Back to the Salt Mines

Positive things happening in this wonderful time of unemployment:

I went to a job interview landed a contracting gig until December 31st, and I am extremely happy! Extremely. Only con is that it's in the east bay which is close to my rehearsal, all great, except working in my voice lesson located in San Francisco. That is a little tricky, but it's ok. We can get the ball rolling. I'm happy to be moving forward with plans to move to New York, but I'm dealing with the headache of income tax and being an independent contractor. Luckily, I've got my awesome awesome family to support and help me. Thank you really truly a million!

I also land a job and then head to wine country. I'm happy to be getting to all the places that I love and should spend some serious time because I'm moving.

Anyway, I'm also getting to see some really great musical theatre in the bay area! Yesterday, I saw the preview for Broadway by the Bay's rendition of Into the Woods, and their run started off with a bang! I've been reluctant to talk about/review shows that I have recently seen because it is artistic creativity that everyone seems to have different opinions about. I realize that what I am about to tell you is my sole opinion, and that's it: nothing more and nothing less.

The absolute highlight was the witch. She has an amazing amazing voice which I have remembered since I heard her at callbacks for everything I was called back for this summer. She is truly an exceptional talent with an incredible belt and soprano that she easily shifted styles with gracefulness and elegance. Cinderella was cute and bubbely, and nailed those difficult Sondheim pieces that give the misconception of being easy. The music is by no means easy! Very talented cast. It was great to see an old teacher and director perform in a role that was obviously written for him. Marc Jacobs did an excellent job as the narrator.

The sets were beautiful. The bean stalk is a tricky tricky set piece, and it was the only moment that I thought -ek, that looks a little just not right, but what else could they do? It's tricky, but it looked a little odd compared to the set pieces that were amazing.

Of course there were a few technical errors that are to be expected in every performance especially at a preview. There were a few moments that actors were not in the light or they were not lit. You could only see shadows on their faces. The mics weren't on when the actor had already started talking. The mic for the wolf/prince was scratchy and ruined a few great moments in the wolf song... sadly.

Broadway by the Bay produces an excellent calibar of shows for theatre lovers in the bay area. I highly recommend this production. It's great.

I also got a chance to see the Tony Award winning production of Spring Awakening, which was amazing in it's own ways with lots of amazing amazing music. Plus, I got to see ACLO's Grease that is showcasing a lot my friend's incredible talents and gifts. On the whole, the past two weeks have been stressful, whirl-windy and good.

I'm eager to enjoy the last weekend of freedom, and then get back to work on Tuesday.

Searching for Comfortable in the Uncomfortable

I'm really surprised with how lazy I have become during unemployment. My concept of "time" is all off. I find myself saying things, "I'll put my laundry away later because I have tons of time. Then three days later my laundry is sitting in the basket and it keeps getting transfered from bed to basket to bed to basket, and each time I say to myself - it's ok I have tons of time!

It amazes me how productive I am when every moment of my day has an accountable task and the moment that I don't have anything to do the amount of stress piles up on my wee brain, and I start to buckle and beg for the internet to save me.

I need to get used to this lifestyle. This is the lifestyle that New York will bring me. Is it really difficult to find a lucrative, challenging, mind engaging and flexible job that will allow me to sing on broadway? Yes, yes it is. I have not given up. I will continue to work. I will continue to pursue contracting positions. I will continue to work hard and do what it takes to eat. to save money. to get to New York. I will do what ever it takes, but I have to remind myself that it takes time. I'm all about this instant gratification, and it takes time.

It's difficult to balance the different opportunities that comes across my desk because I am all about instant gratification, and so if a job comes up for 12.50 an hour for the next 5 months - I am inclined to take it, but NO. Take the time to find something that works. See - this is stressful. I can hardly even write about it anymore.

Week 2 Day 2

I thought that today was going to be lucky because I thought had a temp job lined up, but alas, I did not. I have been spending most my of my days designing and developing my acting portfolio, which yes hopefully there will some media there. If I find the time in my "busy" schedule to actually record.

It's amazing to me really truly how quickly it is to fill time. Searching for a temporary position is a full time job, and my no means do I mess around. I wake up at 7am drink a cup of coffee and apply to jobs until at least 11:00am. Then things start to slow down. I can work on my portofolio, or work on some of the freelancing gigs that have come up. Then all of a sudden it's 2pm, and I start to feel a little bored, and so I put some laundry away or try and cancel tivo, and then it's 4:30pm. Yesterday at 4:30pm I went to a voice lesson and now today I am here with you - hoping that I won't be doing the same thing tomorrow, but full well knowing that it's exactly what I'm going to be doing.

It's ok because I am not wasting my time. I do not wake up and watch tv all day. I'm working on my website re-design and I want it to look awesome. So, that's what I'm doing - making it look awesome. I got the frame work of the simple design laid out, and now I want to build some of the more complex items of the website. I want the gallery to look pretty amazing, and I am going to make myself learn some PHP code so that I can make the website be more dynamic than just informational.

In between working on the websites and looking for work - I am keeping pretty busy. At least, I'm trying to.

The Unemployed Life

Sure can be boring, and this is not the time in the economy to be unemployed! It is very difficult these days to find work. I have had many interviews with recruiters who have been very gracious in their time and trying to get me temporary work. I'm very lucky, but very impatient.

It's Monday of week 2, and I am already beginning to pull off my fingernails. It's not even that I'm bored because I'm keeping extremely busy with packing up my apartment, selling furniture, looking for a job, freelancing, working on my portfolio, meeting with recruiters and it all ends up filling up my days timewise. Yet my time is not fulfilled. The economy right now is really horrid too, and that isn't helping. I'm laying awake thinking, hmmm, should I take my money out of the bank. No, seriously should I?

(sigh) Patient A closed on Saturday. Granted, it opened on Friday, but it was still a good two shows. The show seemed to be well received and people liked it. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the performance, but so much has been going on I haven't had time to really think about anything else. Except of course unemployment.