According to activityconnection.com, March is officially Optimism Month, which is pretty fitting considering I feel incredibly optimistic right now. It is also Women's History month, Cake in a Box Month (wtf?!), Dominoes Month, Deaf History Month, and the month where you celebrate the birth of my father and bro. Lots going on - lots to share! Where do I even begin?

Last night was the wrap party for The Anniversary, the comedic feature I recently finished working on with John Campea of TheMovieBlog.com and Robert Sanchez of IESB.com (a still from the movie w/ me and Jason Contini is above this post). They had it at Golden Apple Comics store on Melrose, which supposedly is the best comic book store in LA and, subsequently, the world. So here I am, chatting up some Bloggers at the Coolest Comic Book Store in the world, and I catch wind of plans to screen the film at Comicon in San Diego this summer, which excites me terribly, and I'm thinking - I am either the biggest geek or really fricken cool right now. Everyone was sounding very optimistic about the film being ready by then, as well as the interest we are generating for distribution, so I think I'm gonna allow myself to feel sweet right now. Then a strapping young Australian man kidnapped me...

Speaking of distribution, the feature I acted in in college recently signed a distribution deal!!! I don't know all of the details yet, but I am geekin at the prospect of Relative Obscurity being seen by a wider audience than the festival circuit we went on, oh, two/three years ago. More on that at a later date, I guess :)

Tonight begins rehearsals for the movement piece I auditioned for last week. The director, Ben Cox, will be leading us in a Viewpoints workshop every week until mid-April, when we will perform our creation in NoHo. The devised piece will be centered around Pandora's box. I LOVE first days of rehearsal - it's like the first day of school; who am I gonna meet? Will the director like me? Will I like working with the director? and then the added question with a devised piece - will we be collaborating on something amazing or will our ideals fall flat? I am reminded of one of my favorite poems, "I Dwell in Possibility" by Emily Dickinson:

I dwell in Possibility--
A fairer House than Prose--
More numerous of Windows--
Superior--for Doors -

Of Chambers as the Cedars--
Impregnable of Eye--
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky--

Of Visitors--the fairest--
For Occupation--This--
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise.

It's a good thing I choose to dwell in possibility, because otherwise I most certainly would not be able to make it through some of these auditions I go on. I considered this the other day as I drove up Sunset Blvd., resume and headshot in hand. I really don't get nervous to audition - performing is fun, and if they don't like me, screw it, I can't be bothered with why that might be. But getting to an audition - driving in, parking, walking around a strange building, sitting, waiting, walking in a strange room with strange people - is absolutely terrifying! It's not like I'm fearful for my safety or my pride or anything, but to put yourself out there, to literally take that step, one foot after another, when it is just as easy to get back in your car, sit down/shut up/just not do it, is harddd. I literally have to talk to myself, convince myself of the beauty of uncertainty, remind myself of the excitement in possibility, so I can get the courage to walk in. I imagine the best way to explain this sensation to non-auditioners is to equate it to a first kiss with someone you realllly, really like. You know you should do it, you know you want to, but every fiber in your body is paralyzed with a kinda icky/kinda fun feeling buzzing through it. Then you shit your pants. Ha. Just kidding.

One of the reasons I am so optimistic right now is that auditions have really started to pick up. I didn't have a single one for the month of January, and just in the past ten days I have had 5, with two more happening tomorrow. Crazy! Everyone had been talking about how slow breakdowns were, but I was getting worried there for a minute. I always book my own work, so I felt I only had myself to blame for not getting out there. I hope it didn't just jinx things by saying that. Eek.

My lovely friend Chelsea invited me to a screening of the new Judd Apatow movie, Funny People, which I went to see at the Jimmy Stewart screening room at Sony Studios this past Thursday. So many funny people in it! The cut was still 3+ hours long, so Mr. Apatow asked for feedback re: what worked, what story lines were strongest, etc. It was fascinating to see such a large movie still in the development process, and fun to see Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in the flesh. Good times - it's going to be a really funny movie.

