Tour Guiding

I know it's far from perfect - and I've yet to actually lead a tour - all I've done is shadow and study thus far - but I'm actually extremely excited about tour guiding.  First off - it pays better  per hour than any other "survival job" I've had thus far.  Second of all - the hours are NOT DURING AUDITIONS, flexible in that its easy to find a cover and you tell the boss your availability, AND you can go off and create your own tours and be your own boss.  AND - if you get your official NY tour guide license - you can work for as many companies as you wish.  BUT - more importantly - it actually combines my two strengths/passions - HISTORY and PERFORMING.  (and in a way - directing, as you direct your own tour.)  I actually always have really loved studying history and researching history.  And then - to share this with other people via a 90 minute improvised monologue - that's just cool!  I'm having so much fun studying up on New York history and lore!  I love seeing the people on the tour get extremely excited about the history.  It's interesting meeting them all and hearing their stories - and seeing which historical figures and events really get them excited!  (Who know Hamilton Fish's third floor pipe organ would be one man's passion!  The ghost tours are particularly interesting, because one every tour, a few attendees have their own ghost encounters.  Now - I'm not really a believer in ghosts - but it's interesting hearing everyone's encounters!  One girl apparently is constantly haunted by a ghost who pinches her butt!  Another lady thinks she sees and hears her father playing piano at night.  Others see "orbs" in all of their photos.  Some have light switches go on and off like crazy with no explanation.  I can think of scientist explanations for everything aside from the butt pinching ghost, but I enjoy seeing them explain their experiences with such conviction. And who knows, maybe they exist.  "There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy!"  (Hamlet)  At any rate, I'm actually very excited about this survival job, and for the first time, I don't feel as though I'm in helpless despair about my financial future!  I might actually have found a job resource that makes me feel invigorated and excited and if I'm lucky, might, just might, pay the bills and let me still have time to audition!  Knock on wood!

time off and regrouping

Audition "season" is over - I put "season" in "" because there are ALWAYS auditions - just sometimes there are 7 a day - and sometimes there is 1 a week. We're closer the 1-3 a week phases now - which is o.k. - that's when I booked MFL. So we'll see what happens.

I'm taking the opportunity to learn things and figure things out - and these past two weeks I feel have been very successful! I found a new dance class that is helping me find a new audition technique which will hopefully help me be more successful at dance auditions! I'm excited to try it out tomorrow and the rest of this week!

I also discovered the Actors Fund Work Program - which will allegedly help me find a meaningful and fulfilling "parallel" career to my theatre career - as well as give me the tools to do so. I'm meeting with my very own person "Parallel Career" counselor in two weeks (that was the soonest they could manage) - but in the mean time, I went to a "job search" seminar where they taught us the proper way to make "real world resumes" and how to conduct ourselves in "real world interviews." I coincidentally HAVE a real world interview Saturday - for a tour guide job - but still.

I've also been working as an equity monitor for which you aren't paid - but receive a "stipend." That has been an interesting experience and a decent way to pick up a little extra cash. I've learned A LOT about he union and how auditions are run and WHY they are run the way they are run, which somehow makes the entire process less mysterious and makes me less up in arms about everything I thought was wrong. I also get to "pre sign" for 1 EPA for every full monitor shift I do - which means ---- I DONT HAVE TO WAKE UP AT 6 a.m. and wait not he sidewalk! It helps just a little!:)

Amore asked me to audition for one of their leads this weekend. Lol. I HIGHLY doubt I got it - as I had less than 24 hours to prepare an aria IN ITALIAN for them - which I have NEVER done before! But I had fun - and I guess I at least PERFORMED it well - because I got a huge standing ovation and large round of applause when I had finished - which I have NEVER seen happen at any audition really. I felt very triumphant. The aria was QUANDO MEN VO - which is a very funny aria - and I guess I'm good at being funny! lol. (Knock on wood.)

Still confused on how to actually get an agent - since these "pay to plays" which re allegedly designed to help people without showcases get an agent - to the best of my knowledge- aren't really looking. I looked at a few of the studios who offer "Pay to Plays' "success stories" sections on their websites - and was very discouraged to see that ALL of the success stories were in the aria of film and t.v. and webisodes. I didn't see ONE success story for musical theatre and only 1 for a straight play - which was the staged reading of a show. WHAT TO DO? I've been considering taking a "stage to screen" class - and maybe have SOME hope to get some commercial or under 5 work or SOMETHING. Because this is just getting silly - no equity contracts - no one signing - no way for NONequity to get seen - has to be SOMETHING I can do to get hired and/or slip throughout the cracks. Hopefully new dance audition technique will help - and working on a LOT of new music - so I can really zero in effectively on each singing audition and maybe get me some lead roles!

And in the mean time - get into shape, physically, emotionally, and vocally!:)