For the past four Saturdays, I have been attending an Acting for Film & Television Workshop in New Orleans. Yesterday, I had my last class which turned out to be exciting, emotional, and eye-opening. My acting coach Lance Nichols invited a director (Oley Sassone), a director of photography (Claire), and a script supervisor (Sandy Parker) to teach the class. As an actor, you need to not only prepare yourself for your performance, but you must also know the technical aspects of performing in the space of the scene. I walked away from this workshop showing more growth as an actor, gaining more wisdom and insight into the craft of acting, and obtaining a better understanding of the technical aspects of working as an actor in film and television. In addition, I met wonderful new friends in the acting community which is so beneficial on this journey to becoming a thespian. Since my workshop has ended, I will be focusing solely on my role as Mitch Mahoney in the upcoming theater production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
In Other News:
Ever hear of Kombucha, dear reader? Molly Kimball, a New Orleans registered dietician, talked about Kombucha on her September 12th episode (“Behind the Brand: Big Easy Bucha”) of her podcast, Fueled: Wellness + Nutrition with Molly Kimball. She interviewed Austin Sherman, co-founder and CEO of Big Easy Bucha, to learn more about this locally produced tea and why we should be consuming it. There are several benefits of drinking this concoction rich in probiotics. According to an article by Kristen Lila on the website Odyssey, Kombucha cleanses and detoxifies, supports joint health, helps digestive heath/gut health, supports immune health, promotes energy, and helps aide cancer prevention/recovery.
I found Big Easy Bucha at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago, and I bought a bottle of Jazz Juice which is infused with Pineapple and Elderflower. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The first sip tasted like vinegar. My hubby tasted it and agreed. I almost cut my losses and poured the rest of it down the drain. Instead, I decided to drink small amounts of it over the next couple of days, and surprisingly I now like it. Yesterday, I bought another bottle of Jazz Juice along with a bottle of Bayou Berry which is infused with Strawberry and Honeysuckle. I like the Bayou Berry more. My hubby says it tastes like vinegar, too. HA! More Kombucha for me. I asked Molly if Kombucha should be consumed daily and how much is enough to see benefits. It is good for daily consumption and 8-16 ounces per day is plenty. Molly personally drinks a 16 ounce bottle most days. I’m planning to incorporate at least 8 ounces daily. Since there is a variety of flavors, I’m on a mission to find other ones. The Wal-Mart in Ponchatoula only carries Jazz Juice and Bayou Berry.
October is finally here, dear reader, but somehow it forgot to bring cooler weather with it. I’m hoping, as I’m sure the rest of Louisiana is hoping, that this week will bring plenty of much-needed rain, as well as cooler fall temps. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the weekend. And, if you come across some other flavors of Big Easy Bucha in your grocery store, please let me know. Happiness!
“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” ~ Nate Berkus
I DID IT! Two weeks ago, I auditioned for my first musical at The New Octavians, a local community theatre in Hammond. The show that I auditioned for is called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it will be directed by Rachael Knaps. It is a musical comedy centered on a fictional spelling bee held at a middle school where six oddball teens will compete, and three unconventional adults will run the show. Well (drum roll), my name made its way on the cast list. I was offered a role, and I accepted it! I will be playing Mitch Mahoney, who happens to be an ex-con assigned to the spelling bee to fulfill a community service requirement. HA! I’m SUPER excited about getting cast and cannot thank my voice coach Laura enough for all of her help preparing me for the audition. We worked intensively together for two weeks preparing me to belt out “The Kite” and the hard work paid off. Go, me! The performances will be in November.
The Kat Files 