Lydia's Journey BEYOND Hollywood

The cast of MGM We ran the show at 3pm for our last "dress rehearsal" and I didn't feel nervous...yet, I messed up on so many of my lines! We had maybe 5 people in the audience, and I couldn't believe how stumped I was on some parts! So after I beat myself up about that my entire dinner break, I studied my lines again, over and over, to make sure I won't make the same mistakes during the actual show! I even had some friends who surpised me and showed up for the performance! (Thanks!) The show went so smoothly and I didn't mess up ANY of my lines! YAY! That was probably the first time in the FIVE weeks of rehearsals that everything went perfectly! And what a perfect time for it to go right - our one and only shot! I had an audition today to be the host of a PBS PreSchool show. It was so much fun! I basically had to go in there and do what I do everyday when I teach little ones. I was energetic and animated - and it actually went extremely well! So we...

Today is it. We have one shot at this play! One performance. Oh the stress! We have been rehearsing for 5 weeks - for this ONE day! I feel kind of cheated. We put in so much work, and we only have one performance. Doesn't sound right, does it? Well, we are running it at 3pm, for an audience as our "invited dress rehearsal" for anyone who can't make it at 8pm. Wish me broken legs! Not literally, of course! ;)

The producers and director of The Virgin of Akron Ohio. Jordan, the writer of the pilot I shot in Vancouver this February, called me today to give me the bad news. The pilot did not get picked up. :( I'm actually really shocked because I just assumed it would. The pilot was so well done, and I figured it was perfect for Lifetime! But they have someone new heading Lifetime now, so maybe the show wasn't in sync with their new vision. Who knows. Jordan was really upset about it, and understandably so, it was his baby. What does it mean for me? Well, since I was just a guest star (no such thing as JUST a guest star! But you know what I mean...), it just means my one and only episode will not air. They could have decided to write me in more and make me a constant character on it eventually, but at this point, I was just in that first episode. But the positive side (and there is always a positive side!) Jordan, THE WRITER, called me personally to tell me the news! That ...

Got a call yesterday to audition for a TV movie and I turned it down It was another maid role. It's time to take a stand. Even if it means I may be working less.

We open next Tuesday. In fact, we close next Tuesday. We have ONE performance of the play My Visits with MGM at UCLA. It's free admission, you would just have to pay for parking. Come check it out! Man, I have been doing plays for about the past 20 years! (Yikes, I'm old) and I have never rehearsed so much for a play that will have ONE performance! We have been in rehearsals 5-6 days a week for 3-4 hours each day. I have not had time to sleep lately! I work all day and head straight over to UCLA for rehearsals, then I get home around 11pm...and by the time I get to bed - it's already time to wake up! Ok, not that quick - but you get the picture! I'm exhausted...and I have to admit - it's not helping with this whole "burn out" thing I'm experiencing. The only thing getting me through this whole ordeal, is knowing my birthday is coming up (this Sunday - in case you didn't know) :) and I will be going to a spa resort in Mexico with some gi...

I have to admit, this has been a pretty good year for me. Even though lately I have been feeling a little burned out to thepoint where I just want to move and do something else - ANYTHING else! But yesterday, after going to my 3rd audition for the Nickelodeon pilot Star and Stella Save the World, I started to reflect on all the amazing things I got to experience this year. Let's start with this callback for "Network" yesterday. I have never been this far in the audition process for such a large role on a new show! I showed up to the executive offices in Santa Monica and I saw all the same actors who auditioned on Friday. Apparently yesterday's audition was about pairing up husbands and wives to see who matched with the daughter, the lead of the show (Stella). I went in with my 1st husband and did the scene as a family for the executives. There was no reaction from the room, which was a little nerve racking since they laughed at every line on Friday! But I'...

