Own Your Year

I'm back in the city, ya'll! After a successful 65 show run of E&P at the KC, I am back in New York and ready to own this audition season.

Coming home to the city has been a whirlwind of events. Our show closed on a Tuesday, Mike and I drove to New York on Wednesday, we signed a lease on Thursday, and moved/unpacked on Friday. We had a "polar vortex" which sent New York temperatures into the single digits, which in turn froze our water pipes. We went a few stinky days without water and lots of unpacking and IKEA assembling, and we finally settled in...

Until we got a crack in our steam pipe. (Doesn't that sound like a euphemism for something?) Right now there is a huge hole in our kitchen wall as several maintenance men crowd our tiny, but nearly-perfect, apartment. 

Whirlwind aside, and swallowing my post-show-closing-blues, I am pulling off the bandaid and jumping back, full-swing, into the NYC audition scene. Somewhere along the way I developed a deep-set dislike of and an entire catalogue of excuses not to go to EPAs and ECCs. I am determined to quit that negativity. People do get jobs this way. It is a free and reliable way for equity members, especially those without representation, to get in front of casting directors. My friend's slogan for 2014 is "The Year of Yes." I love it.

Although I have been told the following by friends and teachers, it took me until now, nearly six years into my journey, for this to truly sink in.  Auditioning is my job now and I should treat it with the same timeliness and preparedness as I would any other position, and secondly, I'm not auditioning to impress the people sitting behind the audition table. I'm auditioning for my career. I do this because I love using my voice to tell stories. I do this because I love performing!!! Why shouldn't I show the world? Why shouldn't I be heard?! Whoever is in the audition room is my audience for the day. I know this sounds extremely obvious, but sometimes I'm a little late to the self-love party. #duh. 

It was 9 degrees on Tuesday but I packed up my Diva Suitcase anyways and went downtown. I found my own little corner and my own little chair (can you guess what I auditioned for?), and tried my best to stay zen and away from negative audition energy that always throws me off my game. With some snacks and some candy crush to play, I'm good. 

I have been building to this moment for over a year now. I went back to school with the specific intention of gaining more auditioning confidence. I'm not afraid. Bring it on, people!

In the beautiful and consise words of my great-grandmother, "Sh*t or get off the pot."