The Power of REST

"Yeah, you look really good. Very well-rested." Due to signing a confidentiality agreement, I cannot say what beautiful man spoke those words to me, but it's one who would make you blush if he smiled at you. But I felt equally elated when another co-worker said almost the exact same thing to me as I was passing through the kitchen at work today.

Good Lord, I must've been pretty worn out before leaving for my Christmas break. Yes, I had the luxury of 10 days away from the grind of NYC. I lounged- I indulged- I exercised (once)- I slept in- I stayed up late- I worked on my play- I spent time with friend- I spent time with my dog- I had more than enough family time & yet still can't get enough of them.

I. Am. Blessed.

And so I returned to the big City in time to watch my beloved Cowboys let their playoff hopes drift away. There is an article circulating on the book of faces about the difficulty of living in the City and pursuing life as an artist. It echoes a chorus of complaints I shared with folks back home & feeling the need to readjust life here. How can I expect my acting career to grow when there is literally NO free space in my schedule? It's the constant struggle between being a starving artist vs. an artist that is starving for creativity.

2013 could be classified as a year without auditions but full of work. Again, I count my good fortune with being offered many projects from folks I've previously worked with and know what I'm capable of. Such a fun way to move through the year, but my final project of the year (that will actually be staged in Feb 2014) I did have to earn the part. The opportunity presented by a dear friend and amazingly talented actor, but I had to work for the part.

I'd like for this trend to continue in the coming year. New & challenging works with talented people at a higher level of professionalism than projects past but with as much heart behind them & demanding more of my artistic self and loving every struggle/discovery along the way. This is my prayer for 2014. Maybe a few more posts in the new year too :)

Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Subway

As I waited for the NQ train on the platform at Union Square, I gently placed my Trader Joe's bag on the ground. Feeling a bit peckish, I reached for my recently purchased dried mangoes. These puppies are not cheap, not terribly pricey either, but I'm a poor actor so everything is precious.

As I tear the first piece in half and find absolute delight that these dried mangoes are juicy and flavorful, a middle-aged woman rounds the pillar and glances down at my bag. Feeling my recently purchased items from Trader Joe's may be snatched before my very eyes, I quickly (and subtly) grab the bag. At this, she turns to me and looks at the piece of mango in my hand and points at it...(?) I just look at her confusedly. She then points to herself, then back to the piece of dried mango in my hand, then back to herself...(?) Again, my face reads absolute confusion. She then gestures to the bag of mangoes in my bag. Why she is not using words, I cannot understand...(?)

Finally, I just say, "You want my food?!" To which she energetically nods her head like this is a normal request. Unable to control myself, I just started laughing at the absurdity of this moment. It's like walking up to a person in a restaurant and asking to try a bite of their steak. Luckily a train pulled up shortly thereafter & ended this rather awkward and dumbfounding moment.

I love knowing that no matter how long I live in New York, I will experience something completely new & totally strange at any given moment.

Fall Photos

My dream.

Well... do ya?

Under the High Line

Not Banksy. Just hilarious!

Tribeca mornings

New roommie!!

Rooftop rehearsal

Volleyball

New York.

Goodnight O'Flats

Me & Banksy

Following Thru...

I've reached a new benchmark in my journey to become a "real New Yorker". I'm more poor than I've ever been & a little financially panicked. Don't worry, Grandpa, I'm not in the red or anything but things are tight and I'm passing on cups of coffee as a way to save every little penny.

My roommate of nearly 3 years, the amazing Jacob Banser, has left me for his girlfriend. Fine! So long sucker! Truly I wish him well. Two things came from this, I get the whole apt to myself before my new roomie moves in & I get do cover rent all by myself til my new roomie moves in. The good and the bad are equal here. However, this new level of poverty allows me to get creative & very practical about how I spend that precious green.

