366 Days of Making It. – The Final Reflection

13 January 2012. 7pm. Sydney.

The sun is setting and my 26th birthday is drawing to a close. With this comes the end of my 366 Days of Making It. project. It has been a real learning experience and a tumultuous year filled with some amazing highs and incredible challenges. I have cherished the learning curves I have made and the friends and contacts I have forged over the course of this amazing year.

Across the past 366 days, I shot my first national commercial, had my first audition for a lead role in a major Hollywood film, wrote and co-produced a show at the Sydney Fringe Festival (which was nominated for an award) as well as performed in another independent theatre production and short film. I was also involved in Griffin Theatre’s Story Lab program and am at the interview stage for their Emerging Cultural Leaders Program. To top it off, I begin work for Bell Shakespeare’s Players Program tomorrow!

It has been a wonderful year and a challenging blog project – I set myself this task one year ago and have worked tirelessly to ensure I achieved my goal of working as both an actor and a writer in this industry. I feel as though my dedication and tenacity has paid off this year, although I recognise that a great journey still awaits me! I have learned that this industry is all about perseverance, hard work, a belief in yourself and the positive mind to speak a resounding ‘yes’ to every possible opportunity! Put yourself out there, do the hard yards and reap the rewards. There are a lot of great and supportive people out there in the industry who you can learn from and work with! Cherish it and enjoy the ride!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and been there from me: my mentors, colleagues, friends and family – you have helped to make this year a great one as well as a (slightly) less stressful one!

So what awaits me in 2013? Tomorrow I start work with Bell Shakespeare Company – I am both excited and jittery! I plan to complete my Shakespearean play adaptation. I also aim to update my showreel and invite some of Australia’s leading agents to my Bell Shakespeare show at the Sydney Opera House in the mid-year so that I can secure a great agent! The rest is up to the opportunities that come my way and the positive attitude of “yes“!

All the best to you all on your adventures in following your dreams and thank you all for following me on mine! My friends say I can now change this blog to “Made It.” but I don’t believe I’ve quite done that… yet! And so the crazy career journey continues! Onwards and upwards!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine – Three Hundred and Sixty-Five of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine

Today I really just focused on running my lines and getting the words in my ‘body’. The directors of the two Bell Shakespeare shows have asked that we have our lines down before we commence rehearsals. As such, I have been endeavouring to learn my lines without making any solid decisions about the work, so that when I hit rehearsals the text can be free and flexible.

Day Three Hundred and Sixty

I received some emails today from the directors of the Bell Shakespeare shows giving us some further details of what we might expect coming into the first few weeks on the job! It gives me some great insight into what I can expect when I start work next week. The company seem exceptionally wonderful, professional and supportive. I feel very happy to be a part of this company in 2013.

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-One

I ran through my lines today, stepping out the thoughts and actioning the work. This will help me to get the text into my body without falling into patterns or making definitive choices about the lines. I am still discovering some of the characters that I will be playing and it is a fun journey to uncover them!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Two

I feel that my line learning has hit a stage where I can run through them with someone without the need for the script. As such, I invited a friend to run lines with me while I worked the script on the floor. It was a great task and assisted me in cementing the lines I had learnt and aided me in learning the lines that were not as strong in my body.

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Three

Today was a great day! As you may be aware, my birthday is coming up on Sunday and as such, my 366 Days of Making It. project is soon to draw to a close. It has been one epic year; a year filled with hard work, dedication and many rewards! I used today to treat myself as part of my birthday weekend. I began by reading over my scripts. I then attended Legally Blonde The Musical at the Sydney Lyric for the first time as a patron. It was a real joy to see the wonderfully upbeat and highly energised musical! The cast were once again sensational and I had a blast!

