I go the part....I think

OK so this past Sunday I went to an open call for Tony and Tina's Wedding .. A very fun interactive dinner theatre/ improv comedy/play. But I'm not ready to say much more until I hear from them again telling me i got the part. It all happened so fast that I'm not sure what happened but i will share the audition craziness as soon as I can.

Will keep you all posted...

Sergei

NEW YORK NEW YORK

I have such interesting travel karma. I had a quiet flight..crowded and uncomfortable but that's normal. I had an aisle seat which I wanted but this adorable couple realized they were gona be separated and I gave them my seat on the aisle for a dreaded middle seat. Hopefully that was a brownie point for me from the travel gods..and it was... I got off the plane, my bag came out first and I walked outside immediately to find a shuttle about to leave. SWEET. So, we get to Manhattan and I'm informed that the driver cannot drive me to the door of the hotel and dropped me, bags and all, in the center of Times Square to push thru the crowds and walk to a hotel I've never been to before. Hmmm no I look like a native..really, I do. Ok I'm walking , I'm walking... and I see a HUGE Scientology building and I'm thinkin I hope to GOD my hotel didn't suddenly become a church. Now that would be an interesting bait an switch. Anyway, I walked too far, I knew it , but I could not find that damned hotel, so I stopped in front of the BIlly Elliot Theatre sign and an adorable bike and cart driving boy stopped and asked if I wanted a ride. I declined but he said "well,Can I help you ?" Normally I'd decline that too but I was really perplexed about where I was and I was tired. We looked at my literature and he didn't know the hote either.. he told me to get in and he would help me find it.. what a doll! SO I had a lovely open air ride ALL AROUND TIMES SQUARE. It was a blast. He grabbed one of his cart riding buddies to help.. HE couldn't find it.. so we finally hailed a cabbie who told us it was around the corner....my cute driver took us thru an alley to where we had originally met. Here's the Billy Elliot sign again and across the street? MY HOTEL. OMG we both just lost it! Laughed long and hard. His name was Sergei and he will never forget where the Paramount Hotel is ever again! (yeah I tipped him big time for the sweet adventure.

It's a wrap! Mercury retro, PMS and the pitfalls of being PP WOMAN

Well the day started quite early for me.  The location for the shoot was in SF  but I was to be there at 7am.  Because I was sick I didn't sleep much last night and of course when I was taking my nightly meds I discovered how PMS  I actually was all day. (Ladies gimme a holla on that one) but I made sure I was there before the crew.  So THERE ya big mean UNIVERSE!  I got you back! 

We were at an eatery called Park Chow on 9th at Irving and EVERYONE I told about this place was happy to tell me how incredibly good the food was there.  Nice , maybe  they will cater for us.  HA.  I met some of the same actors I worked with before and a couple of new ones too.  And  BAM  we are filming.  I did about an hour's work and they said I was wrapped.  I was shocked, I had to ask again.  Suddenly, I was the recipient of spontaneous appluase .  The crew seemed to clap for a long time... for me! I kinda figured they were thinking " Oh thank God  she's done we don't have to deal with her anymore."  But  it was still nice to be clapped off the set  ;-)  I stayed a bit longer  because I knew I wanted to say goodbye and thank  each crew member and, of course the director.  Maybe apologize again.  While I was waiting and watching I was chatting with the other actors and we talked about getting a copy of this for each of us.  One of the guys got a copy from the last one he did and is going to take us through this crazy process of finding the airdate  then having this tiny Video store in Japantown record it for us.  (nice little idea they have going there- hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a homemade DVD.) Two of the guys, James and Elias,  have worked alot around the City and were too cool to hang out with and chat.  They played the detectives in the story and they looked so LAW AND ORDER  SVU  it was funny.   VEry nice professional guys.  At an appropriate break I had my chance to say thank you to each crew member.  I had stayed in the restaurant and ordered breakfast. ( Hey people kept saying how good the damned place was  Don't judge me! and yes it was fantastic!) As I made the rounds with each person i worked with I was happily surprised to enjoy a hug or two from these quiet serious guys.  So sweet.  Such a great crew of professionals.   Sigh,  I'm still stressed that they might hold the craziness of being late against me and if they do, oh well, what can I do? But what a fantastic first experience. I was treated very well on this set.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I'm told this isn't a normal experience-The level of professionalism coupled with the polite friendliness of the people involved.  Actors were telling me horror stories of being yelled at and embarrassed by control freak directors.  So it looks like I've been spoiled on my very first professional gig.  I'll take it!  I'm big into signs and I wondered on such a short day would I see one.  I shouldn't have worried.  As I was carting all my crap up the street to find a cab home (yes a cab , you have no idea how heavy all that luggage was)  I walked by a window that had all sorts of kitchy stuff from plastic robots and silly hats to t-shirts, metal lunchboxes and mugs with LUCY on them.  As I scanned the window A big white square of writing caught my eye.  And I do mean Big.  It was plain and simple.  No plastic, metal or kitch  I'm not even sure what it was  but it was LITERALLY a SIGN