Lots of time in the apt to write. Lots of time to clean, to read, to rearrange the whole apt (which I've done twice already). Basically, life has slowed down because I can't afford to do all I normally do. I know this month is going to be extremely reflective but also observant. Below areas few pictures of just things I've found along the way. Life in this City constantly provides such a variety of visual images that are only mine. I try to capture them when I can. This is a bit rambly, but so be it!

Ok technical difficulties, so pics will come later when I'm back to my computer! Now off to Blue Man Group!

That's a Wrap!!!

"Corpse" is officially (kinda) wrapped!

This wonderfully unique, creative undertaking concluded principal photography yesterday in a basement bar in Brooklyn (nice alliteration). The experience of this film has been nothing short of wonderful! Let me back up a little and explain why this stands out.

My involvement came about from a dear friend reaching out to a small group of people presenting an opportunity to make an independent film with a fella she'd worked with on an earlier project. Naturally, I jumped on it, as I'm dying to get back to more film work. So I went to meet with the director... at 1515 Broadway. The Viacom building (aka MTV- oh yeah, he's a producer there). Good sign! Sitting with Chris in his office, he explained the concept of an ensemble piece with some overlapping storyline, some characters will never encounter each other, and we won't know the full story and how it all connects. The whole Exquisite Corpse idea (google it).

Absolutely! I signed on basically right away. What Chris asked of us actors was to provide an idea for a character- which could be as broad or specific as we wanted. I won't go into the specifics of my concept, but Chris used it to create an amazing back story for my character & even added stuff I was already considering! We were on the same page for this character.

Our first table read only included myself and two other actors. We have a shared history in the film and our overall narrative arch climaxed with the three of us. We received our breakdown and a scene outline for our individual characters. It felt like we were taking a test and I couldn't let the person sitting next to me see my paper, cause I didn't want them to know about my character. We met the next day to do improvised interviews in character. The three of us are a research team developing nanotechnology dealing with epigenetics... basically we're super smart :)

For the next few weeks we'd meet with a version of the script to rehearse, and within that rehearsal we were encouraged to improvise, give feedback, offer suggestions for re-writes-- artistic freedom! Amazing to be given the gift of our voice. This does not often happen for film-- I'm getting spoiled! This rehearsal process and script/character development instilled such a sense of ownership for this film!

Last night marked the first time all 6 actors in the film were on set together! Some would eavesdrop on other scenes while they filmed, learning bits of information about story lines that never intersected and some still wished to remain completely in the dark. We all agreed to get together in a couple weeks for a full cast read thru of the entire script. The director promised to send us all the full script once we finish shooting, but this seems like the most satisfying way to know what happens. Our first full cast table read will take place after we've filmed the whole movie. Kinda backwards, but like I said, this has been incredibly unique from the start!

Summer Summary

Pardon the long break between posts. Summer turned out to be far fuller than anticipated. "Lemme 'splain... no, there is too much. Lemme sum up."

First & foremost, I hit the 5 years mark in NYC!! Does this make me a "real" New Yorker? Do I have to wait for 10 year for that special title? I'll never let go of my label as a Texan, so who cares! I am proud to make it to 5 years. When I moved here in June 2008 to study acting at the William Esper Studio, I knew it was an indefinite road we were trekking. And sitting here at 5 years, it remains indefinite. Yes, I've hit the 30 year mark as well, which has certainly provided some time for the "what do I want in life" thoughts. Luckily, I never had any kind of 'plan' so I haven't disappointed myself or not reached any certain expectations. So we remain in NY indefinitely! (Why do I keep writing we?)

Moving on... "Twelfth Night" gave me the opportunity & challenge of playing a lead in quite possibly the hottest theatre ever during one of the hottest, most humid weeks of summer! Got dizzy on stage and played to a melting audience. Luckily, the final week we cut some stage lights and cooled the room-- gotta love old electric wiring in NYC!! But still managed to garner a positive review. 

