A happy ‘hello!’ to you all, and I hope you’re enjoying the Summer weather!  This is the first edition of a quarterly newsletter I am beginning in order to provide an easy way to update everyone I know about the professional goings-on in my life.  I hope you enjoy what you read, as most of you are a very large part of why I am finally able to do this.  In advance, I’d like to thank you for being my friends  Here it goes…..

2010 started off with a bang!  Early in January, my good friend, Mark Schoenfeld, advised me to begin auditioning for some theatre projects.  I followed his advice, and within the week, landed the leading role as “Rose,” in the musical Sleeping Beauty for Galli’s Fairytale Theatre in Manhattan.  The show ran for 3 weeks, and it was a fantastic opportunity to get my feet wet in this crazy city’s theatre scene!  Shortly thereafter, I became the host of the New York public access show called Extreme Art Television for The Society of Unique Artists. It’s been amazing to experience New York art at it’s finest and interview some of the most cutting-edge artists in the world!  In early February, my friend Schoolly D, a legendary recording artist and producer, listened to a partial track I had recorded and invited me to his studio to write and record some songs.  Within a few hours we laid down a few really exciting tracks, and we’re continuing to brainstorm some great ideas.  I was also involved in the making of his newest music video for the track, “Just Can’t Help Myself.” It was a completely crazy, funny, zany day, and the video turned out really comedic and light-hearted.  In early March, at the world-wide premiere of the documentary We Live in Public, about/starring the social media pioneer Josh Harris, Josh personally asked me to present the official We Live in Public uniform jacket to the host of the evening’s events, Adrien Grenier.  That was quite an honor!

During the VIP Talent Connect Event on March 13th, I was able to reconnect with the completely fabulous and always stylish, Jess Zaino!  That very day, she cast me in the spec commercial she was producing for Brooklyn Lager. What a great day!  I was also featured in 4 scenes on an episode of Gossip Girl in which Sara Conte cast me.  A few weeks later, my friendJohn Buffalo Mailer asked me to audition for a role in Tell Me the Truth, a short experimental film by the Emmy awardwinning director, Gena Konstantinakos.  I nailed the audition and was cast in the film alongside greats such as John Buffalo Mailer (Wall Street 2), Meital Dohan (Weeds), and Steve Colman (Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry).  WOWOWOW, what an AMAZING opportunity!  Working with people of this level was a dream come true, and Gena’s directorial style was magical!

April was a whirlwind of adventure!  Another Emmy award winning director, Benedict Hadley, had begun filming a reality show about VIP, entitled VIP/NYC, and I was cast in a leading role.  I was instructed to carry a KodakZi8 camera with me at all times, filming myself throughout the course of my adventures.  Some of these adventures included volunteering some time at the 3 Dot Dash International Youth Leadership Summit for global peace, hosted by the great producer, Nile Rogers.  I also documented my double-life as a regular on-air model for the QVC Network, modeling cosmetics for (the fabulous) Laura Geller.  A ridiculously talented guy, Benedict also wrote an OUTSTANDING script called Boost.   He cast me as the principle role of “Keran,” the best friend of the lead character, “Simah.”  After spending loads of time filming theElectronic Press Kit (EPK), we are expected to begin shooting sometime in the late summer.  I couldn’t be more excited (and impatient) to get started!  In late April, I had the experience of a lifetime at the Twitter #140Conf, where I was not only able hang out with Ivanka Trump backstage, but also had the AMAZING opportunity to interview the great and powerful TV personality, Donny Deutsch!  I was so nervous my head was spinning, and I think it turned out pretty darn good!

After attending the awards ceremony at the Babelgum Film Festival in May, my good friend, director Ali Hossaini, consulted with me about a screenplay I have slowly begun to outline, and also the development of a book of poetry I’ve been writing in dribs and drabs for years.  As summer continues, I hope to delve further into these personal projects.   In mid-May, I volunteered 5 days of my life at the HOBY, the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership summit, held in Central PA.  During these 5 days, I facilitated  an amazing group of high school sophomores as they learned about the art and selflessness of community service, made pertinent political decisions as they sat in the PA House of Representatives, and made great personal strides as human beings.  It was an amazing and rewarding week! To top off a crazy month, I also began modeling for (the totally awesome) Kate Somerville Skin Health Line on QVC.

2010 has been quite a year, thus far.  I can’t wait to see what the summer will bring!

I have devised a list of goals to accomplish until I update you again.  Here they are!

1) Create my own weekly show on YouTube

2) Start auditioning as often as humanly possible

3) Finish my reel (I’m still waiting on bits of promising footag

4) VISIT HOLLYWOOD (finally!)

5) Finish my website (looong overdue)

Thank you for reading up on my life as of late.  I hope this update finds you happy, healthy, and enjoying the sunshine!