How Wonderful is Nancy Redd?

I'LL TELL YOU HOW!

I saw a breakdown in my inbox that said:

"Looking for real college-aged girls of all shapes sizes and ethnicities to be photographed for a health book for teenagers. Plus-sized and thicker Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian and African-American girls encouraged to submit. Looking for all body types - pear apple ruler inverted triangle etc. Must be comfortable being photographed in athletic wear. This is a happy wholesome shoot with the goal of showing girls that you can look great and be healthy at all sizes."

*slow clap*

I was SO excited when I read this. Get a job? And NOT compromise the core of my ethos? So I wrote to Nancy--oh, wait, who's Nancy, you say? She is a HARVARD GRAD and a MISS AMERICA SWIMSUIT MODEL WINNER. She also wrote the book we all should have had as teenagers, "Body Drama." I am utterly enamored with her.

I wrote her back, all excited, like, "I'm an inverted triangle! And an actor! And I believe in HAES! And I look 18!"

Long story short, she signed me on, and she is FABULOUS. So sweet and outgoing and unassuming *entirely*. I was unaware of her serious clout before I read the jacket of her book.

We had the shoot...3?...weeks ago, and it was a blast. There WERE all sorts of bodies there, and they were all amazing, and everyone looked SO damn good in those pictures, in all our shapes. And the best part! By far, for me! Was that Nancy insisted that we all wear zero make-up. That's a big thing for me. I hate wearing make-up. I do when I have to, but otherwise I feel like it's a lie, and like...why should women rely on it to feel attractive? Nancy was not about that at all. It was such soul food.

We talked at length about each others' body love journeys, and I think I shared more with her than I've ever shared with ANYONE about my relationship with my body. She received a manifesto by email, and I absolutely hope she quotes me at length in her book. :)

Check her out--she's a FABULOUS ally!

xx

NEW YORK AREA...

Come see an awesome, fat-friendly show on Friday and/or Saturday, 10pm right outside Times Square!




THE FACEBOOK INVITE (with more info)

Maybe I'll actually get to meet some of you?! :D

-Z.

I'm Soooo Bad at this Game.

Oooooof *course* I haven't written since July.

Let's play some catch-up, shall we? First of all:

-I had a GREAT time at my initial auditions for "Fat Camp", and was called back...twice? It was loads of fun and, though I didn't book it, it ended up with freaking Carly Jibson (read: ex-Broadway Tracy from "Hairspray" and Pepper from "Cry Baby") and Josh from "Electric Company"! See the successes of "Fat Camp" HERE--and yes, I am super-hoping to do that show in the future. ;)

-Not sure if I mentioned this eons ago, but I just finished a show playing Kate Smith! She was before MY time (dating myself, here), but I'm sure some of you grown-ups are old enough to at least have your parents or grandparents play her records and watch her shows. What was nice about it was that there was some great 1930s F.A. going on with that gal--and, though most people don't know it, she was never a dieter and never tried to alter herself. Oh, she was tremendously self-conscious and ashamed of her body. But she tried to deal with it and just be who she was and OWN it. I think we can all agree that she did pretty well for herself. :)

So, "Kate" just closed after 2 months, and during that time I also had some pretty fun auditions.

The time is coming, y'all, when there WILL be fat protagonists. Like, not as a hideously weird exception. I can't tell you how many more breakdowns and submissions I'm seeing asking for fat chicks who, yes, sometimes are, but aren't necessarily ALWAYS the butt of the jokes. And I'm totally cool with incorporating the fat-shame of society into stories with fabulous characters who happen to be fat.

*off soapbox*

Seperately, normal(ish) new blog here.

Not so long 'til next time. ;)

<3 Z.

OMG OMG OMG

I just got called in for this...and I am SO EXCITED!

New York Musical Theatre Festival: FAT CAMP

Aaaaaaand....yup. I was totally supposed to go to sleep, like, an hour ago. But the casting director e-mailed me and I've been reading the script and nearly peeing myself. NEWS TO COME! (Promise.)

<3>

Have I Mentioned...

...how much I hate the phrase 'let yourself go'? Another just plain offensive casting notice. Uck!

