Acting

When I was in high school I saw “Field of Dreams.” It was one of those films that really moved me and at the time I didn’t quite understand why. I had lost my father at an early age so I definitely identified with Ray's (Kevin Costner) pain and longing but the message of the film struck me on an ever deeper level that I at the time couldn’t identify. It wasn’t until years later that I would decipher why the very last scene in the film would always bring me to tears. It wasn’t u...

Nothing beats the art of brilliant filmmaking. Fortunately over the last couple of weeks we at Stage 32 had the opportunity to view remarkable filmmaking at the 68th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Our good friends over at Film4 had four films in Competition this year including Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth, Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster (which was awarded the Jury Prize), and Todd Haynes' Carol (which Rooney Mara won Best Actress). They have a remarkable talent for working...

Oddly enough, I consider myself a survivor. Not of the Holocaust, or of the dreaded C word, or an horrific accident, or a natural disaster, or a substance addiction. No, my survival is of the intangible kind. I have survived my own childhood. I have finally, at fifty-two, freed myself from a demon given to me at birth by my mother. This demon’s name is Rejection, and she has stopped me my entire life at every turn. I am able now to experience joy in my own insanity because she and I are intim...

A year ago, I moved to the big NYC and was a bit overwhelmed. I’m sure you’ve been there too. New to the city and you don’t know anyone. Anyone you do know is well immersed in his or her own lives and you’re just… there. Staring up at the buildings, thinking, “Where the heck do I begin?” That’s when I first signed up with Stage 32. I didn’t realize at first how valuable this community of creators was until recently when I really started to explore the forums and the other features that Stage...

After 30 years as a working actor, in all facets of the business, the one concept I’ve retained, or rather the one lesson I’ve had to constantly remind myself of, and still do to this day, is this: the only thing you have any control over in this crazy industry is getting better at your craft. All the other stuff, casting directors, agents, managers, “what I think they see me doing”, “what I should do to get noticed”, etc. is all beyond your control. And in my opinion the portal to any form of...

It’s an honor and a privilege to be asked to write a blog on this forum with esteemed professionals across the globe visiting this popular and ever-growing site. I am probably the first Native American that has been asked to do this on Stage 32 and hopefully, many others will follow. So if this is the case, then I feel an additional sense of pride and responsibility to be able to convey something that is perhaps useful or informational. Most of the time I shy away from talking about myself,...

I have been working intensely with actors for the past 15 years; first as a casting director and now as owner of The Actor’s Green Room. I tell most actors that they will be embarking on a journey if they choose to pursue acting full force. In 99% of cases, I tell people that things take time and auditioning/booking work is often a numbers game. There are hundreds of thousands of people attempting to procure work for themselves as actors so naturally...it’s a bit competitive. In my last blog...

Once upon a time, many years ago when I was an upcoming young actress, I was watching a television talk show interview with the famous comedian Carol Burnett, who was asked about her early years in the business. She pointed out that in those days, the network executives kept her show on the air because they felt that it was good and that she would eventually succeed, which she did magnificently. “But now,” she said, “ratings are all-important, and a show that is slow to win an audience is quickl...

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela "The great aim of education is not knowledge but action." - Herbert Spencer I'm very excited and proud to announce the launch of our new and improved Next Level Education section. When I first conceived of Stage 32, my wish was to bring education to all film, television and theater creatives r...

I started my journey into acting and filmmaking in 2007 as an actress. I found myself interested in all facets of filmmaking because, honestly, being in front of the camera just was not enough for me. I wished to contribute much more to every production I could come to be a part of. This would eventually lead me towards editing and more specifically – becoming a demo reel editor. A lot of my peers at the time didn't see a reel as being a necessary tool to market themselves. Meanwhile, I was ge...