Grant Writing Group Project

What is your unique gift? – Do you believe in it enough to invest everything you have in it?

I comprise in one package what many people do not have as a whole. Not many people go the extra mile and make things work no matter how hard it is like I do. I have a youthful face with a wide range of acting abilities. I am a Mexican American actress and there are not many of us out there who are known. I am focused, kind, giving, determined, and a responsible, hard worker. I believe in myself and my gifts. I believe in my gifts and I would invest everything I have in them.

What difference are you trying to make in the world? – How passionate are you about doing this?

I want Latinos to be represented well and to be more prominent in the industry. Many amazing Latinas like Gina Rodriguez and America Ferrera are creating change for better representation and equality in the film/tv industry and I want to be a part of that change. I want to inspire others. If I get to use my talents to inspire others to create a change, then I will be happy. I want to be able to donate money to any cause or charity I believe in like, Families Belong Together. I realized this year how incredibly important it is to fight for what I believe in and to fight for others and when I start to earn money I will do exactly that.  

How do you define success for yourself? – What challenges do you face in order to create success?

When I am noted as an inspiration to others. Living comfortably from doing what I love to do as a job. Being able to balance work and family. When I can donate large sums of money to charities and causes and not hurt my wallet from it, then I will feel successful. I face the challenge that thousands of people want to do the same thing I want to do and there are not many open spots. Money can be a challenge when I need it to get somewhere that can bring me a step forward to a possible success. I face the challenge of wanting to have a family and be able to work in this industry at the same time. I face the challenge of hearing no’s day after day and still managing to stay confident and hopeful for that one yes to help me create my success.   

What is career vision and a mission?

A career vision is what I inspire to pursue and have as my job title. What I see myself doing for a huge part of my life. A mission is what I do to get and achieve my career vision. My career vision is to be a professional actress constantly going from project to project. I want to have worked hard and long to be able to take a nice break or vacation because there is a job waiting for me when I am ready to go back to work. I will strive to work hard to save money. I will strive to go to as many auditions as I can. I will keep going no matter how many times I am turned away. I will keep learning and practicing to perfect my craft.

Can you innovate and create value and successfully communicate that value to intended audiences?

YES. If it is something I have spent time on, I truly believe in and I am passionate about, then how could I not be successful in sharing that value with others. When it has to do with something I have created and poured my heart and soul into it, then communicating it to an audience would be a breeze because my passion would just burst out.

Do you have a positive attitude?

Yes! A huge thing for me is to be able to find the good and to find the light in everything. I love being positive and happy and I love sharing that with the people I love most. Having a positive attitude is important in my book when it comes to searching for success. It’s easy to fall into a negative mindset, but know there is always an option to put a positive spin to it.

Have you set your goals? What is your road map to success? Can you set inspiring and realistic goals?

I have already set certain goals. After graduation, I want to have saved up enough money to travel to Atlanta or NYC at least 3 times no less than a year out for a week of auditions each time. In no more than two years, I want to have an agent. I want to have worked or continue to work in my first professional job in the next 3 years. I think my road map to success is to constantly audition, try to go from contract to contract, and not be unemployed for too long in between. I want to have built strong and reliable connections that I can trust to go to for work or for guidance. I also want to continue to learn and grow in my abilities as an actress. I want to continuously be evolving. 

Do you have and/or acquire the necessary expertise to actualize your vision?

Yes, I do. I have the passion, the talent, the personality and the drive to actualize my visions for what I want in the future. I understand that there is always room for growth. To continue to practice. I respect others. I am professional, and I am strong. I am kind.

What are your priorities? Can you set priorities?

My priority as of right now is to work and save money. Without money, I cannot travel to auditions. I would be able to create opportunities for myself. I will prioritize in taking dance classes and continue to warm-up and work on my voice. My priority is to audition and perform anywhere I can and land the job.

What opportunities are you looking for? What opportunities are you creating or intend to create?

I want to continue to workshop new works. I want to experience the life of an amusement theme park performer. I want the opportunity and go and sing for a concert out of state. I want the opportunity of traveling to another state to be in a professional show or tv show. I want to have the opportunity to do theatre and be able to represent my culture and ethnicity well. I want the kind of opportunities that help me learn more about myself and challenge myself. I create opportunities for myself by going to auditions. Going to an audition opens a door for possibilities and a possible new opportunity. I make sure to meet and bond with new people that can maybe send me an opportunity my way in the future.

