Heading "home"

I’m on my way “home”. After a quarter of the year on a theater contract in the mountains of New Hampshire, I am finally headed back “home” to New York City. Why is “home” in quotations, one might ask. Well, dear friend, that is the topic of this particular bus musing.

A four hour bus ride provides ample time for reflection, and the definition of home is the most pressing thing on my mind currently. I just spent three and a half months in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Oh you’ve never heard of it? Then clearly you: A) haven’t read my previous blog yet, and B) aren’t an avid New England skier or semi-wealthy mountain vacation home owner. Towards the end of my stay in the White Mountains, I started to feel a strange attachment to the town, the adventures, and the people of Lincoln. I even told some that it was beginning to feel like home. Thinking over it now, I realize that my entire life will be comprised of many “homes.” I have chosen a life of temporary residences, transient relationships, and very little stability. This is the life of a working actor- the modern day gypsy.

Even before I moved to New York, I considered many places to be “home.” My elementary school days were based in Northern Georgia, a place that will always have a special place in my heart, and a sense of home when I visit familiar places and see the people who impacted my young life. Montevallo, Alabama is another treasured home of mine. A piece of my heart – along with a lot of my blood, sweat, and tears- is buried under those brick streets. Biloxi, Mississippi is (and I assume will always be) the home to which my origin is accredited.  For the past three months, when people ask where I’m from, my typical response is “Mississippi, but I live in New York now.” Does that mean Mississippi is still more of a home to me than New York or the others?

The old cliché claims that “home is where the heart is.” I’m assuming that gives me permission to claim many homes because I have a pretty big heart. Thank you, cliché. That makes things easier.

Yesterday, telling everyone goodbye and reminiscing on our wonderful season, I felt as though I had spent a lifetime in Lincoln, and New York was a distant memory. Today, as I was sitting in the bus station in Boston, I felt the opposite. I had the strange sensation that I had been in New York merely a week prior and that the adventures I had this summer were long past. Time is certainly a funny thing.

So maybe today I add the Papermill Theater to my list of “homes.” I will certainly miss it, and I will definitely be back to visit. And maybe my next home is being prepared for me right now, as I travel back to my home base, NYC. Or, perhaps, the list of places I consider to be “home” is more concrete, and Lincoln, with the passing of time, will take its place as the first on the list in a different category- an equally important, but very different category- more permanent than a vacation, more transient than a home, more important than a temporary residence. Is there a name for that? I know I’m not the first to experience this, but for whatever reason, this is not something they cover in school.

Whatever the outcome of the musings, I am giddy to be going back to New York City today. Singing Sinatra’s “New York, New York” to finish out the season was exhilarating. I am one of the fortunate ones who gets to experience what he and so many artists before and after realized: New York is extreme. It is the highest of highs at times, and on other days it is the lowest of the lows. It’s true that if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere but I want nothing more than to really be a part of it. It is “home,” and I’m going back!

So, start spreadin’ the news!

Grace be with you,

Lindsey Shea

The "Quirks" of Lincoln New Hampshire

Living in a small town always has its quirks.

Living in Lincoln, New Hampshire is no exception. In fact, Lincoln is a super quirky little town. Per request of Kathy, I've compiled a list of things I have found amusing over the past few months.

Here We Go:

The Chinese Acrobat Troupe
---Only in Lincoln, New Hampshire can you drive down the road to rehearsal and pass Asian teenagers flipping tables on their feet in the front yard. This is the only other group of "young people" we've encountered since we've been here. They're contracted to perform at Clark's Trading post. They keep to themselves, but they're very talented.

The Price Chopper
---I still haven't figured out why the grocery store is open 24 hours a day, but all of the restaurants and the ice cream shop are closed by 10pm. For a small town grocery store, it's not cheap either. If we want food after a show, the Price Chopper is basically our only option.

The nearest Starbucks is 45 minutes away.
---Pumpkin Spice Latte! I need you in my life!

Dancing Bears and a Wolfman at Clark's Trading Post.
--- Yup. Dancing Bears. Those are a thing. To get them to dance, the owners of Clark's feed them ice cream. Those are the happiest bears I have ever seen in my life. Also at Clark's trading post, you can ride a train into the Wolfman's territory and get chased by a gun-weilding mountain man, take a tour through the topsy-turvy Tuttle house, and have your motion-sickness tested at Merlin's Magical Mansion. Kitschy? Yes. Amazing? Yes.

