★ News from September 2001:
Summer 2001 had its usual NYC slow-summer charm, as very little was on in the way of work. This, complicated with a looming SAG strike which made July a "frigid" month as no productions were working as a precaution. But here are some of the things I've had cooking this summer.
1. Organatron: Organic Improv @ UCB
On Wednesdays September 12 & 19 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC, I will be performing with my Level 4 classmates in Organatron, directed by Billy Merritt.
Organic improvisation is a somewhat free-form, abstract improv when you see it. It is truly an artform, as it involves about 15 people onstage improvising together as a group, the product of which hits the audience on many different levels. It has a great experimental feel to it, and should be a lot of fun to watch since it's something which hasn't been seen anywhere!
Let me know if you're coming!
Organatron
Wednesdays, 9/12/01 & 9/19/01
11pm
@ The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater
161 W. 22nd St. (between 6/7th Aves.)
New York City
$5 (shows should run under an hour)
Reservations: (212) 366-9176
2. Callbacks
Of the small handful of auditions I had this summer, I did have a couple callbacks, including one from one of these Equity Principal Auditions I go on. For these EPAs, I will get up at about 5:15am to wait outside in a line until 8am for a time slot. Most of these EPAs are fruitless for immediate work, as they are auditions required of shows or theaters by the actors' union to assure they are opening their eyes to actors outside their immediate vision. I go mostly for the opportunity to be seen by casting directors, but still the auditions can get old. After a year of doing these auditions, I finally got a callback!
The callback is today, and it is for the play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan called The Rivals at the Blue Heron Arts Center in New York City.
3. Slavercise Workout Video
I did work as "Boy Toy Assistant" to my friend Holly on her big comedy workout video, called Slavercise. Due out in the fall I believe, Holly has been working very hard to complete and promote her biggest project to date, with fingers crossed on major radio and television promotion.
We taped the workout video portion of Slavercise in one long night, August 18th. Our friend Kat and I served as assistants in demonstrating and doing exercises to Holly's lead. The taping was fun and funny and exhausting for some, as we had to do exercises over and over for different takes. Of the comic element, I'm keeping it under wraps for now, but let it be known that the tagline for Slavercise is "forced exercise."
Visit the Slavercise website
4. TOP SECRET Television Show
I'm under a confidentiality agreement, so I can't talk much about this. But let me just mention that I was taped for a television show on August 25th. I hope it airs soon!!
5. Lifegame Appearance
Granted, it wasn't acting, but if you watched the new improvisation television show on TNN (The National Network, no longer The Nashville Network), you may have seen me with my friend Kat! Both of us were brought out of the studio audience and asked some simple questions about our lives, which the improvisers in Lifegame used to create on-the-spot scenes that were pretty funny. Kat has them recreate a scene based on someone sticking hot dogs up his butt (the strangest thing she'd ever seen), and I have them recreate a scene involving my temp-job's boss and Rudy Giuliani, giving marriage advice. The episodes are playing several times, and feature a special celebrity interview of someone from The Sopranos.
Click here for showtimes of TNN's Lifegame
Fortunately, projects in NYC are starting to pick up as we exit summer and enter fall. I already have a few projects in the works. I plan on continuing improv with rehearsal groups, as well as attending more EPAs and soon freelancing amongst several interested talent agents!