Acting UP!

WEB Rehearsals #11 & #12

2012-02-01T00:19:00.000-08:00

Rehearsal #11

Brendan started us off by teaching and having us demonstrate different movements- “dabbing”, “flicking”, “slashing”, “punching”, etc to give us all a common language and understanding as we experiment with our characters’ physicality. We did a short exercise where we each had to quickly morph into our animals as Nicole walked up to us. We then worked on the animal scenes of the play and the transitions before and after them. Since I’m not directly involved with the animal scenes, I spent the time reviewing my script and observing the scenes to enjoy the other actors work and familiarizing myself on when to enter and exit.

Rehearsal #12

We went through Act 1 with minimal stops. We’re not all quite off-book yet, but we’re getting there. I tried it off-book, but stumbled through it. Brendan gave us notes and then we started Act 1 again, getting through most of it before running out of time. It definitely went a lot better the second time.

For me, the lines are pretty much there, but I need to get my cues down solid as well as my exits and entrances. Going through the act in it’s entirety was very helpful. We will go through Act 2 at the next rehearsal and will start going through the entire play later this week. Our costume designer was there last night and had me try on a blue shirt that she’d like me to wear with black pants for when I am the Bailiff. Per her request, I brought in an overcoat which I might use for when I am the Reporter. I borrowed it from my brother’s closet over the weekend and didn’t realize how strongly it smelled of mothballs! I’ll have to remember to air it out.

Alexander Technique Workshop

2012-01-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a full day dedicated to acting. It started off in the morning with an Alexander Technique Workshop held at Freehold. Cathy Madden, who also teaches at the University of Washington, was the instructor. As I walked into the familiar black box where I had studied Meisner, Cathy was there along with the workshop students (there were six of us- two guys, four gals).

An intuitive and soft-spoken person, Cathy spent the three hours with us introducing the technique, which she summarizes as “conscious cooperation with human design” where the head & spine connection is key. She taught us a bit about anatomy, breathing and emphasized the importance of coordination which she describes as “the ability to conceive of an idea and to carry out the ide as conceived”. The goal is to be energized and efficient, but not tense, as tension causes us to tighten our voice and body. “Nobody wants to look at a tight actor” she said.

**ACTOR TIP** (thanks to Cathy)

You will automatically tighten the head and spine connection if you

1) play the “feeling” first

2) internalize or “play the obstacle”

3) play the “no”

Instead, you should actively listen and allow the feeling to come naturally, you should set the obstacle(s) as something external, and you should strive to be in want as your character. Phrase your thoughts constructively. For example, instead of thinking and playing the action of “I don’t want to talk to you”, it is a better acting choice to think and play the action of “I want you to understand” or “I want to speak with someone else”.

Cathy had enough time to work with us individually two times during the workshop on whatever it was we had brought and/or wanted to focus on. Some recited poetry, others had monologues, some just wanted to work on their voice and presence. For me, I brought my monologue from Primal Fear and Cathy helped me with keeping my body opened up and less tense as I went through the first part of it. On the second go-around, she helped me experiment a bit with my physicality as “Lurvey”.

Even though it was only three hours, I found the workshop very interesting and useful. Having a better understanding of the head and spine connection and the concept of coordination is something I can immediately put into practice now that I am conscious of it. I can see how more study of it could be very beneficial to any actor.

As the class ended, we filled out workshop evaluation forms and Cathy distributed some info on classes and intensives that she will be holding. A gal named Barbara was interested in my play, so I gave her a WEB postcard and she said she would try to attend and possibly have some of her teenage drama students come too!

As I walked out of Freehold, I stopped next door to have lunch at Mama’s Mexican Kitchen where I enjoyed a black bean and spinach quesadilla. I then walked to a Meisner monologue meeting at my friend Narea’s apartment. Gaelen, Lisa, Malachy, Stela and Mick all attended and we spent a few hours catching up, eating and rehearsing our monologues in front of each other for feedback. It was a good time and after that I walked over to the Center House for another WEB rehearsal.

WEB Rehearsal #10

2012-01-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t needed for rehearsal #9 so no update on that. Last night was rehearsal #10 and I walked over to the Center House with my Meisner friend Narea who was headed there for rehearsals for quiet’s production of "Trojan Women". Our fellow Meisner friend Malachy is also in that and since it was his birthday, I gave him a hug and some coconut candy bars he likes called Bounty bars, while Narea picked up a chocolate mousse torte to share with their castmates.

Once WEB rehearsal started, Brendan had me and Peter work outside the room for about 40 minutes to discuss our character relationship and timeline while he worked on scenes with Nicole and Ian. We would have benefited from more time, but Peter and I got in a good discussion and backstory to help us with our character work. I’m gradually starting to get to know my castmates and so far I have the most comfortable connection with Peter.

When we re-entered the rehearsal room, Brendan ran through Ian’s scene once more and then worked with Peter on his court testimony. Then we ran the scenes with me, Peter and Nicole as well as my other “Lurvey” scenes. I had sent a Facebook message to Brendan the previous night with some questions I had about the character and Brendan helped to clarify a lot of it and said that he loved the Lurvey that I was bringing in last night. I still need to experiment with Lurvey’s physicality and voice, but I feel like I have a much better grasp of his character now.

Brendan's been working with each actor and is very excited at how all the pieces will come together once we start doing run-throughs. I'm looking forward to it too. It's going to be a good show and I'm excited that many friends who I've invited over Facebook have already replied that they're planning to see the show when it opens next month! It's always nice to feel that support.

WEB Rehearsals #7 & #8

2012-01-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Due to the big Seattle snowstorm last week, two WEB rehearsals got canceled but Brendan is happy with how we’ve been progressing and isn’t concerned. Now that we’ve thawed out, we resumed rehearsals this week.

Rehearsal #7

We continued to work on blocking and learned the lullaby that recurs throughout the play. Colin (STAGEright Marketing Director) brought in posters and postcards for us to start promoting the play. It was Dana our Stage Manager’s birthday and red velvet cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies were brought in to share.

Rehearsal #8

We had our first run-through of the play (minus the animal/barnyard scenes) with the blocking that we’ve learned. I’m starting to find a good grounding for each of my characters to build from, but am struggling with Lurvey’s physicality. Brendan wants me to make Lurvey more clownish while retaining the creep factor. Meanwhile, I don’t really want to make him too much of a spaz. Brendan will work with me during Thursday’s rehearsal and hopefully I will understand his vision a bit more and be better able to implement it without resorting to caricature.

"Red Rover" Reading

2012-01-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I met up with my good friend Wayman for lunch at Bravehorse Tavern to celebrate his birthday. The restaurant’s got a great ambience and I enjoyed the fresh pretzels and my ginger tonic, though my fish sandwich wasn’t anything to bray over (haha, get it?) Afterward, I swung by Acme barbershop to see if my stylist, “Irish Steve”, was there. He wasn’t, so I will rock this mane for another day or so. I stopped to pick up a sweet matcha latte at Shinka Tea before heading up to the Lake City Library for the “Red Rover” reading.

When I arrived, I was surprised to find homeless people in the vicinity. Some lingered outside while others would come and go inside the library’s lobby/corridor. As I went to use the bathroom, a homeless man who was coming out of the door saw me and started freaking out! His face and body spasmed and contorted in mock(?) fear and surprise while he uttered unintelligible sounds. I stood still and smiled pleasantly (while simultaneously getting ready to defend myself if necessary) and he stopped, smiled and let me by. Yikes…

Eventually, members from the Seattle Playwrights Collective started arriving and we moved into a meeting room of the library. Six of the collective were present along with me and another actor named Rob. We started by doing a reading of a short medieval piece entitled, “The King’s Relief”, where I was assigned to read the part of one of the knights. It was an entertaining “guess who” story of secret identities.

During the reading, the two other actors for the “Red Rover” reading arrived- Jaryl and Paul (who I drafted from my current WEB production). After a discussion/talk-back time for “The King’s Relief”, John (the writer) introduced “Red Rover” and we actors proceeded with the reading. It’s a full-length play with well-written dialogue and multi-layered characters. I enjoyed reading the role of Ax- a smart-mouthed, wise-cracking stoner who decides to get his life back on track after a stint in prison. He definitely had some of the best lines in the script and it was fun to work off of the other actors.

*ACTOR TIP* Approach every acting opportunity with energy and effort. Even if it’s “just” a reading, don’t be casual about it. Do some prep and deliver your best. Your fellow actors and the audience (however small in number) will appreciate it. It’s your chance to shine, and who knows but that it might lead to future opportunities from those who are watching you? Even if it doesn’t, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you gave it your all and it’s good practice to maintain energy, focus and staying in character throughout the course of the performance.

The members of the collective enjoyed the reading and complimented us actors during the discussion. As we left the reading, I dropped off Paul and headed home for a short break before getting ready for WEB rehearsal.

Images from Lakebay

2012-01-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago, I had a photo session in Lakebay, WA with my talented friend Karina, owner of Photorina Studios. She showed me the images and here are some of my favorites. Some of these were experimentation with light and most of these are untouched. Karina and I will collaborate on more shoots in the future. Check our her website at www.photorinastudios.com

Birthday Weekend and WEB Rehearsal #6

2012-01-17T00:09:00.000-08:00

Well, my birthday weekend has wrapped up. Saturday after my go-see, the snow continued to fall for a while in my neighborhood before melting away as evening approached. I drove out to the Ridgeback Cafe to meet up with my Lola's House friend, Shaunna. We were looking forward to trying out the cafe's crepes. Unfortunately, when I got there, there was a small note taped on the window saying that the cafe closed early that day so the staff could have a holiday party. Argh... would have been nice if they had updated their website with that info. Shaunna and I headed to New's Noodlehouse in the Greenwood area and had a nice time catching up, and Shaunna was gracious to treat me for dinner. We then headed to Lake City to the Isla Manila restaurant to meet up with other Lola's House friends, Jack and Gen. The restaurant was also the location where Lola's House was reprised in an encore performance as part of a dinner theatre. I wasn't able to participate due to my involvement in The King & I. We hung out there a couple of hours before calling it a night. As I paid my check, the owner's wife told me that my performance on stage made her cry, and the owner himself came out and gave me a hug also. :)

The next day, I woke up and headed over to the Cheeky Cafe for my birthday brunch with friends. Unfortunately, the snow and other incidents prevented half of my guests from attending, but I had a wonderful time with the friends who were there. Lisa and Anabel from my Meisner class were there along with my vball friends, Lisa, Barb and her husband Erik, and of course my good friend Wayman. Since I had pre-ordered food based on many more guests, we had a huge spread of dishes that filled our table. Good thing is that they were all so delicious that we each ate a lot and ended up with just 1.5 boxes of leftovers. During the time we were eating, snow was falling heavily outside, and by the time we finished, 4 inches had accumulated.

I brushed off the snow from my car and tried to drive, but my wheels kept spinning on the snow and I couldn't even manage to pull away from the hillside curb on which I was parked. Thankfully, Wayman was parked near me and helped me put on some tire chains that my mom had given me, which belonged to a similar sized car she used to own. I was wearing a suede sportcoat and didn't want to get it soaked, so I took it off and was trying to get the chains on in the cold and falling snow wearing just a thin dress shirt. Due to the interruption of cars passing by us and the fact the tire chains were difficult to attach, it took us 45 minutes. I was very cold and wet by then!

Thanks to Wayman's help, the chains got attached and I was able to drive away with little problem. Traffic was snarled up all over and I figured my best bet was to get to the freeway ASAP since I knew those roads would be clear. Unfortunately, due to road closures I was detoured into the heart of downtown where I just decided to take the backroads back home. At some point along the way, I had lost one of the tire chains, but I was glad to just get home safe and stayed home the rest of the day. That was about as eventful of a birthday as I could handle!

WEB Rehearsal #6

Today was just a lazy day at home for me. I didn't have to work since it is Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Scattered snow showers affected some neighborhoods more than others and I didn't feel like venturing out until I had to, which wasn't until the evening for a WEB rehearsal. Thankfully, the streets from my home to the Seattle Center were bare and I had no trouble getting there. Tonight's rehearsal included some courtroom scenes where I'm always present as the Bailiff, as well as some scenes where Brendan was able to work on my scenes and blocking for my other roles of Wallace and Lurvey. I was released at 9:30 PM and made my way home. It's supposed to snow tonight through Wednesday, so we'll see how bad it is outside when I wake up. Might have to call it a snow day from work. My next rehearsal for WEB won't be until Thursday.

#43 at a Go-See

2012-01-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Thursday, I received an email forwarded by my friend and fellow artist, Kathy. It was a call for Chinese-looking men and women to portray patients and doctors/nurses for a photo-shoot for marketing materials. I was a bit hesitant to go after it at first, since my agent doesn't like me to go after bookings on my own. Then I found out that the email partly originated from my agent, which then left me confused. Had they submitted me for it? If not, then why not? If so, was I simply not selected to audition?

I emailed my agency to inquire about it and Tim from the office called me on Friday to explain that they thought I looked too young (even though I am age-appropriate) for what the client is looking for, which is why they didn't submit. However, after my email, they sent my headshot over and the director responded that I probably did look too young, but they'd be happy to see me and maybe keep me on file if I wasn't booked for this project. Since I was available Saturday morning and since the go-see location was fairly close to home, I decided that I'd stop by. You never know until you try, right?

Yesterday after work, I got in a nice massage and played my first volleyball in months along with friends at my former church. After that, I met up with other pals to watch our friend Belinda perform improv at the Intiman Theatre with zany gang of Unexpected Productions. It was an entertaining show, and we all hung out afterwards at Ho Ho Restaurant until 2:30 AM. I got to bed by 3:30 AM and woke up shortly after 9 AM to get ready for my go-see appointment at 10:30. After getting camera-ready, which not surprisingly took longer than usual as a result from staying out so late, I skipped breakfast and drove out to the University District. Once I entered the building, I saw about a half-dozen Asian men and women waiting their turn to get their test shots taken. I filled out the requisite paperwork and was assigned #43 for my name tag.

The project is for an ultrasound company who is putting together marketing brochures geared toward China. The photographer was a friendly man with a broad smile named Rock. I could tell by the way he was chatting amiably with each subject that he was good at putting people at ease before taking their pictures. When it was my turn, he asked me what agency I was with and I said "Topo Swope" which he recognized right away. "So you're an ACTOR!" he said approvingly. He asked me what projects I was working on which gave me an opportunity to share about WEB. Rock had me smile face forward to the camera and one more in profile and was happy with the results, so just like that I was done. He wished me well on WEB and I drove through a mixture of rain/snow which quickly turned to hail and then heavy snow by the time I reached home. The first snowfall of the year! Hopefully it won't cause me to cancel my birthday plans this weekend. The photoshoot is scheduled for 1/31, so I should hear back soon if I am selected for the gig. If not, then oh well... it's not a bad thing to look young. :)

WEB Rehearsals #3 & #4

2012-01-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

Rehearsal #3

Brendan spent tonight's rehearsal blocking out the courtroom scenes. We got through almost all of them. As the Bailiff, I am pretty static in my position except when I escort witnesses to and from the stand. As the attorneys, Paul and Derek are doing an awesome job of being off-book on the huge amounts of text they have.

Rehearsal #4

It was an impulse. As I walked out of the bone-chilling air of the evening and entered the warm bright cavern of the Seattle Center House, I broke out in a silly grin. It was like a raindrop of joy landed on my head and gave me pause to realize that I absolutely LOVE what I'm doing! I love that I get to act! As I walked in the rehearsal room, Brendan was there and also broke out in a silly grin, SUPER-excited! I was puzzled until I learned that I wasn't on the call sheet for tonight so Brendan didn't expect me to be there, though he was happy that I was because my Wallace and Lurvey characters were involved in some of the scene work/blocking tonight. I figured as much, which was why I showed up! It was good to start feeling out the characters a bit more and interacting/working off of the other actors. Nicole and I seem to already have an easy connection as daughter-father and I know we will continue to develop that nicely as we go along in the rehearsal process. Ashley was giving off tremendous energy and emotion as my wife, June, and I look forward to working our scenes together.

People continued to be amused and disturbed by my Lurvey character. I asked Brendan how he wants me to approach the physicality of Lurvey as I experiment- does he want me to evoke a feeling or keep to specific movements? He wants specific movements and encouraged me to make the character more comical. I have lightened him up from where I first started, but I do feel a underlying sinister edge and would like to preserve some of that as I experiment. Then again, perhaps I should just "play the opposite" and see where it goes. We are still very early in the rehearsal process and it's the perfect time to take risks and play around to see what is worth keeping.

Since the other scenes that were being worked on tonight didn't involve me, I was excused after an hour. It's nice to be able to get home early. I am not needed at the next rehearsal, which works out great because it's my birthday weekend! :D The weather forecast is predicting some snowfall though, so that might affect/dampen my celebratory plans. :( We'll see. I will be back to rehearsal on Monday for Rehearsal #6.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Henry Right Over

2012-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

I received an email yesterday from a local playwright named John who asked if I’d be interested in doing a reading of his play entitled "Red Rover". It’s not a public reading- simply a reading in front of the Seattle Playwrights Collective, of whom he is a member of. I auditioned for them a couple of months ago for a show and though I wasn’t cast, the director passed my contact info along to John. I enjoy participating in readings, and since my calendar is clear for a couple of hours on that day (1/22), I accepted. John emailed me the script today and I will be reading the role of “Ax” - a smart-mouthed early 30-something frat-type stoner who recently got out of jail.

Even though it's voluntary and not a public reading, it's an opportunity to network and stretch myself artistically by taking on another character (because face it, my chances of being cast as an "Ax" are slim in real life). I love that this opportunity came about by someone passing my name along. It just goes to show that a good audition is never wasted. Just keep plugging along and putting your best work forward at auditions and gigs and people will start to pay attention.

WEB Rehearsals #1 & #2

2012-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Rehearsal #1: Read-through

Thankfully, there was no traffic congestion on the way back to Seattle, but I left Lakebay later than intended from the photoshoot and the only way I could get to my first WEB rehearsal on time was to skip picking up dinner. I have a high metabolism and get hungry every 2-3 hours, so I made the choice of taking care of myself and stopped at a Taco Time on the way to pick up a chicken soft taco, iced tea and mexi-fries. I arrived at rehearsal 15 minutes late and apologized profusely. Everyone was very nice though and seemed to understand. We wrapped up introductions and then went into a table read of the WEB script. It went great! There’s a ton of talent involved in this production and I’m excited to delve into the work. From how our director Brendan has described things, this will be very innovative, even for the Seattle stage.

Rehearsal #2: Notes and Highlighting

For the first hour tonight, Brendan gave us individual character notes and answered questions that we had. For me, he encouraged me to play with the Bailiff character. Even though he is a neutral figure, Brendan doesn't want him to be static on stage, so I can imbue him with some personality and establish relationships/responses to other characters in the courtroom scene, particularly Judge Charlotte. For my creepy Lurvey character, Brendan encouraged me to lighten him up with some playfulness while still maintaining the creep factor. We then went into another table read but this time stopping to highlight the script whenever we saw text that correlated from courtroom scenes to barnyard scenes or vice-versa. We got through about a third of the script before time ran out. We have a break tomorrow night and will resume rehearsals on Wednesday where Brendan will start doing some blocking. I walked back to my car, passing the Space Needle along the way. After a brief break, I am back to a rehearsal schedule again! Gotta love the actor's life!

Lakebay Weekend Photo Shoot

2012-01-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

I spent this past weekend visiting friends down in Lakebay, about a 1.5 hour drive from Seattle. Saturday was an overcast by dry day as I sped down the peaceful meandering highway of the Key Peninsula. The last time I was out there was last September, just before I started Meisner class. I arrived at Dan and Karina’s home a little after 2 PM and was promptly greeted at the door by Beast, their little terrier who amusingly bounces up and down on his hindlegs and grins at me whenever he sees me.

Karina welcomed me in and I found Dan cooking up turkey soup in the kitchen and their daughter Clara camped out in front of the television. We chatted for a while and after I settled in, Karina drove me out to the nearby marina to get in a quick photo-shoot before it got too dark.

Karina is a very talented photographer who is transitioning into her passion of being a filmmaker, but she likes to shoot portraits of me since I’m a willing model and it allows her to experiment. She has a model friend who she was going to see about borrowing wardrobe from, but he didn’t get back to her, so we were limited to the few options I had brought down. Karina had me throw on her peacoat and liked how that looked, so we used that as well. The dock was moist and slippery and the temperature was creeping into bone-chilling territory, so we wrapped up in about 30 minutes, still managing to get a lot of different shots.
After returning to the house, we dined on Dan’s fantastic turkey soup, laughed at Napoleon Dynamite on dvd and chatted some more before heading to bed. In the morning, we had waffles for breakfast and made the short drive to the church where Dan pastors at. Dan shared a great sermon on “Epiphany” and God’s presence and power in our lives when we open ourselves to Him. It’s always a pleasure when I get to see this eloquent friend of mine from college in action as a minister.

