I used to be an actress. I went to drama school in Manhattan for a year. It was TOUGH. I thought I’d like it (I always liked playing make-believe as a kid), but there’s a lot more to standing on stage in front of an audience. You really have to market yourself. About the time I realized this, I decided I didn’t want to continue this kind of career, anyway.

I did have a few exciting parts in some smaller plays, and I was cast as an extra in a feature film. Ever hear of “A Christmas Rose”? From what I remember being told of the story, it was about a dysfunctional community brought together by a little girl (kind of like Pollyanna), but the little girl is hit by a car and near death. If I remember correctly, an angel (played by Della Reese) comes to help the little girl and tries to help the community’s problems. It starred Randy Travis, too. This was way back in the late 1980s that it was filmed. The movie never got to the box office, though. It was shelved for a long time, until the producer sold it as a TV series, “Touched By an Angel.” Funny, huh? I didn’t earn anything from the stint. It was just a day’s work and it was exciting to be exposed to the movie-making experience, to a 17-year old girl.

Movie makers are always looking for extras. Sometimes they pay, sometimes they don’t. If you have good connections (a friend of a friend of a friend) who hear of someone looking for casting extras, you’ve got your chance. But sometimes, if you are serious about starting a career, you need to link up with a group or an agent. Agents are very expensive, so most people join casting groups, like Talent6.

At Talent6, you can build a profile with their help, and they will distribute your photo and resume to casting directors who come calling. You usually have to invest in building a profile– very few casting agencies will do it for free. Just like hiring a publisher or joining a modeling agency, you need some capital to invest in your career and to market yourself. Talent6 is looking for new people of all ages, if you are interested. Their toll-free phone number is 800-493-9047, or you can visit the website.

My kids absolutely LOVE dressing up. They will dress up as anything– David and Goliath, Arabian sheiks, Pilgrims, Founding Fathers, or cowboys and Indians. I loved dressing up as a kid, too. I really liked the cowboys and Indians (I was always an Indian!) and I remember liking to dress up as Laura Ingalls Wilder, with her prairie dresses. As a teenager, I was a huge, huge fan of the Star Wars movies, so I always made my own Star Wars halloween costumes. My kids don’t celebrate halloween, but they love to dress up and I don’t mind it. Except when they use my makeup for “Indian paint.” Heh. They put on some great plays which we have incorporated into our homeschool, under the “drama” and literature subjects. :D

Our favorite kind of dress up is period costumes. We LOVE history and there is nothing more fun than making history feel “real” by acting out favorite scenes from the Bible, from American history, or ancient history! My eldest is 18 years old, and she still loves to dress up. Therefore, we’re always on the prowl for some good, inexpensive costumes and dress up props, like wigs, hats, and gloves. Halloween Adventure has a terrific promotion going on right now– 5% off an entire purchase! Costumes are for all year ’round!