I could go on writing volumes about how mind blowing the tech was, or how elaborate the costumes were; I could probably chat your ear off about how intelligent the staging was, or how memorizing the cast was. I could even go on about how this production has provided me "passion-energy" the way the sun re-energizes Superman after a long day of hard battles with evil-doers.
But I won't.
Instead, I'll just use those THREE words. And coincidentally they're exactly how I'd describe my date (in a very non-traditional sense of the word date, mind you) for the evening.
All in all, a terrific way to have spent a Friday evening.
As some of you may know, I'm not exclusive to my own blog but I do write entries in several other *blogs. Recently I wrote an entry regarding Barkada Inc's documentation of Bakitwhy's Mixer in San Francisco.
For the uninitiated, Bakitwhy(.com) is an organization that promotes, cultivates and but certainly not limited to, discovering talented Filipino Americans while promoting the Filipino American lifestyle. As I mentioned, it's not limited to just Filipino Americans, it extends to Filipinos in general.
Our film team, Barkada Inc., was fortunately enough to attend the Mixer and we had a great time. If you're interested in viewing the vlog, it's available on Youtube & Vimeo. In any event, we were excited to find out that Bakitwhy has decided to post our video and give us a quick shout out on their website! I, for one, am stoked. Here's a screenshot of their front page with our video hosted.
If you're a Filipino please take the time to visit their site. Actually, even if you're non-Filipinos but find interest in learning more about the culture, then by all means, visit them at: HTTP://WWW.BAKITWHY.COM
Here they are folks, all three videos made for the Dorito's commercial video contest. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was fortunate enough to work with EyeQ Films on this project and here are the fruits of the labor. Please enjoy and spread.
Due to the nature of my career path, I'm always mixed with an assortment of people. They say networking is one of the most important aspects of an actor's job but to what degree? How aggressive should the networking be? I'd like to think that you should only push far enough that you're not putting yourself in a position where you're not presenting the most truthful representation of yourself.
October moving into November has been an exciting ride for me. Not only have I been a slew of new people but I've also reinforced some of the recent friendships I came across during the last 48hr Film Festival in San Jose. Not even a year ago Cinequest was in town and I remember whispering to myself that one day I'll be fortunate enough to work with a director whose work was presented in the festival.
Boom, enter Alejandro Adams. A wonderful man, a terrific director and one whose work I do enjoy. You may remember a previous entry I made in regards to his current film, Babnik. I look forward to working with him again soon.
Last weekend in a very interesting turn of events, I was, again fortunate enough to work with a crew I've looked forward to meeting. The folks at EyeQ Films offered me the chance to work with them on a few videos for the Dorito's contest! You'll see the results of our hard work soon. While I could go into detail about what who's and what's, I'll save that for another entry when our vids are actually online. In the meantime, here's a short they entered into the last 48hr Film Festival: The Animals
I guess what I'm trying to say is, when you're building bridges...make sure you build it good and strong.
Some people have passion in food. Others feel that passion is food for the soul. Regardless of how you look at it, working on an indie film is very much the combination of food and passion.
When Alejandro invited me to join them on the set of Babnik, I was more than delighted. But at the same time I couldn't help feel like that neighbor you bring along to a picnic. If you think about it, an indie film can easily take on a very family-like atmosphere. There are rules, there's work and there's play.
The location for the shoot was remote so a carpooling system was put in place. Due to the nature of indie films, it's easy to see how close the cast and crew can be. I carpooled in Alejandro's vehicle and it took on a very comfortable picnic-like appeal, complete with bottled water and tasty snacks. Fast forward 2hrs and I've met the bulk of the cast and crew and immediately I feel at ease as they're incredibly cordial and generous. Food arrives just as shooting starts and there's an energy that reminded me of family gatherings: plates passed around, laughter smothers the air, and stories start being shared. Regardless of where everyone came from, they all share a common destination: The realization of the project in the highest quality.
Filming started as the last paper plate was crumpled and trashed. Perhaps the greatest angle about being active in your passion is how it doesn't feel like work. Maybe it's different for others, but that's how I look at it. When I'm acting, or participating in performance art, I've never been weighed down by the fact that it's still work. There are certain rules that each person is responsible to abide by: being on time, listening to directions, completing a task to the highest degree possible. Sure, after a 12hr day my feet are sore but I'd be more than willing to throw down another few hours if needed. Watching everyone contribute to the project reminded me that the set of a movie (or stage production) is probably one of the most organic work places.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all work in rustic Calistoga, there were enough shenanigans taking place to make any High Schooler jealous (in a good way). There was dancing, running, walnut cracking, gun trotting, food gobbling, and all around goofiness shared by the cast and crew.
All in all a fantastic experience!
My deepest thanks to Alejandro for having me along to share the magic of filmmaking, to meeting new friends and to spark in me the belief that family extends beyond blood relation and that maybe all we need in life is food and passion.
They say the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. Or something to that degree. Well, I've officially embarked on a journey that I hope will make a difference in this world. It's a project BARKADA INC has decided to complete. I won't let the cat out of the bag just yet but we'll probably be starting a blog about it soon so keep your eyes open. If you're itching to find out, just follow this LINK.
A friend recently had me read this thing she did in class and wondered what my answer was. Apparently I answered correctly but I'll let you try:
In this world all married men lie and all single men tell the truth. A young woman in a club approaches three guys. She asks the first guy if he is married but doesn't hear his answer because the music is too loud. The second guy replies "the first guy said "I'm married", but he is really single." The third guy says that the second guy is single.
A friend and I were talking about human interactions and she brought to my attention, the "spiel". The deal is, when people to talk to each other, especially if either they've just met or they're having a conversation after some time apart they always seem to want to push their spiels onto the other person. It's probably a generalization but think about it, when was the last time you had a conversation with someone you haven't seen in a while and just listened. Purely listened with no intention of really wanting to share what you've got hidden in your conversation bag?
Okay, maybe I overstated that idea. Now that I think about it, there are numerous conversations I've participated in where I'm content to just listen. I suppose what I'm trying to say in this entry is...I'm now more aware of the "spiel" when it comes around. It just surprised me because I like to pride myself in my well practiced behavioral observations of humans. Just to clarify, I'm mentioning this purely for personal awareness and not because I think the "spiels" are silly.
