A New Direction

Hi there!! Well, I've been away from this blog for a while, though I wonder if anyone noticed, (if a tree falls in the forest... you know).

Anyway, last year I started letting some unsuccessful ventures go (including this blog) and at the beginning of the year I completely stopped doing all of the things that were taking time away from my true passion - acting, and have now refocused. I kinda doubt that it could be seen in my previous posts, but my efforts to help others transition to/maintain a raw food lifestyle coupled with my attempts to create alternate revenue streams via online/offline methods (joint ventures/referrals/real estate) only served to exhaust me physically, emotionally and financially. Leaving me in no condition to be competitive in the world of theater. Blah! So much for listening to other people's advice.

So, as I said, I'm getting back in shape. My way. With Yoga and Pilates. Back to auditions. Working on my audition monologues. Back to producing or performing wherever I can. For example: on April 30th I went to an event called The Manhattan Monologue Slam. I'd heard an acting teacher mention it as a good opportunity to get up and perform, so despite a few negative comments from some friends (who said they'd gone and not enjoyed it), I went.

And I had a blast! At first, the atmosphere seemed a little crazy, and I was thinking that maybe the quality might not be up to snuff as my friends had said, but the crowd was very friendly, so the vibe overall was warm and fun. And once the monologues started, everyone was intensely focused, respectful and engaged. And I thought several of the performances were quite good. Obviously this sort of event can really be hit or miss - and perhaps my friends just caught an off-night.

Like "American Idol" there are judges from the industry who rate the performances and give feedback - though none quite so harsh as Simon Cowell - for the first half of the show. This first round is called the "Championship Round" and there were 6 actors who performed monologues that were approximately 3 minutes long. Once they'd all completed their performances, the judges votes were tallied and after a brief intermission, the winner was announced. Then the second half of the show began.

In the second half - anyone in the audience is invited to get up on stage and perform a 30-second monologue. That's right, just 30 seconds. I'd say more than 25 people got up and the range was extremely broad - some good, some really good, some bad, some really, really bad - but even the bad ones were still kinda funny in a way, so the atmosphere was very light and fun. Then the judges picked their 5 favorites and the audience voted for a winner.

And... I won!! And amidst all the congratulations afterwards, and a producer handing me her card - I began to feel a warm sensation of pleasure, satisfaction and joy I hadn't felt in a long time. I was happy!

This means I get a spot in the Championship set next show - May 29th. Pretty exciting. I'll post the details soon. Now I've got my work cut out for me to prep for the show! But that's the kind of work I enjoy - in fact it's one of the two main things that really turn me on!!

Woo hoo!!

And I'm also getting back to seeing as much theater as possible (rather than just going to movies). And that's one of the main reasons I was moved to write here again - that and a little time on my hands. I just had to mention an amazing show that's up right now. An old friend, Alex Lyras, is performing in an Off-Broadway show - and he is hilarious! And the show is both hysterically funny and deeply moving.

It's called "The Common Air" and here's video trailer to give you an idea of what it's about:



The characters are full and rich, the stories are great, and combined with the creative staging and seamless way the pieces fit together - this is truly a masterpiece. Run - don't walk - to see it!

At the risk of shooting my wad here, I also saw "The 39 Steps" last night (which transferred from Broadway to off-B'way) at the New World Stages. I laughed my butt off. Seriously. Check that one out, too.

And I've seen a few other things, including "Love, Loss, And What I Wore" and the taping of the pilot episode of "Beach Lane" a new TV sitcom starring Matthew Broderick. Both of which I enjoyed. And perhaps I'll elaborate on next time. Cuz, damn, this is a long entry already...

Later!

PS: Note to my friends whom I've lost contact with - my apologies, please forgive me and when I call to say hello again, (which I'll probably be doing soon) please don't hang up. Thanks! :)