I wish I could say that I got up to lots and lots of things since my last blog but in reality I worked almost full-time at Kmart and did a whole bunch of kids parties. At least the kids thought I was a cool? Early January, I participated in Your Theatrics Cabaret Competition with a little excerpt from my show 'The Thing About Her'. Cabaret is a thing I don't fully understand, it's a show but it's also a singing recital? I got to the sound check and realised "Oh shit! There is a mic and stand. No headset. Shit. You need to figure something out." There was also no stool. No stool to put my box of items on... an integral part of my show. Luckily we found a stool, a rather large bar chair. During soundcheck, while struggling to remember my own lyrics, I was told I need to sing into to the microphone. Nothing makes you feel more professional than being incapable of basic microphone etiquette. In the middle of my second song, the mic stand shrunk to half it's size and I struggled to screw it back up to the appropriate level. I left the stage... feeling not one bit confident that it would go well. I sat at the coffee shop with my brother, the very impressive composer and pianist that wrote the music the day before, and we decided to ditch the mic. That's right... we didn't stick to the status quo, we didn't use the mic (apart from the singing parts anyway). You can check out the show below. The only problem about the set, which I am otherwise extremely proud about, is this show is NOT about me. It's bits and bobs of stories from 20 women in my life. A few people thought the show was all about me and came off as arrogant which is EXACTLY WHAT I DIDN'T WANT. But you know what they say... trial and error. It will be better next time.
Anyway skip forward to the 26th and I jet-setted off to Los Angeles for the second time. Ah... I wish I could tell you that it has been enchanting and I stepped off the plane and someone saw me and cast me as Leonardo Dicaprio's daughter in a film but no. I got here very plainly. I caught a 13-hour flight and then two buses to the place I'm staying at.
I started my Groundlings class which is not what I expected. Seems as though Impro has just as many rules as every other technique. The teacher in my class is not into positive feedback. Instead he yells "May, what are you doing?" or "Start again!" a lot. So every time I leave the room I think 'you did nothing right, you are a bad improviser.' I'll let you know how the rest of the course goes.
After that I came home, to the room of a man I thought I'd marry last September, staring at all his photos and clothes and stupid everything, and realised that I shouldn't be here. In Los Angeles. Last year it was exciting, it was new, it was a look into this phenomenal industry. I did all the touristy things, I learnt all the do's and the don'ts and what you need to do to succeed. And then I went home, inspired. I had this amazing dream that next time I'd come back it would be as a working actor. But this year, I'm here, with no visa. There is nothing to do except more courses and spend my money. It's lost a bit of it's magic.
Anyway since I'm here I may as well spend-it-all so I am part of a Margie Haber Intensive with Eden Bernardy that starts Tuesday, which I am really excited about. I went to the orientation last year and it was so refreshing to listen to a school that isn't about using a technique. It's about being intuitive and being yourself on camera.
And that's what I'm up to.
Lot's of training and spending money.
... Oh and mulling over a broken heart.
Hey! But don't worry about me. Next month I'll be 23. :)
xx