Old lady debut

Tuesday Bloody Tuesday. I had a short day answering phones at Church Pension Group through one of my trusty temp agencies. Being a temp is quite an interesting experience. There's something that really sucks about coming in to work for a company for a day. Somehow I have difficulty learning everything I need to know about the company in the 2 minutes of "training" I get upon arriving at each assignment. I don't know, call me slow.
I went to the gym after my short day then did some serious line studying for my NY Dinner Theater debut. I can't, for the life of me, remember what I did for the rest of that night. Must've been life-changing.
Wednesday morning I went to coffee with my friend Lauren. It was great to see her. After that I bummed around Sephora trying on makeup for a good two hours. I figured I should probably spend some time getting to know the makeup I was selling. ahaha. My face was raw after all that applying and removing makeup.
Wednesday night I went to see "Legally Blonde" (the musical) on Broadway. It was pretty much like the movie with a few minor differences. The understudy for "Elle Woods" (Reese Witherspoon's part) was in that night. She did a nice job. The girl who normally plays the part, Laura Bell Bundy, was nominated for a Tony Award. I can only imagine what kind of pressure that would bring, being her understudy.
The musical itself was funny. I thought it was really entertaining. I mean it obviously wasn't the most powerful and moving thing I'd ever witnessed but I think it brought justice to the new wave of widely criticised movies turned musicals.
I also loved the guy who played "Emmett" (Luke Wilson in the movie). I think his names Christian Boyle. I saw him in Spamalot last summer and he was amazing. He's so funny. I love how natural he is on stage. He did so much with a part in "Legally Blonde" that could easily have fallen flat. He made the audience fall in love with him so when Elle Woods fell in love with him, it was that much sweeter.
Thursday I worked a LONG shift at Sephora. After that I took the express train to my C.S. Lewis reading group where we're studying "Mere Christianity." I'm still learning a lot it's just such heady reading that I find myself getting lost. It's so hard to focus on something for a long time in this city. It feels like life's moving too fast to take time out to comprehend the subject matter. I'm trying though.
Friday I spent the day getting ready for my performance in "Let's Kill the Boss." I studied my lines and otherwise got myself ready. I was so nervous and excited. The show was in New Jersey so the whole cast traveled in one car (6 people) to the site. It was a great bonding time for us. My fellow cast members are hilarious. We ran lines and got to know each other's sense of humor along the way.
We performed for a crowd of about 250 people that night. The audience was great. I'm so glad they were because the interactive part would've been torture had they not. It was a corporate party with a lot of older people so I felt a tinsy bit awkward as I was playing an older woman. I was afraid they'd resent me, playing an old woman.
The show went really well. I didn't forget a single line or any blocking. Yay! The cast, other than myself, had been performing this show together for a long time now so I didn't want to come in and mess them all up. It went off without a hitch. We worked together really well. I'm so lucky to be working with them.
The show's a murder mystery and most of the audience thought I did the murdering. I thought that was hilarious. I didn't, by the way.
We're encouraged to improvise so I walked around to the tables during breaks between acts and that's when the older folks said stuff like: "You're the youngest one in the cast aren't you?" Yes I am, but I responded with some comment about a miracle face cream that makes me look young. I stayed in character although they really enjoyed trying to get me to break. "You have a young face" "Do you use Avon?" "Your osteoporosis really showed." "Don't ruin that pretty face with the sun" ok. Good advice. "Did you study pantomime? You do a good job at it!" (This from a little old man whom I'm pretty sure meant acting. Did you study acting?)
Also, I didn't know I'd bring the house down when I used one lady's walker to exit the stage after the show. I think I filled some Depends with that one. Sorry, that was inappropriate. All this to say that playing an old person for a crowd of old people can actually be a lot of fun. You just have to be careful not to offend.
After the show the whole cast rode back to NYC together. That was a trip. You couldn't pay me to drive in the city. Ok, maybe you could but it would have to be a small fortune.
Alright, my first performance is complete so now I can relax a bit. I got a call from the producer of the NY Dinner Theater telling me she was pleased with my performance. Yay! I get to keep my job! :)
I have another show soon but before then I perform in a different show through the same company. (The Sopranos spoof) That's next week so I'll be rehearsing for that over the next few days.
Saturday I saw the movie "Dan in Real Life" with my friend Annie. We went to the cheap ticket matinee at AMC theaters. I really like the theater we saw the movie in. It was huge and there was a mezzanine level. We sat in the mezzanine level and I think seeing a movie from that vantage point is a better view than the usual orchestra level. Give it a shot if you get the chance.
The movie was adorable. I loved the cast. Steve Carell was just great. He's so easy to like on screen. Well, if you get a chance, see it.
After the movie we ate lunch at some sort of Oodles of Noodles place. Then we went to a bar called "Time Out" and joined other NYC U of O fans for a viewing party of the U of O vs. USC game. There were a bunch of people there supporting the team. Everyone, including me, wore U of O gear and cheered for the Ducks as if we were in Autzen Stadium (loudly). The game was very entertaining. I got so nervous for the Ducks though. There were some close calls but they ended up beating USC 24-17(Holla)!
I met a bunch of Oregonians now living in NYC with a common interest: The Ducks. I can't think of a better way to have spent a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Now I'm enjoying a mocha at Esparks Coffee where they finally have Wifi again. (It was down for 4 painful days). I'm sitting near the window watching grown adults walk by in odd looking Halloween costumes. Just a little premature Halloween partying going on here in Queens. I'll be attending some sort of horror fest(aka lower Manhattan)on the real Halloween. Should be a scary time.
Other festivities planned for Halloween include an appointment to have an Internet connection installed in our apartment. So I will have a more reliable source soon. I look forward to that, not that I don't enjoy Esparks's mochas.

