The First of Many - Or at Least a Few . . .

Another day, another day of nothing. Didn't get the part - Hell: I didn't even get seen. Nope. Nada. When it comes to doing this, nothing smacks your optimism to solient green more than being a non-union thespian trying to get an Equity audition. It's one thing to go out for a role in a film or television with the SAG-AFTRA actors, it's usually spelled out what roles are for the union guys/gals and what's left for the non-u's. But when you're sitting in that Equity Building on West 46 - and waiting, and waiting, waiting, hoping that you arrived there early enough to be on top of that non-union sign-in sheet: So that if the monitor gets that call from the 16th floor of an unidentifiable casting director after seeing every Equity actor that morning and that evening. That call when he or she says, "What the hell," bring up a couple of non-u's." Only then will the monitor go to that pristine list of names from the "B" team. Only those on the top get to go up, everyone one else sits and wait. But alas, there is no guarantee even those non-u's who got up at the break of dawn to be the "John," "Jane" or "Joey" on the first, second or third name on the non-union sign-in sheet will be greenlit to audition amongst the "E" team that is Equity. That's why you'd give up you left testicle with an option on your first-born to get that union card. Make no mistake: Membership does have its priviledges.

So I signed in at 8:40AM and by 4:30PM the monitortold us all that they wouldn't be seeing any more non-union actors today. They saw the first five, I was number 11. So goddamn close. And I know I would've been so good at that part. Oh well, that's how it goes. You get bummed, talke that three-block walk back to the subway, let that disappointment roll off the brow that bad morning dew, then shake it off, go home, drink a cup of seltzer, turn on the Mac, check the emails, check BackStage and start the whole thing all over again . . .

Always gotta pay 'dem dues . . .

And so that is how I shall begin my first blog entry - with a rejection story. I'm not big on blogging, but I shall drop a few paragraphs every now and then. Let you know what's been going and what's been not going on. But since I'm also a writer, writing is something that's still second nature me. And I can drop 1000 words in a nano-second.

And so, I carry on . . .