July 2009

3: Swing Dance Party with various folk including hosts Brigid & Sarah.
5: First Much Ado about Nothing rehearsal - a read-through and discussion of the script and production.
6: The next day, went to a partial costume fitting for Much, although my pants were still to come.  Then rehearsal, mostly staging.
7: More staging at Much rehearsal.
9: Definitely finished my own re-reading of Much Ado about Nothing by this date.
11-13: More Much rehearsals, including the first day inside due to rain.  Staging until the last day, when we worked through part 1 (ending after III.2).
14: Up to Chicago to audition for Theater at the Center's Noises off.  I got there pretty early, and they started early, so I got in before appointments started.  The Artistic Director asked if I lived in Chicago.  I get that question a lot.  Then back to Indy for Much rehearsal, staging scenes in our part 2.
16: Worked through part 2.
17: Back to Chicago for Victory Gardens Theatre's season auditions; I arrived about an hour and a half before the next person, so of course did not have to wait overlong (after things started, that is).  The Associate Artistic Director asked if I lived in Chicago (see?); I tactfully replied that I wasn't sure exactly what I'd be doing after Much Ado.
18: Much rehearsal, working scenes.
19: Chicago again, via Oak Brook for auditions for First Folio Theatre's indoor season - no Shakespeare in the season or the audition.  Then a brief meeting/audition with a couple folks from LimeGreen Entertainment to be considered for their 48 Hour Film Project team (backup for me, since I am already on another team).  And more rain, so rehearsed Much indoors at Butler again.
20: Finished reading The Taming of the Shrew.  At Much rehearsal we did a stumble-through of part 1, then notes and scene work.
21-23: Much rehearsal the next night was a stumble-through of part 2, again followed by notes and scene work.  Next night worked III.3 and IV.2.  And then a stumble-through of the entire show (with notes of course).
25: The Chicago 48 Hour Film Project!  I ended up having a small role in one scene of a mockumentary called Inside America.  About four hours for shooting that scene.  We were temporarily awarded Best Use of Line of Dialogue, but since the film was turned in late we were actually ineligible for that award.
26: This night's rehearsal involved talking with the director about my character (Conrade); I also sat in for the Borachio actor's session.
27-28: Run-throughs with notes.
29: First rehearsal (run-through with notes again) at our venue, White River State Park.  (We're part of the park's Family Art Series and go under a couple titles/tags: Free Shows Where the Grass Grows; also Shakespeare on the Canal.)
30: Technical rehearsal for Much.  Microphones.
31: We open Much Ado about Nothing, to a big crowd!

June 2009

1: Auditioned for Williamston Theatre's season.  The Artistic Director thought I looked familiar, was interested in checking out Star Trek Versus Batman and said he will call me in for anything appropriate.
2: Headed to Evanston to audition for six area theatres.  I didn't have an appointment, but was still seen within three hours.  Very quiet room.
5: Saw Up in 3D with Justin, Kyle & Jon Finke - another winner from Pixar.
8: Shot the nightmare scene for Haunted - this last little piece only took around an hour.
9: Down to Indy to audition for Heartland Actors’ Repertory Theatre's Much Ado About Nothing, with a monologue and then cold reads of scenes for Conrade (I.iii) and Borachio (V.i).  While I was there, decided to check out the Indiana Filmmaker's Networking meeting, which started with a workshop on The Basics of Film Acting and continued longer with casual networking.
10: The next night, callbacks for Much Ado, an hour mostly spent reading Conrade in III.iii (4x w/different actors), but once each also of Borachio and Verges scenes, with other auditioners and one already-cast member of the Watch.
11: Up to Chicago for a half hour of ADR for Haunted.
13: Late at night, watched Stranger Than Fiction with Dan; then the next night, Baby Mama with Sarah, Kyle, Sheila & Liz.
15: A couple nights later, to the dollar theatre for X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Justin & Matthew.
30: Later that month, a big group together to watch The Big Lebowski - Justin, Emily, Jessica, Josh, Liz, Sheila, MaryClaire, the Sarah's, Peter, Mike, more perhaps.

