Well, my first full day in Philadelphia has started out with a little adventure. In a good way, mind you. I got up at 7:30 and high-tailed it to the 30th Street Amtrak station to pick up my bike.
In doing so, I had my first ever experience with Philadelphia's subway system, as there's a line that runs along Market Street right to the station. I have to say this about Philly's subway: It's quite nice. The cars are more narrow than New York City's, but the seats are all covered and comfy, like bus seats. This, of course, would never work in New York, 'cuz then the homeless people wouldn't ever get off the trains.
Anyway, I picked up my bike and reassembled it (no small feat considering I had no tools with which to do so, and had to jam the front tire over the little brake assembly to get it back on. Chancy, at best. But it all worked out, and I biked back to the actor housing. Have I mentioned how nice it is? Jeez. I've got a two-room suite to myself as a bedroom. I kinda skulked about last night and checked out the other two bedrooms, and they're both huge, even though they're really only one room.
The Arden, I understand, has plans to renovate further, but compared to some places I've stayed, this place is a mansion.
I'm off to rehearsal now. Perhaps I'll have more to say later.
I came to a slightly depressing realization today. If I want to be responsible and keep aside money for rent in lean times -- and I do -- then I'm going to have to forgo treating myself to a new digital camera for a while. The money that I had intended to drop on the camera is going to have to go toward getting new headshots done. There's just no getting around it, I think.
A bit of a bummer, frankly, but also encouraging, in that it's a rare display of foresight and forbearance for me. You know me: "If there's food, I'll eat it; if there's money I'll spend it."
So that's good. Though now I'm regretting not having brought my camera, crappy as it is. Maybe once all the costs associated with the new headshots are tallied, there'll be a little left over for a new camera, even if it doesn't quite live up to my earlier hopes. I can still get a fairly good point-and-shoot camera for a couple hundred bucks; certainly better than the piece of crap I'm using now.
I think I'm going to set up appointments to look at a couple of photographers portfolios on my next few Monday's off. If I find one I like, I'll see if I can get a Monday appointment as well. I figure now that I have the money, I should do this thing, and I'm certainly gonna need a decent headshot when I get back to New York. I've got no work lined up after November 7! The prospect of being unemployed for the holidays is kinda distressing, especially given that I'm stuck in New York City for Christmas. My mom and dad are doing their bi-annual trip to San Diego to winter with my brother, Tim and his family.
Nothing quite like being broke and unemployed for Christmas in New York City! Whoo hoo.
So today's rehearsal was everything I could have hoped it would be. Aaron Posner, our director made a very good point in that he thinks he and Associate Artistic Director Amy Dugas Brown should be very proud of the casting on this show. They've assembled quite a cast of really talented locals -- most of whose work I've seen before during my other visits to the city.
What a wonderful experience, knowing that I'm working with a director who I admire more each time I work with him, and a cast of people who're so clearly so talented that not only are they going to teach me, they're going to make me even better just by association. And don't get me wrong, I think that's a two way street. These guys are great, and I'm so gonna enjoy playing with them.
You know, I was just sitting here thinking: This is a lot like working with Jay, only magnified, with a lot of the pressure off. I mean, these folks aren't my friends like Jay is, so that level of comfort will take a while to develop, but it's similar in that I know I'm working with some really, really talented people who know their shit -- there are just a lot more of them, and I'm carrying less of the load.
Does that makes sense?
Too bad if it doesn't. It does to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment