Falling into place

Dear Scott,

It's day three in Los Angeles and the weather has hardly dropped below 70 degrees. It's absolutely beautiful outside. I have spent the past three days getting settled into the city, attempting to find my way around, applying for jobs and scheduling auditions...which leads me to my big news...

I have been taking Improv classes in Boston for the past couple of years. Los Angeles has one of the biggest Improv schools in the country, The Groundlings, which is what brought me to this city. Groundlings has served as a career platform for some very notable alumni (Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Conan, etc...to name a few). Keeping in mind that my acceptance into Groundlings was a long shot, I scheduled an audition for Monday morning. I auditioned with about 20 other aspiring actors and comedians and left feeling just so-so about my performance. I haven't done any Improv since last spring and didn't think that I really stood out in my audition. So I took Monday night to sulk around the apartment, basking in self pity and went to bed early anticipating my bleak future, crushed dreams, and a painful letter of rejection, which would soon contaminate my inbox.

That night, I had nightmares imagining myself as a circus clown at the Topsfield Fair whose only responsibility was to sit in the dunk tank and wait for a group of obnoxious teenagers to make the shot, which would submerse me and my fire red wig under water. As I would finally manage to pull myself from the water to gasp for oxygen and my stark white make-up would drizzle down my face transforming my painted smile to a bitter frown, the same pimple-faced bully would nail the target again and I would watch from underwater as passerbys started to gather around my dunk tank to join in on the mockery.

I arose the next morning and kept occupied by performing every tedious and unnecessary task that I could think of. I refolded my laundry, french braided my whole head, and ironed my underwear, all to avoid signing in to my e-mail. And then I knew I had to face the music. So I signed into my e-mail and there it was, right in the subject line, "Your Groundlings Audition Results." I opened the e-mail, skimmed through the needless banter and finally landed my eyes on, "Caroline Collett's Audition Result: PASSED." I jumped up and down screaming bloody murder for a solid 20 minutes and then called everyone I had ever met and told them that I was admitted to clown school.

Classes start next Monday and they will be twice a week for six weeks. I have to pass four levels of improv and writing classes to eventually be a member of the Sunday Company that performs at the Groundlings theater in LA every Sunday. It's a step in the right direction.

Thanks for your help on Monday, I don't think I could have done it without you.

Until we meet again,

Liney