Tag: actors journey

Chasing The George

My Current Mood: Picture of the writer. Phase Two of my writing attack has begun. WGA registration, U.S. Copyright, Without A Box writing competitions, other writing competitions, WME, UTA, Paradigm, Innovative outflow. TV series, feature film. James Franco screenplay deadline of April 20th.

My Current Mood: Picture of Madonna. I’m passing through the challenges. Remember that time when…? Because I’m having breakthroughs and the bigger ones are coming. I’m the real motherfucking deal. Remember my face.

Chasing The George

I Popped My Cherry…Again.

And I did so in front of a room of very talented artists and an incredible acting teacher. On Thursday, February 18th at approximately 9:30pm, Lindsay Hopper and I took to the stage and got into place. The lights went down in the theater and Robin Karfo called out the name of our scene. Accompanied by her amazingly talented boyfriend, Jordan Bull, on the guitar, Lindsay and I began to sing “That Would Be Enough” from the insanely brilliant Broadway smash musical, “Hamilton”.

Weeks leading up to our song, she and I received texts, emails and in-person shout outs from various people who couldn’t wait to see us sing together. After our song ended Thursday night, we received a wonderful round of applause and cheers. We sat downstage center and received our assessment from Richard Lawson. It was a great first take.

I popped my cherry again because the first thing I said when I sat down for the assessment was, “I have to say that this is the first time I’m singing in front of an audience, with someone else and with accompaniment in 9 years!” I cheered and everyone in the room immediately cheered and applauded for me.

Singing in front of my peers and friends was a big moment for me. To give you some context of the magnitude of this event, please check out two previous blog entries I wrote in 2015 that addressed a failed purpose I had with singing and what I did to fix that:

Part 1: How A 15-Year Old Inspired Me:
http://wp.me/p8uI5M-3d

Part 2: Care-Fronting My Director:
http://wp.me/p8uI5M-3c

The rehearsal process was fun and it was a re-training of my ear in terms of singing with someone else and singing with an instrument and being able to re-learn the song quickly whenever the key was changed. It was like stepping into a dance studio after not having trained in a long time…you’ll always be a trained dancer, but you start re-learning, you start rehabilitating, you start re-awakening and the rust slowly but surely comes off.

I was like a giddy five-year old kid during rehearsals. I would then obsessively rehearse the song on my own. I also found myself singing additional songs in my free time. I started to remember how much I love to sing. I started to remember that I once sang at Madison Square Garden!

Lindsay and I will repeat the song and take it to the next level with the notes we received. I’d like to continue putting up musical scenes in class. How singing will fit into my overall dream remains to be seen, but maybe it’ll find its way into characters I write for myself in feature films and TV series. Perhaps my character will be that one that busts into a song in the middle of the restaurant to profess his love for someone. Or maybe when my character comes home from a long day of work, he busts out in a musical number to shake the day off. Sky’s the limit as a writer.

But in terms of staying in alignment with the concept of “Chasing The George”, singing “That Would Be Enough” after 9 years of not singing in public is an example of and testament to that: To move full steam ahead and commit. To not flinch. To have fun. To do the work and then let it go the minute I get on stage because I know the work is in me.

Here’s to more!

Chasing The George.

I Have Artistic Tourettes

Chasing The George

It felt weird not posting a blog entry last Sunday, November 8th! But I’m back! So let’s get right into it.

I have a confession to make.

Are you ready?

It’s something I’ve never admitted before. Not even to my lover James Franco. Not even to my second mother, Madonna.

Ready?

I HAVE ARTISTIC TOURETTES!

No, seriously. I have artistic tourettes.

Before I get into the WHY I have it, let’s get into the WHAT. According to the official website, tourette.org:

“Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (Tourette Syndrome or TS) is a neurological disorder which becomes evident in early childhood or adolescence. The first symptoms usually are involuntary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk.  These tics are frequent, repetitive and rapid.”

This paragraph below really resonated with me:

“Many persons report what are described as premonitory urges – the urge to perform a motor activity. Other symptoms such as touching, repetitive thoughts and movements and compulsions can occur.”

That’s it! That’s exactly what I have! I have the URGE TO PERFORM A MOTOR ACTIVITY on a daily basis. COMPULSIONS. In other words, I have a compulsion to be an artist 24/7. And this compulsion to be an artist expresses itself in the form of motor activities. Okay, who’s still with me on this one? Have I lost you yet? Have I lost the plot? Or do you FEEL what I’m saying and you’re yelling “AMEN!” right now?!

