Melissa Verwey – Van de Vooren
Performer, Marketing Professional & Vintage Seller
Happy Birthday Canada!
Hope you are all enjoying the day celebrating our amazing country! Happy Canada Day! Photos courtesy of KVDV Photography!
This summer is off to a great start filled with lots of auditions, and even some call backs! I was also recently on set for a short film called “Women Not Permitted”. Here is a selfie of my makeup and costume for the shoot!
Hopefully some more good news to follow soon!
Cheers,
Melissa
Thanks so much to Chatelaine for the opportunity to participate in their Mothers & Daughters Feature! Check it out here: http://www.chatelaine.com/living/daughters-talk-about-their-mothers/image/6/! A special thanks to KVDV Photography for the Photos!
Also… “Shakespeare In Hollywood” opens tonight! Come and join us for lots of fun and laughter!
Cheers,
Melissa
I have been cast in a show! If you are looking for something to do the last weekend of April or the first weekend in May, come check out “Shakespeare in Hollywood” by Ken Ludwig at Papermill Theatre, presented by Amicus Productions.
You can get tickets here: www.amicustickets.ca.
Some information about this entertaining comedy…”Let’s go back to Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1935 to visit Warner Brothers’ set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Through some theatrical miracle Oberon and Puck have returned from the past to be cast as themselves. What follows is an evening where no farcical well is left untapped. Enjoy over-the-top snappy dialogue, laugh-out-loud gags and, yes, even a tasty dollop of useful social observation. Don’t miss this show, a tribute to the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.”
Hope to see you all there! Photos to come soon!
Cheers,
Melissa
Who watched the Canadian Screen Awards this past weekend? I was lucky enough to be working it!
Congrats to everyone who was nominated, you are all so talented!
Now on to a busy month of more auditions! But first a fun night out at The Actor Advantage Program’s TV/Film Industry Showcase at The Hard Rock Cafe! It was such a great night filled with so much laughter my stomach ached. Congrats to all of the wonderful talent who performed!
More updates to follow soon, but first… Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Cheers,
Melissa
I just entered to be the Thailand Smiles Ambassador through Dream Jobbing! Feel free to vote for me and leave comments as I’d love your feedback!
Check it out here:
http://dreamjobbing.com/dreamjobs/ThailandSmiles#2407!
I’ve also submitted to “Be the Face” of First Choice Haircutters! I’ll keep you posted if I make it to the next round! Fingers crossed.
It’s been a busy few weeks of classes and auditions! I am so grateful. Every audition is a new chance to perform, work on my craft and increase my skills!
Cheers,
Melissa
So I finally signed up for class! I recently registered for Audition Dynamics with Ron Leach. This was the best decision I’ve made this year. I highly suggest this class to every actor. It taught me sooooo much about auditions, performing for the camera, developing a scene and so much more. If you haven’t signed up yet, do it now! I have had some auditions since starting this course, and already I can feel the difference in my performance and confidence when I enter the audition room!
Coming up; I have a few more auditions on the horizon, so fingers crossed! I’m also entering a few contests in the near future and will hopefully have some good news to report back soon!
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cheers,
Melissa
Robin Hood is fast approaching and Tech Week is just around the corner. Be sure to get your tickets soon as they will sell out fast! Show opens on November 12th 2015!
Apart from rehearsals, I have had an exciting few weeks filled with many auditions and opportunities! I even spent some time on set shooting a commercial this past week, and had a blast with such a talented cast and crew!
I also recently had the opportunity to check out the fall show ‘Funny Money’ at The Aldershot Players. It was an entertaining night with a very talented cast and crew.
Stay tuned for more updates coming your way soon! To stay informed, be sure to follow my blog for instant updates!
Cheers, Melissa
The Canadian Country Music Association Awards are now wrapped! Thanks to such an amazing crew to work with! It was so much fun. In case you missed it, I even got a chance to be seen…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGio8xh0CH4
And in the credits….
Such an amazing experience! I can’t wait to find out what adventure is next!
Cheers,
Melissa
The summer is slowly winding down, and rehearsals for Robin Hood are right around the corner. Before they begin I am fortunate to be working on the 2015 Canadian Country Music Association Awards Show. Be sure to tune in on Sunday September 13th or purchase tickets and come to Halifax!
Despite a busy agenda I have still been able to schedule in some auditions recently. They were all a great experience with opportunities to audition for casting directors whom I haven’t met before. They were a great test to my improv skills, an experience in learning to knit at the last minute, an opportunity to stretch my vocal cords, and a chance to bring out my inner rapper.
This past weekend I also had a mini vacation and celebrated my Birthday in Pittsburgh (see photos below of some of my adventures while there).
