It's official - the Writers Guild of America (WGA) contract has expired and it looks there will be a strike. I have no idea what the outcome will be, but the strike is something that I'm very much in support of. For starters, the DVD/home video residual formula is in serious need of fixing and the trend toward downloading media is just the beginning of what’s to come. I don’t know how long the WGA strike will last, but I felt it could come to this a long time ago. I experienced the commercial strike in 2000 and that was brutal. I spent time walking the picket lines in 2000 and plan to do the same in support of the writers as well. This is potentially just the beginning of what could be a very contentious 12-18 months ahead for the entertainment industry. The Directors and Actors Theatrical contract both expire June 30th ’08 and the Actors Commercial contract expires October 31st ‘08. It’s funny because sometimes people outside the industry don’t think this is a real industry and a real way to make a living. I’d say a strike is pretty real…what to do, what to do.

I figured out a while ago that I was going to get a job for several reasons – to earn money, to keep my mind active while learning something new, to earn money, to meet new people, to earn money etc. I’m REALLY excited about it too! Ain’t no stinkin’ strike gonna slow me down! I just have to alter my game a little. So, the strike is coming and so is the first day training for a new position. It felt like the first day of school! I was a nervous wreck at times, but I handled things pretty well I think. We’ll see how it works out as far as scheduling when I have auditions – I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Audition: "ING" @ Craig Colvin Casting. It went okay I guess, nothing special. Even if it was “special” that doesn’t necessarily mean anything at all.

After being out all day training and settled in for the evening; I checked my email and saw a message that caught my eye. Why, you might ask? It had the word “FREE” in it. It was a free preview of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” – tonight; and it starts in 90 minutes. I had never seen an August Wilson Play and one of the leads is Ben Guillory – artistic director of the Robey Theatre Company. Ben directed the last play I was in, “For the Love of Freedom Part III: Christophe” and a staged reading of “A Soldier’s Play” by Charles Fuller. I really enjoy his work and have had great experiences working with him. So I decided to go to the preview at the last and really enjoyed the performance.

http://www.stephonfuller.com/consultations.html