Cold Case

Well, I just wrapped with the show 'Cold Case' tonight. Apparently it is about a detective who gets these cases that were never solved, so the show gets to have fun with flashbacks to different periods...tonights being 1953. The location was at the Santa Anita Racepark, which was built in the 1930's. Our waiting room was outside in the VIP bleachers, which was actually pretty great, as there were plush chairs and it overlooked a spectacular sight overlooking the mountains and palm trees. As I was sitting there admiring the beauty of the landscape (California really is a gorgeous State) I couldn't help my attention being diverted to the scene all around me. Being that this was a period piece, we were all decked out in vintage 1950's clothing...plus, we all had to go through hair & makeup which really made for an amusing sight. I mean, the gals all looked like Marilyn Monroes or Jackie Kennedy's, and the guys well, of course we all looked dapper in our burlap suits and oxfords...but it was sort of a surreal sight, I mean...where else (sans Halloween) would you find yourself immersed in this situation? I guess that is why I love my craft so much, the ability to evolve into new characters, absorb their personalities, experience periods of time most people only get to read about in history books, or perhaps hasn't happened yet, or even better...could never happen, in a realistic world. The scene tonight took place in a ballroom, complete with swanky samba/swing style music, martini's, manhattans, dancing, cigarettes, cigarettes, and ehem...cough, cough...more cigarettes. They sure loved to smoke back then. Ahhh...ignorance is bliss, no? Well, putting all health risk hearsay aside, they certainly seemed to elevate the debonairness of the evening. This actually was a weird situation for me, as I personally gave up smoking almost 3 years ago, and haven't touched one since. However, after speaking with the prop crew and confirming that these were stage cigarettes (completely herbal), I indulged. I must admit it was nice to hold a cigarette again, but being that filters were uncommon in 1953, it quickly made me realize why I gave up smoking in the first place. Oh, I almost forgot...all the guys received haircuts today, so as to make sure we looked the part. This came at a great time, as I was overdue. The best part is...not only was it a free haircut (done well, I might add) but they paid ME to do it! ($5) All in all, I have to say that my experience tonight on this set has been my favorite thus far, all though, I do look forward to what the rest of the week has in store. I'll keep ya posted!

P.S. - feel free to leave me comments...it will inspire me to write more, if I know somebody is actually reading this!

Cheers -