Must Not Be Idle

I have been trying to get myself to update this for weeks. I was a PA and day player on a vertical film project. It was low budget, but I am told that I will be paid. For that time, I was living out of the Prius I borrowed from my mom. It was nice, especially when we worked long hours, because I could drive to the Planet Fitness closest to the next day's shoot location, then shower and whatever else to get ready for the next day. This helped me to be among the first on set, and also among the last to leave, and I therefore made a great impression with everyone involved.

Then one of the friends I had made through my podcast, in her worry over my safety with car camping, found some friends who had a guest room for me. They have been very kind and accommodating, and I have made sure to be quiet and try to help when I can with their pets (four rabbits and three cats). They are also major cinephiles, so I will sometimes watch things with them that I normally would not on my own. Their birthdays are both at the start of April, so from talking with them, it sounds as though watching their pets while they go to celebrate will be a way to repay them, as I already did the other day for their anniversary.

The same friend who got me that PA gig invited me to the premiere of a film that he had executive produced. So I helped usher people along for the red carpet aspect and made friends with a couple of the people interviewing the actors. One was a nursing student, so now she is listening to my podcast. I was so busy with making sure that the photos and interviews went smoothly that I missed the film itself, so I hung out in the lobby and met some folks who seemed kinda connected? One said that he was grabbing martinis with the head of MGM, another ran the social media for that night's film, and the other kept talking about auditions in the morning, so I assumed she was an actor. Eventually, they found out that I am a contortionist/medical doctor/actor, and the supposed actor turned out to be a casting associate for Rob Lowe's 911 spinoff show who now wanted to connect. It is nice when your social lifelines turn out to work in casting.

My favorite director to work with will be in town this weekend with his family. He is based in Houston now, but had previously been in LA, and will be here while his wife promotes her novel at a few events. So I told him that I would be free to help him as needed.

The day before that premiere, this past Tuesday, I got my first refill of antidepressants in the mail. The fluoxetine at the starting dose of 20 mg per day got my energy levels back to the baseline of the past few years, but then I doubled my dosage with the refill, and I think the difference is notable. I feel a little wired, kind of like how I am on caffeine except without the extra anxiety. I say that knowing that I had gotten coffee in recent past and was frustrated that it did not seem to be hitting. But now I feel that the meds and the caffeine are hitting in such a way that makes me feel like I'm in my early- to mid-twenties with regard to mood. You know, a time before the existential depression that comes with the burden of a doctorate level of medical knowledge could rest upon my cheery head.

I have a few directors to meet with, but I am about to have less going on, and if that trend continues, I need to start going to the open mic that my friend recommended I try. I do not want to be idle. And although I am wary of how my successful comedy friends are not getting acting roles due in part to their busyness, I also need to hone every skill in my toolbelt. Acting? Of course. Standup? Yes. Improv? Every week. Contortionist? Always. Medical doctor? Oh right, that too. And I have done enough stunts that I would really like to have proper stunt training, but I have not had that yet.

Just texted with a director buddy about a short comedy sketch idea, and she sounds game. This is the bright side to everyone being out of work!

Staying in LA

Aaaaand I am in LA. Been here for eight days. I got to meet some friends in real life and got paid to be an extra on set with some funny people. And I got to see friends perform sketch, standup, and improv. Then I attended a soiree mixer thing, and the host of that event asked me if I want to assist him in a film production. So now I am doing that, presumably working as a PA along with a small speaking role.

My original plan had been to alternate between staying in hostels and sleeping in my mom's car ((which I borrowed for the trip), but the car has been so pleasant that apart from the first night, I have continued staying there. I clean up and work out at a gym, then go on my way.

When I walked up to my old manager's office, which is also where we had taken acting classes, it was unfortunately closed. But I emailed him and received a call from him the same day, and I got to pitch myself. He was very friendly and, when he learned that I do comedy, he gave me a pilot to give notes on. As for potential work, he said that the work is "sh*t" and the pay is "sh*t", but we can keep in contact and see what it looks like in a month. So just like what I was told at 12 years old when asking God to speak to me, my manager said, "just wait, be patient."

Another comfort was that a member of my friend's sketch group works in sales for my favorite education resource in med school. What are the odds? When I told my slightly famous standup friend, she responded, "You were meant to be here!"

I adore it here. It is the ultimate vacation. Last night, it rained and I fell asleep to the sound of it pattering on the windows of the car. It was glorious. There is supposed to be a flash flood risk this weekend, so I need to park on hills. Fortunately, this city has a great many of those, along with mountains. I casually drove up one the other day to get my cardio in. Speaking of which, I am not doing enough cardio because wow, the incline kills me so fast. That and it is distanced from the gym, whereas I normally try to hit up both in a row.