After church, we headed back to the home to have lunch and more fellowship and then Karina and I retreated downstairs where she did another photo session of mainly close-ups and experimenting with dramatic lighting. We shot for about an hour and then I had to dash off to get back to Seattle for my first WEB rehearsal. It was a great weekend where I was able to enjoy a brief respite from city life and catch up with good friends and even get my picture taken. Karina will show me some of the images later this week.
For samples and more info about her work, check out Karina’s website at: www.photorinastudios.com

ADR for a Repeat Robber

2012-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Just got home from a home studio in North Seattle where I was called in to do some ADR (voice dubbing) for my bank robber character, "Mike" in untethered. We filmed the pilot episode two years ago and they are now putting the finishing touches on it. Apparently, there is a major studio interested in viewing it, which has jump-started the process of completing it. I had traveled down to Tacoma a while back to do ADR, but I guess the quality of the recording wasn't good enough, hence being called back tonight.

After hitting the gym after work, I drove up to the house, having some difficulty finding it in the darkened streets of the neighborhood it was situated in. Ernie, the director/producer, answered the door which was a pleasant surprise as I didn't realize he would be there. Another actor, Jessica, was in the recording booth doing her ADR, so I sat with Ernie and John (sound engineer) and watched the process for nearly an hour. They gave Jessica a break and I went into the booth and did my lines. I don't have very many, and most of them are delivered with high intensity and volume since "Mike" is robbing a bank. I had warmed up my voice in the car on the way over, but my throat still ended up irritated from the session. The grease from these cheeseburgers I'm eating are helping to re-lubricate. :)

My ADR session was done in 25 minutes. Although I've done ADR work a couple of times before, it is definitely a skill to develop, and one I could grow in. It's very difficult to not only synchronize your words to how your lips are moving on the screen, but to try to replicate or improve on the original delivery as well. As an actor, you always want to feel "in the moment" of your performance, and that's hard to do when you're trying to get the timing of your lines just right. I wouldn't say that I'm completely satisfied with how I did, but I will trust Ernie and John to put it all together. They are hoping to complete all the ADR and sound design in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, I will get to see the finished product, and hopefully untethered will attract attention from power players who see enough potential in it to make it into something bigger!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012, everyone!

New Year's Eve for me was mellow. Two invitations I had for friends' parties both fell through and I spent the evening alone, though I didn't mind a bit. It was nice to just relax at home. I made a nice dinner, rented Buried which stars Ryan Reynolds, and munched on Cheetos. The movie was quite intense and twisted, which didn't serve me well when I tried to settle into bed. Plus, a neighbor's rowdy party kept me up until 3 AM. Ugh...but I understand why people would want to celebrate.

I rolled out of bed at 10:45 this morning and headed out to Matthews Beach Park for the annual Polar Bear Plunge, where we celebrate the new year by running into the lake! It was my third time, having done it in 2008 & 2009. My Meisner friend Stela was going to meet me there, which was great because in years past I couldn't get any of my friends to join me! Go figure.

Stela was running late, and as high Noon came, the hundreds of people gathered at the shoreline stormed into the lake. I almost joined them too, but decided to wait for Stela. Moments later, she spotted me and I gave her a hug. She was wet! "Did you already go in?!" I asked. Turns out she did. She was late and thought I had already jumped in! Oh well. Stela wanted to go in with me, so we held hands and walked out into the cold water until we were chest high. The day was quite mild and the water, though cold, wasn't as icy as I remembered it being in years past. On the count of three, we dunked ourselves and I made one gasp in reaction to the cold and then we walked back toward the shore, our legs starting to prickle in response to the temperature. We toweled off, took a few pictures and drank some hot cocoa to warm up.

Afterward, we drove out to Patty's Eggnest in Ballard for a hearty and delicious breakfast. My friend Wayman joined us, having completed the annual Polar Bear 5K Race and Plunge (he skipped the plunging part!). We had a great time eating and then said goodbye to Stela. Wayman and I went back to my place where I changed out of my wet clothes and we headed over to Gas Works Park in Seattle to do a quick photo shoot. Wayman has been learning more about photography and asked me to model for him for a concept he had in mind where it looks like I'm levitating with an umbrella (kind of like Mary Poppins). Amazingly, he got this shot on the very FIRST take!

Pretty cool, and it cracks me up when I look at it! :) We switched places and it took me quite some time to get a good shot of Wayman with the umbrella since I was familiarizing myself with his camera and the shutter speed, but we managed to get a good one.

After the shoot, I drove down to my mom's and my brother drove the whole family to an all-you-can-eat Korean bbq restaurant in Federal Way. We ate until we were completely STUFFED and then we went back home where I played tag with my nephew Darius for a little while before heading home. The first day of 2012 was a good one for me, and I'm looking forward to all the great things ahead!

2011: The Year in Review

2011-12-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Artistically and personally, 2011 was a banner year for me. I’m thankful for the opportunities to stretch, risk and grow as an artist, make some terrific new friends and even earn a couple of bucks along the way! Here’s a recap:

JANUARY

Second quarter of Meisner started.

Began filming "68 Minutes", which would continue off and on through July. Unfortunately, it is still not finished and I don’t know when it will resume.

FEBRUARY

Began rehearsals for “She was Called Sandy”.

MARCH

Performed “She was Called Sandy” at the Freehold Studio Series.

Filmed one day for "Rogue Saints", which has been completed and has screened in Kirkland, WA and Puerto Rico.

Took a one-day comedy workshop with Don Fleming courtesy of SiS Productions.

APRIL

Final quarter of Meisner started.

Did ADR for “untethered”.

Filmed Gowe’s music video, “I Wonder”.

MAY

Participated in a table read for “Boundless”.

JUNE

Meisner showcase of final scenes.

JULY

Portrait photoshoot with Jeliza Patterson.

Filmed a commercial for Emerald Queen Casino.

AUGUST

Filmed a video for Freehold’s 20^th Anniversary.

Worked two days as an extra for the film, “21 & Over”.

Recorded two audio dramas for 19 Nocturne Boulevard.

SEPTEMBER

Artistic photoshoot with Art Wolfe.

Staged reading of “The Sisters Rosensweig” with ReAct.

OCTOBER

Marketing photoshoot for “THIEF” album.

Performed a monologue for SiS Productions as part of ArtsCrush.

Began rehearsals for “Lola’s House” and “The King & I”.

NOVEMBER

Marketing photoshoot for a postal product.

Performed on-stage in “Lola’s House”.

Filmed a scene from "Lola's House".

Took a one-day workshop with L.A. Casting Director Janet Hirshenson.

Rogue Saints screened in Kirkland, WA.

Performed in “The King & I”.

DECEMBER

Performed in “The King & I”. We sold out 12 out of our 15 shows, setting a box office record for the 53 year-old Wade James Theatre!

Marketing photoshoot for Microsoft.

As you can see, I had a busy year, particularly while holding a full-time job and trying to live a balanced life outside of my art. At times, it was exhausting, but it was always fun. I’m looking forward to what God has in store for me in 2012. Moving to L.A. is still a possibility, or I might push that into 2013 depending on how the next few months unfold. Stay tuned! Wishing you much success and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, world! Love and blessings to you wherever you may be on this globe! I was able to spend part of my Christmas eve with some friends and family at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond. It's been quite some time since I've been there, but my spirit felt right at home, and it was wonderful to be there.

We worshiped God through singing and Pastor Mike shared a great sermon on the topic of "wonder" and how we should never lose it when it comes to seeing life and God. He also shared a new children's book he wrote with the same name, which is as meaningful to adults as it is to kids. If you're looking for a nice gift for a child or to add to your library, I highly recommend it! You may purchase it at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/wonder/18765291?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_26343_

We closed out the service with a candlelighting ceremony where the lights dimmed and the hundreds of us in attendance lit each other's candles as we sang "Silent Night". There is no Christmas service tomorrow, but Overlake has put together an online service which I will look forward to viewing. You can check it out as well on www.occ.org. I'm sure it will be very creative, humorous and meaningful.

A song that I've always found meaningful over the years is "I Celebrate the Day" by the band, Relient K. It's a simple, poetic heart's cry to God that expresses the awe and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and what that ultimately means to all humankind. The last line has so much gravity: "And I, I celebrate the day that you were born to die so that I could one day pray for you to save my life". Baffling and amazing! God's love will never cease to blow you away if you open your life up to Him. My hope and prayer is that you would- regardless of where you are or where you've been. May the wonder of Christmas be yours now and always.

Cast!- "WEB"

2011-12-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

Just got the call from John, the managing director, a few minutes ago. I was offered three roles in StageRight's production of "WEB"!

1) The Bailiff
2) Wallace (father of Fern- one of the leads)
3) Lurvey (farmhand and overall creepy guy)

John shot me a copy of the script and after a quick review, I accepted. The bailiff is as straightforward as you would expect. Wallace is a bit more substantial of a role, and Lurvey will give me the opportunity to creep the audience out, LOL! I'm excited to work with the StageRight team and the rest of the cast. Rehearsals start in two weeks.

I'm on Twitter!!

2011-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

This blog exists mainly to chronicle my acting journey, and I'm honored by those who follow it and/or check in periodically. As of today, it has logged over 15,000 hits and is viewed by countries all over the world. Wow! Thank you! Because of you, I now appear on page ONE of a Google search, which is monumental considering how common my name or derivatives of my name are. (I am now head-to-head against Mark Henry the WWF wrestler when it comes to most searched!). I will continue to post updates as my journey continues. I'm looking forward to good things ahead!

In addition to this blog, as of last night I have opened up a Twitter account! I haven't had the opportunity to explore it much yet, but I'm excited to follow the tweets of friends, entertainers and other public figures. I contacted the friendly people at T-mobile today and added a data plan to my phone so I will be able to tweet whenever the urge arises!

If you'd like to follow my tweets and musings on Twitter, you will find me @HenryHMark or simply use this button: https://twitter.com/HenryHMark" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @HenryHMark

Software Print Shoot

2011-12-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

After a very restless night's sleep (I knew I shouldn't have drank that chai before going to bed!), I rolled out of bed at 10 AM, did some laundry, had breakfast and then assembled some wardrobe options. I got camera-ready and headed over to Victory Studios, arriving a few minutes before my call time of 1:30 PM. I was directed to head downstairs where I found a pretty Asian gal seated on a couch. Her name was Martha and she was sent by my agency as well. We chatted a while before a young, bearded guy named Nick came out to greet us and usher us into the room. We met Trent the photographer, Mark the director and Lisa the make-up artist.

A tall Caucasian fellow also from our agency had just finished his shoot and was packing to leave. Lisa started to powder Martha's face while Mark looked over my wardrobe options before deciding that he liked what I was already wearing, which was a suede brown jacket over a blue-striped dress shirt and dark brown pants with black shoes and belt. Lisa powdered my face and then I was brought into the studio to be photographed first while she continued to touch-up Martha.

Trent and Mark explained to me the concept of the shoot, which was a series of stills which would be pieced together in cut-out form somewhat similar to stop-action. It involved me posing as directed, and it was helpful that they had a storyboard that I was able to glance at while they were deciding on shots. It was a quick and fun shoot and I was done within 45 minutes of when I arrived. Mark said he'd send a link of the ad when it was done. It's to help market software to small-businesses but won't be an ad that is mass-distributed. I believe it's mainly for print and internet. I look forward to seeing the final product, as it seems like it'll be a bit quirky and cool.

"WEB" Audition & Callbacks

2011-12-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, I auditioned for StageRight's production of "WEB"- a courtroom drama based on E.B. White's characters from Charlotte's Web. It had been a busy week (heck, it's been a busy 3 months!) but instead of using old monologues that I use as reserves, I decided I'd try using the scene from Primal Fear which I used during the workshop last month with L.A. Casting Director Janet Hirshenson. I adapted it into a monologue and thought it'd be a good choice since it involves a lawyer and his client.

Auditions were held at the Theatre Puget Sound offices at the Seattle Center. I parked at my workplace and jogged over, arriving just in time for my 2:45 PM audition slot. A nice looking man with sandy blonde hair and a pretty brunette were seated at a table and gave me a friendly welcome. John is the managing director and Ashley is the Marketing Director of StageRight. They had me fill out a contact form and chatted with me as I waited and looked over the sides. I learned that this is their third year as a theatre company in Seattle and they are quite excited about continuing to grow.

When I was ready, Ashley walked me into the audition room and I was introduced to Brendan (writer/director) and Colin (casting/webmaster). I performed my monologue and "went up" on lines a few times, but managed to stay in character. Even though I skipped some sections, it worked out well enough. Brendan shared that Primal Fear is a movie he watched several times as he created his play and said my monologue was a good choice. He then directed me to try sections of the monologue in different ways, pretending that I was an effeminate rat and then morphing into a human. He explained that the play involves flashbacks/sequences where the human characters also become the Charlotte's Web animal characters. My time in Robin's Meisner class proved useful again, as I was comfortable getting onto the floor and being rat-like, similar to the "inner animal" exercise that Robin made me do. Brendan got excited when he saw me morph from rat to human, as it was the process he was looking for.

After thanking them and leaving, I worked out at my gym and started heading up to Edmonds for another performance of "The King & I" when Colin called me on my cell saying that they'd love to see me at callbacks the next night. Since I had a closing show of "The King & I" the next day along with helping to strike the set, they were fine with me arriving a bit late. That next day, after strike, I stopped to wolf down some chicken yakisoba at Kiku's in the U-District before arriving at TPS at 7:45 PM. The hallway was filled with young actors and dancers.

A friendly blonde from Kentucky named Jenn introduced herself to me as StageRight's account manager and had me check to see if I had any conflicts with the rehearsal & performance dates and then handed me a side where I would be asked to read for both characters- a deputy being interrogated, and the lawyer. A group of about 8-10 actors were already in the audition room and as I waited for the next hour, I reviewed my sides and stretched my body, trying to keep my energy level up.

When we were finally brought in, I was asked to read first alongside a tall fellow, first as the lawyer and then we switched roles and I was the deputy on the stand. I felt like both readings went well. Brendan then asked me to look at a side for Lurvey, who he described as "terrifying, but people aren't sure why". After other actors had a chance to perform, I was called back up and did my creepy take of the character. From my very first line, I could see Brendan recoil and he may have even uttered a faint expletive! As I continued on, I could sense the rest of the room starting to feel uneasy and when I delivered my final line, everyone exploded in a mixture of laughter, horror and revulsion, being thoroughly creeped out!

As an actor, you know you've done a good job when an audience is connected and affected on a visceral level. I have confidence and think that I have proven that I have a broad range as an actor. The StageRight gang seem like a fun bunch to work with, so we'll see if they think I fit any of the roles. I will hear by Wednesday either way.

Cast!- Software Print Shoot

2011-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

I received some good news on Friday. I had just finished participating in a 2-day work retreat up at the Tulalip Resort and was shopping up a storm at the nearby Seattle Premium Outlet mall, doing my best to knock off my Christmas list. My agent called and informed me that I am booked for a quick photoshoot this Monday afternoon at Victory Studios in Seattle for a software company. I was already going to take Monday off from work as a vacation/recuperation day since "The King & I" closes this weekend. Although the gig doesn't pay a whole lot overall, it's good money for an hour of my time and will off-set a good portion of my Christmas gift expenses. Plus, the studio is close to where I live. Awesome! I will just be a background extra, so may not even be noticeable or seen, but hey, work is work! It will either be for the company's website or internet marketing.

Audio Drama- "Whatever Happened to Baby Dali?" is Up!

2011-12-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

The audio drama I recorded in late-August is up! I reprised the role of Theo "Smoothie" Walsh, a young cub reporter for the The Daily Bugle. You can download the free MP3 file here:

http://www.19nocturneboulevard.net/11_all%20show%20pages/19Nocturne/previous%20episodes/Baby%20Dali.htm

"The King & I" Pics

2011-12-11T10:41:00.001-08:00

"The King & I" is a grand and lavish production. We have been performing to packed or sold-out houses every night since opening. For those of you who are unable to see it, here are some photos. My point-and-shoot camera can't do it justice, but fortunately Michael Bury Photography captured these beautiful images. After today's sold-out matinee, we have one more weekend left of the run!

Me as the Interpreter

Anna and Louis get a surly welcome to Siam

The King addresses Anna

Tuptim and Lun Tha wistfully sing

Louis and Prince Chualongkorn ponder a puzzlement

Poor Eliza's ballet

"Dishonor! Dishonor!"

"The King & I"- Our First Review!

2011-12-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to our first, and probably only review, seeing that we are now halfway through our run of “The King & I”.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20111130/TWH05/711309893/-1/NEWS

It’s a positive review, and the show has been a crowd-pleaser. Five out of our first seven shows were sold out, and we even got a few standing ovations! We have eight more to go, and expect to sell out most of those as well. If you’re interested in seeing the show, get your tickets early by contacting the Driftwood office at office@driftwoodplayers.com or (425)774-9600.

I was approached with the possibility of portraying the character of Ho-Jon in Driftwood’s next mainstage production of M*A*S*H, but after reviewing the script, I didn’t find the character interesting enough to warrant the time and travel. It’s nice to be considered and it’s always a bit difficult to turn down opportunities, but I feel it’s important to invest my time and energy into projects that interest me and help me grow as an artist.

I have an audition slated for next Saturday for a newer theatre company called Stageright, who has adapted E.B. White’s children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, into a modern-day courtroom drama entitled "WEB". Sounds intriguing, and I like the fact that they’d be rehearsing and performing nearby if I do get cast. I am adjusting the Primal Fear scene that I used a few weeks ago at the Casting Director workshop and turning it into a monologue, so we’ll see how that goes.

Don't be so "Grimm"

2011-11-28T19:41:00.001-08:00

My agent called me today about auditioning for a role in the new t.v. series "GRIMM" tomorrow in Portland. Unfortunately, I had to decline because if cast, their shooting schedule conflicts with the run of "The King & I". Although I would LOVE to audition for that show, I am actually not so grimly disappointed. I don't think the particular role was best suited for me so my chances of gettng cast were probably slim. Besides, I believe in sticking to commitments as an actor. I unfortunately had to decline a dinner theatre performance of "Lola's House" as well due to my current production. That, I was disappointed about, but I can't be in two places at once. I just have to focus on what I do have on my plate and give it my best!

"The King & I": Opening Night

2011-11-26T11:37:00.001-08:00

As the cast was getting into costume and make-up last night, Dutch the producer announced that the Opening Night show was sold out. Nice! During our vocal warm-ups with Mark, he had each one of us share who we knew to be coming that night. I wasn't expecting anyone, though I know several friends who are planning to see it during the run.

Other than a few minor foibles, the show went very well and the crowd was appreciative, laughing at the humorous moments and clapping after every musical number. Afterward, as is traditional for Driftwood shows, there was a cast and crew party at the Taki Tiki down the street. I hung out for a little while, but since it was hot and crowded and getting late, I made my way home to get some rest.

"The King & I" Opens Tomorrow!

2011-11-24T13:22:00.001-08:00

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of my American friends and readers! I hope your day is filled with reminders and realizations of how much there is to be thankful for. For me, I'm thankful for friends and family, my health and home, my work and my abilities and opportunities to pursue my passion for acting, a reliable car, and above all, my loving God who gave me all these things and blesses me everyday in untold ways. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him and His mercies are new every morning. Love you, Jesus!

Well, it is almost here. "The King & I" opens tomorrow night! I have been in heavy rehearsals for it and have been getting home around 11 PM or later each night this week. It's coming together very nicely and I think the community will enjoy the show. It has a beautiful set, gorgeous costumes, live orchestra, talented singers, and creative choreography. Two shows have already been sold out and undoubtedly many more once the show is up and running. If you're in town and would like to see the show, more info is found at www.driftwoodplayers.com

With the lovely and talented Rachel ("Lady Thiang")

The men in "The King & I"

I am thankful to have today and most of tomorrow to catch up on some rest. After getting to bed at 2:30 AM last night/this morning, I woke up a little past noon today. My body really needed it snce I've only been averaging 5-6 hours of sleep lately. I am off now to catch up with a friend and then will enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Enjoy your day as well!

