I had a fabulous time in Prescott, AZ last week shooting "A Blue Uncertain Buzz." Met some fantastic people and worked with some truly talented actors. It was a great experience.
Now I'm back in Los Angeles with that "What's next?" feeling. I'm grateful that I have other work coming up. I'll be performing the role of Lavinia in Theatre of NOTE's production of Titus Andronicus on March 4 and 5 at 8pm. Tickets are available at the site or for half price at StubDog.
Other than that, we'll see what comes! This morning I read this article by Tiffany Black, with a wonderful reminder that seems especially relevant during those "What's next?" moments: "Part of having faith that your dreams are going to come true is preparing for when those big opportunities before they present themselves."
So that's what's next for right now. Meeting with my agent tomorrow, meeting about a Fringe show I'll be working on, attending a seminar this weekend. Staying up and being prepared. Be well!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Learning to Love LA
I'm very grateful to realize that the longer I stay in this city, the more I like it. My sister is coming to visit this weekend, and I'm very excited to see her and to show her around this city that I'm starting to think of as home.
I found this blog post on Caroline on Crack called "100 Things To Try in LA Before You Die." Please check out the list at her blog, as it has links to many of the places/drinks/eats.
Here is the list. The (very few) things I've already done have a strikethrough.
1) Cocktail punch at the Radio Room in the Edison
2) Chili dog from Pink’s - I'm veg, but I've had the baja dog and onion rings...might have to add a stop here to the agenda with my sister.
3) Rattlesnake and rabbit with jalapeno at Wurstkuche
4) Korean short ribs taco from Kogi BBQ taco truck (I finally got there and had the quesadilla with tofu - awesome. Also saw a line of 50+ people run across the street to get to the truck. Funniest. Thing. Ever.)
5) Great Los Angeles Walk
6) Ajo Garlic Ramen at Ramenya
7) Sour Kraut Cocktail from Copa d’Oro
8) Red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles
9) Singing Elvis at Palms Thai
10) Churro from churro cart at Disneyland
11) Junk food dessert platter at Simon LA
12) Dessert tasting menu at Providence
13) Classic martini at Musso & Frank Grill
14) Roasted bone marrow at Church & State
15) Pedal boat at Echo Park Lake
16) Bowling and $4 cocktails at Shatto 39 Lanes
17) Kobe-style beef at Park’s BBQ
18) Mulholland Drive from 405 to 101
19) Medicina Latina at Malo
20) Father’s Office burger
21) Maple bacon doughnut at Nickel Diner
22) Mashti Malone’s lavender ice cream
23) Red Line Metro barhop
24) Live music at Spaceland
25) Magic Mojito at Bar Centro at the Bazaar by Jose Andres
26) Wine tour through San Antonio Winery
27) Sample everything at Scoops ice cream
28) Bike from Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach and back
29) Mochi from Mikawaya Little Tokyo
30) Broiled San Francisco stuffed French toast at Starling Diner
31) Mojito sampler jelly shots at Bar Nineteen12
32) High Tea at Royal/T
33) Pimp your own burger at the Counter in Santa Monica
34) Carne asada burrito from Tacos Tumbras A Tomas at Grand Central Market
35) Diddy Riese Chocolate Chip Cookies
36) Ride the mechanical bull at Saddle Ranch and have a premium SR AMF
37) Greyhound Proper at Hungry Cat
38) Blue cheese fries at Pete’s Cafe and Bar
39) L.A. Conservancy’s Historic Core walking tour
40) 21+ screenings at the ArcLight
41) Secret beef feast at Totoraku
42) Moonlight Rollerway
43) Bartender’s Choice at Comme Ca
44) Tomato, mozzarella, sausage, salami, bacon & guanciale pizza at Pizzeria Mozza
45) Ride the Pacific Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier
46) Late-night Danger dogs
47) Bet on a horse at Santa Anita racetrack
48) Loco Moco (foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger) at Animal
49) Blood & Sand cocktail at Tiki Ti
50) Tea and a stroll through Huntington Gardens
51) Drive Sunset Boulevard from Echo Park to PCH in a convertible
52) Double chocolate croissant pudding with Jack Daniels sauce at Milk
53) Hike from Fern Dell Drive to Mt. Hollywood, stopping at Griffith Observatory
54) Meatball sandwich from Bay Cities Deli
55) Scorpion cocktail at Hop Louie
56) Magic Castle
57) Scoe’s No. 2 at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
58) L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats
59) Philippe’s French Dip with hot mustard
60) Dim sum at Empress Pavilion in Chinatown
61) Remember the Maine at the Varnish
62) Omakase dinner at Urasawa
63) LA Phil concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall
64) Pool party at Standard Rooftop Bar
65) Quarter chicken with side of garlic sauce at Zankou Chicken
66) Goddess spa treatment at Olympic Spa
67) Vodbox at Nic’s Martini Lounge
68) Turkey dinner at Clifton’s Cafeteria, don’t forget the green jello
69) Los Angeles Marathon
70) Marty & Elayne at Dresden Room
71) Coleslaw and sourdough toast at Original Pantry
72) Real Black Dahlia Tour by Esotouric
73) Ninotchka at Bar Lubitsch
74) Stay in a bungalow at Chateau Marmont
75) Auntie Em’s Market dinner
76) Sunday wine tastings at Silverlake Wine
77) Grilled cheese night at Campanile Â
78) Power lunch at the Polo Lounge
79) Cadillac Margarita at El Cholo
80) Courtside at a Lakers game
81) Angel City Derby Girls Tournament
82) Box seats at Hollywood Bowl summer concert
83) Dodger Dog atDodger Stadium (I had a beer - close enough?)