And whenever I’m in public, the compulsion is at its highest. I mean, come on, it’s a free audience waiting to receive your brilliance. For example, I’m currently experiencing the “joys” of public transportation here in Los Angeles. Yes, Los Angeles has a public transportation system. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe since it feels like everyone drives. Now, is the LA public transportation system as extensive as the one in NYC? No, but Los Angeles DOES have a public transportation system. Anyway, I’m on public transportation because my “Tesla” is currently at Express Auto Shop. Sam and his crew are simply THE BEST. Here’s their address and tell them George Ortiz sent you: 8927 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035.

Anyway, taking public transportation and being forced to interact with people has been an interesting learning experience. We spend so much time in our cars that we start losing touch with human connection. We start forgetting how to interact with people and how to handle and manage energy. Taking the train and bus has been a great way for me to observe people and life. As actors, we sometimes say, “The character would never do that” or “That’s too big/bold of a choice to make”. Um, stop for a second and take a look at LIFE and you’ll see the bold, crazy, daring, evaluated choices that people make on a daily basis. They are committed to their choices, they are moment to moment and they let their scene have a beginning, middle and end LOL.

Anyway, when I stand on the subway platform or I’m walking down the streets to the train station, and I have my headphones on for example, I can’t help but perform. The streets, the subway platform, the bus stop feels like a stage and it seems like such a waste to not take advantage of it. I’ll be walking down the street and then all of sudden, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, WOO HOO! I’ll start dance-walking. I’ll be in the zone with my music. I’m moment to moment with the music and my body becomes the vessel for which divine inspiration flows through. I don’t fight it. I can’t fight it.

I’ll be standing on the subway platform and then all of a sudden, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, WOO HOO! I’ll start performing a monologue to myself. Or I’ll recite lines from an audition I’m working on or from a film (The confrontation scene between Woody Allen and Kirstie Alley in “Deconstructing Harry” has been my go to scene lately)

I’ll be on the bus heading home and then all of a sudden, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, WOO HOO! I’ll start writing dialogue for a script I’m working on. Or I’ll start singing. Or I’ll be re-inspired with creative ideas for my career administration.

At the supermarket, WOO HOO! HERE WE GO AGAIN! GET DOWN! Dancing down the aisles. My body becomes a vessel and Bob Fosse enters. Madonna enters. Jerome Robbins enters. Michael Bennett enters. Prince enters. Whichever musical act I’m listening to enters. But they filter through my interpretation and my experience.

I can’t help it. I HAVE to perform. I HAVE to create. When the MUSE, when the COMPULSION comes, I have to express it. I can’t NOT perform and create and express. I don’t want to be a regular, normal human being. It bores me to tears. I don’t want to be like everyone else. I want to stand out. I want to shock myself. It’s almost like I’m creating performance art in the public eye.

I come home and I see the courtyard in my building and it looks like a large arena with a raised stage and everything. And then all of sudden, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, WOO HOO! GIVE IT TO ME! I’m on that stage and launching myself into an hour and a half dance extravaganza with a beginning, middle and end. During that time, I go on the classic hero’s journey from Orphan to Wanderer to Warrior to Martyr–Read “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story” by Jeffrey Alan Schechter if you don’t know what I’m talking about 🙂 🙂 🙂

And look, I know some people look at me like I’m weird cause it’s more “important” to be cool. To be unaffected. To be glib. Fuck that. They don’t pay my bills. I do. So they are of no significance to me. If anything, I’m hopefully inspiring them to chill out, to relax, to get out of their middle-class thinking and behavior, to stop being so uptight, to have fun. FUN. FUN. FUN. My God, when did we stop having fun? Who said that being an adult meant that you stop having fun? That you’re supposed to be dead on the outside and the inside? Being around the public, I truly see how unhappy a lot of people are. And how people don’t like seeing other people happy. That only makes me, that only makes me, that only makes me, GOD DAMMIT! WOO HOO! GIVE IT TO ME! It only makes me want to perform bigger and harder (wait, am I still talking about art or am I talking about sex? Then again, I’ve experienced incredible art that was the equivalent to experiencing amazing sex. No lie.) And I’m sure there are videos of me on Youtube, but whatever, I don’t care. I don’t want to be normal. I am extraordinary and it needs to come out. If it doesn’t, I become miserable. I become restless. I go crazy. I need to stay sharp with my creativity.

