I had a musical theater teacher once compare auditions to grocery shopping. If the director is shopping for a carrot, you can be the very best, most delicious celery there is, but you're not getting picked. The director is looking for a carrot, not celery. All you can hope for is when someone does come along looking for celery that you are the very best celery you can be, and maybe the little sprinklers have just gone off to make you extra-specially appealing. So, when you nail an audition and STILL don't get the part, you might just be suffering from Celery Syndrome. What's the cure? You get right back out there and go to your next audition, knowing that when the time is right, you'll land your part.
So, my carrot & celery story....
Growing up, I was never a small girl. Never. I had girls in Jr. High call up my answering machine and sing-song "Jelllyroll-JELLYROLL-jellyroll" and was called a whale. I remember lying about my weight starting about 3rd or 4th grade on my summer league softball "stats" card. I lied about my weight on my driver's license application when I was a sophomore in high school. I remember writing "156", even though I was probably closer to 165. Then, later that year, I quit most of my activities (dance, karate, softball, marching band) so I could get a job and pay for gas for my car and etc...at Taco Bell. That's when I REALLY lost control of my weight. I thought maybe when I left for college and walked around campus and joined the college marching band that maybe the weight would take care of itself. That didn't happen. Many years and 2 kids later, I saw a picture of myself at Alpha Sigma Alpha district days with two of my sisters. (See below) I really looked at myself and decided that I couldn't be like this anymore - I had to change. It took me TWO years and gallons of SlimFast (I also used Alli, which I highly recommend if you can stick with the plan they lay out in the guide), but I lost over 110lbs.
So, what does this have to do with showbiz and carrots and celery? I feel like I'm now a carrot (and not just because of the red hair - although that's honestly helped as well). Yes, there are parts for celeries (Mimi from Drew Carrey, Bridget Jones, Deloris Claiborne), but they are much fewer and far between. It's also given me a confidence boost, which also helps a ton at auditions. I honestly still feel like I'll never be able to eat in front of people without them thinking about my weight (even though at this point, I know I'M the only one thinking about my weight), but I've gotten control of it and feel good enough about it that I can finally put this post out there.
I hope this inspires someone to become their own version of a carrot.
Do you have a carrot & celery story? Please share!
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