84) Ride the Good Year blimp
85) Sip mojitos poolside at the Hotel Roosevelt’s Tropicana Bar
86) Ringside at Lucha VaVoom
87) Summer movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
88) History Walk from Mission San Gabriel to Olvera Street
89) Taro ice cream at Fosselman’s
90) Galco’s Soda Pop Shop
91) Apricot & Honey 75 at the Penthouse during sunsetÂ
92) Angel City Drive-In
93) Downtown Art Walk
94) Bonfire at Dockweiler Beach
95) Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s
96) Karaoke at Brass Monkey
97) Yee-Mee-Lu “blue drink” atGood Luck Bar (I'll have to go back to drink blue.)
98) Sunset dinner and horseback riding with Sunset Ranch
99) American Food & Wine Festival
100) Hike to the top of Sandstone Peak and sign the register
I've got a lot to do! I'm stoked to check out the LA Street Food Festival and Mutti Gras Pet Parade this weekend, and maybe to add more strikethroughs to this list. Then on Sunday I'm flying to Arizona for a week long shoot...anybody know anybody in Prescott?
I found this blog post on Caroline on Crack called "100 Things To Try in LA Before You Die." Please check out the list at her blog, as it has links to many of the places/drinks/eats.
Here is the list. The (very few) things I've already done have a strikethrough.
1) Cocktail punch at the Radio Room in the Edison
3) Rattlesnake and rabbit with jalapeno at Wurstkuche
5) Great Los Angeles Walk
6) Ajo Garlic Ramen at Ramenya
7) Sour Kraut Cocktail from Copa d’Oro
8) Red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles
9) Singing Elvis at Palms Thai
10) Churro from churro cart at Disneyland
11) Junk food dessert platter at Simon LA
12) Dessert tasting menu at Providence
13) Classic martini at Musso & Frank Grill
14) Roasted bone marrow at Church & State
15) Pedal boat at Echo Park Lake
16) Bowling and $4 cocktails at Shatto 39 Lanes
17) Kobe-style beef at Park’s BBQ
19) Medicina Latina at Malo
20) Father’s Office burger
21) Maple bacon doughnut at Nickel Diner
22) Mashti Malone’s lavender ice cream
23) Red Line Metro barhop
24) Live music at Spaceland
25) Magic Mojito at Bar Centro at the Bazaar by Jose Andres
26) Wine tour through San Antonio Winery
27) Sample everything at Scoops ice cream
28) Bike from Santa Monica to Hermosa Beach and back
29) Mochi from Mikawaya Little Tokyo
30) Broiled San Francisco stuffed French toast at Starling Diner
31) Mojito sampler jelly shots at Bar Nineteen12
32) High Tea at Royal/T
34) Carne asada burrito from Tacos Tumbras A Tomas at Grand Central Market
35) Diddy Riese Chocolate Chip Cookies
36) Ride the mechanical bull at Saddle Ranch and have a premium SR AMF
37) Greyhound Proper at Hungry Cat
38) Blue cheese fries at Pete’s Cafe and Bar
39) L.A. Conservancy’s Historic Core walking tour
40) 21+ screenings at the ArcLight
41) Secret beef feast at Totoraku
42) Moonlight Rollerway
43) Bartender’s Choice at Comme Ca
44) Tomato, mozzarella, sausage, salami, bacon & guanciale pizza at Pizzeria Mozza
45) Ride the Pacific Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier
46) Late-night Danger dogs
47) Bet on a horse at Santa Anita racetrack
48) Loco Moco (foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger) at Animal
49) Blood & Sand cocktail at Tiki Ti
50) Tea and a stroll through Huntington Gardens
51) Drive Sunset Boulevard from Echo Park to PCH in a convertible
52) Double chocolate croissant pudding with Jack Daniels sauce at Milk
53) Hike from Fern Dell Drive to Mt. Hollywood, stopping at Griffith Observatory
54) Meatball sandwich from Bay Cities Deli
55) Scorpion cocktail at Hop Louie
56) Magic Castle
57) Scoe’s No. 2 at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
58) L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats
59) Philippe’s French Dip with hot mustard
60) Dim sum at Empress Pavilion in Chinatown
61) Remember the Maine at the Varnish
62) Omakase dinner at Urasawa
63) LA Phil concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall
64) Pool party at Standard Rooftop Bar
65) Quarter chicken with side of garlic sauce at Zankou Chicken
66) Goddess spa treatment at Olympic Spa