News from the Homefront: Bambina, the foster dog Teresa and Chrissy have been caring for has found a permanent home. Not missing a beat, Teresa brought home another dog, this time smaller and kinda hump-crazy. Dylan and I agree, that girl needs to get a boyfriend (Teresa, not the dog). Chrissy has a guest from college in town and is still on the job hunt, working at the record label with me two days a week. Our landlord came over this week to "inspect the fire alarms" and interrogated me about how many people live in our place, what all the boys clothes were doing on the floor of Dylan's room, and gave the two yelping dogs a good long stare. We still haven't been kicked out though, so I think we are in the clear. I'm excited about going on a hike tomorrow and brainstorming/researching an LA Theatre website I want to build, as well as the prospect of my siblings coming out for a visit this spring. So yeah, March is gonna be good! That's all for now...

DISCLAIMER: I have been awake for a day and a half and therefore may not make sense/know how to spell (but I feel like writing, goshdarnit, so bear with me).

Yesterday marked an important day in the Life of Kathryn Primeau. Not only did I have my first broken nail that I did not bite off, but I also submitted my first full-length play to a major fringe festival. After days spent burning the midnight oil pulling all of my submission materials together and working on the script in anticipation of the February 15th deadline, I sent my one-woman show, Stuck in the Between Place, to adjudication for 2009 NY Fringe. I won't find out if the piece is accepted til late April/early May, so keep your fingers crossed - and in the meantime you can check out my artsy-fartsy demo DVD on my video page (scroll to the bottom of the page). If all goes as planned, I will be producing the piece under the Limehouse brand with Matthew Cleaver and Ashley Henderson at the helm of the production team this August in NYC!

The entirety of last night was spent filming on John Campea's "The Anniversary" out in Artesia, CA.  I play a featured role in the flick, which follows a thirty-something guy as he ventures into the world of online dating after getting out of a long, long-term relationship. The cast and crew are an affable, talented bunch - lots of Canadians, lots of new media entrepanuers - so the night flew by and before I knew it, it was 5 am and the Red camera we were shooting on was kaput and we were calling it a night. I have some pick-up shots to film tonight and then it's a wrap - I don't think I've looked forward to a wrap party more in my life.

Last weekend I booked a spontaneous flight to Athens, Ohio, to visit my alma mater, Ohio University. After a pleasant ride in from Columbus with the charming Wes Cronk, I went to my friend Elenna's production of Eugene Ionesco's "The Chairs." It was an ambitious and beautifully designed piece of absurdist theatre - just what I needed to reacquaint myself with the world of academic theatre. Saturday AM was spent brainstorming with Michael Kortlander and a group of actors - Drew Crabtree, Casey Lenko, Leah Strausser, John Hendel, and Tyler Rollinson - for the annual 48 hour shoot out short film competition. The prompts we received were Genre: Comedy Prop: A Notebook Line of Dialogue: It's not my problem. We improv'd and filmed for about five hours, all the while drinking wine and having a blast, and trying to pull inspiration from a short mock-intervention film Mike had found and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The resulting short, Game Night, won 2nd Place out of 27 teams in the competition - check it out on my video page or on youtube.
Other highlights from Athens include going to a reading of Dana Lynn (my fave female playwright) Formby's latest draft of The Small of Her Back, drinking Razz Wheat at Jackie O's, dinner at Casa, early morning breakfast with the ladies, Bagel Street, hanging with my beautiful hostess, Katie, and spending short but sweet time with Shelley, Dennis, Ryan, Paul, Stephen, Kristin, Shiloh, Cole, Adam, Kent, Lauren, Elenna and V.

My showcase ended last week with an audience full of friends and a hilarious karaoke party at Pig N Whistle on Hollywood. While I have yet to find an agent, I can honestly say the experience was 100% positive/fun/valuable. To everyone who made it out to The Next Stage in support, thank you so very much! It means a TON to me that you support my artistic endeavors and I hope I can show the same support to you in the near future.

NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT - We welcomed another doggie into our house this week, an adorable, well-mannered, malnourished chahahua originally named Baby Phatz, but we are calling her Bambina. Teresa is officially a foster mom for dogs (we are all trying to get her to trade Nina in for Bambina). Working at the record label got a lot more fun this week, as Chrissy was hired on as a paid intern working in the online marketing department. And I am no longer an intern, but an official part time employee, pay raise and all!