3 pizza restaurants, 3 coffee shops, 2 ice cream parlors, and no Wal-Mart.
--- We're all set with food here in Lincoln (at least, before 10). 24 hours of grocery shopping, and all the pizza and ice cream you could want are easily accessible in this little mountain town. BUT, if you want toiletries, clothes, or other life essentials for a decent price, get out of town.

Spiders
--- There are a lot of them. There are many different kinds. They bite. We even have some sort of hybrid spider/hermit crab outside our front door.

Moose Tours
--- Want to see a moose? For $30 this van will take you up into the mountains to all of the illusive moose hiding spots. With a 98% sighting rate, one has to wonder why it's so difficult to find them on your own. They must have a secret...

The Penguin Ski Club
---"The Penguin" was once a high school. Then it was an Opera House. It is now used in the winter time by a group of avid skiers like a timeshare. In the summer, is the residence of the Papermill Theater Company. We use the bunk beds for sleeping, the common rooms for socializing, and the gym for rehearsal and evening recreation. It's like being at summer camp... No, seriously. When was the last time you played dodgeball or shirts/skins basketball? Summer camp.

Hikers
---Hikers making their way along the Appalachian Trail trek through town on a daily basis. Those going through Lincoln are generally on their fifth month of travel... and they smell like it. On the rare occasion that we interact with the hikers, they are generally out of touch with the clean-shaven world, so we do our best to have conversations about something other than the trails. We even helped a set of trail buddies get to know one another by simply asking their real names and what they do when they're not walking across the country... Standard conversation starters for us seem to be foreign and intimate questions for this special group.

Live Free or Die
--- This is the motto of New Hampshire. You don't have to wear your seatbelt. There's no sales tax. You can shoot fireworks off whenever you want, and they can be as big as you want. The lack of restraint on fireworks attracts quite the crowd to small towns in New Hampshire on summer holidays. It's actually pretty impressive.

The only "Five Star Library in New Hampshire" - Whatever that means...
---I don't know what makes a library "5 Star" worthy, but I do know the librarian at this particular establishment is AWESOME! We've become pretty good buddies. She asks how the shows are going and gives reading suggestions when I come in every other Wednesday to switch out my books. She even noticed my scraped up arm from a failed lake adventure and reminded me that The Baroness in The Sound of Music would NOT have a bandaid on her elbow.

Nature and Adventurous things
---Lincoln is a ski town in the winter and a natural playground in the summer months. Locals and tourists enjoy hiking, kayaking, swimming, and all sorts of other outdoor adventures. When you're a broke artist who wants to participate but can't afford it, you agree to do a photo shoot in exchange for a morning of zip lining and obstacle courses. Both the theater and Loon Mountain Resorts got publicity photos from the morning the company dressed up in ridiculous costumes and got strapped into harnesses for the zip line adventure course. We had a blast, so it was a win/win situation for all. Now I've got to figure out what it will take for a kayak trip!

The People
--- The best part of Lincoln is the people. The locals have really embraced us this summer. The waitress at the Burger place knows we have to be in and out in under an hour, the owner of The Gypsy cafe gives us leftovers after big events, and the theater patrons have gone above and beyond by inviting us over for dinners and relaxation. The audiences at our shows are lively and appreciative, and the company is wonderful.

As quirky as Lincoln is, it's a pretty neat place to spend the summer, especially if you get to do what you love the whole time. I'll be here for approximately six weeks more, and I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to tell as the season continues.


Grace Be With You,
Lindsey Shea

Magnolia in the Mountains: A summer adventure

It’s been a really long time since I’ve written a blog.

My initial goal for blogging was to document my adventures in New York City. As adventures became fewer and further between, and as I got settled into city life, I didn’t have much to write about that didn’t just fit into a Facebook status update or a picture on Instagram.

HOWEVER, yesterday marked the beginning of a new adventure, and I’m thinking the stories are going to start flowing again.

As most of you know, I am spending my summer in Lincoln, New Hampshire, at the Papermill Theater, North Country Center for the Arts (feel free to look us up on Facebook or check out the website: www.papermilltheatre.org ) On Monday we start 2 weeks of Broadway Bound kids camps, and after that I will be performing in The Sound of Music, My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra, and a few themed cabarets.

Yesterday was travel day. Katherine helped me lug two 50lb bags onto the subway and over to JFK airport where I caught a flight to Boston. After landing and waiting 4 hours in the baggage claim area, I boarded a bus to Lincoln, New Hampshire. Upon arrival I was greeted by one of our directors was shuttled to the opening night reception of one of the other shows in rep this summer.

