News & Press
June 22, 2014
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS? DON’T MIND IF I DO!
Last night I attended the Arthur Awards Ceremony and Recognition Night at the Barn Theatre, and I still cannot believe it, but I won the Best Supporting Actress award for my role as Barbara in “Run For Your Wife”!! I am so beyond thrilled and totally flattered! I didn’t even realize that I was nominated or that I would even be considered for an award. I went just hoping our show would win Best Production (which it did!), but did not expect to win myself! When they announced the Best Supporting Actress category, I wasn’t even paying attention, but then all of a sudden I heard the crowd start to buzz with whispers–as if it was the coveted category to win! It caught my attention, and good thing it did, because before I knew it, my name was called and I was making what would be better described as a “ramble” than a “speech”!
The night was a total blur of fun! “Run For Your Wife” swept the awards– Best Production, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director, just to name a few! I am completely elated! What a wonderful way to end an amazing show!
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May 10th, 2014
Well, I got through “Harvey”! It was really quite the challenge and I definitely was on an emotional roller coaster, but all in all, I think that I can say for the first time in a very long time that I am actually quite proud of myself. I threw myself into a show that I wasn’t confident I would be able to learn in time and managed to step up to the plate and prove to myself that I could do it. Now, don’t get it twisted, it was a stressful/scary/hard task to jump into–I almost lost my mind trying to learn everything and get over my fear of ruining the show! It was tough, but I honestly couldn’t do it without such a wonderful cast! The cast and crew were some of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. They welcomed me with open arms and made it easy to feel comfortable and like part of the cast. Sincerest thank you to everyone involved who made “Harvey” a really wonderful experience for me.
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May 4th, 2014
HOLY HELL, WHAT A WEEK! I just took on a huge challenge, and I cannot believe I managed to pull it off!
On Tuesday, my friend Craig (Sgt. Troughton from “Run For Your Wife, for those of you who saw the show) messaged me, and asked if I would be able to help his friend who was directing a show in a bit of a crisis. I, of course, said yes before I even knew what the crisis was! Well, apparently one of the actresses in his Show “Harvey” had fallen ill and was no longer capable of performing, so they needed a replacement actress asap! I jumped at the opportunity, and began researching the theatre and show…..only to find out the show had already opened! Oh, and would be having Thursday-Sunday weekend performances this week! This was about the time I began wondering what I had gotten myself into…..
Craig put me in touch with the director, Steven Catron, and he sent me the script. Steven also told me that he wasn’t 100% sure if the other actress was definitely out of the show yet for sure, but would let me know asap. I said I would be willing to take on the role regardless and began reading the script.
The next day, Wednesday, Steven called me to tell me that I was a go for the rest of the run, and asked if I could meet him that evening at the theatre to go over some stuff….blocking, finding me a costume…..ya know, important “stuff”. I managed to clear my schedule for the rest of the week, found some costume options, and hauled ass over to the theatre. I met Steve, the stage manager Truc-Lan, and the woman who would be playing my mother, Stacey Petricha. We RAN through all my blocking and all the cuts in the text, they showed me around the theatre, and we squeezed my fat ass into the super skinny costumes the pervious actress had worn…..and good enough, off ya go Lauren!
I crammed that damn script into my head, and the next evening (Thursday), got to the theatre an hour early to meet the cast and then got up on that stage (and opened the show…because of course I would have the first line…). I went up on stage Thursday with the script in my hand, but was surprised how seamlessly I was able to perform. Friday I brought the script on stage with me but tried to use it as little as possible, and by Saturday (yesterday) I was completely off book and performing like I had actually had at least one rehearsal! HAHA!
After yesterday’s show, the cast and I went out for some celebratory drinks. They were so impressed with how fast I learned the part and by the fact that I was getting laughs on stage that they didn’t know were there! Needless to say, I was pretty proud of myself, but then I had a chat with Steven……
After Steven praised me for kicking ass and basically saving their show, he then said to me, “Ya know, you would never actually get cast in this part…..it’s very against your type….I mean, Myrtle Mae is kind of a frumpy, socially awkward virgin….you’re more like a biker chick ball buster…..you’re not really coming off as all too believe able as an unattractive weirdo….”
