The Business Actor

Vulnerability time. Not much fun, but I'm not one of those people that pretends life is perfect for a false Instagram-perfect-looking-life. These past few months sucked. It really took a toll on me emotionally and physically. It's interesting how your body tells you that you need to press your reset button. The bags under your eyes, tired all the time, anxiety, stress, nothing seems to make you happy, emotional fatigue, and just an overall feeling of "Meh!" After the time that I've had I need a come-back moment.  As an actor that has a day job, I am constantly doing something on top of rehearsing and working. I have a relationship and friendships to keep up with, events to attend, network with badass women's groups, keep my apartment clean, eat healthy, and lately something is always going wrong with my car. To say I am exhausted would be a complete understatement.  In my experience there are two different kinds of people that get caught up. There are p...

It may have been two years ago, but I still count moving to Dallas as one of the happiest days of my life. It was sunny and hot that day and I don't think I had that much Vitamin D in ten minutes than my entire time in New York City. I remember feeling completely surprised that a random stranger smiled at me and came up to talk to me. Seeing that Dallas skyline and my beautiful apartment, that was all mine still brings a smile to my face. New York was not the right place for me at that time in my life. It was clear that the market was flooded with talented actresses who would never be seen and die trying to live their Broadway dreams. Not literally die but you know what I mean. But it wasn't just the industry that jaded me against New York. The city can be an incredibly lonely place. Most people are in this success driven mode and will rarely take the time to get to know you unless you have something to offer. It made me feel as a human being, that my value was only in how...

Wow this is going to be a hard one. Mainly I am writing this for accountability, because going through this alone is difficult. Also I am writing this to tell all of you beautiful people who have struggled with self love that you are not alone. Disclaimer: I am not writing this to promote an unhealthy lifestyle nor am I a licensed therapist. If you need advice in any of those areas I highly recommend reaching out to a licensed dietician and licensed therapist. However self love should be a thing all people should strive for no matter what size or body type you are. For the sake of not triggering anyone I will refrain from mentioning weight, diet tips, binging methods and sizing. This is my story. When I was 13, I went to my first ballet audition for Summer Intensives at the American Ballet Theatre. I was young and bright eyed and did not feel bad about my body yet. I was a young girl who wanted to be a ballerina and was very comfortable with my body. However that day ...

Hello friends! I know it has been a while since I have posted my blog on social media. Some of my past posts have been political and due to the nature of this political environment I thought it best to not share those and leave it for those interested to read at a less tense time. Let's get into it! I have been starting to get really into low to no waste products. Amazon is a gift from above to find products that will cut down waste and cost. Even though these are replacing cheap everyday products, those cents and dollars add up! We don't have to wait for these items to hit big stores anymore, we just find these innovations on Amazon right when they are for sale. So the first few items I want to showcase are popular products you can use to lower your waste . I will keep you updated on how I feel about these products as I go along. The links I have listed direct you to my own Amazon Associate's page where you can find the products! 1. Use dryer balls instead of dry...

It is no secret that theatre has been a safe haven for the more liberal side of communities, dating all the way back to the 1800s. It has been more welcoming of other cultures, genders and sexualities than other industries and that is incredible in it's own right. But we are now faced with a dilemma as a community that started during the 2016 presidential election. I'm sure many of you remember the Hamilton performance that Vice President Mike Pence attended and the hostility from the audience that he experienced. We also saw the "performance" put on by Robert de Niro at the Tony Awards when he yelled "F*ck Trump!" that received a standing ovation by the people in the audience. While I share my frustration with these fellow members of the arts community, I am also concerned. By creating this safe haven, have we made a hostile environment for our conservative audiences? Have we lost those audience member for good? This is obviously very difficult for me ...

Disclaimer: The following could possibly be depressing information if you live in these areas and could cause you to question to move to another city. Carry on! No one seems to pay attention to business facts and logistics when it comes to acting. More and more I am seeing actors who have no retirement accounts (you should have one at least by 25), no savings, loads of debt, doing low paying jobs they don't have to do all for the sake of "living the dream". They think moving to New York and Los Angeles is all there is. They think that you HAVE to be poor to someday make it big. And yet, they haven't had an actual acting job that pays a living wage in 5 years. So is it that they aren't talented and are not working hard enough? The answer to that is a big fat NO! And let me tell you why. How can you see someone's talent if there are literally thousands of actors in the same room that you have to choose for one role? How are those great odds? Su...

When it comes to choreographers, you know as an actor who has a natural instinct for this career. They can't just focus on the movement. It's about formations, functionality, but more importantly it's about the story being told through movement. It's rare to find a choreographer who incorporates all of those elements to really enhance a production. Christina Kudlicki Hoth is one of those rare gems. But as gems often do, it has taken years for her to become one of the most sought after choreographers here in DFW. Christina has been dancing in Dallas Ft. Worth for 27 years. "I grew up dancing doing, studio work and theatre primarily through school. I didn't do community theatre work until college while I was getting my dance degree. It kind of fed my need to do the singing and acting side while my main focus thirty hours a week was on dance." Before her "return" to theatre, Christina claimed numerous national awards for chor...