Let's try this again.

Alright, I finally wised up and wrote this entry on my laptop BEFORE I came to the coffee shop. The coffee shop that likes to conveniently close before I’m done writing. Duh. Why didn’t I think of that before?
Let’s see I was writing about playing a prehistoric Italian woman in a 2.5 hour play/improv and how much fun I thought it was going to be. Yah, I’m having fun with that. The cast is a riot. The guy who plays the equivalent to Tony Soprano is straight out of Jersey. He’s great. I’d go so far as to say that James Gandolfini should be this guy’s understudy.
After rehearsal I called my Dad and talked to him as I walked around the Times Square area. We decided to see if there was a live web cam in Times Square that he could see me on from home in Oregon. We found one and he actually could see me. I got to wave at him through the miracle of modern technology. That was fun, I highly recommend it. If you’d like me to wave at you from Times Square give me a call will arrange a meeting time. Haha. No really.
Thursday I got up early and went to work at Sephora. It was a good day. I was there for a LONG time though. My keen sense of observation tells me that they were short people this week. I won’t be working that much in the future. I gots to audition!
Thursday night I went to dinner with my friend Jana and then we went to see a play. We saw Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway. It starred Kevin Kline as “Cyrano” and Jennifer Garner as “Roxanne.” Kevin Kline was great. He handled the heightened language with such ease. His spot-on comedic timing really shown through in this role. Jennifer had moments of great work but I don’t think she was very consistent. I think she definitely has promise as a stage actor though. The set, costume, and lighting designs were beautiful. It took place in France in about the mid-1700s. I thought it looked very realistic or at least like they’d done their research.
After the play I was a weepy mess. I was moved. Every so often something gets me. Who knows? I thought the play itself was incredible. I think it’s just about my favorite play now. If you get a chance, pick up a copy at your local library. But you don’t have to take my word for it…yes, that was a blatant Reading Rainbow reference.
Jana and I stood outside the stage door after the show. Kevin Kline didn’t come out to greet fans but Jennifer Garner did. She was very gracious and generous with her time. She’s beautiful up close (no surprise). I was too far back in the crowd to meet her but I liked that I could still tell that she was handling fame with grace and poise. She’s a class act. There was no sign of Ben Affleck though. Bummer.
Friday I went to the gym, did some laundry, and picked up ANOTHER can of paint. Last one I hope. I went back to my apartment and painted for about 8 solid hours. I realize that that sounds like a bit much but I had to use about 3-3.5 coats of primer and actual paint. My walls suck. My freakin’ walls are finally covered. Now I gotta get the grey smoke stained ceiling. AAAHH!! Damn cancer sticks.
Saturday I woke up early and did a tiny bit more painting and then grabbed lunch with my friend Annie. We hit up the CPK. That’s California Pizza Kitchen for the layman. It was tasty.
After that, I’ll be honest, I bought another can of paint. We’re on a first name basis at Home Depot these days. This time I bought ceiling paint. I’m sadly ashamed that I need so much stinking paint. I didn’t go directly to my apartment to paint this time though.
I had a rehearsal with my director to go through my blocking for “The Soapranos.”
After we went through the show I went to Long Island to watch a performance of the same show. The shows I’m joining the cast of are already playing in sort of an ongoing engagement. I’m just replacing actors so there is already a set cast I get to join.
The show was very entertaining. I liked what the gal did who plays the part I will be taking over. I’m excited to put my own spin on it though. I don’t really know how to describe the show but I’ll put it this way: dinner theatre + fun audience members + alcohol= one crazy night. I’m really stoked about this opportunity. I’m gonna have some fun. I start with the cast on November 3.
After the show Saturday night I took the train back to Manhattan. In the LIRR station I ran into Rob from the MTV show Rob and Big. I recognized him as I was walking by him. He was with a crowd of people and it looked like he was rushing to catch a train so I didn’t get to talk to him. I really wanted to though. I love that show. He and “Big” are unbearably funny.
Sunday morning I went to church. My friend Courtney from college came with me. I was really happy she wanted to come with me. She met some of my friends from church and I hope she’ll come back again.
Sunday afternoon I went to work. I had my first day as a “Color Consultant.” Which is Sephora talk for “makeup artist.” Considering that I had zero training on Sephora brands I think I handled things quite well. My co-workers complimented me on how well I handled clients and answered questions. It was actually really fun. While I don’t know half of what I need to know there, I feel like I know enough for a good starting point.
Sunday night after work my new roommate Lebeka moved in! She's a really nice girl that I get along with swimmingly. So now our apartment is complete. There are three of us and we're like a little family. We're having fun turning our cozy little apartment into a home.
Monday I worked at Sephora for 8 hours. I went to the gym after that then went home and crashed.
Alright, NOW I'm up to date!