While in Pittsburgh I got to see a lovely musical ‘The Light in the Piazza’, put on by Front Porch Theatricals. The whole cast and crew did a wonderful job, and it was such a beautiful experience. I love having the chance to see other productions when I’m not busy with my own! Check them out here: http://frontporchpgh.com/cast. I also saw some amazing artists at the Toronto Buskerfest this weekend. The day was filled with magicians, jugglers, circus acts, painters, mines, comedians, and so much more. It was so inspiring to see fellow artists from all over the world following and achieving their dreams. A great reminder that art is everywhere and dreams can come true.
As I am now another year older, I am going to view it as another year closer to obtaining my goals. Who knows what this next year will hold, and what possibilities are behind every corner, either way I am enjoying the journey! And now to leave you with some words of wisdom from Will Smith: “I think that there’s a certain delusional quality that all successful people have to have, you have to believe that something different than what has happened for the past 50 million years can happen…Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity…What’s the point of being realistic?…It’s unrealistic to walk into a room, flip a switch and have light come on, but fortunately Edison didn’t think so”.
Cheers,
Melissa
Fellow Dreamers,
Some days you don’t get the part, you are faced with criticism, you don’t get the call, you don’t want to look at your bank account, and you doubt yourself and your choices. It happens to everyone. But what is important is to learn and grow from these challenges, push yourself harder, find your drive and believe in yourself. I’m done being sappy for today, but I found this story circulating on Facebook that may be a good reminder to continue to follow your dreams….
“This is one of the saddest stories ever told in Hollywood. His name is Sylvestar Stallone. One of the BIGGEST and Most famous American Movie superstars. Back in the day, Stallone was a struggling actor in every definition. At some point, he got so broke that he stole his wife’s jewelry and sold it. Things got so bad that he even ended up homeless. Yes, he slept at the New York bus station for 3 days. Unable to pay rent or afford food. His lowest point came when he tried to sell his dog at the liquor store to any stranger. He didn’t have money to feed the dog anymore. He sold it at $25 only. He says he walked away crying.
Two weeks later, he saw a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner and that match gave him the inspiration to write the script for the famous movie, ROCKY. He wrote the script for 20 hours! He tried to sell it and got an offer for $125,000 for the script. But he had just ONE REQUEST. He wanted to STAR in the movie. He wanted to be the MAIN ACTOR. Rocky himself. But the studio said NO. They wanted a REAL STAR.
They said he “Looked funny and talked funny”. He left with his script. A few weeks later, the studio offered him $250,000 for the script. He refused. They even offered $350,000. He still refused. They wanted his movie. But NOT him. He said NO. He had to be IN THAT MOVIE.
After a while, the studio agreed, gave him $35,000 for the script and let him star in it! The rest is history! The movie won Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing at the prestigious Oscar Awards. He was even nominated for BEST ACTOR! The Movie ROCKY was even inducted into the American National Film Registry as one of the greatest movies ever!
And do you know the first thing he bought with the $35,000? THE DOG HE SOLD. Yes, Stallone loved his dog so much that he stood at the liquor store for 3 days waiting for the man he sold his dog to. And on the 3rd day, he saw the man coming with the dog. Stallone explained why he sold the dog and begged for the dog back. The man refused. Stallone offered him $100. The man refused. He offered him $500. And the guy refused. Yes, he refused even $1000. And, Believe it or Not, Stallone had to pay $15,000 for the same dog he sold at $25 only! And he finally got his dog back!
And today, the same Stallone who slept in the streets and sold his dog JUST BECAUSE he couldn’t even feed it anymore, is one of the GREATEST Movie Stars who ever walked the Earth!
Being broke is BAD. Really BAD. Have you ever had a dream? A wonderful dream? But you are too broke to implement it? Too tiny to do it? Too small to accomplish it? Life is tough. Opportunities will pass you by, just because you are a NOBODY. People will want your products but NOT YOU. It’s a tough world. If you ain’t already famous, or rich or “connected”, you will find it rough.
Doors will be shut on you. People will steal your glory and crash your hopes. You will push and push. And yet NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. And then your hopes will be crashed. You will be broke. Damn broke. You will do odd jobs for survival. You will be unable to feed yourself. And yes, you may end up sleeping in the streets. It happens. Yes, it does.
BUT NEVER LET THEM CRUSH THAT DREAM. Whatever happens to You, Keep Dreaming. Even when they crush your hopes, Keep Dreaming. Even when they turn you away, Keep Dreaming. Even when they shut you down, Keep Dreaming. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF EXCEPT YOURSELF! People will judge you by HOW you look. And by WHAT you have. But please, fight on! Fight for Your place in history. Fight for your glory. NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
Keep Up the Fight. Keep your dreams and hope alive.”
Cheers,
Melissa
Melissa Verwey - Van de Vooren 