Video: A Scene from "Lola's House"

2011-11-23T00:14:00.001-08:00

I've hesitated posting this because it's hard not to feel a bit vulnerable and embarrassed about being captured on film in such an emotional scene, but here it is. Here is the scene that Shaunna and I filmed with Jack over the weekend. It's certainly not a perfect performance on my part, but not bad considering we really only did two takes due to time constraints. Jack shot this on his I-phone 4 and edited it on Sony Vegas. Feel free to comment on it. If we do end up turning the entire script of "Lola's House" into a film, I will get the opportunity to re-do this scene and improve my performance.

"Rogue Saints" Screening

2011-11-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

Director Adam Lubanski introducing the film

After the experimental I-phone shoot with Jack, I drove home and met my friend Barb and carpooled up to Five Guys Burgers in Bothell. There has been so much hoopla over the place that I wanted to try it. My friend Wayman had been there waiting a while and after apologizing profusely for my tardiness, we joined him in some burger and fries. Although the bun wasn't the best, I enjoyed my burger quite a bit. It tasted fresh and surprisingly non-greasy. The fries were good too, and I liked the digital soda fountain where I could mix up various flavors.
After dinner, the three of us drove down to Cedar Park Church in Bothell where we discovered the parking lot to be quite full and the lobby brimming with people. Rogue Saints was screening there that night for cast, crew and invited friends. It was quite exciting to see so many people. Barb and Wayman were wondering where the "red carpet" was and Barb remarked that this was more people than she'd usually see at a normal cinema. I estimate that there were about 500-600 people there.
My Meisner friends, Mick and Stela met us there along with my church friends Evia, her baby, and Mimi. A young woman named Justine greeted me at the door and introduced herself as Josh's wife. Josh works for Adam and did a tremendous amount of work on the film. Justine said that my friends and I could sit in any of the "reserved" sections. Nice! We found a row of seats in a middle section near the front.

I ran into several friends/acquaintances that night- Matt, the young boy who is also in "The King & I" with me, Deanna, who plays the lead female, Deb who I've worked with in the past on That Show, and Dave an older gentleman actor I've met a few times before and it turns out that Mick also knows him. Matt ran up to me prior to the film starting and said that he had asked if the opening scene we shared got cut and was assured it was still in there. In his precocious way, he said, "Our scene is too important because it tells the whole story!".

Turns out he was partially right. Once the film started, it opened up with a close-up shot of my hand opening up a peach can and emptying it in glass bowl. Matt had some nice screen time and I could see my blurred self in the background silently talking to my acting partner. However, instead of the dialogue scene I had, it was replaced with a cartoon narrative with the lead providing the voiceover. Eventually, the film cut to a few close-up reaction shots of me, but none of my dialogue was preserved. At times I wondered if the movie would flash back to the scene with dialogue but it didn't. Oh well, such is the nature of film. I would have loved to have had more screen time and to see how the scene would have played out, but at least I made it on-screen, even for a few seconds.

The movie itself was beautifully-shot. I liked the lead actors and thought they had good chemistry. There were many amusing moments and supporting characters. I thought the pacing could have been improved a bit at times and the ending was not clear/strong enough. Barb, Wayman and I went to a sports bar afterward and each of us had a different understanding/interpretation of what happened, and it wasn't because it was intentional. It just wasn't clear enough. Nevertheless, overall it was an entertaining, enjoyable movie and I think it has a lot of potential, particularly in the Christian market due to it's overall message. The film is screening once again tonight at Cedar Park Church for the general public at 6 PM tonight, so check it out if you're able to. More info can be found at www.cedarpark.org

Adam the director took to the stage at the film's conclusion with rousing applause and appreciation from the audience. He shared that it's a difficult, challenging road to try to find distribution for a film and though nothing has been secured yet, he has a few interesting avenues to explore and will keep us updated on how that transpires in the coming year.

Impromptu Filming

2011-11-20T10:49:00.001-08:00

Late Friday night, Jack texted me wondering what I was doing the next day. Other than meeting up with friends for dinner and the Rogue Saints screening, I was free up until 3:30 PM. Jack felt inspired to do some filming and I agreed to stop by, so yesterday at Noon, I drove over to his apartment in Lake City. Jack played "Joe" in "Lola's House" with me and wanted to film a short scene on his I-phone as an experiment. He's like a modern-day renaissance man- passionate, creative, fun to be around and he enjoys all types of artistic projects. I admired the photography on his wall and may be teaming up with him to do a photoshoot that I have brewing in my head.
Jack dressed up the dining room area where we'd be shooting and then we made a quick trip to a local Fred Meyer to pick up a prop. We shot a quick scene back at the apartment and waited for another actor to arrive before we did some more shooting. Time (and daylight) was running short, but we managed to shoot the scene from a couple of different angles before I had to dash off, running late now at 4 PM. If we had a bit more time, I'm sure I would have done better emotional work,but Jack seemed quite happy with it and I may stop by his place later tonight to check out what he put together. The man is super fast in editing! He's very good too, so I'm sure his experimental project will look great despite whatever deficiencies I think I had.

Casting Director Workshop with Janet Hirshenson

2011-11-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

After a wonderful night with my "Lola's House" family, I got home and into bed around 2:30 AM. Six hours later, I tumbled out of bed to get ready for a workshop with L.A. Casting Director Janet Hirshenson which was going to be held at Freehold Theatre. Janet casted the "Harry Potter" films, "Transformers", "A Beautiful Mind" and "Jurassic Park" among others. Registration was a bit pricey but it seemed like an opportune time for me to become acquainted with a L.A. casting director.

After picking up a morning chai, I met up with my Meisner friend Christian at 10:30 AM at Freehold to run lines together. The scene I picked for myself was from the movie Primal Fear which starred Richard Gere and Edward Norton in his breakthrough role. I haven't seen the movie, but I liked how the scene would play to my strengths. It was intense, and my character "Aaron" had a sociopathic split personality named "Roy" which emerged during the scene.

As we neared the time of the workshop, actors started streaming into Freehold. I estimate maybe 50-60 which was far more than I expected. My Meisner friend Chris was also there and he and I wondered how everyone was going to get an opportunity to perform their scenes within the next few hours. The workshop started at Noon, with an hour-long Q & A with a panel consisting of Janet, a local producer named Jane, Erin from Topo Swope Talent (my agency), and a local actor named Demetrius who also interns at Patti Kalles (a Seattle casting director). I asked Janet what her assessment is of the market for ethnic actors in Hollywood and she thought that it was a good time, which was encouraging to hear.

Once the panel adjourned, I gave a quick hug and hello to Erin as she was leaving. We then reset the room and Janet's assistants would call out four actors at a time to warm up/practice their scenes before coming back into the room to individually perform. Chris and Christian were part of the first group, and I was able to watch Chris perform. He picked the same scene as I did, except he played Richard Gere's character, "Martin" who was the lawyer defending my character. We had hoped that we could read opposite each other, but the format was that one of Janet's assistants would be the reader for all the performances, which makes sense since that is how a real-life audition would usually go.

Chris did well. I've always liked the naturalism he brings to his performances. Janet had him try it again with a different direction just to see how the performance changed. I didn't get to see Christian perform because I was part of the second group that was called out of the room to prepare. In my group, there was a young African man named Doro, a tall lovely brunette named Gretchen, and another sweet gal- I think her name was Emily. Jacob the assistant had us pair off and go over our scenes with our partner. I paired up with Doro and rehearsed a bit in a separate space. I was really impressed by Doro's inner strength and presence. He was wonderful to read opposite of.

When we re-joined our little group, Gretchen had already performed. Emily performed her scene from The Break Up and was very believable as a woman frustrated with her boyfriend. Doro went next with his monologue, which was strong and riveting. At that point, we were notified that it was lunchtime but my fellow actors were so gracious in insisting that I perform my scene in front of them. I balked a bit saying that it's a long scene and I didn't want to cut into their lunch break but they were all supportive so I went ahead and read it opposite Doro. Other than being a little creeped out by my sociopath character, the gals and Jacob were very impressed and offered some tips that might make it even better. They didn't understand the scene when they had seen it earlier, but it became clear after my performance that my character was a split personality.

Since we were running short on time, lunch break was about 20 minutes long and then we resumed with the workshop. Doro did his monologue which ended with loud applause from us in the room and strong approval by Janet. She had him do it again with direction and then Gretchen followed with a beautiful emotional scene as a military wife mourning the loss of her husband. I thought she was wonderful. She performed again under a different direction and then it was my turn.

I took the stage and shifted from a stuttering, panicky "Aaron" to a seething, explosive "Roy". Janet's assistant who was reading opposite me, got confused on some lines and was starting to recite my lines at times, but I was fully into character and interrupted him and took those lines back, LOL! I saw Chris in the corner of my eye nodding in proud approval. As the scene ended, I was applauded and Janet said that I was "excellent". She seemed quite impressed and it dawned on her that I was doing Ed Norton's breakthrough role and shared a short story about him. Janet asked me to perform the first few pages again so she could see my transformation again from Aaron to Roy and directed me to make Roy more condescending rather than pissed off. I did it and she praised me for making a nice adjustment.

For the next couple of hours, I watched the other actors have their turn. There were young kids all the way up to senior citizens in the workshop, and aside from a few, the majority of those present were solid to exceptional in their acting skills. A few had done work in L.A. and had moved to Seattle, while a few like me were thinking of moving to L.A. As we hit 6 PM, there were still several actors who had yet to perform, but since I needed to drive to West Seattle to see my Meisner friends Malachy and Narea perform in a show, I walked up to Janet during a transition moment and politely informed her that I needed to leave and that it was very nice to meet her. She and her assistant once again affirmed me for my good work and I grabbed my stuff, said goodbye to Gretchen and Emily (Doro had already left) and walked back to my car through the misty cool rain. Although I wasn't sure what to expect from the workshop, my main goal was to get some questions about the L.A. scene answered and to do good, memorable work in front of Janet. Mission accomplished.

Video: Clips from "Lola's House"

2011-11-13T11:36:00.001-08:00

Friday night, I joined many of the cast and crew from "Lola's House" for a combination wrap party and dual birthday party celebration for Sundy and Bridget. We first met at the Rock Box on Capitol Hill- a cool karaoke place. After sharing some cake and singing some rousing old-school and modern hits, we walked over to Octo Sushi for some dinner. There, fellow cast member Jack showed us this video that he put together and distributed each of us a copy. Check it out here:

It's a beautiful video that brought back the magic, love and family bond that we experienced on-stage, but with each other during the entire process. We took turns going around the dinner table expressing our thoughts and appreciation of each other and it further demonstrated the affection and kinship we have for each other. After dinner, Gen, who played the mother role int he play, wanted us to meet her up at a restaurant called Isla Manila up in Lake City.

Upon arriving, I gave her a big hug and we walked into the restaurant which was filled with spinning colored lights, Filipino diners and live karaoke. We all settled in at a large table and got ready for a second dinner! The owner of the restaurant is a friend of Gen's and when he saw me, he marched over with an amusing mix of consternation and pride, pointed at me and blurted, "YOU made me cry!". LOL! I was seated next to Sundy and he was so gracious to tell me that my performance touched a lot of people and even made his family members who could be tough at times to be moved to tears. I expressed my appreciation back of him and to be involved with this production. It truly was an ensemble and I'm just pleased and proud that my involvement was part of the whole experience that the audience was able to enjoy.

We spent the next few hours eating, chatting, dancing and singing. Jack has a marvelous voice and it was great to see him perform several karaoke hits during the night along with diners and even restaurant staff! Gen belted out some great tunes in her fun and feisty style. Eventually, I mustered up enough nerve to sing a song which ended up being too high for me, but my Lola family was really appreciative and encouraging. Malika has a beautiful voice and was encouraged to share it after she saw me take the plunge. It just goes to show if you step out of your comfort zone, you can inspire others to do so as well!

Now, it looks like "Lola's House" may be gaining some traction. The idea is still out there to possibly re-mount it at Gen's church, but the owner of Isla Manila also proposed that we do it at his restaurant as part of a dinner theatre event! It will depend on whether all our schedules line up, but it sounds like a fun and unique experience and it would be wonderful to share this lovely play with more people.

"Lola's House"- Closing Performance

2011-11-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well, as quickly as it was up, "Lola's House" has closed. Once again, we played to a good crowd. I was sure it would be a smaller house, but I think it exceeded our opening show in attendance- I would estimate maybe 60 people. This performance went much smoother than the first one. Malika was instrumental in making sure things were well-organized and it cut our transition times substantially. To make sure we didn't go through the same foibles as before, Tomoko and I personally placed the props we'd need in certain scenes, and I picked up a small cake which was key to one of my scenes.

It's easy to relax after you've opened a show, but I wanted to make sure I gave as good or an even better performance than before, and did my emotional prep before my scenes. Once again, during my emotional scene with Lola, I was brought to tears and could hear sniffles from the audience as well. This audience was particularly receptive and applauded after most of our scenes, including mine. As the show came to an end, we did our curtain call and Sundy had us all return to the stage so he could individually introduce us.

In the lobby, I was greeted by a large group of friends. I was only expecting a few, but my actor friend Aya and my volleyball friends Belinda, Barb, Kenny, Meghan and Allison had shown up along with Meisner friends Chris (with his friend Ivy) and Lisa (with her boyfriend Rob). As I was chatting with them, other audience members would poke in and compliment me and mention that my performance made them cry. Wow, that's very gratifying to hear as an actor, to know that you moved people to feel something so deeply. I'm grateful for what I learned through my Meisner instructor, Robin Lynn Smith, as it enabled me to handle a role like the one I had and to do it in a healthy and effective way. I am going to email her a note to thank her for this.

"Lola's House" was a wonderful experience. I have fondness and love for the cast and crew and we really have bonded in a special way during the past two months. It was a joy to inhabit "Eric" and interact with the other characters in this touching family drama. Sundy shared how a couple recognized him today as he and stage/lighting/props manager, Bridget, were unloading things from the show. "They were deeply moved by the show... At one point they started to get teary because it reminded them of their own family. The couple could not stop talking about the show after they left the theatre and now they would like to be supporters for future projects". How cool is that??

There is talk now about possibly doing one more performance at Gen's church. I would definitely be open to that and it sounds like everyone else is too. It will depend on how well all our schedules match up during this busy time as we near the holidays. Plus, I'm quite limited in my free time due to the "King & I" rehearsals and upcoming performances. If it's meant to happen, it will. I certainly think "Lola's House" has a lovely message that should be seen by more people, so hopefully we will have that opportunity again before too long. Thanks to all who came out to see the show!

Welcome to "Lola's House"! - 1st Performance

2011-11-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Theatre Off Jackson this morning right at my call time of 10 AM. Frank, who plays the mailman in the show, arrived just moments before and was inviting a passerby to come and see the show that afternoon. Awesome! The theatre door was still locked, but eventually the managing director, Patti, emerged from inside and let us in. We both did a double-take and then recognition dropped in. I had worked with Patti 10+ years ago at the theatre where I was an Administrative Assistant of the now defunct Northwest Asian American Theatre (NWAAT). We gave each other a big hug and updated each other a bit on our lives. After NWAAT closed up, Patti started up a non-profit with her partner to help preserve the performance space. Good on them, because it really is a nice venue and it'd be a shame if it ever ceased to be a theatre space.

Frank adhering a stripe to his postman pants

Frank and I settled into the green room and eventually the rest of the cast and crew started to arrive. I helped our stage manager, Bridget, load in some lumber which she would be using for the door hangs. My "family" members Tomoko, Jack, Gen and I walked over to Ambrosia for some bubble tea but it was ten minutes from opening. Gossip Tea also wasn't going to open until 11 AM, so we walked into Mon Hei Bakery and ordered some pastries before wandering back to Ambrosia. Other than a light in the kitchen, there were no signs of activity and we waited for several minutes before finally going to Gossip which has just opened up. With my sesame bubble tea in hand, we walked back to the theatre.

Gen ("Emily") and Tomoko ("Mariel") having breakfast

Tomoko and Jack ("Joe") having fun at Gossip Tea

Over the next several hours, we assisted where we could with the doorhangs. It took much longer than expected, as Bridget's drill and the theatre drill we borrowed both ran out of juice. As performance time neared, it was clear that we weren't going to be able to run through the show on stage since it was still under construction, so we ran lines in the green room and started getting into costume and make-up. Showtime was at 2 PM, though we held the house for an additional ten minutes to allow people to arrive and settle in.

Shaunna transforming into Grandma Lola

Frank ("Mailman") and Laurie ("Martha")

Refining the Hula

Watching the backstage monitor in between scenes

The show itself went well, though a bit rough and clunky at times. We didn't have a dress rehearsal and the usual foibles that arise weren't apparent until they happened in the moment. In one of my scenes, an important prop (a jar of change) wasn't in place. I had to improv a bit and thankfully found it in one of our boxes that was already on stage. In another scene, my grandmother Lola surprises me with a gift, but the gift wasn't in place and she had to use an ordinary object on the table. I had to pretend to be really affected by it, but wondered if it looked ridiculous from the audience perspective. From feedback later on, I was told it was not problematic. Transition times were a bit long and there was uncertainty as to when to make an entrance due to set-up and striking of the set, but we did our best and I didn't hear any negative feedback.

In fact, feedback was very positive! The crowd of about 50 people gave us nice applause and some great compliments afterward in the lobby. Shmim, Jeremy, Malachy, Stela, Gaelen and Christian from my Meisner class all came, as well as my volleyball friends, Lexi and Shawn, and my church friends Wayman, Imran, Evia, Mimi and Arnold. Several mentioned they were moved to tears or close to it from my performance, which is great! Many people commented on the "beautiful story" and how sweet and touching it was at times. People also enjoyed the chemistry that we had with each other on stage. A woman named Cara who is friends with one of our production staff, Malika, was very generous in complimenting me, saying that my inner emotional work was clear and that I exude a lot of "warmth and light". She and Malika were both intrigued to find out from my friends that I often get cast to play villainous roles.

Malika said Cara is a filmmaker, so I gave her one of my actor business cards. I mentioned she is the first one I've given one too as I generally don't network too much. Malika gently chided me on my approach and showed me how it's supposed to be done. "BAM! Here's my card. Call me." and then walk off, LOL!!! I practiced it on Malika by giving her one of my cards in that manner. "You learn fast!" she laughed.

One performance is in the bag and one more to go tomorrow! It was a good opening show despite the foibles and I'm sure tomorrow will be amazing. If you're reading this and are in the Seattle area, please come! Here's the poster again with the information:

Corporate Photo Shoot

2011-11-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

[Note: Due to a non-disclosure agreement, I have to keep this a bit vague.]

I made the 30-mile trek up to Everett the other night for my corporate photo shoot. Hitting a few snags of traffic, I arrived 8 minutes late at the sprawling complex located in a very remote area. It was a bit odd. The building itself was modern and yet felt old at the same time. Almost like how you might envision a futuristic science & technology building if you were making a movie back in the 60’s. It would be a great film set.

I parked my car and since it was a secured access building, I made a call to John the photographer when a woman who was exiting the building recognized me and let me in. She helped with casting the project and was leaving because she wasn’t feeling well. John and his assistant Jill greeted me and ushered me into a room where I met the make-up artist and fellow Asian models, Aiko and Yu, along with Yu’s friend- a tall, gangly man who provided most of the entertainment.

Echoing my thoughts, he said, “This would be a perfect place for a horror movie,” and amused us with his visionings of zombies attacking us all as night fell. We pondered over how we’d survive and figured our make-up person could make us look like zombies so we could blend in with the undead when they emerged. “But what about the smell?”, someone asked, “How would we blend in with their smell?’. Ah, the tough questions in life!

Aiko was the first one done with make-up, so John and Jill started doing some individual shots of her in another room while she used/demonstrated the featured product. I was next up in the make-up chair but had already put on some beforehand, so the artist just powdered me and filled in my brows. “Would you like your lashes curled?”, she asked. Never having had that done before, I said, “Um…sure.”. I’m always up for new experiences! It was strange and slightly unnerving when she clamped the curler on me. “You have such long lashes! I wish I had lashes like yours”, she said. After she applied some mascara, I looked in the mirror and was surprised at a pair of very feminine eyes looking back at me. Hmm, not my best look…

When it was my turn, I showed John and Jill the wardrobe options I brought but they liked what I was already wearing and just had me throw on a brown tie. For the next little while, they had me pose with the featured product while they shot pictures. After Yu had also had her turn, we moved out into the lobby and shot individual and dual shots with the product while at the counter. We would take turns being the “customer” and the “sales associate”. Aiko and I had good social chemistry which I think will play out well in the shots. I didn’t get to know Yu, and her personality was quite different, so it was probably good that we only had one sequence together.

