Pieces of me

Special Event: Casting & Cocktails

An Evening with Michael Zecher & Jodi Angstreich

This is a special invitation to join casting directors MICHAL ZECHER and JODI ANGSTREICH for an upcoming SPRING FLING: CASTING & COCKTAILS event.

This is an AWESOME opportunity to learn the ins and outs of television and film casting with two of NYC’s most friendly and knowledgeable casting folks!! In this intimate atmosphere, you can have a cocktail or a beer, and work on on-camera material to get yourself audition ready without the high pressure environment! How great is that?!

Where:
Ten Degrees
121 St. Marks Place
New York

When:
Monday, May 14th @ 7:30pm
-or-
Monday, May 21st @ 7:30pm

Cost:
$100

Michal Zecher hails from CBS Primetime Casting where she spent several years casting some of the most popular Primetime television shows such as “CSI“, “How I Met Your Mother“,  “The Good Wife” and many more. She is now an acting coach to many of NYC’s successful working actors.

Jodi Angstreich also hails from CBS. She has since gone onto be a freelance casting associate on dozens of projects, including the not-yet-released feature films “Kill Your Darlings” (with Daniel Radcliffe) and “Adult Children of Divorce” (starring Adam Scott, Jessica Alba and Jane Lynch).  Other recent past projects include “Mildred Pierce” (HBO’s Emmy Award winning mini-series with Kate Winslet), and the feature films “The Art of Getting By” (with Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts) and “Rampart” (with Woody Harrelson). Jodi is currently casting the indie-feature “Plus One“!  Additionally, she is currently working on many national commercial campaigns including Captain Morgan, Comcast and AT&T…to name a few.

To RESERVE YOUR SPACE in this unique workshop email your Headshot & Resume to mzcasting@gmail.com with the subject “Spring Fling invitation from Marissa Mutascio”.

Questions should be directed to Michal at mzcasting@gmail.com

I’m so excited about this event and I can’t wait to see you there!

-Marissa

(Source: marissamutascio.com)

Networking & The Power of YOU

Whether you are a new or veteran actor, knowing your type – meaning how others are most likely to see (and cast) you – is of primary importance, for this is where the bulk of your work will be. In fact, until you’ve successfully established yourself, embracing whatever type you most represent (e.g. the jock, the femme fatale, the hipster, the comedic side-kick, etc.) should be the tent-pole of your marketing efforts and the focus of your job submissions.

Ironically, once you know the category of actors you are most aligned with, it then becomes your job to distinguish yourself within the pack.   The most perceptive and successful actors are those who know that it’s the small elements of their unique personality that make them stand out in the audition room.  It’s the seemingly simple act of bringing a little of yourself into whomever you are playing that makes the big difference.

In a nutshell, it is your “YOU-ness” that will help get you the job.

While harnessing the ‘power of you’ in your performances is what will help move you from the audition room to the set or stage, many actors seem to fear putting that same “you-ness” to work for themselves in non-acting situations.  This goes against reason, for it is universally true that the more genuine and less ‘sales-y’ or ‘speed date-like’ our industry interactions are, the more likely a tangible lead or connection can be made.

Social media is an amazing gift that gives today’s performers the opportunity to create an online presence, in alignment with their specific type, while also being able to add his or her own unique personal voice through interactions with their audience.  Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google+ are the stand out choices for building rapport both among your fans and among the industry contacts you WANT to build relationships with.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just show up to a networking opportunity as our authentic self with the one simple goal of seeing if a connection can be made? In my opinion that is exactly what networking IS about.

Just as your mindset in the audition room will set you apart, it is the seemingly simple act of bringing a little of yourself into your social media presence that makes the big difference when seeking out networking opportunities.  Whether it be in a meeting, online or at an event – in my opinion ‘networking ‘is simply another chance to use our active listening skills and let our unique, authentic voice shine through.

In a nutshell, it’s the subtle and un-manufactured ease with which you share your  “YOU-ness” that will not only set you apart in the audition room, but will help you get in the door.

(Source: theartsentrepreneur.com)

Confidence is a choice! You decide your own worth.

"Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you."

— Cynthia Kersey

Rosemary Apricot Mango Jalapeno Chicken Sausage Stuffing

My best Thanksgiving invention. Ever.

3/4 cups butter
2-4 stalks celery, chopped (aprox. 1 1/2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (aprox. 1 cup)
1 pkg rosemary bread (aprox. 15 slices or 9 cups, chopped)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 pkg Aidell’s Mango Jalapeno Chicken Sausage
12 oz. dried apricots

Brown sausage, chop & set aside. In a 4 quart Dutch oven combine butter, celery & onion. Simmer until tender.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.

"You are what you learn…If you don’t like who you are, you have the option of learning until you become someone else. There’s almost nothing you can’t learn your way out of. Life is like a jail with an unlocked, heavy door. You’re free the minute you realize the door will open if you simply lean into it."

— Scott Adams

"Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself."

— Marva Collins

"Obstacles are a natural part of life, just as boulders are a natural part of the course of a river…the river does not complain or get depressed because there are boulders in its path."

— excerpt from the “I Ching”

"All people of action are dreamers first."

— Greg Biela

"If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time."

— Billy Joel