<![CDATA[ nicolefierstein.com - Blog]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:08:12 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[The Haps - Play Reading!]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:18:46 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/04/the-haps-play-reading.htmlI am participating in a reading of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, with take 5 Productions this Sunday at Third place Commons in Edmonds. Here are the details:
Date: Sun, Apr 22, 2012
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Third Place Commons Stage
Category: Community Events
Description: Take 5 Productions presents a staged reading of I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick
Location Details: Third Place Commons Stage
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park WA 98155 USA
Location Phone: 206-366-3333
Directions: In Lake Forest Park Towne Centre at Bothell Way NE & Ballinger Way NE.

Here is a brief synopsis from Wikipedia. It's all true...
I Hate Hamlet is a dramatic comedy written in 1991 by Paul Rudnick. Set in John Barrymore's old apartment in New York City - at the time, the author's real-life home - the play follows successful television actor Andrew Rally as he struggles with taking on the dream role of Hamlet, dealing with a girlfriend who is keeping a firm grip on her chastity, and playing host to the ghost of John Barrymore, who, clothed as Hamlet, has come back to earth for the sole purpose of convincing Rally to play the part.[1] Real estate agent, Felicia Dantine convinces Rally to stay in the apartment and hold a seance.

Barrymore proves to be very convincing (challenging Andrew to a sword fight in the middle of the New York loft), and Andrew decides to play Hamlet. But when a Hollywood friend shows up offering Andrew a new role in a television pilot, with a potentially large salary and fame, Andrew is forced to choose betweenShakespeare, whom his girlfriend loves, or television, where he is loved by millions.

Come if you can!

]]><![CDATA[The Haps - Guess Who Had Her First Colonic Last Week?]]>Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:53:04 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/03/the-haps-guess-who-had-her-first-colonic-last-week.htmlOkay, it was me. 

It was so nuts!

I decided to get a colonic for several reasons including the fact that I've had an upset stomach for 29 years, I stopped drinking coffee and now I don't poo, and also, I have been having some persistent breakouts in the areas of my face that, in Chinese Medicine, relate to digestion. See this diagram:

http://www.china.org.cn/health/2009-08/04/content_18264101.htm

So I thought I'd give it a shot.

You guys, it was pretty amazing. The jury is still out on whether it will help my acne to clear and my stomach upsets to subside, but the facility I went to really aims to help change behavior as well as internal function to achieve the best results. 

So my goals are as follows:
1. Have a series of 3 colonics.
2. Stay on my "no coffee, limited dairy" plan
3. Drink the appropriate amount of water for my body to function optimally. (Drink half of my body weight in ounces of water daily.)
4. Begin working towards giving myself one treat a day ONLY. (I really am a 3-treat a day person, but I'm trying...)

And just to let you know, Justin was right, it really is a terrible idea to swallow chewing gum.

Here is a link to the place I went, called The Tummy Temple.www.tummytemple.com



]]><![CDATA[The Haps - More Travel]]>Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:42:20 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/03/the-haps-more-travel.htmlWhat is Travel Hacking?

"The objective of travel hacking is to get the best travel option for the lowest price or best deal. Travel hackers are the people who search various websites for the best flight/accommodation deals and are always trying to increase their miles/rewards points." Now you know...


So, I tried out Travel Hacking Cartel for a few weeks. It was okay...

But there were stretches of days when no new deals or promotions came up. I suppose the draw at that point is that they offer online tutorials to help you learn the art of Travel Hacking and have a community who is also at your disposal. However, I think I've identified a better match.

Rick ,the Frugal Travel Guy. He offers more deals and promotions daily on his blog, which is FREE, and has been up and running for years, with a nice long archive of old topics to answer all of your travel hacking questions. Much better.

He even offers to take a look at your general information and help you customize a travel hacking plan that is right for you. What a guy! Here is the address to his blog.

http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/

Check it out, it might be your key to a 2 month trip around the world
]]><![CDATA[The Haps - Travel, Travel, TRAVEL!]]>Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:13:14 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/03/the-haps-travel-travel-travel.htmlAfter our South African Honeymoon this fall, Justin and I have been planning to spend more time traveling this year. It's so important to us, but also so spendy.

So we have become members of TRAVEL HACKING CARTEL. It's a site that finds airline mile deals and helps you easily accrue them. You also accrue points by referring new members, so I put this on you...send us to Peru this fall! Become a member! 

It's $25 per month with a 14 day free trial, and they guarantee 4 free flights a year if you just put in a little time regularly. 

Check it out and pass it on! Please...
Join the Travel Hacking Cartel
]]><![CDATA[The Haps - Nerves]]>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:02:40 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/02/the-haps-nerves.htmlIt's so strange. I can do things that would terrify people. I can get up on stage! I can sing and dance in front of a lot of folks. I can make attempts to be funny and sometimes, I am.

But when a new challenge arises, it's that same "gonna poo myself" butterfly feeling that I used to get from theater. I get it especially when teaching.