The shoot lasted two hours and as we were wrapping up, a new set of models were arriving. We were asked to sign model release forms and were given a gift card. John said that he would send us some images in February once the product marketing begins in Asia, Europe and the U.S. As I thanked them and said good-bye, I exited the building to find it was dumping rain. A veritable torrential downpour! Ugh. Oh well…maybe it helped keep the zombies away.

Cast!- Corporate Photo Shoot

2011-10-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

I responded to an ad on Friday looking for models for a corporate photo shoot and received word today that I got cast! I just spoke with John, the photographer, and he will email me directions to the shoot which will take place this Wednesday evening in South Everett. It's for a shipping company and the images will be used on the corporate website and for marketing materials. John anticipates that it will only take about 2-3 hours. Payment will be in the form of gift cards and some images from the shoot. I think it'll be fun, and a nice addition to my portfolio.

"Rogue Saints" is Coming Soon!

2011-10-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Rogue Saints, directed by Adam Lubanski, is a Christian-themed movie about a diamond heist. I was cast in a brief role as the father (in a flashback scene) of one of the would-be robbers and worked one day on set earlier this year. Other than a couple of pick-up shots needed and the ongoing post-production, the film was pretty much wrapped at the time, with my scene being the last main one to be filmed.

I received notification the other day that the movie has been completed and there will be a private screening for cast and crew in mid-November! I'm looking forward to it. From what I understood, my scene actually opens up the movie, so hopefully it looks good and didn't end up on the cutting-room floor! Adam is also going to screen the movie in Puerto Rico in late-November, where some of the scenes were shot, so if any of you readers are out there, check out this video to get information on attending the screening!

The movie looks to be fun and entertaining and I can vouch that the cast is a talented bunch, having worked with several of them before in other projects. Also, Adam comes with formidable film cred, having worked on Transformers 2, Hancock and many other big-budget projects. I'm sure you'll agree that the production value looks great on the video/trailer. Hopefully, Rogue Saints will find distribution and be seen by a large audience. I think it definitely has that potential.

Part of the "Human Canvas"

2011-10-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

It took over a year, but it's finally here- one of my Art Wolfe prints! Last July, I modeled for Art for the first time, doing some non-erotic artistic solos and duo shots. Since then, I've modeled two more times as part of a large group. Other than Art being very busy with traveling and multiple projects, and the fact that the people he uses for printing and framing take a long time, I'm still not sure why the process was so prolonged. I still have a solo print owed to me and will get to choose a group print from my recent session, but hopefully won't have to wait quite as long for those. Nevertheless, I'm happy to have my first one. It's a large print and beautifully framed.

I'm not sure where to put it yet. I found an adhesive hook stuck on one of my bedroom walls from the previous tenant and hung it there last night, surprised that it was able to withstand the weight. I should have listened to my inner reason, because in the middle of the night during my peaceful slumber- BAM!!!- the hook plucked off the wall sending the frame crashing down. Good thing it remained intact and undamaged. I'll probably just prop it up on top of my bookcase against the wall for now.

I chose this print to own because I like the composition and to me it speaks of the chaos, darkness and strife of our humanity. Without a Savior, without redemption, without hope, we would all struggle through life in despair. We may try to find temporary escape in activities or addictions or place hope in things like wealth, status or relationships, but ultimately what we need is an unmovable foundation, a bedrock. Mine is my faith and hope in Jesus Christ. He protects me, guides me, loves me. He is the real thing. My hope for you if you haven't already experienced Him is to be open. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8). "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

**UPDATE**
11/16/11
I have since been asked to model a fourth time with Art, but declined. I think I'm done with the body paint stuff. Time to move on to other things. Plus, I'm in heavy rehearsals for "The King & I" which opens next week!

Project London Official Movie Trailer

2011-10-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's almost here! After 4+ years in the making, the good folks at Project London are putting the finishing touches on this epic movie! We could use your help though. A fundraising campaign has been launched to hopefully bring in some extra funds so that this movie is completed sooner vs. (even) later. Enjoy the trailer, and please consider chipping in some spare change at the indiegogo page (the link is provided below). Every penny counts, and there are also some cool items/merchandise available at different donor levels.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Project-London

The King & I- First Read-Through

2011-10-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

The cast of Driftwood Player's The King & I met for the first time this morning in Edmonds. Introductions were made and we were given a rehearsal schedule and signed off on waivers. The room was filled with children, parents and adult cast members. I know two of the actors, Maydene and Stan. Stan is cast as the King and will do a wonderful job. We then did a read-through and sing-through of the script. I've never seen a production of The King & I and it became evident that it is quite a grand undertaking for any theatre. It's a BIG musical in it's scope and it's chock-full of songs and dance numbers. It'll be fascinating to see how we progress piece-by-piece in shaping this musical over the next six weeks of rehearsals.

The music director is a gentleman who is going through some heart issues and is midway through procedures and operations needed. He expressed just being thankful that he was here, and I couldn't help but admire his dedication and passion to still be involved with the show. Then again, as an artist I can also understand why he wouldn't back down since it obviously gives him joy. I chatted briefly with him afterward and inquired as to whether my character of the Interpreter is going to be involved with singing as part of the ensemble. He answered in the affirmative and said he'd try to use me as much as he could seeing that they are a bit short of the number of men in the ensemble.

Driving home from the read-through, I stopped by a Radio Shack and picked up a digital voice-recorder. It will be helpful as I learn lines for the various projects I'm currently involved in and will be a useful tool when I practice singing to make sure I'm staying on pitch. I'm thankful for the opportunities and the fact that they're staggered enough apart from each other that I don't feel overwhelmed (at least not yet) from all the memorization and rehearsals. Now I'm off to soak in a warm bath to relax a bit!

"Lola's House" Promotional Poster

2011-10-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS!!! My talented castmate, Jack Abarilles, put together this beautiful poster for our upcoming stage production. What a quick turnaround! We took pictures yesterday and Jack worked hours on creating this poster only to have his computer crash at 3 A.M. this morning resulting in not only a loss of all his work, but a cascading torrent of colorful words, I'm sure! He started over and finished this at 5 A.M. and still showed up at our optional rehearsal today. That's dedication. And this poster ROCKS! Save the dates and come join us if you're in town! :)

A Walk in the Park with "Lola"

2011-10-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals are going well with "Lola's House". We are starting to amp up our rehearsal schedule. Originally, it was just once a week on Saturdays but it's become clear that we need more in order to build on our family dynamics and get this play into good shape. Sundy, our director, has now added two additional rehearsals per week which are considered optional, but most of us try to make them. I will be headed back there today.

Incorporated in yesterday's rehearsal was a photo shoot in nearby Cal Anderson Park. It was a beautiful day, a rarity this time of year. We got into costume and took a leisurely stroll over to the picturesque park which was alive with soccer players, sunbathers, and young men slack-lining and tossing footballs. Jack, one of our cast members, as well as another photographer were on deck to take photos of us to be used in postcards, posters and/or other marketing materials. Here are some shots from my own camera:

Jack ("Joe") and Gen ("Emily")

Shaunna ("Lola") and Tomoko ("Mariel")

Rocky ("Sam")

The principal cast

Aloha! Hope to see you at "Lola's House"! Nov. 5th & 6th. 2 PM shows at the Theatre Off Jackson!

Arts Crush: REVEALED!

2011-10-09T00:23:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, for the 9th year in a row, I led a work team to do our annual Habitat for Humanity build. This one was at Rainier Vista, which we had worked at a couple of years back. They worked us hard! We spent all day moving sandbags, folding tarp, hauling lumber and rebar, cutting rebar, staining a fence, etc. Thankfully, the weather cooperated. It was cool and overcast, which made working outside far more pleasant that if it was dumping rain.

After Habitat, I drove to my cousin's house nearby and showered there and ate a snack before driving down to the International District. I found a great parking spot which was free (YES!) and walked to the Wing Luke Asian Museum where a cute and friendly staff person named Stephanie escorted me upstairs to the East Lightwell where I'd be performing a monologue for SiS Production's Arts Crush event- REVEALED!. My partner, Kathy Okawa, was already there seated on a bench and she and I hardly got to settle in before a young woman entered and inquired about our performance. It was only 5:40 PM and we weren't intending to start until 6 PM. I just needed to use the restroom and grab a bottled water, but unfortunately the woman didn't come back even though she said she wanted to see us perform.

For the next two hours, Kathy and I sat on the bench rehearsing our monologues, chatting with each other and just waiting for people to stop by so we could perform. Unfortunately, we saw only a handful of people come by and they were merely passing through the lightwell to check out other museum exhibits. We knew that Kathy Hsieh (a founder of SiS Productions) would be bringing a tour group by at 7:30 so we would have a guaranteed audience, but we couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the general public and museum-goers didn't check out our performance.

Oh well, sure enough at 7:30, Kathy led a large group of about 20 people into the lightwell and I began my monologue with my partner following with her monologue. I thought it went really well. I was happy with my performance and glad that I managed to be completely off-book even though that wasn't expected of me. It turns out that our scene was the final one of the tour. Kathy Hsieh had led the audience on a walking tour of six different sites in the International District, including a grocery store, bubble tea house, various restaurants and even an alleyway. At each site, a theatrical vignette greeted the audience. I was at the seventh and final site.

Kathy thanked us, gave us a nice stipend for our participation, and then I was able to watch one performance in the nearby alleyway and walk through a historic apartment/hotel before heading home for the night. It was a long day, but a good one.

Sneak Peek: Photos of a THIEF!

2011-10-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Local rap artist Simar and his photographer friend, Rebecca Bolte, are in the process of selecting and touching up photos to be used as marketing materials for Simar's latest digital single, "THIEF!", but here's a preview. One of these pics or something similar will be used alongside pics of other models in the promotion. Lock up your bikes, boys and girls! ;)

THIEF Photo Shoot

2011-10-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Simar Samuel is a local rap artist who is putting together some marketing materials to promote his new digital song, "THIEF!" I was cast as one of the models a while back and we had our photo shoot this afternoon in Georgetown. It was quick and simple. I found the gang shooting up against a garage door- Rebecca (photographer), Simar, Ian (Caucasian model) and Fernando (Latino model). We were each instructed beforehand to be dressed in similar fashion and took turns being photographed as if we were stealing a bicycle. I tried to give a variety of looks but overall Rebecca directed me to look scared as if I might get caught stealing. After everyone was photographed, we gathered all the equipment and walked two blocks over to the next location- the storefront of a music store. Once camera and lighting were set up, we shot a series of photos there and then it was a wrap.

Rebecca had me fill out a model release form and said she would send me some of my pics. She and Simar plan to get together this week to look over and edit the photos and they should be available in a week or so. Simar plans to use some of the images to make posters to distribute or hang up in stores and restaurants. I will post whatever images I get here, but if you happen to see me posted up anywhere around town, let me know! :)

Major Upcoming Announcement!

2011-09-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Major announcement coming soon! How major? I don't even know yet myself, but it will be big, at least for me! I've got a lot of work cut out for me, though. I will be enlisting help, and good thing I have a full month to get ready. Stay tuned! It's exciting and also daunting, but I'm up for the challenge and will get started on it very soon. I will share details about the project once I know them myself.

Cast!- Arts Crush Event

2011-09-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Arts Crush is an annual event here in Seattle, a month-long festival where the public can connect with artists and arts groups in unique and unexpected ways. Arts Crush features hundreds of free events, special discounts and once-a-year interactive arts opportunities for all ages. It's just another sparkling example of how creatively vibrant this city is!

"Creatively vibrant" can also be used to describe Kathy Hsieh (writer/director/producer/actor/co-founder, etc, etc, etc). She'd be embarrassed if she reads this, but she is a veritable Asian American powerhouse of talent! Must run in the family, as her brother David is incredibly active in the arts scene here as well, and the same David who I joined in the staged reading with just this past weekend.

Kathy asked if I'd like to participate in Sis Production's Arts Crush event taking place on 10/6. Take a look here, as it sounds really cool:

http://artscrush.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=528

I said yes and received the monologue today. I'll be portraying a man named Dexter and will share a poignant story about what Chinese men had to endure when first immigrating to the West Coast. I'll be stationed at a location in Seattle's International District. I won't reveal where exactly since this event involves the public having to find me based on clues that SiS Productions gives them.

Come check it out if you're in the area. It should be fun as well as educational!

Video: Freehold's 20th Anniversary

2011-09-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's up! The great video that Karass Creative put together to help celebrate Freehold's 20th Anniversary is viewable here.

http://vimeo.com/28330721

Great photos and key moments in their history is featured, plus my friend Malachy and I are both seen at the end helping to read the mission statement. It was truly an honor to be asked to participate in this.

Happy Anniversary, Freehold!

A Rehearsal, A Wedding, An Anniversary, A Reading

2011-09-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! It was busy for me. Yesterday, I had my first rehearsal for Lola's House over at the Seattle Acting School. I arrived at 2 PM as scheduled but others were running late and we didn't start until about 2:40. Knowing that I needed to run to a wedding, Sundy the director started the rehearsal with my character's main scene with his grandmother Lola. It's an emotional scene where my character Eric is guilt-ridden over the death of his father. Lola is played by a woman named Shaunna whose only acting credit thus far has been that of a rock :). She did fine though, and I felt we did a decent job working off of each other in this first rehearsal.
After working through it a few times, Sundy cleared me to leave if I needed to. I stuck around a little while longer and then headed over to Edmonds to see my friend Stuart get married. Funny thing was that I ran into two fellow actors from Gowe's "I Wonder" video- Esther, who plays the lead in the video, was one of the bridesmaids and John who plays the mean boyfriend was also there. It was good to finally meet him after sharing some of the same film projects.

After the wedding, I was able to rest for two hours at home before my Meisner friend Shmim picked me up to attend Freehold's 20th Anniversary event over at Washington Hall in the Central District. The room retained much of the day's heat and was uncomfortably warm, so I took breaks to cool off outside. Narea, Stela and Malachy eventually showed up, and of course Mick who just recently became President of the Freehold Board. The founders of Freehold were introduced, including John Billingsley who I was able to chat briefly with about life as an actor down in L.A.

The night's program consisted of sharings from the founders, memorable stories from current and former Freehold students, entertainment from vocal group "Black Staxx" and the Karass video that Malachy and I took part in last month. It was well done and efficiently summarized key points from Freehold's 20 years before concluding with the mission statement. I actually appear twice in it! I will post the link once it becomes available.

Later on, several of us drove over to 13 Coins to grab a bite and continue catching up with each other. Shmim drove me home and we chatted further in her SUV until I finally headed off to bed around 2 AM.

This morning, I drove out to the Elliott Bay Bookstore at 10 AM and did a loose read-through of "The Sisters Rosensweig" with the rest of the cast while David the ReAct director set up the space, lighting and sound cues. When he was finished, we did an abbreviated read-through with improvised blocking and before we knew it, we were 5 minutes from performance time. As I walked upstairs to use the restroom, there was already a line of people waiting to come into the room to watch us. Nice!

The only unfortunate thing was that there wasn't time for me to purchase a snack at the bookstore cafe due to a long line (which was also the case during intermission), so I had to perform on a very empty stomach which grumbled a few times at me in malcontent. Other than that, the performance went well and we had a good-sized, receptive audience. So receptive that as I hurriedly tried to leave so I could eat, I was stopped twice in the bookstore by people who wanted to express their appreciation. "That was terrific" said one gentleman while several women in his cluster nodded along. Another man was superfluous in his praise of the play and strongly encouraged me to read Wendy and the Lost Boy, which is apparently a fascinating book partially based on Wendy Wasserstein's life (the author of the play we had just read).

As I exited the bookstore and made my way toward my car, I passed by a Molly Moon's ice cream shop where the welcoming scent of waffle cones promptly made me double back and make an impulsive purchase of a pint of their salted caramel. Now, properly sated with dinner and the aforementioned dessert, I am going to rest and enjoy the last remaining moments of this weekend.

Cast!- Staged Reading of "The Sisters Rosensweig"

2011-09-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

David Hsieh is a talented actor/director/producer who is also the Artistic Director of Repertory Actors Theatre (ReAct)- Seattle's Multi-ethnic, philanthropic theatre company. I've taken part in a couple of staged readings with him in the past and will be jumping on-board this weekend with Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig". We have a rehearsal tomorrow a.m. and will be performing it this Sunday at 2 PM at:

Elliott Bay Bookstore
1521 10th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122

I'll be reading the role of "Tom" who appears to have a British-Lithuanian(??) accent in the script. Hmm, not sure if I will attempt that or not. :)

If you're in the area and are interested in checking it out, please do and say hello! It is a very entertaining piece and the event is donate-what-you-can (suggested $5 donation).

For more info about ReAct, check out their website: www.reacttheatre.org

The bookstore website is: www.elliottbaybook.com

Cast!- Driftwood Theatre's "The King & I"!

2011-09-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I got the call earlier this evening. Even though I had to miss the callbacks due to being out of town in Chicago for my friend's wedding, I was offered the role of the Interpreter in Driftwood Theatre's winter production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The King & I". Initially, I was slightly disappointed to not land a more substantial role and one with a song, but it may be for the best. I'm just starting to work and expand my vocal range and it might be too daunting to try to be ready in time for a solo/duet on stage so soon. I guess it's possible I might be doing some ensemble singing, so that would be cool. I'll find out more info soon.

Project London Sneak Peek Scene

2011-09-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

The good people behind Project London are thisclose to finishing up their labor of love, now four years in the making. But they could use your help! A little financial support will enable them to put the finishing touches on the movie and get it ready for distribution. It was my first feature film project and I am excited to finally see the finished product. Help make it a reality by making a donation of $1.95 or more and you will get to see a sneak peek of a scene from the film as well as a mind-blowing trailer full of Blender rendered eye-candy as well as yours truly (all natural eye-candy). HA! ;-) Oh come on, that was good.

Check it out at: http://ning.it/qY9H81

You'll need to sign in as a new subscriber and enter payment info, but you'll get 7+ minutes of awesomeness in return, plus the satisfaction of knowing that you have supported independent filmmaking! If you haven't already, "like" the Project London page on Facebook and check their website periodically at http://www.projectlondonmovie.com/ to keep tabs. The film will undoubtedly create some buzz once it's released! On behalf of the Triumvirate and myself, THANKS for your support!!!

A Glutton for Punishment: Russian Self Defense Class

2011-09-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Oof...tomorrow will find me sore and bruised. I just got back from checking out a Russian Self Defense class at the community center nearby my house. The community center said I could check out the first class for $2 before deciding if I want to register. As I walked up the stairs of the center, I passed a solidly built man sitting on a couch and poked my head into the classroom where I found several women taking a yoga class. Oops. I apologized for interrupting and sat next to the man on the couch and learned that his name is Art and he would be teaching the Self Defense class tonight since the main instructor is out of town. Art is probably around my age or younger but he's been a student for 20 years so he is well-equipped to teach. He told me a lot of students drop out of the class because it isn't what they expected. Hmm..

We chatted for a while until another student- a tall guy named Eric- arrived, and the ladies finished up their yoga class. Eric and Art dragged some mats into the room and told me to remove my shoes and socks. Art led us through some stretches that focused a lot on wrists, shoulders and knees, and some calisthenics. He then proceeded to take me on an overview of a bunch of stuff- various kicks, strikes, falls and tumbles. We spent time pushing and getting pushed around and I started to learn the concept of keeping a relaxed, flexible body in defense as well as offense. I was a bit worried that I would hurt myself on the tumbling but I did okay as a novice and emerged unscathed.

Most daunting was when Art brought out real knives! Sure, they were butter knives, but still, I was in the presence of two guys who could easily kill me with them. They jabbed me a couple of times for demonstration, but mainly showed a few techniques of how to disarm an attacker. It was much too fast and complicated for me to absorb and Art assured me I wouldn't be handling knives anytime soon since he didn't get to incorporate them himself until he was in his second year as a student. Then Art brought out a legitimately sharp knife and poked me around my body so I could start learning the concept of how to turn away from the pain and danger. That was a bit scary. Don't scar me up, dude- I need my body as an actor! :)

We ended the session by giving each other an honorary bow and then a final stretch before packing away the mats and exiting the community center. Art and Eric said they hope they'd see me again. I think they will. I feel pummelled and a bit beat up even though they took it super-easy on me. At the same time, it's not a completely unpleasant feeling. I can't help but think of the movie Fight Club and imagine this is how Edward Norton's character was feeling before he really started to latch onto it. I'll have to watch that movie again sometime. I'm still a bit intimidated and have some anxiety over personal safety, but maybe that's part of it all. After all, it is called Russian Self Defense!

