experience with tiny aisles and people all around reaching for bananas and fresh-ground coffee and brown-rice sushi among the workers who are constantly refreshing the stock. Craziness.
I met Adrienne for a yummy mediterranean dinner at Beyoglu on 80th and 3rd. We had all sorts of mezze with the usual hummus and tabouleh and some exciting zucchini pancakes and spicy shrimp. Adrienne took me to Eli's, a faaaaaaaaaaaaaancy grocery store where only New Yorkers on the UES would spend $7 on a $2.49 box of Kashi. I have to say it was as nice as Adrienne advertised with perfect displays of fruit and pies by the slice and cheeses from every nation. But, I won't be shopping there until Jerry Seinfel leaves Jessica for me. Just kidding, of course. Ew.
The night was uneventful until I got a call from an unidentified (212) number...and the artistic director from Millbrook called and offered me my first two roles in shows since arriving in NYC! Yay! He offered me Mrs. Darling and ensemble (think ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg, ugg-a-wugg wah!) in "Peter Pan" as well as Sister Helen in "Do Patent Leather Shoes..." I was probably a bit too eager in my acceptance but I was thrilled with the offer and so excited to get two roles down, not to mention to be hired period! After a while, going to all these auditions and not getting anything, I started to feel like I was never going to get anything. Just having two roles on my resume from the East Coast will be huge for me, not to mention networking possibilities. And just like having a scheduled out 10-2 callback was glorious, even more so is the knowledge that from June 4-July 8 I will be living and singing and dancing in Pennsylvania. And I can start planning my life around that! Yay! I made some fun calls to Lis and Mom to share the news and went to sleep feeling like a real actor, not a fake one, with a heart full of thanks.

3 comments:

Lisa said...

Oh, this is my favorite post ever. You are so awesome. I am so proud.

Anonymous said...

YAY!!!!!! I'm so happy for you! I love reading about your New York adventures and living vicariously through you. Yay jobs! :)ellie

inkblots said...

Congratulations, Kristen! Your West Coast Valley Girl is top notch! If you do marry Jerry Seinfeld, make him sign a prenup bc I hear he has a lot of parking tickets and you are a budding star!