One year. One year out of school. One year away from New York. One full year of Adulthood. Where do I begin? It has gone by too fast. It has been an adventure, and it is just the beginning. I have been in three full fantastic productions, a living room concert, a staged reading and have made it through countless callbacks and auditions. I have made lifelong friends and found a supportive church family. I have found a home in Dallas. This city has surprised me in so many ways. It is more metropolitan than it is given credit for. It has a thriving community of theatre and actors that impress me more everyday. It has jobs for actors of all stages of life. Some more experienced than others. It's perfect to become more experienced and learn from amazing directors in this business. But it hasn't been easy all the time. I've moved on from a city that I truly loved and still hope someday to go back to. I moved on from friendships that were toxic, which was th...

The hardest thing about an audition is entering the room itself. It is hard work to get to an audition. First you have to find an audition you are qualified for. You have to search through the database of auditions, find a show that fits your type, look, or just a show that you would like to do. Then you must fill out all the papers that have to be submitted electronically, see what is required to prepare, and then find an audition slot that will fit your schedule. If you don't have your headshots and resume printed, you have to get that done ASAP, staple or print it perfectly and put it in the front of your audition book. Day of the audition: Wake up, warm up, run through your song/monologue. If it's a dance call you have to go through that barre class. Then it's hair and make up and an outfit that would look subtly like the character you would go for with a balance of not trying too hard. Hour of the Audition: Then it's finding the random building, the rand...

The DFW theatre industry is growing larger and more diverse. Growth can mean change and excitement but it can also mean big changes that force theatres to take risks. Ashley H. White and Joe Messina's new theater company, Imprint Theatreworks takes big and exciting risks as it emerges in a growing and competitive industry. If any of you saw their first performance of Glengarry Glen Ross you know that this is a company to be reckoned with. Ashley H. White's direction was daring, thoughtful and accurate to David Mamet's incredibly difficult style, yet she executed it with confidence as only a seasoned professional could. I couldn't wait to sit down with her and share her story with you. If any of you know Ashley H. White you know that she is confident. The kind of confidence that makes you sit up a little straighter. But Ashley is also extremely humble. She credits her team and support system around her and she also is open about her struggles i...

  Hey amazing artists!   Over the course of a few years I have been asked several times how I remain financially stable while getting through school and now rehearsals with a full time job. I'm not going to lie, my parents have given me a very privileged lifestyle but after I graduated high school I did try to cover most tuition and expenses on my own. So throughout my high school, college and (very short) adulting life, I have always been really frugal with my money. Sometimes I do go a little overboard on some things but for the most part I don't spend as much as my millennial counterparts. I am going to go through my budget with you today to give you just an idea of what I personally am spending, and give you a good idea of what my finance professor would probably tell you to spend. This is going to be really accurate thanks to my Mint App that automatically tracks, and categorizes my spending (and also scolds me if I spend too much). For some of these...

Okay you now have your headshots taken, now what? Who else has been completely overwhelmed by the decision process of choosing which headshot is best for you? How important is it to print professionally versus your average Walgreens print (not hating on Walgreens by any means!) Let's find out more in our final installment from our favorite photographer, Jonathan! In terms of printing, JM: You can ask your printer if they calibrate their printers and software for accurate colors. You're doing a disservice to yourself to just go to a commercial consumer print shop and print it on the kiosk, which more than likely, has never been calibrated before. Printing is an art form in itself. You might have super contrasting photos with a green tint and you print out looking like an ogre. When your photographer and editor take the time to produce accurate skin tones, you're doing them, and yourself, a disservice by printing them on non-calibrated equipment. Is i...

So you have your session booked! You found the right photographer, you have set the date, now... What do you wear??? Thank goodness Jonathan can answer this question for us! Girls, you know how people are always giving us a hard time for over-packing? This is one time no one can complain. JM: I tell my clients it's better to bring more outfits than necessary because it may surprise you what photographs best! It's one of my favorite things when a client brings their whole wardrobe in the back of their car. Bring many outfits that you feel the best and super comfortable in. When you feel incredible and confident, that shows! I'll tell people to bring in darker, neutral colors, because those photograph best and don't take away from the actor. Patterns and bright, vivid colors can become very distracting. Sometimes there can be exceptions to this rule, but as long as you have those darker, neutral colors to fall back on, you'll be all set! Now for...

From the Editor: So many people struggle finding a quality headshot photographer. It's the bane of an actor's existence. Maybe it's the quality, the photo is bland, or they are way too expensive for you. This is why I am blessed to know headshot photographers like Jonathan McInnis. To say his work is stunning would be an understatement. He has a genuine affect on every client he works with that allows them to open up and be their true selves. This is what a headshot is about. I know how important headshots are to all of you, so here is Part I of a three installment series devoted to headshots. Keep updated the next three weeks! Where to start? We have all been there googling for headshot photographers. It is daunting. What are things to look for when researching for a photographer? JM: Look for a website and blog that is actively updated. That is such a good sign. I'm working to find more time to be able to steadily update my blog. T...