I've travelled for fun (not weddings) this summer more than any other, which keeps me sane & happy! Beaches galore!! And inevitably, I've been delayed EVERY time on one leg of the trip. It's an amazing feeling of powerlessness when I'm standing in the customer service line at Atlanta airport, mid-trip having missed my connection with no option but to pay for a hotel and take a flight at dawn to get to my destination. C'est la vie! Worth it every time!!!

A major theme for the summer and my year in general is relationships. Maybe because of the way the year began, maybe it's just my own determination combined with God opening some doors for things to fall into place, but I've been able to spend some wonderful quality time with people in my life that touch the deepest places of my heart and bring such joy! My family & I played on the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores, AL. My basketball girls & I cooked, ate, drank and laughed at a beach house in Galvesto
n. My old comrades in arms from a previous restaurant job gathered for a delicious dinner downtown. I bid farewell & good luck to three dear theatre friends moving away from NYC, all surrounded by my theatre family. AND I've met new wonderful friends through new projects, including soccer (which I haven't played since I was 12!) 


NOW, I'm shooting my first feature film in NYC! Very exciting & challenging. The material is not exactly light. We like to refer to it as a modern-day tragedy. This is the elevator pitch we came up with, "It's a contemporary dramatic tragedy about the self-deluded blindness of America's myopic, middle-class, white, Millennial generation, and the gaping abyss of powerlessness and inevitable entropy of existence toward which they ignorantly tumble." As I said, not a rom-com! But the whole process has been nothing short of wonderful! Our director/cinematographer works as a producer at MTV, which means all our rehearsals have been in the heart of Times Square! I pinch myself every time! Plus, he's so open to input from the actors in the creation of our characters and this piece as a whole, so we feel as much ownership for the story as he does shooting it. Truly an exception for film & an absolute gift that I'm embracing whole-heartedly!

Labor day officially marks the end of summer, which is fast approaching. This also means my annual attendance at the US Open is fast approaching! Cannot wait to spend 3 days with my loving mother watching the best tennis in the world! Thank you, God. I am blessed!

A Version of a Dream

Tonight our rehearsal took place in Central Park's Strawberry Fields. Just a five minute walk away from the Delacorte Theatre where the Public Theatre does their annual free production of Shakespeare in the Park.

I've spent 5 summers in New York and Shakespeare in the Park is one of my most favorite things in all the world!!! It's a magical environment where I have experienced some of the most memorable nights of my little life. It would be an absolute dream come true to play that stage.

Tonight, we played in the field, but it was public enough to have a few lookers-on. Good practice in focusing and a great environment to play with the text. I've said it countless times to myself and others, that New York is a place that you can absolutely live your dreams. It might not be the version exactly as I imagined, but if I'm grateful for the version I DO get, then it makes the rest of it that much sweeter.

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse

My legs are throbbing. How is this possible? I consider myself a fit person. I run occasionally; I practice yoga regularly; and yet after three days in a row, totally 18 hours of rehearsal, I'm exhausted! And there it is... I'm old :)

Such a fantastic weekend of nothing but "Twelfth Night". If I'm not studying the script, I'm studying the 1980's- which is the time period we're setting this particular play. Surprisingly, I know more of the music than I originally thought. I'm a baby of the eighties.

Wrapping up the weekend with a few episodes of "Arrested Development"... everyone needs a little break!

30...!

 'And thus begins a new decade. For whatever reason, I feel this decade will be an exciting one. All those wonderful soul-searching, exploratory, wandering days from my 20's will pay-off in these years', she says naively.

Does this mean I'm a real grown-up? Doubtful. But I did decide to take a vacation all on my own for the first time ever. Truth be told, I loved it! I'm such a loner, but I refuse to see that as a negative. So many of my New York friends, and even many who do not live in this madness, expressed profound jealousy when I shared my plans to go to Cancun on my own to celebrate my birthday. It was heaven!

 The Nelson fam vacations in Cancun when we can, so I played it a little safe by visiting a familiar spot. As much as I say I love adventure, a big part of me loves the predictable, the safe, the sure thing. The Royal Sands certainly met that criteria. Ay, Dios Mio! Absolute tranquility! My villa faced East on the 6th floor and I had an incredible view. So profoundly peaceful. The temperature was perfect and I slept with the balcony doors open each night & I woke with the sunrise each morning.