67) Vodbox at Nic’s Martini Lounge
68) Turkey dinner at Clifton’s Cafeteria, don’t forget the green jello
69) Los Angeles Marathon
70) Marty & Elayne at Dresden Room
71) Coleslaw and sourdough toast at Original Pantry
72) Real Black Dahlia Tour by Esotouric
73) Ninotchka at Bar Lubitsch
74) Stay in a bungalow at Chateau Marmont
75) Auntie Em’s Market dinner
76) Sunday wine tastings at Silverlake Wine
77) Grilled cheese night at Campanile Â
78) Power lunch at the Polo Lounge
79) Cadillac Margarita at El Cholo
80) Courtside at a Lakers game
81) Angel City Derby Girls Tournament
82) Box seats at Hollywood Bowl summer concert
83) Dodger Dog at
84) Ride the Good Year blimp
85) Sip mojitos poolside at the Hotel Roosevelt’s Tropicana Bar
86) Ringside at Lucha VaVoom
87) Summer movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
88) History Walk from Mission San Gabriel to Olvera Street
89) Taro ice cream at Fosselman’s
90) Galco’s Soda Pop Shop
91) Apricot & Honey 75 at the Penthouse during sunsetÂ
92) Angel City Drive-In
95) Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s
97) Yee-Mee-Lu “blue drink” at
98) Sunset dinner and horseback riding with Sunset Ranch
99) American Food & Wine Festival
100) Hike to the top of Sandstone Peak and sign the register
I've got a lot to do! I'm stoked to check out the LA Street Food Festival and Mutti Gras Pet Parade this weekend, and maybe to add more strikethroughs to this list. Then on Sunday I'm flying to Arizona for a week long shoot...anybody know anybody in Prescott?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Actor life lesson - utilizing your team
I started life with a fierce independent streak. I'm not sure where it came from, and I'm sure my mother would have had a much easier time had I not wanted to do everything myself or on my terms. I wanted to come out feet first, nature be damned. (Sorry Mom. Bless your heart.)
That streak hasn't really lessened in the 20-odd years I've been roaming the planet. Often my independence serves me well - it came in quite handy when the tour truck I was driving by myself broke down in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. (Is that redundant?)
Sometimes my independence gets in my way, like when I forget that I have a team.
All actors have teams. When you start out, that team might just consist of you and your family, if you are lucky enough to have their support. Slowly your team grows to count the people who like you and believe in you and want to see you succeed. Then your team starts acquiring players who can do more than just cheer you on - managers! agents! publicists! stylists! accountants! lawyers!
I'm lucky enough to have a few people playing with me on my team. However, I'm so used to doing everything myself, I forget to utilize them. Or I forget that we're on the same team and am afraid to ask them for anything because I don't want to bother them or I'm afraid of what they'll say. Or I just don't think about it, and that can be a costly mistake.
Use your team. Practice your passes. Have your manager look over anything you sign before you sign it. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. You're all sharing the same bench and playing towards the same play-off! The same championship! Going for the same Super Bowl!
The metaphor is dead, but I'd like to take it a little further. You're going to fare better with a line of teammates behind you, because sometimes you're going to be playing against The Man. People With Power. Corporations Who Don't Care About Your Image Rights. That's what happened to me, and now I'm looking to draft a new teammate - Mr. Union.
I'm done. (And I promise to avoid sports metaphors in the future - that was exhausting.) I appreciate the work and the exposure. But I won't be making the same mistake again. I hope you can learn from mine and avoid it altogether.
That streak hasn't really lessened in the 20-odd years I've been roaming the planet. Often my independence serves me well - it came in quite handy when the tour truck I was driving by myself broke down in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. (Is that redundant?)