I smile when I see other artists performing in public without apology, without fear, without self-consciousness. These two male dancers got on the train recently and did their thing. I loved it. And of course, the stanky, snooty, middle-class thinking people sneered and snickered. Why???? They weren’t bothering anyone or harming anyone. What makes you better than these dancers? Why are you bothered by their artistry? Why are you not smiling? Are you secretly jealous and upset that you can’t be that free? I’m inclined to believe that the last question has incredible validity as I remember a former teacher saying, “We criticize the things that we ourselves cannot become.” I applauded the two dancers on their bravery and their artistry.

On the other hand, I’ve also made many people smile because of my artistic compulsions. They’ll clap for me. They’ll cheer me on. They’ll ask what I’m on and if they can have some of it. I remember seeing the fireworks this past July 4th with a buddy of mine. Afterwards, we went back to his car and waited for the crowds to disperse from the parking lot. We were listening to music, talking, killing time. Before we knew it, the parking lot was almost empty. A great, infectious song came on and I told him to turn on his headlights. He was confused by my request, but eventually complied. I got out and started dancing in front of his headlights to the song. I felt like Nicole Kidman in that iconic dancing scene from “To Die For”. I got such a rush. This guy walked by and said, “I’ll have whatever you’re on.” I said, “I’m on life, baby, life!”

I remember jogging through Barnsdall Park in Los Feliz and I stopped by this secluded, quiet area. I put on a mini-concert to about three songs. When I was done, I turned around and realized I was dancing in front of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. I looked up and saw a young kid looking at me through the window. He waved and had the biggest smile on his face. I don’t know if he was a patient or not, but I became his hero and brought joy and happiness into his life. Can you imagine if I held back my compulsion to create?! What a crime that would have been! I smiled, waved back and continued on my jog.

I guess the point of this blog, the bottom line, is that we are artists. How BLESSED are we to be artists?! To know that any given moment, we can create and express in so many ways and in so many places?! To move, inspire, heal people in some way. I am an artist and I have to share and express it.

I HAVE ARTISTIC TOURETTES!

According to tourette.org:

There is no cure for Tourettes.

THANK GOD FOR THAT. I NEVER WANT MY CREATIVE COMPULSIONS TO STOP.

I Love My Community

Chasing The George

I am privately working with a new actress who is interested in learning on-camera acting and auditioning technique. She sat in as a guest at the Richard Lawson Studios scene study class one night and was really blown away by Richard, his teaching, the scenes that went up and the positive community that was present. She really wants to join the RLS, but because she is currently enrolled in school, her schedule does not permit her to join at the present moment. However, she did express interest in taking private coaching sessions just so she could get a head start on her studies here. Richard, being an incredibly busy person, referred her to me.

We have just finished her second session and she’s doing great. She has talent and potential. I’m excited to be a part of her journey. But what also struck me about this actress is that she told me on more than one occasion that she has no friends.

I did a double take when she first told me this. “You have no friends?” She answered, “No. I have no friends. Didn’t have friends when I was growing up either.” I thought to myself that surely she must be pulling my leg. She’s fucking with me big time. How can this funny, talented girl not have any friends? So, I asked again, “Wait, you have no friends?” She said, “Yep.” And I immediately said, “Girl, we gotta change that! You need some friends!” I proceeded to give her some advice on where and how she could make friends.

I suggested she find drama clubs or other extra-curricular clubs in her school. I suggested she find a strong, female mentor. I suggested she connect with her guidance counselor or program adviser. I told her to do a Google search on free groups that meet around town that focus on her areas of interest. She also goes to church and I told her to befriend the people there and get involved in volunteer work with them.

She acknowledged all of my advice and said that she definitely has tried all of that, but with no luck. I’ve only known her for a short period of time, so I don’t want to dig in any further into what is really going on. But again, I just find it so hard to believe that she has no friends. She said something at the very end of our second session that inspired today’s blog entry (and how grateful I am for my friends and community.) She said that she drove cross-country to move to LA. And along the way, she kept praying that her car wouldn’t break down. Why? Because she literally has no one to call. No one to reach out to if that did happen. She said she would have freaked out and/or died if she was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no one to call.