Where was I...

I'm back in what's quickly becoming my favorite little hang out. Because my living room has no furniture and I currently sleep on a borrowed air mattress, coming to the comfy couches of the Eparks Cafe is the highlight of my evening. One tall hot coco and I'm a happy little internet surfer. I have no shame.
Did you know that if you're on a community wifi account(wireless free internet)and you have iTunes, you can listen to other people's iTunes music libraries(that are on the same wifi account)? I just discovered this and I'm enjoying someone else's extensive music library. It's awesome! And free. It is a bit distracting from the task at hand, however. I really need to get this thing up to date.
Ok where was I? I believe I just left the Salvation Army on Monday afternoon. Monday evening I went to my first rehearsal for the New York Dinner Theater. I went to my director's house and we sat and talked through the show. I'll only have one rehearsal with (almost) the whole cast so we thought it'd be good to meet up and discuss my blocking. It was a very productive first meeting and I felt better prepared for my short rehearsal schedule.
Tuesday morning I went to my second day of Sephora training. Again we met at Sephora University on 34th. ahaha.
It was a very informative 8 hour day complete with role playing and free lunch. I liked the role plays. I got to play the part of various customers and, of course, Sephora "cast member." We learned all about Sephora and I love how much confidence all this training is giving me. I would hate to sell cosmetics at a company I didn't like. I really feel like they take care of their employees. That's refreshing.
After the day at training I took a train to Long Island (via LIRR) where we where rehearsing. At the train station the producer picked me and some other cast members up and took us to the theater. The theatre was in a rural area with a good old American strip mall. It had been a while since I was anywhere rural. I also managed to look up at the sky and see the stars. It was like coming out of a cave after hibernation. With the all the huge buildings and hustle of the city you forget to look up and see the sky. I took a moment to enjoy what so many take for granted: a view of the stars.
I met my fellow cast members for "Let's Kill the Boss." I'll be joining them in a performance next weekend. They are hilarious and really wonderful. They made me feel right at home. They also made me feel more comfortable. I do, after all, have to memorize the blocking and lines for an entire play in one week. I also get to perform after just one quick, basic rehearsal. Instead of having a panic attack (because what would that accomplish after all?), I feel safe in the company of this great cast.
We rehearsed in, well, I'd call it an adult Chuck E' Cheese. It was a "Dave & Busters." Great space to perform in though. There were pool tables, bowling lanes, dancing, video games, and all sorts of fun stuff to do. Since it was a Monday night it was a little slow. I didn't really notice, I promise, I was rehearsing.
The producer bought us all some grub and drinks and we all had a fun, crazy rehearsal. I hope to GOD I'm ready by next Friday.
On the train ride home I had a hilarious discussion on the best comedies of all time. It was a heated debate. Not really, we just laughed a lot and quoted our favorite comedians. All the more reason to love the cast, we can talk forever about funny movies. Good times.
Wednesday I had my last day of training at SU. We had cashier training. I learned all about how Sephora cash registers work. I discovered that the only thing I won't enjoy is processing product returns. They are a pain with a giant paper trail. Nightmare.
After the training, I called my store and asked what my schedule would be like for the next week as I was now done training. When I finally got through to someone they asked me to come in right then. "Right now? Uh, I don't..have...my...uniform," I was caught a little off guard. But I hopped the train and went to work. I just jumped right in as it was BUSY and they needed extra hands. I had fun. I think I did pretty well too. It was all that good training, I'm telling you.
After work I went to another rehearsal for NY Dinner Theater. This time it was for the Sopranos spoof. It was a whole new cast of fun people. We played improv games and read through the script. It's going to be easier than the murder mystery ("Let's Kill the Boss"). I have fewer lines in this one and I get to improv most of the time. I love it, improv as an old-as-dirt Italian woman. This is going to be too fun!

Dang it! The coffee shop's closing. To be continued...again...