Que Sera Sera

2011-09-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

"...Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera sera" [lyrics by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston]

I heard the above refrain countless times throughout my childhood, as my dad loved to play the Doris Day album on the family phonograph and sing along in his broken English. The lyrics popped back in my head tonight, as I need to bypass several acting opportunities this week due to my traveling to Chicago for a friend's wedding. My agent contacted me today and wanted to set me up for an X-box/Kinect audition tomorrow. It pays well and I'm sure every actor in town and their mom will be auditioning for it, though I think I would have a decent chance at it since one of the scenes involves an Asian family. Also, I got a call tonight from the Driftwood people and they want to see me tomorrow for callbacks for The King and I! Unfortunately, I didn't know the callback date, otherwise I would have mentioned to them I'd be out of town. The caller understood and said that it doesn't necessarily mean that I won't get cast. That's cool, though I'm sure it would be much more ideal to be able to get seen again. Additionally, I have seen several other audition opportunities this week that I just won't be around for. Oh well. Que sera sera. Things like this will happen and there will always be more opportunities to try for. Although I don't know and can't see the future, God does and I know that I can trust Him to lead me so I don't need to dwell on disappointment.

A Grown Up Musical Audition

2011-09-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, several of my Meisner friends and I drove out to Snohomish to watch Lisa perform in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, produced by Everus, a new theatre company. Lisa was great, of course, and we all drove to Edmonds afterward to have an early dinner at Demetrio's where I ordered some fish and chips (the fries were great, but the fish would have been much better if they were beer-battered as they weren't flavorful).

I had a 6:50 PM audition at Driftwood Theatre's Annex Rehearsal space which Anabel helpfully pointed out was only a few blocks away. As I finished up my dinner and hugged my friends, I grabbed my sheet music and headshot from my car and walked over to the Annex, trying to calm myself and collect my thoughts along the way. I was feeling pretty relaxed about auditioning, but ironically my friends' excitement and encouragement actually made me a bit nervous. :) As I neared the Annex, I saw two gentlemen at a table outside the door and since I still had about five minutes to spare, I chose to sit on a curbside out of sight and continued to get myself ready.

When I walked up to the table, one man handed me a form to fill out, while the other man - clad in a suit and forehead slick with sweat chatted amiably with him. I learned he was another auditioner who was there an hour early! Man, that would just make me more nervous, but to each their own. As I filled out the form, I could hear the lovely operatic voice of a woman auditioning inside. Wow, my singing ability was nowhere near THAT! I remained calm though. This was my first audition for a "grown up" musical since I've done a couple of children's musicals in the past, and I was using this opportunity to gain confidence in doing singing auditions.

The auditioner, a tall blonde woman, emerged and we complimented her on her beautiful voice and then I was ushered in. Inside behind a table were five people along with a pianist. I greeted them, handed the pianist my sheet music and then was asked to stand on a mark and begin with my monologue. Most of them really seemed to enjoy it, laughing quite a bit throughout. I then nodded at the pianist and began singing A Whole New World. It was the first time singing to live accompaniment and though my nerves had my voice shaking a bit at the beginning, I got stronger as I went along and I think I managed to stay on tune throughout.

Since they didn't introduce themselves, I wasn't sure which one was the director, but the guy I presumed to be seemed pleased that I had come in. I collected my sheet music, thanked them and exited. They were seeing a lot of people (5 minute slots from 5-9 PM). I don't know if there will be callbacks or not, but the paperwork said October 15th was the first read-through, so I will defnitely know by then if I get cast. Though I was still a bit nervous during the singing, I was overall happy with how it went and am glad that I made the effort to face my fear of singing auditions.

Future Policeman?

2011-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

I met up with a young filmmaker named Tadd last night. We had dinner at Mawadda Cafe and spent about an hour and a half talking and getting to know each other. He's particularly interested in creating short films that provoke thought and discussion and also wants to promote local Asian-American talent. Moses, the director from Gowe's music video shoot, had passed my name along to him which is how we got connected. Tadd is interested in having me portray a police officer in a future project he has yet to write. He said he would forward me the script once it's done. Meanwhile, he's scouting locations to re-create some scenes from the Vietnam War for another short he is doing. Tough to do since we mostly have pine tree forests here in the Northwest and not tropical jungle! My friends Dan and Karina (from Photorina Studios) have a patch of forest by their home so I will see if I can connect Tadd with them to see if that environment might work.

Getting Naked for Art Again

2011-09-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to do my third artistic modeling shoot with Art Wolfe. I hemmed and hawed about it for a while but ultimately decided to give it one more go. I got more lean by increasing my cardio and watching my diet (eating clean- lots of high protein, reduced carbs/sugar). The night before, I hung out with my friend Wayman at Starbuck's and mused that I had the feeling that I'd run into someone I know at the shoot and how awkward that might be since we'd be naked. Not being much of a coffee drinker, I made the mistake of ordering a latte which resulted in the worst night's sleep ever. I finally drifted off to sleep around 6 AM before waking up two hours later when I tumbled out of bed and made my way to Art's studio yesterday morning.

As I rounded the corner, three women were in the back lot being airbrushed with white paint. I greeted Art and his assistant Libby and chatted with some other staff members while other models started showing up. When it was the mens' turn, we stripped and headed outside where we got sprayed with primer and then airbrushed black. It was a beautiful summer day and it felt good to stand in the sun and let the paint dry. Moments later, my intuition was correct and I saw my volleyball friend Monique show up. Oops, a bit awkward now! I greeted her right away to cut through it, and though I think we both fluctuated in and out of being uncomfortable at times, we eventually got past it. There ended up being about twenty models present, so we were all in it together. We settled back inside where we watched Saturday Night Live clips and ate from the snack/lunch table. One of the guys remarked, "It's like we're all at some weird, naked party". Pretty much sums it up. Laidback and oddly comfortable but still strange to be lounging around with a bunch of nude airbrushed strangers!

By the time all models had shown up and gotten painted and the camera crew were ready, it was nearly 2:30. We all congregated into a room with a black backdrop on the floor and took turns getting into artistic positions. Monique volunteered to start it off and since I was next to her in line, Art had me lie next to her. After a few test shots and adjusting our positions, the crew took some final shots which we marveled at on the monitor. It really was quite stunning. We exited the room while the crew changed the backdrop to white and also painted us with contrasting spots- white on black and vice-versa. We re-entered the room and Art started to position us but felt that the set-up looked too static and decided to go back to the first shot idea of just having us evenly distributed around each other in artistic poses. We got pretty familiar with each other as limbs draped over other limbs. During the first shot, Art positioned my left hand on Monique's hip and in one of the later shots, he placed my right hand on another model's left breast. I didn't see the image from that one, but Art said it was the best shot of the day.

We wrapped around 4 PM and instead of waiting for the solitary shower, I got dressed, spent about ten minutes rinsing the black paint off my face in the bathroom sink, and drove home where I spent about 45 minutes in the shower scrubbing off all the paint. From my previous two experiences, I found that the black paint washes off more easily than the white, so I'm glad I was mostly in black outside of the white dots on me. Libby tells me that Art is hoping to finish this compilation of work by December, so it will be cool to see it actually exhibited, as he's been working on this for three years now. Meanwhile, they still owe me two framed prints from last year and I will get one more from this shoot. I can have my own personal gallery if I actually decide to hang them up. "This here is a shot of me...naked. And this one, if you look in the corner, that's me... naked. Oh, and this one is my personal favorite, where I happen to be naked". LOL! They're all very artistic though, and I wouldn't be ashamed to show them to friends or family. Besides, I made it a point to not do any full frontal as that is not a direction I want to go in my career. I now have the distinction of being a three-time Art Wolfe model. Unless it is a new and absolutely amazing concept he comes up with next, I don't think I will do it again. This probably marks the end of my stint as an artistic model, though I look forward to exploring other types of modeling projects such as the upcoming "Thief" shoot.

Cast!- THIEF Photo Shoot

2011-09-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

A local rapper named Simar is getting ready to promote his next single entitled "Thief". As part of the marketing materials, he needs a couple of models of different ethnicities who are slim and 5'11". His photographer friend Rebecca put out a call a few weeks ago which I responded to and I got cast in the photo shoot. The concept is quite interesting and I think it will be fun. More details later once we shoot it. We're still determining the shoot date but it sounds like they're aiming to do it this month.

"I'm like a shooting star..."

2011-08-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

"I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far. I can't go back to where I used to be." [a lyric from Alan Menken's "A Whole New World", from Disney's Aladdin]

On Sunday evening, Narea and I both auditioned as actors for Freehold's New Play Showcase. It was a group audition where they had us take turns reading for various roles in the short plays that writing students had created. We both did well, though I don't think any of the roles fit me very well so I don't think I'll get cast. Malachy auditioned earlier in the day and found that he was cast in one involving an Irish family (perfect!).

After the audition, Narea and I picked up Malachy and had dinner at Pho Cyclo on Capitol Hill. Over dinner, the two of them heavily encouraged me to audition for quiet's production of "Bean: The Musical Fruit" which they are both cast in. It's been ages since I've done a children's musical but I've always had fun with them. The idea of possibly working with Malachy and Narea in one sounded like a ridiculously good time and they both raved about working with the people at quiet.

The main challenge was that quiet was having their final round of auditions the next night and were looking to fill their lead male and female roles. Immediately, I had to contend with a lot of resisting thoughts- "My voice wouldn't be good enough", "That's not enough time to get something together", "I have a film shoot tomorrow and don't know if it will wrap in time to make the audition", etc. Being good friends, Malachy and Narea helped look for ways to make it happen. They both were heading to an improv meeting with quiet and Malachy would ask if any late slots were available for me to audition. Turns out they were happy to accommodate for me and would understand if I sang a capella instead of bringing sheet music knowing that I had little time to prepare. Narea texted me a link to an online music store which I explored that night and eventually downloaded "A Whole New World" in the key of D.

The cool thing (and what turned out to be a saving grace) is that the download of the sheet music included a playback instrumental. The next morning (yesterday), I rehearsed the song over and over before heading out to the Ballard Library to use their printer since I don't have one at home. To my surprise, the library was closed due to budget cuts! I drove to the one near the University of Washington only to find that it was also closed, though a man told me they'd be re-opening in a week or so. Hmm, that didn't help my cause!

I drove to the set of 21 and Over and was able to leave early so that I could go home and make dinner and get ready for my audition. Later on, I parked at work and tried to use my computer and with her permission, my co-worker's computer, only to find that I was locked out. Ugh. So much for printing any sheet music! I walked over to Theatre Puget Sound at the Seattle Center and was greeted by Roxy, one of the quiet members. I filled out some paperwork and walked into the audition room where she, Josh, Matt and Erin (?) from quiet were seated.

Josh introduced everyone and the premise of the Bean musical. Matt asked me to start with the song followed by my monologues. I found the music file on my laptop and started singing. Few people know that I have had major hangups/anxiety with singing in front of small groups. Although I've been singing most of my life in choirs, worship teams, occasional wedding ceremonies and in my daily commute, something about the intimacy of singing to a small group has always been intimidating. I started the song very well though- confident and easefully. Then, when I hit the first chorus, I forgot that a note jumped higher than I thought and I botched a quick moment of the song before recovering quickly and continuing through.

The mistake was enough to make me more careful instead of completely being in the moment of the song and really "selling" it. It's a bit disappointing knowing I could have done better, but overall I'm proud of confronting and moving past that fear of singing. Even with the mistake, it was the best vocal audition I've ever had and I know moving forward that I can just keep building on that confidence. Like Menken's lyric, "....I've come so far. I can't go back to where I used to be".

For the monologue portion, I performed my Willard Fluke "Spoonie" and contrasted that with Uncle Sook-Sook from "Welcome to the Wong's". The quiet staff seemed drawn into my Spoonie, but only laughed softly at the end of my comedic monologue so I'm not sure if it was because of my performance or because they were all tired and it was getting late. Josh said they'd be making decisions in the next few days and I thanked them all and exited, eventually meeting up with Narea, Malachy and a few other quiet members/friends at the Mars Bar on Eastlake Ave where we chatted and congratulated one of them (Beth) for her photo exhibit that was featured on the walls.

Day #2 as a Featured Extra

2011-08-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

It was a bit of a time-waster to be honest. I arrived on-set at my call time of 1:45 PM yesterday to join a new group of "medical staffers", which included Daniel, a fellow friend/actor. I also saw all of my fellow medical staff extras from Day 1 who had been there since the morning. After paperwork and wardrobe, we waited a couple of hours before being shuttled to the film set where we waited some more in a room. Interesting conversations came up including being attacked by birds and who in the room would be the first to be cannibalized. I guess you could say we were getting hungry!

Daniel and two others got called away to do a quick scene and when they returned, the rest of us in the room were told the scene was wrapped so we weren't going to be used. They shuttled us back to the production set where wardrobe was going to get us into other outfits to be extras in a different scene on the fictional university. At this point, it was 5 PM and since I had an audition later in the evening, I asked Paul (one of the coordinators) if it was necessary that I stay. He said it was fine for me to go so I changed back into my own clothes and he took care of my paperwork and also a parking ticket that the campus patrol had put on my car. Several others got ticketed too, but I think it was just a communication gap between the university and the film crew. The ticket fine was $35 which was more than what I actually earned on set, so I'm glad that Paul was friendly and helpful in taking care of it.

There is potentially a third day of filming for me, but I will probably ask Denise (extras coordinator) to find a replacement for me. I took two full days off of work and it doesn't seem like this project will really highlight me in any way. As mentioned in my Day 1 post, I would only appear briefly in the movie if they keep the footage of me coming up from the stairs and you wouldn't know it was me unless you were very acquainted with my backside. I was reminded at least that working as an extra is not my cup of tea and that I should just focus on speaking roles that befit my talent and experience and which will challenge me as an artist.

Team E-O Reunites!

2011-08-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Theo and Leona (Team E-O) reunited today. Theo "Smoothie" Walsh is a character I played in "Cultists Stole My Baby!" an internet drama written and produced by Julie Hoverson. It's available to listen to at her website: http://www.19nocturneboulevard.net/ and Julie tells me a radio station in California is also playing it this week for some type of contest!

I met up at Julie's house this morning at 10 a.m. where I and the gal who plays Leona were going to record a new script Julie wrote entitled, "A Telegram to Satan!", where we play the same intrepid reporters Team E-O, investigating a case of cattle mutilation. Upon arrival, Julie said she finished an additional script entitled "What Happened to Baby Dali?" which was a third Team E-O episode. Since we were there together and since she noticed my schedule is getting busy, she thought we could just record both. Thankfully, I had warmed up my voice pretty well and Julie had plenty of bottled water so my voice held out fine.

We recorded "What Happened to Baby Dali?" first and it was hilarious! We kept cracking up during the first read-through but managed to stay well-focused on the second recording of it. None of us felt a great need to take a break so we powered through two recordings of "A Telegram to Satan!" and I was able to leave there at 12:30 PM. I stopped by a nearby Teriyaki joint and ordered some lunch to go, then drove to my workplace in Belltown where I quickly ate it before walking over to Freehold to watch my Meisner friend Christian perform.

As I climbed up the familiar steps of the theatre, I found Shmim, Jeremy, Malachy, Anabel and Narea gathered there to also support Christian. We exchanged big hugs and chatted a while before the show started up. Christian did great, performing several different characters- male and female, so it was funny to see him dressed in drag and doing some comedy. Afterward, I walked back to my workplace to work out in the gym and then went home to drink a protein shake before heading out for a quick neighborhood run. I'm trying to get well-defined for a photo shoot next weekend, which I'll tell you more about later! :)

Day #1 as a Featured Extra

2011-08-26T23:39:00.000-07:00

Alas, I'm not permitted to take pictures or talk about details of the shoot for 21 and Over. Suffice it to say that I arrived on-location at 5 PM, filled out some paperwork, changed into my wardrobe, and hung out for a while with the other extras before we got shuttled over to the set and eventually got incorporated into a scene. If they decide to keep the footage, my entire backside is seen in the foreground of a hallway shot. Unfortunately, my face isn't seen, but perhaps that opportunity will come on Monday when I return to set. We were finished and out of there by 10 PM, which was nice because me and the other extras were getting very hungry. I drove a fellow extra home and on the way we stopped by a taco truck to get some food. I'll be sure to bring snacks when I go back on Monday!

USPS Audition

2011-08-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

My agent set me up for an audition at Jodi's today for a U.S. Postal Service commercial. Jodi forewarned us that parking could be an issue due to major roadwork being done on Dexter Avenue. Thankfully, I turned up a side street near the casting office and found a lone parking spot at the top of the hill. The audition was quick and simple. There was one actor ahead of me but he finished and I was brought into the room moments after filling out the requisite paperwork.

After the usual slate and profile captures, Jodi had me pretend to deliver mail to a regular customer and just look relational/friendly about it. The role requires no lines, so it really just comes down to appearance and who the client thinks is the best fit. After the audition, the man assisting Jodi in the room asked if I wanted to hear something funny- he saw on my resume that I listed Facing the Dragon as a credit and he actually did the musical score for it! Small world. I couldn't really compliment him because I told him the director sent me a DVD copy of the film but it was missing all audio! He shrugged it off and said the director didn't really do anything with it since he wasn't happy with the end result. It was a student film but I guess the final product didn't meet his expectations.

I don't know if the client will be able to see me as a postal carrier. If so, callbacks are on Monday which could pose a bit of a crinkle as I am scheduled to continue filming 21 and Over (day 1 for me is tomorrow). I think it will still work out for me to manage both, but I'll cross that bridge if I even get there. I think callbacks for me on this project will be a bit of a longshot.

Sneak Peek

2011-08-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

"Jeliza" is the local photographer who selected me last month to be one of her models for a portrait shoot. She's creating a photobook from the images and here's a sneak peek of some of her work. In exchange for our time, she allowed us to pick several images we like from the proofs and she will provide a large print along with some digital files. I will post them once I have them. To find out more about Jeliza and her work, check out her website at: http://www.jeliza.net/

A Montage of Homage

2011-08-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Just got back recently from a media company in Pioneer Square called Karass. Two weeks ago, I received an email from Freehold inviting me to participate with other actors to read some text which will get compiled into a short video montage to be shown at Freehold's 20th Anniversary next month. What an honor! Of course I said yes and tonight was the filming of it at Karass.

It took me a little while to find it, but I arrived a few minutes before my scheduled time of 8 PM. Liza the coordinator led me into a room where Robin was present with several other people. It was good to see her and she greeted me and introduced me to the others in the room- fellow readers/actors Carissa and Richard, and two men and a woman who worked at Karass (Rob, Randy and Ariel). Zoe, who works at Freehold, was also there. A light, backdrop and camera were set up against one side of the room along with a large white board with the text that we were all going to read.

Carissa was up first, but Rob thought her black wardrobe would be problematic for the camera so she borrowed someone's wrap. After reading through the text for practice, she then directed the words toward the camera while Rob fed her lines. Richard went next and then it was my turn. The problem was that I was also wearing black! I should have gone the safe route with a neutral color, but it worked out. Rob offered a striped polo and Randy offered a sporty zip-up for me to change into. I chose the zip-up and though it was too big for me in the body, it fit well enough on my shoulders to work since they were just filming close-ups. Randy focused the camera on me and I practiced the text once and then we shot it. It went smoothly and the guys seemed pleased, with Rob complimenting me on making the text my own as I delivered it. Each actor was also asked a question, "Why are ideas important" and our responses will possibly be used for another client that Karass is doing a project for. I offered up what I hope was two thoughtful and coherent sentences and the guys were really happy with it. Who knows, I just might end up briefly on a separate project!

As I thanked everyone and exited, several other actors were waiting their turn to read in the lobby. In all, there are 13 of us. I learned that Malachy is also one of them, but his appointment was an hour later than mine so I wasn't able to say hello. I look forward to seeing the video at the Freehold event.

Watch Out for Narcissism

2011-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

[From Wikipedia]: Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek: Νάρκισσος), possibly derived from ναρκη (narke) meaning "sleep, numbness," in Greek mythology was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis saw this and attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the waters and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died.

Actors/artists can be notorious for being insecure. On the flip-side, they can also be prone to narcissism. As artists, as we continue to explore and grow and become more confident, we can get caught up in the wonderful freedom and elation of being authentic and human. We love ourselves more, which is not a bad thing, but we need to be mindful and wary that we don't become overly self-focused and feel that EVERYTHING we discover or enjoy about ourselves needs to put out there right now for "others" to appreciate.

Case in point: I dabble a bit in modeling from time to time and have an opportunity coming up next weekend which I'm still considering. In researching the modeling industry last night, I read about a well-established, successful male model in his mid-twenties. His handsome face, perfect body and charisma have been used for countless magazine ads and covers, fashion shows, etc. I learned that he had a goal of going to medical school. I don't know if he still has that in mind, as he has gone on to post video logs of day-to-day musings for his fans and has even posted full-frontal nudes of himself.

