So I turned them down...

I had to make the call today to turn down that touring job.
I mean, Equity told me it was exploitative (I knew that anyway but I needed support in my decision) and they advisedme not to sign the contract on the basis that they don't pay for rehearsals, and book actors for 3 shows a day with no information how far it is to drive between venues.
I felt awful for wasting their time (I had deliberated over this contract for nearly a week), but after failing to find a cheap flight home on Christmas eve plus the added inconvenience of having to shell out for my own expenses during rehearsals without the possibility of taking on paid work that week, I decided it would be for the best. No point starting a high-energy job with a less than enthusiastic attitude!
Her reply was: "maybe you shouldn't have come to the audition, you knew this from the start (DID I!?), no point wasting people's time..." Well THANKS. I sent the contracts back with a little note telling herI had taken my time thinking about the consequences of signing them, and had come to the conclusion (supported by Equity) that I could not financially afford to travel to zone 3 without compensation...

On the upside I got another audition offer, this time for an interactive Shakespeare project, so keep your fingers crossed!
I will also get to dress up as a vampire girl for a corporate function at the Theatre Museum this week, the only bummer is my iron has packed up and my black trousers are creased from the dryer- then again I am a vampire, and there are no irons in hell! Nothing like a bit of realism.

I got good feedback from my TV acting class, I actually got to do a scene I can relate to closely- about a relationship breakup based on betrayal and physical violence.
Great stuff to do, but I tend to feel trapped within the confines of the "frame" (staying within the confines of what the camera catches)- acting on stage is a lot more free and liberating. The audience can see you wherever you are, and movements don't look too "big". On camera it's all in the eyes, even blinking can look "wrong".
And you never know what the camera catches. You can be acting your socks off and if it's not caught well it's all for nothing.

I once did a very tongue-in cheek short film about people's secrets. In one scene I was in my underwear, "seducing" a guy; thinking the cameraman/director was catching all my best angles, but in the end my bum just looked enourmous and the scene wasn't flattering. It was also not helped by my co-star's adversity to shaving, which left my chin with an awful stubble rash following the make-believe kissing...