Dear Bonnie,
I just want to thank you for your article on theatre and Theatre of Note’s He Asked for It. My daughter Rebecca Sigl is in the show and I saw the production two weeks ago. I was so impressed by the commitment of all the actors. My daughter, I know, is on a difficult path to find work as an actress but I was so pleased to see her surrounded by a company that was dedicated to pursuing and exploring new challenges and creating art. I am a high school and college drama teacher and seeing this show and talking to the actors convinced me that LA is more than just getting the next commercial. Thank you again for the insight you give young performers like Rebecca.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Watson
Oh, Cheryl, your email means the world to me! Not just because I loved the show and thought your daughter did a phenomenal job in a very complex and challenging role, but also because–having been a kid actor whose mom worried about me making the move to Los Angeles–I GET how nice it is to have anyone validate what it is your child is doing in Hollywood.
It’s never easy to see your kid off to any other place, to pursue some career that’s based in dreams. Your daughter is very fortunate in that she’s chosen a career she’s actually very well-suited for (yes, she ROCKS as an actor) and that she has a mom who both cares what happens to her after she heads out into this crazy world AND knows about this career choice, simply because she’s a drama teacher. You see–every day–the passion and the hope out there. And you know that only a small percentage of those whose work you see actually should make a go for it, in a major market.
Rebecca is very talented and she has the gift of playing a teenager even though she isn’t one (and that’s something for her to bank for as long as her laugh lines will let her, I’ll tell you, having been a kid actor myself).
But I guess my whole point in posting your message, as this week’s Your Turn is that I really love hearing from actors whose paths are somehow smooth, out here. (Or from parents of actors whose paths are seemingly smooth, out there.) And to know that your daughter has connected with a great theatre company is huge. So many people land here and connect with scammy services or fake managers or wannabe producers or flat-out players… and it’s really nice to know that someone who is both talented and smart enough to connect with “the good people” is having a good time in LA.
It’s not easy for anyone. It at least needs to be healthy.
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000877.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.