Hi
I have a busy couple weeks ahead... but it's very exciting. I have a couple of auditions lined up for next week here in New York - a few of which I actually have an appointment for - so none of this wait-in-line-and-probably-not-get-seen-anyway bull that I have been doing lately. Then, of course, I have my Memphis audition that I am busily preparing for.

Here's the frustrating part about auditioning in New York. Because I am non-equity, if I go to an equity audition - they are only going to see me and the other non-equity people if all of the equity people finish in the time allotted and there is still time leftover. That being said, I went to an audition this week for Les Mis at a theatre in Utah. It was an equity call - but I figured I'd go and just give it a shot. I got there and was surrounded by a million girls. I crawled my way through the maze of females to find the list - the unofficial 'sign-up' list. I was number 73 on the non-eq list. Not too shabby.... however. They wouldn't be getting to that list. Not anytime this week, anyway. They had a list of 400 equity girls that they had to get through first. And the auditions for females were only going from 10am to 2pm. I was not discouraged, I just decided that there has to be a better way to get work.

My goal this year is to become a member of one of the acting unions. Once I am a member of one, I can join all the others. Then I can at least be on the the first list...

I am excited about this weekend! Mr. Lutz, the director of my college theatre program, is coming into town and we are seeing a show tomorrow night. Spring Awakening. I am excited about it. Then there is an alumni party on Saturday night, which will be great because I can meet other Evansville people who are in New York that I maybe haven't seen in awhile or that I have never met. I'm excited.

Hope everyone is well... it's cold here. But I'm getting used to it. Though, I don't think the wind biting you in the face will ever become less painful. It's just something that those of us up here suffering through it can bond over. For those in warmer climates... don't be jealous. I'd gladly give up bonding over having a frozen face in exchange for a warm breeze.



xoxoxo

Happy Birthday Mom!

Have a great day and a fun time with your friends!
I'll be thinking of you!

Love, Krystal

Breakthrough

Hello All -

So - I told you I've been taking dance classes - right? Well - today I went to the same theatre-dance class that I've been going to for the past three weeks... and I actually was good. I'd say I was in the top 5 people in the class (out of 15) - and that is a major breakthrough for me. I don't know what happened - but the combination we learned today just clicked for me. And I was enjoying myself! So - hooray. It's a small step for the dance community... but one giant leap for me.

Too busy to think

So, I've realized lately that I've been somewhat neglectful of my relationships with people. I blame the city of New York. Seriously. It is so hard to just have a quiet moment and think straight let alone remember all of the people that I should be corresponding with or, rather, want to be corresponding with. I have friends who live in New York that I have yet to see simply because I am too busy and they are too busy for us to work it out. I've been here for over three months! It's ridiculous. The pace here is just crazy. And the weird thing is - when I finally do get to sit down with someone - I never want it to end because I know that once I get up from hanging out with them I will have to go back to the craziness of New York and I probably won't see them again for at least a couple of weeks.... It's insanity. Jana and I were discussing it at dinner this evening. Jana and Scott are my constants here. I can count on seeing them all the time - Jana at least twice a week or so - and Scott almost everyday- though there are days on end that I can go without seeing him... and he's my roommate!

My brother has an audition coming up this weekend - so everyone send him good vibes on Saturday afternoon. And I am busy preparing for my audition in Memphis. It's only a few weeks away - so only a few weeks left to become a good fake-dancer... ha ha. Good enough to fake them out into thinking I have potential. That's harsh - of course I believe I have potential. But let's be honest... a few weeks of dance lessons does not a dancer make.

I have to prepare a lot for these auditions. While the audition itself is only 90 seconds long - the callback sessions can go on for hours. I have to have reserve monologues prepared in case they want to see something else - including two Shakespeare monologues - which is really no problem - I just haven't worked on my stuff for awhile. But I have everything memorized so it shouldn't be too hard to get it up to performance level. I also have to have reserve songs in case they want to hear me sing a variety of things. And I have to have both the sheet music and recorded accompaniment - just in case the prospective theatre does not have an accompanist with them. Whew! It's a lot - but I'll be ready.

I talked to Kyle tonight and Amy earlier today - my Evansville friends are all preparing for their big grad school auditions just like I did last year. It's a very stressful time for them as well - so I'm wishing them the best. I had such a fun time in Chicago auditioning last year with all of my friends. While I did not get into grad school, it was definitely a fun time and a learning experience. I still don't know if I would want to audition again for grad school, but I have been thinking about it. I feel like grad school would make me a true professional actor - where as right now I kinda consider myself amateur - at least until I get some more experience. But that's a whole other story. I'm working on getting experience and that is why I am really preparing for these Memphis auditions! Woo hoo!

Love and hugs -
Krystal

Preparations

Hi -

Here's a family photo that I have been meaning to post since I got back from Christmas. It's my family... aren't we precious?

Ok - so - I have been preparing all week for this audition that I have coming up on February 12. The audition is in Memphis, TN and it's called the United Professional Theatre Auditions, or UPTA for short. It is basically a cattle-call audition where around 100 or so theatres from across the country will watch me perform two songs and a monologue. Then, against my will, all participants are required to attend the dance callback where we have to participate in two of the following: 1) The movers combinations (for those who are singers/actors but don't considerate themselves dancers, but still can dance when they are given enough time.... aka - me) 2) the jazz/ballet routine and 3) the tap routine. Now I ask you, if you are participating in the movers routine, I think it is safe to say that you do not consider yourself 'dancery' enough to participate in the other two legitimate dance combinations.... right? I am frustrated. So - I've been taking dance classes at this place called "Steps" on the upper west side to prepare. I should have been taking dance classes since the moment I got here, but oh well. I really think it will be fine - I'm just nervous about it.