I took a film analysis class a few years ago and it gave me that extra dimension of watching film. I now feel that way about conversations. So, what's your name?
We all have them. Some more than others. Here are three notable moments in my life:
Number 3: The Loogie.
Oh yeah...so in third grade, I arrive at school on Monday morning after suffering from a cold all weekend and before the first period bell even goes I explode into a sneeze that literally projects a THREE foot loogie string out of my nose! Yep, I said...in many respects I can look at it now and be proud that something so amazingly disgusting came out of my body so early in my life. I won't go into details about the actual texture and shape, but it was impressive! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has forgotten about that. I mean, if I can remember a classmate who ATE boogers, I'm sure someone would still remember little ole me ejecting some oozy goodness out of my nose, right?
Right?
Number 2: The Secret is Out
Okay, so number 4 is actually a combination of different situations in my life where I've had a secret crush revealed and while it didn't really have large negative results on my development, they still contribute to those "Oh god, I'm red as a tomato" moments. This teaches me to keep my mouth shut when I have a crush on someone, or at the very least, find mutes to share secrets with. I suppose the way I've combated this problem lately is I've decided to quickly tell the person I have a crush on that...well...I have a crush on them. Yeah, sounds like balls right? You'd be surprised. In many cases, I really enjoy the friendship and would hate to ruin it by mentioning that, oh, I have the biggest crush on them. Yeah, double edged swords blow monkey chunks.
Luckily I think I've come off less creepy than other people have been made out to be, so I suppose the risk is worth it. In the end, the truth is out and I feel better having said what bubbled around in my mind and the person(s) in question can be happy that their ego has successfully been fed.
Number 1: The Banana Tree
When I was younger, say early teens, a neighbor and I ventured into the edge of the jungle near my house and decided to see what lighter fluid and a match can do. *Laughs* I can't tell this story without at least letting a cackle out. So anyway, we doused the shaft of this banana tree and some of its leaves with lighter fluid THEN read the instructions on the back of the canister. Gee, how can this amazing liquid be so dangerous?
Moments later we lit the match and tossed it at the tree. FRAAWWWWWOOOM! This tree light up so fast and so viciously that we were knocked back. LOL, oh man...I miss being a kid. Anyway, we ran our asses so fast out of there that we were clear under our sheets when we noticed all the mechanics from the nearby auto shop dashing towards our "experiment" with buckets of water. Oh man, I got such a whooping that night. Extremely notable.
A short film I put together after Alana and I visited the CAS: California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. We had a great time! Just as we were leaving, Alana decides to change her roll of film allowing me a small window of time to film. Enjoy.
Quickly, before I forget. I met up with a friend and previous castmate to watch another former castmate's play, "The Dentist" by John Rebstock. (More on this in another blog). Anyway, we had one of the deepest conversations I've ever had. And it wasn't deep to be deep, it just turned out that way. Unfortunately, like most things that are precious, their gone just like that and they end up reserved in the deepest recesses of our memories. But here are some questions that came up.
What are your principles?
Are you open minded?
What philosophies do you adhere to?
Am I offending you?
Which would you pick, truthful or real?
Are they inexplicably connected?
You're probably thinking, "Those are simple questions". Okay, maybe. But they start being complicated, complex and exciting when the person asking them challenges them. Or asks a side question that spurns you into gear and the conversation gets deeper and deeper. It occured to me, a couple of times, that I'm answering some of his questions in a way feels like I'm only answering it in this way to justify my reasoning when I should be answering it in a way that's truthful to me.
Does that make any sense?
Anyway, I just want to make a shout out to my friend, Bizachin for a terrific and thought provoking conversation. Which, if I were to describe in one sentence, would be:
"It was profound to me in a cerebral way, in that, I want to rave about it to the world, but I know the experience and feeling was singularly mine and his, and everyone else will only feel the aftershocks."
I recently came across a quote that resonated deep within my current self. A friend told me that we reform our opinions about relationships every seven years. Whether or not there's an actual statistic on this, I'm not sure. But after some thought, I tend to agree. At any rate, here's the quote I saw.
I no longer think being in love is the polar opposite of being alone, however. I say that because I used to want to be in love again as I assumed this was the opposite of loneliness. I think being in love is an opposite of loneliness, but not the opposite. There are other things I now crave when I am lonely, like community, like friendship, like family. I think our society puts too much pressure on romantic love, and that is why so many romances fail. Romance can’t possibly carry all that we want it to." - Donald Miller
What do YOU think?
And while you're thinking about it, watch this beautiful time-lapse of San Francisco taken from Twin Peaks.
So I'm a big fan of lists so here's one that I felt like sharing. It's my top 3 list of impulsive spendatures! (Wait, is spendature even a word?)
Number 3: Camera Equipment
Oh man, I love my Canon HV30. Maybe it's because it shoots pretty pictures and motion pictures. Or maybe it's because it's a cute dainty little thing that packs a punch. It could be because I can't wait to really push it to its limits and shoot my first short with it. OR maybe because it's the first camcorder I've ever owned.
Actually, it's all of the above! I started signed up with Vimeo so if you're interested in seeing some of the things I've put together CLICK HERE. And just like that I like to dress it up and make it look all stylish. I found my "thing" maybe, hehe. Some people have cars. Some people have skateboards. I have camera!
Number 2: FOOD
Did it really need to be capitalized? Of course it needed to be in CAPs, I love food! I especially love thinking about the small things that makes food taste good and most importantly, memorable. Food and Film, it shares an equal place in my heart. It's a big reason why I enjoy watching shows on Travel Channel (i.e. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods). Although, traveling is easy up there on my list of alternative lifestyle solutions. I love food, you should too.
And finally, Number 1: Books
Most notably, acting and filmmaking books. Yes, it's true. I almost cannot go to a bookstore without leaving with that beautiful collection of information, paper, pictures and words that is the book. In fact, I went to Barnes and Nobles for the simple purpose of jotting down two or three pages to my script, and I end up leaving with less money in my checking than when I went in! Yikes.