Wow, ok, so jumping right in.

After meeting the company I was taken to my “home” for the summer: The Penguin Ski Club. Apparently Lincoln, New Hampshire is a great little ski town in the winter. But what happens to all of those ski lodges in the summer, you might ask. Well, throwing a bunch of twenty-something-year old actors into them seems like a great way to use the space. Really though, this place is kind of crazy. My roommate and I have 8 bunk beds in our room… just for the two of us. There are community bathrooms, kitchens, and tons of places to chill-out. I’m currently sitting in a basement lounge area with ski posters all over the wall and an odd assortment of chairs and couches. There’s also no air conditioning in the entire building. Fortunately, there are plenty of fans to go around and the basement is quite cool. I kind of feel like I’m camping… It’s neat though.

Today I got up and went grocery shopping then came home to put on my red, white, and blue to join the town’s Independence Day Parade. The theater had a float so we pranced down the street waving and yelling and sweating our innards out. If being in a small-town parade in New England doesn’t put you in a patriotic mood, I don’t know what will.

So now I’m just relaxing after a few hours in the pool down the road. Tonight, FIREWORKS! It feels a little bit like a vacation so far, but I know the work will begin soon and rest will be a commodity. I couldn’t possibly be more excited though. It should be a good summer!

More to come, obviously. Next time I might even tell you the story of how I booked this job. We’ll see. ;)

I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July.

Grace be with you,

 Lindsey Shea

All the things you didn't know you wanted to know about auditions in New York...Part 1

Being an actor is hard work... But I love it.

There are many out there, though, who have a very fluffy view of what fun it is to be an actor. Some of you reading this may be considering moving to New York to pursue your dreams of acting. Some of you may have seen movies, or did theatre in high school, or have seen SMASH (Season 2 starts tonight!) and think you know everything there is to know about acting and the business. Some of you (like my mother) just find the whole audition process fascinating and want to know more. Some of you just seem to enjoy reading blogs.

So, whatever category you may fall into, here you go...

All the things you didn't know you wanted to know about being an actor in New York City... (from the perspective of a new New Yorker in the middle of her first "audition season")

The New York theatre scene is split into a few different groups:
Celebrities - Fancy...
Offer Only's - Those who are too successful and too busy to go in and audition for small projects, and will only do the show if they are offered a role up front
Equity - Members of the Union
EMC - (Equity Membership Candidate- these people have earned "points" from professional theaters towards their Equity membership)
and Non Equity ("Future Members" as we are often called by monitors)

These groups can also either have agent representation or not.

There's a definite hierarchy here. The higher up on the list (especially with agent representation), the better off you are. You get more jobs, you get more money, and you don't always have to seek out the work. The farther down you are, the harder you have to work to get a job.

I'm a non-Equity performer without agent representation, so most of the process will be explained from that perspective.

There are different types of auditions in addition to the different types of actors... Still following the hierarchy:
Appointments
EPA's - Equity Principal Auditions
ECC's - Equity Chorus Calls (These are also split into Dance calls and Singer calls)
Open Calls - The Non-Equity insanity

I'll start at the top and work down:
I give out appointments. I don't often get them. :) There are a few different ways to get appointments, though. The easiest way to get an appointment is to have an agent. Agents will submit their clients, and if the casting director thinks the actor is right for a role, the actor will be given a time to come audition and the materials he or she needs to prepare. The actor shows up a few minutes beforehand, does his or her thing, and goes back into the world. Additionally, an individual can submit himself for an appointment by sending a picture, resume and cover letter to the casting director requesting to be seen. This is rare, but it happens... and when it does, it's very exciting. You'll see why soon :)