Makes One Weak.

I finally have internet access! Unfortunately it's only temporary. I'm in the "Esparks Cafe" near my apartment in Astoria. I get free internet access if I buy a coffee, of course. Well, I bought one, and now I'm finally on the internet after over a week of being without it. I never realized how much I rely on it. Kinda scary.
I had to wrestle with my computer for an hour before it accepted the new connection but I'm finally here. I'm proud that I was able to actually figure it out. I was so frustrated that I was about to bounce my computer off the ground but I decided that it wouldn't fix my plight.
I also resisted the urge to take down an old man who unplugged my computer thus causing it to shut down. He just reached down and unplugged my computer. Just like that. If he wasn't an old fart with no clue what he'd done I would've tackled him right here in the coffee shop to the smooth sounds of Louis Armstrong in the background.
Ok, back to the update, I have only a few minutes before the pleasant little coffee shop closes down and I have one busy week to write about.
Let's see. Last Friday I worked my last day at Juice Pharma Advertising. It was a great place to do some temp work. Answering phones, greeting "clients," and smiling at employees as they passed me to visit the restroom. And boy did they use the restroom. haha.
After work Friday I went to Sephora in Union Square to fill out my "new hire" paperwork. I'm officially a Sephora "castmember" as they say. I hope I filled everything out correctly. All those tax forms confuse the heck out of me.
Um, Friday night, I uh, what did I do? I think I painted my room some more? I can't remember for the life of me what I did.
Saturday I went to a church membership meeting at Kings College in the Empire State Building. It was a meeting for anyone at me church who decided they might want to be a member of the church. It was cool going to the Empire State Building with actual business and not just as a tourist. It being Saturday tere were tons of tourists in line to go to the top of the building and check out the view. It was a perfect day for it too. Nice and clear. I also got a kick out of all the double decker tour buses passing by the building. I felt like waving at them and saying, "Yes, I'm going in for a meeting. Official business. Aren't I cool?"
The actual meeting was very informative. Afterwards, I decided to become a member of Apostles Church. I'm really excited about it. I think it's exactly what I need in my life. It will help me get involved in the city in the right way. A Christian way.
Saturday afternoon/evening I bummed around Union Square with my friend Courtney. We checked out the many art vendors, Strand Bookstore (It's like Powell's), and learned about a sculpture from a very informative man who was collecting money for the homeless. There's a very recognizable sculpture thing on the side of a building in Union Square, and Courtney and I had no idea what it was supposed to be. The man saw us gawking at it and speculating and decided to school us. After about a 10 minute speech, we were very informed and inspired to donate to his worthy cause. I sure felt like a goof though because he was talking REALLY loud at us like we were hard of hearing or something so the masses stared at us as they walked by. We played along though. I now know everything I could ever wish to know about the lunar statue off Union Square. Come visit, I'll fill you in.
Saturday night I went and bought more paint supplies. This project is costing me a sweet dollar but I think it'll be pretty when I'm all finished.
I got home pretty late, had a chat with my apartment mate Kelly, and crashed. At least, I think that's what I did. All these paint fumes are depleting my memory.
Sunday morning I went to church in Central Park. Apostles met on the Great Lawn in the middle of the park. It was an absolutely gorgeous autumn day. I got to worship in the park and visit with my new friends from church.
Sunday afternoon I went to the gym, then I got to painting. I painted all afternoon and evening. I was still not done at the end of the night. Ridiculous.
Monday morning I got up early and went to my first day of training for Sephora. We met at the 34th street/Herald Square store. They have a training school in the upstairs of the store. We had training on company policies and loss prevention. I felt so informed! I've never worked for a company that spent so much time educating their employees. It was great. And I got paid for it!
After training, I ran some errands, and did a little shopping. I went to the bank, visited the library and got two new books to read: "The Secret Life of Bees," and "Flowers for Algernon." I was gonna check out "Eat, Pray, Love," because I heard it was great. There were a mere 1,036 holds on it though. (holy crap) I thought I'd be better off checking something else out. That's New York for ya.
I went to my temp agency and dropped off my old time sheets and picked up my paycheck. I went to the bank a second time and deposited it. I think I threw the teller off coming in for a second time in one hour. He looked at me like I was about to rob the bank.
I had no cooking supplies so I figured I should buy some. The Salvation Army had some nice silverware, pots, and pans. I had my hands full by the time I was done shopping. The store was hilarious. It was all I could do not to laugh at the employees yelling across the store, talking crap about customers, and saying things like, "My baby's Daddy ain't paid me yet this month!" Yikes. I bought my merch and bolted before I laughed out loud. I didn't want to get shot at.
Has anyone else ever been to a Salvation Army where they price the junk as you buy it? I was a little taken aback when Shaniqua tried to charge me $3.99 for a used silverware drawer organizer. Girlfriend, it's used, not Gucci. I passed that one up.

