This time last year

I've been thinking a lot lately about this time last year.

This time last year I was filming a movie which turned out to be my favorite experience of 2012. This time last year I was an assistant at my job. I was figuring myself out, spreading myself too thin between too many projects, and cramming my life full of all the experiences I wanted to have -- all at the same time.

And it wasn't bad. It was fun and exciting and I learned a lot. I also know now, looking back, that doing so much at once is how I lost inspiration. This year, after giving myself time, finding new hobbies, taking breaks, and spreading my schedule out so things don't collide, I've become so inspired.

I'm inspired to try new things. I'm inspired to let go of things that are holding me back. I'm inspired to start trusting myself again. Really trusting my intuition and my desires. I don't feel as lost as I did my first year in the city (go figure), and I'm so excited for the road ahead.

I have new theatres on my radar and I'm on the radar of new theatres. I have a wonderful group of family and friends surrounding me that I can lean on when I need to. And I'm finally starting to feel like I'm finding myself in this market. I feel better about my skills, my technique, my drive, and my path. It just took me a little while to gain my footing.

This year, I've started working with theatres that I love, who are consistently doing work that I love. I've focused on my health and wellness. I've focused on my frame of mind (and my peace of mind for that matter). I've gotten an agent. I've been promoted. I've gotten raises. I've worked with new teaching companies, and met new people that have offered me great opportunities. I've started reading more and writing again. I think I'm just now beginning to see the benefits of working on me.

It all goes to show that treating people with respect, always being friendly and open, and showing people the genuine kindness they deserve leads you to receive the same. I'm feeling so grateful for all my experiences today, and I can't wait for the new ones that are on their way.

New Website!

I finally made my first actor website! Now, to be fair, it's not completed. I haven't received the CD of my newest headshots to update all my pictures, but it's on it's way. I can officially say I have a website for possible employers to view (and judge me) by. I'm really excited about it.

www.saschastreckel.com


Starcrossed is almost done. We have two more shows left  on Tues/Wed night. I also start rehearsal for my upcoming summer show this week. I guess it won't be 'upcoming' for much longer! I'm ready to get the new script and dig in. It's a new work, so the author has been busy tweaking it for the last couple months. It will be fun to be working with a playwright again.

I wish I had some cool new pictures from this latest production to share with you, but I haven't seen the results of our photocall yet. I'll be sure to post them if I get them. In other news I've joined a new play reading group I'm excited about, and I've been working with my agent on joining all the local casting sites to finally get kickstarted commercially.

I expect this summer will be an adventure in new auditions.

Spring Fever

So I had started some blog posts previously, and hadn't had time to finish them. I just posted one of my previous posts from early April.

It's been so busy I've let time get away from me. My only excuse is I've had a wonderful two months focusing on real life and forgetting to catalog it. Sorry!

Rehearsals for Starcrossed went extremely well, and I've had a great time with the cast and crew. We officially opened on Tuesday night, and can I just say I haven't enjoyed an opening that much in a while. There was so much laughter I had to wait nearly ten to fifteen seconds to say lines sometimes. What a treat!

Tonight I'll be performing in Spin the Bottle at Annex to preview Starcrossed for those who haven't seen it yet. I wrapped all my filming these last two months and I'm just waiting on footage from my commercial. I've taken new headshots and received the results, so you should be seeing those as soon as I have the full resolution images. Next up on my list of things to do is create my website! I can't believe I haven't done it yet.

This week I have three big auditions coming up. I'm very excited to sing and act and do my best to be remembered. Finally having the opportunity to audition for larger theatres here is so exciting for me. I can't wait to be in the room with them!

Rehearsals for my next upcoming show start as soon as Starcrossed closes in a month, so I've got a little bit of down time (which I'll be filling with classes and workshops and auditions). I was talking to a friend yesterday who is struggling with the decision of whether or not she wants to be an actor anymore. Is it worth it? she asked. Am I good enough? Is it what I want to do?  As we were talking and I explained my schedule and the way I live my life around it, I realized how happy I am doing what I'm doing.

I could potentially grab a full time job with a company that will help promote me within, find a better benefits package, have my nights free to myself, focus on a different kind of future. I look at that life, though, and think how unhappy I would be. Right now acting is what makes me happy. I wake up and go to work and look forward to rehearsals and auditions every day. When I get to rehearsals, I'm with friends that I love to spend my time with, and who I'm lucky to have. When I'm on stage I feel like there's no where else I'd rather be. If I could find a job at a theatre here, I'd be a happy camper. As it is, I keep my life free for agents, auditions, rehearsals, and shows. I call out early on the chance of an acting job. I stay up late to work on my characters. I'm more worried about being memorized than I am about planning curriculum. Until the day that changes, I'll never see these choices as a sacrifice. And that is the heart of being an actor--when does it become a sacrifice? When is it time to stop? It's different for everybody.

As for me, I couldn't be more excited for this coming week. There are so many great shows to see in this city, and so many great opportunities to perform. Here's to the beginning of the summer season!

House of Glass Clip

WRITTEN early 4/13

You can watch my 'prequel' episode for House of Glass here: It's been a fast and full couple of weeks since my last update. I had days of filming, hours of rehearsal, nights of performances and reading, as well as multiple auditions. I'm happy to say I've been having a grand old time flying my actor flag, and am excited about the upcoming weeks.

We're finally starting regular rehearsals for my next show at a local theatre here in Seattle. We've been rehearsing about once a week or so, and I'm ready to finally delve in and get to the good stuff. I finished filming a commercial last weekend with a couple friends. It was incredibly silly. I had a southern dialect and got to ride around on a man's back in the middle of a crowded neighborhood. It was refreshing to be working with familiar faces, which is something that hasn't started happening with me in Seattle often since I'm still so new. It was always nice in college to work with people you knew and understood very well, and I'm excited to begin to have the opportunity in this market as well. Sometimes the better you know someone, the better your work can be. Of course, it could also go the other way. I hope to have the link available to watch in the next couple weeks! I'll be sure to post it here so stay tuned.

In other news, I've signed on for another staged reading coming up. I've also had my first read through for my upcoming summer show. It's such a pleasure to get to work with the original playwright on a play, so I'm ready to start this next process coming up shortly.