EPA's are really hit or miss for non-Equity actors. A monitor will start signing actors in for the EPA at 9AM. To sign up for a time slot, an Equity actor has to present his or her equity card. Time slots are requested in order of arrival, so lines are often formed at 8am or earlier. If there are still open audition slots, or if the creative team moves through the allotted 10 people every 20 minutes, the audition monitor will fill in the extra time with people on the Equity Alternate list (those people who didn't get a time slot but still have an Equity card). If the casting team sees everyone on the Alternate list, the monitor will move to the EMC list. EMC's also sign up in order of arrival, hoping that there will be open spots where they can squeeze in to be seen. IF the casting team gets through the Alternate list AND the EMC list, they will start seeing Non-Equity. Most of the time, Non-Equity actors are told by lunchtime that they won't be seen, but occasionally there's some sort of miracle and the monitor gets to the list in the afternoon. The non-Equity list is also called in order of arrival, so often non-Equity actors who REALLY want to get seen for something will line up outside the studio before it opens (7-8am-ish) to put their names on a list that the creative team may never see... It takes a mix of dedication and insanity to keep going to those. I've noticed, generally observing, that if one Non-Equity actor gets seen, quite a few will, so there doesn't seem to be any reason to get to the studio at the crack of dawn for those. I usually go at about 10am hoping for the best.

ECC's are a little easier to manage, especially for dancers. I don't know much about ECC's, but here's what I've picked up. An ECC list is posted one week before auditions at the Actor's Equity Building. Equity actors can sign up for that as early as they want, then show up at 9 am on the day of the audition to get put into line. If they don't show up, they get skipped and there's kind of a free-for-all for the rest of us. EMC points don't really count for anything at ECC's. The list is continued based on arrival after the Equity members have checked in. The chances of getting seen are much higher, so the motivation to arrive early is much stronger. Still, I don't like to get to ECC's before 7:30-8. It just gets hot and stinky in those tiny hallways before the studios open, and I definitely don't like standing outside in the cold.

Open Calls are sheer insanity. However, open calls are the best way for Non-Equity actors to get seen. An unofficial list will get posted for the call by the first person who shows up. Everyone who signs that list hopes and prays that the monitor accepts it as the official order so getting to the studio at 6:00 in the morning wasn't a waste of time and sleep. There are pros and cons to the unofficial list.
Pro:
I can sign up at 6:00am, be #75 on the list, go home, shower, get ready, and come back at 10 then have my afternoon free
I know I'm going to be seen, and Equity members that show up 5 hours after I do won't be ahead of me in line
Con:
People sign up like 20 friends who are all warm and comfy at home in bed when I'm there at 6am, working for this audition
If the monitor doesn't take the list, we're all in trouble because the sane ones went back home to get ready

Often, for these open calls, the creative team will "type" auditionees at the beginning of the day. Some people don't like being typed. I love it. Why would I want to waste my time sitting in a holding room all day if you aren't even going to consider me because of my height/weight/look/etc??? When we're typed, they line us up in groups of 30, shoulder to shoulder, with our pictures and resumes. Someone behind the table may ask a question like "what is your dance experience?" and then thank everyone for coming, point to a couple of people that he would like to have stay and sing, and send everyone else home. Then the next group will come in for the same thing. It's rather efficient actually. If there's no typing and 450 people show up for the audition (like they did at Beauty and the Best and Mamma Mia nation tour calls), you will be asked to sing an 8 bar cut of music. 8 bars is basically a sentence. How are you supposed to show your brilliant acting skills in a (rather short) sentence of music? Everyone dreads the 8 bar cut, but we do it... and we try to do it well. From there, some are asked to stay, some are asked to come back next week, some are asked to dance, and some are told "Thank you, that's enough for today." We all say "Ok, Thank you!", leave the room, and move on to the next audition. Some days I'll grab my bag and run across the street to the next audition where I'm signed up, hoping they haven't passed my number. So far, I haven't been able to squeeze more than 3 auditions into a day, but this is just the beginning of the season, so there's still time.

There are five main buildings that host auditions here in NYC. Three are just across or down the street from each other. The other two are within feasible walking distance, but they're really a pretty significant trek, especially in the cold. When you get to the building, you wait in the holding room for the monitor to call your name and put you into the singing line. Imagine, if you will, being locked in a cage of nervous, vicious, chattering monkeys trying to outdo one another. Pretty bad huh? Now add hairspray, curling irons plugged into every visible outlet, stretching legs, and piles of coats and snow boots and you've got a pretty good idea of what it's like to sit in the holding room of a Non-Equity Open Call at the beginning of the day. Fortunately things usually die down by the afternoon, and if you time it right, you can escape to the nearest Starbucks for a little bit of caffeine, respite, and free internet connection. It's also a good idea to have something to do to pass the time. Sometimes I know I have enough time to go to the gym or a dance class, sometimes I read my Nook, sometimes I make a new friend, and this week I'm going to bring my crocheting with me.