Alright, the coffee shops closing. Gotta go.

To be continued...

A move in the right direction.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to an audition right before I left for Rhode Island. It was a tight fit in my schedule but it worked! I had sent out my resume and headshot to a theatre that was participating in a One-Act Festival with an original One-Act play called, "One Good Thing." They called me in to read for a couple different roles. The audition was Saturday at 11:15am and my bus for Rhode Island left at 12:30pm. Thankfully the bus depot was only two blocks from the audition site.

The actual audition went well. They had me stick around longer to read more for the character "Rita." She's an interesting character: young lady trapped in a dead end marriage. I could relate to her wit so I think they liked that I had the timing for it. Right after I finished reading I hustled up the street to hop on the bus.

I had a heck of a time finding where I was supposed to catch the bus, however. The station is huge and it has hundreds of departure gates and very few signs to tell you where to go. I asked a couple Greyhound employees (of the few I could find) for help with directions. They were rude to me right off the bat and I thought, "Wow. This is going to be a fun trip."

When I finally found my gate, I had made it with 20 minutes to spare, thankfully. I set my backpack and pillow down and got my tickets out to board. To save time, I came to the station on Friday night and printed my tickets out. The tickets, receipt and itinerary all came in one long strip of paper so I detached my departure ticket and got ready to board. When I handed over my ticket to the driver he yelled at me for detaching the ticket from the other papers. I was so embarrassed because he treated me like a fool and screamed at me in front of the other passengers. I had NO IDEA that I wasn't supposed to detach my tickets. What the hell kind of sense does that make??? Moral of the story: if you should make the unfortunate decision to ride Greyhound do not, DO NOT detach your tickets, itinerary, and receipt unless you wish to be harassed and treated like an idiot.

The trip itself took over 6 hours. My itinerary said I was going to be in Providence, RI at 4:55pm. I didn't arrive until after 6pm. No reason for the delay, just another reason not to ride Greyhound. We had scheduled stops along the way at two different Indian reservation casinos in New Jersey and Connecticut and in New London, CT. It was funny to see all the weekend getaway travelers making their way to the mega casino resorts.

When I got to Providence I had a phone message from the director of the One-Act I had auditioned for earlier. They wanted to call me back to read for the part of "Rita" again. The only problem was that they wanted me to come in on Sunday morning. I was not going to be back from RI until Sunday night. I called her back and apologized (even though I warned her before I auditioned that I wouldn't be able to make the callback). She didn't answer so I left her a message. I think that was the end of it because I haven't heard back from her. Oh well.

I called Pattie and she came and found me near the bus station. She took me back to the restaurant where she and Megan were eating dinner. It was an Irish Pub called "Ri Ra's," and we at some dinner. We got to catch up for a while before Pattie had to go get ready for her show.

At 8pm I saw Pattie perform in Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real." It was put on by all the second year MFA actors at Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium. The play is one of Williams' more abstract plays and was a little hard to follow. I thought the group did a commendable job tackling the tough script. It was great to see Pattie on stage again after I hadn't seen her in so long.

After the show Pattie, Megan, and I went to the Trinity Brewhouse with the other cast members and had a drink. I really liked the pub it was very homey and reminded me of a McMenamins spot. I got to meet a lot of the cast members and other Brown/Trinity Rep students. It was really fun to get to hear about their experiences in the MFA program at Brown because it is such a famous program.

For the rest of the night (and well into the morning) Pattie, Megan, and I stayed up and had a slumber party. It was so fun to be around those girls again. I sure missed them. We stayed over at Pattie's apartment in Providence. I really liked her apartment. Pattie has put a lot of work into it and it is very cozy.

Sunday morning I said goodbye to Pattie because she had to get back to her busy MFA actor life. Megan and I walked around Providence a bit. We got to see some of the Brown campus and the surrounding area. We ate lunch at a restaurant called "The Meeting Street Cafe." It was very busy and smelled great inside. It reminded me of the smell of Thanksgiving Dinner. Aptly I ordered the Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich. It was a huge sandwich that they put stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, tomato and lettuce on. It was probably the best sandwich I've ever had. It was so big I had leftovers, just like after Thanksgiving. haha

Megan and I walked around some more and visited the Brown University Bookstore. I promptly bought $10 worth of postcards. I'm a total nerd but it was worth it to me. Rhode Island is very pretty. I also liked the Brown shirts that said, "This is my Brown shirt" on them.

Pretty soon it was time to go downtown to the bus station and head back to NYC. Megan and I grabbed some Starbucks and I got on my bus and she got on her train and headed back to Boston. I think I'll go visit her next.

One obnoxiously long bus ride later I was back in NYC. On the way back we stopped at the casinos again, picking up the gamblers and their dough (or lack their of). I also got to enjoy my leftover turkey sandwich that was delicious, again.

