Literally! After having a terrible day, I of course called my parents to vent and hear some words of comfort. After talking for a while, Dad said "Why don't you blog about it?". "Nobody wants to hear about this," I said. "Then they don't have to read it." Oh my father, so practical. So smart.
Sometimes (ok, all the time) I have a habit of wanting to be the best! I want to be perfect at everything I do. I end up having delusions of grandeur about this blog being the BIGGEST AND BESTEST BLOG IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! But in all actuality, this blog is a hobby. It's not a competition. It doesn't need to be something that I obsess over, checking how many people have viewed it everyday. This is just our lives, the interesting and the not so interesting. So here is the story of my poopy day.
Earlier this year I applied to the Chicago Athletic Club customer service desk. What an awesome job. I get free membership to the club, free classes, and the location is less than a block from my apartment. They called me back and said that they didn't have any openings, but they were looking for someone at the daycare. Since beggars can't be choosers, I said yes. I know what you are thinking...Whitney, you don't even like kids. And yes, you are right. But surprisingly, this job has been a huge blessing. I have always loved all my little cousins, that's a given. But it turns out other kids aren't too bad either. Sure they have snotty noses and dirty diapers and can't communicate all that well. But they also cover me in hugs and kisses, do darn cute things, and the more advanced ones even call me Miss Whitney, which pretty much melts my heart. So all in all, it's been good. (On January 1st I start working at the customer service desk :)
But today was not a good day at all. I woke up sick. Broke a glass (between Diana and me, that is now 4 glasses broken, 2 left) missed my bus, finally got to work and changed 7 diapers within the first hour of being there. UGH! Went to lunch and came back and had a #2 potty training accident, make that two accidents, with one little boy (who was very sorry that he forgot to tell me, he was just having too much fun playing). Finally, I was done and was in a not-so-bad mood. I was walking home, jamming out to some Pink on my ipod, and stepped in a gigantic pile of dog poop!!! I stopped and literally screamed at the top of my lungs "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!" Okay, there might have been a few other choice words mixed in there. What's funny is that everyone stopped and looked at me like they had seen something very strange. I forget I'm in Chicago, not New York. People are a little more normal here, and that wasn't my most normal moment.
Needless to say, I had to throw those shoes away. Sad. And in even sadder news, earlier this week I found some mildew on one of our walls. It turns out that the humidity and heat of our apartment mixed with the freezing cold outside makes the walls sweat. And that cardboard feeds the, um, I don't know, something scientific. And I keep my shoes in their original boxes and those are made of cardboard. So the mildew got my shoes! I cleaned all that up, and ended up throwing away three other pairs. Four pairs thrown away. Luckily, I have extras.
These last few days may not have been the best, but oh well. Life goes on. I'm now at home, eating some froyo and watching the finale of Dancing with the Stars. I think Shawn is going to win! That's all.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Here is One for All You Actors Out There
Diana told me to blog about the process of auditioning. And about my day. And she said to talk about all the negative, negative, negative stuff, and then end it with a positive. So here we go....this might be a little long.
I got into this city at the very end of of August, pretty much dropped off my stuff, and then went home to Montrose South Dakota for my dear friend Molly's wedding. I came back to Chi-town, found a job so I could pay rent, got some furniture and then left again for my dear friend Emily's wedding! This trip I took more time and visited my brother and grandparents on the Western side of the state. I was in no hurry to come back, the family time and relaxation was just too great. After taking all the personal time I needed, I came back and was ready to start auditioning!
I submitted my headshot and resume to every audition possible. Unfortunately, I didn't get many invitations. My first actual audition was at the very beginning of October. It was for an original play festival. I felt ready, prepared, and like this was the perfect audition for me because they needed lots of actors and were looking for any type. The audition was pretty close to our apartment, so I picked the perfect outfit, great shoes, got my headshots all nicely stapled to my resume, and rode my bike there. I arrived early and felt completely confident in the monologue I had chosen. I felt a little nervous but was actually more excited, this was my first Chicago audition! I sat there waiting, listening to everyone audition before me. Then it was my turn. I was determined to be memorable. In my head I said, "I am talented, so if I can be memorable, then I will be fine." I introduced myself, my monologue, took a breath, and was off. Here is what is going through my head during this time.