* NATIONAL: "THE WEIGHT LOSS PROJECT" (MAJOR TV NETWORK)
All USA citizens/adults welcome to submit.
Reality TVRATE: WEEKLY STIPEND + PRIZE FOR WINNER
Shoot: 7-10 week shoot in Los Angeles
A MAJOR TV NETWORK IS CASTING A NEW WEIGHT LOSS SHOW!SEEKING:[MEN AND WOMEN] Approx ages 25-50 yrs - ANY ETHNICITY - WHO ARE APPROX30-50 LBS OVERWEIGHT & ARE READY TO GET BACK THE BODY THEY USED TOHAVE! WE'LL SUPPLY THE TRAINER & NUTRITIONIST, YOU SUPPLY THE WILL TOSHED THE POUNDS.
We're you once turning heads, but have since letyourself go? Especially seeking former beauty queens, athletes, rockstars, models &/or PEOPLE WITH COMPELLING STORIES.
NOTE: If you are right for this, please respond asap! We'll get yoursubmission to our Casting Producers & set up individual interviews.
WE'RE ALSO HOSTING AN OPEN CALL in NYC (Weight Loss show):
When / Where: SAT, AUGUST 1 from 4 - 8pm at Galway Hooker, 1 E. 36thSt, NY, NY 10016 (b/w 5th & Madison). Bring two photos. One of you atyour ''best'' & one of you now.

"At your best"? PLEASE.

Psycho Beach Party

'Sphere! How I've missed you!

I've been running around like crazy with the new show I just opened, PSYCHO BEACH PARTY at The Theater Project (Cranford, NJ). In it, I play Berdine, the uber-geeky best friend (and closet ninja) of the show.

I wanted to blog about it not only because it's an INCREDIBLE show that I really, really want all you NJ- and NY-ers to see, but also because it hits on a blip that I covered in my interview back in April (and that we always cover) the 'best friends' and 'geeks' of movies, plays, etc., always being done by the fats instead of the un-fats.

Berdine is ridiculously geeky and pathetically sun-phobic (uh oh, we're hitting a little too close to home here). However, what I have blessedly noticed over the past opening weekend is that she's also the audience favorite, and I've been described as playing her with "charm and gumption."

Berdine ends up having loads of humor that's more situational than self-deprecating, and even though she's the best friend, she's also delightful and stands with pride and dignity in her own right.

Of course, all this pathos isn't necessary for this 1960s parody of "Gidget"--it's just plain fun! For anyone who's local, please see if you can make this show. It's a splash!

<3 Z.

http://www.thetheaterproject.org/

PSYCHO BEACH PARTY: Facebook Event

The Sky is Falling!

Hey FOSers! I've been out recently because, well, life is insane and I've actually been booked through October. Soooo that's awesome. But I have a super-touching story for you.

So I did a show with this company last year, and it was fantastic and original and I loved every waking moment of it. This company is Art House Productions, in Jersey City, and I adore them. I had an incredible experience and am kinda sad to say that I didn't see them for almost a year until this 'happening.'

So, the director of my show last year (Jack Halpin, director of "Sea Story") e-mails me over Memorial Day Weekend and says, "Hey Jen, we're doing a staged reading of this play and we just thought you'd be perfect as the lead. Are you available?"

My jaw kinda dropped, because while I know they love me as much as I love them, I was still a little surprised that they'd consider me for a leading lady. Of course, I was even MORE surprised when I found that the lead was supposed to be a sultry, manipulative and sex-kitteny woman cheating on her husband. Um, really? You really thought of ME for this? (This isn't meant to be like I'm offended, it's meant to be ridiculously honored.)

So I moved the earth and moon and stars to do this reading, and I actually (were the play done proper) would have been a character with a LOVE INTEREST! Imagine that! And he's an adonis! And there's kissing, and sexiness, and everything! The experience was such a thrill for me, because I never get to do this stuff onstage. Of course, I'm the Mrs. Lovett or the best friend--which I adore, but it was really, really cool being the sexy, wanted leading lady. REALLY cool.

And, the best part is, it wasn't just cool for me. The reading was last night, and the audience response was INCREDIBLE. All these people from different theatre companies were coming up to me and saying, "Oh, you were so perfect! You just absolutely nailed it! You should do this as a full-out production!"

--and I was like, "Man...they actually BOUGHT it! They BOUGHT that the fat girl was the sex object!" In fact, I think that's exactly what I said to my darling man, word-for-word.

I *hope* that this is the kind of experience that all fat actors/actresses get at one time or another. Not just reading to yourself, not just in scene class, but actually PERFORMING as the love interest. It was so incredibly empowering, and I felt like I broke down walls last night. For my perceptions, for others'...just, WOW. :)

-Z.