When I got back to the Port Authority bus depot I ran to the subway and jetted back to Astoria. I was supposed to meet up with a potential roommate. I got back late but got to meet her anyway. She was very nice and I think I wouldn't mind sharing a room with her. I didn't want to make a decision that night though and I was exhausted from the trip. I reorganized myself for the week and went to bed.

On Monday morning I got up early and dropped off my timesheet at my temp agency so I could get paid. At 11am I had my third and final interview at Sephora. I met with the store director and it went very well. They're looking at me for a makeup artist position. I think it sounds like fun!

After my interview I went uptown to audition for Disney Cruiselines. They posted an open audition for performers of all ethnicities so I thought I'd give it a shot. Because of my interview I had to sign up later for the audition. That basically meant that I had to sit around all afternoon. What's new?

I finally got to sing my 16 bars. I thought it went quite well probably because I had all afternoon to warm up. I jumped around to all the empty rooms at the studio warming my voice up. I finished my audition and found out that they were only calling back people with an "ethnic look." They didn't specify that in their posting and then didn't tell us at the audition. So tons of white kids sat around all afternoon, sang their best, and had not a single chance of getting called back. I was a little peeved. Hopefully it wasn't a total waste of time, they do have my info on file now. Misleading casting notices are more common than I care to think about.

Monday night I went to the gym, talked on the phone to some friends, did some work around the new apartment, and enjoyed the rest of Columbus Day. haha.

Tuesday morning I had a job at Church Pension Group through my temp agency. I was working reception for the entire NY branch of the company which is over 300 employees. Heavy call volume. I sounded like a broken record but it was fun. I got calls from all over the US and some of them were hilarious. I swear some people still don't know what a phone is and what it does. I liked how the company had their phones set up. I got to wear a headset and all the calls where run through computer software called "Softconsole". When a phone call came in it beeped in my ear, I clicked on the call on the computer screen, talked to them, and then typed in where to transfer them to. All on the computer! I had fun doing that for the day but I can see how it might get a little old after years of doing it. That's why I like temp agencies.

Tuesday night I ran a ton of errands. I needed more headshot/resume combos so I hit up the Kinko's next to Bryant Park. Bryant Park is where they have Fashion Week and the big Project Runway finales. I always like thinking of that when I walk by the park. I did some banking and made a bunch of phone calls.

I had a message from a lady from the New York Dinner Theatre. When I called her back she offered me my first paying theatre gig in the city. I officially have a job in the theatre!!! I'm so excited. She offered me two roles in two shows she produces. One is called "The Soapranos" and it's a spoof on the Sopranos TV show. It's hilarious and she wants me to play the part of Mama Soaprano. (That's the part I read for in auditions). The other part is in a murder mystery called "Let's Kill the Boss." I get to play a librarian who's been married 10 times. (Another funny one). We start rehearsals really soon and I'll be performing in both shows on and off between now and December 31st. The shows will be in varying locations in NYC and nearby New Jersey. A lot of times we'll get a booking to come to an office party event and we'll take the show on the road. I'm excited because I'll be reimbursed for any traveling I have to do and I am getting paid per show on top of that. It's a pretty cool deal for a first job in the city.

Later on in the evening I had another potential roommate come check out the room. It turned out to be a waste of time because she failed to read the ad for the room and didn't realize it was a room to share. Duh. I made it really clear in the ad, and I'm totally annoyed to have my time wasted by someone who's too irresponsible to read.

When she left I went to the gym then came back and talked to mom and dad. That's about all for Tuesday.

Wednesday I spent the entire day painting and cleaning my room. I bought some primer and went over most of the room. I also spent over an hour cleaning the blinds. Apparently no one has cleaned them since the beginning of time and a smoker lived in the room. They were absolutely disgusting. I scrubbed them like crazy and now I have clean blinds. Ok, I have one set of clean blinds. I still have one more to clean. My windows look like a "before and after" shot. I was surprised to find out that they are white under all that crap.

In the midst of my fixin' up I had yet another potential roommate come by. She seemed very nice. I think I'm done looking for roommates now. I have a tough decision to make.

While I was working all day, I felt like my phone was ringing off the hook. Random. I had calls from Sephora, NY Dinner Theatre, Mom, a random guy who wanted me to babysit, my temp agency, friends. I felt so popular. haha. I think all the calls I've been making finally got returned. All in one day. Have you ever had that happen? Definitely makes you feel special.

Sephora finally got a hold of my references and left me a message that they would like to hire me. I'm gonna call them today and find out what they want to "offer me." I am so blessed. I'll let you know what happens.

Finally, after a long day's work in my room, I was excited to see it taking shape. I cleaned up my mess, propped open my windows, and went to bed.

