GOOOAALLL!!!

2009 is almost at an end. Ride off on the damn horse ye came in, I say! Why, because like most, I too have felt the pinch of this brittle time. I have seen and heard desperation creep into the most loving of people to turn them into cynical, cold, hard creatures cable of lashing out at one another. The year started with an upward momentum only to turn and wreak havoc upon dreams by stilling the waters to creativity with no funds for the arts. Everywhere: schools, theaters, films; cuts were being made and actors were feeling the brunt of having to "work for free" for the love of the art. Well, that's all good and dandy but we still have to put food on the table and kids through college. Although some of us may be luckier than most, not all can afford to pursue acting "just for the passion" there has to be compensation. Let's face it, dance classes, acting refreshers, photos, hair/makeup - all the things we need to go out there and "do our jobs to get the jobs - cost money! So, 2009 yielded very little. The year with its hope and promise did not deliver! Or did it?Have we become so wanting of more that we cannot recognize the accomplishments of the reigning year. As I reflect upon what I set out to do in 2009 I must put aside my negativity and acknowledge what I did achieve. Let me recount:

• Fall 2009 wrapped filming on short film titled 'La Soledad' Graydon/Mauro/Spence- Release dates unknown
• Spring 2009 filmed on film Salt - Philp Noyce/Columbia Pictures - Release Summer/Fall 2010
• Spring 2009 wrapped feature 'Bittersweets'-Ashley Miles/Nuance Productions - Release dates unknown
• Winter 2009 wrapped short film - 'La Curandera' - Talia Mazzarela/Faux Boheme Productions - Release dates unknown
• Filmed Commercial "Asado" for Verizon Wireless - Summer 2009 - Release dates Summer 2009
• Filmed Short 'Pass It On' for the O'donnel Company - Summer 2009: Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/k9drama to view my videos.

Looking back, I am grateful for every experience. Some came with pay, some without. Each one gave me great benefits. They hold their own sense of wonder, excitement, anticipation, frustration and disappointments. I learned for myself that I am seeking too hard and demanding to much from an industry that is suffering right along with me. I must work on the virtue of patience. I must not lose sight of my perspective or my goal. By all means, I do not concede an "all was swell" in 2009. I will still be happy to see it go. However, considering that my one resolution last January was to get an Agent (and that was accomplished last week), I'd say I hit all of my goals for the year and then some!

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Updates!

Catch me if you can in the new Nancy Meyers movie: "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. The film opens 12/25/09 in all theaters. Let's play "Where's Kathereine?" Post it if you see me. Let's see who'll be the first this time to catch me... La Soledad Trailer is in the works and word from the director is that we should have it in a couple of weeks. So folks, I'm on pins and needles too, just a little while longer... I just recieved the DVD for "Bittersweets", a very small project I worked on last spring. I will post that video clip in a day or two once I can re-copy and upload... So there you have a few updates. Will post more soon. - Love you all. Thanks for your support!

©GuapaFilms™

Excerpt from Rob Graydon

Excerpt taken from Rob Graydon - Rob Graydon Website Principal photography has wrapped on La Soledad. Shot on location in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Rob Graydon has directed the story of Soledad Morales, a young woman trying to connect in a same sex relationship with her girlfriend Inez while dealing with her family's acceptance. Alanda Spence produced the film and stars as Inez. The screenplay was written by Danielle Berarducci. Long time Rob Graydon collaborator Richie Mauro served as Director of Photography. The ensemble cast rounds out the production with their talent. This amazing group consists of Dominique Martinelli as Soledad, Alanda Spence as Inez, Katherine Dickson as Alba, Joe Genesis as Mr. Morales, Jonathan Fortes as Paul, Geovanni Gopradi as Efrain and Joseph Menchaca as Buelo. There will be about a month of editing with Daniel Gilbert before January brings in post sound and color. Our composer David Boyd will be coming in from Europe then to score the film. And now Words from ME.... Once again I'd like to extend my gratitude to the cast and crew of this amazing project. I am honored to have been a part of such a wonderful group of people. I can't wait to see the final copy. Opening Night will be a Blast! See you all on the RED CARPET! Supporters please consider a donation TODAY. Every little bit keeps us going towards more Festivals and each Festival is more exposure and more exposure is more potential for awards. Help the DREAM continue... Click on the link to Donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8974109

