Atlanta Unifieds – Jay Croft

February 20, 2010February 20, 2010

Not Enough Foward Motion

I did not get accepted to 2010 Atlanta Unifieds. This year, the number of applications forced the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts to add a third day to the normally two day event.

I received my rejection letter this week. The letter stated:

“An independent panel of representatives from the theatre community screens all non-Equity applications…. The Selection Committee’s mandate is to select a group of professional and emerging actors who demonstrate a record of professional growth.”

I was rejected because “The committee believes there is not enough forward motion to receive new credits”. I don’t know what the “credits” are. Maybe part of the rating process. I have enough stage credits to meet initial qualifications; for non-Equity applicants, a minimum of 7 stage production. The resume I mailed showed 11, a partial list.

My resume is nothing but non-Equity productions. I read somewhere in an acting as profession book about being too heavy in this type of work. The perception is that too much of one type of work shows that you are not able to do other type of work, in this case Equity work. Perception.

Perception is a double-edged sword and a bitch to recover from if it is bad. So, what to do about this. I was rejected because the perception was that I am not advancing in my career to be worthy of being seen at the Unifieds. Not even for as an alternate. I am not a professional. I am not an emerging actor.

I did not receive any calls from the 2009 Unifieds. I did from the 2008 Unifieds. I was given two opportunities to impress people and I have failed. What to do about this?

First: rearrange my resume. Put emphasis on other areas.

Second: I need to get some references, some nice quotes, tag lines, sound bites from directors, casting directors, coaches and peers that I can put in a cover letter and on this website.

Third: It’s time for another mass mailing of this new resume with new cover letter.

If the perception is not an accurate reflection of who I am, then I need to do something about it. Now it is time to shower, I have an audition in a few hours.

April 5, 2009April 6, 2009

What I Did: Week Ending 2009-04-05

Monologues That Work at the Alliance Theatre did get enough students to make. However it is postponed till next Monday April 6th. #
Gonna be one of those days. Left lunch at home. #
Leaving soon to meet up with @DocGyver and other fellow x-coworkers. Our last Monday of the month gathering. #
We have been doing this gathering for years now. I left the company in 98 or 99. #
Must finish my cup of tea first. Tea is a terrible thing to waste. Unless you are using it as a symbol of dissatisfaction with Government #
In little over an hour I will leave Norcross and head down to 14th street for the Atlanta Unifieds. #
@jtalia Thank you. Getting nervous. in reply to jtalia #
@alyjack See you at 11:57 then. in reply to alyjack #
Off to the Unifieds. Should arrive about an hour early. Better early than late. #
Crap. Don’t think I did well at the Atlanta Unifieds. I did both monologues, without missing a line… as far as I know. #
My brain just shut down and my body was doing the monologues. That is bad, because I was not in control of what my mouth and body were doing #
Met @joeventures at the Unifieds. Thanks Joe. #
Also ran into Karen Rooker and Patrick Schambach who I have worked with in the past. #
Twice in two days now. A celebrity twitters a URL and their followers bombard the site and brings down the targets’ web server. #
Accidental of course. But it is funny the way the followers jump to see what is out there. #
Wow I was able to tweet the same text twice. Hit the enter key twice by accident and was able to post before tweetdeck could clear buffer #
RT @TheatreUBC: “God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.” – Voltaire (1694-1778) <– like that #
Having my first cup of tea. Shameful. Maybe it was the lack of tea for poor performance at the Atlanta Unifieds. #
Cranky today. #
RT @Foodimentary: “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” ~Henry Youngman <– another great #quote #
Accepting a role of Vale in Kaufman & Hart’s “Once in a Lifetime.” at the @alliancetheatre student program. #
RT @crazeegeekchick: 1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d <– damn it. #
Or maybe I should have said “d4mn |7” #
My ADD seems to be in overdrive toda…. oh look. #
Off to the Alliance Theatre for Advanced Scene Study class. #
@alyjack I did shots for years. So now the allergies are just a seasonal annoyance instead of breaking out in hives. in reply to alyjack #
Favorite anime series: Cowboy Bebop #
@wcdarling Welcome back. in reply to wcdarling #
RT @BenThrashers: Can any of you access atlantathrashers.com or thrashers.nhl.com? — first url No, second yes #
@DailyActor bluehost.com <– rated one the top five hosting services in reply to DailyActor #
OK, just did a half mile walk, not much but it’s a start. Now I feel coated with pollen. #

March 31, 2009

Auditioned at the Atlanta Unfieds

So I left Norcross at 10AM to get to 14th Street in Atlanta. I know I would arrive there in plenty of time for my audition slot. I was a little worried that I may have forgotten what time my slot was. Last year I arrived in time for my 1:30 which was actually at 3:30. Even today I saw two people arrive just in time for their slots.