It read:  "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." -Thoreau  

 I was and am rendered speechless.

Day three comedy of errors driving school

Ok  Now I'm convinced the universe is putting the squeeze on me to get my license.  I left my house in a cab bound for FAIRFAX at 7am.  My call was at 8am..I thought I'd even be early  since yesterday was so embarrassing to be late.  Mercury is definitely in retrograde because the angels sent me a sweet but stoopid cabbie for the experience from HELL.   First he was all chatty.. now that's nice and all but it's 7am.  At leaset he says he knows where Fairfax is  sO i don't bother navigating  with my google print out just yet.  Then after a half hour I realize I think he has gone to far  so I tell him he needs to turn around.  He is very apologetic and He does so... THEN  he decides I was WRONG and promises me he knows the way and gets us back on the freeway going north towards petaluma.  At this point I'm confused I think it's wrong but he knows better, right?  He even tries to show me on a map but it made no sense to me.  Finally As I'm starting to see cows on the side of the road...he sheepishly and apologetically says  yes  oh we missed it.."WE???"  then drives another 3 miles before we exit off near FREAKIN Petaluma  back to central San Rafael.  My heart is racing ....the time is short and Boom we hit morning traffic going into the city.. TRAFFIC????!!!!!  Holy crap I have to call again to say I'll be late.. the cabbie is all smiles  "aww don't worry...it's ok it's ok"  Like somehow *I* am over reacting.  We get to the place where I know how to find my way to Fairfax.. I direct him to go, now taking more control.  As I take control  I feel sick with stress.  Stress has really affected me in the past.  Today was not gonna be different.  There is a BIG FREAKIN SIGN that says FAIRFAX RIGHT  he decides to get in the LEFT Lane...and even says  "it's to the left  right?  Now I remember." I'm shocked  "no no no  STAY RIGHT!!!!!!!..now we finally get to the house....the crew is trying to get me inside but  the cabbie, sweet and with no sense of urgency says  ok  now you pay me. Over 100 dollars was on the meter...I was furious.. I don't yell but I do stand my ground and I knew I had to do something quick.  I refused to pay that  made him call his manager  and since he refused to give me my luggage in the back seat I CALLED THE FLIPPIN POLICE!  AS he was talking to his manager, he left out the part where he blatantly took me for a RIDE to COW TOWN!!!  So I called my Dad too and I have never had to call in that kind of favor before..But Buddy you got on my last nerve!! Honestly  I think he was a nice enough guy  but he pushed a very bad button in me....So I talked with the manager, myself.  Told my side.  they he got more understanding realizing both stories do not match and I'm calling the police over fraud  not just a missed exit!  Anyhoo, the short of it is, the pricegot  knocked down to where it would have been had he gotten me there on time and they took 10 bucks off for the inconvenience.  Whatever.. I didn't have time to tell him that holding up a TV crew  for a half hour was ultimately more than a 10 inconvenience discount.  Of course  MY worst fear NOW is that they never want to work with me again because they think I can't be on time...HOW COULD I have this new reputation of being late?  (twice in 2 days!!!!  BOTH TIMES NOT MY FAULT)....so  I get in and just start.  They hadn't set up for the scene yet.. I just tried to hold it together and not cry..But i was close to tears.  "Pull it together, Annalisa, Don't Bitch anymore , Let it go and Just Do IT!" So from then on things went very smoothly.

