LaVerne Nelson

One year ago, I was sitting in a hospital room with my dear, sweet grandmother (Gram). I'd flown to Dallas then driven to Waco straight to the hospital. My sister and I stayed the night. I'll never forget looking into her sweet eyes and although she could not speak, the look of recognition staring back at me said it all.
My Gram always had a plate of brownies waiting for me when I would stop by on my way home from college. Her home served as the perfect bathroom break/stretching stop between Austin and Dallas. She used to leave the funniest messages on my voicemail. I don't think she ever got the concept because she would basically have a one-sided conversation with me, complete with questions that would just hang in the air. I miss those.
I think we became the closest when I spent one year coaching basketball in a town just outside of San Antonio. It was a very lonely year for me, and due to the fact that I was working two jobs and lived 5 hours from Dallas, my closest "home" was Waco and Gram's house. I tried new recipes with her and she told me old stories from her past. I miss those weekends too.
Today and every Cinco de Mayo from here on out will always be a bittersweet day of memory.

The annual Tribeca Film Festival began this past Wednesday! Super exciting for myself, since I work down in that neighborhood! Loads of celebs out and about with the paparazzi close on their heels.

Now, my place of employment just happens to be next door to Tribeca Film, which has turned a bit into their "office" for lunch meetings. However, they were kind enough to bring over some tickets to the international premiere of a film "My Own Love Song", starring Forest Whitaker and Renee Zellweger, directed by Olivier Dahan (La Vie En Rose). I received my tickets that afternoon and spent the remainder of the day trying to find someone who was free at 9:30 p.m. to see a late movie, a task that proved much more difficult than one might think. My Danish friend Tue answered my call!

To my surprise, this was an event! Red carpet, photographers, and all! I was 10 feet from the stars. Its funny how interesting it is to watch them talk to interviewers. I'm not sure if that's because I'm an actor and am fascinated by behavior, or if the spectacle itself is just that intriguing. Anyway, coming in we walked on the red carpet for about 20 yards. And I rocked my flip-flops all the way!

The film received a good reception. Some liked it much more than others. I liked parts, but as a whole I didn't love it. Or maybe as a whole I like it and parts I didn't. Hows that for vague! It certainly dragged in parts cause I got very tired. After the film, Forest Whitaker and Olivier Dahan stayed for a Q&A. And then Tue and I savored our exit on the red carpet, taking tiny baby-steps on the last few feet.

One day...

Next Fall

Yeah, Erin got to see theatre... for free!!! It's all about who you know (such a redundant, cliche, spot-on statement)

Anyway, back to theatre, I attended the play Next Fall this evening. Story: Individual characters arrive one-by-one to a hospital waiting room. We come to find out "Luke" is in a coma from being hit by a taxi. Present are his father and mother, no longer married and definitely characters; his religious, Bible-toting, estranged friend; his boss who refers to herself as a "fag-hag"; and his boyfriend. However, his parents do not know he is gay and has been living with his boyfriend for 4 years.

The play jumps back and forth, slowly revealing to the audience the relationship these two men shared. The incredibly intriguing element was that "Luke" was a Christian. The play approached the delicate subject matter tactfully and respectfully, I thought, by approaching it from all angles and presenting varying opinions and struggles of a couple with very different religious beliefs directly dealing with their lifestyle choices.

At intermission, my friend leaned over to me and said, "I have a feeling this is going to get very sad." And it did. I heard audible sobs from the theatre and will openly admit I cried... more than once. A very touching play that stayed with me on the subway ride home and made me keep my eyes open long enough to write this. Good nite!

Spring Break Still Exists!!!

Well, to some degree. For us adults, Spring Break simply comes and goes with little disruption. However, since I'm "back in school" (yes, acting school counts), I return to the reverie of a week in mid-March designated for rest, relaxation and travel. But, still maintaining my adulthood, all the thrilling, irresponsible "me"-time was squished into 24 hours! Maybe the best 24 hours of this decade!

My getaway took place in a little place out on Long Island called, East Hampton. As in "THE HAMPTONS", as in "the place people from the City 'summer' during the hot months", as in... ok I can't think of anything else. We took a late train out and didn't arrive until 11 p.m. so not much going on that evening except a quick tour of the house (nothing quick about this four-story home) and off to bed. It wasn't until the morning that I realized I had discovered my dream house. I didn't even know I had a dream house until I really took it all in. Please view below...