It's easy to say, "Then just don't go there", or "Then avoid going to bookstores". You don't understand though, it's a part of me that nags to be fullfilled, you know, being someplace. Being infused with activity and human interaction. In the end though, the only negative I see about owning so many books is when it comes time to move to a different place, it's so much extra weight to carry around. Maybe I should invest in a camel or something, or some beast of burden.
A friend and I decided to venture into San Francisco a couple weeks to take some photography. Well, she did the photography (Canon FT series) and I took some cinematography. We had a great time, and there were plenty of minor events scattered about the city to keep us amused. Here are some of the highlights.
It seems the learning doesn't stop after College. In fact, you continue on with the school of life. Take for instance the fun I had on BART on the way to San Francisco. There was an actual hustler on the train and it intrigued me because I haven't seen one out in the West Coast rail system. So naturally I was drawn in. Oh man, he hustled really good. I played his game, won some bucks...I played some more and lost $17! But hey, I gained a little more experience in life, not a bad trade off I suppose.
2. Noah's Bagels
What can I say? This place is delicious. And the location was convenient too. As soon as you come out of the Embarcadero BART stop it's about a block away towards the pier. Their cream cheese is absolutely devine. Try it, the next time you're up there. 3. Homeless Man
While Alana and I were preparing for our romp around SF we noticed this Homeless Man sitting under a lamp. And while this isn't an unusual sight (unfortunately) in San Francisco, this gentlemen, unlike most homeless people had a pet. He had this incredibly chubby cat who lived in a comfy and seemingly new cat bed mattress thing. We were really surprised. I mean, this cat was living the life, it seemed.
4. Ginny + Hans Thacher Clark - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Thacher_Clarke)
More on her later, boy oh boy.
5.Trolley Yard
We stumbled on a Trolley Yard that I never noticed before. Partly because I've never really looked in that direction when I passed by this place years ago. I think it might've been near Pier 7 but it was basically this indoor yard full of Trolleys! I'm beating myself up silly because I didn't take a SINGLE picture! Instead, I know I had my Canon HV30 rolling during the "quasi-off-the-beaten-track" walk around so expect to see some of that footage soonish. I know Alana spent a good portion of her time snapping away. I can't wait to see came out of it.
6. Pier Personalities
Many that visit the Pier, or San Francisco in general can attest to the bombastic layer of personalities that roam the street. From the overdone Silverman dancers, jugglers, or the truly unique "bush man" (who, by the way, puts on a great show scaring unsuspecting passerbys) down to the not so creative beggars. Wait, the latter isn't part of the busking crew. Regardless, they add to the whole experience. Here's a photo of the Pier 39 Bush Man:
I find that when I have a lot of information to write about it's easier to just write a list of the main things I'd like to talk about. Go figure. So here's my list! My San Francisco reTreat pt. I
1. BART Hustle 2. Noah's Bagels 3. Homeless Man 4. Ginny + Hans Thacher Clark - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Thacher_Clarke) 5.Trolley Yard 6. Pier Personalities My San Francisco reTreat pt. II
7. Mood Thai Restaurant 8. Coit Tower 9. Washington Park(?) 10. China Town Walk Through 11. Homeless Man 12. The Wrap Up
Now...do I actually feel like writing about it? The answer, not currently! So stay tuned. Yep, I know, I'm such a tease. *winks*
It's probably safe to assume that every one of you have had ideas come to you in the least opportune time. It sucks, right? Especially when there's no paper to write that on or no one is answering your phone calls. Anyway, I haven't been in a very creative mood lately but the other day as I was brushing my teeth this superb idea flaunted into my brain.
It lingered long enough that it tricked me into thinking I would remember the exact details. Then it turned around and stabbed me in the back! All I know now is that I had a great idea when I was brushing my teeth. BLARGH! Anyway, there hasn't been a lot going on in my life. San Jose couldn't be more boring. Well, maybe it could, when the power goes out. Which it did the other week. Two hours it was out, I sat with one candle lit and listened. I mean, REALLY listened. My ears picked up all sorts of rickety outdoorsy sounds.
I couldn't complain actually, it was quite soothing.
The Foreigner opened at San Jose Repertory Theatre and I had the pleasure of experiencing it last saturday. I have NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING bad to say about it...or anything critical. The show was amazing. I highly recommend it if you're in the Bay Area. The actors were superb and had memorable performances. The Tech was fantastic and exuded experience and creativity. I'm likely to see it again. Furthermore, prior to the show I had a terrific conversation with Ken Ruta, a local Bay Area actor who is full of epic stories. I look forward to meeting him again in the future.
Finally, I've managed to get my hands on Adobe Premiere Pro and I have to say, it's quite addicted to work on. It's affecting me the way Photoshop does sometimes, i.e. sleepless nights, nagging ideas, and hunger to improve. The only disappointment I'm feeling is the fact that I haven't auditioned for Live Theatre in such a long time (a couple months at least) because of this awful double edge schedule I'm maintaining with my brother.
Alas, I'll have more chances in the future. In the meantime, I have film, adobe, work and ideas that escape me to keep me looking forward to the next day.
I'll update soon! The heat has been unbearable lately so the last thing on my mind is turning my desk area into a new age sauna. The 48hr San Jose Film Festival Ceremony is coming up soon, so expect some kind of update on that. In the mean time, check out our films here:
On the way home the other night a random thing happened. It was roughly 11pm and there weren't a lot of passengers. At some point during the trip this couple with cases of what looked to be, instruments, walked in and had a seat. They were careful to make sure their equipment wasn't blocking the way.
A few stops later, a woman who looked to be in her 30's hops in after placing her bike on the rack. I was too far back to really hear anything, but I did see the bus driver instructing her about something, to which she smiled and agreed.
Now, I'm about 10 stops from home when this elderly woman hobbles into the bus. On her way to her seat, the couple in front CLEARLY pulled their equipment aside to let the elderly pass. As soon as the bus gets rolling, the 30yr old woman starts to spout off! She goes bonanza on the couple! She really tears into them, saying things like "Your parents should have taught you some respect" and "Why didn't you guys give your seats?".
