It's unsettling be unsettled

Things are not always what they seem.  New York is amazing...if you're visiting.  If you're living here...now that's a different story.  Don't get me wrong, it's still amazing even though I live here but it just comes with a lot of challenges, a lot of change, a lot of heart ache and uncertainty and a lot of choices to make.  So after I got back from my wonderful, fabulous Texas visit I am at a crossroads.  I am juggling 3 jobs, trying to make the right choices about doing temp work when they call or sticking to my random schedule at Anthropologie.  Also, I was hit with the fact that I won't be teaching the Our Gang class for CYT in Jersey on Monday nights, instead, I will now be the assistant in one of the classes.  That means less money and being stuck in survival mode.  I go through all the coulda, shoulda, woulda's in this situation like, I should have saved more money, or I could've waited to take that meisner class or I should've looked for a real teaching job that way I would have steady income.  But, it is what it is and that's the life of an artist I'm told.  So I take the good with the bad and know that somehow it's gonna work out.

I am trying not to be a Debbie Downer but with the day I'm having...a very emotional one...that's how it's gonna be. So I'm going to be very candid right now and allow myself to have a point of veiw.....I HATE CHANGE!!!  I HATE IT! I hate the fact that Rebecca and I have gone through another third roommate ditching us as soon as we found the perfect place and now we are looking for two bedrooms that we can't afford b/c there are none in our price range.  I also, am freaking out because Rebecca is freaking out.  She has to be out of her sublet by next Friday!  That means we have to find a place TOMORROW!!!!  However, she's already called me stubborn because I don't want a third roommate or want to look into one bedrooms...but she's right, I am stubborn and not willing to give on the things that I need in order for my apartment to be a home.  I want to be able to have people over, I want visitors from out of town to be able to stay...and by all means... I need, yes, need my own space!    I say all that to make the point that just because our deadline is tomorrow I'm still not willing to give just because she has a deadline.  If i don't feel comfortable with the place or it doesn't feel right I'm okay letting her know that.  But hopefully, it will be okay and we will find the right place tomorrow.
 I also hate the fact that I love where I am living right now and I feel like I've just become comfortable with my roomies. Cheryl and I had a lovely chat this morning and she said to me "oh I wish you could stay..."  So, after that I had a realization that OMG!!! I'm going to have to be reaccquainted with a new place, a new roommate a new area and I hate it!!!! I hate it, I hate it!!! I'll be over it in a few days but today I hate it!  I'm gonna miss walking down the street to Broadway and popping into the cute wine store for a quick tasting.   I'm gonna miss late nights watching Jimmy Fallon with the roomies and I'm gonna miss the little old man four houses down greeting me with a New York "Hi, how ahh ya!" every time I walk by.  He's always sitting outside on his front porch, smoking a cigar and I love it.  I'm going to miss how close I am to the city, my friend Megan, from Hillsong who lives down the street.  I'm gonna miss walking ten minutes to my voice lesson because my voice teacher is down the road and I am going to miss my roommates.   I really have made this place my home for the past three months and I don't have an option to stay. I have to go and of course, I want to live in the city I just didn't think i would like Astoria as much as I do.  I'm just rambling but its been an emotional day.  I do have to say that I am so thankful Jeff offered me his room while he was gone, and I'm so thankful that being here in this apartment with my two roommates made the transition from Texas to New York a nice one.  I  hope the transition into Manhattan will be just as easy and living with Rebecca who is 10 years younger than me will be okay.

Even though I'm comfortable here it's clear I'm still a little unsettled.  I'm still in transition and that really is unsettling to me.  I am having a hard time facing the fact that I will be living paycheck to paycheck working two jobs I don't really want to work and just praying that I am able to pay rent and buy groceries because this skinny girl has to eat. So that's where I am and what I'm facing in these moments right now and I didn't feel like sugar coating any of it.  I'm gonna close my eyes so this day is over and the new day can begin when I wake up. It's gonna be a great one because I am reminded of Lamentations 3:22-23... Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  

Love an unsettled girl,
Miss Gulley in Manhattan

A Series of Short Stories

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

This is the best news ever!  I am the Music Director of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown with a new youth theatre that is just starting this fall called Christian Youth Theatre.  I feel so blessed and  privileged to be a part of the very first production team!  I remember sitting at home in San Antonio researching children's theatre in NYC and Christian Youth Theatre came up so I clicked on it, got some info, saw that the very first production would be Charlie Brown, bookmarked the page and put it in my memory for future reference.  I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this theatre!  As soon as I got to NYC and my portfolio was finally finished I turned in my cover letter, resume and portfolio to the director via email.  I didn't get a response so I called just to make sure that it was received.  The director and I had an interesting conversation because I asked if they were looking for teaching artists and she said "no not right now b/c we are just starting up and we have all the people we need for now.  But go ahead and turn in your resume and maybe check back in the Spring."  I replied with "Well, I already turned in all that stuff to you but was really just doing a follow up call."  She said "Oh my goodness I know the exact day that came in and I was so busy I didn't get a good look at it."  She continued with "Thank you for your interest, if I think of anything I'll let you know."  So, of course I was a little disappointed but at least I had an answer.  Well, the next thing I know there is an email in my inbox asking me if I would be interested in volunteering and of course the answer was yes because any way to get my foot in the door was enough for me.  CYT was holding a volunteer dinner on August 3rd and I was so excited just to go see what it was all about.  I never expected anything more than that.  I enjoyed the dinner very much, met some very nice people and got to talk with Corrie the owner/director.  She sat down with me and said something like I know you turned in  your resume but tell me what you did in Texas.  So I told her I taught elementary music for 9 years and loved every minute and told her that I would love to work in a children's theatre b/c that is one of my passions to watch children create.  She immediately said "Oh my goodness!  Would you be interested in music directing our show?"  Without hesitation I said of course!  But then proceeded to tell her that I would be signing up for a class that would meet on Monday's and Wednesday's for a whole year.  Okay so long story short...I made some great connections at this volunteer dinner, I was in the running for the music director and I was so excited.  Thankfully my class ended up changing to Tuesdays and Thursdays instead and when I found that out I immediately emailed Corrie and  asked if she had found a music director yet and that my class had changed.  She responded with an email that said good to know let's meet on August 22nd to discuss being the music director.  Oh my goodness I was so excited!  This came at the time I needed it most because I was literally having a pity party that week because I didn't have a job and was stressing out to the max!  So, on Wednesday I met with Corrie and we had a nice long chat and she told me it sounded like I would be nice fit but nothing official until she had a chance to talk to the others and then I would receive an email offering me the position.  I left our meeting floating on cloud 9.  I had so many people praying for me that day and words cannot describe how excited and blessed I am!  I was also amazed because seriously?  Charlie Brown?  That's what Cindy and I chose for the Encino Park musical so, not only is it a privilege to be on the first production team of CYT in NYC, I still get to work with one of my BFF's long distance on Charlie Brown!  This is definitely not a coincidence but the hand of God.  Okay so my official position is Music Director of Charlie Brown and teacher of Our Gang (6-7 year olds) in New Jersey every Monday night.  Classes begin September 24th and Auditions for Charlie Brown are at the beginning of October.

CYT production teach

St. Clements, the Off-Broadway Theatre

The House

Dressing Rooms

Light from the windows shining on the stage...
This theatre has such character.

THE STAGE!!! Where the magic happens :)

"Classes after Meisner"

As we all know I had a love/hate relationship with my Meisner class but once it was finished I was a little empty inside so I signed up for a monologue class and an audition class.   Of course, I'm always nervous to go to these classes because I really have no idea what to expect.  My monologue class was a week after my last Meisner class.  I signed up because I don't have any monologues.  I never have and I knew I needed some.  I was sold because the ad on playbill.com said that the teacher specializes in finding material specifically for you.  I was really hoping that was true because I have searched for monologues before and they can be tricky.  The ones I have looked at are always too young or super vulgar and I can't do either of those.  So, I had high hopes going into the class and I left with two great monologues picked specifically for me and my personality as well as 3 others that I loved.  Success!!!
Because I hate auditions, I thought this audition class would be awesome and give me some really great pointers on how to tackle them.  Well, not so much...turns out it was basically an audition to be in her vocal studio.  I'm so glad it was a free class.  The class consisted of 12 students and we each got up to sing a song or two if you had two.  It was like a vocal coaching with each student because she would work on one of the songs in detail with each person.  However, when it got to me I sang Warm All Over from the Most Happy Fella, because I know that one and love it.  All the other stuff I have is new and I have never sung it with the piano before. After I sang she didn't even give me pointers she asked " Why did you sing that song?"  I said "Well, I know it and like it."   Then proceeded to tell me she could tell I was classically trained, I have a beautiful voice but I need to be singing stuff that is older.....OMG!!! My heart broke a little because I knew this would have to happen one day...but she basically told me I can no longer play the lovely ingenue :(  I'm now a young mom type!! GRRRRRR  Not what a person who has age issues wants to hear.  So, I did not get any audition pointers and I was told that I was going through a role change.  I guess I needed to hear that so I can hone in on the type of stuff I  should really be singing.  Thank goodness there are still great roles for women in their early thirties!  I mean there are great roles at any age but you know, the dream roles are the young ones.  Oh well, honesty is always the best and I always appreciate it.  Even though I left that class a little defeated I did enjoy hearing her work with the other people and loved the pointers she gave to them.