I want to dedicate this blog entry to my amazing close friends and to my amazing community of artists. I would not be where I am today as an artist and as a person without the strong support of my community. Community is VITAL for any journey a person goes on. Art is a communal thing and you can not do it alone.

Interestingly enough, right before she came over for our private session, I was dealing with a potentially life-changing crisis. I was scared and terrified. I wanted to hide. But because I have a solid core group of friends that I could call on, I got out of my own way and reached out for help. I reached out to hear a friendly voice, to receive guidance and advice, to receive peace of mind, to get my fears and concerns off my chest. There is nothing worse than keeping something inside and letting it fester and build. I called a good friend of mine and he was amazing in terms of providing emotional, spiritual and practical support. I called another friend immediately afterwards and he too provided emotional, spiritual and practical support. But he also added another component that moved me even further towards action and handling what I was going through.

After getting off the phone with these two amazing friends, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. I was armed with tangible plans I could execute to handle my crisis. I was no longer in my head. I was no longer at affect. I was in front of my crisis. I was in present time and proceeded to quickly implement their suggestions. Long story short, I was able to handle my crisis later that day with success. And one of the friends I called earlier offered to be there with me when I did so. Without them, I would have faced a darker fate.

I’m truly blessed that I have people to call. This actress doesn’t. Looking back, I realized two things:

1) I am grateful because I am surrounded by TRUE, ride-or-die friends that I have nurtured and cultivated in the time I’ve been out here in Los Angeles. It has taken me time to really create and manifest the kind of friends I want in my life. These people are my family. And as different as these two guys are, they are similar in many ways as well. They both provided near-identical advice. They spoke the same language. They handled me with love and care. I am surrounded by friends and a community of artists that speak the same language and that take care of each other in beautiful and honest ways.

2) I could have easily called up at least 10 more friends and they would have been just as helpful. An abundance of options. And they too would have spoken the same language that my two male friends did. This is what I mean in terms of really creating and nurturing the type of people I want in my life. There is a common through line that flows through each person and any one of these people would have provided their support without hesitation.

I’ll say it again: Community is vital. It’s why I love studying at the RLS so much. We are a community. We foster and protect that. We understand the importance of supporting each other. Your win is our win. You can not travel on any road by yourself. Pursuing any career takes a group effort. Pursuing life takes a group effort. You can not do it alone.

Recently, Richard gave an ultimatum to a fellow student and friend of mine: Get your apartment together in one week or you’ll be kicked out of class for all time. Basically, Richard put this student on “terrorist apartment”. This was the first time anyone has ever been put on terrorist apartment and it was drawn from the concept of “terrorist theater”.

Terrorist theater was created by master teacher and director Milton Katselas as a way to get actors-who should be working in the industry-working. If an actor had been in class for a while, but hadn’t been working professionally in the industry, then Milton or a fellow teacher would put the student on terrorist theater. The student then had six to eight weeks to book a paid acting job. If they didn’t, then they were kicked out of school for all time. They could never return, even if they won an Oscar. Terrorist theater lights a fire under asses and puts actors at a high level of cause. Because class means so much to them, and they don’t want to lose it, they begin to administer their careers at an exponentially higher level to get off of terrorist theater. They attack their careers in a way that they have never done before. “No” is not an option and they turn over every stone to book a job. It’s all about “yes” and they really understand the hustle it takes to get work. The success rate of terrorist theater is high and I have seen many students book paid acting jobs as a result of it.

So, this student was put on terrorist apartment because they have a long history of hoarding and it was affecting their personal and professional life. Previous soft attempts to handle their problem failed. Terrorist apartment was the final solution. Now, this student is a gem of a person. They put more hours into their career than anyone else. They put up more scenes in class than anyone else. They support their fellow artists more than anyone else. They are very talented and so fucking cast-able it’s not even funny. And so when this student was put on terrorist apartment, I became emotional because I knew how much they meant to me and to the RLS community. This student is like family and I didn’t want to see them go. And it was beautiful to see how quickly people in class rallied together that same night to help the student out. People stepped up and donated their time to support one of their own. I went over to their place with my friend Lindsay and we were there for three hours. It was such an honor and privilege to help and I felt a sense of spiritual rejuvenation. The community came together because this student is always there for them.