Now that you have a slightly better understanding of who's who and what's happening, I feel like I can start sharing funny stories and daily audition quirks with you all. However, my blog is already quite long and my head is hurting a little bit, so I'm going to take a nap instead and update you later.

So, maybe this didn't quite cover all the things you didn't know you wanted to know about auditioning in New York, but we've covered a small chunk, and Part 2 (and so on) will follow.

Grace be with You,
Lindsey Shea

PS, IT'S SNOWING!

Christmas Comparison

I’ve never thought to blog on an airplane, but hey, why not?

My laptop is an approved electronic item, and I rarely have this much forced down time, so I think this is a rather ideal working condition. And I’m quite positive my mom will be waiting incessantly for an update when her empty nest child-withdrawals kick back in now that Christmas Break is over and Erin and I have, yet again, left home for our respective “adult lives.”

After 8 months in Yankee territory I finally rejoined “my people” in the Sweet South. It’s comforting to know some things just don’t change…

While there, my mom came up with a plethora of blog topics that she thought you all would find entertaining, and while I’ve forgotten most, I thought doing a Comparative Christmas was actually a quite appealing idea. So, now that the decoration are down, the lights have been shut off, and the tree at Rockefeller Center has been cut into pieces for Habitat for Humanity, I will take a few moments to look back (and down, being at cruising altitude of a Delta aircraft) at my Christmas experience in both of the places I call home: New York, NY and Biloxi, MS.

New York City at Christmastime is completely magical. I am a big fan of lights: all kinds of lights. Always have been, always will be. One of my favorite memories is flying into LaGuardia airport late one evening after the sun had already gone down and looking out the window to see the lights of the city sparkling up into the sky like gold glitter. The lights of the city are pretty phenomenal on their own. When you add millions  - probably billions- of twinkling colored lights ON TOP of the already overwhelming shine, you have to literally remind yourself to breathe.

Fortunately I have found a group of friends who love Christmas as much as I do.  Our Buddy the Elf level of excitement kicked off on Thanksgiving Day when Santa rolled into town at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now, I’ve watched the parade from the couch in my living room every year since I can remember, but this time, I was THERE, in PERSON, like a 6 year old – Freezing my toes off and not giving a rip. We got to the parade route at 4:30am to stake out a spot, and much to the dismay of the self-entitled children behind us who didn’t even show up until 6am, we were NOT moving from our front row seats. After the floats and the fun, we said goodbye to all other Holidays and welcomed Christmas with open arms with the first viewing of Elf on a comfy couch on the Upper West Side… and it only got better from there. We went ice-skating in Bryant Park and had hot cider in a pop-up shop overlooking the rink. We walked up and down 5^th Ave “Oohing” and “Aahing” at the window displays that were nothing short of spectacular. We shopped at the little Christmas Villages that local vendors set up in the parks. We decorated trees and went to Christmas Parties and even sang Christmas Carols outside Central Presbyterian for the Park Avenue tree lighting. I learned the Alto line of Handel’s Messiah in three weeks and performed with some of my favorite people in the city, made 144 cookies for a cookie exchange, told Santa what I wanted for Christmas at Macy’s Winter Wonerland, and saw the coolest Performance Art piece of A Christmas Carol at the Abrons Art Center.

WHEW. That’s a lot. And that was just an overview.

I packed my bags and headed home for a restful Christmas in Biloxi.

Or so I thought…

While home we went to Christmas Parties where we yelled and laughed over board games and ate entirely too much Rotel and cookies, drove around the coast looking at Christmas lights – specifically the house that has lights on the lawn dancing to music on its own radio station, shopped the boutiques of Downtown Biloxi, sang Christmas Carols on the lawn of Jefferson Davis’s beachfront home Beauvoir, passed by the lines of snotty nosed kids waiting to see Santa at the mall, drank caramel apple cider in front of the fireplace, curled up on the couch to watch Meet Me in St. Louis (a Christmas tradition at our house), made chocolate/peanut-butter bon bons at Nana’s, and jumped on the bed in matching footie pajamas before taking the annual family Christmas photo.

Thinking about it now, Christmas in New York and in Mississippi weren’t really so different after all. There was a lot of laughter, plenty of decorations, and many memories made all around. I got to experience the best of both worlds this year, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Ok, the guy in front of me just figured out how to lay his seat back, so it’s much more difficult to manage the laptop… Maybe blogging on a plane isn’t always ideal, but I think you get the general idea…

Y’all come back now, ya hear?

Grace be with you,

Lindsey Shea