The couple actually didn't want it getting to them so they proceeded to just ignore her. THEN the 30yr old woman starts using Jesus Christ as a reference! And that the "savior" should teach them some manners. Hooooo man. Anyway, it was ironical that this lady was being such a trouble maker when it was clear the couple really wanted nothing to do with it. Luckily it was the couple's stop so they collected their things and scampered off the bus. BUT, get this...as it turns out (as I got a bit of exposition from some other passengers behind me) this lady ALWAYS causes trouble!
Guess who gets thrown out? The 30yr old lady! YEAH! Someone out there is listening.
What I don't get it...why throw her out at the same stop as the couple she was blasting? Gee, I hope she didn't gut them or anything. Heavens, that would be horrible.
A few weeks ago a small cast and crew consisting of the founding members of BARKADA INC. and friends set out to compete in the 48hr San Francisco Film Festival. There was a total of 57 teams, of which was then divided into 4 screening groups. Each team pulls a genre out of a hat and BARKADA INC. lands "Musical or Western".
We spent the entire evening brainstorming and laying down the lyrics to the musical. In the early morning we put down the audio for the music and during the many hours that followed, we shot all the sequences. It was INTENSE. Props to everyone for holding out and staying up as late as they did. And especially thanks for the wonderful parents who supported us with words and FOOD.
I am proud to announce that "A Keesh for Hershel" won the Audience Favorite Award for our screening group (D) AND Best Musical Score! So what's next? Well, the 48hr San Jose Film Festival of course!
Here are some shots from behind the scenes:
Visual innuendo?
Director, Editor & Cinematographer: Uly MostralesNothing like a 4am chess game...You dig?
I would just like to note that I enjoy cooking. And while I may not always have the time, or proper ingredients there's something supremely relaxing about cooking. Forget all the times you may have almost caused involuntary arson, or the times you've had to fan the smoke detector with your "Kiss me, I'm the chef" apron, or the times the heat of the oven far surpassed the threshold of your pig shaped oven-mitt. Cooking is fun!
And while I may not be the best chef, I know that if I were ever to settle down with a decent supply of money, I would definitely invest in a nutty (no pun intended) array of spices and herbs. In fact I've always wanted to start my own personal cookbook/menu of dishes that I can cook blindfolded. Unfortunately, at this current junction in time, it would hardly be a be worth the cost of printing it, haha.
So for now, I'll just continue "chemistrating" (that's my term for Chemistry+Orchestrate) in the kitchen when time allows--one should never underestimate the satisfactory result of salt, pepper, and a non-stick pan.
So after an interesting (actually not so much) CALL BACK to Noises Off, I walked back to SJ Rep deep in thought and analytical assessment. There have been a handful of times when I've walked away from an audition where I feel absolutely serene. That's not to say that I landed the role or anything, but the feeling was, for lack of a better word, flavorful.
Today was not the case. It's been 3hrs and 30 mins since I was allowed to leave the CALL BACK and I'm still stewing over how un-explosive/energetic my performance felt. Which brings me to my subject-title. 60% versus 100%. While I practice the habit of "Go to audition, then drop the feeling when it's done", there are singular cases when it's easier said than done. Many times I feel absolutely prepared to read but as soon as I bust out of the gates and utter my first line, BOOM -- my performance energy seems to be at 60% (just a guess in numbers). I want to be at 100%! I want to be at 100%!!
Now...I can keep saying that until the cows come home and there are situations when that has been the case, zoom...0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. Yes, I love it. But due to the limited exposure to auditions here in San Jose, the experience-training isn't very consistent. Which brings me to my final conclusion on the matter. Training. The act of training is slowly moving into a mindset rather than something "to-do". Which is a plus.
Well, that's it. I'm writing on the topic more of a way to vent than anything else. I would like to comment that my scene partner for today's CALL BACK was fun, energetic and a pleasure to read with (even though the particular cut of dialogue was utterly short. We'll name her, Kim. Lol.
Finally, I know I'll be stewing on this for a few days but don't worry about me, it's mostly because I really have nothing to do for the next few days but work and read. Haha--the next audition is right around the corner on July 12th with Renegade Theatre Experiement.
Acting is easy. Acting believable is a challenge. I realize I spend a lot of energy every day just scrutinizing how I approach different aspects of acting. Sometimes I think I think too much, which can be a hazard to believable acting. But I'll spare you the boring "la la" of my deep internal struggle to find the next level of creativity.
The grass is greener when you're busy watering them. To say it's greener on the other side is a cliché and rightly so. But, if you think about it, your grass CAN be green too! It just takes work and effort, right? Right! Anyway, although my financial situation as an actor isn't impressive (in the positive way), I'll have to say, being busy with work, auditions, gigs and learning makes for a wonderful way to live life. At least that's the case in my life.
I am currently working on a commercial for a product called Sling Box. It's an interesting device that transmits what you're watching on television to a mobile device. That's the bare bones of it but I know it's a little more complicated than that. At any rate, the production team consists of talented individuals from San Jose State University's RTVF (Radio Television Film) department. It's been a wonderful experience so far. Here are some photos. I'm in the first one, on the bleachers with the fancy hat.
I'll keep you posted as to when or if this ever goes on television or on the internet. Oh and in case you were wondering, it wasn't a paid gig. But it was totally worth being a part of.
This weekend is audition weekend. I wrapped up an interview and an audition today. The interview was with a crew of talented local film makers. I won't go too much into detail about it, but they're a great bunch of folks! Here's a short film of theirs they wrapped up for a 48hr film festival. You're welcome to navigate to their YouTube account page as they have a variety of humorous shorts.
And finally, City Light's Theater Company held their general auditions today and I attended it and with me, a new monologue that I'm happy to have found. It's from a play called Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke, and the character whose monologue is from basically is one of two employees that kidnap and accidentally kill their boss. It's a fun little bit that has such a wonderful range of emotions and possibilities in terms of acting choices.
It was great, I ran into an old cast mate from Pandemonium and Susannah, who was the director for Pandemonium! Overall, it was a fun experience. I actually left the audition without feeling like I could've done better, or nitpicking at how I presented the monologue. That feeling alone is priceless.
