News

Hi everyone!

Long time, no post.  Sorry about that.  I know you've all been on pins and needles to hear about if I was offered a job after my callback, right? ...Okay, maybe you weren't.  But regardless, I'll tell you what happened.

To make a long story short, I wasn't offered anything.  I was little bummed, but like I said in my last post, I was and still am proud of myself for making it as far as I did.  I figure things can only look up from here with my auditions.  Speaking of which, that's where the title of this blog post comes into play.  That's right folks, I have news!  Big, exciting news!!! :D

...But before I tell you all about my news, I wanted to talk a little bit about how I find auditions to go on.  I know I've touched on this a bit in previous posts, but I want to go more in-depth about the process I go through.  Since I'm currently not represented by an agent or a union, it's up to me to find auditions I go on.  I'll usually find out about these auditions through websites like Backstage or YAP Tracker.  When an audition notice is posted, I'll look it over and ask myself a few questions, such as:

*Is this a paying job?
*When and where is the audition?
*Can I attend it?
*How long is the position for?
*What, besides money, does this job offer its employees?

While all of these questions are important, there's two that tend to determine whether or not I decide to do an audition.  The first is the "Can I attend it?" question.  As most of you probably know, traveling to and staying in New York City is expensive; I can't always afford to go down to the city when I want to.  But being able to travel to NYC is only part of the problem when it comes to whether or not I can attend auditions.  A lot of the time, auditions for big name productions (think Broadway productions or certain traveling shows) will only see union actors.  While it is possible for non-union actors to be seen at these calls from time to time, it's a rarity and more often than not doesn't happen.  So, for the time being, I look for non-union calls, which makes my job a bit harder, considering that good, high paying non union jobs don't come around that much.  Such is, I'm afraid.  :/

Next comes the "What, besides money...?" question.  This one is especially important for a couple of reasons.  Since I currently can't afford to live in New York City, I tend to lean towards auditions that would provide housing to me for the duration of the job.  Things like Young Artist Programs, Resident Artist Programs, and touring productions are prime example of jobs that would give me a place to stay for a few months as part of my contract.  I also check to see if any of auditions I consider offer equity points.  If they do, it brings me one step closer to being able to join a union and get better jobs.  While this doesn't hold as much weight as the housing part of this question, it's definitely something I consider.

Overwhelmed yet readers?  ;)  Okay.  After I consider all these factors, I'll decide whether or not to do the audition.  If the answer is yes, then I start preparing for it.  See my post entitled "Preparing for an Audition..." for more details.

Anywho, I think it's time to tell you my big news.  As of right now, I have eight auditions lined up during the month of September.  That's right folks.  EIGHT AUDITIONS, the most I've ever had at a time!!  It's pretty amazing, to say the least.  As per usual, I plan on documenting my experiences with those, so be on the lookout for some audition posts in the very near future.  Until then, I think I should get back to practicing.  :P

See you later!