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October 30, 2008
I am SO excited!
I know! I must be! If I'm blogging instead of Twittering or Facebooking about it, I must be really excited. :)
So, what's the excitement about?
1. FINALLY received my vote-by-mail ballot (and JUST in time for the deadline too) after Keith requested both online and received his the next day... like two weeks ago. I was so pissed. Like, "I'm the one who didn't want to wait in line and have to make nice with crazy neighbor lady who volunteers for ALL SHIFTS in EVERY ELECTION--bless her heart for doing that. I think that rocks and it's the kind of thing I would like to do. But she's effin' crazy and making nice with her is VERY tedious when the lines are long and we're around each other for longer than a, 'Good morning' in passing--and YOU'RE the one who gets your ballot and mine is nowhere to be seen?" Dude! So not cool. But now it's here and I can vote tonight when we get back from dinner and mail it in the morning and be done with it all. Now... does that mean the ads will stop?
2. Fun dinner tonight at favorite place with super-cool people and I'm really in need of a little play time. Haven't had much of that that hasn't been actual WORK masquerading as play time lately. Woo!
3. Super-dang-cool proposition that I got yesterday about an opportunity for some showcasers has come together and it actually is happening tomorrow and I'm just really, really pleased at the "residual effects" of having decided to produce a showcase a couple of years ago. More later. Wee bit superstitious on the "big stuff" as I'm sure any actors reading this know all about. ;)
4. Amazing phone meeting this morning with a producer on two films I'm casting starting next month. Revised deal memo in his hot little hands. Should start work tomorrow, technically. On contract for several months. LOVE IT!
5. Last week's amazing phone meeting with two producers on another film I'm *hopefully* casting had its follow-up phone meeting (scheduled for 10/28) postponed 'til next week, but I'm still optimistic. It's a great script, so hopefully it will come together. And if not, no biggie, because...
6. Last week's spoken word series attendance yielded a huge chunk of news from a favorite filmmaker whose next script I was always going to be casting (but we were looking at mid-to-late 2009 to start, last time we talked). Now it looks like I'll start work on THIS one before the year ends and I have to say, as much as I like making new relationships with new filmmakers and producers, there's something really wonderful about working with people who've hired me before. We have shorthand. And there's no negotiating on the deal memo. It's just DONE. They know I'm worth it. ;)
7. I've lost 45 pounds this year, plus 6" from my waist. This isn't "news" but it's the kind of thing people LOVE to read about for some reason, so there it is. :) Still have more to do, but DAMN it feels good to have done such good work over such a long stretch of time--so consistently--and have folks say, when they see me now, "Damn, girl! Where did you GO?!" while looking at my ass. ;) Or what's left of it. ;)
8. Had a great time speaking at UC Irvine yesterday. I seriously love getting paid to go speak to actors and it's happened more times in the month of October than in any previous month this year. I'm REALLY liking this trend and hoping to head out of town to do more and more of it. :) There, I've put it out there. Let's make it so!
9. The book is now accurately-depicted on Amazon.com... AND it's in the hands of the Yale Drama Department, thanks to a showcaser who bought (discounted--of course) copies for the grad division and the library! Wow! That's badass. THANK YOU! (Bonus that he's one of my all-time favorite actors and I'm so happy he's showcasing with us, as I'm such a fan of his work!) Will spend the bulk of the days after the showcase packaging and mailing a few hundred copies out to other schools, plus to all of the contributors and proofers who aren't based in LA (or who couldn't make it to our little "thank you" party last week).
10. Showcase is next week and RSVPs are coming in steadily, though lighter than last time out. Eh... it's election season. I have a very good feeling that everyone will be READY for a party, come Wednesday and Thursday. And we're gonna throw 'em one. With HILARIOUS original scenes and brilliantly talented actors directed by one of the most gifted men I know. Can't wait! (Hope you'll join us! Free everything!! :) Just the way we like it.)
And that's it. I love my life, I love my husband, I love my kitties, I love where I live, I love what I KNOW is going to happen next week, and I love love love that I'm just moments away from a frosty margarita and side-splitting laughter that will last for hours I'm sure. See y'all later! :)
Posted by bonnie at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2008
RSVP for the November Showcase Now!