Driving to set last night I experienced a big bubble of laughter - it just burst forth like giddy vomit - thinking, AH! I live in Los Angeles with my two best friends! Could this get any better?!!

Well, 2009 has already been an explosive and challenging year. I am pleased to announce I have been nail-biting free for one month now (perhaps I should take up a career in hand modeling?), and no one even had to call me stupid!

This week will be the final performance of PILOT PREVIEWS - an industry showcase at The Next Stage. While it has been frustrating at times trying to get industry people and friends to come see the show, those who have come have been incredibly responsive and positive. Favorite comments include "Every single performer was on top of their game," "you could tell everyone was up there cuz they love it" and "That was so...good!" (The third one was from Chrissy, who said it with such a surprised voice, it both insulted and delighted me - I mean, really, what was she expecting?!) My manager, Gisela, came this week, so that was lovely.

I also chatted with a manager's assistant at The Woods afterward this week who gave me some advice regarding playing up my "cute, quirky girl" comedic chops. I think because of my training, I have come to value drama and the art of playing tragedy more than playing comedy. But honestly, a lot of people have told me they prefer me in a comedic role. Tyler is of the belief that to play comedy, one must work one step beyond tragedy - one must find the humorous in the absurd - and that I am really lucky to be good at it. When I think of it that way, I am reminded of Beckett and Durang and playing Izzy in Rabbit Hole and I realize that comedy can be very smart and vital. It doesn't all have to laughter for laughings-sake; it can be a much-needed relief for an audience and a society at large when done right. So, I think I'm going to take that compliment and run with it. Thanks, Ty!

This week also marks the beginning of filming The Anniversary, a movie I was cast in way back in September that is just now starting an extremely ambitious shooting schedule. The writer/director is John Campea, founder and editor of TheMovieBlog.com (check it out!). I am super-excited to be involved in the project - we had a cast & key crew meeting this week and everyone is awesome - and looking forward to playing what I consider to be a 3rd wave feminist comedic character. I get to pick my character's name (it is currently Date Girl #5), so if you have any suggestions be sure to leave a comment!

This Tuesday when I was driving to work the local NPR station's Air Talk segment was discussing the recent layoffs at LA newspapers of theatre critics with the three biggest Artistic Directors in town. I called in and had the chance to chat with them regarding my concern for what this means for theatre as public discourse. They seemed pretty hopeful about the commitment of local theatres to their communities, but agreed that my concern is a very real one. It was pretty exciting to pass their screening process and be able to be on air with such distinguished guests :)

I received word back from Dramatists Play Service this week regarding my request for rights to perform My Name is Rachel Corrie in LA, and it looks like I am going to have to fight for this one. Supposedly there are restrictions on rights to perform it in this region - maybe they are waiting for a big theatre to take it on? - but I think it is absurd that it hasn't been produced here yet. Especially with the current situation in Gaza. The idea has already been planted in my mind, so I will keep trudging ahead until I can make this happen.

I recently got a second wind while writing my one-woman show and will hopefully be sending out a draft to my faithful friends in collaboration, Matt and Ashley, very soon. Deadline to apply for NYFringe is in 16 days, so I have a lot of work ahead of me! My friend Andrew has agreed to help me with sound design, I think I'll have Teresa do some costume design work, and Bailey is always down for collaboration, so if it works it should be a pretty communal process.

On the personal side of things, my very best friend in the world moved here on Monday! Chrissy just finished up school in Cleveland, packed two suitcases, and flew to our humble hostel-abode on Sierra Bonita. It's quite humorous to be sharing a bedroom with my two best friends since 5th grade, but I couldn't ask for any better people to be sharing my life with. She already did a stellar job of cheering me up when some Hollywood-esque bullshit was bringing me down this week, and has proven herself a natural at finding furniture on the street (a favorite pastime of Teresa and myself). If you see her out, buy her a drink. Yes, she is single, and I think everyone back in Cleveland would agree, the best company to have no matter what mood you are in.

That's all for today. If you want to leave any comments on this site, please do so on this blog - the comment section on my contact page doesn't seem to be working. Thanks for reading and take care!