A few months ago the secretary in the middle school where I work contacted me on facebook. She sent me a link of information on a movie audition in the town where I live. I hadn't heard of it before, and I was trying to hurry out the door for a date with my husband. I decided last minute that I would go. The movie plot was too perfect for me to pass up. I haven't ever auditioned for a movie before, but I figured it couldn't be much different than other things I had auditioned for, or auditions I had judged before. I chose to get up with the sun, and put my heart and soul out there on a silver platter for yet another "audience member," in this case producer, to judge.
I'm old, and way past my prime in so many ways, so when we walked in, and I saw so many young and beautiful fresh faces, it was intimidating to say the least. The producer walked through the crowd, and made his way straight to me, which immediately made me think that they were looking for someone a little more old and weathered. The truth is, the movie plot is totally me, and it would be perfect for someone in my age category, and experience to be in.
I stepped in the glass room, sang a quiet jazz song, which is out of character for me. The producer said, "I need to hear you belt something." This shouldn't have been a problem, as that IS what I do. I don't, however, do it without a band behind me. That was quite a shock, and quite nerve-racking for me. I sucked it up, and pulled out one of my favorites - "At Last."
They handed me a script and I had to read for a part which I haven't done in years. I've sat and judged many readings myself. I've written and directed countless musicals and plays, but to have to do it myself was just another thing altogether. I read a few times with my husband, and then decided the best thing to do was just be real. I had no idea of the history of the character, but when I read it, it could've easily been me, so I just read it as me. Risky, but it felt right.
It was an amazing experience. All of the people there to audition us seemed really interested and it was just fun to do.
Today, my husband called and told me that my name was on the callback list. We will know in about a week when we will have to travel to Kansas City to the actual movie site and do the second audition. There are 5 other ladies up for the role I'm up for, and I can't wait to meet them. The auditions were in 21 cities, and I was 1 of 6 across the nation that was chosen. That is just amazing. Just to be recognized for a callback is fantastic. I'm so excited to get the opportunity to work with Sean Penn and the other fantastic people already cast in the movie. What a great time, and whether I get the part or not, what a great story and experience my husband and I will get to share.
Roll em
Sweet Brenda
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Blogging - aaaaahhhhhggggghhh
I started blogging this past Spring Break as a way to express myself, get feelings out, share a quirky perspective on things, and just try something new. After I started, I enjoyed it so much that I thought, wow what a great tool to use for school. It will be so easy to manage, the kids will be able to design their own page, and share their own thoughts, without having to use paper and pencil. They can read mine, and respond. I can read theirs and respond. All they have to do is make one entry a week of at least 3 paragraphs, etc. I really thought it would be a great way to express Leadership ideas, and just get them to journal a little bit in a new cool way.
Well, I can tell you for sure that it has been the biggest assignment management-wise, I have ever given. First of all, they couldn't all get their blogs set up. There were all kinds of mishaps and hurdles to making that happen for some of them, so they just gave up. Some of my kids weren't old enough to set one up, so I had them start writing me on facebook, or e-mail, or even hard-copies. Now, I'm searching for URLs that no one can remember, facebook messages, e-mail messages, and papers floating aimlessly through my classroom, which is already such a delicate balance of chaos that it can't be described.
Some kids just decided that they couldn't do it, so they didn't, even with oodles of class-time allowed. Some kids figured it all out, but decided not to finish. Some kids have figured it out, but somewhere in the shuffle have forgotten the actual length of a paragraph. Some kids have done exactly as I asked. Some kids have gone overboard, and post all the time, and have really embraced the spirit of the assignment.
Out of all of this craziness, I have discovered some things about some of my students that really surprised me. I have discovered that some of them are excellent writers, and can express themselves so eloquently that it gives me shivers. Some of my students write as if they could already be published. Some of my students, although not as smooth with the written word, have expressed feelings that I never knew existed before this assignment, as they have perhaps never been comfortable enough to say them aloud.
When I'm frantically searching each week for every entry or assignment, and I've asked them all 300 times where their blog is, or what is the name of their URL, I forget the actual spirit of the assignment, and that is not the number of things they've written, but that they've taken the time to embrace the assignment and they've put a little piece of themselves out there on a silver platter for others to share, read, and possibly judge. That takes quite a bit of sincerity, passion, and guts. I know that the assignment has been therapy for some, a platform for some, a shoulder to cry on at times, and nothing but a burden for others. The truth is, as is with all teachers, if the assignments I give change the life of even one student for the better, than I've done what I'm supposed to do. This assignment has really rocked the world of several of my kids, and it is my hope that they continue, and I can continue to follow their blogs through school, college, and life. What a cool way to be blessed and rewarded on a daily basis.
Well, I can tell you for sure that it has been the biggest assignment management-wise, I have ever given. First of all, they couldn't all get their blogs set up. There were all kinds of mishaps and hurdles to making that happen for some of them, so they just gave up. Some of my kids weren't old enough to set one up, so I had them start writing me on facebook, or e-mail, or even hard-copies. Now, I'm searching for URLs that no one can remember, facebook messages, e-mail messages, and papers floating aimlessly through my classroom, which is already such a delicate balance of chaos that it can't be described.
Some kids just decided that they couldn't do it, so they didn't, even with oodles of class-time allowed. Some kids figured it all out, but decided not to finish. Some kids have figured it out, but somewhere in the shuffle have forgotten the actual length of a paragraph. Some kids have done exactly as I asked. Some kids have gone overboard, and post all the time, and have really embraced the spirit of the assignment.
Out of all of this craziness, I have discovered some things about some of my students that really surprised me. I have discovered that some of them are excellent writers, and can express themselves so eloquently that it gives me shivers. Some of my students write as if they could already be published. Some of my students, although not as smooth with the written word, have expressed feelings that I never knew existed before this assignment, as they have perhaps never been comfortable enough to say them aloud.
When I'm frantically searching each week for every entry or assignment, and I've asked them all 300 times where their blog is, or what is the name of their URL, I forget the actual spirit of the assignment, and that is not the number of things they've written, but that they've taken the time to embrace the assignment and they've put a little piece of themselves out there on a silver platter for others to share, read, and possibly judge. That takes quite a bit of sincerity, passion, and guts. I know that the assignment has been therapy for some, a platform for some, a shoulder to cry on at times, and nothing but a burden for others. The truth is, as is with all teachers, if the assignments I give change the life of even one student for the better, than I've done what I'm supposed to do. This assignment has really rocked the world of several of my kids, and it is my hope that they continue, and I can continue to follow their blogs through school, college, and life. What a cool way to be blessed and rewarded on a daily basis.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Integrity
My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there. ~Indira Gandhi
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson
Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough. ~Arthur Freed
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson
Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough. ~Arthur Freed
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