OHH REALLY?!
Well today, when I got to the theatre, I asked everyone if they would be ok if I made some character choices, to which everyone basically responded, “Are you kidding? At this point, you can do whatever you want! We trust you!”……So I did! I made Myrtle Mae just about as frumpy and goofy as possible! AND THEY LOVED IT! After the first scene, the cast turned to me and said “What are you doing up there!? The audience is laughing their asses off!”
…You’re welcome! HAH! Just kidding!
Oh man, this has certainly been one hell of a week….and it hasn’t even been a full week! I cannot believe I was able to pull this off, though it did almost kill me! But now that I am off book and confident in my performance, everyone is officially invited to see the last two performances!
HARVEY @ The Summit Playhouse
Friday, May 9th & Saturday, May 10th @ 8:00pm
Check the website for tickets, directions, and info!
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April 27, 2014
Just finished filming the short “Somewhere Between”, and I got to play the role of a bitchy customer. As someone who has worked in the service industry for years, it was fun to be able to be the complainer instead of the complainee! Thanks to Scott Rocco and his team for a great day! Can’t wait to see it!
In other news, “Indigo” is making the festival rounds, and recently was awarded “De Grote Prijs van de Jury”, the top award at the Amsterdam Film Festival! It will be part of the Art Of Brooklyn Film Festival, May 7-11th. You can get tickets and more info about the festival here:
You can also follow “Indigo” and La Mancha Films on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/LaManchaFilms
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April 6, 2014
Wow! What an amazing time I had doing “Run For Your Wife”!! It was honestly one of the best experiences in the theatre I have ever had! Not only was the cast fantastic (and funny as all hell), but it was so invigorating to have sold out audiences hanging on your every word and laughing at every line! Sometimes when you do a show, you don’t always have the good fortune to feel 100% confident in your production, and it can really be heart breaking when there are poor audience turn-outs. That was not the case this time, and it was truly good for my soul!
Thank you to everyone in the cast and crew for joining me on this crazy journey, and thank you so so much to everyone who came out to see the show! I am definitely feeling the post-show blues right now, but I can feel confident that we had a great run and really entertained everyone who came to see it!
Here’s a review the show got, in case you missed it:
The Examiner Review: Run For Your Wife
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March 17, 2014
One weekend down, three more to go! And what an opening weekend it was! We were almost sold out every night, and the audiences were rolling in the aisles! We even got a standing ovation opening night! Feels so good to see all of our hard work paying off and having the audiences enjoy themselves! We get stronger with every performance, and I know this is going to be a really great run!
If you haven’t already, go to barntheatre.org to get your tickets– They’re goin’ fast!
Here’s a little write up about the show from The Daily Record:
The Daily Record: Run For Your Wife
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
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March 6, 2014
Haven’t had a minute to update in a while, but good news! I will be performing at the Barn Theatre in Montville, NJ in their production of “Run For Your Wife”! It’s a British comedy about John Smith, a taxi driver who gets away with having two wives on different sides of London due to his irregular work schedule. His life gets turned upside down when a chance hospital visit brings his two lives crashing together.
The show opens next weekend, March 14th and runs until April 5th! Here are the dates and times:
Friday, March 14 @ 8:00 *Opening Night*
Saturday, March 15 @ 2:00
Sunday, March 16 @ 2:00
Friday, March 21 @ 8:00 *Possible Benefit Performance-Check Website for Ticket Availability*
Saturday, March 22 @ 8:00
Sunday, March 23 @ 2:00
Friday, March 28 @ 8:00
Saturday, March 29 @ 8:00
Sunday, March 30 @ 2:00
Thursday, April 3 @ 8:00 *Benefit Performance-Closed to Public*
Friday, April 4 @ 8:00
Saturday, April 5 @ 8:00 *Closing Night*
It’s a wonderfully funny show- fast paced and full of fun!