Oh Did I mention I became sick?  I mean, I felt it coming on all day yesterday.   That nagging sore throat, the sneezing itchy watery eyes.. Holy crap my internal monologue is becoming an allergy commercial. (could be worse..could be one of those KY Jelly commercials)  Today I woke up nose and throat congested and sniffly.. Go figure. Like My life could actually be blissful for more than two days in a row before some crap has to challenge that bliss.  Ce La ViE.  All day I was doing the one take thing.  I hope that counts for something!

But because I was feeling so ill I don't even know if I was acting well.  I fear I might have been phoning it in alot today.   When I got home I realized I actually had a fever too.. no wonder i was a wreck.

 "And now  phoning in her performance from Alaska!  Ms  Annalisa Bastiani...."

Oh well The director seemed pleased enough.  and I did catch the director stopping other actors from doing things that were over the top or just not connected.  So I was hoping he just didn't give up on me.  The fabulous Lisa Zomer was back to give me a hideous scar.  That was the sweet spot in my day.  I worked with a lovely older gentleman they cast as my husband.  and a sweet young girl they cast as the daughter who is getting married soon.  (ok THAT WAS SURREAL )  they were both very nice .  The good thing is most of this day my character had a fever and was sick with infection from her surgery.  So I'm thinking that helped my acting a little as I wasn't really acting in those scenes.  WE shot a few bedroom scenes too.  "hi how are you, nice to meet ya.  get in bed and be married."   All in all it was a great tie with everyone again.  But life has a way of teaching  you some tough lessons.. Mine seems to be about letting go of control.  Haha Even when I tried to get control back I felt Sick and stressed.. I remember that feeling well from the past and Oh  I never want to go back to those days again.  This week has been filled with spiritual signs.. yesterday I was so happy fet so on the path and at home  I saw the number 444 everywhere.  For me, that is the number I always see when I'm on the right magical path!!   Today I was waiting in the kitchen to hear "action" before I walked into the living room for the next scene and on the refrigerator was a fortune cookie fortune.  It read   "distressing things happen to make us become better not bitter".  AMEN to THAT!  PP WOMAN Peace Out!

Day 2 a comedy of driving errors.

Ok so as most you may already know I am allergic to the driver's test.  I have been with out wheels all my life "relying on the kindness of strangers" .  Well you heard it here first  I think I'm ready to get it done and over with now.. Seriously, I love that I might be doing more of this work but clearly I'm gonna need to drive outta the damn city to do it.  Today we carpooled to San Jose.  As if getting that set up wasn't stressful enough,  (IE: setting up multiple back up plans),  My partner in crime and I got LOST. I'm 45 minutes LOST.. oh crap... but everyone was totally cool and we were forgiven especially when we wrapped at that place an hour and a half earlier than planned for.  (I am now making it my goal to do it in one take as much as possible)  So  Now w are at this tiny airport.  Cool small planes everywhere.  We get to film in one and I get to look happy  and excited then turn around in the next take and be angry and sad... it's so wild to do this all out of order.  Then  we wrap there and drive all the way back to SF to film scenes with detectives and lawyers  ike a Law and order episode.. THat was a kick  because again it's ME  and thre Very good looking men in suits being cop like and lawyer like.. and I have to be all vicimy and damsel in distress... How fun to flirt ..and or scre these new men on set  wooohahahaha.  They were a blast and we all started giggling we were so punchy by that time.   I got let off early so i will be catching some ZZZZZ's tonight to be ready for tomorrow's adventure.. Hey  at least I wasn't naked today!...until tomorrow.  PP WOman. Peace out.