Although I don't know him, I feel a bit concerned for him. Here is a man whom anyone can easily acknowledge as beautiful, sexy and with star quality. As I listened to some of his musings, it became clear that he just wants to share who he is- the real person behind the image, and yet the aura of narcissism was inescapable. This young man is shifting from a professional model to a somewhat reckless, irreverent individual who is defining himself on his own terms.

There's something to be said (and perhaps even celebrated) about the spirit behind what this man is doing. As artists, the highest art we can create is that which is authentic and true to who we've been created to be. Yet, that emotion and passion needs to couple with our discernment so that we are making good choices for our career. If you go at your artistic career haphazardly and follow every emotional whim, you're setting yourself up for a very difficult road or even failure.

I'd be curious to see where this model is in five years if he continues on his current track. For his sake, I sincerely hope it's not tragic. He is physically beautiful, but those nude pics will live forever online and may jeopardize his chances at practicing medicine, let alone any non-artistic career he hopes to pursue in the future. Also, as I know, even in the brief and limited stints that I've done as a model, the industry is a beast. Take care, Ben, and I wish you well.

Good questions you can ask yourself before committing to a project are:

Do I want to do this? If so, why?
Would I be working with people of integrity?
How does this benefit my career? Does it have the potential to hurt or harm it?
Is this something I can be proud of now? Ten years from now?
Does this benefit others in some way?

It may be that why you want to do something is just an expression of an inner issue that could be dealt with outside of your artistic platform. In other words, art can be very therapeutic and healing, but is it worth putting your dirty laundry out for the world to see if your focus is really on yourself rather than others? Self-serving or self-aggrandizing art often doesn't sit well with others and can come back to haunt you. It's a tough road. Watch out for narcissism. Make good choices and I'll try to do the same.

Things are Buzzing

2011-08-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

It's been fairly quiet the past month which has afforded me time to enjoy the Seattle summer. I've been hanging out with friends, taking short runs, playing volleyball- including my first venture down to Seaside, OR for their annual tournament, catching up on rest and just enjoying and being at ease with simple and special moments as they come.

The rest has been good for me, but things are starting to buzz again on the creative front. Tomorrow I will be participating in a video shoot (more on that in a later blog post), Friday I will start shooting my featured extra role on the movie, 21 and Over, Saturday I will do a voice-over session with Julie at 19 Nocturne Blvd, and the following weekend I have the opportunity to do another artistic modeling shoot if I decide to accept. Additionally, I have decided to commit to the stage play, Lola's House, and rehearsals will begin later in September for that. I am also planning to register for a Russian self-defense class being offered at a nearby community center starting in a few weeks. It sounds intriguing and somewhat intimidating, but I think it will be a good challenge for me and will also be a useful addition to my tools as an actor.

Cast!- Featured Extra on "21 and Over"

2011-08-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I don't often throw myself in the hat for extra roles, but seeing that Washington Legislature made the dumb decision to not renew the Film Incentives program, this could be the final year that big-budget features are filmed here and I figured I should at least try to get involved. More info about the impact of the hare-brained decision can be found on this link:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/126867128.html?skipthumb=Y

I did not have the opportunity to audition for any of the four features mentioned in the article, but I told Denise (extras wrangler extraordinaire) that I'd be open to featured extra roles as long as my participation didn't affect my SAG status. I'm currently SAG-eligible but do not want this project to cause me to be a "must-join". Denise said it wouldn't and I contacted the SAG office in Los Angeles today and they gave me additional info. They said I'd be cleared to do this film, but I'd become an "OK-30" which means I'd have 30 days to do as much union and non-union work as I'can, but after 30 days, the next SAG project I do would make me a must-join and I'd have to pay the initiation fee within 5 days of that project. A bit confusing, but I'm glad to be more informed about that.

Denise emailed me yesterday to tell me that the directors chose me to be a featured extra as part of a medical staff treating the main characters in the fictional school health clinic. We'll be shooting at least three days, and my awesome boss approved my time off request for that. Narea from my Meisner class was also selected as one of the medical staff but she's unsure yet if she will commit due to her extremely busy schedule.

Here's some info/text I found on the "21 and Over" through Examiner.com:
From the writers of "The Hangover" and "The Hangover Part II" comes Mandeville Film's "21 and Over". Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote the screenplay and are also directing this comedy which begins shooting in Seattle on August 21. 2011. The Seattle casting directors will be casting day players, extras, stand-ins and photo doubles throughout the shoot.
The CEO of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Produced, Jason Felts, will serve as executive producer on "21 and Over". Felts executive produced "Limitless" starring Bradley Cooper, and recently executive produced the upcoming film "Immortals" starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, Kellan Lutz, and Mickey Rourke. Ryan Kavanaugh will produce for Relativity Media. Kavanaugh also produced "Limitless" and "Immortals". David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce "21 and Over" for Mandeville Films.

I'm waiting for final confirmation, but the anticipated shoot dates are 8/26, 8/29 and 9/2. Even though I'd much prefer a speaking role, I think this could potentially be a lot of fun, and it sounds like I'd have a good shot at getting some nice screen time on this film. The movie is expected to be released next year, probably ahead of several of the indie films I've been working on the past few months and even years! Look for me on the big screen! :)

Cast!- Lola's House

2011-08-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

Got offered the role of "Eric" today for the short staged play, Lola's House, which is set to go up the first weekend of November. "Eric" was the character I auditioned for a couple of weeks ago. The table read is scheduled for this Saturday, but I will be out-of-town competing in a volleyball tournament in Seaside, OR. I responded saying that I am very interested but would like to see the full script and learn what their anticipated rehearsal schedule will be before committing. Regardless, it's nice to land a part! I was starting to feel like I was in a lull. I'm harboring a couple of ideas for the fall, but if the rehearsal schedule isn't too consuming and/or if they are flexible with me, then I will do it. Stay tuned...

Do I Look Like a Chef? Go See

2011-08-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

I ventured out to a modeling go-see earlier today to try to land a print ad gig. I took an early lunch break and headed out to the SODO business district. The roads were congested and parking was a challenge due to a Mariner’s game going on at the stadium nearby. After circling a while, I found a spot and jogged a couple of blocks to a lonesome steel door in the wall marked “111”. I climbed up some narrow flights of stairs to the third floor and encountered a lobby full of willowy women and strapping young men. I signed in on the sheet as “model #124” and then sat down and gathered my thoughts.
The call was for an ad featuring 10 chefs and sous-chefs of varying ages and ethnicities. There was definitely a nice ethnic mix of models present. I noticed most had come from Seattle Models Guild, which represents many of our city’s prettiest people. Most were young- in their 20’s, with a smattering of more mature folks like me mixed in.

One by one, models were whisked into the studio where they would don a chef’s hat and coat and get 2-3 pictures taken while holding up a sheet of paper with their name, model number and agency (if applicable). I waited about 40 minutes for my turn and then used my acting background to work the camera. Hopefully I read her reaction correctly, but the photographer seemed intrigued and asked me to write my phone number on the sheet as well, so perhaps that’s a good sign.

In all, 144 models showed up to audition, with more that came in the door but had to be turned away because the session closed at Noon. A lot of competition, but if I do get selected, I will be shooting this Friday. I hope I get it, as I think it’d be fun.

**UPDATE** I did not get cast for this project. Boo. :( Oh well, I will just keep trying.

Audition for "Lola's House"

2011-07-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this ad earlier this week:

"Lola's House"-original short stage play production. A telling story about family, the memories we share, and a legacy one comes to appreciate as we get older. The story taking place on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii, a family reunites after the death of their beloved grandmother Lola. The story begins to unravel when the journal of the grandmother is discovered by her daughter. She learns from reading the entries in the journal a special bond grandmother Lola had with each of her grandchildren. It is from this poignant story we come to understand the meaning of the word Aloha within this modern day family.

It sounded interesting and I had to wrestle with the decision on whether to audition or not since it's a stage production and I want to continue focusing on film work. In the end, I decided to audition for the experience and to continue to get my face and ability out there. I drove out to Capitol Hill and found the Seattle Acting School which was where the auditions were held at. It was a subterranean space and as I walked down the steep ramped entrance, a pleasant woman named Daisha greeted me. I signed in and she gave me two sides for the character I was trying out for- "Eric-Asian/Polynesian male. Early 30's".

I sat next to a young Asian gal listening to thumping music on her I-pod and took my time looking over the sides. When I was ready, Daisha had me walk into the audition room where Malika, Frank and Sundy greeted me while an anonymous woman sat quietly in the back observing. The space itself was small, maybe 15' x 30' with about 30 chairs facing a stage area furnished with a table, two chairs and a couch. They had me sit at the table with Frank, a large man who I think runs the acting school. Sundy had us do a read-through of the first page of one side and then we did it again in performance mode. We then repeated that process for the second side.

I felt like I gave a strong and confident audition, responding naturally off the others, providing some nuance and trusting my impulses. At one point, I was near the couch and just flopped back on it. It was a completely unplanned action but it worked because it was natural to the moment. When the audition concluded, it seemed like I impressed them and since they didn't have any questions for me, I said goodbye, stopped by a QFC to pick up snacks, and headed over to Golden Gardens where I enjoyed a beautiful day on the beach playing volleyball and hanging out with friends. It's hard to say since I was only the second audition of the day, but I think I am a strong contender for the role. If cast, I will have to see what the time commitment and performance dates are before committing to the project, as well as take a look at the entire script.

No Callback but No Set-back

2011-07-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Got camera-ready and rolled out the door at 9:15 this morning. It was a beautiful sunny day as I headed down to Portland for my Leverage audition. I popped in some worship CD's and enjoyed reconnecting spiritually. Traffic was free-flowing until I hit Olympia where an earlier crash caused a delay. After breaking through that, I hit another snag further down. My peaceful ride was starting to get more stressful. I had an extra hour buffer in my commute time, but that was starting to get eaten up. The last third of my trip seemed endless as I tried to make good time on the freeway.

As I entered Oregon, I hit another couple miles of heavy traffic. When I finally got to the last bridge heading into the industrial section of town were the casting office was, I tried following the directions but never saw the street I was supposed to turn on. I had a crude printout of the area streets and when I realized I overshot, I turned back and unwittingly found myself heading back over the bridge! Ack! By now, I had less than 15 minutes to make my audition time! I turned around again and still did not see the street that the directions said to turn on, so I finally just parked and ran about 6 blocks until I found the office, entering just in time after taking a quick moment to compose myself.

Quite the opposite of how I was feeling inside, the young gal working the desk was very casual as she focused on her computer while I signed in. In my car, I realized the nose-rests on my sunglasses had smudged my make-up so I excused myself to the bathroom where I did a quick touch-up and returned to the office. Several other actors started to arrive as well. There was a solitary chair halfway down the hall with a sign advising the actor to sit there until the audition in the room was complete. I sat there while those who arrived after me sat in the lobby chairs. It was a bit awkward because one of the women auditioners asked a guy in the lobby to come in, so I didn't know if his appointment was before mine or what. There really wasn't much communication going on. After that guy finished his audition there was more silence and waiting until the gal at the desk noticed me sitting and said I could probably go in.

I popped my head in the door and the two women inside greeted me. One was friendly while the other seemed rather cool. I asked if they needed my headshot/resume and they said no. They asked what role I was reading for, took a picture, and then one gal read opposite me while the other operated the camera. I don't think either one was the casting director. In my mad dash from the car, I had left my sides behind and I didn't see any lying out in the casting office, so I had to go by memory (more stress!). The first time through, there were some longer pauses as I tried to be in character and remember my lines. Good thing I had gone through them enough that I only momentarily blanked out. The woman at the camera asked me to do it a second time but this time not be so "shaken" in my response. I was playing my character with concern and anxiety (some of it undoubtedly fueled by the actual circumstance) but I knew that the gal's direction was Robin's equivalent of the "emotional wash", so for my second take, I toned it down and was more grounded. The woman seemed satisfied but still very cool. From her reaction when I first walked in, I figured it was going to be a hard sell.

For the next two hours, I had to bide my time and wait to hear if I was going to get a call-back which would happen that same evening. It was a very warm day, uncomfortable to be walking around, but I walked a few blocks to see what restaurants might be in the area. Other than a Burger King nearby, there were scant offerings. I ate at the BK and enjoyed the air-conditioned interior. To keep from getting too bored, I texted friends and then went out to walk some more, which only served to confirm that I was in some forsaken industrial area with zero destinations to hang out. No bookstores, no coffee shop, no park. What the ??? I settled back into the BK and eventually returned to the building where the casting office was to use the restroom. It was there that Tim from my agency called and said I could come home since I didn't make call-backs. *Sigh*- it was expected, but still a bit disappointing, especially after coming all that way.

By now, it was 3:45 P.M. and still hot. Not caring, I stripped off my shirt and drove home bare-chested. Because of traffic, it took nearly an hour to even get out of Oregon and then other than a few sluggish spots, I made good time and arrived at Greenlake where I was able to cheer my volleyball team in their last two games. Unfortunately, I had to miss playing, and even though it was 8 hours on the road for a 3 minute audition, I don't regret it. The long drives gave me a sense of how it will feel if/when I do pack up my sedan and head down to L.A. next year(?) and even being rejected was good to help me see if I still have the gumption to keep doing this. It's not a set-back. I can take it. In addition, I had a good time worshiping God, learned what I need to do better the next time I audition in Portland and maybe even got a bit of a tan on the way back! :) Never really tried tanning in my car, so tomorrow should tell if it was effective!

Off to Portland Again for a "Leverage" Audition

2011-07-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

My agent set me up for a 1:25 P.M. audition tomorrow for the t.v. show, Leverage. This will be my fourth go at it in the past two years. I've auditioned well throughout, so hopefully the 4th time's the charm! I figure my odds improve as I continue to get better as an actor and as the available actor pool gets smaller(?) since the show doesn't tend to re-use the same actors who have appeared before. It's hard to say. In looking at the two-page side, my character is described as a "mousy bureaucrat". Not a description that I see myself as in real life, but then again, this is about acting, right? Hopefully my performance will be compelling enough that they will be able to envision me in the role.

My boss approved the time off and I will make the drive early tomorrow morning. If the casting director and Leverage people like me, I will be asked to stay for call-backs, otherwise I will have to promptly turn around and drive back home :(. After tonight's volleyball game, I will spend some time going over the sides and watching an episode or two online as part of my prep work. Wish me well!

Stupid Roles- Sometimes They're Just Not Worth It!

2011-07-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

When you're starting out as an actor, or even when you're more established, there will be the temptation to go out for any and all roles. After all, we want to find work and gain experience, right? You will undoubtedly come across stupid roles though. Roles that have little to no redeeming value and will not benefit or further you as an actor if you take them. In fact, they can be embarrassing or even worse, detrimental to your career. It's important to know yourself and hold onto your principles because you will be tested time and again in this industry. As an actor, you may feel like you have very little power, but you ALWAYS have the power to say NO.

I encountered a stupid role tonight and ended up walking out without auditioning. I had responded to an ad looking for an Asian male to portray a white-collar criminal who was distinguished, yet had a sense of humor. I set up an audition appointment for this evening and after putting in some gym time after work, I headed over to the audition site, which was an apartment in South Lake Union. An attractive young red-headed woman named Ronni was also there, and after waiting a while in the lobby, a frat guy appeared and summoned us into the audition room. He was apologetic to us and got a bit annoyed to hear that the producer didn't send sides to either of us. The producer was unable to make it there tonight and had all the sides, but frat guy at least had one master script and he pulled out a few pages for Ronni and I to look over while he went to the restroom.

After reading the sides, my gut reaction was appalled at the racially derogatory way that my "character" was presented. Basically, he was written as a fat Korean man with a thick accent named Laugen Dong (i.e. "Long Dong") who is boning his wife when he is interrupted by the white hero. After some taunting, Mr. Dong is shot and killed, and the white guy finishes having sex with Mrs. Dong who marvels and enjoys his larger dong. Really??

I actually tried to find redemptive value in this, thinking maybe I can portray it in a way that would be funny but still maintain a sense a dignity but I'd have to see where else the character shows up. When frat guy returned (he never did introduce himself), I found out from him that the short scene I was looking at was the entirety of the role. I didn't have to say anything. He said that he'd understand if I'm interested in something more substantial or if the role didn't appeal to me because he admitted they were having a hard time filling it. Gee, I wonder why?? I told him that the role was not interesting and he accepted that right away and apologized again that the producer didn't send me the sides which would have saved me the trip there. Since Ronni had traveled all the way from Tacoma, I asked if it'd be helpful if I stayed to read opposite of her, but frat guy didn't want to waste anymore of my time, which was cool. I wished Ronni good luck and headed out the door.

Actors have all kinds of reasons why they accept a role. It's a personal decision. Someone like Ken Jeong who plays vulgar Asians on screen might not have a problem taking a role like Laugen Dong, but I highly doubt he would do it for free! Back in my days doing Asian-American sketch-comedy, I portrayed all kinds of outlandish characters. None of them though smacked of such repulsive racism in order to get a cheap laugh. Laugen Dong is a stupid and denigrating role. A waste of time, and just not worth it.

Freehold Founders Dinner

2011-07-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Freehold Founders Dinner with Robin and George over at the Dahlia Lounge. It was a gorgeous evening, and as I strolled into the restaurant around 6:45 P.M., I found Laura, Lisa, Gaelen and Anabel catching up around the bar. Malachy soon entered followed by Robin, Narea and George. Our waitress seated us and explained that it was a four-course dinner and we could each choose two appetizers, a main course and dessert. Everything sounded great, but I eventually decided on scallop sashimi (it was okay), raviolini stuffed with peas and garlic and prepared with truffles and truffle oil (delicious!), five-spice duck (tasty) served with soba noodles (meh) and their signature triple coconut cream pie for dessert (yum!). I also had their beet-orange soda (wonderful) and their Dahlia mocktail (good) as beverages.

We chatted, laughed and reminisced throughout the night. Robin and George shared how Freehold started twenty years ago and entertaining stories of their early years as a company and the difficulty they had in coming up with a name. Apparently, “Rhinoceros” was considered until they found that name was taken. “Practice of Theatre” was entertained briefly until they decided that the acronym POT probably wasn’t the best choice! J “Freehold” came about one night, birthed by inspiration. It held significant meaning in a couple of ways- artists are to cultivate freedom as well as technique- to be “free” in their ideas and art, as well as to “hold” to form. Also to freely hold and not try to rigidly control.

I couldn’t hear the full story since I was at the end of the table and the restaurant was noisy but I think I heard that their first space was a storefront that still exists in South Lake Union above an exotic pet store(?) and that during class lizards would sometimes appear. The landlady didn’t like the strange, loud sounds that come when actors warm up and rehearse, so she didn’t renew their lease. That prompted Robin and George to move Freehold over to Odd Fellows Hall on Capitol Hill which they are convinced is thoroughly haunted and that skeletons are buried into the walls! Wow, very Edgar Allen Poe! Robin shared how a Wiccan friend of hers led them through a ceremony of cleaning out the spirits there. Freehold was at Odd Fellows for a long time until rent was too high and that was when they moved it over to it’s present location in Belltown.
Robin was curious how each of us heard of Freehold and what prompted us to take classes so we each went around and shared. For me, I had heard of Freehold through actor friends since the mid-90’s when I was involved in community theatre, but I had never taken a class there or seen a performance. It wasn’t until last year when I got a general email forwarded from my agent about the Meisner class that it all clicked. Divine timing, really. I was looking to improve my work so I would be better equipped to compete as an actor in L.A., and the Meisner course description sounded like what I was looking for. If you’ve been following my blog, you know how thoroughly enjoyable and valuable it has been for me, and I’m so glad to have taken it.

Just before dessert, Narea surprised Robin with a hardcopy yearbook of our Meisner group and distributed each of us a copy as well. Robin was delighted and George was impressed, saying it was a lovely gift that no other Meisner group had done before. As we continued talking and eating throughout the night, I happened to glance at Narea’s phone since she was seated next to me, and said, “Wow! Is it 11:37 already?” None of us were mindful of the time and it surprised us that nearly 5 hours had passed already! We also found out that the restaurant officially closed at 9 P.M., yet our waitress and none of the kitchen staff remotely made us feel rushed. Kudos to them for really letting us savor our evening! It was a lot of fun, and Robin said she hopes to see us at Freehold’s official 20th birthday party later this fall. We’ll be looking forward to it!