ERiN'S DREAM HOUSE





Let me just take this moment to say, I have never in my life wished for great wealth or possessions or whatever, but I would LOVE to own this house. The size is grand, but even walking the empty halls I couldn't help but imagine it full. Maybe its because I come from a family of 8 and although there are quiet moments in our home, you never feel alone even when you are there by yourself. That is precisely how I felt the morning I spent there.

This "Sleeping Beauty" (as I was called in my friend's note they left me) slept so late they went into town to get the ingredients for our breakfast and left me in my slumber. Another epiphany on my little jaunt, I don't sleep particularly well in NYC (shocker). I had a couple hours of solitude in my new home to explore, and I spent most of that outdoors. Part of its allure is the massive yard surrounding the house! Perfect for football, soccer, tag, croquet, anything! And great trees as well, which I successfully climbed, thank you very much!

When my friends returned we cooked a wonderful brunch, ate, chatted, played in the yard, walked on the beach (which was only 5 minutes away), cooked an amazing dinner with fresh fish caught that day, and ended the day watching Lost on the HD movie theater screen while eating fresh baked cookies. Paradise? I think yes!

Sadly that is where I had to catch the 11 p.m. train back to the City, but I could not have planned a better 24 hour get-away!

Sleepy Hollow

Yes, as in "The Legend of..." A couple friends from class decided we should rent a car and go visit the famous little village. Only 25 miles from Manhattan, Sleepy Hollow provided every bit of pulse-quickening eeriness that we had hoped for... even the McDonald's was creepy!

Let me explain just a little bit, at present we are working on monologues in our acting class based in a small town. Just about every acting program in the country uses Spoon River Anthology at some point. Each page holds the last thought, confession, profession, raving, love note of members of this small town. Its their last chance to speak before resting forever. Our instructor always says, "If you opened up the casket, what would you get from them."

So, as "research" we decided to trek up north and visit this small town, at night of course. And where better than the Old Dutch Church Cemetery to really get the feel of the work. Classic formula for killer-slasher-horror film, luckily we all survived! Oh, sorry, I gave away the ending!
We also spent a good chunk of time playing with a camera. We discovered we can look very ghost-like by increasing the exposure. Hopefully I can post some of those pictures soon!

I count the trip a total success! We were a little bleary-eyed for class the next morning, but completely worth it and I think Suzanne would actually appreciate our... dedication.

Goodbye February!

And good riddance!

February is quickly becoming my least favorite month of the year. I am not alone in my loathing (yes, I've jumped to loathing). The holidays are over, Valentine's Day does not count, especially when you're surrounded by a bunch of jaded New Yorkers who work in the service industry! The cold increases and more "wintery mix" delays the MTA and... well... life in general. Everyone walks around with their heads tucked down. And when it snows at work, it becomes hard even to enjoy the sensation that I'm inside a snow globe, because its tainted by the knowledge that my shift will end and I forgot my snow boots!

The one redeeming thing for this February was the Winter Olympics in Vancouver! Thank goodness February is the shortest month of the year!

Does it sound like I need a vacation?

"As You Like It"

When paying $11 for a ticket to the theatre, one might expect an $11 performance. Luckily, that was not the case at all! Brooklyn Academy of Music's (BAM) 2nd year of The Bridge Project brings "As You Like It" and "The Tempest" to New York. The Bridge Project is a three-year, transatlantic partnership uniting BAM, The Old Vic, and Neal Street Productions. Last year was "The Cherry Orchard" and "A Winter's Tale".

Again, student-rush tickets make theatre possible! Orchestra seating provided an excellent view of this talented performance. Its wonderful to experience a Shakespeare play for the first time when performed by well-trained actors on a professional stage. The young actress playing Rosalind was absolutely delightful. So charming and enjoyable to watch. The actor as Orlando seemed a bit distant for my liking and his voice was so airy I never felt his strength. Overall, the play was a delight and the 3 hours flew by.

As I left the theatre (and had the longest trip home-- there is no fast way from Brooklyn to Queens) I felt stirred in a way that I hadn't in a long time. My heart was still in the theatre. I've felt this many times before. I cannot pinpoint the determining factors that will leave me with this feeling of want, but its a feeling of never wanting it to end because I want to be doing it. I cannot articulate this very well, but if you've felt it you know what I mean. You desire so much to participate in what you're experiencing that simply watching it, enjoying it and applauding it are not sufficient. You must live it! This is why we act!