Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn’t hiss or boo me. ~ James Dean
July 11, 2013 by 1 Comment
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
July 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
8 Inconvenient Truths That Will Change How You See Things
July 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
By Brianna Wiest
1. When it comes to relationships, things often aren’t as complicated as we wish they would be. If someone wants to make time for you, they will. If someone wants to be with you, they will be. In many cases, it’s a simple matter of they just aren’t into you and they’re trying to communicate that to you without having to be harsh. Take the hint before you have to hear some sobering words.
2. We have a propensity to expound upon small, insignificant, often easily resolvable things in an effort to give our lives meaning or portray meaning to others.
3. Believing that your life will be a seamless unfolding of blessings and joy is delusional and leaves you crippled when you find that not to be the case. Sometimes horrible things will happen to good people, and we can try to justify or explain them as much as we want, but at the end of the day, they will usually remain mysteries.
4. Nobody else is responsible for making sure you are happy. It’s wonderful if there are people in your life who care enough to try, but at the end of the day, everything and everyone around us is fleeting and impermanent. Build yourself on the foundation of another, and you’ll crash when they decide to leave.
5. Most of us do not have the ability to “just know” and to be completely certain about major decisions in our lives. Along those same lines, there are few things that come without pros and cons, things you lose while you gain, and choices that leave other avenues unexplored.
6. Your “good intentions” rarely matter: the road to Hell is paved with them. You will find, if you haven’t already, that meaning well is not enough when it did not yield the same results. Very generally speaking: if you hurt someone, they are not going to care if you meant to or not while they are bandaging their wounds. I mean that metaphorically, but sometimes also literally.
7. Excuses are only comforting to you. People can usually see through excuses and they know when you aren’t being genuine. You are the only person you are fooling into thinking you’re not still responsible.
8. The universe will not give to you, but it will react to what you do. You cannot simply sit back and wait for glorious and beautiful things to come upon you. You have to go out and initiate them. Wishing and wanting and hoping won’t get you farther than just having an idea of what you’d like. A goal without a plan that is being enacted is just another wish.
“Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep.” -Clive Barker
June 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Del Close Marathon at UCB this weekend was amazing…I was so lucky to have popped in at the right time on Saturday to catch Amy Poehler!! It was one of those perfect moments when I felt complete happiness. Spending Friday & Saturday watching improv was a great way to kick off the weekend. Saturday evening brought me to The Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea where I saw two striking exhibits, my favorite being Twenty-Four in New York by artist Brett Amory.
He captured the essence of NYC with an honest vision – the best part was the collected artifacts which were held in the display cases below his paintings that strongly provoked the senses. It was almost like teleporting to the time and place of the painting. After that I headed to Last Rites Gallery where we saw the work of two more featured artists. Beau Stanton, who’s exhibit was Arcane Archetypes, was so friendly and down to earth – and his work embodied that same strong glow of his personal charisma. They had loud music and a haunting space with artists doing joint live painting. I met an array of people last evening, but at this particular event I met someone who trained at Second City and is now a producer in the NY Comedy scene. He was extremely generous just pouring out advice and encouragement – what more could a girl ask for? I love New York, I love it’s art, I love it’s energy, I love it’s people.
I really identify with this little sweetheart! Click her picture!
June 27, 2013 by 1 Comment
“I’m really confused. You are so cute and sweet and when you opened your mouth I was like…woah”
-Heidi Klum
“Cute and sweet and terrifying is the new black.”
-Me
Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there’s a crack in everything- that’s how the light gets in.
June 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Life is challenging right now. Sometimes things are for the best and sometimes they are not. Perfect is boring. I will be my flawed self. I cannot help that – but I can enjoy it. Any mistake or hiccup is only a chance to discover and bring forth a redeeming quality. This goes not only for myself, but I try to remember this for people I share my life with as well. If I know nothing else, I know this about myself: I have honest intentions and passionate dreams.
FRINGEnyc
June 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I am very happy to announce that I have been cast in A Festival of Fool’s production A Game Without A Name which is part of The New York City Fringe Festival this August. It is in the Fringe Al Fresco series, which means it is an outdoor performance! This also means that rehearsals will be outdoors – I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to spend my summer. While I have found the inside of a black box to be comforting, like a vampire to her coffin, I am thrilled to not be stuck in a black void several evenings a week, and my pale-white-new-yorker-skin is thankful as well. I actually worked with this company in a prior version of this production quite a few years ago which took place at The Looking Glass Theater – it was a very fun and challenging experience and I applaud the efforts of playwright Tim Bungeroth for further expanding and defining his work. Performance dates will be posted soon!
In other news, last evening I went to Upright Citizens Brigade with a few friends and saw SPANK – a sketch comedy show. The second portion of the evening, You’re Doing Great! A Bold Faced Lie, was extremely moving. A woman named Sharon Spell stood alone on stage and began to recall the death of her parents who parted with this world within 18 days of each other. At the time of her father’s funeral her mother was in a coma and she passed on soon after. This was a truly heart-wrenching experience for her (and her 3 siblings who all have names beginning with “S”) but she took this bowl of shit that life handed her and reworked it into a comedy routine – and it was FUNNY. It was very funny. Every time I was about to let a tear drop down my cheek she riled me right back up with laughter. It was super unique to see a comedienne talk about something so truthful and vital to her experience. She did not garner pity nor did it seem to be some type of self therapy (because omg…eye rolls commence) – it was a definite theatrical expression of finding humor and reasons to be happy to be alive, even in the darkest of days. Love her. Loved it. YES. And it reminded me of a quote I recently saw painted on the pavement of the Williamsburg Bridge:
