MUSIC: "Unskinny Bop" by Poison
TIME: 5:47 PM
One of the many great vices about being an actor is READING! I do enjoy reading very, very much, and speaking of which, I am currently on a new book, acting-related, which is even better. Yesterday in the big city, I made it my top priority to go to the infamous Drama Bookshop, located on 40th between 7th and 8th in the fashion district in Manhattan. (BIG) Thanks to the great people on my business coach's Yahoo! Group for TAE members, I was pointed to this book recommended by Tal and Bailey called HOW TO CHOOSE A MONOLOGUE FOR ANY AUDITION by Karen Kohlhaas. So, I picked up a copy, and despite the fact the book is a super-easy read and small, it is PACKED with really interesting and essential information that I think any actor - new or seasoned - should take in great consideration.
Well, I'm not going to ruin it for you all and tell you what is I am learning in this book, because I encourage you all - whether you are an actor, coach, teacher, CD, etc. - to read this book sometime. But never in my life - from a professional point of view - did I think of treating monologue choices like a business. The "Hello, This Is Me" Monologue --- who knew?! And the "Overdone" monologues --- good pointer indeed!
I have a couple of "reference" books - I like to call them that - to help and remind me some things concerning my career aspirations. So, I think I can add this one to the list. Someday, I am going to write a list of those reference books in a blog....or at least books that I found really helpful and uplifting...or stuff that I just simply enjoyed reading. I'm still reading Karen's book, but I'm close to finishing it. Hopefully this way, I can choose a monologue more easily and carefully, but for me, personally, I kind of rather pick something coming from a play rather than a monologue book. Monologues from plays give you more, I think.
On a quick side note: I also purchased a book of a small collection of plays by Young Jean Lee, who was recommended to me from someone on the TAE group boards. So, I'm looking forward to reading some of her work!
Last Sunday, I was in Manhattan seeing a showcase at the Player's Theatre. Every couple of months in a year, they have the Shortened Attention Span Festival, and usually my acting coach writes and directs a one-act featuring some of his students. So, Sunday, I was there, and it was awesome seeing him and a few of my friends again! And I really, really, really got a kick out of Ivan and Natalie - both very talented actors and wonderful people - calling me "CHO"! *lol* Awesomeness! :) Next time an event like this happens again, I'll have to post it on here, because they are great! The only thing I regret from that day was not bundling up to help me stay warm enough from the ice-cold winds. Like I've said before, I get cold easily!
And on a final note - here's a little story:
Yesterday, I'm walking down 5th near 23rd, and as I'm walking down the street, I noticed this one guy with a camera and a long lens attached to it, and of course, I knew the guy was a member of the paparazzi! Celebrity near by. Well, out of curiousity, I look over my shoulder and I see BRET MICHAELS from Poison and VH1's "Rock of Love" behind me. A good number of my girlfriends are big fans of Bret, Poison, and his show on VH1, so I took a quick picture of Bret with my Blackberry. He was really cool, chatting up with one of his fans, very down to Earth, and HOT in person!
I am not sure what he was doing in New York, because when you think of Bret Michaels or Poison, you think of Los Angeles, because of the Sunset Strip and the 1980's. However, he was doing something, because he was in a bit of a hurry, because he had a cameraman with him. I guess, maybe, he was doing another show, but it was really cool! As a matter of fact, here's the picture I took of Bret that day that I sent out through text message and kind of made me the envy of all of my close girlfriends down in Jersey. XD:
Pretty cool, huh? :)
Well, I should go now, because I really want to get back to my reading! And to tell you the truth, the only real reason why I left the city a bit earlier than I usually do is because I just wanted to sit and read my new book! Told you this was gonna be cool! :)
That's enough candy for now!
Cristina xo
http://www.cristinacho.net/
MUSIC: "You Take My Breath Away" by Sarah Brightman
TIME: 11:30 PM
[Read Part One of this blog]
Along the lines of monologue researching and other things, I've been doing some research on legendary film actress, Anna May Wong, who is the first Chinese-American international star. She is also the first Asian-American woman to star in a major motion picture in Hollywood as well. She has become my personal "ray of hope" as an Asian-American girl and an actor of ethnicity. Along with my research on Anna May Wong, I was able to even get a little itty-bitty history lesson of Asians in America, most notably Chinese-American more than Korean-American (which I am, incase you didn't know), but still - it's a glimpse into the darker past. And on a much lighter note, I also got a little itty-bitty history lesson on the film industry in Hollywood.
Well, one of the things I did mention in PART ONE was my curiousity to how a woman of ethnicity became a film star during the roaring 20's, during early Hollywood. Keep in mind, cultural acceptance in Hollywood or anywhere to be exact wasn't so great. Back then, if a role in a film called for an Asian, the role was often NOT given to an Asian actor. It was often given to a Caucasian actor or actress, and he or she would be heavily made up to look like an Asian person.
I'm not going to post an entire biography on Anna May Wong on here, because my research on this daring woman continues, first of all, and second of all, there's a lot to be said about her. However, I was able to read a pretty good detailed quickie bio on her IMDB page. And - of course - there is always Wikipedia. I encourage you to read about her, because I find her to be amazing, not because she is Asian-American, although I will confess, that is what did draw me to her in the beginning, but because of her courage, her ambition, and determination.
I admire her for opening that door for many Asian women today who are in our industry and the many of us who want to be apart of this industry. Unfortunately, Anna May Wong fought against racism in American and in Hollywood, was typecasted as the "sinister villianess", because that's kind of how Asians were portrayed back then, and even more heartbreaking, she was shamed by her own people, because of the roles she had no choice, but to acccept. They didn't blame Hollywood's outlook on Asia America during that era - they blamed HER! And to think that you cannot win with both the industry that you love and your own people - that must've been painful for her. Apparently, it was (read the bios I told you about).
Anna May Wong has gotten more recognition and more respect decades after her passing, which is great! And for this Korean-American girl from Brick, New Jersey, who is typing this blog and wants to be an actor herself, this woman has become an inspiration for me! And my God - if I do become successful in this field (well, let's be honest, I can't promise myself anything really except for try), I will forever thank this woman for opening that door. There are a good number of Asian actors out there, but I think we haven't had our chance yet to let our voices be heard yet, although it has been changing a little lately to Lucy Lui, Lindsay Price, Sandra Oh, etc. So, only time can tell!
For more information about Anna May Wong, you can also check out:
1. USAsian.net's page about Anna May Wong
2. The official website to YELLOW FROSTED WINDOWS, which is a documentary about Anna May Wong, narrated by the lovely Nancy Kwan.
3. This episode of Sexy Beijing on YouTube.com - Discovering Anna May Wong
4. And here is a 1:14 clip from the movie, "Shanghai Express", the film she co-starred with Marlene Dietrich from YouTube.com :) - pretty cool, huh?
That's enough candy for now!
Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/
MUSIC: "Rescue Me (Dumonde Remix)" by Every Little Thing
TIME: 10:40 PM
I just got home, and I hate to say it, but.....I believe flip-flop season is OVER! And I'm only saying that, because I spotted quite a few people in Manhattan walking around in flip-flops still! Either these people - unlike me - don't get cold easily or they can't accept the fact that summer is over! JUST KIDDING! Whatever floats your boat when it comes to footwear! XD
Well, today was a fun day! I got to see my business coach today, which is great, because I had a truck-load of questions for her. I mainly asked her about the audition process and auditioning etiquette. Reason why I brought up etiquette is because it's been a while since I've last auditioned for anything. The last time I auditioned was for an indie film in mid-town Manhattan. The role was this heartbroken Korean lady who could barely speak English and if I remember....wanted to get her husband back or something like that. I can't remember...it was a long time ago! This was before I started going to New York on a regular daily basis, though. Of course, I didn't land the part. I really had not a clue of what I was doing, but that's okay. You learn by doing, don'tcha?