Check the website to purchase tickets: Barntheatre.org
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November 17, 2013
Just finished working on some new scenes for the “What Exit” webseries. Had a great time, as always, and I think the new additions will really round out the episodes. Keep an eye out for re-vamped versions of episode 1!
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September 23, 2013
Great news! We won the 2013 New Jersey Perry Award for “Outstanding Production of an Original Play”! I wish I could have been at the ceremony! I’d like to say congratulations to everyone in the cast and crew, especially our writer Larry Cutrone and director Susan Marinello. Thanks to everyone who believed in us! This was definitely a surprise, but has inspired us to keep producing more award winning work. Keep an eye out for our next project!
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September 16, 2013
WHAT A DAY! I got the chance to meet one of my heros, Dan Aykroyd! What a nice guy he is! He was so easy to talk to, happy to take pictures with everyone, and he even took my headshot and resume! Ghostbusters is my favorite movie OF ALL TIME! Mr. Aykroyd, take a chance on an aspiring actress and cast me in Ghostbusters 3!
Sigh…..a girl can dream….haha!
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July 28, 2013
Well, “RU For Sale” and “She Loves Me Knot” were a great success! We had packed houses and a lot of laughs! I’m happy to announce that our production has been nominated for the 2013 New Jersey Perry Award for “Outstanding Production of an Original Play”. Winners will be announced September 22nd! Wish us luck!
For a complete list of the Nominees:
http://njact.org/perryawards/2013nominations
In other award news, “Dusk” recently was awarded 3rd place at the First Annual Yellow Ape Film Festival! Thanks to the cast, crew, and everyone who supported us!
For more info on the Yellow Ape Film Festival:
http://www.yellowape.net/#!festival-application/crf5
Now for the unfortunate news…A Gentleman Abides has been postponed until further notice. It was a great script, so hopefully they will be able to work things out so we can get back into production.
Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported “RU For Sale” and “She Loves Me Knot”!
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May 6, 2013
It’s almost here! An Evening of Larry Cutrone One Acts opens on Friday! Two fun filled comedies in one night. Here is some of the info for you:
“R U for Sale” and “She Loves Me ‘Knot'”
The Darress Theater
615 Main Street
Boonton, NJ 07005
Friday, May 10th @8:00
Saturday, May 11th @8:00
Sunday, May 12 @3:00
Friday, May 17th @8:00
The Darress Theatre is one of a kind. It is the the only still operating theatre in the country where the audience members enter from underneath the stage and walk up (not down) to their seats. Built in 1919, it was originally a top tier vaudeville house, where legends like George Burns, Mae West, and Abbott and Costello all performed….. and now me!
In other news, I just recently got cast in the indie film A Gentleman Abides, which is slated to shoot during the end of July. I’m really excited about this project! More info to come as we get closer to filming.
That’s all for now! Hope to see you at the Darress Theatre this weekend!
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March 30, 2013
Alright! I’m back in action! I got my new headshots, taken by the lovely Bri Johnson, and they are now available to be seen in the “Gallery” section! It was great working with Bri, and I think we got some really great pics!
I also just got cast in the upcoming production of An Evening of Larry Cutrone One Acts at the Darress Theatre! First rehearsal is tomorrow, so there is more info to come!
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January 16, 2013
Updates, updates!
So, this has been an interesting week or so of old projects popping back up!
Dusk was selected to premiered at the New Filmmakers Winter Series 2013 last week at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC and got some great feedback!
The Dunes got published by Dramatists Play Services, and my name was printed in the intro pages as one of the original cast members! My name is forever in Print! Hooray!!
Underground Lizard People is going to be sold at Walmart, and is now available for purchase on Amazon.com! Hope I get royalties!