How comfortable are you with uncertainty? What risks are you willing to take?

The profession I want is full of uncertainty. Will I get the job, how long will I have this job, will I find a new job after this first job is finished? It is risky, and I am okay with that. It always sounds crazy, but this uncertain profession is what I want, and I will do what it takes to have it. Audition after audition after audition I will be there.

When facing challenges, do you persevere, or do you walk away?

I go, and I persevere. There have been times where I have questioned whether or not to walk away, but in the end, I persevere. Challenges are not meant to be easy, but when they are conquered, there is nothing more rewarding.

What experience have you learned the most from?

How important networking can be in this field. Networking is a beautiful thing. I always knew it was important, but I never went through it personally and I went through it this past summer. I landed a lead role in a show because the director has worked with me before, so he already knew what I can do. He already knew that I was special, unique. Because of this show I met and bonded with so many wonderful people in the cast and crew. The kind of people that I would help out if I ever made it big time and I know they would do the same if our roles were reversed. In the community, people are beginning to know my name now. People have also reached out to me because they want to work with me and I would love to do so. It is so exciting.

What actions are you taking to realize your vision? Are you consistently taking action?

I take classes to work on my craft. To perfect it. To expand it. I make sure to meet new people. I work twice as hard at what I do. I practice, practice, practice, and I try, try, try.  I am taking action by going to NYC after graduation to do a showcase in front of agents for possible job opportunities. I am taking acting by working to save the money I need not only for my bills, but for traveling for auditions as well.

How well do you put things in context? Are you able to easily respond to changes in your environment? What’s your best example?

I believe I put things into context and can easily respond to the changes in my environment well. I deal with situations like this in theatre all the time. In class I will learn about different techniques in acting. I would work on it in class and perfect it to the best of my ability. When I’m in a show I take what I have learned in class and apply them to the roles I play on stage.

What is your plan to continually grow and evolve? How have you grown or evolved in the past year or three?

The plan is to continue to practice and learn as much as I can, by taking dance classes, continuing my voice lessons, and reading. To meet and create bonds with new people constantly. To continue to have a positive and energized mindset. I have grown in confidence in myself this past year. I feel I have met the right people this past year that have helped and supported me to work even harder and to trust that this what I am meant to do. I got to work on many new things and it was a blessing because I got to practice the skills I already have and expand them, but I also learned new ones I did not realize I had before. My ability as an actress was always being tested and will continue to be.

How easy is it for you to reach out to others to ask for support and to offer help?

I will always offer help. I like helping others. It still takes me a bit to ask for help, because I do not want to feel needy. Asking for help can also make me feel weak or naïve, but I do know that it is important to ask for help when I need it. It is a process of learning and I must accept it and love it. Whenever I do ask for help, I always offer something in return for their generosity and help.

How are you inspiring others to join and/or support your mission in order to create a financially sustainable enterprise that allows you to live your gift and contribute something valuable to society? – If you aren’t currently, how do you intend to?

I intend to continue to work hard, learn, and be kind. I will offer help and I will share my own experiences and feelings with others. I will evolve with any changing environments. I will spread positivity whenever and wherever I can. I will use my talents to help raise awareness to causes and organizations I believe in, such as Families Belong Together and United We Dream. With that, I hope to lead successful benefit concerts that help benefit those organizations and many more.

When it was first mentioned we had to do a second networking event, I panicked for a good minute or two until I realized that I had a perfect event to do my assignment on. The Kennedy Center of American College Theatre Festival, or most commonly referred to as KCACTF. This past February I, along with the cast and crew of String, attended KCACTF as 1 of the 5 invited mainstage productions. We were given the honor and opportunity to perform a new, student written play in front of hundreds of students and faculty members and it was absolutely wonderful. KCACTF is a festival where one can take workshops ranging from tech to acting to dance, compete for several different awards, audition for grad schools, and watch the mainstages. To have had the chance to perform good theatre with people I love, for people who love theatre, and want nothing more than to go on this play’s journey with you is a feeling that is so unique and special. I am so thankful for it. Here at KCACTF, I was able to network in workshops, after our performance, and after the other mainstages. No preparation for this assignment was needed for this was involved in an area where I am my most comfortable self; Theatre.

