179. Monologues 2012 REVEALED

"Fullfillment doesn't come from clearing hurdles others set for you; it comes from clearing those you set for yourself." - Robert S. Kaplan, "Reaching Your Potential" Harvard Business Review

I cannot BELIEVE this is the second-to-last post of the Acceptance Project!!!Whoooooo hoooooo! Almost DONE!

Now, in the interest of full-disclosure and transparency and getting over my own fear...I am posting videos of my four audition monologues and my a capella song for you to see. I've embedded them below.

Why has this taken sooooo long for me to get to posting these monologues? (Grad school auditions took place back in January, after all.)

I have one word for you:

RESISTANCE

"Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard or smelled. But it can be felt. It is experienced as a force field emanating from a work-in-potential. It's a repelling force. It's negative. Its intention is to shove the creator away, distract him, sap his energy, incapacitate him. 

If Resistance wins, the work doesn't get written... 

Resistance seems to come from outside ourselves. We locate it in spouses, jobs, bosses, kids, distractions. "Peripheral opponents," as Pat Riley used to say when he coached the Los Angeles Lakers.

Resistance is not a peripheral opponent. Resistance arises from within. It is self-generated and self-perpetuated. Resistance is the enemy within."  

- Stephen Pressfield, The War of Art

Even though I KNEW in my gut that I HAD to post my monologues for you all to see...EVENTUALLY. I procrastinated it to the 11th hour (a.k.a. NOW...the second-to-last post.) And I'm procrastinating another thing for tomorrow's blog post too...So I'll probably be publishing that one at like 11:55pm on April 1st. ;-P

Anyhoo...RESISTANCE. Let's talk about that for a sec...

The one and only one thing that is coming between YOU and you moving in the direction of your dreams is...(sing with me now)...Reeeeeeesiiiiiiiiissstaaaaaaance!!!

What is keeping you from doing what you KNOW in your heart-of-hearts you are capable of doing????

Let's use ME as an example here...

Me = Queen of Resistance & Duchess of Rationalization

Here are some of the fantastical thoughts that went through my head as I considered the undertaking of posting my monologues publicly on the blog:

1. I can't. I don't know how to upload video on to YouTube. I've never done it before.
2. It's going to look stupid because I don't have a real camera. I just have my iPhone.
3. I hate watching myself on camera. My acting is always waaaay too big. And I am going to look ridiculous.
4. If I post this online, anyone will be able to view it...even potentially ~gasp~ casting professionals. What if they don't like my work and I get a reputation for being a "bad" actor?
5. I don't have time. It's going to take FOREVER to figure out how to do this.
6. I hate asking for help, but I'll never be able to figure this out on my own. Who would possibly agree to help me with this project? I can't PAY anyone to help me. They'd have to do it out of the goodness of their heart. I don't want to IMPOSE on anyone. 
7. I'd have to shoot this after work one day and I'm going to be exhausted and the light might be all gone and shooting at night might be hard. I don't know what to expect since I've never done this before.

And here's what I told myself to be able to get all my resistant thoughts to SHUT UP...and let me do my WORK already:

1. Even though I have never uploaded any video to YouTube before, I know TONS of people who do that alllll the time, so it really can't be that hard. If I allow my self enough time, I'm sure I can figure it out. And if I need help I can think of at least 3 people off-the-top-of-my-head that I could call to assist me. No problem.
2. Even though I only have an iPhone to record with...that's FINE. It doesn't need to be super high quality. The purpose of me posting these videos is not to win cinematography awards, it is to RECORD a snapshot in time of where I am at with these monologues that I worked on this year. That's allllll. An iPhone is a perfectly adequate tool for this purpose.
3. So what if your acting is too big? So what if you look ridiculous? Who cares? YOU ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS and so are these monologues. There are going to be moments in the pieces that you LOVE and are proud of...and things that you see that you'd like to improve. (DON'T LET THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD! That's what I've been telling myself from day one of this blog.) Don't judge yourself! Get SOMETHING up there! You've shared soooooo much about this entire experience through your writing. Don't chicken-out now! Be courageous! Show your acting work! That's what this is all about, right? Some people will love it and some people with think it's total crap...That's okay. Either way...you will have overcome your fear of showing your work...in all it's flawed glory...AND THAT'S SUCCESS.
4. As for casting folks...the ones that see it and don't like it...probably won't contact me. But there may be people that see it and think..."Hey, I've got a project that girl might be right for...Let me email her and give her a shot."  OR....If I get a lot of really negative feedback on it...I can always take it down...re-shoot...and try again. It's a learning process...And I can get better at it...but only if I start somewhere.
5. Time? Reaaaaally, Virginia? If you have time to watch Failure Club on Yahoo! Screen (my favorite show right now), then you have time to get on your computer and figure out how to make this YouTube uploading thing happen. Just start by logging-in to the website. Start there. The rest will happen naturally. Oh! And make an appointment on your calendar to shoot the video. If you don't schedule it into your life...it ain't gonna happen.
6. Get over your issue about ASKING FOR HELP!...You know you've got people in your life that would love to support you in this project and have the skills to easily make this happen. AND it'll be waaaaay more fun to collaborate with someone awesome on this project. Call MATT STEINER!  You just saw that he uploaded his CLOWN REEL onto his website. He could totally help you....AND HE DID!!!! (Thanks, Matt. You are the BEST. Thank you. These videos would NOT have happened without you. Had a BLAST working on this with you. So. Much. Fun.)
7. Go for it. Work with what you've got...So you've got some lighting issues? Whatever. It's fine...as long as you're not in the dark, you're okay...So the sound is not so great. We can bump up the volume as best we can when we're editing...and we'll do the best we can...Get going NOW, because this blog is ending on April 1st and it's gotta get done!!!....So you've only gotten 4 hours of sleep on top of a loooooong week of uber-stress at work? Yeah. Boo-hoo Wilcox. There's never going to be a perfect circumstance. So take it from where you are at and that's a PERFECT place to start these monologues. Go with it. Use it. Use whatever energy you have...and go from there. That's all you can do.

Sooooo that was how I overcame my resistance to posting these monologues.

True story.

Now...without further ado...My audition monologues for Juilliard, NYU and Yale 2012...

The Foreigner by Larry Shue (Catherine)
Lives of the Great Waitresses by Nina Shengold (Melissa)
The Convent of Pleasure by Margaret Cavendish (Lady Happy)
Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare (Julia)

You can view these on my YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.

I've also embedded them for you below...And my a capella song too.

Catherine from The Foreigner

Contemporary monologue that I did for NYU & Yale.

Melissa from Lives of the Great Waitresses

Contemporary monologue that I did for Juilliard.

Lady Happy from The Convent of Pleasure

Classical monologue that I did for NYU .

Julia from Two Gentlemen of Verona

Shakespeare monologue that I did for Yale and Juilliard.

"Make Someone Happy" by Comden/Green/Styne

A capella song that I sang for NYU and Juilliard.

Could I have done all this better? SURE. Yes. Definitely.

And I WILL DO BETTER...next time.

But what really matters is that I DID IT.

I'm sharing my process and getting my work out there...FINALLY.

Resistance be damned!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loves,
Virginia

“Keep working. Don’t turn anything down...Don’t get precious. You’re young, you’re learning. Keep working.” - Stephen Pressfield, Writing Wednesdays

178. Q&A with Julie Alexandria (Self-Made Girl)

"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." - James Allen

When I started posting the "interview series," I had intended to complete interviews with three people that I admire and consider to be creating thriving careers in the BIZ, each are graduates of the MFA programs that I've been auditioning for:

Daniel Talbott (Juilliard)

Bryce Pinkham (Yale)

Jeremy Rishe (NYU)

All three of them were generous enough to sit down, answer all my prying questions and share their experiences for your and my edification and inspiration. THANKS GUYS!

However, it dawned on me about a week ago that I was not being very thorough in my representation of the NY experience for successful artists. For there are MANY thriving artists that I greatly admire in NY that DO NOT HAVE AN MFA.