I think it's because people are looking to you as an authority so the pressure to have all of the answers and know what you're speaking about is very high.

But I must remember that all of my favorite teachers did not have all of the answers, they just knew how to gracefully ask the right questions to start a dialogue.

I am teaching a Skin Care Summit, today, in fact and will spend the rest of the week teachings little ones about Shakespeare. It's nerve wracking! But I'm going to remind myself that it's all in the ability to listen, be adroit, open and joyful. And perhaps I'll be able to l
]]><![CDATA[Opinion - From Ira Glass]]>Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:57:40 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/02/opinion-from-ira-glass.html“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”


I found a play I began writing years ago. I would sit at reception desks of temp jobs I was working all over Seattle and write this vapid play for hours, knowing it was no good. It was about a relationship my best friend had in college with her boyfriend...you can probably imagine what that sounded like.

However, I found it just last night and read it all the way through. It really wasn't bad. I mean, it wasn't good, the basic premise is silly and one-dimensional, but the writing is actually pretty good and the story-telling (not the story) is dynamic. I was proud of that silly 23 year old for keeping it around.

As I struggle to find my place in this artistic community, I keep turning to this outlet, but I never quite make the leap. I am not an intrinsically disciplined person and I am certainly more a generator of ideas than a person who acts upon them. Oh, I don't now. If I make a go of it, I'll post a blog.  ]]><![CDATA[The Haps - Not Getting It]]>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:05:39 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/02/the-haps-not-getting-it.htmlIt's a tale as old as time. I didn't get the part. 

I watched the premier of Smash last night and thought, "It's going to be cool to be an actor pretty soon". But the rub is that as a dramatic climax, rejection works very well, but in real life, when you open your email during a work day and see that snippet in the inbox that contains the word 'unfortunately', it just doesn't strike the same cord. It tugs the heart in a less savory way. It makes you want to cry in public. 

It doesn't start off this way. 

When you first get the call to audition you read the spec. "Eh, ok...the play is, well, I'd do it." Then you read the sides, you make some decisions, you get attached. Attached to the character, the play, and perhaps your interpretation of it. 

You go to the audition. You see so many great people there, some whom you haven't seen in a long time, most that you are excited to see and that you'd love to work with. You read for the director and perhaps get to have a little dialogue, if you're lucky you get adjustments on your read (basically corrections or alternate interpretations) and you can start to see what take the director has on the play. It's interesting (usually). Now you think as you leave, "Man, I'd like to do this play. And I think I did a pretty great job."

You get a call back! Hurray! Typically you receive extra sides or sometimes, sides for a different character. But you've been invited to the party and your bringing your all-star potluck dish. You're going all out. What you could take or leave before, you now have to have. As a matter of fact, it is yours, because you are a positive thinker, a positive person!

You go to the call back, dressed in the same outfit exactly. There are fewer people here and you speak in more hushed tones. You're not just reading, you're acting. This time you get to act with another actor and it's great. Give and take, you create a relationship in a matter of minutes, a history and a present day. More adjustments from the director. You leave with positive feedback, (here in Seattle, there is never negative feedback and never, God forbid, no feedback), and as you take the elevator down you think, "I fucking got it. Turn around ladies and save yourself the pain of the parking ticket because you see this bag? That part is in it!"

You check your email, well, every time you're not doing anything else. Sometimes you do it when you are doing something else. For days. And Days. The part that started out 'Eh...ok' has become an imperative. A given, in-fact because you've been thinking positively. 

And then you don't get it. 

I used to be crushed for weeks when that email landed, a seagull shit in your hair. One time I got in the car and told Justin with a sob, "I've failed at everything I've ever tried to dooooooo!" Oh God, it's just ugly and awful.

But the really painful thing, that seems to be the enduringly painful thing for me, is that I didn't really care to begin with. You have to build up that little wall and say, "No big deal" and through the course of auditioning you harvest a really long stick from the tree of hope and you pole-vault that bitch. 

It's like Toon Town over there! Plants are dancing, cars are singing. Glory shines where the sun used to be. It feels good over there, you get a tan. Your acne clears up. Elton John writes a song for you. 

Because the truth is, you can't approach artistic endeavors saying, "Eh...ok." I certainly try to, but it doesn't stick. I start out passionless and detached and within a day...full blown art romance. It's MRSA in the locker room of my heart. An eternal bloom.

So, I didn't get the part. I'm looking for a singing car to drive me to the other side of the wall and I'm watching Smash thinking, "It's going to be cool to be an actor pretty soon". 
]]><![CDATA[ADVICE - Dry Hands? Me too...]]>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:59:43 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/01/advice-dry-hands-me-too.htmlDry hands suck. Weather changes, heated rooms, constant washing to avoid illness...all of these factors can cause some serious discomfort and can even lead to cracks and fissures, causing runs in your tights (or your lady's tights).  I'm going to break down my personal hand care routine for you.

1. The obvious tried and true: Stay hydrated. 

Drink sips of water throughout the day to keep your body from flushing the water immediately and to increase absorption. Room temperature, please...