"First audition of the season...or let's say coulda, shoulda, woulda"

Okay this story is a bit on the ridiculous side but honestly it's not surprising to me that I would do this!  On Friday, August 24th I had planned to go to an OPEN CALL for the Sound of Music.  Okay, Open calls do not happen very often especially for the Paper Mill Playhouse in Jersey!  So, I was determined to go.  The night before I researched what to wear because I just have no clue.  When I went to auditions last summer the attire was all over the place, some wore jeans, some wore dresses, some wore whatever.  So, I carefully planned my outfit because I was having lunch with my friend Jonathan at noon and then going straight to the audition.  I chose to wear a pair of black jeans and a really cute, teal, ruffled top.  Totally me!  It was cute and I was comfy in it.  Well, all my plans went out the window when I walked into the studio and saw hundreds of girls wearing fancy dresses, bright red lipstick and blush that would make any one say WHOA!!!  I totally freaked out and left as soon as possible!  There was no way I was going to audition in what I had on because I would be thinking the whole time, "oh lordy, I'm not dressed right" and that would throw everything else off!  I already don't do well at auditions so I just couldn't do it.  I did have a brilliant idea to go shopping really quick and buy a dress and shoes and then return it after I auditioned.  So, I did go shopping and did try to find a dress and shoes.  Alas, nothing fit and everything was over $100.00.  When I realized that plan wasn't going to work I found an empty chair in front of  The Loft in Times Square and gave myself a little pep talk that went something like this "Crystal, you can do this.  You cannot miss an open call because it's for the SOUND OF MUSIC!!! It doesn't matter what you're wearing.  You know the song, you know the music, you got this....get up and go...now!!"  Okay, so that was my train of thought as I sat in that chair for a good 15 minutes.  I finally got up and decided to go back to see if the auditions were still going.  Well, there were still very made up girls standing outside the door waiting to sing but the list was closed so I could not audition.  Honestly, I was a bit relieved but I missed out because of my stupid freak out!  I have got to get over my fear of auditions.  I am hoping now that I got that ridiculousness out of the way I will be able to go into the next one with confidence and the right attire.  LOL

A "Magic" Monday

Monday, August 26th, 2012 was an amazing day.  Because of a connection I made at the CYT volunteer dinner on August 3rd I had an interview Robert Half International, a staffing agency.  The interview was at 9:00AM and by then end I had a job doing temp work.  Literally 30 minutes later I got a call from my favorite store in Rockefeller Center..Anthro!  I went in the week before for open interviews and I was just hired as a part time sales associate!  Amazing!  I now have, not one, but 3 jobs.  How I'm going to balance all of them I do not know but I am so thankful the Lord provided abundantly.  I will still be making barely enough but that's the life here so I will manage.  I'm thankful for every penny :) and so thankful I will be starting these while I still have some cushion from NEISD.  Later that afternoon I met up with Corrie and the rest of the production team to view the Off-Broadway theatre where the kids in Charlie Brown will be performing.  It is a small Episcopal church in Hell's Kitchen with so much character.  St. Clements is the name and the congregation uses the stage as the pulpit and the theatre seating as pews.  I love it!  While we were in the theatre/church we had our first production meeting and talked about the show, how we were going to utilize entrances and exits, you know, the logistics and then I realized...I will probably be conducting the three piece band in the corner during the show and I had another little freak out because I've never done that before!  I got a little nervous too because everyone thinks I'm the music director because I play the piano.  I had to correct that because I DO NOT play the piano. After taking piano for 10 years I really do wish I that was a skill I  possessed.  Thankfully, I do know enough to plunk out parts and teach kids the music.  The rest I will be learning how to do as I go.  I'm definitely being stretched musically and I'm not complaining at all.  Once we had our little meeting  I met up with Elizabeth for a reading of W.C. Chester's "Magic."  I got to the theatre a little early so Elizabeth and I could catch up and I just have to say that she is a gift from heaven and I love that girl and our friendship already. I have to be honest, the play reading was very interesting.  I don't know if I liked it or not.  It was just a little dry and needed a whole lot more development.  That's what readings are for but I liked that the point of the reading and the series of readings to follow, are  to get more wholesome plays on stage in NYC.  That's always something I stand behind.

To sum everything up I have been busy, provided for abundantly, blessed beyond measure and so thankful for the Lord's hand in all of this.  I am excited about the things to come and can't wait to see what happens next!

Love,
Miss Gulley in  Manhattan