So in the interest of giving a full spectrum of perspectives to the "interview series"...I asked my friend Julie Alexandria to share with us her experience and her unique perspective on the matter.

Due to the fact that this Accepance Project Blog will be completed in 3 days, Julie and I didn't have time to sit down for a face-to-face interview. (This woman is craaaaazy busy!) But we don't let obstacles like..."there's-no-time" get in the way of the greater good! So I sent her some questions by email and she was awesome about responding super fast!!! I've included her answers below.

But enough from me...Let's get to Julie, already!

Julie Alexandria

V: Hey, Julie! Where to begin? How about...Give us a little mini bio...Where are you from? Where did you attend undergrad? Where do you live now?

J: Hi, I'm Julie Alexandria. I'm a TV host and sports and entertainment reporter based in NY and LA. I was born in Queens, NY, and then grew up in Orange County, CA when my family moved us out there. I was really into the arts as a kid, and I was fortunate to attend a performing arts high school which was really the start of my artistic journey. I worked at local Equity theaters and at civic light operas, as well as performing in high school productions. I later attended Cal State Long Beach as a theater major.

V: Tell the readers how we know each other...

J: Virginia and I met performing in summer stock theater out in California. We played opposite each other in a production of "Honk!", and we bonded instantly.

Virginia & Julie circa 2003 (Summer Repertory Theatre - Santa Rosa, CA)

Sorry, Julie...I HAD TO...LOL! (She's going to KILL me for including this photo.)

J: Virginia was, and continues to be, a great friend. (Except when it comes to posting embarrassing photos on her blog...CLEARLY.) It was there that one of the directors told me "You're good. You should move to New York and make something of yourself." Four weeks later, I did just that.

V: Give a little overview of the kinds of jobs you are making your living doing currently...

J: I'm currently involved in several projects, including hosting a show about baseball for Bloomberg Sports, covering an interesting angle on entertainment reporting for a new show for Travel Channel, and keeping busy in the studio as a voice over artist. I'm also out as much as I can auditioning for new shows, commercials, and VO spots.



V: Who has been your greatest supporter/most influential mentor?

J: I draw a lot of support from my family. They were there to chauffeur me to rehearsals when I was a kid doing community theater, they sat through my "Experimental Theater" performances, and they flew across the country to see my shows in NYC. They have always encouraged me to keep going, to never give up, and to take risks. For that, I am forever grateful.

V: Have you have any negative motivators? (Ex. Naysayers...Back-biters...Your own limiting beliefs) How have you delt with people that don't support you in your dreams/goals?

J: Sure, there are lots of negative people in this world. People who try to bring you down, who plant doubts in your mind, or tell you that it's impossible to be successful in this business. To those people I say thank you. Thank you for making me try harder, and for strengthening my desire to succeed. Sometimes in this business, you are gonna meet some people who do not see you as the talent you think you are. And that's ok. The important thing is to try to take it in stride and not let it bring you down.

V: Strategies for success in NY: What was your expectation of the kind of work came here to do vs. what actually ended up happening? How do you feel about where you are at now as compared to what you used to think was possible?

J: I initially moved to New York with dreams of starring on Broadway. Acting was my thing -- especially Shakespeare. I expected to act off Broadway, perhaps tour a bit, and eventually break into the Broadway scene. But my career took a different path. After a few years I signed with an agency, and they started sending me out for auditions. I ended up booking my first hosting audition, and I really enjoyed the work. I still had a passion for the stage, but I figured, why fight it? I'm working and making money, and it just felt like the right path for me. (Check out her HOSTING REEL HERE.)

V: Have you ever considered grad school? Why did you decide not to take that path? Do you think an MFA gives one an advantage for a successful career in the arts?

J: I considered grad school, and I even went out to ACT to audition for them. I hadn't prepped with a coach, and I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I did a Neil Simon monologue (I know… I know… I was young, don't judge ;-) and surprisingly enough they asked me to stay for the group callback. I made it into the alternate pool, but I didn't end up attending the program. I sometimes think back on it and wonder what if, and perhaps someday I will go back and study that art that I adore.