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Being Alba - Filming

Anticipation is a great thing. It keeps you focused and moving forward. Prior to the weekend of Nov. 7th-8th. 2009 the adrenaline was so high as I prepared to breathe life to Alba for the film La Soledad. Rehearsals kept the cast and our Director Rob Graydon on a constant journey of discovery and soul searching for who these characters' were and what motivated them. Now as the day of shoot fell upon us the focus turned to technical worries of arriving to set on time, making sure wardrobes were complete, hair and make-up were done, food was available, crew and staff/PA's were accounted for. A flurry of activity demanded so much attention that the cocoon of our small acting family seemed to have disappeared. It was exciting, scary, disturbing, violent and sad. Why... because it meant that we were in production... and soon we would be done, it would all be over. I chose to join in with the group that was driven from the city to our location in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I'm glad I did! I had the opportunity to spend more quality time with the great people on this team. Upon arrival, I had no choice but to be taken a-back when at set-up of Richie Mauro Team the home we were using was transformed into a set. I mean this was no, camcorder with a few people running around shining lights here and there, like I thought it was going to be. No folks! This was a Movie SET! Like I've seen Richie at before! With all his lights and tons of people! Two Cameras! Dolly! Grips! Sound! You name it... We had it and more! We had all the perks too! Set & Art Designers/Directors, Photographers, Script Supervisors, Makeup and Hair, plus more. The best part is that each and every person was so nice and easy to work with. Oh... did I mention that we got fed like royalty yeah! Perks! Kudos to Alanda Spence - Best Producer EVER So, all good things right? Now I have to work. And that we did folks. Fourteen straight hours on the first day and about sixteen hours straight the second. Glamorous! See, film is VERY different than theater. In theater, once you are done with rehearsals and the show is up, you play in front of your audience, you hope for the best (that you don't forget your lines or song) and then the performance is over. There is no second chance. The moment has passed. But in film, those moments are captured over and over again to be replayed for eternity. There are second chances for mess ups! In theater you work with your fellow actors and they are your anchors to your story. Your Director guides you on how to tell your story upon the stage then cuts you loose on opening night. In film there is another aspect to consider. An actor that is introduced late in the process. He is the camera! He come in after you have worked so hard to find your character and stops you midpoint of a scene to re-adjust himself, refocus, relight and re-align. He's selfish and intrusive. Often he is in the way, magically he is in every scene, and never, ever, can you directly look into or at him. Yet, he is the actor I want to dance the most graceful waltz with. Through him and only through him does Rob and Richie capture the essence of what the story is truly about. So, I work hard. I do each take over and over. I give more each time. I forget to breathe, blink, eat, even go to the bathroom. I'm Alba - for every second, from every inch, from every pore. When Rob or Richie called they nearly tripped over me - I'm right there. I do my best not to be too far away. Thank God, for my guardian angel Erik Shearer(Sean, Brian) who through his grace made me the most 'delish' sandwich, remembered I'm allergic to mustard and made me laugh...without him...well, let's just say that there are people you meet that leave footprints in your heart... The hours pass. To my surprise quickly, too quickly. Sunday. The day comes to a close and at 2AM we wrap. It's amazing that we have completed everything we have set out to do. We are done. Alba is Wrapped. Now what. I volunteer to help out for Next Saturdays' shoot. Closure. I'm dropped off at home. Exhaustion finally hits me. I sleep until 4pm the next day. When I finally have the strength to get up, I feel restless. I'm back to the real world. Boy, I'm going to be hard to live with for a few days. No new projects pending. Back home I finally read emails... Congrats!, Great job!, Thank You!....From everyone.... Click... I turn off the computer, I just can't face it yet. It's over. I'm not Alba anymore. So, if I'm not Alba....Who am I? ____________________________________________ (Donations are still being accepted, Please consider a donation so we can go to Festival with our film! Thank you for all your support!) To make a donation to our film just go to this link:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8974109

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Becoming Alba - Part 2 - Rehearsals

The rehearsal process is always grueling! You start out with an idea in your head about who your character is, or where you want to go, only to find that you've only scratched the surface. Discovery, as it's deemed in all the acting classes, is another word for digging in deep into those deep crevices within your soul you never want to go in to! From there you pull out those emotions you've stored away never to feel again. How you get to those emotions, and who feeds you the life-line so you don't sink into a deep depression is your Director. So, he/she better be good!

You see, the script allows you to have a few lines, place a voice to how your character may be feeling, but it doesn't give you everything, like:

The who, what, where, when? what is this characters' pre-life ( their experiences, age, growing up event, daily routines, etc.) what does this character want. How will he/she get it? What are the obstacles? Only the actor has these answers' locked' deep inside and it takes discovery to find all of the answers. The Director can guide the actor(s) through his/her knowledge of the other characters in the story, understanding from the script writer (when available), and his/her own vision of the story to build and complete the story. With this bit of acting lesson behind us, I now let you in on the rehearsal process for La Soledad. Not skipping a beat on anything I've mentioned above, I say that Rob Graydon, our Director is amazing! Not because he may be reading the blog, or anything...but because he simply is! Here is why: the one thing that he has done that is not mentioned above is collaboration with the actors. Maybe it's because I've worked mainly on stage, but rarely have I had a Director ask me..."what are your thoughts, Katherine, what are Alba's thought here?" WOW! It is totally liberating. My input counts! His most constant note to us is "Listen...always listen, keep listening." For me this has been the life line that has allowed me to delve into the deep places during discovery. Where with Dominique, the actress who plays Soledad, I instantly knew how to 'speak' to her character, through Rob, I've been discovering Alba's voice within and for the rest of her family. As people we depend on all our senses to guide us. As a person who has lost the gift of sight from my TBI, I am dependant on my other senses to complete what I cannot always see. Sounds, words, inflections in tone, and body motions become so important on how I react to the world around me. Now double that when I prepare for a scene. My sight no longer delivers the first signals for responses. These come to me through my ears. It has taken 7 years and 5 months to retrain my brain to receive information this way. But, don't confuse hearing with listening folks -cause, there truly is a difference. In life, I hear cars as they speed by me, they help me gage how I drive. I hear the tapping of the water in the pipes that tells me I'm about to be scalded from putting the hot water knob too far to the left, I hear the sizzle of water I sprinkle as a precaution on the stovetop, after years of burning myself from not seeing which burner was too hot. But, I listen...to the inflection in Cory's tone as he tells me about his day. Then I know if it was good or bad. I listen to the whine of each dog... I know which one means: "I'm hungry, I'm lonely, or I need to pee NOW!" I apply these skills to my acting. I take in every line delivered as an emotional wave. It is a physical sensation. It prickles my skin. When that happens I know I've done it well. I've got it. We've made contact. In becoming Alba, I have had moment such as these. I am lost for those few minutes between the real world and the world of Danielle Baraducci (Screenwriter). Then Rob gently pulls us back and allows us to decompress and return. Only to connect to another piece of the dialog that later build upon another layer of this never-ending story. Next week I breathe eternal life into Alba. Still, I am asking: Is she strong? Is she right? Would I, could I..do the same thing she did? Am I like her? I may never answer these questions. They may never need answering. In becoming Alba, at least I had the courage to try. That's just the point.

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Becoming Alba... Part 1 - Auditioning

When I first submitted for the role of "Alba" in the film La Soledad I thought "cool, I could play this, I mean they are looking for a Mom type, Latina, Spanish speaking, good emotional range, All good! Right up my alley. I didn't give it much thought on what type of film it might be. What other types of characters they were looking for. What intentions were behind the posting in the casting notice. I had been submitting so much for the past few days that honestly I didn't even think I was going to be called. I've been in a downward slump for awhile. So when the email for an audition timeslot came in I was excited and looked forward to it. I readily agreed and anticipated the arrival of the script. Then came the call that I had to fly to Ohio. I would be missing the audition. I professionally sent my apology email saying I would not attend and never looked at the script. I flew out during the week of Oct. 3rd. and never gave it another thought. As luck or fate would have it, I received an email two nights before flying back home asking if I would be available for an audition. The role of "Alba" was still available. I said yes, I would love to audition. As it happens they scheduled my audition for 10AM the day right after my arrival. Did I mention that the closest flight I could get arrived at 12AM and flew into New Haven, CT which is 2 hours away from NYC where my audition was scheduled at! I got home. Kissed my husband and son which I saw for about 15 minutes, printed out the script from my computer, readied my clothes, picture and resume for the morning and headed for a few hours sleep. Three hours later I was up, showered and ready for my two hour drive into the city for my audition. Ah! the life of an actress. Oh... did I forget to mention I still haven't read the script! I arrived at Shelter Studios in NYC with 15 minutes to spare. I was hoping for more time, but parking in NY on a Sunday...well you know. I quickly apply lipstick, check myself and head to the building. When I reach the elevators, I notice this very petite girl get on - she has the most amazing eyes! The kind that look into. They are big and round, haunted almost. I can't stop looking at her as we are taken up to the 12th floor. She reminds me of my dog Mia when we are getting ready to go out somewhere, she's excited and anxious at the same time. Mia raises her eyebrows and starts to smack her lips in anticipation..."where are we going mommy. Is it a fun place. Or am I going back to the scary shelter?" Even after 4 years she still has this look like she might be taken back. That was what this girl looked like... like she was going somewhere great, but maybe not so great-she didn't know. At that moment I thought to myself...she must be auditioning for the role of Soledad and if the Directors and Producers of this film have any type of talent then they have to hire her cause she is it. I don't know why I thought that....I hadn't read the script yet! There was just something about this girl! I call it "magic", and I wanted some of it. From that moment I wanted a chance to read with her. When we got up to the floor I headed to the required area. wrote my name down on the waiting list and got out my picture and resume. For the first time I looked at the script. The scene was Alba and Soledad (her daughter) washing dishes. The scene calls for a very emotional talk between us two (I won't go into it) - NO SPOILERS HERE! I was scared! I hadn't prepared. I had no pre-life to this character. I didn't know what to give her for a motivation. How to approach the scene. Was she happy, mad, crazy! Do I act like: me, my mom, my neighbor, the lady in the grocery store, Julia Roberts, who? When they called my name, I walked in and right before looked over to the girl who was now sitting beside me. She smiled. I knew at that moment I wanted to whisper the words into her ears. So when I walked into the room that is how I auditioned. I whispered the words. They asked me to wait around for a few minutes. I did. I headed to the waiting room and there finally read the script. Oh my! Never have I fallen in love with words in such a short time as I did at that moment. I wanted to cry but, really, what would people say, "ok another crazy actor in our waiting room". Then out of nowhere there she was the girl! She was asked to wait around too! We started talking. Her name is Dominique. I could feel her heart beating as she sat close to me. She emanated such strong energy I could barely absorb it as she thew it all my way. She was a bundle of sparks, filled with emotions just waiting to burst out. I knew that together we would create a moment that hopefully one if not both of us would get a part in this film. So we talked and I found out she was not an actor. This was her first audition ever! I told her my thoughts - she was Soledad. I gave her some things to think about as she read the lines. I asked her some questions about her life. After about 10 minutes it was as if we knew each other for a lifetime. We did the scene and after two tries they weren't lines anymore , they felt so natural. When the Producer came to get us we walked into the room and readied ourselves for the read. We didn't need the script. We could feel the energy around us. We stood so close to each other - I could feel Dominique's body tremble. I whispered into her ear...use it , just let go... We started our scene... Magic! To make a donation to our film just go to this link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8974109

