07 December, 2011

Do What Garfield Says

Creeping Crawling

Hey guys, check out this project on kickstarter and help if you can.  These guys were some of the first to help me get my start so I have a special place in my heart for them.  :)

13 November, 2011

Calling All Actors and Other Wannabe Famous People

Pilot season is around the corner!  Are you ready?  If you're wandering around in a stupor wondering how the homeless guy wearing that wedding dress keeps it so clean, this may be the class for you. Megan Grano, a faculty instructor of The Second City Hollywood and iO West for writing and improv and my own group's improv coach is teaching a class on character preparation for auditions. Her own comedic character monologue Sabrina Fox won a nationwide contest for the Oxygen Network. Do NOT miss this class! There are 2 opportunities to take it so check out the details from Megan below:

Pilot season is around the corner - are you ready for the various comedy show auditions?  You know, the ones where they say: "Bring in a couple characters for us. Show us 1- 2 minutes."
If you're like most performers, you hear that and you're like:
What does that even mean?
Crap, should I write something?
What should I write?
I have no idea!
Screw it, I won't do the audition.
Stop the nonsense!  Take my class and get prepared. These are the best auditions in the world because they're on your terms. So stop procrastinating and get ready to nail them! 
I'm going to teach two separate sessions:  
Saturday, December 3, 1 - 4 pm
Saturday, December 10, 1 - 4 pm
You do not have to take both.  But, of course, you can.
In each class, we will create - from scratch - one rock solid character monologue for you.  We will create a short version (30 seconds) and a long version (1 minute), so you have options depending on the type of audition.  You will test the monologues out in front of the entire class, so you will have a precise and accurate gauge on how to perform it and where the laughs are.
Cost per class:  $60.  
Remember, this is an investment in your career. You are going to leave with a honed piece you can use over and over again all pilot season. You will also have performed it in front of others. This is KEY! Even if you know you're a fabulous writer on your own, this class provides you with the opportunity to test out your material in front of others.  Creating an audition monologue in a vacuum is NEVER a good idea! 

If you'd like to sign up, email:  megan_grano@yahoo.com 

Class Location:
The No Ho Stages
4934 Lankershim Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA  91601

21 August, 2011

Short Term Welcomes Alison Koellisch

Actress Alison Koellisch has joined the cast of Short Term as a Season 2 regular. Koellisch will play Caitlin, a hilarious new office worker who has a tendency to see the good in everything… even Karen. Alison studied acting at The Ivana Chubbuck Studio, and has improv training from UCB Theater, Second City and iO West in Hollywood. Alison's acting credits include roles in The House Bunny and Strange Wilderness. She is currently performing with improv troupes Mr. Body and Key Party at iO West in Hollywood. In addition to making audiences laugh, Alison enjoys quadratics and is currently learning to juggle. Season 2 of Short Term begins filming August 27th and new episodes will be online this fall. Please visit www.shortterm.tv for the latest news and updates.

25 May, 2011

7 Days Left!

Yes I'm in a comedy contest tonight where I could possibly win a basket of fries.  As exciting as that is, the most important thing to me right now is getting Season 2 of Short Term off the ground with a successful fundraising campaign.  We have 7 days left of our IndieGoGo rally!  We need your help!  We have some exciting plans for Season 2 but many of them we can't pull off without funding so donate, donate, donate.  Tell your friends, your family, your dog - we could use a set mascot.  Anything helps!

How do you donate you might ask?  Well, visit our IndieGoGo campaign page and learn more.  It's super easy and there are some cool perks for certain donation levels.  :)  Got other questions?  Hit us up at info@shortterm.tv.

Short_term_poster_final

19 May, 2011

Moving Sale!

