This year I actually put my goals down on paper for the new year. One of my goals was to do an improv intensive at either iO or The Groundlings. I was hoping for a weekend and was pretty sure I would have to travel to LA or Chicago and wasn’t sure how I was going to swing it, but I put it down anyway. Two weeks later, David from Just The Funny called me to tell me that iO was coming here for a full week intensive in March! I jumped on it and signed up. I’m so happy I did.

Tara DeFrancisco, Charna Halpern and Lindsay Hailey. What a treat.

We started each day at noon and ran until 6:30 or 7, Monday through Friday. It was fun, challenging, eye-opening, thought-provoking, and about a million other adjectives all rolled up together. We started the intensive as one big group, 48 students strong. Charna Halpern and Tara DeFrancisco had traveled from Chicago and Lindsay Hailey came in from LA to teach the first ever Miami Intensive. They led us in some opening games and even got us doing improvised dance (which was hilarious).

Our dance finale

Post dance notes from Charna

After lunch we split into three groups of 16 and spent the rest of the week working on the Harold. I feel so amazingly fortunate to have been put into Tara DeFrancisco’s group. Not only is she an amazingly funny performer, named both Funniest in Chicago and one of the Top 50 Performers in Chicago, but she’s also a phenomenal teacher. Her kindness and intelligence helped each and every one of us grow as performers and individuals. We also had the great pleasure of spending one afternoon with Charna. That lady knows her stuff, let me tell you.

Our wonderful, wonderful group, led by the incomparable Tara DeFrancisco

This would be a very long post, indeed if I were to detail what we did each day and to be honest, it was all such an intense blur. The days literally bled into one another and even within our group we were uncertain which day was which when we tried to recall a specific moment. I will, however summarize what I learned:

• Everything is a Harold
• Relationship trumps plot every time
• Eye contact creates connection
• Every team member is an artist, poet, and a genius, as are the audience members
• Improv makes me a better person

The week culminated in a student showcase which was fun, fun, fun. We were then treated to a performance by Tara and Lindsay, which was a treat indeed. They proved every bit of what they taught us over the week. And they killed.

Post show group picture

Each and every one of us has come away from this experience a different person. I, for one, will never be the same. These three women and my fellow group members have made an impression on me and changed me for good. I think my favorite Tara-ism that I have come away with is “We’ll see.” And we shall.

From the Books & Books website:

Dispatches from Paradise is an over-the-top erotic comedy about three generations of women living together in Miami, where too much is never enough. Author and screenwriter Shelly Gitlow makes her fiction debut in this colorful, lightning-paced, and often wildly unpredictable modern tale about sex, lies, and love.

From the very first page, Dispatches from Paradise takes readers to the family battlefield of three generations of women living together in the sultry city of Miami — where DD cups abound, octogenarians recite erotic poetry and an S&M Fitness class is not for the fainthearted. Written in the distinct voices of Liz (39) who pulls the plug on her marriage and quits her job so she can re-boot her life, her hypersexual mother, Claudette (55) who’s searching for her next partner/meal ticket, and Darcy (18) Liz’s beautiful, reckless daughter who’s realizing she might also have a brain and be a lesbian, Dispatches from Paradise explores the complex dynamics of the women’s relationships as they tear through Miami’s wild clubs and outrageous art scene, changing, growing and reconnecting on new terms. Drawing upon her unique insights as a family therapist, author Shelly Gitlow gives readers three characters they will never forget.

I had the great pleasure of reading excerpts as Liz. It was very gratifying to be part of this special evening. They captured the evening in live stream:

Dispatches from Paradise Livestream

The book is also available at the link above. It’s a great read!

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on my first film. All of the planets aligned and helpful people came out of the woodwork. My father-in-law, Aaron Morris, agreed to act as fiscal sponsor through his non-profit, Cultural Development Group, which is dedicated to advancing the arts in the Southeast. He was an amazing help with the myriad of contracts and agreements and so much more. We were able to get our insurance from Indie Film Club Miami. In fact, we were the first project to receive insurance through IFCM!Plus, we received IFCM discounts from HD House and Cinevideotech on our batteries and lenses. Ivan’s good friend over at Artistas Latinos provided the Red Epic.

