Somehow, in the blink of a bloody eye, I’ve found myself at the end of yet another month. Having survived acting in one play and then been cast in another; having briefly disappeared to Manhattan for a New York minute and returned both enlightened and inspired and in some ways even more confused. I’ve also, weirdly enough, in my search for some sort of clarity or direction as the swirling elements of my life keep stubbornly failing to coalesce smoothly, found myself getting into astrology; and thus wondering if all the ups and downs of my life lately can be at least partially explained by something called a Saturn Return.
According to my latest calculations, I can never rest.
If you’re wondering why I have been absent from this “blog” segment of the site since this past December, it’s because I haven’t exactly had time to breathe. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration—but I have, indeed, been busy. Like, going straight from the rehearsal period for one play I’m acting in straight into another, while also trying to adapt to my new job at ASC, while also trying to keep up with my NCP dramaturgy and miscellania, while also continuing to compulsively cover every production that comes my way—not, mind you, because anyone is making me, but because, especially for the smaller shows, if I don’t cover them, then it often seems likely that no one will. Out of some bizarre sense of duty—or maybe just a fear of ever letting anyone down.
There comes a point in every actor’s life where they start thinking about getting an agent. Or is it a talent agency? They might sound like the same thing, but they are not. A talent agency is a business that represents and finds entertainment gigs for hundreds, if not thousands of actors in their database. Whereas, an agent is someone who exclusively represents you (and maybe a few others), but they are personally invested in your talent and your success. So which one should you get? Well, that’s up to you! But here are a few things you should know about each in order to make your decision.
In today’s world, there’s very few things that bring large groups of people together. There’s a few obvious reasons for this. A worldwide pandemic that instilled fear and discomfort into all Covid victims and Americans becoming more divided than ever before from increasingly strong opposing political and social views. However the things that do bring people together, especially in large groups, are so much more special because of their rarity.
Taylor Swift, the universally loved and multi-Award winning talented singer/songwriter is one of those aforementioned things that can bring a large group of people together. And by large, I mean over 70,000 people. Together. At the same time.
The “7 friendship” theory has existed for well over a long time, but thanks to the biggest social media platform TikTok, it has become a new trend for users of the platform to create and share the aforementioned viral videos. You usually learn about friendship statistics and theories in philosophy class by a philosopher who focused their efforts on studying friendship patterns throughout History. I did at least. But, it wasn’t until a 60-second slideshow put to fun music featuring the seven types of friendship, that I learned what the “7 Friends” theory was.
How to get started? I get this question a lot. I know the entertainment industry can seem intimidating, especially when you’re first starting out. Whether it’s theater, film, modeling, or TV, there are some basic guidelines that will apply to all! Here are my 5 audition tips for beginners.
The ending of something sweet is always bitter. As The Full Monty comes to a close at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, I take time to reflect being part of this wonderful show. This was definitely a show to remember for so many reasons, the biggest reason is I’ve never been in a show where actors get naked on stage every night! If you’re familiar with the story of The Full Monty, then you know how funny it can be, but to those who don’t… it can be rather jaw dropping. That was the most enjoyable part for me as a cast member, watching people experience The Full Monty every night.
I turned 25 this month. And what a crazy 25 years it’s been. 25 years made up of days I thought my world was ending to the days so good I didn’t want them to end. Years of rough patches and loss. Years of losing loved ones, learning the harsh truth of outliving people at just the age of 25. Together, those difficult years mixed with years of success and immense happiness have led me to where and who I am today.
December has certainly been an interesting month in Ilana-land. Though I’ve yet to firmly answer the broader question of “what I’m doing with my life” since moving back from Maryland, at least in terms of that horrible capitalistic necessity of employment, things in that realm do seem as they might be moving in quite an interesting direction, and I’m surprised but satisfied with how busy I’ve managed to keep myself in-between. In fact, between job applications, It’s A Wonderful Life and other New City Players miscellanea, and the rush of theatre openings that saturated the first half of the month, I feel as if it’s only been in conjunction with the holiday that I’ve been able to take a few days off-from-it-all to breathe!!