Look guys, what you put out there is what you get back. And I don’t mean in a superficial, fake, phony way. Give and support in genuine, loving, caring ways. Give because you care and because you give a shit. Give because that’s what community and love is all about. Because at some point, we will all be in a position where we will need love and help as well.

Find a community. Or build one. Know the type of people you want to surround yourself with and why and make that happen. Community is so important!

I am so honored, blessed and grateful to have my close group of friends, but I am also thankful to have an amazing and inspiring community at large like the RLS. There is nothing more satisfying than giving back and helping because there were times where I needed help and I received it. I remember a time when I didn’t have money for food. I was so strapped for cash. And I’ll never forget the delicious, hearty meals that DawnMarie Ferrara and Nayo Wallace prepared for me until I could get back on my feet. I’ll never forget how KC Sterling and Michael Manuel Sanders offered to design my first apartment in LA and brought my design concepts to life. I’ll never forget Jonathan Mateer for taking me into his home after I broke up with my ex so that I could start a new chapter in my life and heal on different levels. I’ll never forget Angie Russell and Michael Manuel Sanders for giving me rides home after class whenever my car was in the shop. Angie Russell for creating care packages for me. I’ll never forget Geri Atos for buying me a brand new iPad Air so I wouldn’t fall behind on my work when she discovered I was computer-less. I’ll never forget all the times Richard Lawson picked me up when I wanted to quit and encouraged me to go on. I’ll never forget Taylor Hawthorne for stepping up to be the first AD on a pilot I directed. I’ll never forget the countless persons that have hired me as a career administration consultant to put extra money in my pockets. I can go on and on. So there is no greater feeling than giving back.

Now, am I always able to give back? No. And when I’m unable to, I feel awful. But when I do give, I fucking give. Here are a FEW recent examples of me giving back to my friends and community: Being an extra on the set of a fellow classmate’s first short film that she wrote; going to see a fellow classmate in a play; going to see fellow friends in a hilarious monthly show called “Rise and Shine With Bette and Juliette”; giving money to a classmate’s fundraising campaign; texting my friend everyday to make sure she filmed her original character and uploaded the videos onto YouTube; watching and promoting various works by friends, classmates and peers on YouTube, on TV or in the cinemas.

Whether it’s the entertainment business or another business, you can’t go on the journey alone. And in your personal life, you can’t go on the journey alone either. Community is vital. Community is essential. Community has saved me. Whenever Richard talks about the importance of community, he always brings up this quote by American anthropologist Ralph Linton–and I couldn’t agree more:

“All human beings live as members of organized groups and have their fate inextricably bound up with that of the group to which they belong.”

Interestingly enough, this quote can be about positive or negative groups. Hopefully, you choose to create and cultivate positive groups.

Thank you to my friends. Thank you to my community. I would not be where I am today without your love, friendship, care, guidance and tough love.

By the way, my friend got off of terrorist theater! So go win that Oscar now and bring it back home baby!

Chasing The George

Shaking The Tree!

On Friday, October 16th, I had the honor of participating in the “Shaking The Tree” series. Created by the amazingly talented actress and human being, Eileen Galindo, it is a monthly series in which invited artists gather around a table and share stories around a given theme in front of a live audience. This month’s theme was “Skeletons In The Closet” and we were given the freedom to interpret that as we saw fit.

This month’s gathering of artists included myself, actresses Patricia Richardson, Eileen Galindo, Rose Portillo and Rena Strober. Stories ranged from reconciling with family ghosts to near-death experiences to self-discovery to discovering truths about great great grandparents during the Civil War. And as diverse as we all are in terms of coming from different walks of life, it was amazing how we all bonded as each beautiful story was told. There was something healing and cathartic about hearing personal slices of people’s lives. We all connected to at least one thing in every story that was shared. By the end of the night, we felt closer. We had a human experience. We connected to each other as human beings. I no longer saw Patricia Richardson of “Home Improvement” fame or Rena Strober of Broadway fame (she sang by the way and my GOD, what a VOICE!) I didn’t see Eileen and Rose of various TV series and feature films and commercials. I saw human beings.

That’s the beauty of art. Art brings us all together to experience something greater than ourselves. People were moved, impinged and affected throughout the night. There were laughs, gasps, “amens”, more laughs, beautiful pregnant pauses and moments of silence, more “amens”, tears and more laughs.