Anyway - I am excited about the audition. It will be the biggest audition I've done since I graduated and hopefully i will get at least one job out of it - if not more. A lot of it is summer theatre - but some of it is also year-round work. So, ideally, I will get a summer job followed by a regional year-round job somewhere else. That would allow me to get a lot of good stuff on my resume and then come back to New York when it's all done and be a lot more competitive.

Gotta run - I have a double today. I realize I typicall write these things on Friday mornings right before my weekly double at work - so it seems like i'm always working doubles. Typically, I only work doubles on Friday - sometimes Thursday. This week I had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off so that was awesome. I got a lot of stuff done - including laundry... thank goodness...

I decided to take a nightly bath before bed, that way I can go for much longer without washing my sheets because I will be clean when i get in them.... is that good logic? or is that gross?

Yours truly....

Busy Weekend

Hi!

So... here's what I've been up to. On Friday I worked a double - it went pretty well. Except, I was still a little rusty from having been away from the grind while I was in Texas... but don't worry, it all came screaming back to me after a few tables. After work Friday night I actually went out on a date for the first time in a long time. It was with a guy I had waited on at Del Frisco's right after Christmas and he called and we ended up going out. He was nice, but not really for me. I don't think we'll go out again. But that's alright - I had a fun time anyway.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to an audition for this Columbia playwrights project - I think it went pretty well. Then I met Jana for brunch which was wonderful, as always. And then I had to be at work at 2:30 - and I didn't get done until 2am.... ugh.

Initially, I thought I was going to actually get out early (early being 12am...) but then I got sat at 11:15 - a table of 6 - which included an 80 year old crazy lady and her family.
The table was pretty demanding - especially considering they were eating a 4 course meal at midnight in a restaurant that had closed for the night... but this old lady was a nightmare. When ordering her salad - she asked where we got our spinach. I said I was unsure, but I could find out for her. She said if it was from California - then she wanted something else. I insisted we would not serve her any tainted spinach - she still had me go ask the chef where our spinach was from. When I said it was from produce markets in Jersey, she said that she asked why we were supporting the Jersey economy instead of the New York economy. Ok. Then she kept asking me to get her hot coffee - I would, and every time I did she would put 2 ice cubes in it. #*!*!()(*)&*&( <----- That is a swear word. Then I brought out her steak that she had ordered Medium and it came out Medium-Well. The runner who brought it out said he would take it back and get her a new one - it was no problem. She said no no no. Then proceeded to complain to the whole table as I stood there refilling their water glasses. So then I said I would really like to bring her a new steak so that she would be happy. She said no no no. Then, again, as I'm still standing right there, she says "i don't want a new one, they'll spit in it..." I just decided to walk away at that point. She was just being so rude and I was trying to hard to please her and it just wasn't working.

Finally they finished dinner at around 1am - and then ordered dessert. She asked where our cheesecake was from. I said that we make it in house - it's homemade. She said - "but where is the recipe from? Italy? France? You have to know these things young lady." I said I was unsure of where the recipe was from. She said "don't people ask you that all the time?" I said, no ma'am. I believe the recipe just comes from our chefs imagination.

I was frustrated.

They finally left at 1:30. I got home at around 2:30 and went to bed at 3. I got up at 7am to shower and get ready for a short film shoot that I was doing for my friend Catherine, who goes to Columbia. I had to be there at 9:30 am and I had to get dressed up and into make-up by 9:30. Needless to say - I was sleepy. The shoot went really well, though, and I'm excited to see what I look like on film. I've never done any film projects before. I will try and not be too critical of myself.....

So the shoot ended at around 3:30 - and I had to be at work at 4:30. It went fine - I was tired - but it went fine. And here I am now writing all of this to the world. I am exhausted - but I think the fact that I have three days off work and that I can sleep in tomorrow gave me a burst of energy.

I hope you enjoyed that long story.

Speak to you soon!

Krystal

Affirmation of the Day: I will be kind to my elders, even the obnoxious ones, because they have earned the right to behave like children if they so desire. *

*Note: To my grandparents who are reading this blog and this affirmation: Please realize that the sarcastic nature of the affirmation is directed toward the woman whom I waited on last night and not you and your peers, whom I truly do respect and admire to no end.

Gracefully yours,
Krystal

Long time!

Hi all -

I realize it's been a long time since I've posted. I took a blog break when I was in Dallas and then forgot to write once I got back to NY this past Monday... sorry... But I'm back!

I had a wonderful time at home. I suppose it was more wonderful than usual because it's been so hard adjusting to New York. I just really enjoy home. And I always wanted to go someplace new and exciting when I was growing up, but now I think Texas is a pretty good place to be. I suppose I would think that about any place that my family lived... but I do like Colleyville. It's home. And I miss it.

Anyway! Work is wearing me out as usual - but I'm making money - so that's always good. And I had a fun night out with friends on Wednesday night. It was Rachel's goodbye party as she got a show in Alaska and will be moving there for three months. So... that's exciting for her! It was fun - I hadn't been out with the New York people in awhile.

I work a double today - so I have to get ready - but I hope everyone is doing well. And I promise to post more frequently!

Krystal

Affirmation of the Day: "Today is gonna be a damn good day."