My mom with my godson Aaron on Christmas 2005. I went to mass today and the priest was talking about Mothers and how they shape us into who we are today. When I think back to all the times my mom has been there for me, and given me endless love and understanding, I realize I am the luckiest person in the world! Happy Mother's Day mom - I'll see you soon! :)

I have a callback for that Nickelodeon pilot called "Star and Stella Save the World". This is the one where I play the mom to Stella - the preteen! It's a guest star, possible recurring....all good things of course! :) The preread went well and my callback is tomorrow at 1:30pm. And they want us off book (memorized)! I think I'm pretty perfect for the role - we'll see what they think.... :)

I forgot to post this yesterday, to give you more of a heads up, but I will be on Medium tonight on NBC at 10pm. You won't be able to miss me - the one who screams! You can actually see me for a brief second on the preview for tonight's episode if you go to: http://www.nbc.com/Medium/ I also have an audition today for a pilot on Nickelodeon. It's a Guest Star/possible recurring role, the mother to one of the kids who is a title character. Man, has it come to this? I'm "Mom" now - damn I'm getting old! hahaha I usually play moms to little kids - 5 or 6 years old - but this one sounds a bit older than that. We'll see. As long as she is not a teen - I'm too young for that!!!!! RIGHT??? Hopefully.... :)

Saw Wicked tonight! I have lived here for 6 years and I had never seen a show at the famous Pantages Theater - until now! It was amazing! The singing, the characters, the set, the lighting, the costumes - EVERYTHING! It humbles you as an actor to see such amazing performances! Makes you feel like THOSE are the people who should be onstage and you're not worthy to be in the same field! Great work! :)

1st pic: my nametag for Medium, 2nd pic: with director Aaron Lipstadt, 3rd pic: the dead body I found in the room Well, I forgot my camera last time, so when they called me for reshoots today, I made sure I brought it! No, they didn't forget to put film in the camera! They were checking out the footage from last Friday and the producers didn't feel mlike the dead body looked real enough. They used an actual dummy and tried to make her look real, but it didn't work out so well...so this time they hired an actress to play the decapitated corpse. The green mask will disappear with the green screen and she will look headless. It looked pretty creepy up close. Everyone was really nice, as usual. I don't think I have ever had a bad experience on a set. Shoot, when you're employed - you find it pretty easy to smile! :) Looks like this will air THIS COMING WEDNESDAY at 10pm! wow! That's the fastest turn around I have ever seen! My episode is titled "Heads Will R...

If I had a nickle for everytime I was asked that in an audition! I had a last minute call for a feature film called The Woody . I went in for the maid/nanny. It was a two line role, and when I was about to go into the audition room, the casting director asked if I could do it with an accent. Of course.....I wouldn't expect NOT to by now! :P I went in and met the director and 3 producers and everyone seemed pretty nice. I did the scene and left. I have a national commercial audition for Southwest scheduled for tomorrow, BUT Medium called and they need me back. Apparently they forgot to put film in the camera.....? what? - Really? So YAY - I get another day of work! :) My calltime is 9:30am and I'm supposed to have rehearsal in the afternoon, so we'll see if I get out early enough to catch that. Oh by the way, rehearsals are going well for the play I'm doing, "My Visits with MGM". It's too bad that it will be a one night only event. All this reh...

I had an audition for the lead in a feature film and I turned it down. What?? Am I crazy??? Let me explain... I just got the email last night at around 7pm, and I didn't get home to see the sides until 10pm. I noticed that both audition scenes were in spanish, with a note saying they wanted Native Spanish speakers...sooooo....since I don't speak it fluently (I'm a really good faker) - I figured I wouldn't be able to do the part the way they wanted. Plus, I'm sure someone else would've fit the description more closely than myself: mother between 30-40 yrs old who ONLY speaks Spanish! So I walked away from this one. And it's ok... :) After 6 years of living in this town, immersed in this industry, you sometimes need a BREAK. So after I'm finished with this play at the end of this month, I'm flying to Texas for a bit. Not sure how long, but I'll be sure to relax and think nothing about Hollywood, or my career, or LA.... I think I reall...