I went to a charity event yesterday where I was kicked in the butt by Tony Danza. You know, your typical Sunday activity.
The Felix organization was created by DMC (from Run DMC) and Casting Director Sheila Jaffe. Yesterday was their first Dance-a-thon that took place in a gay club in midtown. Sometimes NY baffles me in the best of ways. Faith and I trekked our way through the slosh that was NY rain to spend the afternoon dancing with random actors, drag queens, and children. All for charity. And it was actually a lot of fun. Not to mention great exercise. At one point, however, Tony Danza got a little over zealous with his dance moves and while spinning his partner, gave me a bit of a kick in the rump. The hazards of dancing to Donna Summer I suppose. The day ended with DMC rapping three songs with the kids on stage. Very sweet.
I've decided to do more volunteering next month through NY Cares, if they'll have me. Maybe working in their libraries, or park maintenance, or food/clothes bank sorting. Something more hands on. Donating money is fine. But I feel like it would be too easy. Sometimes you have to pay in time. Time is just as valuable (if not more so right now) as currency and I don't do nearly enough service. i.e. zero.
Other than that, the past month has been a bit of a blur. I am in final callbacks for a tour which has been putting me through the ringer but would be VERY helpful if I landed it. They have given me ten pages of monologues to learn by next Friday. So this should be fascinating.
Shooting starts for the student film next week where I will be spending a week in Connecticut in the suburbs. Bit nervous about it but doing my best to get out of my own way.
And I got the dvd copy of the other film project I shot a few weeks ago in which I have discovered that I truly never want to watch anything I've ever been in if I don't have to. Not that it was bad. It actually wasn't. There were some really great moments and I know I can use it for my reel. I could look at it and pat myself on the back and say "that'll do, pig." (Babe reference in case you think I'm actually calling myself swine, which I am not.) However, I find if I watch it more than once, I begin to tear it to shreds. Any hint of not being genuine and I am ready to climb walls. And let's not even go into how I look on screen. I'm a picky actor and an enormous critic. I accept that. So I think it's better if I keep my mental picture of myself rather than seeing the real thing. At least for now.
In other news, Faith has put me on her clean organic food kick. As some of you know, she is a personal chef. She specializes in coming to your home and making a week's worth of healthy, good tasting food in one day. For the NYer on the go this is ingenious. You leave in the morning, she comes in while you are at work and cooks all the food, and then you come home and there are tons of tupperware in your fridge for the week. So I am sort of her in house guinea pig. She shopped for my groceries, laid out recipes, and convinced me to give it a go for a week, telling me that it will be cheaper, healthier, and more interesting. Seeing as I normally function on granola bars, deli sandwiches, and caffeine, I thought it couldn't hurt. What's a week, right?
So the menu for this week ended up being including: apple and cabbage coleslaw, cucumber salad with homemade peanut sauce, granola and almond milk with dried cranberries, poached chicken, chick pea soup, hummous and carrots, lentil and pepper salad, and couscous and mint salad. We have an emergency stash of dark chocolate bars in the side table in the living room.
I think I've eaten more vegetables in two days than I have in my entire life. But I have learned new things like what in the hell Fennel is. But man, I wouldn't mind a huge slice of pizza at this point. Avoiding cheese is like slapping babies...just not ok.
This week I plan on taking a few friends to a speakeasy themed bar called Bathtub Gin as "research." Ok, so maybe it is a bit of a splurge, but I really do want to put up an old hollywood play in a speakeasy bar. So why not kill two birds with one martini? I shall report back as to how it goes. This particular place has a copper bathtub in the center of the room (Gin used to be made at home in people's bathtubs during prohibition). I feel it necessary to experience that. (D, I wish you were here, you know I'd drag you along.)
Anyway, I am keeping busy, feeling like I'm doing nothing, but trying to remain positive. Just. Keep. Swimming.
To be continued.
