7:46 am - Sat 11.07.2009
Surprises, Reversals, and \"Happy Stress\"

It's been quite a week...!

Had a callback for FedEx on Wednesday.

Which was surprising, because I thought callbacks had come and gone (And I was surprised by that, to be honest - not getting a callback - because I thought the first audition had gone really well).

But the surprises kept coming - After I did my thing at Wednesday's callback, they told me to hang out for a moment, then asked me to come back the next day to read for two other spots.

So I was back on Thursday, reading for one spot around 10;30, and the other about two hours later.

(Cool thing - I was there when they broke for lunch, and Marvin, one of the casting folks, invited me to have lunch with them! I thought that was very nice.)

Meanwhile...

I'd auditioned for I'm In The Band the previous Friday, and they'd been excited enough to put me "on their list" immediately, telling Brett they were going to be deciding that day, "...or by Monday at the latest".

So when we didn't hear on Monday, I assumed it hadn't happened, an assumption born out on Tuesday, when Brett called to tell me they'd "released my pin".

(Being "pinned" theatrically is like being "on avail" commercially - There's no official commitment, and you haven't gotten the gig yet, but they want you to "keep your schedule open...just in case".)

But on Wednesday afternoon, Brett called back - Their first choice for the role had the flu, so they wanted to know if I was still available.

(Turned out I was.)

But then, when Brett called them back for more details, they said they wanted to give "Flu Boy" a chance to recover, so they'd let us know the next day (For the record? I doubt they actually referred to the guy as "Flu Boy" - I just prefer calling him that to "Their First Choice").

Typically, I don't wish people ill, but in this case...?

Well, as I said in a Facebook comment, "I hope this guy has the Swine Flu so bad he's grown hooves and a curly tail...!".

Happily for me, "Flu Boy" did not rise from his sickbed, and yesterday was my first day on the set.

(More on that in my next entry.)

And while I was on set, I got a call from JS telling me I'd booked FedEx; not either one I'd went in for on Thursday, but the original one I'd gotten called back for on Wednesday.

...which was ever-so-slightly disappointing - because in the spots I'd went in for on Thursday, I would have been the "hero", and in the spot I actually booked I'm just "Guy #2" - but believe me, after getting the news that I'd booked my second national of the year, I can live with the pain.

(My own perception of the situation, based on no evidence at all? I think I got really, really close on one of the Thursday auditions, but didn't quite make it for them, but they liked me enough to plug me in to the first spot as a "consolation prize".)

Oddly, it's been kind of a stressful week, with all the uncertainty.

But I can live with it.

Particularly when it all ends up resolved in my favor.

(More later.)

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