And that’s the beauty and intention of the “Shaking The Tree” series: To bring people together and learn from each other. The artists and audience members were inspired and walked away with a new perspective and understanding of someone from another walk of life.

I shared an entry from my blog (the one about discovering my true voice) and I modified it somewhat to fit the theme of the evening. Something came over me when I read it in front of everyone. I felt such a moment to moment connection with everyone which was reciprocated during my story and afterwards on a break. I resonated on a high frequency level. Art. Boom.

Thank you again Eileen for the opportunity!

Funny Things I Said On Set

Chasing The George

Shooting a feature film in NYC has been wonderful. From on-location shoots at Radio City Music Hall to iconic fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo’s three-story townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, this experience has only reinforced my love for being an artist. I am truly grateful and I want more. I will have more.

And in a massive city filled with millions of people everywhere, it was amazing to see how much I stood out. At first, I thought it was because I wore an LA hat. Then, I quickly realized it was because of who I am. My spirit, my life force, my joy of what I do and who I am. Many people were intimidated, inspired and drawn to me. My influence wasn’t just limited to the world of LA. So witnessing my impact on others confirmed even more the power I have as an artist and how I can truly change the world.

And since this blog is about my weekly experiences as an artist, I thought it would be cool to share with you some of the funny things I said on set. Enjoy! And see you soon LA!

I said on set:

“Okay!”

“Okaaaayy!”

“Hold on, I’m still putting on my strap on.”
————-

Lead Actor: “I read a book that started with the line, "Joe inserted his big black dick inside her taunty pussy.”

Me: “Do you still own that book?”
————-

“I would eat that salmon all night long.”

“Okaaaayy!”

“Shake it, bitch!”

“I thought she was spelling ‘Dietrich’, as in ‘Marlene Dietrich’”
————-

As we’re getting shuttled to the next location, I sat next to a crew member in an Infiniti SUV:

Crew member: “Ouch, your ass bone just poked me.”

Me: “That’s not my bone.”
————-

“I’ve been told that I’m the size of a baby’s arm.”
————-

A crew member looks at the hashtags I used on an Instagram post:

Sound Operator: “Hashtag Gay Mexico?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m international.”
————-

“You think I’m going to pay $40 million for a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan only to look out at all of this horrid, loud, nasty traffic?! Get the hell out of here!”

“Okaaaayy!”
————-

Me: “Sorry, I keep digging into your butt.”

Director of Photography: “I don’t mind.”
————-

“Okaaaayy!”

“He’s in the Bronx where he belongs.”

“Not today, Satan, not today.”

“Okaaaayy!”
————-

Towards the last day of filming, I walked around in a red towel because NYC got hit by a tropical rain storm and my pants had gotten wet.

Crew Member: It looks like you’re walking around in a bath house.

Me: We’re all family at this point.
————-

“Okaaaayy!”

Chasing The George

Filming In NYC.

One of my goals for 2015 was to shoot on location. Cut to September 26th and I am landing in JFK Airport to shoot a feature film. Saturday was spent with immediate family and the BROOKLYN accents were strong, alive and representing. Quick first-day timeline for your amusement:

4:45am Running out of the building like a mad man to catch the car to the airport. I became that asshole who runs late. I guess I got caught up listening to the original Broadway cast recording of “Little Shop of Horrors” while I was getting ready.

4:47am As we drive down Hollywood Blvd., I start getting a little sad. The first thing that pops into my head is, “I’m gonna miss all the stores that sell stripper/hooker attire.”

4:55am After getting over my sadness and getting excited for my work-cation, I can’t resist the urge to log onto Lavendr and start swiping left and right. I say to myself, “Hey, you never know. Maybe I’ll find Mr. Right before I fly down to NYC.”

5:07am We pick up another passenger. Last name, Dong. I thought she said “Dung”. Look, I’ve had 3 hours of sleep each night for the last seven days…

5:12am. We’re driving south on Highland Ave. and through the beautiful neighborhood of Hancock Park. I wonder if Hancock Park resident Shonda Rhimes is up?

5:26am I have nothing to write about.

5:30am We drive into LAX. When I see the large LAX letters to my left, I think of the “Lost” episode titled “LA X”.

5:48am A cute TSA agent pats me down. This is most likely the only action I’m getting while in NYC.

