Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet

I'll cut to the chase, I was Ugly Betty for Halloween:

The only people who guessed what I was had been told ahead of time by Stephan. I think this can be explained by 2 reasons:

1. These people clearly never watched Ugly Betty. Now, I also didn't watch much Ugly Betty, BUT I once played the love interest of Michael Urie in a staged reading in New York, so by default I don't HAVE to watch Ugly Betty. (I think Kevin Bacon was there too).

2. They thought I was Ugly Betty but didn't want to say it in case I would take offense re: the braces. It's like when you don't want to congratulate someone on their pregnancy, JUST in case they are fat.

Best part of the night? Someone asked me if my braces were fake for the costume!!!

Aside from Halloween, I have some braces related thoughts on my mind that I would like to get off my chest, I mean teeth, whatever. Bare with me-

Having braces is tough. Young, old, broke and paying for them or rich with insurance. It's just tough. It hurts. You look weird. No matter how much weight you lose and how sunny your skin gets, they will still be there, dropping you down a notch.

Having braces that hold you back from your career and your Passion... well thats just a b****.

Seriously, we can go on and on and on about how "you don't look that bad" or "I saw a girl on TV with braces the other day" or "you can still do theatre." But if we get real and you try and tell me I look JUST as good with the braces as without you are full of it or have really bad taste in women. AND if you try and tell me there are tons of braces roles, I will tell you they are for tweens. And there are many TWEENS who are actors in LA with braces who don't have the boobs of a 26 year old (although my chest was this big at 16, I'm just sayin).

So at the end of everyday I have to tell myself, this will get better, they will come off, and not everything will be perfect but this won't be there and you can pursue your life again like every other person trying to achieve something.

And I can perform again.

I can't believe how much I miss it. This is the longest break I have ever taken from acting since my very first play "Oklahoma" when I was 14. In 12 years, I have never stepped away from the stage for this long. You know what I miss the most? Not the dressing rooms, or the applause or the after parties. I miss those 5 minutes on stage, somewhere near the climax where you are so engrossed in the character, you forget you're not her, or that people are watching, and real emotions fly out of you at a pace that is unstoppable.

That is what I miss.

Well, onward and upward.