The Art of Storytelling

Your Audience Awaits!

by Monica May 9, 2013

Public Speaking… I’ve been both doing and watching a lot more of it lately. And it’s fascinating. And it reminds me a a lot of auditioning. Which is funny considering once you’re speaking to an audience you already have the gig. You’re not vying for it. You don’t actually have to prove anything. And yet [...]

History In The Making: A President’s Day Post

by Monica February 18, 2013

“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” ~ Edmund Burke Every history teacher I had in school ominously hung a poster with that quote above the chalkboard. While I appreciate the reminder that we can, indeed, learn from the mistakes made by those who came before us, I also believe that history provides [...]

The Story Of The Love Story

by Monica February 14, 2013

Next to my bed: My grandmother’s copy of “Pride & Prejudice” Ahh Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, single or coupled, it’s hard to avoid the scent of amor in the air. I’m personally rather ambivalent about the holiday. That’s not to say I’m ambivalent about love. On the contrary, love is… how to express [...]

Shaken, Not Stirred: A Launch Story

by Monica December 5, 2012

The day after a deadline is reached is always a mixed bag. There’s the sigh of relief, the pat on the back, the catching up on sleep. And then there’s the what’s next. This grey area of time, whether a matter of minutes or years, brings a strange sense of lack of identity. I’ve always [...]

So Much Better

by Monica November 27, 2012

From Legally Blonde: Warner Huntington III: You got into Harvard Law? Elle Woods: What? Like, it’s hard? *** Aside from her association with the color pink, I’m a big fan of the Elle Woods approach to life. Here’s how it breaks down: 1. Notice what other people are doing that you want to be doing [...]

Built To Last: Stories That Matter

by Monica November 13, 2012

More and more all that’s fit to print has left me scratching my head about what is deemed important or relevant or newsworthy. And with social media at our fingertips, stories whiz by at an alarmingly fast pace. As information-consumers we’re left overwhelmed by data and under-whelmed by retentiveness. The result being a dizzying array of misinformation [...]

There’s No Place Like ‘Homeland’

by Monica October 24, 2012

If you watch television, odds are you have at least heard of the Showtime surprise hit, Homeland. Rarely in television has a show picked up this much accolades from critics, audience, and the President of the United States alike. Last month, I finally gave in and watched the first season. I have to admit, while [...]

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Fair

by Monica October 18, 2012

It was the summer of 2005. I was in Roanoke, Virginia, performing in a regional production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. During one of our days off my fellow cast mate and I wandered over towards the sound of live country music, the smell of cotton candy, and the [...]

The Rewrite

by Monica October 10, 2012

Remember the popular mean girls back in high school? I’m from Orange County so they were particularly… intense. At the time, I would have traded my soul to be like them– No braces, no frizzy hair, no apparent care in the world aside from deciding which party to attend on Friday night. But hindsight is [...]

A Sprinkle In Time: Defining Moments

by Monica September 18, 2012

I blame the fairy dust. When I was a wee lass, I was so shy I could barely string two sentences together. An only child, my closest companions were characters in books, of which I devoured voraciously. When forced to meet new people, my blond ringlets would peek out from behind my parents’ legs, which [...]

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