The Industry-al Complex

Blog Entry 4

Wow… writing a blog is not as quick and simple as it seems. Like everything I have ever found challenging, it takes consistent effort. In yoga, abhyasa means practice, but not just practice. It's practice in the way of a concentrated and conistent effort without a break. Getting up and doing it every...single...day. So, the hardest part of my yoga practice is simply getting onto the mat and sticking with it. It's why the most frustrating part of rehearsing is just getting the damn lines down. And it's why some friendships and some relationships fall apart. But that’s also why it’s possible to have joy every day in your life. It’s why it’s possible to feel loved and loved every day of your life. And that’s why over a lifetime, yoga does make a difference… but only if you make a true effort to do it every day. Let that be a lesson to myself in blogging consistenly… at least once a week, though probably not every day.

Part of the reason I don’t blog every day is that I don’t think that much is happening. Then my boyfriend points out everything that IS happening and I realize there’s more going on and plenty to be proud of. Then I remember that I’m a Greenberg-Ogorzaly and there are always ways to DO MORE - BETTER! Thankfully, Theo is not a Greenberg-Ogorzaly and can see through the fog of overachieving “I’m only as good as the number of things I’m doing” mania. And, thankfully, he’s not a Greenberg-Ogorzaly or he’d be my relative instead of my boyfriend and that’s just too many bad Arkansas jokes to live through.

So, what have I been doing? Manifesting like crazy, that’s for sure. I had a wonderful 2 months in the pretty little house in Santa Monica where I felt safe and cared for by Theo’s visits and by my lovely landlord/neighbors who will someday be my red carpet dates. Now, I’ve found a fantastic place to live for 6+ months which I love in Culver City, walking distance to: Sony Studios, Culver Studios, Trader Joe’s, a yoga studio where I’m going to start working a few times a week, the farmer’s market, the bike trail AND a fantastic coffee shop. Please, can I stay here forever? I live with a great housemate, Birdy, who’s a 3rd grade teacher and her cat, Quincy, who I’ve nicknamed Q and who welcomed me to my new home by sleeping on my knee my first night. There’s good light, a great living room, a breeze that comes all the way though the house when the back and the front door are open, and a peach tree in the backyard and an orange tree next door. Best of all, I feel like I can finally put down some roots (albeit shallow ones - still working on manifesting a job for Theo) after being a nomad since September. It feels soooooo good to be moved in.

On the acting side of things, I finally put up a monologue in my acting class – the first time is always the hardest – and got some good, concrete feedback that prompted me to connect to the piece in a different way which means I connected to part of myself in a different way which means I’m already becoming a more versatile actor first time out. And now I won’t be nervous next time… which is… tomorrow! Ok, make that not AS nervous. Nerves are just something you have to act your way through until you outgrow them. Then there are my reels – 2 of them, commercial and theatrical – which will be finished by March 17 so they can go into my kits for the showcase (more on that soon). I got referred to a commercial agent through a casting director I met recently, though nothing’s happened there… yet. I met a commercial agent at a party and then met one of her client’s the next day, so there’s a double whammy Universe hook-up going on there. And, last but super definitely not least, I got into the Cricketfeet Showcase!

Now, Cricketfeet is something I’ve wanted to do since I first visited LA and my friend Anna was in rehearsals for it. For those of you who don’t know, a showcase is an evening or two of scenes put on by a group of actors seeking representation or exposure. The audience is invitation only as the point is to get as many quality industry folks there as possible – agents, managers, casting directors. So, come mid-April, I’ll be performing a comedic 2 person scene and a comedic 5 person scene in front of 40-60 industry folks, two night in a row. It’s run by Bonnie Gillespie, an actor turned very successful writer and casting director, and directed by Chil Kong, a director out of the Boston theatre scene who’s now in LA. Bonnie teaches 5 marketing workshops while we prepare for the big night so that our press kit, marketing know how, and understanding of how we will fit best in this industry will be as strong as possible. We’ll be at the Colony Theatre in Burbank where the evening will proceed like this. First, we’ll perform our outrageously funny and heartwarmingly sweet scenes. Then, we’ll go backstage and lose some of the stage make-up while the audience changes pants because they wet themselves laughing we were SO FUNNY. Then, we’ll wine and dine with the audience and schmoozola our pants off to find agents we connect with and casting directors (CDs) who want to hire us. Then, we maintain relationships with the CDs we met and make the tough decision of who we sign with for theatrical and commercial representation. Then, we have people fighting for us to get into bigger auditions while we continue to find work ourselves, and in a few years, when we outgrow our agent, we do this all again! Sounds like fun, no? There are 45 actors and I am thrilled to be part of the cast this year. It’s a big opportunity, especially for one as new to town as I am. Talk about getting to make a splash! Obviously, there will be more on that soon. More details on http://www.cricketfeetshowcase.com/. If you know any agents or CD’s in LA, let me know and I’ll add them to the guest list.

So, that’s the lowdown on the acting front. I’ll talk about yoga next time. ;)

Xox Jewel