Good weekend, and it's not over yet! I have one more tomorrow with Tabard Theatre Company. That's it for now. It sucks not to have (a lot) money, but I feel I would be more miserable if I had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But hey, that's just me.
The other day I had absolutely nothing to do. As in, I had no projects that required immediate attention so I started day dreaming. Instead of day dreaming about things that could be/should be...I started...actually now that I think about it, I did more reminiscing than anything else. I'll make you a deal, I'll tell you stories (throughout various blogs) of my childhood-teens, in exchange, if you'll be leaving a comment, I'd like to hear a short story (or long) about yours. Fair? Great!
I'm going to cheat and use this entry as a starting point to introduce myself, outside of the whole "I r actor" thing. I was born Ryan Tasi F. Alabastro (going to omit the F as this is in plain and public view, feel free to IM/E-mail me if you're curious) on the interesting island of American Samoa.
American Samoa is located in the middle of the South Pacific, on the equator and is roughly 3,100 miles south west of Hawaii (which is roughly 3,000 miles south west of California). When I left there was a total population of 75,000. I went through the Catholic school system all the way through High School. Annnnnnnnnd, I attended an all boys High School (hey, no jokes! Lol) called Marist College Preparatory High School and we had a Crusader as our mascot.
Ah memories. I'd like to continue but, what's the point in exposing myself in one blog! Hah, *does a jig* I'm all about the theatrics! In any event, I hope you've enjoyed a look at a slice of my childhood. Don't worry, there'll be more to come. Until then, have a wonderful weekend and remember, exercise those face muscles...smile!
I'm usually a happy camper when I don't have to stay at home and count the amount of times I've counted the times I've counted in my head. Lately, I've been discovering a delicious amount of auditions coming my way. By delicious, I mean, they leave me hungry for more. And before you can point at me and call me a glutton for punishment, pain, and rejection I have to admit I do rather enjoy the whole auditioning process. It's the part after that's usually crummy.
You know, the whole waiting by the phone and hitting refreshing on the web browser part. Hahaha, I only kid. Partially. I enjoy meeting new people, especially individuals who enjoy similar things I do. And although auditions can be a high stress environment, it's always nice to know that you aren't alone in your high stress, haha.
Let me share with you a couple of my 2008 auditions. If you rummage through some of my older posts you'll discover I auditioned for San Jose Repertory Theatre. Now, this would count for my second time with my initial auditioning ending on a high note. However, the second time wasn't too great. In fact, I wasn't scheduled that day...I was influenced by someone (by the wonderful nature of her personality) to go ahead and audition the day before. And even though I had already memorized a couple of monologues, my mental preparation was no where near it's presentation level. What a doozy that audition turned out to be. Luckily I was in good company and the casting director, Bruce Elsperger, was quite to put me to ease. Thanks Bruce, you rock!
Finally, I'd like to note that although it feels like the whole Acting career choice/passion can be overwhelming and that there are countless people who want to take this up, it's great to finally start seeing familiar faces in crowd. Here's to more productive Auditions and less of the sour ones.
Tabard Theatre Company's "Pandemonium" by Susannah Greenwood, is in the final stretch! Friday & Saturday will be closing weekend and I can't help but label the feeling as bitter sweet (cliché, I know!). I'm satisfied with how the show turned out, I'm happy with the character I've created and most importantly, I'm grateful for all the new friends I made. I especially enjoyed watching my cast mates imbue their characters with life--man...what talent!
*Tasi Alabastro as El Chulla Chaqui
*Calm before the storm
So what's next? Well, Brent (one of my cast mates in Pandemonium) and I attended an audition for some classical plays which will be produced by Deep Impact Theatre and we've just been offered roles. I'm still uncertain if I will be able to lock any of them down as I may have a developing conflict of schedule which requires me to be out of state during the show dates! In case you're curious, I may be flying out to Nashville in late August. I won't go into detail as to why I'll be flying out, but I am looking forward to it.
Other than that I'm planning on just putting in more hours at The Rep. Speaking of which, if you're in the area, be sure to catch our upcoming show, A Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde. It will be amazing! The cast is fantastic, the story is griping and the artistic direction will be unique and mind-blowing! Trust me. Here's a link to the current write up in the local newspaper:
And no, I don't mean silicon chest implants. I mean, fake friends. I dislike them, gee, who would like them anyway? I'm the type of person who will occasionally talk to strangers on the streets--and the type to shoot a "hello, how are you" to someone I met months ago. I am not, however, the type to schmooze it up, only because it's convenient for me at the time.
Although this entry seems ambiguous, it is brought to the table because of some recent events, which I will not shine any more light on. I just needed to get it out of my system.
Well, today I received word that I was not cast in Picasso at Lapin Agile. A friend told me a few times, we'll call him...Brent, "It's usually the shows you want to be in the most that you'll probably won't be cast in". Haha, how true! While the feeling of rejection feels dominant, I have to shake it off and remember that it's selection and NOT rejection. I know it'll be wonderful production and I can't wait to see it when it opens up.
I'm am, however, grateful to have been called back for a second audition and I look forward to more auditions with them next season. As I've said many times in the past, "Onward!" I'll continue to remain positive.
Hearing someone say "We'd like you at the Callbacks" is probably one of the hottest things an actor (or performer) can hear, well...second to "You're hired, rehearsals start at..." I went to an audition the other day for Northside Theatre Company's "Picasso at Lapin Agile". The play is about the evening Albert Einstein meets Pablo Picasso in a bar in France. There's a wonderful array of characters and the one I ended up reading for was for Charles Dabernow Schmendimen, an idiot inventor, who provides additional comic relief to an already laugh out loud show.
At any rate, I attended the Callbacks today ran into one other person (that I was aware of) that read for the role. At the end, I wasn't feeling too great about my chances. It felt like I could've done more while on stage--but in practice I always allow myself five to ten minutes to really dwell on it before moving on. Onward, as I've mentioned in the past. Onward.