Today,(Thursday), I'm working at Juice Pharma Advertising again. That's all for now!

Just a little update

So I hardly have internet access unless it's through a temp job so I thought I'd give a brief update.

Wednesday night after what turned out to be really relaxed, fun day at Juice Pharma Ad Agency, I went to Home Depot. It's kind of funny visiting a Home Depot in the heart of New York City. They have everything a standard Home Depot has you just have to have the big stuff delivered to you because there's no way you're pulling a big old 4x4 up to a loading dock in NYC.

I bought a bunch of painting supplies and tools to prep my room, (and the rest of the apartment), for a much needed coat of paint. I hauled my purchases around while I went to the gym before I headed home to Astoria.

By the time I got to the apartment it was pretty late and I had an early audition so I showered and went to bed (which is an air mattress on the floor of my room in case you were wondering).

At 6am Thursday morning I was up and getting ready to audition for a touring production of the musical "Little Women." They were searching for some understudies as well as a couple of regular lead roles. There where over 300 girls there of every size shape and color imaginable. I pity the people casting this production. I was number 143 on the sign up list because I had to wait for the stinkin' subway. My commute isn't bad but on mornings of early auditions it kills me because even when I get up early I'm still far down on the sign up.

The audition didn't even start until 10am so I had a lot of time to sit around, read, eavesdrop and bs with the other auditonees. It was alright but I was so tired I felt like my eyes where gonna roll back into my head. I have been reading that book "Skinny Dip" it's hilarious and a pretty quick read, if anyone's interested?

So at about 9:30am some representatives from the touring company told us all (All 300+ that were smashed into a small holding room and the hallway) that we were going to be typed. Since they are a non-equity touring production, they decided to type all the auditionees to save time. "Typing" means they brought us into a room 40 at a time, had us stand in rows and looked us up and down, scanned our headshots and resumes and decided if they wanted us to stick around and sing for them. They had a pretty good idea of what they were looking for for "Little Women" so they were able to scan us over quickly and say "yes" or "no."

It made me a little nervous. I've never been typed quite like that before, it was basically what some actors call a "cattle call." When my line was up I tried to look as "Little Womenee" as possible and I tried to stand like I always see celebrities standing on the red carpet. haha.

Well whatever I did worked because they had me stick around and sing. Thank God. Had I gotten up at 6am just to be typed out I would've been so disappointed.

I waited around and warmed up for a couple HOURS. Then I finally got to sing. The accompanist was the worst I've sang with here in New York but I was still able to pull off a nice 16 bars for the casting directors. A couple of girls were nearly in tears because they felt like the accompanist blew the audition for them. My rule? Just keep singing. No one's gonna rain on my parade when I woke up at 6am and wait nearly 4.5 hours to sing 16 bars. Sink or swim!? haha

After my little ditty, the directors and accompanist complimented my singing and I was done. I've noticed a trend: "Wow, what a lovely voice."... not cast. Well, I have a lovely voice. How about that? One day I'll get cast. :)

I don't know if I'll be cast in the production of "Little Women." It seemed like they were looking for 'Beth' and 'Amy' types after a while of sitting and observing. I'm not really either based on first impressions. But who knows? Stranger things have happened.

After that I went to my callback audition on Long Island for the Sopranos spoof dinner theatre. I got to take the LIRR (Long Island Railroad). That was an adventure. I had to take the subway to Penn Station (West Manhattan) then transfer to the LIRR trains. It reminded me of taking the train all over the UK when I studied abroad. I was a little surprised/annoyed with how slow those trains travel. Just like in the UK.

I arrived in Manahasset Long Island which is a cute, quaint little town where the callback was being held. The theatre was located right off the train station (thankfully). The callback went really well. It was a lot of fun. I got to play a really old Italian woman with a foul mouth. It was a blast. I read from the script with other characters and then they had us improv as the characters for a while. I thought it went well. We all had a good laugh, that's for sure. I'll know about the casting for that show by the middle of next week.

After the audish I took the LIRR back to Manhattan and train hopped up to the Upper East Side for my Community Group Meeting. I was pretty late to the meeting but I still got to discuss the part of "Mere Christianity" we read for this week. The book is really incredible and inspirational. Also, I really like the people in my group. We're becoming fast friends. :)

I finally got back to my apartment at 11:30pm Thursday night. What a long day. I talked to my parents and Kelly for a while then promptly passed out.

I got up and went to work at Juice Pharma Advertising again today. (Great name huh?) 'Nother good day at work. Now it's time for the weekend. Apparently they like me there because they want me to come back. I thought that was nice. I'm gonna come back next week when I can but auditions are my first priority. They're really understanding and encouraging which is nice.

