Wednesday, January 20, 2010

It's a New Year and I Ain't Playin! 1-21-10

Welcome back to my blog. It's been an exhausting start to the year with the global and personal challenges we are all facing. I am grateful for the basics: good health, family, friends and meaningful work. I'm identifying this time as a crisis of reinvention. I've emerged as an author (special thanks to all who've supported the successful launch of Ace Your Acting Audition) and film producer. I Ain't Playin Films, a new divsion of Casting Solutions has evolved as a result of the film/stage projects in production and development which found their way to me. I am honored to be working with great scripts and collaborators. For a summary of these projects please send an email to: iaintplayinfilms@gmail.com . I embrace being more selective about the projects I cast and am enjoying my expanded role of producer more than I expected. I think this is because I have a stronger voice in the creative process and therefore able to advocate on a deeper level for diversity in regard to casting. Those who know me well understand how I love to speak up to producers and clients about the necessity of inclusion and advocacy for all actors. I know I push buttons, annoy some and perhaps lose work over this but that won't stop me because I Ain't Playin (hence the name of the new division!) I keep it real by proudly going into my 9th year on the faculty at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and by giving monthly workshops for SAG's NYCAP program for the last 3 years. Working closely with actors in this way is an inspiration and allows me to meet new actors on a continuous basis. We are all navigating our way through the storm of change, here's to moving onward and upward. All the best- Liz