            My first networking opportunity just so happen to be in the elevator of my hotel. As anyone would know, any elevator convo is not a lengthy one. Specifically, this conversation, as the hotel only had five stories and I was on the second floor… We were both waiting patiently for the elevator to reach the lobby floor and I noticed we both had KCACTF badges on. I asked her if she was here for anything special or for simply to have fun. She told me it was a bit of both, that she was here for the workshops and to direct one of the 10 minute plays the festival puts on, which I found to be very cool. She asked me in return why I was here as we were getting on the elevator and I began to tell her about String. I gave her a quick summary about the play and I let her know when and what time we would be performing. She seemed very interested and as I was walking out the elevator, she let me know that she would go see it. I quickly told her my name and she told me hers was Lilly. Spoiler alert… Lilly does go to see String and she brought a couple of friends as well!  

            On my first day at KCACTF, a bunch of us decided to go to a Stanislavski “Art of Transformation” acting workshop led by Ronald Rand. In this workshop, I got to be a cat at one point. It may seem weird to you. It was. But it was also fun. We went over each point of the Stanislavski acting method and got on our feet to try and embody them. Rand also shared with us his two books available on amazon if we wished to purchase them. After the workshop, many people wanted to talk to him of course, so when I had the chance to speak with him, I knew I needed to be brief. I introduced myself and thanked him for the workshop. I asked him a quick question on the depth of his book “Create!” and was told that it is quite extensive which is nice to know. I explained to him the reason I ask being that I enjoy reading different acting books to see the different opinions created in each one and to see what sticks for me when I read them for my own personal acting use. I also, got to write down my email address on a sheet of paper for a list of plays he believes every actor should know, along with acting books to read too. I received an email from him about a week later with the list of plays and books and now I have his email address and he has mine. So, if I ever have a question or want to try and get in contact, I now have a direct way to do so.

During our time at the festival, we had been instructed by Erik to pass out flyers pertaining information on our show to spread the word. This allowed me to strike up a conversation with someone easily. A few of us were at the Marriott convention center, where most of the festivals events and competitions took place, passing out flyers. As we were walking around, I noticed a small group of people sitting around talking. I told them the reason why I came up to them and that was to hand them flyers to come see String. They asked what the play was about, and I proceeded to tell them that it takes place in New York City and follows the family of Ma, Chris, and Shakespeare, and how they try to make the best of life during difficult financial times while also battling racism and illness. They were very interested, and all took flyers to remember and pass along to their other classmates. I then found out they were from Georgia Southern University and were here to compete for the Irene Ryans scholarship and to participate in workshops. Some of them had interviews for grad school, and I told them how excited I was for them and wished them the best of luck. I told them my name, and they had told me all of theirs, but alas that information is no longer in my head and I did not write them down. Nonetheless, they were very sweet people and assured me they would try their best to come see the show.

As I mentioned in the beginning, there were five invited mainstage productions at KCACTF. So, every night, our JU group would go to see the mainstage presented together. One of the mainstages was a musical written by a collective of female student playwrights titled Bloodroot; The Ballad of Clinch Mountain. During the intermission of the show, I had the opportunity to talk with two people sitting in the row directly in front of me. The conversation started by the two of them turning around because they heard my friend, Esther, still cackling about one of the jokes told in the show, and they were laughing with her. Not because the joke was hilarious, but because of the circumstances of the joke and its delivery. Do I remember the joke you ask? Nope. Sorry. All I remember was many of the jokes in the show were a bit forced, like they wanted it to be funny at this specific moment and to not let the flow of dialogue bring the possibility of humor out naturally.  Anyway, I, again, introduced myself and asked where they are from. Their names were Lauren and Keenan and they were from Clayton State University. With the time we had left of intermission, we talked about how much we loved the set and the music but, we were struggling to hear them when they were not singing. It was a combination of a lack of diction and projection for everyone in the show. However, before the lights went down, I got to share with them about String and they said they would definitely be there.

