Last week my musical improv class at ComedySportz had our show. We had a large crowd, including 6 of my supportive friends/family, and my team won. A great night.

If you’re in a regular play, you know exactly what you’re supposed to say and when you’re supposed to move, and after all the rehearsing you pretty much know what everyone else will say and do. The fun and frightening thing about improv is that you never know what character or activity you’ll be called upon to do…and all choices and decisions are made on the spot. In one game, A Day in the Life, an audience volunteer comes on stage and shares the details of his day. Then we perform a musical about that. My team captain had already chosen the two team members who’d take the leading roles, with the 3 remaining playing all other parts.

Our volunteer was a radiologist whose day began by forcing his dog, who’d had a bad weekend, to take medicine. Instantly I knew I should be the dog. A second later, the captain whispered to me that I should play the dog.

So when our “radiologist” called for his dog, Bootsie, I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled to him. I barked. I shook my recently shorn (more on that another day) but still somewhat curly black hair. I thought of Scooby-Doo, who sort of talked in words like ‘ruh-roh,’ and did that. I refused to take my medicine, even when he enticed me with a ball. And, the audience laughed.

In another game, Sideline Karaoke, one member from each team leaves the theatre while audience members suggest songs for the rest of us to silently act out, as in Charades, and for them to guess while singing as if they were at a Karaoke bar. I think this game is one of the hardest, so I hope I never have to be the guesser.

The songs we had to do were You’re So Vain, and two I’d never heard of: Sister Christian and Woop, There it is. For Sister Christian, another woman (who also is short with dark curly hair) and I tried to show that we were sisters by linking arms and pointing to each other. Then we tried to portray nuns. Our team member got that, but couldn’t make the connection to sisters. Then we tried praying, then taking communion while she guessed ‘Catholic’ and other religious things. A guy then tried ‘sounds like fist’, and she guessed the song.

The other team got hung up on Material Girl…she got ‘mat’ when team members drew on the floor, and ‘girl’, but couldn’t get further. My team member amazingly guessed all three.

These examples illustrate some of the benefits of taking improv: enhanced team building and communication skills. Most of us have been taking classes together for almost a year now and have come to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Note to self: figure out how to apply these lessons to every day life.

Yes, faithful readers, yours truly had her first audition for a major motion picture this morning. And not to be a day player–the receptionist, pizza guy, friendly neighbor who has one or two scenes and a few lines–but for a supporting role: the main character’s mother.

I’ve thought for years I could easily handle being a day player, and have tried to get auditions. Anyone who is comfortable in front of the camera and doesn’t quake under the gazes of the director and 40-50 crew members should be able to say, “Right this way, sir” or “Here’s your pizza. That’ll be $18.99.” But actually acting a role with many scenes and extensive interaction with the lead characters is another thing entirely.

Got an email about the audition Tuesday afternoon, the script for part of two scenes followed. Ran out to buy the book. Scanned the very long book the movie is based on for scenes with the mother to learn more about her character. Interestingly, very few descriptions. And it was interesting to see how the scenes appeared in the book and who said the lines vs. the screenplay pages.

Learned the lines and had a friend help me run them over coffee. Pondered and pondered over what to wear…to try to embody the character or not? Printed several sets of directions because there’s so much construction I wasn’t sure which way to go.

When I got there, one of the talent agents rehearsed with me. Very helpful, because it a) made sure I knew the lines and b) helped burn off nerves. Again came the challenge of balancing my theatrical nature with the comedy in the lines and the need to be real. The actual audition simply consisted of doing the scenes on camera with the agent reading the other parts. Then they send the video to the movie people…not like a theater or improv audition where there could be more than 10 people scrutinizing you.

Apparently not very many people are being submitted for this part!!!!!! But I know better than to count a single feather, much less a whole chicken.

No one said to keep this confidential, but I didn’t ask if I could share info either….so I’ll just say that one of today’s most famous teen stars is the lead.

Last week happened to be great, acting wise…but this week loomed with nary an audition or booking on the calendar.

Sunday evening (for some reason my least favorite time of the week) arrived with lots of blanks on my schedule. A couple of lunches with friends, though fun, do not make for a productive week. I have contest entries to judge and could work on a new book, but if at all possible I don’t want to have a week without something developing on the acting front.

Many people, including those behind and following The Secret, believe if you put those good thoughts of what you want out there and believe it will happen, the universe will provide. Well, I’ve been doing that for YEARS about selling a book. Faithful readers know I’m still waiting for “the call.”

It’s a challenge for me to sit back and trust, and rely on all the irons I’ve worked so hard to put in the fire. So I usually tend to take a proactive approach, and find some online auditions to submit to. Remind people I’ve worked with of my existence. Monday, Tuesday…this approach yielded zip. Hmmm. Hard to keep the stress from boiling through the top of my head.

