It wasn't until my senior year that the drama program started jumping. I, and several of my fellow classmates, started doing the UIL competitions. We entered the One Act Play Festival and did a version of "Once Upon A Mattress." I played the Queen and won Best Actress, although we didn't advance to state. We were robbed. One of my first acting awards. I did place 2nd in state for poetry interpretation which included, Roal Dahl's, "The Three Little Pigs," Shel Silverstein's poem, "The Little Boy and the Old Man," and Chaucer's, "The Wife of Bath's Tale." I was such a jerk at that last reading, because a girl had read a cutting from it, too, but had misspelled Chaucer so I had to fix it because I didn't want the judges thinking I didn't know how to spell. It worked out. I was the only Carroll Student to make it to state, but in going, I missed my prom. Not that I had anyone to go with having lived there for barely two years. I was already hanging out with an older crowd because of community theatre and trying to find my way. I was hanging around with the stoners as well, although I never puffed or inhaled anything.
The other thing that saved me from utter depression in moving to Texas was being a part of the Harbor Playhouse. My first show was in "Applause." I played Bonnie, the lead hoofer, and I didn't know I couldn't dance until I moved to New York City. But by Corpus standards I was a triple threat. In New York, I'm a singer that moves. I sang, "Shall We Dance" for the audition and had to do a combination. I was cocky enough to think I could play Eve, but the director didn't know me and thanks to Jean C. a woman who ran the youth theatre department there at the time, convinced her friend, the director, to cast me. She did and I was so excited to be in this show. I felt like I was in a professional production, I didn't get paid, it was community theatre, but I learned so much there. I compared every theatre and job to Harbor Playhouse in years since. I have never forgotten the first review I ever received for "Applause." I don't remember the critic (I should), but it was in the Corpus Christi Caller Times, and I quote, "The most melodic music comes from out of the chorus when Carmen Wiley [nee] bursts through the title song midway through the first act. The Carroll High School student has, as they say, a great set of pipes."
While in Corpus for 10 years I was the lead in numerous productions at the Harbor Playhouse, Del Mar Jr. College, The Ritz, and the University. Shows included, The Fantasticks, Carousel, Barnum, She Stoops to Conquer, A Chorus Line, Side by Side by Sondheim, Grease, and A...My Name is Alice, to name a few. It was a great time. I can honestly say that some of the shows I saw and did in Corpus were better than what I've seen in New York. You can put up crap here and call it theatre and get paid!. There, you don't get paid, but you have your pride and passion. I stayed to long in Corpus for a variety of reasons, and who knows what would be different if I came to NYC right off. I wouldn't have this nose, but then I might be doing character actress roles and actually have a career!
As a New York actress and singer I've done quite a bit, from commercials, industrials, soaps, and theatre. Since before Lennon it has slowed down a lot for me and for my husband, the bread winner. The pressure to find work, get more auditions, and find new things to do to sell what we've got has caused tension and distress. I've got a movie and theatre script to put out there, I want to teach, and I want to sing. Every audition matters. For some reason I started keeping a log of my work this year. I've never done that before. Was it to show myself how depressing my business is right now? Success!! I've booked ONE job this year and that was for the disaster of a trade show in Vegas, NAB for SONY. The show wasn't a disaster, the aftermath was thanks to someone's crazy wife, the whole experience has left me feeling blue.
I had an audition two weeks ago thanks to a fellow mommy and friend for Walgreens. I was watching her 2 year old play with my 2 year old while she went to it. She was going as a pharmacist and I told her I've played a pharmacist a few times. She said, "You should go to this." Yeah, right. She comes back from the audition and says there's an Hispanic spec and I absolutely should go. Do I have an agent who can send me? I do and I don't. I freelance, and those agencies won't send me because it would compromise their clients. I email my manager, and give her the details. Two hours later she calls me and says she had sent my picture and resume over and that they will see me at 4:30. Great! I go. I was a customer who says, "I'm not always sure what I get off the counter will react with my prescriptions. My pharmacist helps me figure it out." Next day, I'm called back for Monday. Monday night they are calling to check my availability for a fitting and shoot dates. By Thursday, I'm released. If it all didn't matter so much, that would be different. That same week I went in for an audition for an industrial film, another good job for me. Elizabeth Vargas type. I can do that. Nothing. Jake is on hold for a Purina National. They release him from the cat spot saying they want a woman to do that. And the next day, release him all together. It all sucks. I don't know where our next paychecks are coming from, because I have nothing out there. I don't want to put all this pessimism out there, but it's hard sometimes. I'm a Sagittarius, the arrow points up, but lately, it's slowly being pulled downwards.
I still have my health, my family, my precious 2 year old Lennon, who grew another inch in one month! He's terrific...my parents, my friends...but still the rejection of this business hurts. Hurts a lot. And I'm left singing my old song with that great review..."What is it that we're living for? Applause, applause? Nothing I know brings on the glow, like sweet applause. You're thinking your through, that nobody cares, then suddenly you, hear it starting..." I'm waiting.
