Farewell 2014, hello 2015
I'm a couple of days into the new year. Before I dive completely into things, I want to reflect on the saga of 2014 with thanks and gratitude.
It's pretty amazing all of the things that happened in the year 2014; the year we finally had the guts to live with my lady love all the way in Dallas/Fort Worth/Euless, TX...Far away from family but close enough to the weather to feel like Tulsa...If I understood what I was doing, would I have gone for it? Of course! I'm doing things I NEVER could have accomplished while in beautiful Tulsa.
To begin the year of 2014, Sam and I finished up publishing our first children's book, Ty and Jude's Tulsa Adventure, available on Amazon.com. Sam came up with the clever idea for the story and the brilliant rhyming scheme, while I illustrated, edited and figured out the fine art of digital publishing.
Not long after, we hit the ground running and auditioning. I gained a Dallas agent while both of us managed to start doing background work on the TV show, Dallas. We did that for fun and profit. I never saw any of the shows, but I hear that we made it into several episodes of the final season.
Not too long into the year, we were both cast in a western musical show at Six Flags Over Texas, called Miss Ruby's Cabaret! We found out about the casting while on set of a hospital for Dallas. The rehearsal process lasted a few months before the busy Summer season, where we performed five sweaty shows a day. The show was fun and we sang, danced and was generally silly.
I am the kind of actor that NEVER misses a show, and I'm pretty proud to say that I never missed a scheduled show or called in sick. This life of an actor is never taken lightly and both Sam and I worked nearly as hard as James Brown throughout the season.
When I was on set of So This Is Christmas last year with Eric Roberts (Julia Robert's brother and star of a million b-movies), I learned that he wanted more than anything to be able to work doing what he loved. I've taken his thoughts and started working in the same way.
Not long after getting cast at Six Flags, outside roles started coming in for other gigs. I have always believed that if you want to do big things, you have to strive for those big things and never coast. You never know when the next feast or famine will come as an actor, so I treat every gig as a very precious thing that is given the respect and honor they deserve, and I also love the idea of working every day if possible. I worked hard, auditioned and plan on doing that like there's no tomorrow. Thanks to my agent and the many connections, all kinds of good stuff in Texas keeps falling into place.
Some of the fantastic things as an actor this year have been pretty bountiful. I was featured in a national commercial that was seen on HGN for a flashlight company, a T-Mobile commercial, a regional commercial for the Gaylord Texan, Southwest Airlines and The Texas Rangers, a regional ad for the new kid's attractions at Six Flags Over Texas (not related to the summer shows; I booked that trough my agent), and background work on a pilot called Two To Go (went nowhere), and of course, Dallas.
I also got the chance to begin fulfilling my dream to be more into character and cartoon voice work this year. I finished up a character reel and things really came together. I used a connection or two to get auditions and work with the FUNimation company; they are a home to a virtual carnival of Anime shows that record exclusively in the DFW area. I have worked on five shows at this point, and I was one of the lead characters on a show that I STILL CAN'T TALK ABOUT. But I did sixteen episodes of that particular program, with more work to come. I was also booked and performed as the LEAD character for a show that I STILL CAN'T TALK ABOUT for another animation company. I did 32 episodes with hopefully more work to go. I was also cast as as "Freddy Frog" for an edutainment company and have done some fun corporate work using my voice. It's been SO FUN.
I used some Ultimate Murder Mystery connections from my friend Jim Fields to get cozy with a group called Keith and Margo's here in the DFW area and have performed as the hard-boiled detective Derick Snow for many of their dinner theatre shows. I mixed that up while finishing up the run at Six Flags. I have always enjoyed their format of fun, improv and sleuthing.
Near the end of the run in August, I realized that I was cramming my schedule too much by staying with Six Flags and their all-day schedule. I really would have loved to stayed on for Halloween, there were simply too many great opportunities that I couldn't do if I stayed...plus just one of the commercials I did during that time paid what I got the entire run in the Saloon. I just couldn't justify the time management, so I bid them adieu, with hopes of something in the future. I regret not having a free season pass anymore and the management with Six Flags/WOW entertainment was so fun to work with.