5:56am I’m starving. It’s time to eat. I’m ready for the overpriced everything. Burger King is definitely not an option unless you want me shitting all the way to NYC.

5:59am I realize I’m wearing an LA hat. I’m so literal.

6am Waiting in line to purchase a water and a simple turkey sandwich. This is the best LAX can offer at the moment.

6:01am $12.81 later for a water and a simple turkey sandwich. Give me a God-damn break. Two words: Write off.

6:05am How is it possible that in 2015 there aren’t any electrical outlets to plug my iPhone into?

6:15am A two-year old cries. Please don’t be on my flight. Please don’t be on my flight. I immediately quote Frank Underwood from “House of Cards”, “I’m not going to lie. I despise children. There, I’ve said it.”

6:26am I get emotional for three seconds because the last time I flew to NYC, I did so with my ex. This time, I’m flying by myself.

6:40am Time to drop the kids off. I’m very particular. I pack baby wipes. And I’m very thorough. Very thorough.

6:55am I place a call to my mom to check in with her.

7:06am Getting ready to board the plane. We are scheduled to depart at 7:30am and arrive in NYC at 3:55pm. Upon first glance, it seems like a long flight. But it’s due to the time difference. In other words, when our plane takes off, it’s 10:30am in NYC. And the two-year old is not on this flight. Thank God.

7:15am Selfie time. One take only as I hate selfies. This picture will kick off today’s blog entry. Not bad considering I’ve been sleeping three hours each night for the past seven days…and I’m hung over (Boom!) Thank you Sayaka Miyatani for the bottle of champagne!

7:30am Time to sleep!

This is where my iPhone shifted into Central Time:

11:15am I get up to stretch my legs and use the bathroom. I walk dizzily down the aisle towards the bathroom. I am definitely hung over (Boom!)

11:32am I can’t fall back to sleep because the guy across from me is absolutely gorgeous. I’m marveling over how immaculately groomed his facial hair is. Till this day, I still don’t know how to keep my facial hair on point.

1:35pm I wake up. I guess I WAS able to fall asleep again. I fall back asleep.

This is where my iPhone shifted into Eastern Time:

3:42pm I wake up and become emotional when I see Lower Manhattan and the new World Trade Center building. I’ve never seen the magnificence of this building before in person.

3:55pm I grab my carry-on luggage and exit the plane. My brother-in-law picks me up in his fabulous BMW (I joked to him that I felt like I was receiving the Hollywood treatment by being picked up in a BMW.)

And the rest of the day was catching up with family–refer to the first paragraph 🙂

I look forward to filming on location!

Chasing The George

How I Recently Won A Year-Long Scholarship.

“In one compelling photo, show us where you will display your Oscar.“

This was the August 2015 challenge for a year-long scholarship prize to Dallas Travers’ Thriving Artist Circle program. Dallas Travers is an expert in the field of marketing, branding and career administration. I have been on her email list for at least two years and I love receiving her tips and video blogs. When I received this challenge, I immediately became compelled to answer it. My instincts told me to act now. To do it now. Intention without hesitation. I put together my answer with enthusiasm and passion. I was giddy like a young school boy. It took me 20 minutes from inception of my idea to me hitting the submit button on my submission. 20 minutes. I was so proud of myself for not getting caught up in a perfection syndrome (e.g. It has to be perfect; my answer has to be just right; I can’t submit anything until all conditions are perfect; etc.) I wanted my submission to come from a place that was raw and visceral, from a place of spontaneity and impulse.

My blog is a weekly chronicling of my journey as an artist and any advice I can dispense from the lessons I learn. "Chasing The George” was influenced by “Chasing The Ambulance”–a term used to describe people who drive behind ambulances in emergency mode because these ambulances cut through traffic with intention and purpose. Week to week, I hope to cut through with intention and purpose in my career. And immediately responding to the August 2015 challenge was an example of “Chasing The George”.

On September 8th, I received a notification that my submission was selected as the winner. I am looking forward to supplementing and enhancing my artistic journey with additional career administration tools, tips, advice and encouragement.

Above is the picture I submitted and below is the essay that accompanied my picture submission. I dedicate this win (and my future Oscar win) to my Richard Lawson Studios family.