For my final networking opportunity, I used it after we had just performed String. Once we finished, many people came up to the stage to talk to us about the show. They all gave us such sweet and comforting feedback. It was so lovely. I got to see Lilly again! And she introduced me to a friend of hers named, Ashley. They told me that I was their favorite because I made them laugh the most which was awesome to hear. They also mentioned how they loved the outfits I got to wear which brought us to talking about everyone’s costumes in the show. The costumes in String range from the 70s to the 90s and 2000s which we all agreed on as our favorite fashion genres. They quickly asked me before I had to go about the process of working on a new play and I simply replied saying that it is amazing. It has been one of the biggest acting challenges I have faced because I never had to bring a character to life before. It was a lot of trial and error before I found out who I wanted Aunty to be and what felt right when I portrayed her. At the end of our conversation, they asked for my Instagram and now we follow each other!

For this second network assignment, my goal was to not think too hard about creating a conversation and just doing it, especially since this assignment was done on my own turf. Thankfully, that goal was achieved because it was not until after I had these conversations that I realized I could use them for this assignment. Being kind and friendly continues to work the best when you want to have a conversation with someone you do not know because then they are more willing to open up and share about themselves with you. What sparked the most interest in people was the fact that I was in one of the mainstage productions because it is such a huge honor. Only five out of hundreds of productions are chosen and that immediately becomes impressive to people.

·      I believe I have several unique gifts. The first being the fact that I have an interesting look which can lend itself to either a youthful character or even a mature adult. This has been proven time and time again with the type of roles I’ve been cast in. I also have the type of look that can translate across different types of media such as stage and the screen (big or small). I believe I have enough to invest everything I have into it because it is innately within me. I’ve already put money and practice behind my unique gifts which have already make me marketable in the real world.

·     The difference I’m trying to make in the world is to bring professionalism and kindness into all that I do. There are a lot of negative people within the industry. I feel if I go above and beyond in whatever I do, it will only effect the world in a positive way. This will also insure that nothing but good things will spread about me so that my reputation will add to the appeal of hiring me. I am very passionate about doing this so being positive and professional will only help with the goal of doing this for a living. Also, this  will hopefully cause a ripple within the field so that others can share the kindness and professionalism.

·     As of right now, I would define success as being able to go into an audition and be able to feel great about what I did in the audition room. For the auditions I’ve done over the course of the semester, I think what really helped me was to have fun and not to put extreme stress on the audition. I think something that I have to face in order to create this success would be the anxiety that all actors have about not being good enough or not being what the directors are looking for. This rings very true within the context of a dance call. I would classify myself as a dancer when I have the time to sit and wrap my brain around the moves. Where things fall apart would be in the context of a dance call. You get taught the combination in the span of 10-15 mins and then are expected to perform it for the director. Granted, they aren’t looking for perfection but I would still like to feel good about what I’m showing the director. I just have to keep up with dance classes after I graduate and hope for the best.

·     My career vision/mission would include working my way up from equity theatres or even an amusement park setting. As of now, I official have a job once I graduate which will open doors for me to climb the ladder in a theatre setting. As I’m writing this, I either will be honored to be cast in The Little Mermaid at the Alhambra or will be working backstage in costumes. Either way, I’m gaining experience and being around the setting which my degree is tailored to rather than working as a waitress or a hostess. I also have been creating opportunities for auditions at other equity theatres around Orlando or even at Walt Disney World. I would use these employers as stepping stones to network and grow the fund to make the move to NYC. My end goal is to originate a role on Broadway. But, I also want to keep myself open to the opportunity of working in the film industry. I’ve been very lucky to be able to work with Professor Willemin on some short films he has produced and I’ve come to enjoy film as well. I believe that this would be another performance opportunity I should keep my eyes on.

·      I believe I have a positive attitude towards a handful of things but I should really work on being more positive about my career. I feel like it’s holding me back when I am negative about how an audition went or how I sound. I’ve done a lot of good things so far turning my time at JU but now I’m about to graduate and the world will become a bit more negative.  Keeping more of a positive attitude can only help me fight the negative feelings about auditions. It may be easy for me to focus solely on the negative during dance calls or cold reads, but the positive attitude will give me confidence and make me seem like I know what I’m doing even if I don’t.

