TOWHEADS – My Interview with Filmmaker Shannon Plumb
I absolutely LOVED the brilliant, wacky and poignant TOWHEADS when I saw it at New Director/ New Films in March and I was thrilled when director Shannon Plumb agreed to be interviewed.
A topic close to my heart, TOWHEADS portrays the juggle/struggle of a Brooklyn Mom as she navigates being a mother and artist. The film also stars her two young sons and her husband, director Derek Cianfrance.
TOWHEADS is screening with Rooftop Films THIS THURSDAY JULY 25th at 9pm. Get tickets HERE. I’ll see you there!
I relate a lot to Penelope in TOWHEADS and really appreciate motherhood being portrayed in a real way. Kids are a lot of fun but there is also the mundane, exhausting side to being a mom and there are definitely times when I feel like I’ve lost a lot of freedom. I’d love to hear more about your journey/transition from artist to mom/artist.
My first boy was hungry and nursed all the time. I was in a rocking chair for a year. Getting a drink of water and going to the bathroom were no longer private journeys. I had someone in my arms all the time. Unraveling toilet paper was a whole new adventure.
I never realized how much of myself I would give up. That was the surprise. You give yourself up. Willingly. The love makes you do it.
And you juggle between the old you and this new you. You desire to walk in your old shoes, but you want to be holding your kid’s hand when he takes his first step. You give up your wishes for your kids. You give them your coins to toss into fountains and break bones from chickens teaching them how to wish.
Where Should I Live to Work as an Actor?
New York? Los Angeles? Chicago? Atlanta? Washington D.C.? London? Florida? Denver?
Deciding where to set up shop to live and work as an actor can be a quick and easy answer for some: Duh, NYC! But sometimes the decision is laden with many other facets, and it is good to keep in mind that there is work to be had anywhere, it is just a matter of what kind of work you will be having.
Our industry is based in New York City, if you are talking strictly theatre; in LA, if you are looking at film. Every major theatre auditions in New York, so if you are based there, you will have many jobs for which to toss your hat into the ring. But what if you decide – or fate decides for you – not to live in NYC? What then? Where else can you live and still get work as an actor?
Your first stop should be the Actors’ Equity’s Liaison page. There, you can see where a large enough concentration of union actors are living that Equity has given that area Liaison status. Don’t quote me on this, but I seem to recall the number is 100 or more dues-paying union members have to live in a place for it to receive such a designation. This will help in two ways:
M.T. Dictionary: Complagging
Hey there fellow divas,
I’m writing today about something that we all do on a regular basis. It’s a little thing called COMPLAGGING. Urban Dictionary defines it as follows:
Complag. (verb) To brag while pretending to complain.
Complagging is a coping device; it’s how we try to relate to people who have normal jobs and annoying side effects from those jobs. But let’s be real- our jobs are awesome. And yes, there are sometimes horrible things that go with it, but as attention-needy-people why would we complain without also trying to make people jealous of how awesome our jobs are? Here are some complags I’ve been guilty of:
“I’m so tired because I had to be hair and makeup ready at 4:30am for my appearance on the local news this morning.”
They’re Back!! – Whose Line Is It Anyway 2013 Review
The show where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.
When I first heard that Whose Line Is Anyway was coming back- I was so excited! I used to watch that show all the time as a kid. When I was 10, I was cast in my first New York play. Every night, my Mom and I would get home around midnight, and I would immediately turn on the TV to watch the reruns of Who’s Line that came on at that time.
My first concern when I began seeing ads for the show was that the cast had changed. I always enjoyed watching Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, and Wayne Brady. Were they going to change the cast? Would it be the same without the original cast? Luckily, I didn’t have to worry long as I began seeing all of their familiar faces on the commercials. I don’t think the show would have the charm with a new cast! The only cast member that did not return to the new season is Drew Carey- the former host. This season, comedian Aisha Tyler has taken over the role of host on Whose Line.
What Jeter in Scranton Can Teach Us About Acting
I’ve been a fan of Derek Jeter since he came to play for the New York Yankees in 1996. Sure he’s utterly charming and easy on the eye, but he always seemed more than that. This is a guy who, as a working-class kid from the Midwest, decided when he was in elementary school that he wanted to be a professional baseball player AND play for the Yankees. His focus paid off so that he became not only a Yankee, but also: the captain of the team; the all-time Yankee hits leader; a multi-year All-Star and a future hall-of-famer. It inspires me that he has been able to achieve his dreams and beyond while remaining, by all accounts, a really nice fellow.
