Awesome news. I got a call back for “The Seagull”. Dream role, too! The role means so much, but I am not at all feeling sure that I got it. I can hope, but no assumptions. I doubt I will, because it’s too good to be true.

BUT - I am so glad to be considered. Seriously. It felt great to even have a shot at Nina.

I was being rather tongue in cheek in my first post about Joe Francis, so I may have came off like I actually agreed with his position. I can be dark and the devil’s advocate that way. Despite my comments, I definitely do not agree with him. I do not like him, nor agree with the fact that just because he is his business, Girls Gone Wild, that he deserves special treatment. With Francis’ thought process that he is his business, and his business is sex, this would mean he is sex. Now, I do not think Joe Francis is the definition of sex. At least, he’s never been involved in mine. Nor would I ever want him to be. He is a slimy, manipulative man that doesn’t deserve the millions of dollars he already makes, let alone the money he’s attempting to collect.

The trial has happened now, and indeed, Joe Francis hit a plea bargain. He will avoid jail time (could have had 10 years in prison) and had to be in prison only 301 days, already served. Also he has one year of probation for false tax filing and a fine of $250, 000 dollars. The comparison between him and Playboy brand was taken into consideration, but Hefner does not charge money the same way Francis does. Francis is not as business savy as Hef and his brand.

A couple fun tidbits? Apparently, while in prison, Francis also got in trouble for bribing prison workers with goods to bring him his choice of food. Also, the celebrities used in his PowerPoint defense, were not asked beforehand.

Francis may know sex, but he doesn’t know business.

Joe Francis, the proud owner and creator of the Girls Gone Wild franchise, is on trial for criminal tax evasion in Los Angeles. He is claiming $20 million dollars for business expenses. These “business expenses” include a $3.75 million dollar beachfront home in Mexico dubbed Casa Aramara.  Francis decided to use every student’s best friend to plead his case - a PowerPoint presentation.

Francis’s presentation apparently wasn’t as professional as it could be. In fact, according to the AV Club’s Amelie Gillette (www.avclub.com), it appeared “like a 55-year-old-salesman-who-just-learned-how-to-use-PowerPoint-20-minutes-before-a-meeting”. Above are real examples of Joe Francis’ slides. Francis claimed that the reason he claimed his luxurious expenditures as business expenses, is because he himself is the brand Girls Gone Wild. He had a slide dedicated to Hugh Hefner, owner and creator of Playboy. He then surrounded the elderly sex idol’s image with pictures showing what his brand branches into. Magazine, parties, mansions, exotic cars, women are all examples of what Hefner’s brand involves. Francis then has a slide that represents himself, designed the same way as the Playboy slide, but this time supporting his own brand. He fancies himself the next Hefner, and replicates his need for the same things the Playboy millionaire has. He claims that Hefner has all these things, and it’s a part of his “brand” and his “business”, so he too has the same things because he IS Girls Gone Wild.

To fully understand this, Francis had the above slide in his PowerPoint. Since Joe Francis is in sex, and is the creator of Girls Gone Wild, the program’s success is HIS success. So all his living expenses can be considered business expenses and in turn, become tax deductibles. Francis should be paid back for his expensive lifestyle, because he is the brand and everything he does involves the business. Everything he does is motivated by the business. And since sex is his business, it’s more tricky to handle then, oh, let’s say, being a librarian. His life revolves around his art of getting drunk girls to remove there clothes in front of cameras. And how does one convince drunk girls to do this? By living an obnoxiously rich, curiously pumped with cash, glamorously sexual lifestyle. Oh, girls love that. At least, the drunk, underage girls do.

The Av club blog also had the below slide on their article. See, Joe Francis need to have the $3.75 million dollar Casa Aramara, because these celebrities friends of the Girls Gone Wild brand! It’s networking! All of these celebrities have stayed at the Casa and apparently this prove that indeed, this was a business expense. Because how else would he entertain people like Jennifer Anniston and Orlando Bloom without an out of country beachfront property? Seriously, judges. This man is a BRAND. He needs the utmost best to keep his topless teen videos in production. Besides, who can imagine a world without the late night teaser commercials on Comedy Central? We would be committing a crime ourselves to persecute this man, who IS his business.

The real crime here? That Joe Francis believes his own bullshit.