·      I feel like I have my goals set but it’s really hard to create a solid road map to follow to reach that dream. There is no right way to get a job in the musical theatre world. It either has to be right place, right time or something silly like being able to fit into the costume. It all just depends on what opportunities I can get and even what connections I make. I can’t magically wish for a job opportunity to open up for me. I have to work hard and know the right people which will start to open doors later down the road and hopefully keep me on some semblance of a map. 

·     At this point, I have a few people who I can trust to help me actualize my vision. One person being Erik DeCicco who has given me insight into how to reach my dream and even tips/tricks that can be useful for me once I graduate. He’s been a big proponent of me going to auditions even while we’re in rehearsals for his shows and has helped me with acting work on some of my audition pieces. Also, my parents have been really helpful and has pushed me to further my education and chances to make it someday. They have been helping me through school and have given me the tools to travel for many auditions.

·     My priorities as of now are to make sure I have a job once I graduate from college. I really want to start putting my degree to use as soon as I get it in my hand. But yay!! I will have a job one way or another one I graduate. It will either be an actor position or a backstage costumes position but it’s a job and it’s money. But, to keep this priority set, I have been auditioning for other theatres or at least plan for auditions in the near future.

·      I am looking for opportunities that will help me make connections but also ones that will help my career grow in an upward fashion. Since I’ve last seen these questions, I feel like I’ve made a ton of connections with both actors and creative teams from theaters that I’ve auditioned for. From these connections, I’ve been able to find out about other auditions and even make new connections with people. As I said for setting priorities, I have been auditioning or at least plan for auditions in the near future and luckily I get to do it with some of the lovely people I’ve connected with.

·      I have to be comfortable with uncertainty as an actress because there could be several reasons why I may not book the gig. I could either not be the right fit or it could come down to a scheduling issue. I risk not making money regularly as I do now and I also run the risk of my hair turning grey from the stress. But, I do have other things I can do to supplement the money not being made by acting. I will work backstage for shows, do kids acting summer camps, and even work in an office setting to make some cash.

·      I feel like it depends on the challenge but more times than not, I persevere when I’m faced with challenges. If it feels like it is impossible, I reach out to a professor who may have faced this in their lifetime. It’s like a red light when you’re driving. You’re going to get a green light soon but you just have to wait out the red light. Yes I may not book this audition and I may have to pay bills within the next week, but I feel like if I practice,  work hard, and save up the money from the other jobs, I think I will be better off than quitting completely.

·      I feel like I have learned the most from just actively going to auditions. There are just somethings you can’t learn in a class setting. I have also been to several masterclasses on auditioning but one in particular that I experienced in KCACTF really helped me to learn what to do and what not to do specifically at a dance call. Things that I would’ve never guessed like not pulling the focus while you’re waiting for your turn to do the dance call or even not putting 100% effort out and burning the energy you need for the entire dance call.

·     To make sure I realize my vision, I am always keeping my eyes and ears open to the auditions that may be a perfect fit for me. And when I hear about these certain auditions, I make sure to do all that’s in my power to show up at these specific auditions. And once I graduate, I’ll have more time to open me up to the opportunities around me. With school in the way, not only did it shut me out of a lot of the Disney auditions that were happening but it keep the casting panel from wanting to hire me since I still was in school.

·      I believe to continually grow and evolve, I have to make sure I’m keeping myself open to do so. I try and pick up things that I see and hear in the professional world. Little things like how to format my resume or even what songs not to sing at an audition have helped me to seem competent at auditions. I have definitely evolved in my past 3 years at JU and cannot even imagine where I will be in another 3 years. 

·      I find it very easy to reach out to others for support and to offer help. Sometimes it may just be a text to a professor about running an audition cut or getting advice to navigate an open call for a theater’s season. But I feel confident in asking for help when I need it. I would rather have someone tell me what they did in a certain situation then to try to navigate the problem on my own and ultimately end up failing.

·      I think I’m inspiring people to join and/or support my mission. My friends and family have been really helpful along my journey. But also I feel as though people who have seen me in JU shows or even shows in the community see my hard work on my craft and are inspired by what I do. When I performed at KCACTF, I never had some many people come up to me and tell me how much they thoroughly enjoyed seeing me work and perform on stage.