So Far, So Good

Second day into classes and I'm already lovin' the Theatre Year!

Our section is really great--lots of talent and plenty of dedication/professionalism. Classes are going very well so far. Our first class on Mondays is Dialects. We'll be working on upper class English and Southern (guess that won't be too hard) this semester. Right after that we have Movement with, once again, the amazing Ms. Connie Rotunda! We had an excellent review of getting into our bodies and focusing our attention on our breath. An hour and a half after that, our first of three Acting classes, where we reviewed the exercise of repetition and meditation (moment to moment to moment to moment).

Today was a blast! Our only class was Stage Combat from 11 - 1pm. It's a very fun and exciting two hours, and our instructor has got one heck of a since of humor!

Tomorrow will be similar to our Monday schedule, being at school from 9am - 6pm with very little break time. Thursday is our off day and Friday is a two-class day - Theatre History and Acting. Three day weekend coming up, leaving us plenty of time to get some work done.

Meanwhile, Lauren has introduced me to a site called Mandy.com where I can find postings for casting calls around New York. I sent in a resume and head shot yesterday morning to a small independent film company looking for a male actor (18-24 years old) for a small feature film. Haven't received any emails yet, but it's gotten me so pumped. Hopefully at the very least I'll get to audition. Bring on the work!

Rockin' In The City

Tonight, for Lauren's big 2-0, we went out to Chipotle and then went over to the Brooks Atkinson theatre to see her favorite musical... ROCK OF AGES! The show was an absolute blast, featuring the best rock songs of the 80's. Apparently a movie is in the works. Couldn't be more stoked for it.

New Headshots

Photography by David Mead

Progress

UPDATES!

Last night's dinner was spectacular. Lauren made fried chicken (which tasted just as good as KFC) and mashed potatoes. I followed up with Momma's famous apple salad and was VERY successful.

Today was pretty fun, too. Although we did not manage to get to Ellis Island, we did get to go to the HBO store and pick up some Tru Blood!

We hiked on over to NBC studios for a bit to do some 'shopping'. We then made one last stop into Bed, Bath and Beyond for some needed supplies. I got myself an oscillating fan for my room (cuz the window fan simply wasn't giving me enough air), and Lauren's mom got us some swiffer cleaner stuff for the wood floors! ...Cuz... we kinda need it...

First Days Back

As with every return to NY, the change is difficult... VERY difficult... Our first night in, Momma and I couldn't help but notice that the obstacles had been preparing themselves for us for probably quite some time.

While speaking to Ikea Thursday night, we were informed that we were not on a delivery truck for Friday, and apparently they do not deliver to our area code on Saturday. Turns out they don't deliver to our area code except for Wednesdays and Fridays... So I'm left without a bedroom set until Wednesday. To further aggravate the situation, the bed I wanted was discontinued do to safety issues and my second choice was not in stock (all of this even though, online, both items were listed as "in stock"). I was forced to make a third decision on a bed with no drawers and spend an extra 100 (roughly) on a chest of four drawers. As much as this whole Ikea thing irritates me, I suppose it very Christian-like of me to assume this was all for the better. Now I'm not left with only 2 drawers in a bed, but instead I've got 4 drawers in a chest. Woo!

The treks back and forth from the apartment to the hotel were awful. The main challenge we faced each ride was transferring from Time Square to Grand Central (or vice/versa) via the shuttle train. Not that hard to get to while in Grand Central, but once you get to Time Square, the A train is COMPLETELY out of the way! You have to go UP stairs and DOWN stairs and UP ramps and DOWN ramps and UP stairs and DOWN stairs, all while hauling a bunch of heavy luggage behind you. And to finish it all off, five flights of steps to throw your back out... or tone your arms and legs, however you want to look at it.

But, at last, the move is finished. All of my belongings and clothes are here in the apartment, cluttering my hardwood floor. Lauren's mom and grandmother have been VERY gracious in helping us get situated and clean stuff up. Thanks to them, we've now got plenty of water in the brita filters and lots of gatorade! And thanks to de Momma, a clean bathroom! Woo!

So now I'm chilling in my room... on the internet somehow... I suppose I'm feeding off of someone else's internet. Not exactly the best thing to do, but I just couldn't wait any longer to check email and update the blog. If I had waited another day I'd have to type out a novel! Blah!

I will be posting pictures very shortly, as I have very little to do right now, so keep checkin'!

-Roberto

(one hour later...)

After an Eventful Summer...

Can't believe how long it's been since I last updated. This summer really put a hold on the busy working life of NY, but that's the point of a vacation, right?

This has been a very eventful summer. This week, I return to NY to fix up the apartment and continue my learning at SFT. We've just received word that the first semester's show that will be open to the NY public will be "The Importance of Being Earnest". While I cannot wait to get back to the stage, I will greatly miss every single friend and family member that makes Texas my one and only home among homes. Love all of you guys!