I also began work with an entertainment company called Eclipse. I auditioned a few weeks after being hired at Six Flags, and near the end of the Summer, I began working with them. I love improv and entertaining, and they really helped to scratch that itch while also giving me the flexibility to work on the Anime and cartoon work that I found myself loving so much. They are fun to work with and thanks to them, I got to work in the Texas Sate Fair EVERY SINGLE DAY in their parade as a "confused tourist," a very silly fellow with six or seven suitcases flapping around and veering wildly into the crowds. It was a big success. Through Eclipse I've also been everything from Santa's hyperactive elf; a magical talking tree, a host of a live TV program as Rusty the Western gambler, an authentic French Mime, a creepy clown, to a Pumpkin-headed entertainer and much, much more. I have nothing but great things to say of the work and I'm oh-so grateful.
The last few months have been filled with working with another great entertainment and production company called Lagniappe. Fans at Six Flags will know them from their Gunfighter Show. I've had a fantastic time with them and their Western flavor. The owners are very sincere and hard-working folks, and the actors and performers are funny and professional. Both Samantha and I were cast in their Christmas show, Dismay In A Manger, a murder mystery that regularly took place at their theatre in Grapevine. As soon as we moved into DFW, I had my eye on working with them. Sam and I just happened to have met the right people while working at Six Flags. We auditioned and booked many shows from November into this 2015 year.
Lagniappe doesn't just do the Gunfighters and the Murder Mystery show, though. If things go my way, I'll be the pilot of one of their "Rusty" robots this coming year, and performing as a country line dancer for a gig this week. I've also been cast in their other show that runs this year called Missed Fortune! Rehearsals begin on January 5th. I play a super-creepy undertaker, and I guarantee it'll be funny. I'm very pleased that we discovered Lagniappe and look forward to some new challenges with them.
As we allow the process of just letting the work happen, more work comes to us.
Samantha worked together with me on many gigs I've done and has done so much more on her own. She auditioned and booked dozens of gigs as a Victorian-themed a cappella singer with the Goode Time Carolers and she's fantastic. She's singing at the Dallas Arboretum as I type. She continues to gig as a performer, singer, dancer, as well as audition for some amazing things. She's in the zone for auditioning and gigging in 2015. In the near future, there's a cruise ship line audition she's lined up, and with the new year there are so many amazing opportunities both of us are looking forward to, with even more that we don't yet know.
It's kind of amazing to think of the magic that's happened this last 2014 OUTSIDE of acting and performing. We got to go to Disney World. We had some fun adventures. I painted some lovely works to music and sold my art online. I got into digital art more and developed as an illustrator. But easily the Most amazing feature of 2014 is the fact that WE GOT MARRIED (CLICK FOR WAY MORE) . From the sly proposal to the poetic lil' weddin' with us, a meadow and a tree, the whole tale is laced with joy. I still catch myself slyly grinning when I mention my wife. My wife! We love each other and I feel really fantastic about our love and our little story. We are in this magical life together.
I love what has happened in the last year, but I know that 2015 is going to be even bigger with some fantastic challenges. I know that it takes at least a year to really live as a local. I've got hopes and dreams of creating large works of art for galleries in the DFW area. My artistic side took a bit of a side seat to much of the first year in Texas. I want to make more weird friends in the area. I NEED to have even more adventures and camping and hiking with my new and old friends. I gave up nearly the entire summer in 2014 and I would love to travel more this year. I have plans for those, as do I have plans for my voice work. My goal is to have an agent specifically for voice work and dive into cartoons even more.
That said, it's been a very satisfying 2014. Every little thing has been a gift. I am SO THANKFUL to everyone who has entered our lives this year and led us in all of these lovely tree-limb-like directions. I can't wait to see what 2015 can bring.
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