Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

I know I am not alone when I say that finding a new monologue that speaks to me and my experience or at least moves me is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I am always reading new plays and if I limit it to plays featuring African American female characters that are not simply 2-dimensional caricatures then good luck to me! When you are preparing for an audition especially if you sing and act, it is vital that you are able to demonstrate strong choices and a great sense of who you are with your choices. At times, I look at the bags of music and the scarcity of contemporary monologues and become completely overwhelmed. And if they ask for a comedic monologue, forget about it. Humor in a scene is very organic and is the result of the entire scene not just the 1-2 minutes that I gorged out to make a monologue. This is one of the many reasons that working with a coach or a trusted colleague is never a bad idea. The process can help you get out of your head and back into your body....

Once again auditions are back into full swing. I am also deeply involved in educational advocacy surrounding the deep budget cuts in Philadelphia as my daughter survives 7th grade. This means that many of my days start at 8 am and do not seem to end until 8 pm or later. Documenting important events for my online newspaper column and making sure that I get in appropriate time to rehearse my audition songs and monologues make me feel lost and at times disoriented. And let's not forget cooking dinner, checking homework, making sure that Maya practices her piano, taking her to choir and piano lessons, and art classes. And volunteering at her school at least once a week. (I just made myself tired writing this- LOL!) If I forget my morning exercise or my evening meditations and prayers, I feel imbalanced and spiritually empty. There is this great film, That Guy who was in That Thing that interviews several actors about this life. Unlike, those who are on Actors Studio, they are the on...

How can students be in a classroom where they have not had a regular consistent teacher for approximately 3 weeks? Yes, they are little out of control. They are also in 6th grade, chatty, and BORED! There has been no structure nor engaging instruction. Fortunately, I got to work with another substitute teacher who has been working in a variety of classrooms in the same building. The students know her, but their lack of respect and poor listening is connected to the fact that none of their assignments are accounted for or graded. And they have been working with worksheets for 3 weeks. This day reminded me of what occurs when a teacher falls sick or their health does not allow for them to return in  a timely fashion. I also wondered if any of the parents were aware of the situation. I noticed boxes and boxes of unused experiments and labs that could have made earth science more tangible and connected. The Social Studies teacher tried to provide necessary assistance, but she also ha...

I have some wonderful representation for projects in Philadelphia. Now, I am in the process of procuring representation in NYC in order to increase my visibility at all auditions. I attended a workshop and it was an interesting experience. It was also very affordable.  There were approximately 25 attendees with one agent. Each went in and sang a musical theater selection to get feedback. I am always open to feedback because it leads to growth and insight. Unfortunately, this feedback consisted of 3 sentences. None of sentences discussed type, audition technique, or the effectiveness of my headshot/resume. I literally got asked to watch a single growl, create a cleaner end, and (Who am I to tell you about growling?) Yep, that's it! So what did I take from this. Thank goodness, I know who I am in this business and am still seeking opportunities to work with new representation. That is all for now. Until next time.