1. Losing my job

2. website updates

3. rehearsals start soon

4. New headshots posted

5. Miscellany

OK, last Wednesday, I received notice from HR and my manager that I was 1 of 18 people part of a “reduction in staff”. If you don’t know, I am employed by Northrup Grumman, working on a CDC contract. The contract was cut about $5.5 million. Today alone I have 3 interviews. IT pays the bills so I can act. Although, I wish acting would pay the bills.

There have been 2 website updates lately. Version 3 of this site was rather bland (red borders, black background, off white text). Version 4 was released last week. It was my first attempt at a graphics heavy site. It looked great, but the images were too large in bytes and so took a long while to download. That would not do. So 4.1 is up with smaller graphics. Victorian style with future modifications to make it look Steampunk. It’s an OK looking site. I hope the tweaks will improve the look and texture. And what’s with the chairs in the left sidebar? I guess it’s better than blank space. There are a few defects that I need to fix as well.

Barefoot in the Park rehersals start on June 9th. This is my first adventure into a paying theatre. We received the scripts a couple of weeks ago and because I don’t have a very large role (10 pages in Act I and Act III), I should have it easily memorized before June 9th.

New headshots are posted on the Portfolio page. The pictures were done by Milestone Photography. They did a great job. It’s amazing how much different I look from my previous photos. I am planning on sending a mass mailing out with my new and old headshot to theaters and agents. And yes I am letting my hair grow back.

I never heard back from my audition for Madea Goes to Jail and the majority of the time you will never hear from an audition unless they want you. I did receive an email from Sally Ann Cone on my audition for An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein. It was an email to all those who auditioned and did not get a part, which was less than 10 people. That was very nice.

I had an adventure getting there. The directions from Google Maps, had me turn right on Waddell Street, which I could not find. So I rode up and down Irwin Street looking for Waddell which was supposed to be less than a mile. Actually I did not go far enough, Waddell does exist. So I cut over in a general direction that I know Edgewood Avenue to be in. Found Edgewood and went up and back on that road once before finally going far enough to find the place.

Leaving the place was another site-seeing tour in itself. I wandered northward for a while and then west towards I-85. I ended up on I-75 north after the two interstates split. Fed up with the whole thing, I just went I-75 to 285 around to I-85. Yes, miles out of the way. I need a GPS device.

Anyway, I can’t wait to see the pictures. These pictures are of me with my current look: Bald with a Beard.

I have been told I look like various people. Most resent has been Gary Busey. From left to right is Bill Bryson, me, William Shatner, and Gary Busey,

Of course I need to update my headshot. Most of the time I sport a beard these days. When I wore 1870 replica glasses, a picture of Bill Bryson was shown to my neices and asked who this was. They replied “Uncle Jay”.

Of all the proofs I have from my first headshot session, there are a few where I look like William Shatner, a litter heaver set William Shatner.