Friday, July 28, 2006

DC here I come!

Wow, this summer is flying! Amy and I are having an awesome summer tour, and from Broadway shows, to Busch Garden roller coasters, we almost forget this is a job. Looking at next week's schedule, I realized it'll already be August, woah. My goal is to be in DC by September 1st, or closely after. I've had a few auditions since the big "Leagues" in DC, and am psyched to get to work as an actress in the District.

From the looks of it, most of my callbacks are with children theatres (shocking, right!), and so that will most likely be my target for the coming season. I'm certainly not limiting myself to anyting, but if I can find areas in which to continue building my resume and experience, awesome!

It's really exciting to see what some of my colleagues are up to as well! Two guys (James Gardiner & Nick Blaemire) who attended the Overtures workshop at the Kennedy Center with me are having their new play produced via concert reading @ Joe's Pub @ THE PUBLIC THEATRE in NYC. It will be directed by Eric Schaeffer (Signature's artistic director who has directed Sondheim premieres) and will star several Broadway actors. It's called "Ass Backwards", so be on the lookout for the original production. Fortunately, the tour will have me in Middletown, NY that week, so we'll be able to catch the event!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Auditions & Appointments

Summer's been a blast so far! A drive across the country, mostly by myself (interspersed with visits to friends in Chicago and West Virginia), a week on a South Carolina Airforce Base, a week on the Dupont estate of Winterthur in Delaware and last week off in Rhode Island... let the good times roll!

Jenny was my tour partner for a week (in South Carolina) and when not watching "Lost", battling cockroaches, or trying to rig our crazy set, we found time to work out with the airforce guys at the fitness center and meet for dinner with her cousin and her family in the trendy, college town of Columbia. It was great to hear her cousin's story of being a professional actress in the Columbia area prepping to make a move to the Chicago market. Always cool to hear the other paths people have taken, sounds like she's currently finding consistent work in SC, which is encouraging.

My second week found me in Delaware, very close to Philly. I was psyched to be able to catch my good friend Meg's performance at the Arden Theatre on Monday night! After the show, I met my current, amazing new tour partner, Amy. After spending forever waiting on the runway, her plane decided they could pull into the gate and so we left the Philly airport to depart on the rest of the summer together. Immediately, we felt we had known each other for years! Good thing, because I left her the next day for my League audition in Washington, DC. Pumped and ready (physically and emotionally), I gave it my all on the stage at Roundhouse, and I've already heard back from one theater where I'll audition again next week!

The week off in Rhode Island was everything a New England summer should be. Amy had never visited RI, so with her I saw our unique community with a fresh set of eyes. Clam cakes, Del's lemonade, walks down Hope Street where the red, white, & blue stripes were newly painted, brought back hundreds of childhood memories. I was glad to be in town to help my grandmother move, and spend time with much of my family who were in town for the HUGE 4th of July celebration. Amy is sure she is a distant cousin, and we're both psyched that we'll continue to see part of the Arsenault clan in our remaining summer weeks.

Last week, I did receive some concerning news, that I am determined to work through. I have nodules on my throat which have formed over the past year in my vocally demanding position. It's nothing vocal rest and speech pathology cannot solve, but it was a good wake-up call to let me know I need rest more training once tour comes to an end. On a good note though, Julie Andrews and Justin Timberlake have both lived through this experience, so all will be okay, I'm sure!