"Wow, that was an awkward intro. Usually I say my name more clearly. What am I doing with my hands? I should have started the monologue with movement. Am I resolving all my cycles? Stop slapping your legs Whitney. Hmmm, that part got a laugh last time I did this. They haven't laughed once. Oh, well that was a courtesy laugh if I've ever heard one. Maybe this monologue isn't funny. But at school juries everyone was cracking up. Maybe it's only funny if you know me. Oh no! What if all my monologues aren't good and I have to find a bunch more. Relax. Breathe. Wow, you are blowing it right now."
I could go on and on, but basically I kept trying harder and harder as the monologue went on. Forcing it and begging them to laugh. All my pent up/excited/nervous energy didn't only hit the back wall of the theater, it crashed through, went out the lobby, and landed in the store across the street. I was out of control! They politely said thank you and that they didn't need to see anything else.
BLEW IT!
Looking back now, I can laugh. That was ridiculous and it was silly of me to build up that audition. I could go into detail about all the auditions I have been on, but let me try to shorten this up. Since then I have submitted myself for a TON of auditions (we are talking between 20 and 30 in one month, maybe even more, I stopped counting). Out of all those submissions I have been on eight auditions. Each one has presented it's own challenges including getting stuck in an elevator, auditioning with my "body movement" instead of words, and walking around parts of this city at night that I don't plan on visiting ever again. I have auditioned for three musicals, a few work-shopped pieces, and two "theme park" type auditions. I even auditioned for 50 Shades of Gray the Musical (sometimes when God closes a door, it's for a good reason). But no callbacks. That is, till today.
Today I had an audition for the Arc theatre, which is a professional theatre founded by a group of Depaul University graduates. Here is an ironic fact: When I was a junior in highschool, I decided that I wanted to go to Depaul for theatre and after mailing in an application, they wouldn't even see me for an audition, saying that I didn't have the experience they were looking for in their students. ANYWAY, this audition went very well. I did two pieces that I have been working on for a long time and are completely contrasting. They laughed all the way through my comedic piece and were sitting on the edge of their seat for my Shakespeare. When I was finished I said thank you. Three people were watching, and they all commented. "Wow, that was very good, well done" "I'm so glad we got to see your talent today, I'm very impressed" and "Good audition. Really, that was good." Although a few other auditions have gone well and I did just fine on my monologues, this was the first time I didn't get the generic "Thanks, we will be in touch" line. They weren't being polite, they were being genuine. I may not get cast, I may not even get a callback for whatever reason. But that's okay with me, because I had an awesome audition.
After that audition, I had to rush to another audition. I did the same monologues, they went just as well, and I got a callback right there on the spot! They asked if I could stay for the callback which would be starting in about an hour. It felt so good to read a scene. I was so spoiled in grad school, getting to act everyday whether I liked it or not. My peeps at Regent, if you are reading this...soak it up baby. I was called-backed for the main role. This was a fun audition because she is a sharp, quick-tongued, savvy buisness women type. The play follows her through her 20s, 30s, and 40s. This is pretty much the opposite of everything that I have been told about my "type" but as my amazing roommate has reminded me, that is why we are actors. There were three rounds, and I stuck around till the end. People were let go through the day, and it ended up being between me and two other girls. Fingers crossed! But even if it doesn't happen, it's fun to have had such a good day.
And that's all I have to say about that.
(Click here for some lessons learned about auditioning)
I got into this city at the very end of of August, pretty much dropped off my stuff, and then went home to Montrose South Dakota for my dear friend Molly's wedding. I came back to Chi-town, found a job so I could pay rent, got some furniture and then left again for my dear friend Emily's wedding! This trip I took more time and visited my brother and grandparents on the Western side of the state. I was in no hurry to come back, the family time and relaxation was just too great. After taking all the personal time I needed, I came back and was ready to start auditioning!