Then on Wednesday:
–a talent agent called with an audition for today.
–got asked to do a quick reshoot later in the week because of a script change.
–tho I wasn’t chosen by a major film director for a scene I’d been asked by an extras casting director to submit for, he’s considering me for another, much smaller scene.

What a lot of good news in one day! On the other hand, the roller coaster continues…

–received another rejection for my newest novel.
–the smaller movie scene conflicts with a commitment I’d made to give a workshop. So do I accept the movie, which I believe could have more impact on my career, and back out/find a replacement for the workshop? Or honor my previous commitment?

The universe giveth, taketh away, and occasionally confuseth…

Scheduling and previous commitments continue to be a bane of my existence. And I’m not getting better at adjusting my time or not being bummed that I can’t do it all and take advantage of every opportunity.

Examples:

1) Overbooked: I was hired for two days of mock trials, something I’ve been interested in doing for several years. Not only is my nephew’s birthday party one of the days, an agent called with an audition for an even better paying gig that would shoot on the other. So I had to say no to the agent and my nephew. Friends/classmates are in a show I want to see but it’s at 11PM the night before the mock trial, which starts at 8:30AM. Of course there were days that week with nothing specific on the calendar.

2) Over-YESsed: I can’t seem to say no when asked to judge writing contests, because I’ve appreciated and benefitted from feedback I’ve received over the years…but each entry takes a lot of time and mental energy. Some days, work for the board of directors I’m on requires immediate and significant attention. My sister asked me to help her with something. My writing group invited me to do a workshop. All things I want to do and enjoy doing.

But adding these activities to auditioning, rehearsals/learning lines, acting jobs, improv class, self-marketing and critiquing friends’ books means many workdays go way beyond 9-5. Which means less time to read the books on my overflowing ‘to be read’ shelf and less time for a social life: two of the reasons I quit my day job in the first place.

Worse, I wonder if I’m using all of these commitments to avoid dealing with more serious issues/projects. Like working diligently on a new book.

Lately I’ve been falling into the trap of believing I have no time. I say, “Oh, I have this, this, this and this I have to do today. And, hmm, I really need groceries. And look, I have a Dr. appointment. And I’d better buy this birthday gift.” Thus whittling away the day with things I do need to do, because I said I would. I need to get back to choosing how I use my time, vs. letting busy-busyness choose.

But what is the best use of my time? How do you decide the best use of yours?

….even when you’re sick. I’ve been stricken with the severe and long-lasting cold/cough that has been making the rounds. But not even the GU (gainfully unemployed) can collapse on their couches without some ramifications. I did engage in much collapsing from Good Friday through the Easter weekend, making my way through copious amounts of TheraFlu, tea and Puffs.

But I had an audition Monday from an agent for a train the trainer video that could not be missed. So whenever I could manage to lever myself off the couch, I laid down the 3 pages of copy on my ear prompter and practiced. An ear prompter, for the uninitiated, is a tape recorder with a news anchor-type earpiece attached. The script plays back in your ear, then you say it. This enables the actor to audition with large amounts of copy without having to memorize it. Try repeating whatever the radio announcer or news anchor says, and you’ll get the idea.

Thanks to the miracles of makeup, I managed to conceal my red nose and make my eyes look less puffy. I drove to the audition and even found a parking space. I must say, it went very well, and the auditioner said she was very pleased, but the client would choose who got the part. I was so happy to get back home and change out of my audition attire into my sweats. Then the phone rang. It was my agent. No way they could they have decided that fast. Maybe he had another audition for me.

Neither of the above.

My audition had been videotaped without sound. Could I go back right away and redo it?

I changed clothes. I drove all the way back. I did the audition again. Not sure it was quite as good…
And I didn’t get the part. Sigh.

Waiting is an inevitable part of the acting (and writing) worlds. You wait to find out if you’ve gotten a part you auditioned for. You wait for agents to send you on auditions. You wait for your paychecks. When you’re an extra, you wait to see if your scene made it into the final film. If not, you wait even longer to see if it shows up in the DVD’s deleted scenes.

In November, 2005, I won an online fan auction and travelled to Lithuania to be a featured extra in Highlander 5: The Source. I had to wait almost 2 years to see if my scene made it in.

In mid-September 2007, the movie finally came out as a SciFi Original. I watched with baited breath. Yes! About 10 minutes in, there is a shot of just me walking away from the new villain, The Guardian.

But what became of the rest of the shots we did, and the interviews I’d done for “the making of” featurette? I had to wait until the DVD just came out a couple of weeks ago. No interviews appeared, which is probably for the best…I was so excited to be there I have no idea what I said. About 52 and a half minutes into the special feature on the making of the movie, lo and behold! There are several shots of me and my three fellow homeless compatriots. And you can see the shot during the entrance of Zai, another character new to the Highlander universe.

For readers who want to know more, my Set Visit Report is still on the Highlander Worldwide Web site.