New headshots are on the way!
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October 18, 2012
Ok, now it’s official. I have FINISHED ALL LEVELS of my training at the Maggie Flanigan Studio! I made it through numerous auditions, all the way to the end, finishing my time at the studio with the opportunity to present my work to a great group of casting directors and agents. My experience went extremely well, and I can honestly say I learned a lot, had a blast, and hopefully made a good impression!
I just wanted to give you a sincere thank you to Kathryn Lacey for being a wonderful teacher and person! Kate is a casting director and actress who took time out to help us learn more about the business side of acting and tell us everything we could possibly need to know to make us confident, smart performers. Kate has a terrific personality and drive, and I think I have learned just as many valuable things from the actual class as I have by watching her always working hard and always having a great attitude. This was an incredibly valuable class. It gave us an outlet to ask the real questions, and more importantly, learn that casting directors and agents aren’t scary people. I would advise any actor to take her class.
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June 5, 2012
Well, it’s been one hell of a ride, but I finally completed my training at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. The past two years have been two of the best years of my life–filled with struggle and triumphs, but leaving me with a great group of friends, a solid foundation, and a newfound confidence in myself as an actor that I never had before.
Taking Maggie’s class was by far the greatest decision I have ever made in my life, and has changed me forever. I have learned more than I ever thought I would, and it has rekindled a my passion for acting and the arts. I have a new respect for my craft, and as far as I am concerned, Maggie is a guru and the epitome of a true artist. I owe so much to Maggie and the staff at her studio–they are inspiring, open, hard working, and always challenging each other to grow and achieve. It is truly one of the finest communities of artists I have ever had the privilege to work with. Any actor would benefit just to know Maggie Flanigan, and I could not give a higher recommendation for a more wonderful person to study under. I’m truly sad that my time with Maggie has come to an end, but excited to get back out there and show the world how strong I have become!
The acting class is over, but now we are about to begin the “business” section of our training, and I will be working with Kathryn Lacey to learn from the inside out how to market myself and take this business by storm!
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March 30, 2012
Guess who just joined SAG-AFTRA??? THIS GIRL!!
I am so so thrilled to have finally achieved this milestone in my career! I have been SAG eligible for a while now, but with all the excitement about the merger happening, I decided that this would be the right time to bite the bullet, pay the dues, and join the union! Couldn’t be happier with my decision, and SAG and AFTRA coming together at last!
What Exit? is also available online! More to come!
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January 20, 2012
BACK TO WORK!
Maggie’s classes have started up again, right where we left off…..kicking my ass! Working now on a monologue that requires a German accent–Luckily I happen to be in connection with some Germans! (My dad is from Germany, for those of you who don’t know.) I am also starting a Cold Reading class at the studio, which is going to be SO helpful, followed by a Film & TV class, taught by the always inspiring Victor Villar-Hauser!
I’m putting auditioning on hold for the moment. I learned a ton last semester, and rarely had time for anything other than work and class, and based upon what I am hearing, this semester will be even tougher!
Tomorrow is my birthday, so I’m gonna party it up this weekend and celebrate (if we don’t get the mega snow storm I keep hearing about), but then come Monday, it’s back to business!
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December 13, 2011
Well, the first semester or my second year at the Maggie Flanigan Studio has just ended, and wow, did I get my butt kicked! Actions, how to use them and their importance in really “doing” was our main focus, and it makes me wonder how I was ever able to approach a script without them! I was definitely pushed harder than ever before, and the scenes I was given required more emotional depth and I thought I could muster. I’m pretty proud of the work we have done so far and I can’t wait to see what our last semester will hold!
On Monday, I will be filming a short scene in the film Indigo. A friend of mine referred me for the role of the easily annoyed waitress (I have some experience in this area) and I’m thrilled that she thought of me! The script looks great, and though I am just playing a small part, I’m excited to be a part of it.
For now, it is time for a much needed holiday vacation!
