So I guess I had hoped I would waltz into DC and just step into the theatre community. What I found was that there weren't many auditions going on in the city. If I wanted to go into NYC to audition, that was open to me but that's not really feasible with any sort of regularity. I sent packets of my resume and headshots to local agents and paid for a skype meeting with a girl who does voiceovers and she was very open to sharing information. Anyway, in the meantime I have been applying for "regular" jobs. Keep in mind, I haven't done anything since we left Utah and I've had a varied career. So my resume has all the real estate stuff, some fund raising as a board member for a non-profit and then a big jump to almost 20 years ago when I was doing special event planning, hosting karaoke, and managing the front desk at a private club in Salt Lake City. Well, as I'm applying for jobs I'm trying to manipulate those skills to look like something marketable in 2013. The reality being I've been self-employed for 20 years. Yes, I had a broker who oversaw my real estate dealings and an agent who managed my acting gigs but I was still self-employed. And then the whole school thing. Really? Yes, I have a bachelor's degree.....yes, it was 30 years ago. But here are my transcripts if you really want them. And, oh yeah, I'm 55 years old. So starting a new career has not happened. Why didn't I get back into real estate? Because it meant having to completely re-license not only in DC but VA and MD as the three are basically one. And the financial burden of starting a whole new marketing plan for a business in a town where I don't know people (which is the heart of real estate) wasn't really feasible. Alas.
So finally, audition season has kicked in and as I get my Equity (professional actor's union) email every morning with all the auditions going on, here they were.....FINALLY in the DC area. So, for the first time in 2 years I was preparing an audition (they want monologues here, no cold readings from the script) for the Washington/Baltimore Liaison auditions at The Round House in Maryland. This is one day only for local actors for a bunch of people representing theatres in the area for the whole upcoming seasons. I was in the first group of 10 who went in and the only one in the group who opted to do a song. Anyway, the point being I wasn't nervous because I finally felt like I was up for a job where I actually have the skills to do the work. It felt like home being in that theatre and every audition since has been that way. Ford's Theatre held their audition at the Shakespeare Company Studios, then I was off to Woolly Mammoth to read a script for an upcoming show. Didn't care for it so opted out of that audition but went back for another. Then The Folger Shakespeare Theatre which was way out of my comfort zone as I haven't done a Shakespeare play for many years. I chose a monologue I was comfortable with as I had played the character before and the audition went well. Ultimately it just comes down to being patient. I have been fortunate to work in a city for many years where I was well known, didn't even have to audition as I was just asked to do things. So there's the upside of the anonymity thing here where no one has any preconceptions about what I'm really good at, but the downside is that most people hire actors they know because they're proven commodities. I did get an invitation to go audition for an agent in a couple of weeks so maybe that will help. Don't know. Still learning the ropes here. All part of this adventure!
So finally, audition season has kicked in and as I get my Equity (professional actor's union) email every morning with all the auditions going on, here they were.....FINALLY in the DC area. So, for the first time in 2 years I was preparing an audition (they want monologues here, no cold readings from the script) for the Washington/Baltimore Liaison auditions at The Round House in Maryland. This is one day only for local actors for a bunch of people representing theatres in the area for the whole upcoming seasons. I was in the first group of 10 who went in and the only one in the group who opted to do a song. Anyway, the point being I wasn't nervous because I finally felt like I was up for a job where I actually have the skills to do the work. It felt like home being in that theatre and every audition since has been that way. Ford's Theatre held their audition at the Shakespeare Company Studios, then I was off to Woolly Mammoth to read a script for an upcoming show. Didn't care for it so opted out of that audition but went back for another. Then The Folger Shakespeare Theatre which was way out of my comfort zone as I haven't done a Shakespeare play for many years. I chose a monologue I was comfortable with as I had played the character before and the audition went well. Ultimately it just comes down to being patient. I have been fortunate to work in a city for many years where I was well known, didn't even have to audition as I was just asked to do things. So there's the upside of the anonymity thing here where no one has any preconceptions about what I'm really good at, but the downside is that most people hire actors they know because they're proven commodities. I did get an invitation to go audition for an agent in a couple of weeks so maybe that will help. Don't know. Still learning the ropes here. All part of this adventure!
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