Finally made it back home! I'm enjoying my vacation. I've eaten at all of my favorite spots, driven quite a bit and of course I love seeing my family and friends. However, this trip is different from other times that I have come home. As I begin to gather momentum in my career and make strides I no longer want to be able to have strictly vacation time. I need to be working at all times and have opportunities to offset the cost of me returning home or going anywhere else. So my goals this trip were:
1) Set up photo shoots to build portfolio
2) Get a local agent to send me out on casting when I'm in town
3)Audition for Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS)
Before leaving NYC I looked up TUTS audition schedule to see when they were holding NYC auditions. I contacted the artistic director and told him my situation, which is that I am a native Houstonian that always just misses the local auditions and I would like the opportunity to audition. We emailed back and forth and he actually set me up with the choreographer for the upcoming show, "Guys and Dolls" Paula Sloan. The plan was for us to meet up in between her rehearsal for a project she was working on in NYC for her to audition me. That actually didn't happen. Instead of giving up, I prepared. I set up a voice lesson my last couple of days in NYC to work on which piece I would sing just in case I got an audition. I packed a couple of dance outfits and I always take headshots, resumes' and business cards anyway. I contacted both of them upon reaching Houston. There was actually an opening in the cast and I secured an audition. I felt very prepared and confident. I aced my audition easily. The director even told me unofficially before I left that I had gotten the part! This experience taught me to never give up and always be prepared for anything.
Also before leaving New York, I contacted agencies I wanted to meet with and told them my situation. There are only two SAG franchised agencies in Houston (A+ Actors and Bosby-Pastorini) and I knew I wanted to go with one of the two. I sent my headshot and resume to both and once I booked the show I sent out postcards letting them know. I hadn't heard anything and a few days later I did a follow up call to the agency I really wanted, A+ Actors, since I know agents can get really busy. Good thing I did because they really wanted to bring me in. I met with the agents this past Monday and I felt really comfortable with them and I sensed that they were were very aggressive in submitting their talent. They also had opportunities in Louisiana, Texas and even NYC. I feel very good about signing with them.
Rehearsals for the show start next week and it's a grueling schedule. I rehearse 6 days a week, for 7 hours a day. This is going to be a great experience for me and I know this will help me greatly on my road to being on Broadway.
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