Joe Francis should not be able to make ridiculous amounts of money because he is in the business of sex, nor because he is Girls Gone Wild. In fact, he shouldn’t be worth anything for the scum he produces - he’s a a guy that makes money by cheating women while under the influence. Though I’m not a huge supporter of Playboy, I will say the Hugh Hefner HIRES (or dates) the women involved in his brand. They are paid and usually are in sex business themselves. His woman want to be involved, in other words. Francis uses girls, makes them sign contracts intoxicated, and they don’t see much of the anything after. Isn’t his whoel shtick that these girls are amateur and “real”, after all?

On the Av Club article there is a comments section below where this is being discussed. Many people agree with the above, that yes, he is a dumb ass, and yes he is definitely a criminal. (Also, he sucks at powerpoint). BUT some do see that he is a brand, and indeed, that he represents a certain sex business. Therefore, perhaps he does need some compensation. No one totally takes Francis seriously on the discussion section, but they do interpret the information differently.

So why is this important? Because the issue of if corporate brand owners like Joe Francis should be paid for their luxurious lifestyles that contribute to their “success” is a capitalist question. In this American society, we often reward the guys on top. The CEOs, the owners and creators. They expect something more than the average worker. In Francis case, a beachfront home in Mexico. With this economy in turmoil especially, should they really be considered special? Should Francis be allowed all this wealth and star power because he is in the business of sex? Because he is Girls Gone Wild? I am an actor, and my product is me. Does that mean I deserve compensation with my taxes to buy a hot tub? Because a hot tub would really help my body relax which improves my ability to audition.

My answer: No. Business expenses dealing with true needs, sure. For pure pleasure, even while dealing in the business of pleasure? No.

Tonight are auditions for Inventing Van Gogh. I am directing the production, and instead of being the nervous and hopeful actor, I will be the equally nervous and hopeful director.

Dramatists Play Service Summarizes:

“A haunting and hallucinatory drama about the making of art, INVENTING VAN GOGH is the story of the final van Gogh self-portrait, painted just before the artist’s death, which has never been seen…until now. Patrick Stone, a contemporary painter, is hired to forge this final masterpiece—and finds himself squaring off, across the years, with van Gogh himself. The result is a compelling mystery about the obsession to create and the fine line that separates truth from myth.”

The cast is 4 men and 1 woman - the tricky thing is, 3 of the characters are double cast. This means the same actor plays two different characters. In Inventing Van Gogh they play a character in Patrick, the contemporary painter’s life, and a character in Van Gogh’s historical past. This is a tough thing to cast due to the historical aspects - actors will need to look like their true life counterparts. Which definitely makes my job harder.

I am very excited though to work on a new project. The set and lighting should be lovely - I’m envisioning a living painting on stage.

I have my pieces picked for the cold reading, and the audition forms made. Now I wait for the right people to walk into the theatre and put the puzzle pieces together.

Not to mention, we are now off book and suppose to be memorized for Midsummer. Yikes!

If anyone is interested, auditions are tonight (10/13) and tomorrow (10/14) at 9pm in the Black Box theatre (FA112). I’d be happy to see some new faces - and don’t worry, it’s just reading from the script. No preparations needed.

So I’m a very career centered person. I’ve always sought after success and pursued education. I’m driven to be something, to go somewhere, to make those who supported me proud. I want to be bigger than I am. I want to grow to be great. I watch classic movies like “Wuthering Heights” and I want to have the power Laurence Oliver has in the final scene. I want to make all of the pain in life purposeful. Put reason behind experience.

But, can someone have all this and have love?

Many people think not. I like to think, yes.

I’m an avid “Sex and the City” fan, and a regular Carrie Bradshaw (minus all the casual sex). I thought I didn’t have the “bride gene” , but what I figured out was that I do possess it, I’m just scared. Marriage, by my observation, can be really messed up. My dad (of course, divorced) advised me since I was ten to focus on my career, and love is second.

Here I am, at a cross roads.

I want to go to grad school, get the MFA, and hoping to make a living doing something I love. Also, I want to have someone I love beside me. Get married, have a small family, but still do theatre.

Problem: Acting is a tough gig. Until you really break into it and make a steady living (maybe) it’s going to be nomadic. So having a family’s tough, BUT if you’re a professor, at least you have a steady income. Another reason I’m wanting to get my degree. You can support yourself a lot easier. Plus, I’d like to teach and direct. Inspire others.

But, recently my two year relationship has been in turmoil, due to my inability to communicate what I want. I focused so much on theatre, I didn’t acknowledge my want for engagement to my boyfriend. I made him feel unwanted due to my fears, and now he doesn’t believe he is good enough for me. It’s my fault, my pushing him away, my determination. I took my heart for granted, and didn’t open it up as I should.

