Newsletter #20: How to FEEEEEL Like an Actor
Or writer, or painter, or candle stick maker.
The other day, I had this one morning that was just such an expert freaking morning.
Top tier type morning.
The type of morning that I’ve journaled about and fantasized about. And I almost didn’t even realize that it was a morning to celebrate!
Because my life doesn’t *exactly* look the way I desperately want it to right now. But this morning sure did.
I shall set the scene;
I had to wake up (semi) early that day because I got a last minute voiceover audition that I’d need to do before going to work.
And dude, I don’t have a booth. I have a fairly good microphone I’m in a constant process of trying to learn how to use. All the advice I’ve received about VO has wildly conflicted from “Don’t even BOTHER auditioning unless you have a legit space” to “audition with whatever ya got, you’ll figure it out later if you book,” which typically has paralyzed me from attempting to audition, as opposed to freeing me.
Auditions have been SLOW for myself and most actors I know right now, and so to even get an audition at all was such boon for my psyche.
The casting office for the audition was one I’ve never been called in for before, BUT I had heard of them because they cast a commercial that my friend was in with my co-star from my Oreo commercial! I had followed the casting office on insta, and WILDLY they followed me back (most of my agents don’t even follow me back on insta lol).
And now I was being called in by them for one of the few auditions I’ve had this month.
I am embarrassingly pretty lax when it comes to warming up my body and voice when it comes to my on-camera auditions (I know, I know I’ll try and be better). But because I know how minuscule changes can affect a voiceover read, I was determined to warm myself up at least a bit.
So I did a lil heart rate pick me up, did a lil yoga, did a 10 minute singing warm up from Youtube, touched on my resonators, made sure I was drinking water in between everything. I even took a shot of apple cider vinegar as suggested by my almighty teacher of all things VO and badassery, Mandy Fisher AKA .
And then I did a few takes for the audition, trying to use what I’ve learned from Mandy, classes I’ve taken with VO Workshop, and all of my general acting experience to inform my choices.
And then I sent a silly little message with my submission to casting thanking them and telling them how much I loved the commercial they cast with my friends in it. And then I went to work.
So all of this, on the surface, sounds so mundane, so neutral, so whatever. But boy-o let me tell you why it’s not!!
I got to have a morning to myself where I got to do the thing that I love more than anything.
I got to do the thing that I love more than anything, and treat it professionally with time to prepare. Preparation that made me remember that my body is my instrument. And that without taking care of my body, I can’t do the work that I love and that people in the business are asking me to do.
People in the business that must have called me in, because I just so happened to have worked with an actor that they just cast for a commercial in a commercial I was in. Meaning my network is growing exponentially and the friends I’ve made are talented and incredible.
And then I got to not only audition for them, but I got to do an audition with confidence that I know what I did was okay, even if I don’t book. As opposed to doing an audition and wondering and panicking and praying that I’m not embarrassing myself and doing a terrible job, being so unsure of what to even say in the silly little message to casting and being terrified that they’ll think I’m an idiot, as I would have in the past.
I was able to feel in this slow paced yet professional morning, the thousands of hours I’ve invested in myself to learn and grow and was therefore able to trust that I know what I’m fucking doing.
And the realization of how different I feel from when I started, the feeling of how NORMAL it felt to do this work, made me feel like a ✨real actor. ✨
Everything I’ve been doing, feels like it’s starting to pay off.
So I ask of you, Dear Reader;
What “mundane” things, what “simple” things, would make you feel like you are ✨really✨ doing what you love?
What does a “normal” day look like if you were in the middle of living your dreamiest, best life?
I’d love to know 😊
Small Wins/Big Wins!
I Wrote a Short Film!
My sweet sweet friend ACG invited me to do a reading of my short film (that I hadn’t even finished writing yet hehe) at their variety show Basement Bumz and it was such a wonderful experience.
For one thing, it gave me all the motivation I needed to actually FINISH writing something (turns out deadlines actually really help the neurodiverse of us, who the heck knew).