“I’m already getting emotional writing about this. This looks like an ordinary carpet in an ordinary room with a bunch of items on it. However, this room is located at the acting studio I train at, The Richard Lawson Studios. And the sneakers you see in the upper part of the photo belong to a couple of classmates sitting in their chairs. In this particular room, standing on this very carpet, I have grown and changed as a person and as an artist. This is where I come every week to rejuvenate and be reminded that my dreams don’t have expiration dates. That it is wonderful to dream big and go after my dreams. My teacher and my classmates have seen my wins, my lessons, my growth, my laughs, my tears, my disappointments, the times I wanted to give up and the times that I fought hard to continue on my journey. In this particular room, standing on this very carpet, I have learned to become a better person, a better actor, a better writer, a better filmmaker, career administration and to understand and implement technology. I have walked across this carpet at least 1,000 times in different pairs of shoes, different hair cuts, different clothing styles, healthy, sick, etc…and I can’t wait to walk across the red carpet into the Dolby Theatre. I would leave my Oscar in this room because the people in it have been instrumental to my life.”

Care-Fronting My Director

Chasing The George

Last Sunday, I posted a blog entry that revealed how a brave 15-year-old inspired me to reclaim my love for singing: http://wp.me/p8uI5M-3d. One of the actions I listed to reclaim my love for singing was to care-front the director of “A Chorus Line” with a clean, blame-free communication which addressed an event that made me give up singing for many years afterwards.

I composed a Facebook message that same Sunday night. FIVE MINUTES LATER,
she wrote back! What she wrote blew my mind and made me emotional.
Below is what she wrote:

“I am very moved and blown away by your message and it brought me to tears. I am going to listen to your songs tomorrow because it’s late right now and I was actually in
bed on my way to sleep when your message came in. I will write you back
more too.

But let me just say this tonight. You WERE right for Richie and you did a FABULOUS job with the role. Just because you couldn’t hit a couple of notes doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the right part for you. And you are right, as a director I look to put on the best show and sometimes that means tweaking some things a bit. Many shows I’ve directed have had modifications of some sort. It’s creating a work of art that is molded to its perfection.

You would make an awesome Emcee. I directed that show as well. Love that song you
mentioned and I am looking forward to hearing you sing it.

More to be shared tomorrow. ACL will always hold found memories – you made it special with the rest of the cast. I am very proud to have brought such an incredible piece of work to the stage!

So here’s a little more to add to my message that I wrote to you late last night. I do remember the incident that you referenced in your message after I reassigned some of Richie’s vocals to NAME (I, Jorge, removed his name)  On a personal level, I felt very bad making that decision, but as you said and I agreed, I did it for the show. I recall that we were moving close to production week and sitting in the back of the auditorium looking at the line and seeing an open space. I didn’t realize who was missing at first, and then our assistant manager told me it was you … that you were upset and went to the restroom. I realized it had bothered you very much and I felt bad. When I directed Cabaret, I had to pull an entire song from the fellow who played Cliff. It just wasn’t working for him. The song is often struck from the show, so it really didn’t impact the run of the show. But it made me feel really bad as well, but it was for the good of the show.

I see now that you will be directing some music videos. I don’t know your other directorial experiences, but I would imagine that you have had to make some tough decisions as well. And if you haven’t, you will more than likely come across times when you will. You know the saying … “it’s lonely at the top.” Well, it’s true.

I’ve listened to the links that you sent me and I’ve read your blog about Juliet and how she inspired you. Very well written piece. The vocals are wonderful and you are a very talented singer. I’m sorry that the experience in ACL impacted your choice not to further your singing career. Don’t know if you knew this, but you were not the only male with dark skin (who auditioned for “A Chorus Line”) I will still go by what I said before …you were a fabulous Richie!

So, without rambling any more, I’ll close by saying I wish you well in all your future endeavors in the entertainment world, whatever they may be. I like reading your FB posts. I have a VHS tape of our ACL show … and I’d be happy to make you a DVD
of it … if you would like. Just let me know. Again … wishing you well.“

The exchange we had really created a powerful sense of resolution and closure for me. I can move on cleanly and powerfully from this. The event I experienced many years ago no longer has a hold on me. I hope that my experience inspires you to care-front someone or something in your life right now. Because the biggest lesson I learned from all of this is to DO IT NOW. I had a failed purpose with singing for MANY years. That could have been easily avoided if only I had handled this immediately. Do it now. Handle it now. Don’t wait to take care of something.