I had plenty of fun with it though, the fact that two cast mates AND the director of my current show, Pandemonium, were present really made for a comfortable atmosphere. The three of us, sans-director, ended up dining at Pasta Pomodoro. The latter being useless information. Aside from this exciting event, I've been spending my days squeezing some creative juices into Photoshop and listening to some old school Mariah Carey. YES....Mariah Carey. What? She was great! Well--whatever, I'm going to post a video of hers and you're going to like it! So there, neener neener neener.
Wow...busy busy busy! So much has happened since the last blog, but I'll try and keep it short and to the point. In fact, why don't I just put the "haps" in bulletin style format?
Pandemonium had a fabulous opening night, despite a few odds and ends.
I bought a skateboard--the guy at store said he'd put it together in 30 mins, I come back, and it's untouched! I give him another 30. I return and he's selling another skateboard to some kid and promises to have mine completed by a different sales rep. Okay. I come back 30 mins later and the other sales rep is completing the skateboard the kid after me purchased! OKAY--I ask for a refund and they politely with a dash of embarrassment oblige.
I bought a camera!
I had an audition with Northside Theatre Company--they had a mind blowing set for "Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf?"
I'm back to exercising
I had some wonderful photos taken by talented Jillian Kay, some of which I will be posting
I burned through all the episodes of Firefly and I've become quite a fan
Well, that's it! That's as condensed as it could be without leaving out too much. All in all, it's been busy but enjoyable.
I believe in karma. And I'd like to think that Karma believes in me. Cheesy? Yep. Sincere? Definitely. Today on the bus, people were starting to pack it in like sardines so at some point I offered an older woman my seat. It seemed common enough for me, considering that, where I grew up, if I hadn't offered my seat, I could expect a swift smack on the noggin.
Later, when I reached my stop, I hopped out and continued on my merry way. I'm incredibly fortunate that I wasn't wearing my headphones because not ten seconds after I've jumped off, I heard someone yelling for me. He had, in his hand, my monthly bus pass! I guess it slipped out of my pocket somehow. This gentleman was kind enough to (probably) yell at the driver to quickly stop the bus so he could return my pass. Wow...It's been a while since I've actually had a sense of karma give me the reach around. Seriously.
So what's the moral of my story? Always keep a better eye on your sh*t. Oh wait, that's not it. Um...oh, help others because you never know, someone else may help you.
It was another amusing week of bus rides, rehearsals and work place happenings. I hope I'm not giving off the impression that there's always something interesting happening in my every day life, because there aren't...BUT, there is always something worth writing about every week.
Rehearsals are going well, we're fast approaching opening night and I'm anxious to expose the Chulla Chaqui to unsuspecting audience members! And no, that's not an innuendo for something else. The other characters are coming along well too; I really enjoy watching everyone develop their characters.
Today as I was sitting at work with my fellow box office staff, a HORDE of ZOMBIES appeared (almost without any noticeable early warning) from out of the blue! They lumbered, trudged, and dragged their bloody, mutilated, moaning and groaning selves across the Paseo. Wow...where did they come from? Where are they going? Better yet, where do I sign up to do that next time?! Of course, to break from the 'reality' of their moment, a few of them looked fine! Fine as in, they didn't have a limp. Sure they were bloodied, but they showed no indication of pain, anguish, or even decay! It was surreal because from inside the box office, looking out, you could either imagine you were watching this on television OR that they were coming to claw our eyes out and feast on your BRAINSSSSS!
A WEEK IN PUBLIC TRANSPORATION
I broke the string that attaches to the "STOP REQUESTED" device. Whoops, I guess I don't know my own strength?
Heh, this one was amusing--imagine this: tall, grizzly looking, hat wearing-fanny packing-steel toeing shoeing Caucasian male steps onto the bus and makes his way to the seat directly in front of me. He starts chatting it up to this Asian fella opposite of him. Wow, he starts going on about how plastic comes from oil, and oil is from Iraq! He then proceeds to tell the Asian fella that there are little black boxes inside the bus that record everyone's stops and that it helps the government enlist younger people into the Army.
HOLY COW!
(#2 cont.) By this time, Mr. Asian guy is sweating bullets and looking for any way to escape this one-sided conversation. (I'm watching this as it unfolds) A few stops later, another "interesting" character hops on the bus and IMMEDIATELY starts to conversate with Mr. Fanny Packing Fella. Imagine, come on try, two cars heading in the same direction on a collision course...except, instead of hitting each other, they both hit brick walls only yards apart. That's how it felt. Both of them "chitchatyammered" it up, yet their conversations had nothing to do with each other! I glance over at Mr. Asian Fella and there's this look of relief on his face for the brief reprieve. Soon, Mr. Fanny Pack and Other fella were out of the bus, leaving Mr. Asian Fella to digest the ear-raping he just received.
Now THAT was worth the bus ride. Who needs a car when you can ride the bus and come home with pages worth of interesting, vibrant characters?
...rehearsal space that is. A few of my rehearsals for Pandemonium were moved to the actual space we will be using for the show. It was a bag of mixed emotions. At first it was excitement. Then I spent an entire rehearsal a bit lost. Then it at the next rehearsal I was more comfortable. At the last rehearsal, it felt as if I had full reign of space and boy, everything seemed more organic. I enjoyed watching (the parts I did manage to see) my cast mates reaction as they follow my character deep into the forest.
Nathan, who is playing the lead character, Epimetheus, seemed to enjoy all the physical behaviors associated with the scene. And hey, whatever I can do to make it easier for my cast mates to perform at max potential, I'll explore it. I'm slightly miffed that the rehearsal scheduled on friday will NOT be at the theatre but rather, at the old dance studio which doubled as the space we used for the original auditions.
Hopefully the energy will remain the same, despite the space being a load of blah. I suppose I could always rebuild the stage in my mind and work it out that way. On a separate note, I've resumed work on the first screenplay I've decided to write. I lost interest in it a while ago, and it was probably because the characters didn't grab me in the gonads, but I'm planning on re-writing one of the main characters and actually starting an outline of the story.
If you're interested in reading what I've written so far, leave me your e-mail address and I'll be sure to shoot it over.
What an amusing week! In addition to my usual banter on blogger, I'm going to add "A week in Public Transportation" and it will include waiting for the bus/train, the actual rides and things that have stood out, and of course all the interesting characters that seem to make every morning, afternoon and evening trip more colorful.