But I also realized it was the first time in years that I wrote something for multiple characters instead of just myself lol
And gosh did the actors DE👏LIV👏ER👏
It was incredible. Absolutely no rehearsal, just a few tonal notes from myself and ACG and the actors absolutely crushed my wildest dreams of how this thing was supposed to sound.
The premise of the short is a sort of tiny rom-com about someone who writes smut for a living but can’t talk about sex in real life to save her life (incredibly unrelatable content fursureeeee…).
I got some really wonderful feedback from folks, including that I was providing representation for the Demi/A sexual community which was exactly my intention. And another person said I was giving representation for those with what he called “Chronic Bit Disorder,” where no matter how inappropirate the situation, you just HAVE to do a bit and I am obsessed with that.
It was so inspiring and exciting of a night and I can’t wait to continue working on it!
I’m gonna continue editing and having some trustworthy folks give me their notes and then hopefully produce it! 🤞
Go check out Basement Bumz future shows and the beautiful community they facilitate!
Solocom Was a Great Success for My Clients!
Lisa’s (The Cost of Kissing) and Michelle’s (Little Stars) Solo Shows went amazingly!!
I’m so proud of them and their vulnerability and their bravery for sharing their stories on The PIT stage.
They are currently working on their NEXT show together, so please stay tuned for info about that coming soon!
I also have two brand new clients to work on their solo shows and I’m so so excited!
I LOVE helping people tell their stories and I find solo performance to be such an accessible way for anyone with a vision to perform and grow themselves as an artist.
Making a solo show is such a useful experience for finding your creative voice and discovering what is most important to you when it comes to creating work. But it also doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers or be completely isolated during your process!
If you’re interested in making a Solo Show but don’t want to do it alone, respond to this email to set up a free consultation! 😊
Stuff to Check Out
*All events are based in NYC unless otherwise specified
Advice From the Field: Photography & Visual Art Edition
My Dad, Alan Metnick, is an artist who specializes in photography, serigraphy, stained glass, painting, drawing, and textiles. When I asked him for any life advice he might give someone from his experience as an artist, he summarized something he had learned from Jewish, Hungarian war photographer, Robert Capa;
“Get closer.”
Shows
✨(Rhode Island)✨ Ocean State Improv Festival - The five-day festival brings together artists and troupes to create an interconnected community that teaches, learns, inspires, and performs together on Rhode Island’s beautiful southern coast. June 4th - June 8th, Contemporary Theater Company.
✨(Rhode Island)✨ Joe Parillo & The New Ensemble - Do you live in RI and want to hear my mom WAIL on the jazz flute? Here’s your chance. June 8th, 6pm, Pump House Music Works.
Reparations! A Juneteenth Celebration of Black Improv Comedy! - Come join your host, WildNOut's Sydney Duncan, as she celebrates Juneteenth with a line-up of the BEST all-Black improv and sketch teams in NYC! June 19th, 7pm, Caveat.
Open Mic/Jam
Speakeasy Shakespeare: Spring Edition - Bring a monologue or scene from Shakespeare to perform in NYC’s warmest and most welcoming setting of nerds! May 19th, 7:30pm, Blue Haven South.
Theatre Fundraising Event
Bard & Glam Fundraiser Night! - Come One, Come All! Step into a Fundraiser Night of the Bard with Elizabethan elegance or a modern theatrical twist. ALL PROCEEDS go to funding the upcoming production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] {Again} - FEATURING: Carla Duval, Christopher "C-MAC" McIntyre, Mackenzie Menter, Levi Penley, & Dan Yaiullo. May 15th, 7:30pm, The Rat NYC.
Livestream
AGreenQueen on Twitch - Fellow anime nerd Alli Green has started her own gaming livestream! She’s currently playing Genshin Impact which she has told me is gay and magical! Check out her Twitch page for her schedule.
Class
PIT Improv - Where I was trained and met some of my best friends! Great place to start if you’re extremely nervous like I was, is Level 0: Joy of Improv!
Sketch
*Sigh* if only relationships were like this…
What I’m Loving
THE ENGLISH DUB OF THE SK8 THE INFINITY OVA IS NOW AVAILABLE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!
Thank you so much for reading! Follow me on insta @magnadoodler for more!
a short film?! ah I can't wait!