Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

It is the nearing the end of yet another year. It is a time when many of us begin to make new goals for the next year or we simply move into the new year with the status quo. For me, this is a great time for silence and letting go. I started this blog August of 2013 and in that time it has grown and stretched into more than I ever imagined, and it continues to be open to even more possibilities. The anecdotes and ideas that I share are based in my reality and observations. The reality I face daily as a single parent actress attempting to find balance and joy between all of the lives that I lead. On one hand, I am a fierce advocate for public education and for those who continue to be relegated to the sidelines. And there are times I can't attend every meeting, I can't write every article, and I can't even attend every rally. And during those moments, I can feel as if I am not doing enough. But, I definitely do my very best. The other Tamara, balances working several part ...

No air No justice Not surprised  I wish I could say that the individual Grand Jury verdicts for Michael Brown and Eric Garner and for the countless other Black men, women, and children who continue to be killed  by law enforcement and citizens was shocking, but it is not. Social media and society is definitely divided along several lines, but mostly it is separated between denial and truth. The truth is that America has very deep racist values in its DNA. The treatment of women is yet another conundrum that we cannot fully overcome either because of how we also devalue individuals based on gender. Look at how we deal with rape. The list goes on and on, but mostly it is connected to the American view of "us" and "them." We even go as far as to designate certain months for "them". We celebrate Women's History Month, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and every other population who is not the majority. This is a silent and overt practic...

When you are a single parent actress sometimes you venture into the land of dating or simply ward off crazies that you meet at the market, on the train.... I literally just met a slew of men who all blurred into the same person. Each of them kept calling me baby as if they were literally allergic to my name. Each of them could not decide the exact age of their children who they "take care of".  And all of them wanted me to drop everything and hang out with them in less than 12 hours of meeting. Boom. Boom. Boom!!! The best part of meeting someone new is when they ask you the famous question, "So what do you do for a living?" And you say...."I'm a professional actress." Then here comes the Boom. Boom #1: "Really?" Boom #2: "What have you been in?" Boom #3 and my most personal fave: "What do you full time?"  Ummmm....This....dagnabit! We single parent actresses want the simple things. Someone who understands that our s...

Okay. I must write this because if someone ever tells me this again I may lose it! When someone tells you, "One day you may get your big break," it bastardizes all of the great projects and hard work that you have been involved with since you started on this crazy journey in the first place. It is just as insulting as someone finding out that you are a public school teacher, and the response being, "Wow, that is really noble or I can't even imagine what that must be like." It looks like teaching! And if you talk to a few you may never have to make such inappropriate assumptions again. What does this magical big break even look like? Is is it a great payday? Is it that bucket list role you always wanted? Is it fame? What?!  If I waited for this "big break" as supposed to simply going after work period, I would be cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Waiting for that "big break" is the same as those folks who wait for a winning lottery ticket to land in t...

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...