Before the show, Matt, one of the Bell Shakespeare directors gave me a call to see if I had any questions or needed any further information about the rehearsal process or the job. It was great to have him touch base before I start my work with the company and very reassuring to have some of my questions answered and to get a bit more insight into the running of rehearsals and the director’s vision for the production! It was a great day indeed!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Four

Today: reading over scripts and then celebrating my birthday! The 366 Days of Making It. project ends tomorrow! The end of an era!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Five

Wow, today is my birthday. I’m taking it a bit easy today, maybe to make up for the fact that I can now safely say that I have done one thing towards my career each day for the past 366 days. It has been a wonderful year and a great achievement to have made! I had a restful and relaxing day with friends and family and then headed home to read over scripts and get some passport photos printed (a bit of administration work that needs to be completed before I start with Bell Shakespeare Company tomorrow). It has been an amazing year – my final reflection to come!!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Two – Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Two

With my heart a fluttering from the excitement and anticipation for the year ahead, I spent the morning looking at my new years resolutions. In 2013, I want to do the best job possible with the team at the Bell Shakespeare Players Program. This is my first major long-term paid professional acting position with a leading theatre company – I am very excited about my new role and about working with such a wonderful company! I also want to complete the play I started developing through Griffin Theatre’s Story Lab program! There are also a few overseas opportunities and volunteer programs that I am hoping to get involved in by the end of next year – very excited!

I also read through my scripts – I’m planning on at least reading through each script every day during this festive season in order to keep the text fresh in my mind.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Three

It’s New Years Day and after some great time catching up with friends who are visiting from Brisbane, I managed to fit in a bit of time in order to read my scripts!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Four

Having now entered into the new year, it is imperative that I maintain the momentum in this 366 Days of Making It. project. As such, I will be spending the next few days working on my application for Griffin Theatre’s Emerging Cultural Leaders Program 2013. There are a few questions that I still needed to work on and finesse, so I have assigned these next few days leading up to the deadline on Friday.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Five

Worked on my Griffin application. Worked on my scripts.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Six

This morning I completed and then submitted my application for Griffin Theatre’s Emerging Cultural Leaders Program. I then spent a fair amount of time focusing on the Macbeth script today, ahead of my rehearsals with Bell Shakespeare.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven

I finished preparing my drama workshop and quickly ran through it today, before I facilitate the workshop for real at the House of Welcome tomorrow. I am very excited to be working with this community and running this drama workshop and hope that it can be a very successful day!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight

I ran a drama workshop with participants from the House of Welcome today. It was a great day, and while there were a few hiccups on the way with regards to the age range and size of the group, it was a great lesson for me in improvisation and in keeping that ball up in the air! I think the children had a great time and I am glad to have been able to facilitate that for them.

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Five – Day Three Hundred and Fifty-One of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Five

So, it’s Christmas Eve and amidst the glorious sunshine and festive picnic activities, I have managed to read over my Bell Shakespeare scripts. I have been spending my spare time reading over the scripts again and again to calmly familiarise myself with the text before I knuckle down and start all of the tasks that help me tackle the text!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Six

Christmas Day. I spent a wonderful day with close ones, sharing gifts and food, excitement and joy. I set aside a bit of time to read over my Shakespeare scripts – I am very excited to get started with Bell Shakespeare in the new year and want to ease my way into getting the lines down over this festive season. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Seven

Boxing day. Spent the first part of the day shopping, relaxing and not thinking about work! In the afternoon, I took some time out to reflect on my resolutions and plans for the new year and to target my goals and actions for the year ahead! I have also been looking at establishing some workshop activities for the drama workshop I will be running next Sunday. As I am not yet sure the age range of the participants I cannot finalise anything – just yet! I have to await further details from the organisation in the new year!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Eight

I have ‘unit-ed’ the two scripts I’ll be performing for Bell Shakespeare Company in 2013. Uniting is a processing of demarcating the script and scenes by the changes in action within the scene. This assists in charting the changes in action in the scene and can also help with learning lines by breaking down the work into more manageable parts. From this point, today, I proceeded to stamp out the thoughts of the text and beat out the iambic pentameter. In the evening I headed straight to work at the theatre!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Nine

