DevinRitchie.com

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I have so little computer time. Which is good I guess, if I was always just facebookin and blogging I wouldn’t be out there experiencing shit.

One month down. So far the New York experiment is a going well. My house is rad. I love my room mates, the location, and I love having my own room now(!). I have been busy applying for so many jobs, trolling through craigslist, sending resumes, and walking around finding places. While I am applying for regular jobs, I am also apply for one time event gigs. The first response I got from anything was to be A can of coors light at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. $150. Literrally. I was a fucking CAN OF BEER GUYS. It is actually pretty embarrassing, but nothing embarrassing about $150 for 4 hours of work. Just not the something to write home about. And no, I didn’t get free beer. (wtf right?) I just had to walk around with 5 other guys just to be a presence there. No tasks/coupons/free shit involved. And of course it was Coors Light, that is like ALL I drink lol. Since then I have gotten a few more leads on real jobs. I went on an interview for a new swanky bar and lounge on the lower east side that seemed promising. Last night I auditioned to be a karaoke host at some bar in midtown. Kinda rocked it, but it was hard to say because it was such a dead night. I did two of my classic karaoke jams I Just Died in You Arms Tonight and Red Neck Woman. Hopefully they will call? I also just got a call from the Studio School of Painting and Drawing to be a figure model, I go tomorrow for orientation and shit. I’m pulling a lot of threads right now hoping something will lead to something substantial. I’m hustling doing whatever work comes my way be it modeling, serving, karaoke host, or literally being beer.

I cant believe I have been here over a month now. Things have been falling into place pretty beautifully and I really am acclimating to the neighborhood and weather. As long as one of these jobs comes in I will be fuckin golden. I have been trying to be good about spending money and have been doing pretty well. I still allow myself to go out and get a couple of drinks. Usually just at beauty bar just around the block. Sunday night karaoke is becoming a weekly staple in my routine.

I survived the ComedySportz audition, made it to callbacks, rocked it, and legitimately did not get cast. That really sucked. I have been with comedysportz for over 3 years and I like to think that I am pretty fucking good at it, but not good enough for here I guess. It is also the first time I havent been cast when auditioning for something improv related. I got a good taste of humility with this, and the fact that I am still in my basic improv 101 class. I feel like all previous experience doesn’t count at all. Its just the shock of moving from a small pond to the fucking ocean.

I didn’t get cast. I havent found a job. The only thing I found was being a fucking can of beer. There are times I get pretty depressed that this is all I have accomplished for the amount of time and effort being here. But this is just how it goes I have to remind myself. I hung out with Ryan Nicolls a few times, its good to have people like him and Maggie and Cousin here. It has really helped me to have a little taste of home and family here. I have some guilt about leaving. No one in my family has ever really moved far away. at all. So I feel a little bad for just up and leaving. Not being able to see my family or friends or support them with whatever they are doing. This feeling will probably get worse before its gets better.

I have been thoroughly swept up in this New York whirlwind, and suddenly somehow a month has gone by and I am renting a room and go on job interviews and parties and bars with new friends. I am suddenly so busy and on the move all the time. I have to pause and step back and be like “what the fuck…? I am LIVING in New York?! How did this happen? where has this month gone?” I have been having a lot of dreams that I am riding a raging river (my dreams don’t rely on subtly.) I have just been having the feeling that I already took the jump of moving here and the river is fucking moving regardless of how I feel. Just keep swimming haha. I’m cheezy.

Another reason I wanted to move so far away was for rehabbing. Gain some independence, drink less, stop taking pills. I went off my meds a couple months ago, I just wanted to be free of vices and have all the feelings back again. They helped for a time, but it wasn’t a permanent solution for me. It’s been good for me to have some space. The only problem is I am not getting clarity. I am inundated with so much new stuff to fill my head with and lose sleep over(I am getting used to the train sound though). It can be so overwhelming so I allow myself to occasionally sit back and just marathon watch TV and get chinese food by myself. Though I feel guilt about that too like “this is what I moved to New York for?” Ugh.

Really I am absolutely enjoying myself and I cant wait to have some sort of regular pay check. I cant wait to have visitors too. Yall got a couch to crash on now.

OH! crazy story. The other day I decided to go out and explore some midtown gay bars. by myself, and at like 1am lol. As I get off the N train to transfer and I heard someone say “Devin?” and its Mary Grace Estacio. I’ve known her since 1st grade, she went to a different highschool and we lost touch a little. Apparently she has lived here for a few years and went to culinary school. Moments like that just crazy and fateful. I have had a few of those amazing moments where I really feel like I belong on the path that I am on. Oh yeah, but I went to the bar alone and still managed to make friends, get drinks bought for me, and made out with a cute boy. #stillgotit

This weekend is pride and I absolutely intend on celebrating that. But just not getting too crazy. I dont yet have the safety net of all my friends in Sac to get my drunk ass home. Today I am just catching up on life and taking a day to myself after a long weekend. Feel free to call me and catch up guys.

Peace

UPDATE: I got a week long figure modeling job at the Studio School. Its not even naked and it pays super good!

2 week down in New York City, while I’m still not Carrie Bradshaw I am making a lot of progress. First and foremost… I moved into my awesome new room! (pictures below). I dont have any stuff besides my 2 bags of clothes, and no I dont get to keep the bed. SO it will be the floor for a little while. The M train goes right past my window and is pretty damn loud and has woke me up a few times, but I am told I will get used to that in time though. Having a room makes all the difference in the world, I have somewhere to call my own and somewhere that I can decompress and not be in anyones way. So good.

Rooftop sunset ft. Mitch and Madeleine

2nd awesome news… I have an interview on Tuesday! It’s at a temp agency that Ryan Nicolls hooked me up with. I am super excited about that. I have been passing out resumes and applying at a lot of craigslist jobs for the past week. I might actually take a job being a figure model for art classes, why not? Its good money. For art. Right? But hopefully this temp agency will be able to get me some consistant work soon.

3rd awesome thing… I got a call back to ComedySportz NYC! Even though I have been doing it for like 3 years in Sac, my recommendation from Sac CSZ only got me as far as the invite only auditions, then I thought I did pretty poorly, and asked to stay late, but this wasn’t a good thing exactly, it was the people they needed to see more from, some bad and some good. But I made the callbacks anyways! They had 34 invited to audition and then cut it down to 12 for the callbacks and I was one of them! The competition is pretty fierce so I gotta bring my fucking A-game this Wednesday. I heard about both the interview and the callback today #winning

Other than all that, things have been going generally great. My classes at Upright Citizens Brigade are getting better and I believe I am beginning to prove myself. I also realized I have a lot to fucking learn. It’s humbling to go from a little pond to the fucking ocean.

Earlier this week when I came home from my audition I was in a bad mood(mostly because staying late at the audition caused me to miss the play The House of Blue Leaves which I had a free ticket to and features Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ben Stiller and Edie fucking Falco CARMELLA FUCKIN SOPRANO. So pissed). But Maggie and some friends Naomi Solomon, and Cousin (Maggie’s

Brenden, Cousin, and Madeleine

cousin Brian who everyone just calls “Cousin”) were making dinner and a few other friends including my roommate Naomi came over with beer and cheese and we had a cute ass dinner in our backyard that totally turned my night around. Thats what I love about the place I live. Not to mention there is always something to do, whether its just going to Beauty Bar, or little skips(the coffee shop my roommates/friends work at/run), or some party somewhere. I definitely couldn’t have landed any better in New York.

That being said, I really do miss my California family. I still want to be at those parties making people take shots, getting in trouble at the club, or just sitting around smoking cigarettes and eating pizza at Danny’s. I wonder about Pam casting The Full Monty and what Mayhem is up to. It really just hit me the other day that I will not be at my brother and sisters birthday, this kills me. This is the first time this has happened and birthdays are kind of a big deal to us. I have to do something like super extra special for them. AND THEY ARE HAVING A CANADA THEME PARTY. I COULD HAVE DRESSED LIKE A MOOSE. But these things are gonna happen I guess, its just settling in that I actually moved to New York(still doesn’t feel totally real) But it’s for the best in the long run. I need to be doing this shit right now.

Danny BBQing

It still feels a little like summer camp and I am trying to switch out of vacation mode into I live here mode. Which is difficult. Especially when meeting people and trying not to spend money or buy drinks. But I have been pretty good lately, (have hardly gotten all that drunk here at all!) I have been tagging along with Maggie to social things, BBQs, art shows, parties, or just walking dogs. Rooftop barbecues watching the sunset with friends that I hardly know yet. It feels pretty amazing. I want to soak up this feeling of newness and vigor while it lasts before I get used to it and jaded.

Regardless of how the jobs, auditions, money, or anything serious are … this will be an amazing summer. and maybe, this might actually work and I can survive here.

My Room! (bed not included)

Me and Cousin Brian urging Tim Muldoon to move here.

Oh, you know. Just being epic.

Heres the new coldplay, totally a Brian Eno track. pretty sweet.

Peace

Hey everybody!

I have been settling in here in New York City. A room became available at the house I am staying at so I am moving in here. YAY! so easy and awesome. It is a REAL room (much unlike the others I had checked out) with 4 walls, a door, a closet, and air conditioning. It’s in Bushwick in Brooklyn, its described as an “up and coming area”, basically because it is a hipster bohemian artist community that doesn’t have the affluence of an area like Williamsburg (which basically looks like Berkeley and all the lame hipsters live there). This area is still gritty and has more character. The best thing about this place though is my roommates, a group of  about 9 people live in the house which is divided in two but thought of as one. They are all friends and mostly work in the same places. Artists, film makers, musicians, etc. (basically the cast of rent). They seem to really actually care for each other and have been nothing but super supportive in trying to help me get along here. I cant help but think it was fate that this place opened up right when I got here. We also have an amazing backyard right under the M train that we all hang out in and have barbecues and bonfires. I really feel accepted and am so glad I don’t have to live with some craigslist strangers.

9 days down. Place to live? Check. Friends? Check. Job? … Not so much. I put on my nice suit and nice boy face and hit the streets and handed out my resume this week, applied at jobs on craigslist, and applied at a temp agency. Nothing yet, but its only been a few days. I cant lie, I am a little worried. I need a job to survive much more after this first month or so. All I can do is keep trying and applying. I keep reminding myself that I have only been here for a about a week and to have a job right now would be nothing short of a miracle, but still.

Image by bondidwhat via Flickr

Image by silverfuture via Flickr

My classes at Upright Citizens Brigade have been good. REALLY slow and basic, but everyone needs to start in them, I got pretty frustrated because clearly a lot of people in my class are not there for the same reason I am and I have a fire in belly to do so much more and I am learning how to say “yes, and”, Not to be an asshole, but I know this shit. I pulled my teacher aside after class this week wondering what else I can do to advance and how I can be one of those people on stage, he assured me that there was no short cut but also gave me a list other places to go to and work, he also encouraged me to either join or create an improv team and just perform as much as possible. I felt dumb for asking cause I guess thats the answer I was expecting. I have to learn some more patience because even any semblance of success will take me years and years to achieve. Which is fine, I just need to prepare myself for playing the long haul here.

I have been spending a lot of time walking around getting the lay of the land of the city. Ryan Nichols and I walked around central park the other day (which is amazing!) and I started to get the idea that anything you want can be found here. Opportunities here are truly endless which makes it actually easier to live in.

Everyone I know here is not from here. We all left our homes (mostly California and Florida in this house) in search of something. It has a special home for lost souls feel to it. Which is I guess what I was, and still am. Most people here came here for a new beginning, I certainly did. This is it. And I love it. I am treated like I am young here, which is refreshing. My friends here are late 20’sish. They moved here when they were my age too, many under the same kind of circumstances. I am used to being a bit of a veteran scene kid/club goer/ ARC theatre kid, here I am a veteran nothing. I actually like that. I also love that I don’t have a reputation here. I have always had one, something people associate with me or my family before meeting me. I don’t want to be the tragic kid or the party kid or anything like that. I like being mysterious for once even if it just for a few weeks.

I keep having the thought “god, San Francisco would have been so much easier”. It would be, but it wouldn’t be new or exciting to me. It wouldn’t challenge me to the extent that I am trying to. I know I’ll come back there one day, I love it. But for this time in my life I have to try something and challenge myself. I have been winning my challenge so far. One week down, friends, place to live, haven’t gotten ridiculously drunk (just some beer buzzin), and I actually applied for jobs. Go me.

I don’t know what next month, week, or tomorrow is going to bring me. But I survived a whole week in New York City. That says something.

If you want my address message me.

Peace. Say hello to your mother for me.