Commercial Shoot- "It's Tiring Being a Winner"

2011-07-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

After ironing some wardrobe options, I went to bed around 10:30 PM last night. A few hours later, I woke up after an apocalyptic dream of Seattle getting obliterated before my eyes. Absolutely horrific. Somehow I managed to fall asleep again fairly quickly and woke up at 3:45 AM. I rolled out of bed, got camera-ready, ate a bowl of Kashi cereal, loaded up my wardrobe options and drove down to Tacoma to the Emerald Queen Casino. There was no traffic and I arrived a few minutes before my 6:30 call time.

I checked in at the security office along with the nine other actors and we were escorted to our green room behind the huge event center. A chatty EQC employee named Jose was assigned to keep us comfortable as we waited for further instruction. Lisa, an actor I met two years ago in Cassandra Chamberlain's On Camera Class was also cast in the shoot and it was good to catch up with her.

After a while, a man named Jerrod who was directing the commercial introduced himself and picked out what he wanted us to wear from the options we brought. For me, he liked a lavender gingham dress shirt which I paired over dark jeans. Jerrod led us downstairs to the blackjack tables and me, Dixie, Charlie and Crystal pretended to play while they shot video as well as still shots. Because of where I was seated, the dealer completely upstaged me so I don't think I was even visible. No worries, though because they filmed another sequence with me in the middle. We rotated out and the other actors also had their time at the blackjack tables.

The second location was the roulette table and Jerrod positioned me standing in the middle behind the game-players, so I'm definitely in that shot. The final location was the slot machines. In the first sequence, I was the prominent actor in the shot and was moved into the background once all the actors were pulled in for the final shots. I think we will all have plenty of screen time in the final product, which is estimated to hit the air within 60 days.

We wrapped shortly before Noon, and overall, it was a fun experience. If you're familiar with casino commercials, they always feature happy people having fun and winning. As we were heading toward the slot machines, Dixie asked, "Henry, are you ready to WIN?" I jokingly sighed and said, "It's tiring being a winner" and we laughed because we knew we'd have to be celebratory again. As a group, we actors interacted well with each other. Jerrod was appreciative of our work and we were issued our checks before we left, which was nice. All of us were weary from the early call time, and we were very hungry. Surprisingly, the craft services consisted only of cut fruit and pastries. "Bird food", one of the actors grumbled. It would have been nice to have had something more substantial, especially since we were at a casino, but oh well.

I drove back to Seattle and stopped by an Asian reflexology place where I got a foot and body massage. It actually ended up being an hour of being pushed up to and past my pain threshold! OWWWW!!!! I felt tortured, abused and borderline molested. It'd definitely not for everyone- no ease or sublety at all, though as I got pummeled there were moments where I surrendered into the pain and zoned. Don't know if that was because I was exhausted and could have dozed off, or if the pain was so intense that I could have passed out! I grabbed lunch at Chipotle (steak burrito) and headed home to take a needed nap. The overcast day had opened up to a beautiful afternoon and I considered taking a short run in the sun, but I was just too exhausted. After all, it's tiring to be a winner. ;)

Develop and Maintain a Support Group

2011-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

By nature, the acting industry is highly competitive. For each role you go after, you could be up against dozens, hundreds or even thousands of other hopeful actors. It’s useful to develop self-confidence and work on deepening and honing your craft so you can consistently audition well and present yourself as a viable if not perfect choice for the role. It’s important to have a supportive group of friends as well.

Because it is competitive, it’s uncommon for actors to share openly with others about connections, trade “secrets” or their particular experiences. Likely that is due to fear that the sharing of personal resources empowers your “competition” who could snag the role that you’re vying for. In a “survival-of-the-fittest” mentality, this approach of keeping things to yourself makes sense, but I believe it’s healthier and stronger to be an active supporter of other like-minded artists who in turn could help you. Call it “networking…with heart”.

As I’ve developed my acting chops here in Seattle, I find that the actors here are quite supportive. The growing pool of Asian actors seem particularly well-connected and respectful of each other. My Meisner friends are wonderful and we cheerlead for each other as we secure roles in readings, stage or screen performances. Here’s one example:

On Sunday, I organized a dinner reunion for the Meisner gang which was hosted by Shmim. 11 attended, as three were out of town or had other plans. I had not cooked for so many people before in recent memory and though I tried to keep things relatively simple, it became quite a challenge and production to get all the dishes cooked up in a timely manner over one stovetop. I love these people though, so it was well worth the effort. Thankfully, the food turned out really good and we all had a great time catching up. We even surprised Chris with an early birthday cake.

After dinner we migrated to the living room where Malachy showed us the three different times that he appeared as an extra in a recent Leverage television episode. We were all super-excited and it even became a hilarious game where we’d hand off the remote and try to pause the precise moments when Malachy appeared on screen! Malachy then surprised us by showing a DVD he created of Meisner memories culled from photos and video and giving each of us a copy. I suspected he was up to something since he had me send him a bunch of photos I took. It was awesome to re-live moments of the incredible ride we all took together.

It’s a wonderful thing to have a support group around you as you continue your artistic career. Seek kind, generous, encouraging people and be one yourself to others. Obviously, it’s good to journey with other artists who can relate to the challenges you face, but it’s also valuable to be close to people who are not in the industry. People who love, support and protect you are golden, from whatever walk of life they come from. Find ways to develop and maintain these types of relationships. Don’t “use” people. Enjoy and learn from each other and celebrate each other’s success. Salud!

Cast!- Commercial for Dining/Entertainment Establishment

2011-07-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

I was hanging out Friday night with my friend Wayman and he mentioned during one conversation that he's noticed more Asians are starting to get featured in commercials. I mused that I haven't had much success in landing commercials and speculated reasons why. For example, maybe my look is too non-descript as an Asian? Interestingly enough, when I got home there was an email in my inbox from an agency asking if I might be interested and available to shoot a commercial this coming week for a client! I had responded to an ad over a year ago for a hotel shoot (January 2010) and though they hadn't called me in, they had kept my information and was reaching out to me this time.

They weren't dealing directly with agents, so per their request, I sent in an updated headshot and resume and they confirmed with me today that they'd like to hire me! This opportunity was a complete surprise. It's going to be an early shoot. I will need to get to Tacoma by 6:30 AM! Tacoma is about 50 miles south of where I live so I'll have to wake up around 4 AM this Wednesday to get ready. :( It pays well enough though to be worth the effort, and should be an interesting experience. There will be about ten other actors and none of us have lines. We'll just need to smile, interact and look like we're having fun. Sounds easy enough!

Cast!- Audio Drama: "A Telegram... to Satan!"

2011-07-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

I first met Julie Hoverson, award-winning audio dramatist and creator of http://www.19nocturneboulevard.net/ two years ago when she saw me do a reading at the Alibi Room. She cast me in the audio drama, "Cultists Stole My Baby!" shortly thereafter and I have recorded several other projects with her since then.

Julie contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I would consider reprising my role as Theo "Smoothie" Walsh from "Cultists..." since she had written a sequel. I enjoyed the character and since Julie was flexible to schedule the recording after I had finished Meisner class (it worked better for her as well), I readily agreed. I will be recording "A Telegram...to Satan!" with her on 7/30 in her home studio in North Seattle.

Check out "Cultists Stole My Baby!" and other audio dramas on Julie's website. I will listen to it again prior to the recording to get back in touch with my Theo character.

Portrait Shoot

2011-07-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

After attending church and heading over to the Mt. Baker Community Club to pay respect & celebrate the life of my former boss, Greg Taylor, I went home to get camera-ready and then headed over to South Lake Union for my 5:30 p.m. photo session. Jane, the photographer, was running a bit behind but invited me in where she was wrapping up with the model before me, an attractive Filipina(?) woman who Jane had costumed in a boudoir outfit with black feathers.

They finished within a few minutes and then Jane explained what she was doing. She's putting together dramatic black and white portraits for a photo book that she is creating through the Sofobomo project. She was hoping to have black backdrops to realize her work, but the studio apartment we were in only had white, so she had to modify her vision and mostly use the natural sunlight that was coming in. As she studied the angles of my face, I asked if she would want to take any pictures of me bare-chested. I keep myself fit and would've been comfortable with it, but Jane said she's mainly shooting the face and that the previous two models were more of an "aberration" from that (i.e. the "boudoir" look and apparently the male model before her came dressed as a gangster).

Jane had me seated on an orange loveseat and shot me with various angles, poses and moods. I wore a simple black v-neck short-sleeve tee and jeans.

"Have you modeled before?" she asked.

"I've done some, but my main focus is being an actor".

"Oh," she said with realization, "I was wondering why you knew your angles and lighting and was present with the camera right away, but didn't give off that "modelly" vibe".

I took that as a compliment, and she complimented me again when we wrapped our shoot about 15 minutes later.

"I think that's it! I've got what I wanted. It was quick because you took direction well. From now on, I should just get actors to model for me!"

Jane had forgotten her model release forms and said she would have to mail those. She is off to Oregon for a few days and expects to have proofs in about two weeks. In exchange for my time, she will provide a large print, a high-res digital image and a couple of low res images. I can opt out of it, but in the rare event that my image attracts attention from a client who wants to use it for stock photography, Jane would pay me a share of royalties, though she admitted that opportunity hasn't happened yet for her. She also mentioned that occasionally she will use a portrait to create an art piece for galleries. I have no problem with that. If someone deems my mug art-worthy, I won't protest. :)

Final Meisner Evaluation

2011-07-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

After work this evening, I put in some strength training and then walked over to Freehold for my 6:30 appointment with Robin. As I climbed the theatre stairs, Lisa, Jeremy and Shmim were socializing up top. It was a nice surprise to see them and I greeted them with a hug before going in to see Robin. I spent about ten minutes with her, sharing my thoughts about my showcase performance and some of the many things I've learned this past year in Meisner class.

Robin was very encouraging and complimentary of my work throughout and said I made great leaps in going with the moment with the use of text. She praised Anabel and I for creating a relationship where it was safe for us to explore what took place in the scene and was "tickled" to see us going moment to moment. It's risky and it takes courage, but it's what draws an audience in versus actors who feel like they need to control everything. Robin was happy to see that the emotional work that we packed into our preparation would come through in interesting and unexpected ways.

Robin shared that she has a friend who has grown tired of watching "bad" acting and instead of going to the theatre, would rather opt for a rodeo because you don't know what is going to happen. It's the unexpected that he wants to see. I shared that I heard from several people who watched my scene that they were so intrigued because they wanted to see what would happen next, and Robin affirmed that's exactly what we're going for. "Trust the truth...it's thrilling!".

I ended my time by asking if she had any advice or recommendations of people to take classes from in L.A. if I end up moving down there and she said she knew a few people that she will try to get me in contact with. She encouraged me to "just keep doing stuff" and to put a good reel together. She said I have wonderful tools as an actor and to perhaps look at vocal and physical-based classes to help me access and unleash those qualities more. Neither she nor I are naturally good at receiving praise or compliments, so it was funny because at various times I'd try to thank her for being such an amazing instructor and how wonderful the class was and she'd be praising me at the same time so we'd be talking over each other (that is so opposite of Meisner where we should be listening intently to each other, hahaha!). Robin is excited to see where I go next so I will keep in touch and when I left, I said "See you soon" instead of good-bye because I'll be seeing her at the Founders' Dinner later this month. Plus, she's been such an indelible part of my acting journey, and that is just not something that is separable.

As I walked out, I was surprised to see that the gang was still gathered and they asked if I wanted to join them for dinner. Heck yeah! We had some Japanese fusion food at kushi bar and just enjoyed each other's company while sunshine beamed through the window. Summer has finally arrived in Seattle. Meisner has ended, but friendship and laughter continue. I'm looking forward to many more activities with these fantastic people.

Cast!- Portrait Model

2011-07-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

I was selected to be a portrait model for a local photographer and will be shooting on Sunday for possible inclusion in a photo book. If so, it will be my third one- the first being Kelly Jue's In the Image of God and Art Wolfe's (still in process and title to be determined). I'm waiting to hear more details on this one, but I think it will be shot in black and white with dramatic lighting. It's been about a year since I last modeled, so it'll be fun to participate in that type of art and creativity again.

And So Completes an Incredible Ride: Meisner 2011 Showcase

2011-06-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Unable to focus well after hearing about the death of a former boss, I picked up some notecards during lunch and spent time writing to each of my Meisner classmates. It was therapeutic in easing the shock and emotions that were stirred up.

I arrived at Freehold at 4:30 PM and helped clear the blackbox of all furniture while Robin swept the floor and set up the chairs. My classmates and I got our personal belongings and everything we needed for our scenes situated in a separate room which served as our green room. Robin gave us a run-down of how the evening would go and gave us some time to coordinate with each other which props/furniture could be re-used in different scenes.

Robin then had us gather in the blackbox and led us through a physical warm-up before having us do one last exercise on Discovery. She had brought a common and unremarkable bowl and demonstrated how she would view it with new eyes and freshness as if she's never seen it before. She inspected it with wonder, rolled it around, etc. She encouraged us to see things child-like (not childish) or with "a soft heart" and had us pick objects in the room to discover. I chose a sneaker, a water bottle and a gel from a light fixture. Robin then had us discover another classmate and finally our scene partner. She ended with words encouraging us to view our scenes fresh and discover in-the-moment. We could either choose to do our scenes as we've rehearsed and planned, or allow ourselves to go with the truth and allow things to change. It was clear which path we would all choose.

Once the show started at 7 PM, the blackbox was packed. Every seat was filled and some people had to sit on the floor in front. Jim and Christian kicked things off with The Odd Couple. They did great and really warmed up the audience. Jeremy and Shmim followed with Rabbit Hole. They had a long prep time and Jeremy revealed later it was because part of what he needed was on his phone and it would not start up for some reason so he had to write things out on paper. The crowd was appreciative once they did enter and complete their performance. It was the best I've seen them do their scene and I was really proud of those two! Laura and Narea were next with Crimes of the Heart. Anabel and I really wanted to see them but needed to do some emotional preparation for our scene, which was next. No surprise, though, when I heard they did great!

As soon as their scene wrapped, there was a short intermission which allowed us to shift all chairs to the other side of the room and start setting up our furniture and props. It was stifling hot in the blackbox and with all the physical work of setting up, my dress shirt was already damp with sweat. We took about ten minutes to settle and emotionally prep and then performed our scene. I'm still processing how I feel about it. As soon as it ended, Anabel and I whispered to each other, "That wasn't very good", but the audience clearly thought otherwise. The applause and cheers were loud, appreciative and lasted a long time. Looking back, I kind of wish I took a moment to just receive and acknowledge it a bit more, but I quickly started striking the set even as the applause continued.

While Gaelen and Stela set up for their scene from Mercy Seat, I was able to sit with and greet some of my friends who had come to watch. Meanwhile, the people behind me were so complimentary, telling me how much they enjoyed my scene and how engrossed they were in it. "You BECAME the character", "You reminded me of Jack Nicholson, and it worked". One man came up to me at the end of the evening and said, "You were one of the standout performances of the night. I just wanted to let you know". My favorite was hearing people argue, "I was really rooting for you (my character)". "But he was a philanderer!" another one protested. Hahahaha! One mark of good theatre is that it stirs people up and gets them talking, right? :)

Gaelen and Stela did stellar work and I was thrilled for them, knowing how much it meant to them and how hard they worked. Another intermission followed and we moved chairs back to the other side of the room again for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I couldn't see the scene since I was hidden to do sound cues for them, but Mick and Lisa were in top form and had the audience laughing throughout. Definitely a crowd-pleaser! Malachy and Chris closed out the night with their compelling scene from Normal Heart and they were spot-on.

By this time, it was 11 PM and Robin came up to quickly close the evening, but before she could excuse the crowd, we surprised her with flowers and a yearbook of fun photos from our Meisner ride together. She teared up and we and the audience gave her a hearty and well-deserved round of applause while she said, "I am so f%*king proud of you all!". We had a few more minutes to greet people and exchange hugs before Robin called us back to meet for a wrap-up. We had some snacks and she reiterated how proud she was and complimented each of our scenes, saying that we all took leaps and affirmed that our work is going in the right direction when it becomes better in front of an audience.

Before running off to take a ferry home, Robin had us all circle up and we paid homage to the blackbox energy by inhaling by raising our arms up, exhaling while lowering them and doing this three times and then ending with a clap. She then hugged us each individually and whispered her thanks and appreciation in our ear. We each of course thanked her. She is an incredible instructor and it's been a blessing to be under her tutelage. I now have deeper awareness and many more tools to help deepen and strengthen my art. Thank you so much, Robin!!! We have one final appointment with her for a personal evaluation on Tuesday and I will see her again in late-July at the dinner that some of us bid on in at the Freehold Auction. Looking forward to it.

By the time my classmates and I had cleaned up and gathered our belongings, it was past midnight. About half of us hung out longer at the new watering hole next to the theatre (called The Rabbit Hole, funnily enough!). We mused how it still hadn't fully sunk in that the Meisner ride is over. I think part of the reason why is because we've bonded so much that we know that we'll be staying in contact and supporting each other as friends and fellow artists. Relationships will continue and that is a comforting and joyful thing.

Thank you, Lord, for life and art and friendship and laughter. Meisner was an incredible ride. I am grateful for it and look forward to seeing where the journey goes next...

R.I.P. Greg Taylor

2011-06-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday began with a sucker-punch shock. Shortly after checking into work, a co-worker shared that our former boss, Greg Taylor, was found dead in his home. Investigators initially suspected a homicide but now it looks like it was natural causes. I worked for Greg for about six years and he lived life large. I will miss his vibrant energy, his easy laugh and his kind encouragement of me as an artist. He was always supportive of my acting and had even replied "Maybe" via my Facebook invitation to him to attend the Meisner Showcase. Here's to you, big guy. My Meisner performance was dedicated to you last night. Rest in peace.

The Breath Before the Leap...

2011-06-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am. On the eve of the 2011 Meisner Showcase. I've gone through nine months of rigorous exercises, improv, scene work and tutorials led by Robin Lynn Smith- she of unwavering eye and unmitigated passion. Everything I've learned is culminating into a 20 minute scene with my partner, Anabel. We've been working the past six weeks or so on our Two for the Seesaw scene and have rehearsed together seemingly every possible available moment. We're tired. Lately, we've also been frustrated as we try to crack open and delve deeper into the moments of our scene where we don't feel we're fully connecting with each other and/or our character's internal life.

We didn't quite feel "it" during our dress rehearsal on Sunday. Robin encouraged us though, saying that she's noticed steady progression every time she's seen it and gave us a lot of notes on what we can still hone in on before the showcase. Anabel and I met again tonight and rehearsed for two hours. We managed to get through our scene four times and though we weren't happy with the first ones, we ended on a performance that felt good. Tomorrow, we only get one shot though!

It will be fine. Taking Robin's notes in regard and doing some more "homework" on the character's internals will help. It won't be a perfect performance (if there's even such a thing), but I will be happy if we connect throughout, stay in the truth of the moment, trust our impulses and not be careful or controlling in our performance. That's what Meisner is all about. It's time to trust that our prep will come through while we risk wherever the truth will take us. Robin will be watching like a mother eagle ready to see her fledglings fly. Friends and strangers will be watching, quietly rooting us on and hopefully rewarded with beautiful moments that strike their hearts. Fourteen Meisner students are on the precipice and about to take the leap. Breathe, everyone. Just breathe...

MS#68- Meisner Final Dress Rehearsal

2011-06-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

Some "back stage" faces after final notes from our amazing instructor, Robin Lynn Smith. We're exhausted but determined. Plenty of work left to do before our Meisner Showcase in two days, but we are going to go out in a blaze of glory! A blaze that will no doubt be extinguished by a free flow of tears from saying "farewell" and "until we meet again" to these beautiful and amazing artists who I am blessed to call friends.

Meisner 2011 Showcase Posters

2011-06-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

It started off as inspired fun for me when I looked over some of the photos taken from our Meisner Zoo Day- making mock posters for Rabbit Hole and The Normal Heart for our Meisner Showcase. My classmates liked them and I ended up making a poster for everyone's scene. Check them out here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150206237312886.328172.69749057885

The showcase is happening this Tuesday, 6/28! If you'll be in Seattle and want to check it out, stop by! It's free and it'll be a lot of fun. We have all been working extremely hard and would love for you to see our work. If you've been reading my blog and we haven't met, please introduce yourself. I would enjoy meeting you!

More info about the showcase can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216771995023546&ref=ts

MS#67- Final Tutorial

2011-06-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

We are getting down to the wire! Anabel and I had our final scene tutorial with Robin on Sunday. Our appointment was at 12:15 PM and we only had 1.5 hours with her, so we showed up early to warm up a bit while Robin finished up her tutorial with Mick and Lisa. Once we were in the room, Anabel and I tried to set up as quickly as we could and then Robin had us perform our entire scene with voicing our subtext sotto voce.

