There's Hope For Me Yet...

This morning I attended my first ever ACTRA conference...well, I attended half of it. I got up bright and early and made my way to the U of T campus to enjoy a "complementary breakfast" offered to me by the association that I pay a LOT of dues to. Fruit. Coffee. Tea. TONS of muffins and cakes...Not too bad, I guess. Then I made my way to my first session: "Making Choices" with casting director, Gail Carr. Now - this session was a "Master Class"...which meant there was an early regisration process where 10 actors were selected to act as "guinea pigs" during the class. I was one of them and ended up having to do a scene from Zoe Buseck. Fun times. The scene went well. Comments were made by all - OH how actors LOVE to talk, talk, talk, talk....In the end though, I have to say that Gail Carr was fantastic! What a positive woman - who loves her job and really digs actors and wants to see us all do well. This was a great thing to learn/ be reminded of. The person on the other side of the table is NOT the enemy. I know this from having sat on the other side of the table myself a few times. When an actor comes through the door - damn it, you want them the be their best! It's was nice to hear a casting director say the same thing....

I was signed up to attend a session in the afternoon about actors and TAXES: what you can legally write off ( a good class for me to take considering that Bruce and I went to the BIGGEST SCHIESTER of an accountant last year...Oh, I'm just waiting for the shit to hit the audit fan (please god, don't let it happen, please...))...but it all seemed a little too much like school to me - so I SKIPPED! Ah! What a GREAT feeling! I always LOVED skipping in high school and University...and always got away with it too. ( I had 49 unexcused absences in ONE semester in grade 11 and it was NEVER mentioned to me. Bad ass kids were getting expelled for far less than I! I was in tight with the teachers though and able to charm my way through the education system...)

So - did I skip to go smoke, or hook up with my boyfriend, or get home early and catch my favorite soap? NOPE! I skipped and went to the Whole Food Market to do a little organic shopping. THAT's how I know I'm not a teenager anymore. (Yes - ok, there are other things that indicate I'm not longer a teen...but I will say that last week while buying a ticket at Greyhound I got asked "student, or adult?" Yeah!!!) After about two hours of wandering around in a whole food bliss, I packed my canvas shopping bags and headed out to Bloor to catch a cab....

After a few short minutes I was picked up by "Luka", a Russian cab driver who looked to be in his 60s. Luka wasted NO time in striking up a conversation with me. It went something like this: (please image a heavy Russian accent for Luka's lines)

Luka: You look to have an excellent physical body. I love to exercise too.
Me: What do you mean?
Luka: You are tall...and strong looking - but your shoulders are not too big. Everything is in the right proportion.
Me:(laughing) Oh! Well, uh, thanks.
Luka: Me - I go to the Y four, maybe six times a week. I run. I swim. Oh - I wish I had started 40 years ago. But - if you love your self...then you go. You go to the gym. What kind of exercise you do?
Me: I walk a lot and do some yoga
Luka: Ah - yoga is so good for flexibility...and posture. You, you have very good posture. What do you do for your job?
Me: I'm an actor.
Luka: Ah! I think you should be a good actor.
Me: Why's that?
Luka: You are very normal looking.
Me: I'm "normal" looking?
Luka: Yes. One time I had this lady actor from that show...Street Legal. What is her name? Sonja?
Me: Sonja Smitts?
Luka: That's her. She's not so nice looking. Not normal at all. You - you have the best of both. This good body and so normal at the same time. One other lady from Street Legal - she look so sexy on the show...then I see her, and in person, NO - not sexy at all.
Me: Well...this is where I'm getting out.
Luka: Ok! Well, you join the Y and I will see you there!

From Luka's mouth to God's ears! I'm normal and fit looking....And you know, this afternoon before I went shopping...I went into TWO different gyms on Yonge Street to take a tour and find out about joining 'cause I haven't been feeling fit lately...From God's mind to Luka's mouth maybe?

There's hope for me yet.....

;-)