2. Exfoliate.

Take that Apricot Scrub that you really should not use on your fragile face and use it as a hand scrub. No need to waste! Address the backs of the hands, in between the fingers and on the knuckles, but don't overdo it. If it hurts, it's too much. I use O.P.I.'s Pedicure scrub. It also has a small amount of Alpha Hydroxy Acid to further exfoliate.

3. Moisturize. 

Oil is the only way to truly lock in the moisture on your skin. Think of it as Plastic Wrap for your epidermis, without it the moisture will evaporate away with the heat of your body. You can also buy a simple lotion and add Jojoba, Rosehip Seed, or Borage Oil to it. Be generous. Follow with a Sunscreen to prevent prematurely crinkly, old, spotty hands. (I'm serious, you'll thank me.)

4. Use a non-drying soap.

I don't use anti-bacterials soaps if I can help it as I think they lead to a diminished immune response, but whatever you choose, make sure it doesn't dry your skin. Often times I only wash my fingertips if appropriate. 

5. Deep treat Overnight

I always think of Curley in Of Mice and Men, with his hand in a glove full of Vaseline to stay soft for his wife. Follow steps 2 and 3 just before bed, really smear the moisturizer on thick. Cover with a pair of gloves. Sleep. When you awake, behold.

This keeps my hands from cracking in the 9 month long Seattle winter. Try it... ]]><![CDATA[The Haps - Useless Thoughts]]>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:26:19 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/01/the-haps-useless-thoughts.htmlA familiar worry is percolating in my dome this weekend...

I have been called in to do an audition for a professional show (read - a show that rehearses during the day).

I have a day job that I really, kinda love and that I need to be there for.

Will the worry over a potential scheduling conflict sabotage my ability to give a good read or will the freedom of knowing it would be super inconvenient release me from the pit of expectation?

In my experience: neither.

This particular worry is such a persistent theme in my career that I am almost convinced I should be paid to support it. Like the guy who did the silly dances all over the world and is now sponsored by some candy company.

I realize however, that there is no need for this thought process...it does no good, it does no harm. It is just there like a skin tag under your boob.

So I hereby release it, I put this thought like a fart in a balloon and let the winds take it where they may...

Go...
]]><![CDATA[Opinion - A Standards Review]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:04:37 -0800http://www.nicolefierstein.com/2/post/2012/01/opinion-a-standards-review.htmlI spent a lot of time early on in my career, and in fact, in my life, saying 'yes' to any and all opportunities presented. Sometimes this came in handy.

"Can you work my shift?" turned into dollars in my pocket.
"Would you like to try this new (and potentially gross) food item?" led to a broadened horizon, in any case.

Other times it proved to be a monkey on my back.
"Hey Nicole, are you interested in doing this show about blah, blah, blah with so and so for free?"

Dang it.

After several years of this feeling that saying no to any opportunity was a slap in the face to those who didn't get an offer, that taking one shitty show would absolutely lead to something better in the future, that I would certainly start to enjoy it...at some point...I realized I was burned out.

Then recently, my husband quit a job he had been bitterly unhappy doing for years. I wondered, why did he stay so long? And why did I carry on in a manner that was so obviously not working for me?

I needed a way to check in with myself. A sure and verifiable system of discerning from the outset whether I would find happiness in a new venture or at least, set myself up to find it.

So this is what I came up with.

The 3 P's.

I want to offer these to you and to myself as a way to guide ourselves through decision making as we look for satisfaction in our careers.

1. Project
Is the project interesting or challenging to me and does it make me excited to pursue it?

This to me seems like a no-brainer, but it is most often where I get tripped up. You have to have that passion for the project from the outset, otherwise you most likely will not be carried through long enough to see success and fulfillment. In day-job terms, will you like the day-to-day duties of this job? Because frankly, lofty company mission statements are great, but if you're the toilet-scrubber, you should enjoy scrubbing toilets. In the theater world, you love the show, but do you like the role?

2. People
Do you like the people you will be working with?

I was in a small movie project a few years ago where a friend solicited me to act in a movie. I was really eager to work with this fellow so I said yes straight away and when time came to show up on the set, he was nowhere to be found. Turned out, he was merely gathering people to work together and the folks he had assembled I was not interested in working with. At all.

So, will you enjoy the hours you spend with the people you are working with? This to me is very simple, if you can find out who those people are before accepting the opportunity.

And sometimes People can make up for lack of passion for the project. For a while anyway...

3. Pay
Is the method and extent to which you are compensated for your time and effort worth it?

This will be widely different for each individual, especially in the theater, as many are willing to work for free. My personal philosophy is, if I am missing paid work to be there, I must be compensated reasonably well. If I'm not missing work, well that's negotiable. But it would have to be my garbage can show (the show I would do in a garbage can) for me to work totally uncompensated anymore.

It's not arrogance, it's the fact of the matter. I can't afford it. I've got plans...

So, friends, this is it. I will keep you abreast of how this works for me.

Project, People, Pay.

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