And now that my headshots are printed out, the thing is I can't sit on them, so to get myself prepared to really "put myself out there" now, I wanted to see how I can prepare myself as far as looking professional.....or what I am doing. People say so many different things when it comes to auditioning. I was once told that going in "dressed-up" like the character is a no-no, while others say they can take it or leave it. I was told once that it's "not always about getting the part, but to learn the auditioning craft". I was even told once by somone that that it's "impressive" if you have all of your lines memorized quickly if you're doing a cold reading. *shrugs* Well, that I'm not sure about really......but I guess everyone is different. But one thing I do need to do some heavy researching on is MONOLOGUES! Monologues that hit close to characters that I am interested in playing and match my headshots a little here and there. They are mainly essential for theatre auditions as oppose to film and television auditions I was told, because when you're doing film or television, you basically are going by the scenes. In theatre, it is, I guess, how closely similar you can be to the character in the play. Like a nudge.
Monologues....as far as that goes....I'm not greatly comfortable with them, either, because when you do a monologue, you are in the spot! I'm a pretty shy person and I am not the type of girl who craves to be center of attention, so I'm not all that wonderful when delivering a monologue. With that being said, I think the time is coming close: I might have to give my acting coach a ring soon!
Before I do that, though, I have to look-up some that I can really sink my teeth into (if you got any suggestions - please feel free to email me them at cristinacho7881@gmail.com - seriously)! It's not really hard to find well-written pieces these days, which is great, but it's just finding that piece! It's kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack, because there is just so many! It's like the "Where's Waldo?" books from when I was a kid - hard to find, but somewhere out there, in the big crowd, where all the action is from corner to corner, it's there! But one thing I do enjoy doing very much is reading, so I'm pretty open to almost anything! Hey, if reading is gonna keep my brain active for the next fifty years, what's there NOT to enjoy about it?! :)
This is gonna be cool! And for the record, me being a shy person or the type of girl who don't crave to be center of attention is not a good enough excuse for me NOT to do it! I've been told by others that I need to get out of my shell....well, now I guess I'm gonna have to tell myself to get out of it along with the others who are telling me to do it. And to be quite frank, I think I am the only person who can really bring myself out of that shell. *knock knock* I go by this saying by Hillel the Elder:
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?"
Cristina Cho is definately a work in progress, and MARONE!!!!....I have to admitt, I am enjoying it! I am feeling GREAT (and hungry - I wish I had a bagel)!
That's enough candy (and bagels) for now! :P
Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/
MUSIC: "I'm Nin'Alu" by Ofra Haza
TIME: 4:59 PM
The responses I have been recieving for my website have been really great! It's nice to get some feedback from friends, a few industry folks, people who you haven't spoken to in a long time, and others who just know you through Facebook and whatnot. I'm glad my site is enjoyable by far, because I worked hard on it. And I was happy to see that my coaches liked it, too! I kind of hope it's not just the layout people are looking at, but also the content as well. But I think people are also checking that out as well. So, if they're reading this: THANK YOU, AGAIN!!!! *claps*
Back in August, I was taking a break from a lot of things having to do with my New York life, mainly took time to be with my close friends down in Jersey, participated in my best friend's wedding as a bride's maid back in August (THAT was fun), and now that I'm back in the groove of it a little, that brings me back to brainstorming. Prior to that, I was searching for the perfect headshot photographer, going over with my business coach of how to market myself, and trying to come out how I want to do my website. Now that's been accomplished so far (okay, maybe not so much the marketing part just yet -- still working on that, yes), I'm asking myself, "Now what do I do?"
Well.....
I'm also a writer, so I'm contemplating on self-publishing my free-verse poetic pieces in an e-book. I'm not sure if people really dig reading poetry, but my work - as usual - is anything, but cookie-cutter. That's what I enjoy about free-verse poetry - there's no chains attached to your creativity or even your voice as far as how things should be written, said, or done. It's not like I write about pretty rainbows or lovely flowers or anything like that. It would be nice to be able to do that, but it's definately something I DO NEED to do more research on. I have dreamt about having my writings published since I was in high school, but it's not something I really did follow-up on, nor really asked much advice about. However, along with getting my feet wet again in acting, it's something I do look forward to! We'll see how that goes. It might take a couple of months for that to get off the ground, but it will when the timing is right.