May 2009

2: Auditioned at River Bend Film Festival for a vampire series called Dark Secrets, which involved a cold read for the main character as well as a prepared monologue; noting Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di for on my resume, the director asked if I knew Ed Ernstes (of course!).  Then over to Goshen for an audition for both a) an unnamed, supposedly soon-to-be-created summer stock theatre and b) a short film trilogy called Samuel - A Journey of Discovery.  For the latter, I did a cold read for the Messenger in part III; and for the former, two monologues (the director stopping each midway and asking for more emotion) and two songs.  I haven't heard anything since about the company.  And back to River Bend to audition for various films by Big Hat Cowboy Productions, cold reads with another actor of two roles in two shorts.
4: Short wait, thanks to an early start, for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's season auditions.  The artistic director wanted to know how long I had been in Chicago, didn't ask for a second monologue - and had not seen the production of Midsummer I had done in Cincy.
7: Star Trek Versus Batman was chosen by Fan Cinema Today as "A Top 5 Must-See Star Trek Fan Film".
9: Headed down to Noblesville for a table read of Shoki's Bag - read for Caper and Inquisitors 2 & 3 - with Gavin Rulon in the lead and lots of Indy folks I had acted with, or had been in projects with if not scenes, or knew by name.  Then chatted with various members of the team about editing, role-doubling, casting name actors, etc.  After lunch, hung around for a meeting of a team - a director and several writers - for the upcoming 48 Hour Film Project.
12: Longer, but not unreasonable, wait for Goodman Theatre's non-musical season auditions.  I felt like I really rocked my two monologues that day.
15: My callback at Boarshead for Death of a Salesman ended up actually being for the role of Biff, not Bernard.  Read a scene (from "Did you see the new football" to "This summer, heh?") with another actor as Willy.
16: To Rochester to audition for a feature, Goss Acres, and a web series, In the Box - the latter was to have ongoing single-day shoots (with different casts) through the year.  Did a monologue as well as a couple of cold reads.  One of the auditors requested an extra resume to consider me for a separate project, Leach.
17: Watched Seven Pounds with Justin, Pete, James & Matthew.
21: Waited most of the day for Indiana Repertory Theatre's season auditions.  I even let another auditioner cut as she had a rehearsal as an understudy for Rock and Roll at the Goodman, which cost me an additional half-hour.  This did give me time to finish reading Inherit the Wind.
23: Auditioned for several different indie film projects.  A feature, One Night (cold read of a scene as the lead); a DePaul MFA thesis feature The Waves, plus earlier project Crossing the Lake (a monologue and a chat, questions about Star Trek Versus Batman); a horror short Haunted (monologue and questions about my experience, comfort level with various things, etc.); and an untitled short/music video (monologue and talked about the plot).
24: Watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian with Pete, Sarah, Joe, Collin & Matthew.
27: Rehearsal of Haunted (read/discussed the script, rehearsed look/actions, discussed wardrobe)
28: I was the first in line for Timeline Theatre Company's season generals, so I didn't have to wait terribly long - a couple hours.  Spent some of that chatting with Andrew Redlawsk, and some finishing The Drawer Boy.  Then went to do my monologue and remind the artistic director that he had called me in previously to audition for The History Boys (after getting my name from another theatre; I had been on tour with NTC at the time of the audition and into the rehearsal period).
29: The next day, again saw Andrew, and Cristina Panfilio, while hoping to be seen at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Season auditions, and finishing reading Boom.  But I had to leave for a callback in Indy for several of Cardinal Stage Company's productions - Inherit the Wind, Boom & Drawer Boy.  I was being considered especially for Jules and Bertram Cates, read 1 side for Jules, 2 for Miles, 2 for Cates - the second repeated with a couple redirections.  While I was in town, stopped by an open call for a short called Sunday Morning, where I cold read a sides 3 times with various imprecise redirections.
30: Attended the season auditions for Meadow Brook Theatre; while waiting, saw Paul Riopelle, who suggested a Claudio-in-jail monologue from Measure for Measure would be a good audition piece for me.  After a couple monologues, the artistic administrator checked whether I had any conflicts and the managing director wondered whether I had a place to stay in the area.
31: A twelve-hour shoot day for Haunted, with the three person crew (including the director) and one other actor.