I'm traveling up to Rhode Island this weekend to see my friend Pattie in a show she's in at Brown/Trinity Rep. She's a graduate acting student at Brown. I'm so proud of her and I can't wait to see her performance! She's a close friend of mine from Evansville. Also, our friend Megan from Evansville is coming into town to see the show as well so we're gonna have a little party. I can't wait!

Well it's Friday night, I think I'm gonna go get my party on.

Busy busy busy

Sunday I got up early and helped set up at church. I am now part of the "load-in team." Since the church doesn't have its own space we set up and tear down every Sunday morning at P.S. 6 (Public School 6, they number their schools in NYC, personal huh?). I had fun doing that. Although it was early I liked getting to meet a bunch of people and talking with people I just met at church.

After church I went back to my apartment on the Upper East Side, ate a quick lunch, and got my suitcases and box of my stuff ready to move to my new place in Astoria. I went downstairs, hailed a cab, and with the help of my roommate Murph, I loaded my stuff into the cab.

A short cab ride later I was at my new apartment. I unloaded all my junk and hauled it up the stairs. After I recovered I spent the next several hours scrubbing the kitchen clean with my new ropmmate Kelly. We also met several prospective roommates. We haven't found anyone yet but we will have a third roommate sometime soon.

I really like the new apartment and the kitchen looks great after Kelly and I gave it a good deep cleaning.

After we were thoroughly exhausted from cleaning, we ate some dinner and called it a night. I still had an overnight bag at my old apartment so I spent one last night over there.

Monday I got up REALLY early to get my workout out of the way because I was gonna be busy for the rest of the day. I actually got to work and earn some income. I worked at the Conde Nast building all day. (Through a temp agency). It was the inspiration for "The Devil Wears Prada" as it is where nearly every major magazine in America is created each month. The building itself is the 40th tallest in the world and it's in the heart of Times Square. I felt pretty cool going to work there. I ended up working on the finishing touches for a benefit dinner Conde Nast was having. It was neat to see who was on the guest list, lots of rich, famous people.

After work I bought some fall clothes. It's about time for warmer clothes. Not quite though. It's still hot and muggy for the most part.

That night I transfered the rest of my stuff over to my new apartment via the subway. I made two trips and sorely under estimated what a difficult task it was going to be. At the apartment we met with our landlord and signed the lease to our new apartment! We were both very excited. After that we did some cleaning and daydreaming about what we could do with the space. It's a really neat apartment and I'm so excited to be living there. It's in a very safe neighborhood with everything I need nearby and is only a short subway ride into Manhattan.

Tuesday morning I went to a job interview at Sephora (my second interview). The interview couldn't have gone better and I have one final interview before they decide if they'd like to hire me. I'm pretty happy with the prospect of working there. I learned a lot more about the company and what opportunities there are for me there. I think it would be great to work for them.

After my interview I went to the Mid-Manhattan library which is a branch of New York Public Libraries. It's kind of funny. In Midtown Manhattan there's a huge, beautiful library building that was built by the Astors and a bunch of other rich people a long time ago. It's a big tourist attraction and is architecturally beautiful. The funny thing about it is that it's a library you can't check books out of. It's just a resource library that, to me, seems like it's there mainly for show. "Hey we have a pretty library here in NYC come admire it but don't take any books."

After being disappointed that I couldn't find any books to take from the big fancy "library," I was directed to another library by some very nice old ladies that were proud library volunteers. The other one I was sent to was just down the block and across the street from the nice library. It was the Mid-Manhattan library and was the one I could actually find a book to read at. This library was old school and needed a serious renovation. There were tons of people inside and a lot more books. It was rather shotty looking but it was the REAL library. The moral of the story: If you go to New York and visit the library all the tourists are visiting, don't think it's the real library, it's just a "front." You wanna see a real New York library? Walk down the block and cross the street. haha.

Ok after all that I got two new books to read: "Skinny Dip" by Carl Hiaasen (recommended by Mom, I think?) and "New York Dirt Cheap or Free." I got that one so I could start having an inexpensive social life.

Then I walked across town to my audition for the New York Dinner Theater. They are putting on a spoof of "The Sopranos" T.V. show. All I had to do was read a "side" in a thick Italian accent. They apparently liked me because they invited me to a callback audition on Thursday night, so that was pretty cool. The side I read was hilarious, a little crude, but very Long Island.

After my audition I went to the gym then to my apartment. I spent the rest of the night prepping my room for a coat of paint, cleaning, making dinner, and grocery shopping. The groceries are so much cheaper here than in Manhattan. Thank God.

I was exhausted Tuesday night so I went to bed relatively early. That's probably a good thing considering that I was woke up this morning (Wednesday) by one of my temp agencies wanting to know if I could work. Well, I could, so now I'm on my lunch break at the "Juicepharma Advertising" firm. (They are a pharmaceutical ad agency). So far so good.

Just keeping busy.