As I am driving down there I am trying to find the moment before in each monologue, tried to prepare as much as possible before going on, but that proved impossible. Or did it? I remember standing in the hall off stage left waiting for the person ahead of me to finish. My mind was shutting down. I was saying the first line to both monologues so that I would not forget.

OK. My turn. Walk out to just left of the big X on the floor and I announce my name and number “Jay Croft. Number 160.” Turn to the right to step on X to begin my first monologue. As soon as I moved after I said my name and number, I hear the time clock start. Yikes. I have not even said my first word and the clock has already started.

So I start. “A stroke of genius….” Or at least I hope I said it. I don’t remember now (about 2 hours later). I do remember that I was saying the lines, my body seemed to have gone on automatic. The lines were coming out. I was moving about the stage looking in various directions. “Degas vu.”

Then I turn as I always do in rehearsal to let Degas drain off and get into Marty. I remember turning but I do not remember changing characters. I hope I did. My mind had completely gone blank at this point. Automatic pilot had taken over. This is bad. I was no longer in control. I remember going though the emotions at the right points. Yes emotions and motions. “Ma, I’m gonna stay home and watch Sid Ceasar.”

So I finish, before the 2 minute alarm. As far as I could tell, a lot of people ahead of me were stopped by the alarm. I finished, said my name and number again and left. I have no honest idea of how I did. I don’t fully remember what happened. Hate that. As far as I know, it was a monotone monologue and boring as hell.

March 29, 2009March 30, 2009

What I Did: Week Ending 2009-03-29

Can’t focus this morning. Sinus headache. #
Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #actor #
Him: Midday tea? Me: Yea. Him: I can always tell, you’re doing the Tea Walk. — I am just trying not to spill the hot water all over my hand #
So I have a “Tea Walk”. #
My after lunch green tea. Followed by mid and later afternoon white tea. Tomorrow thunderstorms. #
@the_brian_jones Good Luck! hope you get the job. in reply to the_brian_jones #
off to find some lunch. #
@StoutT Shall I nudge you when I get home. in reply to StoutT #
Some times I feel like having a Spontaneous Existence Failure. But not right now. #
Right now I am finishing up a cup of white tea and a dinner before I head out the the Alliance for class. #
When you fart, what stuffed animal do you blame it on? #
RT @LPGeorgia: John Monds has officially announced that he is running for Governor as of 4 PM today. <– Don’t know him. Must investigate. #
@krisjoseph LOL. So true. Why did I not think of that. in reply to krisjoseph #
@alyjack Hate it when that happens. I will get holes in the side of my shoes, usually when they become 3 years old of daily use. in reply to alyjack #
Didn’t realize my boss’ boss’ boss’ boss was in the building. No that was not nudity you saw in my browser. It was…um… aw crap #
Suppose to go down to little 5 points area to have dinner with the Bright Flames cast and crew this evening. #
For St Paddy’s Day, some cities will color their rivers green. Do you think the fish say “OMG. What happened to my eye site?” #
@feliciaday #fumusic Queen of the Damned soundtrack in reply to feliciaday #
5 days until the #Atlanta Unifieds. Slot is secure, pictures are in and one more evening with Pat Hurley to work on my monologues. #
I would be nice if by some miracle of money and time that I could go to Netherlands for Trance Energy 2009. One day. #
Pat Hurley just called. Monologues that Work may not have enough students to make. Its at the Tony Award winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta #
It’s only taught twice a year, so if you are in #Atlanta and want to focus on monologues, take Pat’s class: http://is.gd/phye #
Of course if you don #
doh #
If you don’t want to take Pat’s Monologue class, maybe you just want to follow @alliancetheatre #

March 23, 2009April 2, 2009

Auditioned for the Summer Reps

This past Saturday night was the audition for Summer Reps #1 and #2 with consideration for #3 and #4.

BJ Hughes and Pat Hurley are the directors for Reps 1 and Reps 2 respectively, so the audition was in front of both of them. After introductions, BJ asked if I had any monologues. Monologues were provided if you did not have one. Well, I have been working with Pat on a comedic and a dramatic for the Atlanta Unifieds.

BJ asked me to do the comedic monologue and so I do. And then Pat turns to BJ and says that I know MARTY. So I do that one as well. When I finish, Pat gave me a thumbs-up hidden so that only I can see it. Pat tells me on Sunday that not only was that the best he has seen me do those two monologues, but also that BJ said it was the best he has seen anyone do MARTY. Sweet.

Both were satisfied with the monologues and did not want to see a cold reading. BJ even said he was familiar with my work. I don’t remember BJ being at any of my plays. But he seemed very please.

As I am leaving I hear BJ tell Pat, “Great start to the evening”. It seems to have been one of my best auditions. There was very little in the way of lessons learned except that as I am waiting in the green room, I did not prepare for my monologues. Got lucky. Pat says my instincts are very good. I really should have been preparing in the green room with my monologues or even for a particular role if that is what I wanted to audition for.