Everyone has a different path, and I don't think an MFA is a requirement to be successful in this business. It can give you certain tools that can be helpful along the way, and it can definitely help with the networking side of things. Grad school gives you access to a large community of like-minded individuals, as well as access to agents, casting directors, producers, directors, writers and many others who can help a person along their journey. It really depends on the person, some people are better off learning on their own and making their own way, and others thrive in the more academic setting of an MFA program. Whatever the path, in the end it doesn't matter what name or letters are after your name, what really matters are those precious few moments in front of the director, producers, and casting director once you open the door to the audition room.

V: Share with us your best piece of advice about auditioning in NY/LA.

J: When it comes to auditioning I hear now more than ever, "Just be yourself". Maybe it's the success of YouTube, and reality TV, but the media is obsessed with the unpolished, the unique, and the real. In light of this, it's a good idea to highlight what makes you unique or different. Do you have a certain skill or aptitude, something that makes you stand out? When choosing an audition monologue pay close attention to your type. Ask yourself "Can I currently play this part?" or "What can I bring to this role?"

Most of my Hosting auditions usually have some cold reading component. I suggest taking a class on this if this is not your thing. It is common to also demonstrate improv skills - either alone or in a group. When it comes to a written script, I like to alter the copy and put my own spin on it. This can be risky, but if you are familiar with the subject, I say go for it. Otherwise, stick to the script. Half the battle is just getting in the room, the rest of it is what you actually DO in the room.

V: Care to weigh-in on the importance of networking?

J: Fact: It's a small industry. When you think of all of the big Hollywood and Broadway producers and directors, you know they had to start somewhere. Either as a PA working on the set of a movie, getting coffee for everyone, or maybe as an office temp pushing papers for the big wigs.

My point is -- Be nice to everyone. Today's PA's are tomorrows Producers. You never know when the assistant you are working with will be offered a bigger job, or in 5 years, that guy who was wrangling the extras on set, is now an associate producer. It never hurts to be nice, and never underestimate the power of learning a person's name.

As in any business its important to keep in touch with people you meet. Have a business card, and always keep them on hand. You never know who you might run into. I'm also a big fan of thank you cards/notes/emails after a meeting or audition.

(Side note from Virginia: I have sent thank you notes to the faculty at NYU & Yale every year that I've auditioned...and I even sent thank you notes to some of the faculty at Juilliard after attending the MFA Info Session. A well-written and heartfelt thank you note that says something unique and TRUE and personal...really shows that you care and you're willing to go-the-extra-mile. NOBODY sends hand-written notes anymore. So taking the time to do this can really set you apart from the crowd in ANY situation.)

V: How about social networking, any thoughts?

J: When it comes to social networking - anyone can see your page/profile/timeline; so regard it as such.

As far as Twitter is concerned I like to reference this quote from the awesome Ellen DeGeneres "Don't tweet anything that you wouldn't want plastered as the headline of your local paper" I'm paraphrasing, but it was something to that effect. I happen to love twitter, so follow me! @JulieAlexandria. Very often in hosting auditions I'm asked "How many Twitter followers do you have?" They wanna know what and who you bring to the table.

Social networking is a great way to build your community, share industry info, and keep in touch with other actors/artistic people. It's also important to have a website so that people can find you online -- it doesn't have to be overly fancy-schmancy, but it should have your basic information including contact info, head shot, resume, and reel.

V: Anything else you'd like to add?

J: Be fearless. There are no mistakes, only learning experiences.

I also want to say thank you, to you, Virginia, for your candidness, your honesty, your truth. For sharing something so dear to your heart. Thank you for showing us what it is to be a brave artist, and to be your true self. You have a bright future ahead, and no doubt will accomplish all you have set out to do.

Thank you, Julie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If there's any question in your mind that you might not be able to have a successful career if you don't go to a fancy grad school...or ANY grad school for that matter...I hope that reading about Julie's experience has helped inspire you to get moving and make things happen on your own.