Baby's first filming experience

PP woman here again.  OMG  What an incredible first day of filming.  Everyone was so great.  I knew I was the main character  but I had no idea I would be in it so much.  I literally filmed 10 hours. When we broke for lunch I still had scenes to do..so eating was in speed mode.  Then we needed to be in San Francisco for the Hospital scenes!  BUT First, we were at this INCREDIBLE mansion in Marin.  A beautiful Julia Morgan Mission revival from 1909.  The couple who owned it were so wonderful and friendly.  I met the other actors as they arrived and we hung out in a bedrooom and then I never saw them again unless I had a scene with them.. I mean I was on camera all day.  Gee, and me so secure with how I look HA .. oyvey  (yes, that was sarcasm).  My first scenes were with The BAD Dr.  He was a great guy named Mike who really creeped me out good as the evil plastic surgeon.   This whole thing reminded me of how silent films must have been done.  Ususally I had improv'd things to say  but sometimes the director just wanted me to look sad...look in pain....be angry.  Omg  this was wild.  I was actually trying to be realistic but we went so fast(no such thing as watching the dailies)  I had no idea if I was doing good or looking obnoxiously false.  In anycase, they complimented me on doing things right in one take.  Now that was a cool thing to hear.   I was in a sumer dress... then PJ's ...then summer shorts... It may have been Marin  but it was FREAKIN FREEZING that day and I'm pretending to be in sunny Cancun with a painfulm bad, boob job... Speaking of bad boob jobs, I had to wear a bigger bra and stuff it with face towels.  HA  I know it was subconscious but suddenly all the men on set weren't looking at my eyes.  ;-)  Moving right along...we went on to the hospital scenes in an actual office of a plastic surgeon.  And as I walk in I meet the actor playing the Good doctor and actresses playing nurses etc...then BOOm I was whisked away to put on a night gown for surgery scenes.  Here's where it gets surreal for me.  They realized the gown wasn't going to work.... hmmmm guess where this is going.  Ok  Again I'm a good sport and off comes the gown , I'm under covers...Mike is over my breasts in bloody gloves , Omar his adorable Igor to his Dr Frankenstein.. (that's Frankenshteen)  Did I mention I'm the only woman in the room with ten strange men over my chest? AND  it turns out this nutcase DR  Duct taped her to the operating table...Yup  That's right...laugh it up, Paul,  it is sounding like a porn..isn't it?   Ok  again we have Dr Frankenshteen,  Igor the cute assistant, a camera guy, the Director , translating AD and 5 other crew men deciding something that feels suspiciously like.. "how do we shoot his face while her enormous naked belly is blocking the view."  But what do I know,  I do not speak Japanese.  Let's just say I felt a bit... well,  naked and vulnerable.  BECAUSE , oh I dunno, I WAS, MAYBE????  (in some sick way I was very cool with it.. I mean, Who the hell is ever gonna ask me to be naked on film?  This was still a cool professional experience , just not cool in the leather g string kinda way)  I think I was laying on this hard operating table for 2-3 hours.. My body ached so much today I felt like I worked out... hahahaha   ME  working out?   hahahahha.    But I digress.  I was to be unconscious while a fake bloody implant was removed from me.  That was cool but i didn't see any of it as I actually did doze off a bit.  then I was asked to look like i was falling asleep... then look like I was coming to.. then feel trapped in restraints.  heehee this was totally fun!  Ok then they tell me to take a break.. Which meant go to the make up room and have a puss ridden scar with stitches placed on the side of your breast.  YAY I get to work with the fabulous Lisa Zomer who was the makeup artist that last shoot. she and i had so much fun gossiping about  a psycho crazy celebrity she worked for.. hehehe bet you wanna know who it was...So  whilei was doing that the other people I met shot their scenes and left before I even saw them again.. Then I'm up again.  This time  My scene is with the Good doctor.  A lovely gentleman who saw way more of me than he wasnted to , I'm sure.  I need to remember that when they say No Nudity, they mean the camera doesn't record it  BUT EVERYONE ELSE THERE SEES IT....Sheesh, poor guy.   He was trying so hard to be cool about it  but I could tell he was sooo nervous.  he has to look at my scar... my arm is covering my breasts.. Not very well, I might add.  So  he does his scene a couple of times and each time he makes damn sure he is looking at my eyes when we are not filming.  He seemed like a  nice guy  but we didn't really speak.. after that scene, he was gone. (probably hoping the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind was real and available on Craig's List  or EBAY for purchase. )  Well that was that  we Wrapped for the night.  I'm off to San Jose tomorrow to do it all over again.. Gee wonder who gets to see my breasts tomorrow?  Yes, C'Anne  my exhibitionistic ways at SDSU have apparently come in handy...Until tomorrow, fair readers....You sick fucks..... I am PP WOMAN!