Sometimes my independence gets in my way, like when I forget that I have a team.
All actors have teams. When you start out, that team might just consist of you and your family, if you are lucky enough to have their support. Slowly your team grows to count the people who like you and believe in you and want to see you succeed. Then your team starts acquiring players who can do more than just cheer you on - managers! agents! publicists! stylists! accountants! lawyers!
I'm lucky enough to have a few people playing with me on my team. However, I'm so used to doing everything myself, I forget to utilize them. Or I forget that we're on the same team and am afraid to ask them for anything because I don't want to bother them or I'm afraid of what they'll say. Or I just don't think about it, and that can be a costly mistake.
Use your team. Practice your passes. Have your manager look over anything you sign before you sign it. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. You're all sharing the same bench and playing towards the same play-off! The same championship! Going for the same Super Bowl!
The metaphor is dead, but I'd like to take it a little further. You're going to fare better with a line of teammates behind you, because sometimes you're going to be playing against The Man. People With Power. Corporations Who Don't Care About Your Image Rights. That's what happened to me, and now I'm looking to draft a new teammate - Mr. Union.
I'm done. (And I promise to avoid sports metaphors in the future - that was exhausting.) I appreciate the work and the exposure. But I won't be making the same mistake again. I hope you can learn from mine and avoid it altogether.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Unveiling
That is quite a presumptive title.
I've been absent of late from the blogosphere. Partially because I've been busy with my survival job, which is not so great, and partially because I've been busy with my real life and acting, which is great, but also because I've been struggling with how transparent I wanted to be and whether I wanted to come out as myself.
I'm coming out. I'm me, and I'm linking myself to myself. I had this idea that I wanted to be honest about things so surely I shouldn't attribute that to Lauren Dobbins Webb (gasp! I'm out!) the actor in LA. But I was wrong.
I've learned so much since my first post here two years ago. One of those things is that honesty is best, and I'm going to get cast for being me, not for being someone lame with no personality who hides their real feelings behind a blogosphere pseudonym.
I also thought about going back through my old posts and taking away some of the fainter-of-heart ones, but in the spirit of the new honest and open Lauren Dobbins Webb the actor in LA who talks about it, I didn't. So don't judge. The learning curve is steep. Lesson #347.
So, now that that's off my chest, here is what I've been up to:
* Shot a commercial for Vehix, currently airing on Comcast:
* I'm understudying Lavinia and Chiron in Titus Andronicus at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, opening this weekend.
* I just got cast in a short that will be shooting in Prescott, AZ. More on that when I know more.
* This is from way back in the fall, but was super awesome: I got flown to Argentina to shoot the footage for Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove. Here's the sizzle reel:
Other than that, I'm auditioning, looking forward to what is next, and enjoying the palpable excitement of pilot season. Haven't been sent out for it yet, but excited about it nonetheless. The LA air is electric with excited and anxious actors.
I apologize for not being open and completely honest before, but that's over now. I'm an open book. Please don't call me. Unless you work in casting.
I've been absent of late from the blogosphere. Partially because I've been busy with my survival job, which is not so great, and partially because I've been busy with my real life and acting, which is great, but also because I've been struggling with how transparent I wanted to be and whether I wanted to come out as myself.
I'm coming out. I'm me, and I'm linking myself to myself. I had this idea that I wanted to be honest about things so surely I shouldn't attribute that to Lauren Dobbins Webb (gasp! I'm out!) the actor in LA. But I was wrong.
I've learned so much since my first post here two years ago. One of those things is that honesty is best, and I'm going to get cast for being me, not for being someone lame with no personality who hides their real feelings behind a blogosphere pseudonym.
I also thought about going back through my old posts and taking away some of the fainter-of-heart ones, but in the spirit of the new honest and open Lauren Dobbins Webb the actor in LA who talks about it, I didn't. So don't judge. The learning curve is steep. Lesson #347.
So, now that that's off my chest, here is what I've been up to:
* Shot a commercial for Vehix, currently airing on Comcast:
* I'm understudying Lavinia and Chiron in Titus Andronicus at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, opening this weekend.
* I just got cast in a short that will be shooting in Prescott, AZ. More on that when I know more.
* This is from way back in the fall, but was super awesome: I got flown to Argentina to shoot the footage for Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove. Here's the sizzle reel:
Other than that, I'm auditioning, looking forward to what is next, and enjoying the palpable excitement of pilot season. Haven't been sent out for it yet, but excited about it nonetheless. The LA air is electric with excited and anxious actors.
I apologize for not being open and completely honest before, but that's over now. I'm an open book. Please don't call me. Unless you work in casting.
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