But no man escapes time and Derek Jeter is, (I’m sorry to say because we are around the same age) starting to show the wear and tear time takes on his body. He broke his ankle last year and is working slowly through his rehabilitation.
Part of that process was getting back on the field, in a minor-league situation. Jeter played several games in early July for the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Railriders, in Pennsylvania—the farm team for the New York Yankees.
Playing in the minor leagues is common for major-league players going through rehab, so Scranton has seen its share of ball players come through its stadium…but none as big as Derek Jeter. And man did he cause a stir-literally, stopping traffic wherever he went in town. Typically charming, Derek Jeter posed for dozens of photos and told the local media how impressed he was with the Yankees fans in town. But the end of a recorded interview at the bottom of this Scranton-Times Tribune article, is what I believe, makes Jeter a true star. He said, “Of course, I don’t like to be hurt, I don’t like to go on rehab, but when you’re here, it’s fun to be here because you remember what it felt like years ago when you were in the minor leagues trying to get up.”
Watching A Personal Legend Unfold
On my personal blog noredlipstick.com, I often relate Paulo Coelho’s idea of a personal legend because it’s something that’s very important to me.
And talk about personal legend with this one.
I just saw Trip To Bountiful starring Cicely Tyson, a 79 year old actress who before Trip To Bountiful, hadn’t set foot onstage in thirty years.
First of all, I have to acknowledge her work with the show because it was the best and simplest acting I’ve seen in ages. Not to mention, she was feisty, quirky, full of fire, and just all around – spot on.
Second of all, and so exciting to me that I got the chills when my friend Brittany first told me this – this role was unlike any other in her career because it was truly Cicely fulfilling her destiny. Check out her Tony acceptance speech below.
“If Only I Had More Time” – A Horrible Excuse!
Juggling an acting career and motherhood, Time is always on my mind. Whether it’s battling the clock and getting as much work done as possible while my 3-year-old naps (I dread the day when he no longer naps.) Or constantly being surprised how long it takes to get a 3-year-old out the house and consequently running late all the time.
Pre baby – I often used to complain that I didn’t have enough time. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? I had oodles of time then, I was bathing in time then compared to now!!!
However Time is a funny thing….
Years ago, a bar I worked in closed unexpectedly and I collected unemployment for a few months before I found a new gig. I was so excited about the idea as I’d have all this free time to focus on my acting career. I was convinced it would create huge breakthroughs for me. However time expanded and I found myself just as busy without a job as I was with a job! I saw friends and went to the gym and without structure it took way more effort to get stuff done than before. I got more done in an hour before heading to work than in an entire leisurely afternoon! Time was NOT the problem.
I need to remind myself of this lesson now! I can get a LOT done when my son is asleep for his 1-2 hour nap. It has taught me to focus and prioritize and I’m a lot less precious with things. I don’t have time to obsess over emails and re-read them a thousand times, I just have to hit send and move on. It is an opportunity to practice imperfection and not letting perfect be the enemy of the good!
Answers for a reader
We received this letter from a Green Room Blog reader:
I am a 42 year old UK actor recently moved to San Francisco and I have just transferred my UK Equity to USA Equity which is great but … I don’t know where to start! In the UK all theatres are within a couple of hours max by train and/or one hour by plane so it makes sense to attend any audition if possible.However there are thousands upon thousands of professional theatres and film and TV opportunities all over the USA.
Simple question:
How does an experienced USA actor prioritize what companies/auditions to go for/attend and which geographical areas to focus on.
The answer seemed obvious to me at first but actually it isn’t. For example I am 6’7″ tall and that often goes against me but when it is an advantage it is worth hopping a flight *if* director is actually *looking for* a tall actor.
So over to you: how do you prioritize what types of jobs to go for and in what geographical area?Regards
Trevor R
Because I’m based out of Los Angeles, but spend my time doing mostly theater, I do a TON of travelling. Theater in LA doesn’t pay well, but there are lots of audition opportunities in the cities just outside of LA, and lots of far away theaters that come here to hold auditions. For two years I was commuting 100+ miles on a weekly basis to attend LA auditions. I finally moved so I could be closer to where the audition-action was. The two years of commuting and the work I was booking really helped me figure out which auditions were worth my time, and what theater companies I enjoyed auditioning and working for. Unfortunately a lot of this is trial and error. BUT, I definitely have more of a system now to figuring out where and when I audition. It goes a little like this:
The Green Room 