Cricket Feet Casting ACTORS SHOWCASE
November 5th & 6th, 2008 -- 8pm -- FREE
The Colony Theatre, Burbank
produced by: Bonnie Gillespie
directed by: Chil Kong
presenting: Adeye Sahran || Adrian Gaeta || Ahmad Russ || Alissa Bica || Allyn Rachel || Anna Lane || Annette Reid || Barbara Suiter || Carey Linnell || Cassie Ramoska || Courtney Jones || Cristina Cimellaro || Edelyn Aubrey || Eitan Loewenstein || Elizabeth Straus || Erich Lane || Hunter Huston || Jackie Koppell || Jennifer Holloway || Jon Gale || Joy Walker || Julie Eastland || Julie Inmon || Kami Koren || Keith Johnson || Kelly Jenrette || Kim Stinger || Kristen Herbert || Lauren Dobbins Webb || Marc McTizic || Miley Yamamoto || Noora Albright || Patrick Carlyle || Patrick McCullough || Paul Tigue || Rachel Kanouse || Rebecca Sigl || Rick Steadman || Ricky Faust || Roslyn Cohn || Stephen Twardokus || Tamika Simpkins
A fast-paced, professionally directed, comedic showcase of 42 carefully screened and appropriately cast actors in just over an hour.
Did we mention that we've chosen a location where *free* parking is a breeze? And that we're rolling out yummy munchies and adult beverages before *and* after the show? Awesome, right? Yeah. We thought so too.
Two chances to see it:
Wednesday, November 5th *and* Thursday, November 6th
8 pm -- FREE
The Colony Theatre
555 North Third Street
Burbank, CA 91502
directions/venue info: http://colonytheatre.org/directions.shtml
reservations/showcase info: http://cricketfeetshowcase.com
RSVP is a must!
To reserve your seats, click here --> http://cricketfeetshowcase.com/rsvp.html NOW! :)
Yay! See you soon! Thanks for the love.
Posted by bonnie at 8:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2008
Our Nonaversary
I love our nonaversary. It's my favorite of all the random life events we choose to celebrate in our world.
So, what is it?
Well, our nonaversary is October 12th (originally 2002) and it's that's the date we were supposed to get married. It's the wedding day we'd been planning since December of 2001. It's the event we cancelled.
Yes. We celebrate the day we didn't get married.
Huh? Okay. Lemme back up.
So Keith and I had met online in April of 2001 and then met in person in July of 2001. (The "meeting in person" story is here.) And when Keith drove to my apartment in the Hollywood Hills, in a Ryder truck containing all of his possessions, he had an engagement ring in his pocket. But I wouldn't even know about it 'til he proposed under the last new moon of the year (and under the Hollywood sign) in December of 2001.
We spent the next six months or so planning our wedding. We made our list of guests and attendants, we found our location and put down a deposit, we hired our officiant (a friend who got ordained just for us), I tried on dresses, we even went to a "bridal expo" at the convention center. And all the while, we avoided as much family interference as possible. Ah, but that last one was pretty impossible. Damn. See, we didn't really want our wedding to be a big deal. We'd gotten great advice from dear friends about how to keep it "us" (having a certain number of friends assigned to bring a single flower, making up my unique bouquet--something we ended up doing in our actual wedding after all; having a certain number of friends assigned to bring a small sheet cake, making a patchwork quilt of flavors and colors for the dessert table; etc.), but well-intentioned people kept butting in. And our guest list kept growing.
By July 4th weekend, Keith and I were fighting so much it was unbearable. I was pretty sure this was the end of our relationship and it was time to part ways. We could not stop fighting about the wedding. And then, while we were pet-sitting, fighting all morning in someone else's bed, Keith sat up and said, "I have an idea. Let's call off the wedding."
< lucy >Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!< / lucy >
(Nobody likes hearing "let's call off the wedding," even if she's thinking the exact same thing.)
"Hear me out," Keith continued. And he went on to explain his theory that we weren't fighting because WE were broken... we were fighting because this wedding had become NOTHING like "us." It had become all about how not to piss off my dad by asking my stepdad to give me away and how not to piss off his mom by not inviting all of Keith's siblings and how not to piss off this friend once she learned we had invited that friend and on and on and on.
We no longer existed in our wedding plans. It wasn't our wedding anymore.
But here's where Keith got really brilliant. He said, "Let's just test this out. Let's SEE if calling off the wedding--not publicly, but just between us, just for this week--alleviates all of this stress we're feeling. Let's see if the wedding is the problem or if it's something more serious." And without telling a soul, we spent an entire week in bliss--knowing there was no longer this THING hurtling toward us. We had our "us" back.
And after that week was over, we made it official. "The wedding is off."
