Deadlock

I met with a 2nd agent from DGRW tonight (there are 4 total)- and I am not sure what exactly to think about the meeting. He was really nice, and during the Q&A I felt drawn to the agency for the same reasons I was drawn to it with agent #1 that I met about a month ago: They take on a sort of managerial role with their clients- they like to develop clients and hold onto them for a long time, and all 4 agents work for each client, so you get 4 times the effort from this powerhouse office. The only sign clients (no freelancing) which I love, and they have a great reputation for both musical theater and film/TV.

When I auditioned for agent #1, I knew he loved me- we had a great conversation and seemed to really click. This agent was more difficult to read, though. He seemed to like my monologue but didn’t seem to love it. He seemed to like my resume (and credits) and asked me who took my headshot and how long ago it was taken, but didn’t give an indication of what he thought one way or another. He was definitely in control of the session, so much so that when he was done asking questions, he set aside my photo and said, “Well, I’ll take a look at your reel online and be in touch if I have any questions.” I certainly could have asked some questions, but you sometimes get a vibe that it would be better to move on. I got that vibe, so that is what I did.

Now, a best case scenario (and the most likely scenario, actually) is that this agent will go back to the office and ask agent #1 what he thought about me. Hopefully this leads to a good conversation about what I have to offer- not only am I versatile, but I am also a strong auditioner with good credits, and I am a workhorse. I know exactly who I am and what I bring to the table. And I am in this for the long haul, so an agency will be able to make money off me quickly and for many years to come.

Never assuming I have anything in the bag, I just scheduled 8 more agent sessions, both legit and commercial, for the month of April. And I am still doing the monthly follow up with the 20 agents and 45 casting directors with whom I have already started building relationships.

See, this is why I have no social life. Poor Tom.

Learning Something New

I had a great audition on Saturday for this student film at Columbia University. It was a first call, so we didn’t even read from the script. We had a mini-interview, and then I performed a dramatic monologue in the style of the piece I was auditioning for. The director and producer really seemed to like the monologue, but wanted to play with it a bit and asked me to deliver it in a way that I had never done before (as directors often do). I was excited to do it- I love being given a redirect and then seeing how far I can go with it. And this was no exception. Now, I should say that the text of the monologue did not fit in at all with the direction she gave to me. But because of this, the stakes were really high which made my read all the more dramatic- while at the same time my character was less dramatic because she couldn’t let the real feelings come to the surface. It was such a strong choice that I am going to start working on it in this new context (but will change a few words in the piece so the new focus doesn't confuse the listener.) It is always wonderful when you can learn something from an audition.

Tonight I met Katja Blichfeld from NBC/Universal (who casts 30 Rock) and I had a really strong read with the cold sides. She loved my take on the role- that the role she had me read would never actually be a part I would be cast in (she said I was too cute) but that she loved the fact that I made the dialogue my own. This was a huge compliment. I told her about the 3 times I was on the set of 30 Rock and that one of the directors told me twice that he wanted to be sure to call me in. Katja said she could see why- she said I had a great comedic timing and that I was extremely camera friendly. She thought I would fit into that environment quite nicely, and she said she was really excited to get to meet me.

Oi! Now if only I could get an agent to be a fly in the wall in a meeting like this so they can see how much these guys like me!

Free gifts don't always do the trick

I appreciate that charities send free gifts like address labels- I know I will never have to buy labels again because I keep getting new ones in the mail. But it is a little disconcerting that more than half of them come labeled “Mr. Erin (Last Name Withheld)...” and not “Ms. Erin... (Last Name Withheld)” Are there really a lot of men out there with the name of Erin? Spelled that way? It makes me think twice about donating to them, because what if I am forever a male in their fundraising database? Too much hassle.

But it is fun to send those labels on cards/letters that go to family members...