(Confused? Look it up.) Countdown to the opening show for The Memory of Water is posted to the right, just below the Google Search box. You can view the show poster here (warning: PDF).
Carol's rehearsal schedule is picking up as the opening date approaches. Those of you following Carol's acting career know that this is her first true featured performance, which has her both excited and a little nervous! I've already heard much of the show, as Carol rehearses her lines constantly-- in the car, at dinner, in the bathroom... I even got to read some of the other characters' lines so Carol could record them for practice.
This should be a great show! It has something for everyone: death, sex, drugs, booze, romance, comedy, drama. Don't miss it! I am planning to attend the opening night show (2/9), as well as closing night (2/18). If anyone would like to join, just let me know!
Oh-- and a brief Fred Claus update. I also updated the post below (Fred Claus II). They canceled the shoot that was scheduled for 1/22, but have rescheduled it for this Saturday, 1/27. If you are available, and would like to give it a try (Carol will be there), be sure to contact Joan Philo ahead of time, so they can get your registration information. I just filled out the Registration Form on their web site (warning: PDF), and sent it in with a 4x6, and they called me within a couple days. Good luck!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Today's The Day!
Greetings Fans,
Today is the day, some indeterminate number of years ago, that our starlet entered the world. Let's take a few moments to review Carol's stage life...
Carol started her acting career at a young age, with the roles of Tigger, and a key part in the marching band ensemble in The Music Man in grade school. Some time later, she was cast in the role of Peg Knuckles in a New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Drama. We have managed to acquire this rare casting photo from that performance.
Happy New Year! (circa 1992) Peg Knuckles
Sadly, this was to be Carol's last theatrical performance for some time. After spending too many years as a corporate drone, Carol's passion for performing was forgotten. Her creative spark was all but extinguished by the numbing boredom of courseware maintenance and project management. Years of cubicle dwelling had withered Carol's spirit... but not crushed it completely. Near the end of her corporate career, Carol got a taste of performing once again. Facilitating and Training started to awaken those long dormant feelings; the thrill of the stage, the energy of the audience. Something started to stir in Carol's soul.
In the Fall of 2004, the shackles were broken, when Carol was relieved of her job of 19 years. Free at last! Not knowing where to start, Carol took some acting classes to explore her options. That spark which had been smoldering deep in Carol's soul, sprang to life! This is what she needed to be doing! The tinder was added to the fire, and her passion was re-ignited!
From there, we know the story. Seven episodes of Prison Break, Chow's Chinese, The Strip, Movin' Right Along, The Wizard of Oz, two episodes of ER, Fred Claus, The Memory of Water, and in the coming months, the children's show The Mystery of the Missing Moon.
After an indeterminate number of years in the making, Carol's acting career has been jump-started, and her creative fire is burning once again. Here's looking forward to many more years of entertainment and passion. Happy Birthday, Babe!
-- Love, your biggest fan.
Today is the day, some indeterminate number of years ago, that our starlet entered the world. Let's take a few moments to review Carol's stage life...
Carol started her acting career at a young age, with the roles of Tigger, and a key part in the marching band ensemble in The Music Man in grade school. Some time later, she was cast in the role of Peg Knuckles in a New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Drama. We have managed to acquire this rare casting photo from that performance.
Happy New Year! (circa 1992) Peg KnucklesIn the Fall of 2004, the shackles were broken, when Carol was relieved of her job of 19 years. Free at last! Not knowing where to start, Carol took some acting classes to explore her options. That spark which had been smoldering deep in Carol's soul, sprang to life! This is what she needed to be doing! The tinder was added to the fire, and her passion was re-ignited!
From there, we know the story. Seven episodes of Prison Break, Chow's Chinese, The Strip, Movin' Right Along, The Wizard of Oz, two episodes of ER, Fred Claus, The Memory of Water, and in the coming months, the children's show The Mystery of the Missing Moon.
After an indeterminate number of years in the making, Carol's acting career has been jump-started, and her creative fire is burning once again. Here's looking forward to many more years of entertainment and passion. Happy Birthday, Babe!
-- Love, your biggest fan.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Fred Claus II -- UPDATED
No, not the sequel, already. Joan Philo Casting contacted me again to see if I could work another upcoming shoot for Fred Claus. I can't justify taking off from work, but Carol will be making the trek downtown again.
The shoot is on Monday, 1/22 (the day after Carol's Birthday!), on Michigan Ave., and is likely an all day affair (see my recounting of our two-day Fred Claus appearance below). If you are interested, available, and are in the Chicago area, they are looking for more people. Give them a call at: (773)626-7915.
UPDATE: The Monday, 1/22 shot has been canceled, but they have rescheduled to Saturday, 1/27.
The shoot is on Monday, 1/22 (the day after Carol's Birthday!), on Michigan Ave., and is likely an all day affair (see my recounting of our two-day Fred Claus appearance below). If you are interested, available, and are in the Chicago area, they are looking for more people. Give them a call at: (773)626-7915.
UPDATE: The Monday, 1/22 shot has been canceled, but they have rescheduled to Saturday, 1/27.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
ER Alert!
Greetings Fans! Just a quick note to let you know that the next new episode of ER should be the one with Carol's remaining appearance. But, according to the Episode Guide, it won't be aired until 2/11. The scene we're waiting for is: "Luka receives an emergency summons, and finds himself in the middle of a tense confrontation." I will be sure to post a reminder when we get closer to air time. Check your local listings...