Another thing: My business coach has taken a look at my graphics and she passed an idea to me that I should put my work in good use to help other actors with their websites. Not building layouts or anything, but to do banners and logos like I did with mine. I like the idea A LOT, but I told her to let me get the website up and my headshots printed and all, then we'll talk. So, I think we'll be talking about that real soon. I wonder, though, do actors NEED link-back logos? Even when I was creating mine, I was wondering if they were even useful, but I did them, because it's something that most webmasters do create for other websites. Actors usually DON'T link to each other's websites. Mine isn't linked to another NYC actor's website, but hey -- the logos work for me on here and in other spots.
Quite frankly, there is a lot to look forward to! And I think the point to this blog is to express my excitement, but also my fear, too, because everything is so new to me. Some people say "fake it 'til you make it", but I really don't believe in that...nor do I like that expression one bit. I don't believe any new or seasoned actor from any city should "fake" anything, because one thing I was told by a friend of mine out in LA, who is a seasoned actor herself, is that you won't learn everything. That it's okay to come into the business not knowing nothing. It's one thing to be confident in your decisions and to take risks without hesitation or anything, but to pretend that you are a know-it-all, that you don't have an ounce of fear in your heart, that's not cool. I think my thing is that I just don't let anything stop me from going after my dreams. All I've been doing all this time is giving my itty-bitty ounce of courage a try (like I've said in my Personal Bio on my ABOUT ME (BIO) page) just to see what the aftermath will be......and to be honest with you, that is the EASY part in my new career!
I get a strange rush of adrenaline when I go after my goals or if I look into them to see how to make them come a reality. I get this feeling that I can do anything! I really do! Even when I did put up my website, I sat back and I told myself, "You see....there you go! Easy!" And the more I do brainstorm, the more joy I feel, but also fear. It's a good fear, though, so no worries there! :)
Keep smiling! That's enough candy for now!
Cristina
http://www.cristinacho.net/
MUSIC: "Next Level" by Ayumi Hamasaki
TIME: 12:10 AM
Just got off the phone with my friend, so sorry for the late blog post! :)
Well, I've officially opened my website, and to tell you the truth, I'm pretty excited and extremely relieved that is is opened! I'm hoping people will like it, but at the same time, see me for me. The way I do things when it comes to visual art...well, let's just say I never do things simple. I never keep it easy. Easy is boring. Complex is more fun!
And even funnier, I actually am found on GOOGLE! I'm serious - you can GOOGLE me! *lol*
What's there for me to say today?
I should mind you that my headshots with Matthew Sussman aren't up yet, because we just got the final two touched up last Saturday. We got them done @ City Repro in New York City by Alex, who was really cool and very nice. I have to admitt, I was kind of unsure by the results of the touch-ups, because I thought I looked like I came out from getting plastic surgery. However, I took a second look at them, and then I thought they looked great after all! I'm just not used to seeing myself photographed professionally, for one, and second, I'm still learning about things. Plus, I trust both Matthew and Alex with this more than I probably trust my own judgement. *lol*
So, I'm looking forward to posting them, and even better, I'm looking forward to actually HAVING them in my hands so I can get my butt in serious gear. But to also showcase Matthew's work, because he is great....and I still thank Alan for recommending him to me! :) Not only that, also, but it's always looking for that next step in this career of mine. Call me naive, but I'm uber excited about a lot of things! Then again, maybe it's not "naive"...maybe it's being positive. It's as if you're in Wonderland, though. There's always something new. At times you feel tall. At times you feel small. But somehow, you always find joy in everything that is placed in front of you. And that joy you feel....I cannot describe it in words, but it's mad-cool! It's a mad-cool feeling!
I'd love to keep this blog entry longer, but I have to be up early. I will be in the city all day and all night tomorrow, so I've got a long day ahead of me! I'm glad the weather is becoming cooler, too! As much as I love the easy summer breeze, after a while, you get that urge and that desire to feel the change of the weather. The crisp autumn air. Gaze upon the changing of the leaves. By the way, can you believe Halloween is almost here already?!
PS: I really want to go visit Washington D.C. again soon! Love that place! :)
That's enough candy for now. COME SEE ME @ CristinaCho.net - enjoy your stay!
XO,
CRISTINA
http://www.cristinacho.net/