I submitted my headshot and resume to every audition possible. Unfortunately, I didn't get many invitations. My first actual audition was at the very beginning of October. It was for an original play festival. I felt ready, prepared, and like this was the perfect audition for me because they needed lots of actors and were looking for any type. The audition was pretty close to our apartment, so I picked the perfect outfit, great shoes, got my headshots all nicely stapled to my resume, and rode my bike there. I arrived early and felt completely confident in the monologue I had chosen. I felt a little nervous but was actually more excited, this was my first Chicago audition! I sat there waiting, listening to everyone audition before me. Then it was my turn. I was determined to be memorable. In my head I said, "I am talented, so if I can be memorable, then I will be fine." I introduced myself, my monologue, took a breath, and was off. Here is what is going through my head during this time.
"Wow, that was an awkward intro. Usually I say my name more clearly. What am I doing with my hands? I should have started the monologue with movement. Am I resolving all my cycles? Stop slapping your legs Whitney. Hmmm, that part got a laugh last time I did this. They haven't laughed once. Oh, well that was a courtesy laugh if I've ever heard one. Maybe this monologue isn't funny. But at school juries everyone was cracking up. Maybe it's only funny if you know me. Oh no! What if all my monologues aren't good and I have to find a bunch more. Relax. Breathe. Wow, you are blowing it right now."
I could go on and on, but basically I kept trying harder and harder as the monologue went on. Forcing it and begging them to laugh. All my pent up/excited/nervous energy didn't only hit the back wall of the theater, it crashed through, went out the lobby, and landed in the store across the street. I was out of control! They politely said thank you and that they didn't need to see anything else.
BLEW IT!
Looking back now, I can laugh. That was ridiculous and it was silly of me to build up that audition. I could go into detail about all the auditions I have been on, but let me try to shorten this up. Since then I have submitted myself for a TON of auditions (we are talking between 20 and 30 in one month, maybe even more, I stopped counting). Out of all those submissions I have been on eight auditions. Each one has presented it's own challenges including getting stuck in an elevator, auditioning with my "body movement" instead of words, and walking around parts of this city at night that I don't plan on visiting ever again. I have auditioned for three musicals, a few work-shopped pieces, and two "theme park" type auditions. I even auditioned for 50 Shades of Gray the Musical (sometimes when God closes a door, it's for a good reason). But no callbacks. That is, till today.
Today I had an audition for the Arc theatre, which is a professional theatre founded by a group of Depaul University graduates. Here is an ironic fact: When I was a junior in highschool, I decided that I wanted to go to Depaul for theatre and after mailing in an application, they wouldn't even see me for an audition, saying that I didn't have the experience they were looking for in their students. ANYWAY, this audition went very well. I did two pieces that I have been working on for a long time and are completely contrasting. They laughed all the way through my comedic piece and were sitting on the edge of their seat for my Shakespeare. When I was finished I said thank you. Three people were watching, and they all commented. "Wow, that was very good, well done" "I'm so glad we got to see your talent today, I'm very impressed" and "Good audition. Really, that was good." Although a few other auditions have gone well and I did just fine on my monologues, this was the first time I didn't get the generic "Thanks, we will be in touch" line. They weren't being polite, they were being genuine. I may not get cast, I may not even get a callback for whatever reason. But that's okay with me, because I had an awesome audition.
After that audition, I had to rush to another audition. I did the same monologues, they went just as well, and I got a callback right there on the spot! They asked if I could stay for the callback which would be starting in about an hour. It felt so good to read a scene. I was so spoiled in grad school, getting to act everyday whether I liked it or not. My peeps at Regent, if you are reading this...soak it up baby. I was called-backed for the main role. This was a fun audition because she is a sharp, quick-tongued, savvy buisness women type. The play follows her through her 20s, 30s, and 40s. This is pretty much the opposite of everything that I have been told about my "type" but as my amazing roommate has reminded me, that is why we are actors. There were three rounds, and I stuck around till the end. People were let go through the day, and it ended up being between me and two other girls. Fingers crossed! But even if it doesn't happen, it's fun to have had such a good day.
And that's all I have to say about that.
(Click here for some lessons learned about auditioning)
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