A Level Up.

A few months ago I got an email from a man that said something like, "I've tried to contact you a few times, but if I don't hear back from you this time, I won't waste your time anymore. I have seen your work and am interested in involving you in a project."

Project involvement? To which I didn't respond? P'shaw! Gawd knows I can't say no to just about anything. I searched my email inbox, my spam, my trash folder for this dude's name and I couldn't find anything. Of course, I responded right away: "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've heard from you previously - I'm usually very punctual in responding to performance opportunities..." TRUE. Usually.

This man ended up being Mike Todaro, one of the geniuses behind The Producing House, an outfit here in the Twitties that, you guessed it, produces. Produces theater. And by the looks of it - the kind that I usually avoid at all costs.

Well, that's not exactly accurate. I *did* see "We Gotta Bingo" with aforementioned girl crush Dawn Brodey (with whom, by the by, I just did an awesome variety show last night and got an invitation to go on her houseboat. TCB, baby, T. to the C. to the B.). But also, because now I'm a slightly less judgmental, barely less self-righteous unemployed actor (just as an actor I'm unemployed... mostly because I'm currently employed full time as an office drone).

Editor's note: now that I'm scrolling through TPH's roster, the shows they do actually look pretty awesome. See? Judgmental. Slightly less, but still.

Aaaanyhooters. After Mike asked me to be on this show and before I knew much about it or knew much about his company, I saw this cast list, which is made up, by almost 50%, of performers I love and admire and have worked with. So, I was like, why not?

So Mike tells me about the show. It's called "Celebrity Autobiography," it's been running for the past few years in New York (+1), it consists of actors reading big celebrities' autobiographies on stage (+1 for little preparation & lots of personality), I would be part of the regular local cast (+1), it's monthly (+1, steady, but small paycheck), and there would be nationally-known entertainers involved (+3 for the connections). Sounded good to me, sign me up!

Well, it happened last Friday night and it was so much fun. Myself and another local actress, George Keller, took to the stage with our big personalities to read the pieces given to us just a few days prior for the little preparation I mentioned earlier. Joining us for the two shows that evening were creators Gene Pack & Dayle Reyfel, actors Tim Bagley and Michael Urie, and Illeana Douglas. Illeana Douglas! I didn't really know who the other people were because I rarely watch TV, but I know who Illeana Douglas is! She laughed at two of my jokes! Everyone was really nice. Michael Urie even let me videotape him wishing my friends Allegra & Amy a happy life together as they got married the next day. I won't be sharing the video because of SAG rules (I think there's rules against it), but believe me: he was so sweet about it.

We had a decent-sized crowd in a large space, the Loring Theater, but we killed. We had people dying, tears streaming down their faces. My friends that came to see the show said it was exactly what they needed at the end of a long week. It was an amazing time and extremely gratifying. I can't wait for the next one, which will be at the end of August. I can't wait to see who we'll be performing with.

Here's Kristin Johnson reading the same piece I read (I was way more earnest, innocent, and dead pan):


So, yeah, I feel like I'm a level up.