Jumping back in!
That's how I feel, after a fabulous SAG (Screen Actors Guild, for the uninitiated)"Career Day" on Saturday...
It's been awhile since I auditioned for more "commercial"(read:higher-paying) gigs....Theatre is still a first-love, as is poetry, and I'll be continiuing to do LOTS of BOTH, but I am going to be more aggressive for On-Camera and Voice-Over work--- which appears to have changed significantly.
The changes in Voice-Over work mean I'll HAVE to become more technically-savvy, but as I explained to one sweet-faced older actress at the meeting(when she appeared a bit unnerved by the new techno-lingo of at-home computers, MP3 Files, etc...),
"This is really EMPOWERING--we can market OURSELVES, as well as working with our agents."
One stand-out moment was seeing Paul Armbruster. This gentle man is a force to be reckoned with in terms of his wonderful teaching, acting accomplishments, and professionalism... I was overwhelmed emotionally, and felt blessed to run into a true mentor.
Incidentally,those of you interested in Voice-Over work would benefit greatly by checking out Paul's Intro to Voice-Over at The Alliance Theatre.

www.alliancetheatre.org

I feel exhilirated, and deeply appreciate all the wonderful folks who generously gave of their time on "Career Day".
Melissa Goodman, our Exec. Director, and SAG Prez, Mike Pniewski deserve special thanks for pulling all this together.

I got to do a bit of "bonding" after the panel discussions, critiques, and networking-- with fellow actress, Deborah Calloway Duke--a veteran of such films as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Venom"(pretty cool role--a VooDoo priestess!).
Deborah's on the Atlanta SAG board, and is a real sweetheart--spiritual, full of great positive energy, and kind with her words...
Deborah, it'd be great to work on a project sometime with you.

This week, I get to visit with a couple of cousins I hardly EVER get to see:
The famous "Bonnie and Jayne"--my Mom's older sister, (our late, great) Aunt Helen's children.I recall many visits as children where we would shriek so loudly upon seeing one another, that inevitably, both my mother and theirs would furtively look around, and shush us to "Please, girls, not in Yia-Yia's(our beloved Greek Grandma) house..."
Here's a poem I wrote, not so long ago, that may evoke a bit of nostalgia--especially for Bonnie and Jayne(and Tina, my sis).

Sand Ridge was what we called our property in central Florida...



Sand Ridge

There was an old shack
palm-fronds worked through
chicken-coop-wire
woven with a hose slipped through
Icy-well-water
Spat at us.

When our city cousins visited,
we pretended we had modesty,
needed a cover.
All we needed
was that cold shower
after all the
puppies
goats
pigs
ducks
rabbits
dirtied us with animal smells.

We washed our hair outside
sometimes not even icy well-water--
sometimes rain-water:
“Makes your hair soft”, Mama said.
Most times,
it was a shampoo
in that palmetto shack
icy-cold well-water
detergent,
hot sun.


Taut little girls
dashed in light
the only shadow—
palmetto fronds...

“Mama, Daddy, come in, you don’t wanna get snake-bit”
worried words
from two young-uns
exhausted from play.

Mama goes inside, turns a gas oven on
to dry two school-girls’ uniforms
as we, those school-girls,
run to finish chores
and long for a later time of day
to bathe outside in the palmetto shack.
We settle for a rinse in a pale porcelain tub
antiseptic
quick
necessary
not prickly-edged
like our favorite place
to play
a palmetto shack
a few toys
and promises of another bright summer.


 copyright, May 7th, 1998

I'll see you soon, city cousins.