Everyone gasped and asked the usual, "Oh, no! What happened?" type questions. Wanted to know what this meant about our relationship. Was Keith moving out? Was I giving the ring back? Blah blah blah. "Nope. We're engaged and holding," we would say. And we stayed that way for three more years, before we finally caved and (on 48 hours' planning) got hitched in a "ceremony" that felt more like a "gathering" and was more about US than anyone else on the planet. Perfect.
So, what is this nonaversary thing?
Okay, so on October 12th, 2002, the day we were supposed to have been married in front of 200 people at a lovely banquet hall in the Marina, Keith and I woke up, kissed, and said, "Thank you for not marrying me."
That was our first nonaversary. And we've celebrated our nonaversary every October 12th since. We celebrate the day we didn't get married, because that decision saved our relationship.
And for our nonaversary celebration this year, we're off to our favorite spa for a quick but essential, romantic getaway. See y'all when we return! Happy nonaversary to all of us. ;)
Posted by bonnie at 12:05 AM | Comments (3)
October 12, 2008
12 of 12 for Oct2008
It's the "nonaversary" edition of 12 of 12 for 2008. (More about our nonaversary in my next blog post, I promise!) Pretty boring, as my 12's go, but here it is just the same. ;)
New to 12 of 12? Visit Chad Darnell for all the info.
11:39am: Keith's home from an audition and says it's time for more NyQuil. This actually helps with the Santa Ana nosebleeds, believe it or not.
1:49pm: It's chillycold, so I'm gonna put on these new supercute booties Sheila Daly knitted for me. So cute, right? :)
1:54pm: She assures me they will stretch to fit, but I'm not so convinced. Now that I'm holding them up, you can see how itty-bitty they are, yeah? But still so cute!
1:58pm: Well lookie there! They do fit! Now I'm cozy *and* stylin'! Thanks, Sheila! Hee!
3:39pm: Finally got my appetite back (it's amazing how a night of heartburn and nosebleeds makes you less than hungry the next day) and YUMMY! It's mahi mahi time! Yay! So good! (Of course, the plantains are my favorite part!)
4:22pm: Thwok enjoying the last bit of sun on the floor in the dining room today. Toy mouse nearby. "What?" she asks. Like she didn't just have it in her mouth, between her paws, killing it!
5:49pm: Gotta deal with some mail... or am I avoiding writing my columns? It's just... so much mail!
6:51pm: One last check of the Facebook to promise I'm off 'til the columns are turned in! It's true! :) I just want to ask folks to tell me which are the "top schools" (BFA, MFA, conservatory, whatever) for professional actor training. (Please share your thoughts in comments, below! Thanks.)
7:51pm: This is like my 12th bottle of water today. It is sooo dry! (That's Archie in background.) My skin is dry too. And lips too. Santa Anas, you're crazy!
10:05pm: Husband. Leather chair, three computers, TiVo remote. Happy. (Aren't they cute like that? So easy to please.)
10:32pm: Time for a shower. Yes, I have a weird bruise on my arm. Yes, we need to re-caulk the tub. (And the shower did not leave me wet for more than a second when I got out. That's how NOT humid it is, here.
Thanks, Chad, for another wonderful 12 of 12 experience. :) Kiss, kiss!
Posted by bonnie at 11:21 PM | Comments (1)
October 1, 2008
The Secret to My Success
I was asked tonight (at my most amazing talk at SAG--seriously, it was one of my best-ever speaking engagements and it just so happens they taped it and will be putting up online. Oh, and I looked seriously cute too) what my secret is.
How I get so much done.
How I'm always working.
How I'm so damn happy.
I answered with my usual, "I don't sleep," response, which got the room laughing. And the audience member who asked the question said, "No, seriously. How do you do so much?"
And I said something about loving what I do and that makes it easy, and the not sleeping thing really does help and I'll probably try sleeping more in my 40s, and blah blah blah.
But on the way home, I said to Keith, "Honey, thank you. I couldn't do my job(s) without you."
And I'm sorry I didn't think of this answer before, because it really is the secret to my success and happiness.
I surround myself with the most wonderful people on the planet, we love to work together, we have fun every day, and it makes everything we do look fun (because it is). And that makes us all more productive and wonderful to be around.
My partners are the secret to my success. I trust my husband and could not--would not--do this career/these careers as well, as happily, as productively as I do if not for his support.
So there. I've said it. And next time I'm asked that question, I know the real answer and will share it. (But I'll probably still use the joke answer too. Just because everyone likes to laugh. I do. Every day. And that's a big "thank you" to Keith, as he's hilarious. Yes, really.)
Posted by bonnie at 10:16 PM | Comments (1)