Hey peeps, I'm selling a couple of things from my recent move.  If you're in the Los Angeles area and are interested in the any of these then hit me up at heather@heatherho.com 

Portable A/C Unit:  $100

Desk (large, wooden):  $300

Sony DVD player: $50

Table/4 chairs:  $75

Couch/Loveseat/Chair-Ottoman: $100  (Matching)

 

Short Term Poster Revealed

13 March, 2011

This Week and a Blind Man

Blind_man

So this week has been crazy.  To update you on the Harold auditions, I got a callback for Sunday.  I had pretty solid scenework but didn't make a team.  I was told later that I need to initiate stronger at the top of the scene so that'll be something to work on in the next few months.  I also had a great agent meeting and got called by another one to see my demo reel.  Work was nuts and because it's pilot season I'm workshopping like crazy.  I get up about 5:30 in the AM, get home with about an hour to spare before taking off to a workshop, show or rehearsal.  My immune system can only take so much so of course Thursday night at 2 AM I start coughing and sneezing non-stop.  And that's how I've been ever since.

I woke this morning cursing daylight savings but grateful my neighbor and her boyfriend didn't "express" themselves last night.  Surly Temple here I come.  @SwooshTheDog gave me the WTF look and I was like sorry buddy, mommy's gotta go be funny.  Although, I knew that wasn't happening today.  I decided to take the train in to iO.  I do that sometimes when I'm feeling sluggish and don't want to mess with street parking or the Farmer's Market.  As I walked up to buy my ticket, I noticed a frantic MTA employee (probably a bus driver) trying to assist this man.  Finally, he turned to me and asked if I knew how to work the machine and if I could help this guy buy his ticket.  He then explained he was late and needed to get back upstairs to finish his route.  I said sure, even though I was running late.  The dude was a blind man and was short of money.  I'm not sayin' blind men are always short of money but this one was.  So I took his money, popped it into the machine, added a little of my own and voila - his ticket.

He then asked for assistance getting to the train.  If you've never ridden the subway in LA, there is usually a series of escalators and steps as if you're descending the levels of purgatory.  Yes, it's that wonderful.  At this point, time didn't seem to be a factor to me anymore.  I grabbed his arm and off we went.  I stood next to him waiting on the train wondering if he knew I was still there even though we stood in silence.  Then the train roared into the station.  He started to walk forward and I grabbed his arm.  Whoa big guy, I'm feeling good but not good enough to throw myself on some tracks today.  The doors opened and I guided him to a seat.  About 3 guys jumped up and offered me their seat since I was helping this guy.  Well done LA, who says we're jerky?  And Surly Temple rehearsal you ask?  I got my funny on.  I got my funny on real good.  Help a blind man, bring the funny - simple as that.

 

07 March, 2011

Harold aftermath

So on this fine Monday morning I can only say one thing -- what just happened? My brain feels like it's been run over by a truck then put in a blender and set to chop. This weekend I went through two intense days of Harold auditions at iO West. Saturday was decent and I got a callback and Sunday was solid but not great. So keep your fingers crossed they take a chance on this ole gal. Then I get home in hopes of getting some good rest to start the week off right. But my neighbor had other plans. Let's just say she expresses herself loudly when her boyfriend visits in the middle of the night. They expressed themselves for 2 hours last night. I don't know whether to offer congratulations, get pissed or send her a case of Beaudreaux's Buttpaste. Either way, there was limited sleep - for the both of us.

And on top of it all, I have an agent meeting today. Let's hope what comes out of my mouth is lucid and my filter is somewhat back on. Cheers.

05 March, 2011

Saturday, happy Saturday!

So today is a big day.  First, it's Saturday. Uh, yeah..  Secondly, I've got Harold auditions today at iO West.  I would definitely like to make a Harold team.  I'd be lying if I said otherwise but the cool thing is I'm now performing with Surly Temple and I couldn't be happier.  So if the Harold doesn't swing my way this go around then at least I'll be busy until the next audition.  :)

And last but not least, tonight I'll be hamming it up on the westside with In Rare Form at Mi's Westside Comedy Theater at 9:00 PM.  I've added so many dates to my show calendar so check it out here to see if there's a show near you.  

Surly_temple