I was FRISKED for weapons while I was waiting for the bus a few days ago. Apparently someone held up a furniture store two blocks from where I lived and I somehow fit the description. HOW AMUSING! I'm dressed in mostly black, with a hoodie on and my hands were dug deep into my pockets. A solid black patrol car, sans sirens, pulls up and asks me directly, "Do you have any weapons on you? Anything, a screwdriver? Can you please put your hands behind your back?" Oh man, oh man, IT WAS GREAT! I was so compliant, not because of fear, but because, heck this is amusing me. It was two detectives, and halfway through the driver-detective chuckled and admitted that I'm probably not the one. Well, gee, what if I was? There WAS a trash can nearby, I could've tossed said weapon, but yeah...I didn't say that out loud though. They drove off soon after, and not five minutes later my bus arrived. I ESCAPED WITH THE MONIES! I'm kidding...or am I?
There was a fella the other day who kept pacing back and forth in the bus playing his harmonica. A woman nearby chatted loudly in language I was not familiar with, and every time he passed her by, he'd play his harmonica louder! Hehe, I chuckled every time.
This evening, on the way home from an audition--four lesbian couples boarded the bus from Santana Row. How...interesting. Not every day does this type of thing occur. I mean, noisy riders, stinky people, hacking & coughing groups--sure, they're almost common place. But...a herd? pack? What do you call a group of people traveling together, anyway? I was the only other person in the bus, save for the driver. I caught some of their eyes and we respectfully smiled at each other. Cool. I live to fight another day.
As I mentioned in item #3, I had an audition. It was fantastic! The audition was for the Heritage Community Theatre in Campbell. They are currently looking to build a company of actors to pool from. How exciting! It went well, I felt. In fact, I was ecstatic the entire time. The casting directors were quick to put me at ease, and establish a very warm line of communication. I'm eager to see where this will lead. I performed two contrasting monologues and felt that I did my very best, and they were quite receptive.
What a wonderful Friday! I have two other auditions I'm looking forward to. One is with Northside Theatre Company and the other one is the much anticipated Kaiser Permanente Performer's program. Tally ho!
The photo project I was contacted to be a part of for over a month now wrote to me today. They regret to inform me that they have decided to go another direction. I'm completely bummed. I was looking forward to this project for over a month. I think that's what I'm having difficulty coping with: The fact that they contacted me over a month ago and said, it was a green light project. Then to push the shoot dates back, only now to mention that, they've gone a different direction...ugh.
Well...I guess that's a lesson learned the hard way. No hard feelings, in fact, I hope at some point I can work with the Agency who contacted me. Good luck to them. Onwards now, onwards.
[The project was for a facility maintenance company's marketing campaign which entailed flyers, posters, a website and other marketing paraphernalia]
Rehearsals for Pandemonium are rolling along well. I'm off-book about two weeks ahead of schedule so I'm feeling OK with everything. Everyone seems to be doing really well also, I'm excited to see this show when it's ready to go. In my scene in particular, I tossed and turned for a few nights trying to make sense of the blocking. My scene takes place in the Peruvian Rainforest and my character is very physical. The character's name is Chullachaqui What bothered me the most initially was the blocking. It's not that I couldn't get it right, it's that I felt awkward doing it the way I was.
The position didn't seem right, the angle, everything. Today, instead of having rehearsals at the dance studio, we were able to use the actual stage the play will be presented! Wow, if ever there was a moment of clarity, this would be it. I took one look at it and knew a few modifications to the blocking and I would feel much more comfortable on stage. And lo' and behold, when time came for my scene--it was spot on. It's a shame I won't be seeing that space for another few weeks, unless of course, we get lucky again. *crosses fingers*
I had a paid gig the other day. It was for a student production at San Jose State University. The entire production was based on television shows and the director (her name is Kelly) who cast me initially planned on a movie review show but changed it at the last minute to a Outdoor Hiking show. Prior to actually shooting it, we went out and discussed the dialogue and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to, without hesitation, answer these outdoor survival related questions. THANK YOU DISCOVERY CHANNEL! The character I played was Ken Matsumura, Forest Ranger/Survival Expert who is on the show to promote his book. It was a fun gig!
I've sent out for a few auditions, hopefully I can keep these gigs rolling in. NAP TIME!
Well this will be a short one since I'm recovering from choking during an audition and getting my acting butt kicked! Lol--what, you didn't think I was actually choked and beat up, did you? Awww--you did! Well I appreciate the sentiment. Really I do! In reality, I auditioned at SJREP (Yeah, my place of work!) and unfortunately I fell short.
When I got back to my desk to resume the daily work, I mentally reassessed what happened. I wasn't prepared! Yes, I know...I can see some of you trying to hand me your copy of Stanislavski's "An Actor Prepares". I'll generously wave that down, as I have a copy of it myself. I planned on going tomorrow but instead I was convince by the lovely equity audition moderator to go ahead and swing in today. In retrospect, I should have waited.
I was 3/4 through my monologue when suddenly...BLANK--my throat felt constricted, my palms started to sweat up (believe it or not, I was pretty calm walking in there) and the hairs on my back stood on ends. How could this be?! I've recited/experienced this monologue many times over the past few weeks. Then I realized the key ingredient. This was the FIRST time I've ever performed it to anyone. Oi vey.
If I feel I absolutely must dwell on a poor performance at an audition, I'm in the habit of only allowing myself five to ten minutes, tops. In this case, it rested on my head, chest, abdomen, thighs--gah, everywhere, for a solid two hours. The fact that I work here and that I see and hold conversations with Bruce, our casting director must have confused the butterflies in my stomach to, instead of perform aerial ballet, kamakazi into my stomach lining. It felt weird! To say the least.
The two hours are up, it's time to move on and knock another down for experience, even if it was a smidgen bit embarrassing.
I missed Cinequest entirely last year and that was probably because I wasn't feeling like I was in the right place, physically and mentally. This year, however, I've treated myself to indulging in all sorts of short and feature films and an incredibly touching and tear jerking documentary called, "Dear Zachery". But I'm getting ahead of myself. I plan on blogging my Cinequest experience at a later time when the entire event wraps up.
