Melissa Maniglia




Friday, April 30, 2010

HOCKADOO BABY!

Final bowling game of the season:

Started poorly, looked as though I wouldn't top my all time high of  118 that I scored previously.

Then...

Wait for it...

Three strikes, then two spares, then two strikes, and a gutter ball!

Ended in typical Melissa fashion!! :-D

New all time high score: 164

I have pictures to prove it!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

What Ever Happened to Art?

Alright, time to rant.

Have any of you ever wondered what it would be like if struggling actors like ourselves didn't need day jobs? If we didn't have to spend hours a day wondering which acting class to take, which showcase we can afford to do, and which submission we should make all based on finances. If all we had to worry about was the art, what would our lives be like?

I am not ashamed to admit that I am one of those idealist who can be found sitting down over a cheap glass of wine, or hanging out with a group of friends at Blockheads ($3 Margarita's Baby!) and dreaming about what the world, and my career, would be like if money were not an object in this equation.  No longer limited to the "safe" auditions that fit into my tight work schedule, no more sleepless nights doing audition prep that would have been done earlier if I didn't have to work, no more wondering if I could do this great play reading but realizing that I would have to take off too much time from my paying job to do so. Just being able to act.

Sometimes the business of the business takes us too far away from the art of it.   And its kinda frustrating.

And that's my rant...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Updates, Updates, Updates!

Hello All!

Life has been crazy since my last post, both good crazy and just plain crazy. But there are some wonderful updates to tell you.

First off: I will be participating in the AIDS Walk in NYC this Sunday, May 16th at the bright and early hour of 8:30am. More info to come regarding how to donate, but until then, please check out the official AIDS walk website. http://www.aidswalk.net/newyork/index.html

Secondly: Getting back into the swing of things includes working at Actor's Connection. I used to work there on a regular basis, and really enjoyed the additional opportunity to network with my fellow actors, but had to stop when working to pay off school. This Monday is my first night back. WOHOO!! I'll let you know how it goes. BTW: Congrats to everyone who is booking work from there! There is an amazing sweep of my fellow hosts finally getting their big break. Double WOHOO!

Thirdly: Bowling Update - First game, almost broke a hundred! I'm getting there. Second round, well its past my bedtime so it can't be held against me, right?!? I'll focus on the positives!

Fourthly (Is that even a word?!? Guess so, spell check says it is): Monologues are coming along, thank goodness! It’s nice to have something like that to work on and play with.

More updates to come later. This has been a crazy, and now that I think of it, an actually good week.

PS. So, for those of you who don't know, I am a severely addicted to German musicals. I saw "Jekyll & Hyde" there when I studied abroad and was amazed by how in-depth the stories are; they are willing to be a little more innovative in how they tell the tale. Well, I just figured out that one of my all time favorite German musicals, "Elizabeth," is available on R0 DVD. WOHOO! Full review to come! Now all I have to do is remember my German...

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Theatre Mystic

You know, sometimes I forget how lucky I am.


What am I doing right now? Sitting in the empty house of a Broadway theatre and simply breathing in the life of it.

A theatre is truly a living, breathing being, made up of many different organisms that give it life and energy. This energy draws us towards it. We want to be there. We want to see what it's doing, what it's creating, how it is living.

As I sit in the empty house, I hear the sounds of the associate music director practicing a classical composition in the lower lobby. Simultaneously, I watch as an actor casually taps one of his own creations out on the stage piano. These dueling melody's are uninterrupted by the production stage manager checking out the house. All the while, patrons discuss which tickets to purchase for tonight's show in the outer lobby to the fugue of car horns on 44th Street. The cooling system hums in the background while the theatre mouse squeaks behind me. And here I am, creating my own little buzz, typing away on my keyboard.

Theatre has a mystic to it and sitting in the empty house, I feel it. Its not just the show patrons come to see, but the being that is "Theatre."

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Monologues & Horoscopes, Oh My!

So, for any of you who know me personally, I've been bemoaning my current monologues for some time now.  I've just picked up three plays at Drama Book Shop and I am curious as to what you think of my choices for new material. Do they fit me? Do you think they will work? My selections are:

  • "reasons to be pretty" by Neil LaBute - Steph
  • "100 Saints You Should Know" by Kate Fodor - Theresa
  • "Sense & Sensibility" by Jane Austin, Adaptation by Ashley J. Barnard - Elinor
Let me know what you think.

In other news, I just sat down and checked out my horoscope for the month of April.  Good things are coming, so it says.

Taking seriously your astrological attributes can be somewhat of a joke or a taboo in the world today. That being said, many people check them daily "for fun." Amusingly enough, in this business, almost immediately after you are introduced to someone, they ask your astrological sign.  So I'm wondering, do you find that the things mentioned in your horoscope actually happen?  The jury is still out for me, with my being more skeptical than a believer, but there are some things I have found to be true.  For example, I am constantly surprised by how often people get moody or temperamental around a full moon.  But on all other aspects, I have yet to have any prediction make me a believer.

So, what are your thoughts?