I may end up missing a vital piece to my future.

I still want a career, but I also want my love. And it’s painful to think I may have missed it all together, because I couldn’t be open for it. Plan it. Allow it to grow. I just hope my “Peter Parker” knows that his Mary Jane learned her lesson. (Yes, we are comic nerds). I love both theatre, and him. I want both in my life.

It’s weird how years ago I wouldn’t have had this choice. Or probably the ability to have both. Thank god for women’s rights.

I am currently a theatre arts major, but I will be pursuing further education. Specifically, an MFA program with a focus on acting (I also love directing/playwrighting/sound design but acting is my dominant focus…sadly there isn’t a MFA for all four in one). I’ll be graduating this year, so now’s the time to audition and interview for a program next year. This is one of the most terrifying moments of my life - BUT it has the chance to be glorious as well. I’m often negative in matters concerning my life, so I’m making an effort to be positive. This effort may not last long, but I’m attempting!

For an MFA acting audition you traditionally have 2-4 minutes to prove your abilities. These pesky few minutes must prove 4-5 years of training and experience. You traditionally have two contrasting monologues. This could mean one contemporary comic piece paired with a monologue from a Shakespearean tragedy. It depends on where you are auditioning and the type of program you are auditioning for. Also, it depends on the actor and what best showcases your own talent. The truth of it is, usually they know within the first 30 seconds whether they like you or not. So in reality, you have 30 seconds to prove your worth it to their program.

No pressure, right?

Now, this is utterly terrifying and horribly exciting all at once. Because if you are talented and do know what you are doing, you should be able to step up for 30 seconds and keep them interested for the full audition time. In theory, anyway.

My biggest fear in an audition are not the monolouges. Once I’m in character I  lose who I am and the situation blurs. It’s the introduction that makes me shake. Before an audition you must introduce yourself and the pieces you are performing. Being “me” in public always makes me uncomfortable. Something about announcing myself feel so … pretentious. I don’t think too highly of myself, so the whole thing makes me nervous. But, I have to “fake” the confidence, to show them that despite my insecurities, I can act. That’s the important part. But to get there, you have to seem perfectly calm saying your own name.

Believe it or not, I’m very shy. I just cover it up with smiles and jokes. I’ve learned that people will believe a smile without question.

Some graduate programs will ask for more than two pieces. They will want to see an assortment of monologues. See how far you can go. For this purpose actor’s prepare a “package”, which consists of a wide range of pieces, and usually two of each category. These are not just used for graduate schools, but for auditioning for professional theatre work as well.

At this moment for my Styles class, we are working on Greek monologues. I will incorporate both of the following pieces into my package. The first is from Electra, the second is from Agamemnon by Aeschylus.

Electra:
Aegisthus,
I’ve thought for so long
Of what I wanted to tell you.
Now I’m free at last
to cry it out to the world.
All that you did was ugly.
You had my mother,
You murdered her man who was noble,
and you thought she would be faithful.
Stupid: Unchaste to one man
is not chaste to another,
so don’t think you fathered her sons.
Give me a man for a husband
who acts and live like a man
and not like a girl as you do.
You are so mean and small
but you can’t escape from Justice.
You did an evil thing
now you must suffer evil.
Suffer, I want you to suffer.

______________________________________________________

Cassandra:
Ah what a fire it is! It comes upon me.
It is she will kill me. Brewing a poisoned cup
She will mix my punishment too in the angry
Draught
And boasts, sharpening the dagger for her
Husband,
To pay back murder for my bringing here.
Why then do I wear these mockeries of myself,
The wand and the prophet’s garland round my
Neck?
See: Apollo himself is stripping me
Of my prophetic gear, who has looked on
When in this dress I have been a laughing-stock
To friends and foes alike, and to no purpose;
They called me crazy; like a fortune-teller,
A poor starved beggar-woman—and I bore it.
And now the prophet undoing his prophetess
Has brought me to this final darkness.
But the gods will not ignore me as I die.
One will come after to avenge my death,
A matricide, a murdered father’s champion.
Exile and tramp and outlaw he will come back.
His father’s outstretched corpse will lead him
Home.
Why need I then lament so pitifully?
For now that I have seen the town of Troy
Treated as she was treated,
I will go in and have the courage to die.
Look, these gates are the gates of Death. I greet
Them.
And I pray that I may meet a deft and mortal
Stroke.
————————————————————————-
I have Electra’s memorized, just have to work with Cassandra’s.

To quote Ophelia in Hamlet, “I hope all will be well….we must be patient!”