ACTING IS LIKE BASEBALL

Hey, all!

Please forgive my extended absence-- I was down for the count with a bout of bronchitis, but...I'm back! Right before I found myself in the emergency room, I shot my scenes for the upcoming movie, PREDISPOSED, with Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo and Tracey Morgan. SO FUN! PREDISPOSED is the story of a musical prodigy (Jesse) whose having, uh, a very bad-good day. Won't say much more than that. You'll have to just go and see the movie!

:)

While I was flat on my back, I had a lot of time to think: about acting, specifically. The truth is, I love what I do and I marvel everyday about the fact that I'm able to make a living doing what I love. This fact is not lost on me-- not even for a second-- and I am so grateful for the opportunities that come my way. What I have noticed, though, is that work begets work and acting-- well, acting is a bit like baseball...

First, like most sports, it takes an inordinate amount of practice (in the form of acting lessons, rehearsals) to perfect your craft. Just like a baseball player (or anyone in sports for that matter), lotsa TIME is put in WELL BEFORE you see the player get up to bat. And then there's the waiting. Lotsa waiting in baseball and even more, sometimes, in the acting profession! How long do you have to wait to get your "turn"? How about when you get to bat? How many auditions (in the case of baseball, how many times do you have to swing) before your ball actually connects with the bat and you get a base hit! And you get the job! Sometimes your "hit" will land you to first base, maybe second. And sometimes-- ah, sometimes-- you hit a HOMERUN! Then it's time to run, run, run as fast as you can-- the door is open--and the opportunity for you to win (and bring all your friends who have been hanging on second and third base) to come on home, too! WOW! What a feeling!

But so much of it is waiting. Even when you book a job, you're waiting! Waiting on set. For your hair to get done. For your make-up to be applied. And, ah, yes, there are THE LIGHTS! Those little lights have to be angled just so by your friendly cinematographer so that the director can be sure to capture your performance...

Like baseball, PATIENCE is the name of the game in entertainment. But while you're waiting, make sure you're doing everything you can (practice!) so that when your time comes to hit a HOMERUN, you'll be sure to knock it out the park:)

XO Tanya :)