After that, Robin gave us some notes and had us work on the middle section of the scene where she wanted to clarify and speed up some beats. As always, the tutorial was very helpful and much too short. Robin's notes for me were to watch out for the "emotional wash" that I tend to stir myself up in at times. "You don't need that sh*t" she said in trademark fashion. She said my homework is to work on my internals for certain sections and to really pack that into my emotional prep time and let things happen as they will. "Take the lid off", she said, when she noticed that I was pressing my voice and chewing a bit on some line deliveries. Another challenge of mine is to let things fly easefully without pushing the emotion. I'm becoming more aware of when I do that and when Anabel and I just let loose, the scene did get more electric and we made some new discoveries. I was also glad to finally understand more how to play the irony in the scene, which was a relief since that was bugging me for a while. Robin encouraged us by saying we were making nice progress and that there were lovely moments in our scene.

There is no class tonight, so all we have left is a dress rehearsal on Sunday and then the Showcase on Tuesday! Due to our set-up, Robin says it's very likely we will be first or at least early in the line-up, which would suit us fine. Once we're done, we can help our classmates set up their scenes and just sit back and enjoy their work. Anabel and I rehearsed last night and will meet up another 2-3 more times. It's our final Meisner hurrah and like everyone else, we want to do the very best we can that night and "leave no ash!"

1! 1 Audition Done! Ah, ah, ah, ahh!!!!

2011-06-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

That's how the Count from Sesame Street might announce this post. :)

I've always found vampires to be intriguing, well before Anne Rice or any of the Twilight hoopla. They're often portrayed as intelligent, elegant, beautiful, powerful, sensual creatures, so what's not to like, right? As a kid, I remember enjoying the George Hamilton movie, Love at First Bite, and dressing up one Halloween as a vampire, complete with fangs and my hair slicked back to show my natural widow's peak.

As an actor, I've always wanted to play a vampire. I've noticed that there is a strange interest in zombies here in the Northwest, which doesn't interest me, but occasionally I'll see a call for vampire roles. I responded to such an ad a few weeks ago and auditioned earlier today at the public library in the University District. I followed the signage downstairs and noticed a clipboard with actor names and contact info on it. No one was there, so I added my info to the sheet and spent a few minutes getting grounded before poking my head in the adjoining room where I heard voices.

A tall, blonde woman saw me and came out looking almost puzzled. I told her I was there to audition and she asked me to wait a few minutes. They were still chatting with an actor before me whom I recognized from other indie films I've seen. The blonde woman then escorted him out and ushered me in. An older gentleman who I presumed to be the director was in the room along with a camera. There was a slightly awkward silence and hesitation in the air, so I took the initiative of introducing myself to Svetlana and Bob and handed them my headshot and resume. Svetlana nodded at Bob who showed me some mock posters they had designed of the movie while Svetlana studied my resume.

The drawings on the posters were quite intricate and Bob seemed proud to talk about his vision for the film. He is aiming at doing a 30 minute film shot in black and white- "a photographer's dream", he said. The film would be about woman warriors fighting vampires. The posters were rather provocative and reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian or Xena: Warrior Princess, a blend of fantasy, horror and goth.

Svetlana was bemused that she had met or worked on the same project as every other actor who had auditioned today. She saw on my resume that I was in Dominance and shared that she played a security guard in that movie. She showed me a short storyboard of the vampire film and I was impressed that they were so organized since I've found few directors so far who take the time to storyboard.

Bob asked if I preferred to sit or stand for my monologue and I chose to sit. He focused the camera on me and asked me to slate and start my monologue whenever I was ready. Typically, film auditions consist of reading sides rather than bringing a prepared monologue, but Bob "wanted to see what I could do". I decided to do my Willard Fluke monologue from Spoon River and no sooner had I uttered the first word when I heard another actor step into the room. Svetlana went to escort her out while I re-grouped and started again. I haven't worked on my Spoonie since using it to audition for Gowe's music video several months ago, but performed it well. By the end, my body was so invested in the moment of the emotions I was feeling that my left leg involuntarily started shaking up and down. It was a surprise, but I didn't suppress it and just allowed myself to stay in the moment for a while longer before I eased out of the character.

Bob was quite impressed! He was watching me on the monitor for most of the time but observed me directly during the last few moments. "Geez! That was good, wasn't it?" he exclaimed to Svetlana, who apparently had listened/observed me from behind. They thanked me for auditioning and said there will be call-backs and that they will notify me regardless. I can't help but wonder if their initial puzzlement/hesitancy was because they were trying to figure out how an Asian American actor might fit into their project, but hopefully my talent speaks for itself and will open doors for me in present and future roles.

Project London on Wired UK

2011-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

So cool! Project London, a sci-fi flick which was the first feature film I acted in, is featured in an article on Wired UK. Check it out here:

http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/07/play/filmmaking-goes-open-source

That's some great publicity! The film is still in post-production and we're hoping that it will finally be unveiled, or better, UNLEASHED, on our world this year! Be prepared, for as the tagline says,

THIS MOVIE WILL EAT YOUR PLANET!

http://www.projectlondonmovie.com/

MS#66- Extremes and Opposites

2011-06-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

With the help of prescription drugs, Robin bounced back to her usual energy last night. We started with a brief physical and vocal warm-up and then Robin led us through some light exercises to help us get into our character's physicality and thoughts, and incorporated our animals only briefly (whew!). We then gathered around and shared how many guests we were each expecting to attend the final showcase so that Robin could plan the line-up. I'm anticipating between 10-12.

For the remainder of the night, we explored the public solitude exercise. In groups of three, each student set up their own private space and furnished it with objects/props that they brought which were endowed with significant meaning to their character. We would then leave the room to emotionally prepare and re-enter the room having come from an imaginary circumstance with extreme meaning that happened (or could have happened) in the life of our character from our chosen scene. Everyone had about 20-25 mins of public solitude and Robin would gently ask us at various times to find the truth of the moment that we were in and to play the opposite of it or to play the "five year-old child's version" of it.

I went up for the fourth cycle of evening and set up a bedroom. I brought an old fan, a scented candle, beach rocks and driftwood, cuff-links and a wedding ring and vows. For my circumstance as Jerry, I imagined having had a fight with my wife, Tess, which her father Lucian happened to walk in on. A powerful and intimidating man, he lays into me saying that he never thought I was good enough for his daughter and that I won't be able to hang onto her. I chose this circumstance because I wanted to explore the relationships Jerry has with both and to dig deeper into the feeling of how it's like to never feel like I will measure up.

During the exercise, there were moments where I didn't feel completely dropped in, but for the most part, I tried to not force anything and just went with impulses and discoveries. Robin liked how I used the cuff-links and she and my classmates enjoyed my five year-old as he played with the fan, rocked on his head in frustration and taunted an imaginary Lucian by splashing water on him. Robin encouraged me to play around during my rehearsals with Anabel to see where some of that five year-old may be able to come out. Interesting thought, especially since our scene is overall very serious, but I can see how that could broaden the range even more and make my character and his relationship with Gittel more endearing.

MS#65- In a Class of Our Own

2011-06-13T23:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a perfect day for the beach, so I headed over to Golden Gardens and spent four hours with friends playing volleyball and soaking in the sunshine. After showering at home and eating some turkey spaghetti, I headed to class a bit early to watch Jeremy and Shmim do their tutorial with Robin. They've been working really hard and have come a long way. I couldn't help but feel proud for them.

Robin unfortunately is dealing with some ongoing health problem and was in pretty bad shape last night. As soon as the tutorial ended and the rest of my classmates came into the room, she apologized but said she needed to go to urgent care but that we should all stay and run through our scenes for each other since it will be good preparation for the final show. We've since found out that she has pneumonia again but true-to-form resumed teaching another class today with a facemask!

The night went well. It was the first time we have all seen each other's entire scenes and I was really impressed by everyone's work. It's going to be a good show! Anabel and I performed last and our scene ended up taking the longest (which is what we suspected), clocking in at 22 mins. Everyone else's ran between 12-18 mins. We will find ways to shave down the time but it's clear that we will still be the longest scene. Our classmates really liked it though since it goes through so many highs and lows. Anabel and I weren't completely happy with our performance (I felt like I played my role too angry and she thought she was too shrill at times). Overall, we worked off of each other very well and made some new choices/discoveries and spent several more hours this evening breaking down the action of each line. We only got through 1.5 pages but will continue to plug away at it this week.

68 Minutes- Day 12

2011-06-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Filming resumed on 68 Minutes today with a short scene that we shot over at Greenlake- one of, if not the busiest park in Seattle. I arrived there at 9:30 a.m. and scored a perfect parking spot right where I needed to be. I chatted a bit with John (director) and Roger (DP) as they contemplated which of the two phone booths was more ideal to shoot. One was in a picturesque spot but was right next to the busy jogging trail. The other was situated next to a little cafe by the trail so it offered a bit more privacy. They opted for that one.

Naomi put some light make-up on me and we shot my phone booth scene a couple of times with varying angles. I had to tape down the receiver so I wouldn't hear the dial tone and also "Jack" the elderly operator who would come on and ask me to put change in the payslot if the phone was off it's hook too long! Although we attracted our share of attention by park-goers, people were respectful about leaving us alone.

I watched the playback on one of the takes and was glad I did. I felt my face was fraught with too much anxiety and I was excessively blinking, so I made adjustments in the following takes. If the park weren't so busy, we probably would have wrapped the scene in 30 minutes but we were there for two hours. I'm not complaining. That is still relatively quick and John says we are now just one day from wrapping the whole film (although I will prepare mentally that it could take two). We have to finish a driving scene and do some pick-up shots that will involve Carollani and Hillary. John wants to finish this up before the end of this month as he'll be heading out to L.A. for ten days in July. It'll be exciting to wrap this up!

I Didn't Get Booked

2011-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

No Book-It touring production for me. Josh emailed me the news just a little while ago. I am completely at peace with it and perhaps a tinge relieved. Although my co-workers would have been supportive, it still would have been challenging to adjust my work schedule around an undetermined amount of tour bookings. I was just talking to God this morning saying that I trust Him to know what's best for me, so I asked Him for whatever is best- whether I get cast as an understudy, the main tour group, or not at all. Although it would have been a fun experience, this opens me up to other opportunities that may come up this fall and winter. I'm looking forward to seeing what those will be!

I found out from Narea that she got cast as the understudy for the lead character, Minli, so I'm happy and excited for her. She's very talented, and Book-It will be a nice addition to her resume and her experience as an actor. The girl is on a roll, and deservedly so!

Next up for me: we're filming a brief scene for 68 Minutes tomorrow at a nearby park, so I'll spend some time tonight studying my lines. If all goes well, we should have one more full day of shooting before this film wraps! I'm also being considered for a brief role in a short film which I should hopefully find out about soon.

Book-It Callback

2011-06-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's callback seemed to go well. When I arrived at the audition site, Narea was there along with several other actors waiting in the hallway. I discovered that my first reading would be with Narea, so we we went over our sides a couple of times with me as the Dragon and Narea as the main character, Minli.

When we were called into the room, Josh and Annie said that they would be stopping us throughout to give direction so we shouldn't be alarmed by that. We got through the first page before Josh stopped us and asked Narea to demonstrate more wonderment at encountering a dragon and for me to be more adorable, though he liked the "wisdom and gravitas" I was bringing. We went through it again and then were excused to the hallway where we were paired up with a different role and partner. I was paired with an elegant woman named Maria and we rehearsed a side where she was Minli and I was the King.

When we were brought into the room, we went through the scene, listened to Josh's notes and performed it again. Josh seemed pleased with the adjustments we made. I chatted with him afterward to let him know that even though I originally submitted myself as an understudy, I would be open to being part of the main touring crew if they were interested. This change happened as a result of a conversation I had earlier.

Prior to the callback, my co-worker Jen encouraged me to not sell myself short just because I was concerned about balancing my work and the tour schedule. My co-workers all know that acting is my passion and pursuit and want to support me in it and "there are ways to make it work" if I get called away on gigs or tours. I was grateful for those words of affirmation and it was just what I needed to put my name in the hat to go for the whole enchilada, or in this case, the main touring group! Josh seemed pleased to know that was an option for them to consider, so we'll see if I end up getting an offer. I think both Narea and I have a decent shot at it, and it would be fun to work with her again on yet another project.

MS#64- Scene Tutorial

2011-06-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Anabel and I had a scene tutorial with Robin last night and it was very helpful. As I was walking to Freehold for the session, Anabel called to say she was stuck in traffic and was worried she would be late. It worked out fine though. She arrived on time and the tutorial before us (Malachy and Chris) ran about 20 minutes over, so we spent the time doing a mechanical reading while tossing an object back and forth.

When Malachy and Chris finished, they were very kind to help me and Anabel set up the blocks and furniture for our scene, which was great since we only had an hour-long session with Robin. We started about midway through our scene and Robin really helped dissect the parts that needed more attention and "homework" to flesh out. She dug in on me every time I got too caught up in emotional stuff and it finally dawned on me (she's been helping me see it clearer all along) that it's about knowing what my character wants/needs vs. getting caught up in tapping into emotions. It's that "emotional train" that I blogged about a little while back which I still have a tendency to jump on. It's taken a long time to learn and I'm just at the beginning of trying to master it, but at least I'm far more conscious now and can start improving on that aspect of my acting.

Robin said we've made good steps on the scene and encouraged us both to go deeper into what things mean for our characters. I plan to spend time looking at each of my lines to see what I want/need at each moment and to particularize/specify why I say certain things and what the history (imagined or stated) is behind them. Robin wants me to look at the irony and wit in the writing and though I'm still unclear as to how to play those moments without artifice, I'm trusting that I will find a way to tap into it. I will probably need to ask for more guidance in that.

Book-It Audition

2011-06-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

My friend and classmate, Narea, tipped me off to an audition that Book-It Repertory Theatre is holding for their touring show in the fall. They are looking for some Asian actors to bring characters to life from the Newberry Award-winning folk novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

For me, the problem is that they need actors who are available during the day to perform in schools, assemblies, libraries, etc., and though my boss is wonderfully supportive of me, I'm not comfortable with not knowing how frequently we'd get booked for shows if I were to be cast. I want to ensure that I'm still doing my work well and though the bookings do pay, financially I could be taking a hit as well if I'm missing more than a few hours of work each time. I did find out that Book-It also casts understudies and their time commitment is less, so I submitted myself for that and got an audition slot for 3:45 PM earlier today.

The audition was held at the Seattle Center, so just a short walk from my workplace. I was running slightly behind though, so ended up jogging the last half of the way there and made it there right at 3:45. An actor acquaintance of mine, Eloisa, was in the lobby filling out the requisite paperwork. I greeted her and proceeded to fill my form and then spent time to slow down my breath, go over the sides and get grounded. After Eloisa's audition, I was summoned into the room by a tall, pleasant woman named Annie who is Book-It's Director of Touring. At the table was a friendly man named Josh, who is Book-It's Education Associate.

Since I have never seen a Book-It production, Annie gave me an overview of their signature style of bringing literature to life via theatre, and using narrative to inform the action rather than breaking the 4th wall by addressing the audience. I was thankful for the information, as it would change the way I was about to perform my audition. Josh discussed a bit how their rehearsal and performance schedules work and I confirmed that I'd probably only be able to be an understudy with my work schedule.

Josh had emailed me sides for the characters of a King and of an orphaned Boy with a buffalo as his companion. He had me start as the King, with Annie reading opposite of me. I felt grounded and authoritative. Josh gave me a little background on the Boy and I then read for that, incorporating some fun and physicality into it. They both seemed very pleased and told me they'd notify me tonight if I make it to callbacks. I was happy with how I did and felt I had a good shot at it.

Sure enough, Josh called me about an hour later and invited me to callbacks tomorrow. He also wanted me to take a look at the Dragon character and emailed me a side for that. My boss, Marni, granted me permission to take an extended lunch break tomorrow afternoon to take part in it. I spoke with Narea and she also got called back so we're excited to see how things go tomorrow!

MS#63- Mammal Madness

2011-06-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Our chosen character animals invaded Meisner class last night. And what a night! We had a gorgeous sunny weekend and the blackbox was stuffy. Robin had us doing so many things I don't think I can recount them all, but we spent a lot of time embodying our animals. As you may recall, I chose the wallaby as my animal connection to my character Jerry. My poor quads and shoulders got a serious workout as I bounced and hopped throughout the night interacting with the other Meisner animals or succumbing to the imaginary circumstances that Robin was narrating to us.

We would regularly take whatever impulses or discoveries we were finding in our animal and bringing it into our character's walk, speech, social interaction, etc before reverting back into our animal. Robin had us remain in character or animal throughout the entire evening. We also had improv scenarios such as being interviewed, dealing with an airport lockdown due to a bomb threat while we were trying to fly out for vacation, going to a library, etc. We did some free-writing to someone significant to our character and ended the evening sharing them aloud with the group. Beautiful, powerful letters, and several brought people to tears.

Robin brought us through a lot yesterday and we understand they are all tools we can use. Although I didn't enjoy the animal stuff that much, I did make some discoveries that I can integrate into Jerry. With a lesser group, it would be easy to feel silly, self-conscious or cynical about some of the acting exercises, but I love how my classmates fully commit to whatever is asked, even if that means writhing, roaring, waddling, crawling or soaring! As a group, we give each other the freedom and support we need to keep growing in our artistic journey. I have such love, respect and admiration for them all and I have learned something from each one.

MS#62- Scene Tutorial

2011-06-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

In lieu of a full class last night, Anabel and I had a one hour tutorial with Robin. It took us about 20 minutes to set up so we didn't have that much time with her, but it was really good. Robin would stop us throughout the scene to ask questions and offer suggestions. Although I'm not new to acting, it really gave me a deeper appreciation of how much WORK goes into it all. Anabel and I have been working hard and meeting up frequently to rehearse, but under Robin's watchful eye, she helped us see how every piece of dialogue, silence, movement, intention, etc can be broken down and made more clear if we continue to explore and deepen our emotional preparation.

We've got a long ways to go, but Robin encouraged us by saying that we've made good steps/progress and that she can tell from our performance that we've been working at it. She also reminded us to have some more fun with it and to find where that can fit in with our characters. Even though it's a serious scene, finding the irony, wit and humor in it will help our characters become more real, multi-dimensional and interesting to watch.

Anabel and I plan to rehearse more tomorrow night and possibly Saturday. It's hard to believe it's June already. Our final Meisner performance is at the end of this month!

"Late Autumn" in Late Spring

2011-06-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

My boss approved me leaving work early yesterday to catch the SIFF screening of Late Autumn, which was filmed here two years ago. I parked in what was labeled a 4 hour parking zone on Capitol Hill, but when I went to pay with my credit card at the machine it would only give me 2 hours maximum. Ugh. The screening started at 4 PM and my parking would expire at 5:31. Grrr....

Not sure if it was sold out, but the line for tickets snaked around the Egyptian Theatre. When I made it into the lobby, I picked up my will-call tix and waited for my friend Wayman who was an extra in the movie. We then met up with some of his friends and co-workers inside who were kind enough to save us seats.

From what I saw, the movie was quite moody but interesting. I felt like it captured a lot of Seattle's personality and we in the audience chuckled at various references to our weather and some of the city's peculiarities. I had auditioned for two roles in the movie (a brother and a former boyfriend of the lead actress) so it was interesting to see the actors who were chosen. I imagine I would have been more of a contender if I spoke Chinese and had a stronger jawline. :)

There were several familiar faces I saw in the film but we were mainly there to see if Wayman made the cut in the funeral scene. He had heard from his co-worker who saw the first screening that he wasn't in it, but we were hoping we'd catch a glimpse of him or a part of him somewhere. As the movie went on, I kept waiting for that scene to arrive while starting to get antsy about my parking situation. Then, minutes before my time was going to expire, the funeral scene happened. Wayman whispered and pointed when he saw a glimpse of the side or back of his head and then there was a full second of him waiting in line, clear as a bell on the left side of the screen. We and his friends gasped in muffled excitement and then laughed. There was his big debut!

I was glad to have been able to see it and then dashed out to my car. Since the film looked like it was still going to continue for a while, I planned to pay for more parking time but the stupid pay machine was broken. I walked over to another one further down the block but that was also broken. Finally, I crossed the street to try a third machine and that was broken. Argh! There were parking tickets on some cars so I didn't want to risk getting one and decided to forgo the rest of the movie and just went to work out at the gym and eat a bit before heading to my scene tutorial with Robin.