Can you change your hair just after getting some headshots done?

Because I just did it. And though it was probably not the best idea I badly wanted to chop all that hair.
Apparently, what most headshots photographers say online is that what you shouldn't do is cut your hair just before, as haircuts need a few days to settle. But I asked around - my tutor told me it really doesn't matter that you have the same haircut as before or not.

Which leads to another question: what should you do with your hair if you want to act?
One of my actress friends told me that she keeps her hair long to be able to do more with it on stage. Another friend of mine recently posted on facebook that she dreams of going half-shaved but fears she'd lose out on some roles. Which is probably reasonable as the small productions she'd be hired into at the start would probably not have a massive hair and make-up budget. Also, some very trendy haircuts can feel old-fashioned in a matter of months, and we could end up having to do new headshots every months.

I guess that in a world where the way we look matters so much, we should just select the haircut that fits us best today.

In which case I definitely need new headshots.... 

Dirty Butterfly

I saw Debbie Tucker green's Dirty Butterfly last night. I was not so fond of the direction, but I was impressed by Seline Hizli's (Jo) performance. She felt like the most alive of all actors on stage.

Something to offer

Discussing about what it meant to "let people see you on stage this morning", I realised the first step was probably understanding that you had something to offer as a performer. That giving a voice to a character starts with out own voice and body. And that no other performer would give it the texture you're giving. Which somehow brings back to the idea of confidence in one's own skills.

(picture from Oliver Dubois's tragedy)

Connection

"In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen - really seen."
Brené Brown
These days, when I read about acting, I always stumble upon the concept of using ourselves, our personality as a starting point, instead of imagining who the character is or would be.Michael Shurtleff, in his book Audition

Brené studies human connection - She talked at TED on vulnerability

Making a musical - How much I love you

Finally, here are the videos we made before and after the musical...

Before:
Showing the team at work

After:
A few highlights of the one-hour show

The Great Gatsby

So, The Great Gatsby. The loooooooong-awaited, super-hyped Great Gatsby. It actually proved to be everything I was (dreading) expecting.

First, it definitely is a Baz Luhrman movie, no doubt about that, with some of the things he does that I love. The extravaganza, of course. I love how he recreates these extravagant red-velvet-and-feather atmospheres. The directing style, too, is everything Baz Luhrman has been known for. The extensive use of in and out zooming, the shiny red-light, the fast-forward. And last but not least, the costumes from Miuccia Prada are obviously incredibly beautiful. And, well, everyone has been speaking about it.

But then, when costumes steal the show, it is never a good sign, is it? Because even though I had pleasure watching it, I can't deny I was a bit disappointed.

First, what with the voice over? True, the best thing about this novel is the text (definitely neither the story, nor the characters), but film is another medium. And it would have been great to see how Baz Luhrman takes the higher road and skips the narration. (And please, Baz. No more words fading in and out on screen...)

But mainly, I am still eagerly waiting for Baz luhrman to rock my world and take my breath away the way he did with Romeo + Juliet. Despite the enormous budget, talented team and glittery cast, the movie is not as groundbreaking as it could have been. The thing is, with the Great Gatsby one expects extravaganza and grandiose. And that makes Baz Luhrman's rendition, despite the collaboration with Jay Z, almost too literal.

I would have loved to see him recreate Gatsby in a different world, say Wall Street just before Lehman went bankrupt. That would have given bones and substance to quite a pale story.

Prints

I love fine art but have always considered it a museum item or a lavish luxury for billionaire collectors. So, I never thought I could find myself considering buying some. Until Sunday, when I visited the London Original Print Fair, where one of my friend was exhibiting. There, walking at awe throughout the smart prints, I realized that there was something in-between the home-printed pics in RIBBA frame and the stern minimalistic look of collector blogs.

Smart, exciting, sometimes old sometimes new, meaningful or pointless fun, it finally made me understand how buying art, selecting something that resembles us or that we want to say, can make us feel more accomplished. A new road to happiness. (Also, not as expensive as expected: though some skyrocketed up to £50,000, you could find cool stuff around £300 – an okay investment for something that will brighten up your days for the rest of your life)

Some galleries excited me more than others, and I’ll make sure I pay regular visits in the future. Here they are:

Rebecca Hossack: http://www.r-h-g.co.uk/

RA Editions: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/raeditions/

Frederick Mulder: http://www.frederickmulder.com/