Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

Hello my name is Tamara Anderson. I am a member of the Caucus of Working Educators, the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools and a parent of an 8th grade public school student. Thank you for listening to my testimony. You have been charges to figure out how to take the money and distribute it across the state for public and charter schools. I am just concerned that despite the best efforts put forth it will be business as usual and the real problem of equity will not be solved.   All eyes are on Pennsylvania, especially Philadelphia. The budget crisis and its disastrous outcomes place us in the national news. Everyone wants to know how this problem will be solved. Because this attack on public education is a national problem. It is one that will adversely affect an entire generation of students, our children, in the blink of an eye. And the real question is why has it been allowed to go on for as long as it has. Up until November, every organization and individual i...

Since I started on this new journey with NYC representation, I have been thrust into the land of TV. And I must say I love it. Now this is not my first time in front of the camera but TV is very intimate and different than stage or film. But there are similarities in the pure athleticism that television provides. Lines are learned and re-learned at a lightning pace and blocking is limited to hitting your mark. Much like finding your light on stage. I can see why it is such a natural progression for stage actors to transition to TV and the pay is nothing to laugh at either. For those who have been following me since I started this blog over a year ago, I wanted to share some of the great projects that I have been blessed to work on during the last 2 months. I filmed an episode of the new sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt that is slated to air in 2015 with Ellie Kemper from The Office. Very funny and fast, and fun! I can also be seen on HBO in Show me the Hero in 2015, a mini series. ...

Some of us are simply soul sucking individuals. You know that one friend who you need to have a drink before you hang out. And then burn sage and light candles once they leave. The same one who seems to never be happy no matter the small and large blessings circling at their feet. Now, I know that life can at times bring you to the brink of madness. But, damn, living in that misery may not be the best option. And somehow they seek me out like a beacon. Now I don't mind a friend who needs to vent. Shit, we all need that from time to time. Every time you see them everything in the world is horrible and there is nothing to smile about. I am literally talking about that person who has been working at the same place for 100 years and is ALWAYS unhappy there! They hate it! They want to leave! But somehow, they never get the gumption or a plan to get to moving on. Face it. After awhile you simply have to just find some joy in something or else. Or even worse, the person who has it go...

When I was small, I stayed in the kitchen with my grandma. She was always cooking and it is where I learned. I helped her grate cheese. I chopped onions and I sliced tomatoes. I even helped her pick grapes for homemade wine.  When everyone else simply came to the table when it was time to eat, I was learning how to make magic happen. Now I watch my daughter chop onions, scoop out avocados and chop cilantro for her yummy guacamole. Or season eggs or make cookies from scratch. She even helps with my famous gumbo. The more special moments are cooking side by side like tonight. I was prepping pork for a crock pot stew as she was making lunch. She is chopping and I am braising. She is seasoning and I'm combining. We are talking and she is asking questions about life. And I am reminded how traditions never die and how much I miss my grandma. But how much Maya reminds me of her. And how precious time is. Cooking with Maya is always a great night and I am grateful for them.

There are times as artists we are challenged to take a leap of faith. Now you may say, anyone who chooses to pursue this crazy life with no security, pension, feedback, and lots of stress must already be ready to take a leap. But there are moments when life happens. There are moments when an avalanche of chaos falls all over you and you cannot simply see past the obstacles and the shit. You are so blinded by disappointment and despair that you simply want to go back to sleep and pretend that you will wake up to a better life. And then you wake up to even more stuff. If you are as single parent like me, this stuff can come in the form of believing that you are dragging your children or child into this unknown artist life without any safety net and then you are instantly overcome with shame and guilt. Or even worse you are surrounded by the unwelcome death of a loved one. Then the questions and worry start. Maybe you should go back to that dead end job? Maybe you should apply for somet...

The beauty of having a director is that he or she will let you know what they are looking for by giving you direction and guidance. There is a hidden rule that no actor should give another actor a note. Or even worse, ask their fellow actor to try something that the director did not ask them to do. You can have a discussion about character and motivation, but if the director asks you to say the line with more attitude and then look left, then you better do just that. If something makes your line delivery odd, then get over it, figure it out,  or ask a question to the director. Not to the other actor. Listen to what is being said to everyone else. Just because you are not the focus, you can learn a bit about the scene by listening to what other directions are. You can confirm if your initial instincts are valid. And I realize that some classes and workshops will drive home the fact that no one cares about your training or which theater you worked at or if you ever did theater. B...

Yes, the other day I woke from a nap to find a dead squirrel in my bedroom. Confession: I hate rodents! Even when they are dead it takes me a moment to get the courage to dispose of them. Thankfully, my 13 year old daughter fears only frogs so she usually takes care of them. And I feel no shame. She will be prepared to cook and fearlessly get rid of rodents once she becomes an adult. That makes her ready to live in any urban city. The death of Rocky just made me even more grateful for my amazing first experience on a television set. And despite his feet up in the air and his stiff fluffy tail, I was still on an adrenaline high from Friday. I got to film a sitcom that will air on NBC in 2015. The quick pace of television reminds me of sketch comedy, improv, and theatre all wrapped in one. Lines are written, rewritten, and direction is given at light speed. It served as a great high five confirmation of my acting abilities. And that being funny is not as easy as it looks. That dead s...