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La Soledad

Check out the link to Rob Graydon's Site. Here you will find all the information to my next film project La Soledad. I will keep you all updated here also, but Rob's website will be the central location for release dates. I am very honored to be working with such a talented group of people. The wealth of love and dedication that is being poured into this project will surely make for magical moments...it already has. ©GuapaFilms™

A glimpse into my world... When you first enter it might appear ordinary, simple, normal. Similar to any other life being led with the ordinary happenings of everyday life. Morning breakfast, kids to school, do the chores, walk the dogs, dinnertime, sleep...then ready to do it all over again.... But wait! In between the chores of the day I thought I heard a tra la la - or was it the tapping of a soft shoe. From dropping off the kids at school was that Mom wearing a leotard (God, I hope she doesn't get out of the car!) where is she going? Class? Audition? Yes and Yes! This mom is a Singer/Actor/Performer and all that goes with the territory! Katherine Dickson. That's my name and for as long as I can remember I have been singing and acting. Growing up in NYC gave me the opportunity to explore music and theater from an early age so I've always known that I would have these in my life one way or another. It truly is the one thing I love doing more than anything! (Aside from my kids that is)! You see, the thing is, in my life I've gone off and done other things...I've been a NYC Aux Police Officer, I've worked in Insurance, in the Medical Field, in Business and Real Estate and although I've had success in all my endeavors I can't say they've made me truly happy. Then in ...2001, I suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). It changed my life. It saved my life. Most people don't realize how fragile life is or how short our time on earth truly is until you are faced with your own mortality. The most simple of tasks are no longer taken for granted; those morning breakfasts or taking your kids to school seem like monumental moments. Reaching your true potential is no longer a dream or a wish but your purpose and it must be fulfilled. Recovery has been hard. Still is. Every day brings new challenges. Losing things you've always had, like; balance, eyesight, good memory are pretty tough to do without all of a sudden. But you keep going, living, climbing uphill. Becoming who I am meant to be is a journey that I embrace fully with...maybe to be totally honest, a lot of - fear. The statistics show that only 1 out of 11,000 will become "successful" in this "acting" industry. I wonder how they measured success? I choose to define my own success, not by fame; I may not get that. But my kind of success is measured in being truthful to myself and to others as I attempt to do good work. So, now you know a little bit about me. At closer range you may determine that my world is not so complex. But for me it's a maze full of unique adventures that I navigate daily. No day is truly regular and I am as far from your 'typical' actor/singer as you can get. However through this blog I hope to fill in the gaps to any questions you may have. We can talk about our stories, my story; your story. We can captivate audiences and raise awareness through its humanity; because of its reality. We can share the lessons learned and give courage. Help someone else not to give up; because we are here to show support and love. Life is difficult. But no goal is unreachable. Have I piqued your interest? ©GuapaFilms™