End of an era
I moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and after a few months of getting settled and finding my footing, I decided to get back into an acting class. A friend recommended the Dee Wallace Stone Studio in Burbank and the class sounded like something I would be very interested in. It's mix of spirituality and acting technique really spoke to me and my acting improved leaps and bounds. I studied with Dee ever since.
Now, as with most things, we've come to the end of the journey.
After ten years, Dee is closing the Studio down and for the first time in a long time, I'm not in an ongoing class. Once I got past the initial sadness and change to my routine, I find here is something very liberating about it all.
Most people know Dee as "the mom in E.T./Cujo...etc". She was also in Peter Jackson's The Frightners as well as a role in last year's ensemble sitcom Sons & Daughters. She has been a mentor and a good friend to me these past four years. She pushed me when I thought I couldn't go any further and encouraged me when I needed it. She routinely complimented my skills and shared my frustration in the fact that I'm not working nearly as much as I should be. She has helped me, recommended me and taught me. I will look fondly upon my time spent with her in the coming years and, when I finally do achieve the heights I know that I can, will thank her with every fiber of my being for helping me prepare for it.
She is a good friend and I'm happy that she is making this decision and focusing on herself and her career after a decade of focusing on her students'. I used to joke with Dee that she was my "West Coast Mom" and she told me that she always took that as the utmost compliment.
So while I'll miss the weekly ritual of going to the class and hanging with my friends, I feel secure in the knowing that this is right. I'm ready to move on to the next level.
It's time.
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