 A beautiful gift I received during this trip was simply time free of an agenda. I continually had to give myself permission to do whatever I wanted to do. If I felt like sitting on the balcony drinking coffee and reading a book until 1pm in my pj's, that was okay. This may sound trite, but living in NYC has plagued me with this notion that every waking moment must be used in a valuable way. Especially since I'm pursuing a career in the arts, which is thus far an unpaid endeavor, so I have to continually work on it. This trip was about letting go of that feeling and just enjoying each simple moment.

I read a full 550 page book, thank you very much, spent time with "Twelfth Night" every day to get to know Viola (which I start rehearsing in a month) & listen to the amazing Creator of all that I found breathtaking.

Collective Joy

I've got the joy-JOY-joy-JOY-joy-JOYYYYYY!!!

As stated previously, 2013 has been FULL already and it's only February! Technically, I'm at work and should be doing something constructive, but I received a certificate of exceptional service from the Leading Hotels of the World site inspector, who visited us recently. So, I feel a little "me" time is justified.

But this post is not about me at all. My co-worker got a callback to Yale Drama. I acknowledge, this will not be nearly as exciting for any of you reading this as it is for me, and especially him! He and I started at the same time at the hotel. He's is also an actor, has a wicked sense of humor and my favorite person to share a shift with because we laugh too much & can talk theatre and acting the whole time! I'll never forget the expression of shock & surprise (that read as terror) on his face as he listened to the voicemail inviting him to New Haven. Plus, the hilariousness of observing him try to collect his thoughts to form sentences and figure out the logistics of covering shifts and making it to CT. So so so very thrilled for him! I will not jinx the weekend by writing more (we actors are so superstitious) but only 30 actors are invited to the callback and 16 are invited to attend their 3 year program. Pressure.

Days like these are what make life as an actor so exhilarating. It's an out-of-body elation, but that floating feeling can be terrifying when you want it so bad. I've said it a million times, but the highs are so high & the lows are so low, but to witness someone on the brink of their dreams is hard to match! Good luck Jason!

Loss

As I've learned over the years in New York City, life continues at the same breakneck speed, no matter what you happen to be experiencing on any given day. Trust me, I'm aware that NYC is not the only place where life does not seem to allow time or opportunity to process big changes, but the constant claustrophobia and lack of privacy make it a little harder.

On January 25th, 2013, my dear sweet friend Miguel received relief from his struggle with cancer as he made his way to Our Heavenly Father. His peace and faith for the last year of his life gives me comfort knowing that he recognized his gift of life & tried to share that with as many people as he could. I remember receiving many random texts from him with a word of encouragement or love. So much love...

His passing comes in the midst of a performance run of Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" which I'm playing the bawd, Pompey, the comedic relief in the show. I mean, cause Shakespeare isn't difficult enough! I can safely say this has been the greatest challenge in my performing life! I find myself in a different emotional place before each show & entering the world of Shakespeare has provided some respite from the hurting, but also an opportunity to express what I cannot in my own.

My cast, director & stage manager have been my legs when I cannot stand, my lungs when I cannot breathe & my smile when I cannot stop crying. Christopher, Far, Chris, Melissa, Neil, Tawney, Talieson, Lydia, Tania, Faith, Wilton, John, Emily, Lily, Mike, & Faith-- I have to write these names because they held me in their hearts. Saying 'thank you' will merely scratch the surface of the depth of gratitude I feel towards each of them. As one of my cast mates shared with me, theatre heals on both sides of the curtain. Truer words were never spoken! 

The week before we opened I jokingly told Miguel that I'd tape the show, since he wouldn't be able to leave the hospital to come see it. Now I know he's watching each night, just shaking his head and laughing, "Oh Babyface". How I miss his laugh!