We were having trouble finding an office that was available on the day of the shoot. My husband suggested I talk to his friend Brian Rogers, who contacted his friend Alex Sirulnik, who promptly offered up his amazing office in downtown Coral Gables. Helpful people, indeed.

And the crew. I can’t believe the crew that we were able to shoot with. It really was the cream of the crop. We all got together and pulled off an incredible 14 hour day of shooting. Everyone was wonderful. The energy was fantastic and the entire crew worked tirelessly from start to finish.

Here is a slideshow of a few pictures from the set:

Click on the picture to advance to the next image in the slideshow.

And speaking of helpful people, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our indiegogo supporters. This entire process from start to (almost) finish has humbled me in such a profound way. The generosity of spirit from contributors giving what they can to support a friend or family member, to crew members working their tails off for 14 hours for little to no pay, has blown me away.

I want to thank everyone who has had a part in this project. I can’t wait until we are able to let you all see it!

Cast:
Janae Catt – Assistant
Ivan Lopez – Dale
Katrina Morris – Melissa

Crew:
Jon Jones – Director
Jonathan Franklin – Director of Photography
Joe Sanchez – 1st Assistant Camera
Jay Shropshire – Gaffer
Bryan Sills – Key Grip
Eric Valdes – Sound Mixer
Patricia Medina – Script Supervisor
Rory Lee – Key Makeup Artist
Oscar Ruso – Assistant Director
Melissa Gonzalez – Production Assistant
Phil Le’sean Bouknight – Production Assistant / Still Photographer
Sydney Ramos – Production Assistant

Our director, Jon Jones will also be screening his film, The Treasure Hunter, which won best short film at The Canes Film Festival.

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/179760668865028/

Eventbrite tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/7611250455/es2/?rank=2

Donate to The Position

The team we’ve put together is a dream team and more and more incredibly talented and FUN people are coming on board every day. This project is picking up a life of its own. From the very beginning, we have felt that this film just wants to be made and we are encountering more and more help coming from all sorts of places. So a HUGE thanks to our supporters for making this all possible!

We’ll keep you updated on our goings on. Our shoot date is scheduled for August 25th. Right now we’re pulling together all of the necessary pieces: film equipment, location, make-up (the amazing Melissa Ann Hubicsak – yay!), contracts, insurance, the works. Everything seems to be falling into place.

I’ve added a page on my blog to accept further contributions: https://katrina-morris.com/blog/the-position, so if you know of anyone who wanted to contribute, but missed out, send them on over!

Again, thank you for all the watching, sharing and giving. You all rock!

Here is our pitch video:

And here is our indiegogo page:

http://igg.me/at/the-position/x/2955708

There are lots of great perks available, including a personalized motivational poster, a movie poster, “creatively written” resumes signed by the lead actors and even IMDB producer credits!

Follow the campaign to see the job tips we’re releasing throughout the campaign. They’re sure to help you land your next big job. Maybe. Um…

Written by David Laffey and directed by award-winning director, Sara Werner, Sunday Bloody Sunday is a quirky dark comedy about the struggles of a family when a twisted serial killer (the “Bunny Man”) escapes from prison on Easter Sunday.  Suddenly the kids are mysteriously kidnapped, forcing Glen, the slacker dad, to step up and save his family. But is the kidnapper and the escaped serial killer one in the same?  Will Glen save the day?  Will the kids survive the wrath of the Bunny Man?

Here are some behind the scenes stills:

Glen and Linda, Easter Morning – we are not getting along.

Only Daryl was small enough to fit in the van with the bunny head on.

Very ominous.

My adorable “daughter,” Maya and my “pet duck,” Paz de la Duck.

John Archer Lundgren played my charming Father-in-Law, here with our amazing director, Sara Werner.

The midnight crew.

Love me some Phil Le’sean Bouknight.

My amazing “daughters” Julia and Maya. They stole the show, naturally.