Today was spent ‘imaging’ the thoughts of the text. This involves lying on the ground in a semi-supine position, eyes closed, and then focusing on the thoughts, line-by-line, and seeing the images that are generated from those thoughts. It helps to give the thoughts and lines in the text, weight and a strength of imagery to draw from. I’m slowly but surely finding my way towards getting my lines down before I commence rehearsals with Bell Shakespeare Company! In the evening, it was back in the theatre. Again!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty

It was a big day in the theatre, working a double shift! In between the two shifts I continued to work on drafting a proposed workshop outline for my drama class next week – I hope it all runs smoothly!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-One

I worked at the theatre in the afternoon. I spent some time in the evening just reading over my scripts so that I can keep the lines of the text, the arc of the story and the journey of the characters fresh and alive in my mind!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight – Day Three Hundred and Forty-Four of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight

Recently I was invited by Griffin Theatre Company to apply for their Emerging Cultural Leaders Program. It was an invitation that was extended to the participants of Griffin’s Story Lab Program which I participated in earlier this year. I am ever so grateful to have been offered the chance to apply for this wonderful opportunity which, if received, would enable me to work closely with Griffin Theatre Company and its Studio artists. So today, I have made a few steps towards writing my application, setting up what I want from the program and what I hope to achieve next year! There is a lot to think about and consider…

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine

I continued working on my Griffin application. I think it is very important that I consider every question thoroughly and really plan out my responses. I want to best showcase what I can offer the company over the period of the program and work out the best place for a secondment.

In the evening I attended Trevor Ashley’s Little Orphan Trashley - An Adults Only Pantomime at the Sydney Opera House. I was there to support a friend who was performing in the show. While the humour of the performance isn’t to my taste, I enjoyed watching my friend perform and think that she delivered a very strong and entertaining performance.

Day Three Hundred and Forty

I finalised my contract for Bell Shakespeare Company and sent it all off! So, now I guess it is official – next year I will be touring with Bell Shakespeare Company in their Players Program! I am over the moon! Soon I’ll have to start getting my lines down for the two scripts I will be performing! In the afternoon I worked at the theatre once again!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-One

Today it was drafting blogs and working on my Griffin application!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two

It was a day for sending emails! I sent off an email regarding a volunteer drama workshop I will be facilitating with refugee youths through the organisation, House of Welcome. I want to finalise the group numbers and the age range so that I can start drafting my workshop plan. I am really very excited about going back to teaching drama classes and I love working with children! I also received an email from the director of the short film I shot last week thanking us all for our work. I look forward to seeing the final cut!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Three

I worked a double shift at the theatre and then continued on my Griffin application.

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Four

I had to work at the theatre again today. However, I managed to fit in a little bit of playwriting! I love getting back into writing! I just want to finish something already!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-One – Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Seven of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-One

Today I worked on reading from my book on Australian theatre as well as working on updating blogs and catching up on my playwriting.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Two

Tonight I worked at the theatre and then after my shift I was surprised to receive an email from a writer/producer asking me to be in their latest short film. My details had been forwarded on to them by my director from the independent production A View From Moving Windows. The writer had seen my work in this production and was happy with my work and eager to offer me a role in their film! Attached to the email was a short film that the team had produced previously (see below). Well, this was all the information I needed! I emailed the writer/producer back with my availability and tomorrow I’ll get to read the script!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Three

I received my script for the short film that I have been cast in entitled, The Hand That Feeds. I have a few lines in the script and am excited to get cracking on the play! I have also been asked by the director to send through some “selfie” shots (for those of you who don’t know what a selfie is, it’s a photo that one takes of onself) to be used in the short film as part of the characters Facebook page. I had to obviously consider the character and the story and cater the pictures to suit the aesthetic and story of the film.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Four