April 2009

13: Auditioned for Boarshead Theatre's season after a very short wait (I was a walk-in).  The artistic director asked me re Florida Studio Theatre as she knew a former A.D. there, and also wanted to know what Star Trek Versus Batman was (I get that question a lot).  She indicated I might be called back in later on for Bernard in Death of a Salesman.
14: Auditioned for a horror/romcom short - indie rather than student - called Hangers.  Several sides to cold read with other actors, even switching roles at one point, and a monologue.
17: Went to the dollar theatre to see Slumdog Millionaire with a big group: Sarah, Ricky, Justin, Catherine, Allesha, Liz, etc.  I was a little late, so I missed the very beginning.
18: Full day around Indianapolis, first off a double screening in Hamilton of two shorts, Waffles for Virginia (its premiere) and The Fresh Air Will Do You Good - two very different productions: a family film with animated sequences and a scifi buddy comedy.  Then over to Plainfield to audition for another horror flick, Freight.  Waited two hours before being seen, then they took forever, wanting to see everyone read everything and lots of repetition.  Ugh.  Ended barely in time to make it over to the main event, the premiere at the IMAX of A Time for the Heart, followed by Quantum Leap: A Leap to Di for.  A great crowd out for those, and I really enjoyed seeing Heart finally completed.  At the wrap party, had a great time hanging out with all those I had known from the shoots as well as meeting some new folks - who had worked on different scenes - or family of cast and crew.  Another filmmaker (not involved in these two) was also there for some reason, so I chatted some about her upcoming project, Shoki's Bag.  I couldn't stay as long as I might have liked though, as had some more traveling to do before a 10k trail run the following morn.
20: Had a quick headshot session (TFP), which was presumably done to build the photographer's portfolio and/or to try to get me to purchase additional prints or files.  But I got one good, free shot out of it -- and I certainly needed something to replace my college-era headshot.  So it worked out.
22: Not much more than an hour wait for Steppenwolf Theatre's general auditions - which is good.  The casting director wanted to know if I lived in Chicago, and to keep her posted when I do make that transition.
23: Auditioned for a number of Columbia student shorts - I had inquired about possible expense-covering prior, and apparently one of the student-directors thought I needed that to attend the auditions (rather than if cast).  They were in two different rooms, so I did different monologues and a cold reading from One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; and I let them know about how much pay I would need to recoup travel expenses.
27: A similar wait as Steppenwolf at the next season audition, for Human Race Theatre Company, although they might have been more busy - started seeing walk-ins early, before appointments started.  I ran into a fellow from my university, whom I hadn't known personally, but I guess who knew me through common acquaintances.  And I did a similar thing in the room, as I mentioned my Bridgework director, who had worked for Human Race as well.  Journey down to Bloomington that day to attend auditions for Cardinal Stage Company, with a lot of the same personnel I remembered from previous times.  One asked again where I was from and how far it was, hinted they might call me back again; another wanted to know how long I had practiced capoeira.
28: More traveling, more season auditions, for Tipping Point Theatre (comedies TBA, and for 6-7 people in the room) and then Jewish Ensemble Theatre.  I was quite early for the second, arriving more than half an hour before the monitor, and again saw a friend of the colleague I mentioned at the Human Race audition.  The monitor actually came in to watch my audition.  The artistic director didn't have me sing, as the only singing roles for my age also involved playing piano.  She thought she might call me back in for Ellard in The Foreigner, but thought I seemed too young for the rest of the season (or too much of a contrast with others cast).  She seemed possibly a little hard-of-hearing, which made the exchange a bit surreal.
29-30: One of the Columbia students cast me in his short and we filmed in his hometown of Michigan City, which cut down on the drive time and expense.  I guess he and his friends have been working on low-budget horror for a number of years.  This one was a b&w 16mm silent 5-minute short, a final project for some 2nd year class.  The director later told me it was the top film at their class screening.