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August 9, 2011
Summer has gone so quickly!
The Dunes was a great success, and I had an incredible (though stressful) time doing the show! Thank you to everyone who came and supported! And thank you to my amazing cast, director Michael LaPolla, and playwright Craig Pospisil for being so wonderful to work with!
Dusk has almost completely wrapped. Still need to do some voiceover work, but so far the film looks hilarious!
What Exit? is also going really well. We have taken a break from filming for a while, but will hopefully have some footage in “Webisode” form available to see soon!
August will no doubt be a month to relax and take a break for a bit. My second year at the Maggie Flanigan studio begins again in September, so I plan to enjoy myself until then, cause I hear it is going to be INTENSE!
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May 25, 2011
Currently I can be seen in The Gallery Players 14th Annual New Play Festival in Brooklyn!
This is really going to be a wonderful show!
The Dunes by Craig Pospisil
Directed by Michael LaPolla
Stage Manager – Rebecca Stoll
Sound Designer – Jack Kennedy
Costume Coordinator – Sidney Fortner
Casting Director – Joan D’Incecco
Original Music – Gianluca Renzi
Assistant Stage Manager – Franz Quitt
The Cast
Laura – Karin de la Penha*
Garret – Matthew Ellis Murphy*
Vanessa – Lauren Klemp
Jeremy – Nicolas Marti
Anne – Amanda A. Lederer
Troy – Jason Ralph*
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
The financial crisis hits fading film star Laura Robertson when she returns to her home in the Hamptons after her latest marriage falls apart. Her family tries to get Laura’s life back on track, but her debts and inability to make painful decisions means they may also lose those things more valuable than a beach home.
Thursday June 2, 8pm
Saturday June 4, 8pm
Sunday June 5, 2pm
Saturday June 11, 2pm
Sunday June 12, 8pm
Saturday June 18, 8pm
Sunday June 19, 2pm
Saturday June 25, 2pm
Sunday June 26, 8pm
The Gallery Players
199 14th Street, between 4th and 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11215
http://galleryplayers.com/plays/bb2011/
I am also currently working on Dusk: A Twilight Mockumentary, where I play a reporter covering the Twilight craze and how it has effected the lives of the “real”, non-sparkling vampires in the world. We have only gotten a few scenes done, but so far it’s funny as all hell! Looking forward to filming more!
Work on “What Exit?” still continues. We are scheduled to pick up production in July!
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March 7, 2011
What’s new? Well, I am still healing my broken foot, so most work is out of the question. But regardless of my disabilities, I was able to begin filming “What Exit?” (they carefully positioned me behind ottomans and counters). It’s currently slated as a web series of sorts, but is written as a feature, so we will just have to wait and see what happens with it and what it’s future medium will be. It’s a work in progress!
The story is about an italian girl from New Jersey who’s fiance dumps her, her friends move on, her sister hates her, and she just can’t seem to catch a break. I play the sister who is opposed to all things “Jersey Guido”. (Yes, I am aware of how insane my makeup looks in those photos) Ironically, I am the only person in the cast from New Jersey! The story takes place in the summer, so once the weather gets a little bit nicer we should begin filming again. Should be a lot of fun!
My cast should be coming off in a few days, but then I will be placed in a walking boot. Hopefully I will only be indisposed for another 2 weeks. I’m ready to get back to work!
Candids
June 2014
Arthur Awards
MAY 2014
Harvey Pics
April 2014
“RFYW” Pics
March 2014
Run For Your Wife Promo Pics
November 2013
New What Exit Pics
September 2013
2013 Perry Award
July 2013
“Dusk” Award
Me as Laurie Rondo
Laurie and Bobby
Cast of “She Loves Me Knot”
January 2013
“The Dunes” Published!
June 2012
Maggie and Me
August 2011
The Dunes
Dusk
What Exit?
May 2011
The Dunes Poster
Fliming Dusk
March 2011
What Exit Pics