true north, north by northwest and full circle

As I write this, "Scrooged," is playing on my VCR in the background of my half lit, two North window Manhattan apartment. The sun has been such an inspiration and so generous to this part of the Northeast of America. "Put a little love in your heart," I love this duet between Al Green and Annie Lennox. She is one of my heroines of music and I had this soundtrack long before I bought the movie. One of the music teachers I go to suggested an Annie Lennox song for me to have in my audition material. She helps cleanse the soul of demons.

I would like to take this opportunity to go full circle. When I began this blog, I felt the glow of possibility. To blog or not to blog was not the question. It was what do I , Kathy Hollywood want to blog about? I must say that so many windows of possiblity opened up and people began opening up to me in ways that were inviting. I have some belated blogs and today I would like to throw it all down right here and prepare to move forward once again afresh. Fred Astaire tap dances on a fresh grey shiny floor.

I find it appropriate to talk of this season of dreams. Many of this year's Oscar speeches spoke of how dreams are real and are reborn each day. I was so grateful to hear Michael Giacchino's speech after he won for best original score for, "Up."

He mentioned how his father gave him an 8 mm camera to play with and how he was encouraged to create by many adults around him. The tribute from actor to actor to present the best actor and actresses awards was very dignified.

Winter. How do people make it through this season? Funny...It begins with the tail end of the Harvest, (thanksgiving), then we go to family and community gatherings, another harvest of the heart, then the ball drops, and we begin anew, a fresh new year. As dramatic world events unfold around us we keep apace with our dreams. In the mix of goals, finances, health, snowstorms, matters of the heart, dreams of palm trees we celebrate the freedom of the individual.

Speaking of America and individuality, when Albert Einstein became an American citizen he said and I quote from the book Einstein on Race and Racism , by Fred Jerome: "In America, the development of the individual and his creative powers is possible , and that, to me is the most valuable asset in life. "

For me, more than anything , heart to heart conversations , and good tea, as well as hearing music I have never heard before and getting in touch with that place where dreams are born is some of the ways I made it through this winter. Truly I am interested in hearing ways people endure this season as well as hearing about where you find treasures in this layered time.This year the music of Chopin, Paul Dessau, and many movies I bought at Video Cafe have accompanied me on the wintertime journey. All this art as well as finding time to watch some od the 2010 Oscar nominated films.

Please allow me to backtrack to autumn 2009. In a previous blog post, "Raging Bull," I mentioned going back to class with a master acting teacher: Karen Kohlhaas. This class had many levels. Karen other than being the monologue Queen (she has authored two books which you can check out on her website: themonologueaudition.com) offers a holistic approach and perspective on having a fulfilled acting career. The class I participated in was the, "mega class." We five actors chartered the self written monologue exercise as an additional component to this class. Karen is also a director and she has quite an ear and eye for good storytelling. We were always in good hands. We were never treated with kid gloves . I achieved alot of insight and uncovered gold during this time. It was for real and with any good teacher she encouraged us to get out there (audition) and try it out. For me , the writing exercise was rewarding to do from beginning to end. I even got a chance to work on it with another master in Los Angeles, Sedly. Yes indeed 2009 was a powerful full circle for me. As Deborah Gladstein says in the swimming dragon exercise , and I paraphrase : and that completes a full cycle only to begin again.

If you are looking to freshen up on monologues or cold readings please read below on upcoming classes with Karen in the Northwest United States.

Among the community harvest celebrations I attended at the close of 2009 was watching the collaboration of grown ups with children a dance concert which took place at Metro Baptist Church. More details to come so you can mark your art calendar for the end of this year!! Trust me, it is not to be missed.

For some unknown reason my thoughts at the closing of last year went to the family of the young Yale student, Annie Le, who was murdered. I grieve the loss of her life, a grave loss to her family and to society. She, a brilliant promising honor student who would no doubt have contributed to medicine possibly finding cures to diseases that haunt us. Why do people take someone elses' liberty of life away? It is so unatural. I am saddened by her death and urge our society to stop the violence.

The youth of the world are our future. Please know that a world peace organization SGI-USA has initiated a victory over violence campaign as well as for 2010 created a, "Youth Rock the Era," movement. Find them on facebook or twitter if you are between the ages of 10- 35 or know someone who in need of comraderie, expressing an artistic voice to work together for world peace and direct creative energy google Rock the Era. I hope young people find their kindred spirits and always have support in their crucial growing years.

Have you ever heard a saying like the following: "A society that values women is a society that flourishes?" I am so happy to report the victory of Kathryn Bigelow, first woman to receive a best director Oscar, for her work directing, "The Hurt Locker."

So, lastly I would like to relay a subway experience - Cellphone drama. This winter while trying to be in too many places at one time, and right after I reconnected my new Blackberry to twitter with the help of a native new yorker at Verizon on 34th Street, somehow I managed to turn my phone into lock mode. Well, already up near Columbia University in the freezing cold, I obsessively tried to press every button I could find to unlock it. The upside was my phone was now armed with a successfully downloaded twitter application, but I could not find the mute key to get my phone back live until da dan ta da...man with the iphone comes to the rescue. On the subway platform I noticed a man, whose name I would find out to be Daniel, was moving his hand over what I thought was his Blackerry. But no, alas, it was his iphone. He was most helpful. He pointed his weiner shnitzel finger upon his iphone and gave me the information I needed (that is my subtle tribute to, "Inglorious Bastards"). Daniel googled, 'Blackberrry mute key,' and we discovered how to unlock my Blackberry. That is my story of iphone to the rescue.

Managing social media to be continued...

So what movies have inspired you lately and how? Video Cafe is my favorite place to rent or buy movies, televison series, documentaries, music concerts, or just to talk with Angel or other people in the store about movies. Angel once told me the most fantastic story. "Only in New York kids," as Cindy Adams says! Anyway, if you venture into this Hell's Kitchen gem of a place, you must see the photo, framed and hanging on the wall, of a real life New Yorker sporting a parachute with the caption, "Keep watching the sky." Angel said that in 1986 when the Mets were playing Boston in the World Series, the Mets were trailing when this guy that he knows touched down his pararchute into the stadium and it rallied the fans so much that Boston did not have a chance after that. Imagine that kind of audience magic. Wow, reality in New York. Planes landing on the Hudson, a guy psyching out a world class baseball team with a never to be forgotten entrance into Shea Stadium (and probably a fine to go with it) at the crucial moment. Daniel saving my blackberry with a touch of his iphone while we await for the 1 9 train. I sincerely hope this big applesauce has more sweet dreams for Spring! Keep Watching the Sky, babe.

Karen Kohlhaas teaches in Seattle San Francisco, and Los Angeles in March 2010.

Seattle : March 13 Fearless Cold Reading and Audition Technique

March 14 Monologue Workshop

San Francisco : March 20 Fearless Cold Reading and Audition Technique

March 21 Monologue Workshop

Los Angeles March 26 Fearless Auditon Technique

March 27 Fearless Cold Reading

for a complete description of each workshop please email Monologueskarenk@aol.com