Gotta love it when you get to act in a pink robe with fuzzy cuffs and hoodie.

Most of the crew

I had the great pleasure of being part of White Rose Miami’s production of Willow, a one night production of a truly unique and stimulating theater experience.

The show was created by Ivan Lopez and Melissa Almaguer, and featured original monologues, dance, music and a bit of improv-to-script work (which is of course the part I was involved in). It was such a thrill to see it all come together and truly one of the funnest (I know – not a word, but applicable non-the-less) creative processes I have undertaken.

I see great things ahead for White Rose Miami.

Here’s a synopsis:

White Rose Miami Theatre officially kicked off the WRM/PAX Theatre Series with WILLOW, a fantasy love story with music and dance.

The Experimentor, a soul tracker who dabbles in soul research and time travel, has invited an audience to his laboratory to help him save the love of his life, whom he’s never met, from lifetime after lifetime of loneliness.

The play was created through the collaboration of 17 artists, including writers, actors, musicians and dancers.

Creative Ensemble: Armando Acevedo Gui Agustini, Melissa Almaguer, Nicholas Delgado, Lina Echeverri, Matthew Garcia, Randy Garcia, Melissa Ann Hubicsak, Bryan Lindeman, Ivan R. Lopez, Katrina Morris, Francesca Toledo, Lolliette Romero, JL Rumberger, Amy San Pedro, Jeremy Valdes, and Nadia Zehtabi.

Also, here is a link to a New Times article about the night: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/cultist/2013/01/white_rose_miami_brings_soul_s.php

Put up your dukes!

I was invited to perform in the MicroTheater Miami Prime Time program for the month of July. What a treat. It was the second installment of MicroTheater here in Miami. The concept originated in Spain. Several short plays (no more than 15 minutes) are performed in very small theaters six times per night. Audiences shop ala carte and pay $5 per play. Of the 8 plays presented during the Prime Time program, our play was the only one in English. The rest were in, you guessed it, Spanish. The run was so successful, that MicroTheater will now become a permanent feature in Miami with new shows cycling through every month. Several other cities are in the works, including Buenos Aires, LA and New York.

Me with Ivan’s understudy, Stephen Kaiser. Ivan had a wedding and Stephen stepped in. He was great.

Our play was called The Position, written by Idoia De Eguia Luna and Alexa Dooseman, writing partners out of San Francisco. I was so excited when I read the script – it was witty, tightly written and had a point of view! I hate to say it, but that’s not so easy to come by. I’m not a writer, so I can’t really sum it up very well, but the story was about two job applicants for a really sweet job who are subjected to a group interview and gradually one-up each other until hilariously outrageous things happen. It’s one of those pieces that would have been on the Carol Burnett show if it were around today.

Our director and my fellow interviewee was Ivan Lopez of the White Rose Theater in Miami and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime. We fell into a way of working that was very organic and we had an absolute blast. I truly feel fortunate to have had such an amazing experience and one that I think changed me as an actor.

The door to our micro theater, and I mean micro

The experience of performing at MicroTheater was truly unique and a real exercise in concentration! Our “theater” was literally an 8′ x 9′ generic office. Our set consisted of two chairs and a blue dot on the wall opposite us, representing the interviewer and our audience was 3 feet away from us, with the front row in chairs and the rest standing. Our entire play was delivered to the blue dot, which sometimes someone would stand in front of! In that case, we shifted our focus slightly to one side of the person.

There are points in the play that are just so hilarious that people would be cracking up right there in front of us and it took a great deal of focus to stay in the moment and drive forward. After five weeks of six shows per night, three nights per week, my powers of concentration became finely tuned. In fact, doing MicroTheater confirmed for me that acting is 90% concentration.

I highly recommend participating in MicroTheater if you can. It’s unlike any other acting job in theater or film. In my opinion, it’s almost a mix of the two. It has the intimacy of film, but the immediacy of theater. It was thrilling to be in front of just the sheer number of audiences in such a small space and I’m so glad I did it. I’m putting a link below for the next run:

Open call for Season 3