Monday, January 08, 2007
Fred Claus
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Christmas may be over, but there were Santas and Carolers in Chicago on Michigan Avenue this weekend. I mentioned several posts ago that Carol had been asked to work as an extra (or, as many prefer: background actor) for the upcoming Christmas movie, Fred Claus. Since I had such a great time in my last (or first) film appearance ("The Strip", back in August), I decided to give it another try.
I sent my picture to Joan Philo Casting, and what do you know... they called me! In fact, they wanted me quite badly for a scene with a bunch of "nicely dressed businessmen", but unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to work with Carol if I had taken that job-- plus, I don't have a business suit that actually fits me any more (maybe time to lose a few holiday pounds!), and they were looking for men in suits. Thus, I had to decline the special project. Instead, I got to work the same days that Carol was scheduled for, and we spent two days downtown, doing our best imitations of upscale Michigan Avenue shoppers.
Day 1: We started the first day in front of the Historic Water Tower, walking back and forth as the camera across the street shot establishing shots. Then we were unceremoniously moved to a corner even farther away in front of Water Tower Place, where we had to stand in the biting wind, and are quite likely not visible at all-- not fun! Our next assignment was a bit better, in that we moved to the opposite corner where Vince (we're on a first name basis now) was shooting a scene with several Santas. (Oddly enough, you can see a number of pictures of this scene being shot on this Polish News Site.) We spent an hour or so walking back and forth around Vince, as he worked the crowd of busy shoppers for Christmas donations. We just might be visible in this scene, as we passed back and forth behind Vince and in front of the camera a number of times. After lunch, we ended that day in another grunt scene, where we basically stood across the street from where Vince was shooting, and acted as a human barrier to keep passerby from crossing the street. Twelve hours total, end of Day 1.
Day 2: Our call time was 5am (as was Day 1). They had to finish part of a scene that they started filming the day before, so we got to sit inside while they took some of the group to finish that scene. Long story short, we sat around for over six hours! (But, at least we were inside, and could catch up on our sleep.) Just as they brought lunch in, they told us we could grab lunch, and then they would use us-- but, things change quickly, and because the sun was right, they needed us right now. Hurry up and wait-- that is the life of a background actor. We dropped our sandwiches, hurried down to the Wrigley Building where this scene was being shot, got positioned and received our instructions (Carol and I were to just stand and "mingle"). And then-- the sun wasn't right. So, they had to reposition the cameras, and shoot from the opposite angle (now facing away from us-- so we're now BEHIND the cameras). So, we got to stand around for another two hours while they shot various parts of this scene. Finally, at about 2:00, they turned the cameras around to shoot back in our direction, and we got to reprise our roles as "upscale Michigan Avenue shoppers". So, after 11.5 hours and no lunch, our second day came to an end.
Two very long days standing around in the Chicago cold is enough for me! I certainly would not want to do this all the time-- but it is quite interesting to see, and gives you a new appreciation for what goes into making a movie!
You can view the Fred Claus trailer on the official movie site here.
I sent my picture to Joan Philo Casting, and what do you know... they called me! In fact, they wanted me quite badly for a scene with a bunch of "nicely dressed businessmen", but unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to work with Carol if I had taken that job-- plus, I don't have a business suit that actually fits me any more (maybe time to lose a few holiday pounds!), and they were looking for men in suits. Thus, I had to decline the special project. Instead, I got to work the same days that Carol was scheduled for, and we spent two days downtown, doing our best imitations of upscale Michigan Avenue shoppers.Day 1: We started the first day in front of the Historic Water Tower, walking back and forth as the camera across the street shot establishing shots. Then we were unceremoniously moved to a corner even farther away in front of Water Tower Place, where we had to stand in the biting wind, and are quite likely not visible at all-- not fun! Our next assignment was a bit better, in that we moved to the opposite corner where Vince (we're on a first name basis now) was shooting a scene with several Santas. (Oddly enough, you can see a number of pictures of this scene being shot on this Polish News Site.) We spent an hour or so walking back and forth around Vince, as he worked the crowd of busy shoppers for Christmas donations. We just might be visible in this scene, as we passed back and forth behind Vince and in front of the camera a number of times. After lunch, we ended that day in another grunt scene, where we basically stood across the street from where Vince was shooting, and acted as a human barrier to keep passerby from crossing the street. Twelve hours total, end of Day 1.
Day 2: Our call time was 5am (as was Day 1). They had to finish part of a scene that they started filming the day before, so we got to sit inside while they took some of the group to finish that scene. Long story short, we sat around for over six hours! (But, at least we were inside, and could catch up on our sleep.) Just as they brought lunch in, they told us we could grab lunch, and then they would use us-- but, things change quickly, and because the sun was right, they needed us right now. Hurry up and wait-- that is the life of a background actor. We dropped our sandwiches, hurried down to the Wrigley Building where this scene was being shot, got positioned and received our instructions (Carol and I were to just stand and "mingle"). And then-- the sun wasn't right. So, they had to reposition the cameras, and shoot from the opposite angle (now facing away from us-- so we're now BEHIND the cameras). So, we got to stand around for another two hours while they shot various parts of this scene. Finally, at about 2:00, they turned the cameras around to shoot back in our direction, and we got to reprise our roles as "upscale Michigan Avenue shoppers". So, after 11.5 hours and no lunch, our second day came to an end.
Two very long days standing around in the Chicago cold is enough for me! I certainly would not want to do this all the time-- but it is quite interesting to see, and gives you a new appreciation for what goes into making a movie!You can view the Fred Claus trailer on the official movie site here.
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