In the meantime, rehearsals for Pandemonium is creeping up and I'm excited in every way! It gets lonely and boring coming home from work and even though I'm quite passionate about the work I do at the Rep (Box Office Customer Service), I'm aching to be part of something closer the stage (or around a camera). The San Jose Repertory Theatre general auditions are coming up so preparing for that specifically will take up some of my time quite nicely.
There's not much to report outside of theatre life except that I am the proud owner of a small tub of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia icecream. I'm sure somewhere out there is another person with an identical tub of the same flavor BUT I can guarantee you that I'll have cherry and chocolate chips in different locations from theirs. Thus, mine is unique. And in the same sense, so is theirs. Oh no! I'm...I'm.....AHHHHH!!! Must....have....cherr....gar.....cream!
A few days ago I woke up from horrible nightmares. They occurred back to back and both were substantially depressing. I don't remember most of my dreams or nightmares but on rare occasions when my sleep is disrupted (for whatever reason, bathroom, knock on the door, telephone) and I end up going back to sleep right after, that's when I tend to remember what I'm dreamed about.
In this case, I woke up much earlier than usual because I had to use the bathroom. The next thing I know, I'm in the middle of a street in my neighborhood and standing in a crossfire! Bullets whizzed by, some ricocheted nearby...then...at the end of the dream, I had my hands across my hip noticing that my shirt was damp. I looked down at my hands and see yellow goo matter mixed with my blood. Then...I was dead. I woke up completely startled.
My second nightmare caught me by surprise. I was back home on American Samoa and my parents were having an argument and at the peak of the argument my dad breaks out and starts doing a waltz. It was elegant and time slowed down...then, he collapsed with a smile on his face. I tried to revive him and the rage I felt in the dream woke me up. I woke up crying. Wow...I have to admit, there's been a few times I've had dreams move me so much that I end up with teary eyes when I wake up, and this is one of the most powerful.
I called home but no one picked up, probably because of the time difference. I sat up wondering why I just had those dreams then I realized that they were so powerfully that I was able to tap into them and relive the experience. To say I was a bit frightened would be an understatement but I also couldn't let the experience go to waste so I dug up a sad monologue and read it while under the effects of the overwhelming sadness. The entire process was something else. I couldn't go back to sleep after that. Could you?
What do Ninjas, Google, and James Lipton have in common? They all made me laugh last week. My ribs hurt and my eyes watered. I absolutely have to share these Youtube gems...
I wasn't planning on blogging today but I feel I should put this down on paper...cyber paper? Whatever. I had a midterm for my film and t.v. this morning so I was up bright and early so I could buy a scantron and blue book. I made it on campus early enough to have a tasty breakfast of eggs, wheat bread and sausage. Although cereal may have been a great substitute if I had enough time to find some. The actual midterm was relatively easy. A lot of it came to me as common sense as a person who enjoys watching movies and picking them apart. Our class usually wraps up at 1:10pm but I was done with my midterm by 11:30am and I was quite unsure of what else to do with my afternoon.
So I stuck around. I loitered in the hallway and started a conversation with two Austrian women that was visiting their friend, a classmate of mine. They were very friendly and had physical facial features that were uncommon to me which was interesting and another story all together. At any rate, when my friends popped out and we were able to thoroughly discuss the exam that we all completed, I decided it was time to go. On the way out I stopped by one of the computer labs to check on e-mails and myspace.
Finally, I'm all set to head home when I decided to go (here's where it gets interesting) in the opposite direction I'm used to going. Before I could reach the exit doors I overheard something. It was lines that were being read out loud. In fact, it sounded like...well, it sounded like an AUDITION! I began my own private investigation and found a couple of females around the corner who were reading scripts! Oh my! Now we're getting somewhere.
A door opens and out pops what looked to be a director! How did I know he was a director? Pshaw, he had that director glow! Anyway, I introduced myself and said that I'm not an acting student in this institution but somehow accidentally stumbled on an audition in session and that I was an Actor who was interested in, at the very least, turning in a headshot and résumé. He smiled and said, "Oh that's not necessary, why don't you grab a script and look it over and we'll get you in here after her (pointing at one of the other actors in the hallway)". I said, "Great", smiled and started reading the script.
Boy, halfway down the page I was even more excited because the script read wonderfully. When it was finally my turn, I walked in, made myself comfortable and introduced myself and answered some of the director's questions. I suppose he wasn't used to receiving headshots and résumé just yet and insisted I take them back and he didn't want to waste my money. Either he wasn't used to them or I disgusted him thoroughly, lol. I'll take comfort in believing it was the former. The character I read for was delicious and I wanted to keep reading and trying new things but there were other Actors to consider so I said my thanks and walked out graciously.
I'm finally ready to go home...OR maybe not, just as I was leaving I noticed someone putting up fliers on bulletin boards and it read "Audition, room AT113, "Unwritten"". Oh boy! What timing! What are the odds of that happening? Let's recap. I was going to go home early, I walk in the complete opposite direction of where I would usually exit, land myself in an audition and another one just as the first one was done...WOW. T.G.I.F indeed.
The second audition was much different. I didn't see myself in any of the characters but I decided to try anyway. I read for a character labeled only as "Boss" and after my short performance, the expression on the director and his DP surprised even me. They looked like they had seen an angle of their character they had never seen before. I was quite pleased. I remember hearing, "You don't look the part, but your acting is perfect for it..." That's good enough for me, haha. The second part of the audition I found amusing because I've never had the chance to do this before. They handed me a fake pistol and told me to pretend I was going around some fake building (ala CSI) and that I was looking for someone. And pretend I did! I even held the pistol the way I felt the character would if he were chasing someone. Primed, yet finger not quite on the trigger because I was always peaking past corners and wouldn't want to shoot any by-standers.
Well that's it...I wouldn't have blogged today but boy, I had to get that off my chest. Did you know that auditions give me a natural high? No? Well, now you know! It's back to work tomorrow at the Theatre but I can't help but wonder...'gee, what's in store next week?'
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