Now was the time to concentrate on getting on stage. I had participated in a couple of staged readings at NYU and Columbia, but I had never been in a full-fledged stage production. I figured I would be performing in some hole-in-the-wall spot downtown and get seen by very, very few people. That would be fine; I just needed to get onstage. So I get this audition for a play and it goes really well. The director stopped me before we were even half way finished and gave me a same day callback.

I go to the callback and see the other guys warming up their voices and stretching in preparation to sing and dance. WHAT!!! I don't sing or dance--at least not for money. We are paired up in groups of three and are given pieces to sing as well as movements to act out. I was horrified at first to be expected to do these things at the same time. I did the best I could and got another callback two days later. This time it was just scene work. The next day I was booked!!

I had no idea what the magnitude of this show was. I was working with an award winning director & choreographer, an amazing musical director, getting my Equity card, performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as well as in New Jersey and on salary!! I was tripping out. The cast was incredible, I was fortunate to be working with them. I remember asking some of the other cast members "if it was normal to get a standing ovation every night" they assured me that it was not normal. While performing in DC all of the cast members had our own apartments. We were living better than we did in NYC in our regular apartments!!

The husband of Oscar nominee Laura Linney was in the show, so I got to meet her a couple of times. Oh yeah, the best job I ever had gave me 3 months off to do this show! The Harley Davidson Cafe in NYC was definitely important to my progress.

My "Burger King" residuals are now coming in and I get a couple of gifts for myself. One is a mountain bike and the other is a bed. Yeah, a bed!!! Since moving to NYC 2 years ago I had been sleeping on cushions or futon mattresses (except for the 4 months of sharing a bed with Greg). At least now I won't be down on the floor, I'll still have to deal with mice though.

I knew today was the day I'd get the news on whether I booked the "Pepsi" gig or not.

INT. Harley-Davidson Cafe 11:15am15-20 employees are attending a staff meeting before the lunch rush. STEPHON, an African-American male, mid 20's sits eating a breakfast sandwich in a booth with 3 employees. Lance, the manager, briefs the staff.

LANCE
We have a group of 30 in the middle @ 12:15. Who's the HOG?

STEPHON
Right here.

Stephon's pager starts to vibrate. He immediately recognizes the number as Paradigm Talent & Literary Agency. He starts to feel numb. "Did I get the gig in Spain?"

LANCE
The soup of the day is Lentl.

MICHAEL
Again.

Stephon's pager goes off a second time and he reluctantly makes a call to his agent while hiding under the table.

ASSISTANT
Commercials.

STEPHON
Good morning, Doug Kesten please.

DOUG
Stephon! Congratulations. You booked the job in Spain.

STEPHON
You're kidding right?

DOUG
No, they loved your tape. So....what's going on with your passport?

STEPHON
I can get one right away.

DOUG
Good, because they think you already have one.

STEPHON
Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem.

DOUG
Let me give you the rundown. You leave Saturday afternoon arriving in Madrid Sunday morning. You'll have most of Sunday to rest, possibly a fitting and you'll work Monday thru Friday. Leaving Madrid Saturday morning returning to New York that evening.

STEPHON
Okay, I can deal with that. I can't believe this.

DOUG
It'll be $1500 a day, plus $500 a day for travel and rest days and $1500 buyout for one year. They are faxing the itinerary here this afternoon. You can stop by and pick it up and we'll finally get to meet.

STEPHON
Okay, I'll see you this afternoon.

Stephon sits back up in his seat white as a ghost.

BILL
Dude, what's up? You alright?

CUT TO: Staff meeting.

LANCE
The beer of the month contest winner was Monica and she gets to go on the company ski trip for free. The new uniforms are scheduled to arrive around the first of the month......and I think that's about it. Have a great shift everyone.

Bill and Stephon walk approach Lance, the manager.

BILL
Lance, Stephon has a situation he has to deal with.

LANCE
What happened? Did you cut yourself?

STEPHON
No, remember that gig I was telling you about last week that shoots in Spain?

LANCE
Yeah.

BILL
He booked it.

LANCE
No shit?

STEPHON
Yeah, I need to go get a passport.

LANCE
Congratulations! Do what you have to do, we'll handle this here.

STEPHON
Thanks Lance, I really appreciate it.

Bill and Stephon walk away.

STEPHON
Bill, I've never even met the agent before. That was the first time I've ever spoken to him.

BILL
No shit?

STEPHON
No shit.

So I leave on my journey to somehow get a passport. I tell Keilana and share my news with the rest of the crew at work and call my family. By time I get back my "Burger King" spot is running everywhere in the country.

Oh Snap!!! They called today to put me on avail for the "Pepsi" gig in Spain!! They even requested my sizes. WHAT!!! I don't even have a passport. I'd been meaning to get one, but kept putting it off. I didn't want to start the process after getting the audition because I didn't want to be "caught in the passport system" in case I booked the job. I figure, if I get the job I can get a passport in a day......at least that's what I've heard. They said they would make their choices next week on the 24th.

Today I had an audition for a Pepsi commercial that is shooting in Madrid, Spain. It had a different kind of feel because it was for Spain and they are a bit more edgy over there as far as advertising. The audition went really well.

I finally get the word that I booked one of those films from January. It was a small role as a crack head in a film titled "Hell's Kitchen" with Mekhi Phifer, Angelina Jolie, William Forsythe and Rosanna Arquette. I actually got to work on the streets of New York City 54th between 9th & 10th!! My scene was with Mekhi, ironically he got the role from the open call that Greg and I had gone to for "Clockers" a couple of years earlier. I also booked a big national commercial for "Burger King/The Lost World/Jurassic Park". The agent I was freelancing with at Paradigm was Stacye Meyer; I'd met her at a workshop at The Actor's Connection. Thanks for taking a chance on me Stacye. Both shoots were a lot of fun.

I didn't go home for Christmas, I opted to stay in New York and make money at the restuarant. A week after Christmas I took my vacation and Keilana came with me to meet my family. I had never done anything like this before, it was a big deal for me. She really enjoyed my family and they loved having her. We had a great time until I fell on my face while ice skating. I don't know how I didn't break my nose, because a week later I had two black eyes. Starting the year off with a bang I had two callbacks for films. They both went really well. I was really getting used to auditioning, working out the nervous energy and figuring out what the hell I was doing. I was already SAG eligible and decided to take the step to become a member of the union. I knew it was just a matter of time before I was booking and I just wanted to be ready.