Barzhini Commercials, Casting Calls and Cambria Suites

The Barzhini casting call a week or so ago was a first for me.  I have never done any acting except for in high school and even then, not in an actual production, just an "easy A" class.  Or so I thought.  Acting is not easy (at least not for me! Lesson #1 re-learned for the day).  Neither is modeling, which requires a lot of acting.  It can't matter if you're exhausted/ hormonal/swamped with work/dealing with relationship issues/dealing with a naughty, but adorable five-year-old at home who flatly REFUSES to go to bed before 2 am, etc.  On camera you need to be whatever the photographer (or director, I suppose) envisions for the project, i.e. most likely the opposite of whatever you are at the moment.

The day of the audition I was perfectly happy and I'm sure it showed.  I hear I smile a lot.  I was handed a monologue to cold-read from and told I could read it over first.  I did, but only enough to get the basic gist--I was reading something having to do with a parent and child in a crowd.  I really should have read a bit more! (Lesson #2 for the day).  I gave the camera my best smile and read with feeling.  Halfway through, it dawned on me that I was reading about the Holocaust.  So, smiling was probably not the way to go.  Oops.  I felt utter despair was a little too much of a jump from happy-go-lucky to attempt mid-sentence, so I opted for "grave concern."

Yesterday I received my part for the commercial.  I am "Janet," a businesswoman who smiles too much and whose emotions seem forced.  I have a suspicion the part may have been written just for me. :)

Tomorrow I have another casting call in Denver for another commercial with a different company.  I have to prepare a monologue.  As I have no aspirations (delusions) of Broadway, I think this time I'll go with something, well,... lighthearted.

I just wrote my first not-so-glowing report for Examiner.com.  It's not that I don't like Cambria Suties, I do--the value is fantastic and how many budget hotels have nice decor?  That matters to me!  I just felt I needed to mention the fact that the rooms are the same, everywhere.  Now why would they do that?  Surely, they see the allure of a little variety?  Hopefully I didn't hurt any feelings or get myself banned for life...

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If you have any comments or story suggestions (for travel writing.  I have enough for my life), please write to me at redwriteandedit@hotmail.com.  I would love to hear from you!