Grad school is not the only way.

Make your own curriculum. Figure out the areas where you feel you need training to strengthen your craft and start practicing now.

YOU are the creator of your own experience. YOU can create the kind of successful career you've always dreamed of...You don't have to wait for a silly acceptance letter to TELL you that you can. Give yourself the permission to GO FOR IT! And be open to the opportunities and helpers that will come your way.One thing will lead to another...lead to another...lead to another...and as long as you keep on the path and moving in the direction of building what you want...and don't give up (even when all the obstacles seem soooooo overwhelming that it just seems like total insanity to continue)...DON'T GIVE UP... and don't be attached to HOW you're going to get there...but just know/trust/believe/imagine that you WILL get there...that you ARE there...and enjoy the journey along the way... and be grateful for the mistakes as well as the triumphs...because those are the things that help refine you and make you awesomer. Don't be afraid. You are awesome already. True story.

Anyway, anyway, anyway...blah, blah, blah...Enough of my soap-boxing!

Get off your computer and go DO IT!

Loves,
V

P.S. OMG! Two more posts and the project is DONE! WHEW!!!!!...If I paid myself by the hour for this project I'd be rollin' in the dough! LOL!...As it is...I will take my payment in good karma. That's got a better rate of return than cash anyway. ;-)

P.P.S. Follow me on Twitter! @viavirginia ... Julie's inspired me to want to tweet more. :-P

P.P.P.S. Check out Julie's latest Verizon commercial!...Loooooooove it!

177. Non-Fear

"We practice [mindfulness] in order to have the capacity to deal with desire, to smile with desire, so that we may be free from it." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Fidelity

Yesterday was an emotional roller-coaster ride. I was informed that there is still a chance that I may be accepted to NYU Grad Acting in the fall. (If you missed yesterday's post. You can read all about it HERE.)

Up until yesterday, I had totally let go of the idea that it was even a REMOTE possibility that I was still under serious consideration at NYU. I mean, they didn't even ask me to go to the callback weekend. (Not that I could have attended anyway, since I had to be in San Diego that weekend for work.) NYU put me on the "wait-list" with 250 other people. So...that didn't sound promising.

And then BAM! Phone call from Janet Zarish. "Virginia, we'd like you to be one of two alternates for this year's class."

Yeah. Sure. Okay. AWESOME!

Very thrilling.

Sooooooo naturally....yesterday my head was spinning around from the new given circumstances of my life.

What's going to happen?

How should I be feeling about all of this?... Happy?... Scared?

I mean...WHAT IF I GET IN?

And...WHAT IF I DON'T GET IN?

Think.

Think.

Think.

Then...I had an AWESOME REALIZATION this afternoon.

Even though "acceptance" is sooooooo close I can almost taste it...

I am NOT AFRAID of not getting accepted to NYU.

I am also NOT AFRAID of getting accepted to NYU.

I. Am. Not. Afraid.

NOT AFRAID.

And that makes me HAPPY!

I know that I am perfectly happy with either outcome. TRULY.

That's an incredibly wonderful and liberating feeling.

I'm happy with living in the mystery for a while. It's kind of FUN, actually...The not-knowing-what-the-heck-is-going-to-happen.

"Fear distorts our lives and makes us miserable. We cling to objects and people, like a drowning person clinging to a floating log. By practicing nonattachment and sharing this wisdom with others, we give the gift of non-fear. Everything is impermanent. This moment passes. That person walks away. [YOU DON'T GET ACCEPTED TO GRAD SCHOOL.] Happiness is still possible." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Fidelity

Happiness is allllllllways possible!

F#%k fear.

Surprise people...surprise yourself...PRACTICE NON-FEAR.

External circumstances will never bring true joy. Joy comes from within. So choose to be happy NOW.

Loves,
V

"True love is generated from within. With true love, you feel complete in yourself; you don't need something from outside. True love is like the sun, shining with its own light, and offering that light to everyone."  - Thich Nhat Hanh, Fidelity