Today I had planned to work on some self tests, however, with this new short film happening this week I had to spend the day focusing on the script.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Five

Worked on my short film script today and then headed to the theatre for work.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Six

I had to work a double shift at the theatre today and in between shifts I looked over my lines for the short film that I will be shooting tomorrow.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Seven

Today was film shoot day! We were filming on location in Cranebrook which was a bit of an expedition, but it was worth it! The production team were fantastic, organised and highly professional. The entire day ran very smoothly and it looked liked everyone was happy with my work! I really enjoyed my time and hope that this will make some great footage for my showreel!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Four – Day Three Hundred and Thirty of 366.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Four

I sent off my forms to the House of Welcome today. The House of Welcome is an organisation dedicated to assisting refugees that resettle in Sydney. I presume all of the documents are in order and once I get confirmation of the date and age range of the group I can begin drafting my drama workshop! I would like to focus on story-making and ensemble work through drama activities for young people! I am very excited to once again be running drama workshops with youth! In the evening I worked again at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Five

I have recently bought a bunch of notebooks to use for my writing. I like to switch between the traditional handwriting method and the more advanced “high-tech” typing! I specifically chose books with covers that are inspiring and beautiful and fun so that I do feel inspired and motivated to write! So I have begun my mission to draft a new play – I have a few works in mind that I have been developing and feel that it is now high time I began getting it all down on paper! The time is right to do so! Woo hoo!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Six

I worked at both Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Capitol Theatre and Legally Blonde: The Musical at the Sydney Lyric. I enjoyed watching the differences between such musicals of different time periods and genres. The cast in each are incredible and, particularly in Legally Blonde their are some truly memorable performances!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven

I worked on my blogs today. In the evening I attended Hollywood Ending: Or, How a Washed Up Director Made a Crappy Movie that Almost Destroyed the World at the Griffin Theatre Company. This work was created through the Rapid Write program which gives a playwright with an interesting contentious idea to create a work from idea to production in just eight weeks! The work was presented by Arts Radar, Theatre503 and Griffin Independent. I had been invited to this show by Griffin Theatre as part of the Story Lab program and after the show I was truly happy to have a chat with a few of the other Story Labbers and discuss where we were going with our writing since Story Lab and our thoughts and impressions on the play we had witnessed that evening (particularly in light of it’s amazingly short process)! I think that it is such a great feat to create a work from scratch in just eight weeks and get it at such a high level by the end of it! It is a great inspiration and also a superb parameter to set for myself in some of my works! It’s all about getting the work out of your mind and onto paper! What a splendid and productive evening indeed!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Eight

Today was simple: write, write, write! I am trying my hand at a feature film script having only ever written plays and short films in the past. I think it is going to be a long process but I am very much looking forward to the challenge!

Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Nine

I worked at the theatre today and then caught up with a friend who had been travelling throughout Europe over the past six weeks! I miss travelling and love how inspiring and life-changing it can be! I also love hearing the amazing, crazy stories and adventures that come out of such trips and was fascinating to see how it had changed my friend’s life who is now taking a completely different course with it! To top it all off, there was a bit of karaoke to be had which is a bit of performative fun in itself!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty

I worked at the theatre once again and then we all headed to our work Christmas party. The theme was to dress up as a character from one of the shows that have played at the theatre. There were characters from An Officer and a Gentleman, Annie and Legally Blonde: The Musical to name just a few! I love that the theatre I work at is very supportive and nurturing of the talent who work there (not just onstage but offstage as well)! People who have worked in front of house and demonstrated a commitment and interest in a particular field in the theatre have been given opportunities to learn and work – which I think is very generous and wonderful! I know that the management were so helpful and incremental in our Sydney Fringe Festival process! I spoke with other performers about work and future work and then we all got together to perform a little number from Legally Blonde: The Musical which was a great bit of fun (but let’s just hope it doesn’t make its way onto Youtube)!!