-

Exactly 2 weeks left before I move! I might have found a tiny room to rent from a friend of a friend, and a couple job opportunities. AND I already registered for classes at Upright Citizens Brigade (improv theatre), and get this it starts THE DAY I get there. I get there at 8am and class is at 3pm. I’ve been mapping out how to get everywhere and looking up New York survival guides trying to educate myself and get in the mindset.

It doesn’t even feel real right now. Mostly because there is nothing else to do. I have set everything up, and really all there is left to do is pack and twiddle my thumbs.

So I am trying to spend as much time mentally preparing, doing a lot of improv, getting healthy, and trying to see my friends. The issue is since it doesn’t feel real to me, it probably feels even less so for my friends. Especially to those among them who think I am coming back. I’m not having a big blowout goodbye party, I just want to have some chill hangouts with individuals before I go. But people are kinda like “you still have 2 weeks, I’ll see you” but these two weeks are gonna be busy and they are going to fly by and I’m free now. Oh well, I guess I’m just nervous about leaving and losing some friendships.

Getting new head shots done tomorrow. After that I pretty much just gotta print some new resume’s, take some old clothes to goodwill, knock over a bank, pack, see my friends and GTFO. Feels weird.

I have a couple improv shows left in Sacramento, but the one I want everyone to come to is tomorrow, Cinco De Mayo. MAYHEM long-form improv at 8pm performed at Comedy Sportz on Arden and Howe. I have a few other regular shows, but this one is only $5 and its unrated (meaning NOT family friendly) so y’all might enjoy it more. So if you are in Sac and free at 8 on Thursday COME! We will party afterward for Cinco De Mayo!

Does anybody know any good New York survival guide books? Or generally any books I should read? I likely wont have cable or a computer for a while. **ahem going away present idea… no wait. just money

I have been working on a blog that is a very extensive list of everyone person who has made some sort of impact on my life in Sacramento. I post a favorite pic of me and them, a favorite memory and why I like them/ what I have learned from them. I am nervous about because it is so damn cheezy and I don’t want anyone to feel left out if they aren’t on it. Also it kinda reads like a eulogy. I dunno, maybe I send them as messages instead. Theres like 70 people lol. Thoughts?

Anyways I’m gonna enjoy my last couple weeks here immensely and I hope to see as many of you that I can.

Peace

I did it. I bought a one-way ticket to New York City. I leave May 18th at 11:51pm and arrive the Next day at 8:05am.

I have been talking about moving on for a long time. I want a big change. I am 23, I finished all my obligations here, no classes, no plays, no real job, no relationship. Friends are moving on and getting out here too. Everything in my soul tells me the time for action is now.

Sure, I could wait for the perfect situation, when I saved up a significantly more money, set up a job, and know exactly where I’m going to live. But that will never happen. I see people postpone their dreams daily. It has to be this way. I’ve saved up some money, not a lot, but enough to survive a little while. I will be couch surfing with a few friends, primarily Maggie Muldoon at first. Staying in Brooklyn. Once I get there I will be looking for work, HARD. Then a room to rent, probably in Bushwick area. I have already applied at a few jobs online, nothing fruitful yet.

If I don’t do this now, I never will. I need to take this opportunity.

A lot of people thought this was a great idea, until I actually bought a ticket. I hear a lot of  “you aren’t actually like moving though are you?” or “you’ll be back in like a month, bet on it” or my personal favorite “OH NO, YOUR GOING TO MISS (so and sos) BIRTHDAY!” People have their doubts and that’s fine. People think I’m going to have a moth long drunk vacation and mooch off the poor suckers I fooled to letting me couch surf. Please understand I am going to work and work and work to survive there. I’m only coming back if the city truly does chew me up and spit me out. If I cant find a job, friends, place to live, or I just plain don’t like it, I am realistic enough to come on back. In the end of the day, y’all can think whatever you would like. The negativity fuels me to prove you wrong.

I have already been in contact with the NYC Comedy Sportz, and I will hopefully start performing there soon after. I intend to take classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade over the summer.

I know this may sound incredibly idealistic, the whole “go to New York City with nothing but the clothes on my back and the hope in heart” attitude. Perhaps I have been lulled into this dream of New York City by Carrie Bradshaw, Alisha Keys, and watching too many Friends reruns. Even so, I’m going to go see for myself. I wanted something to totally shake up my life. San Francisco or LA is just to0 close and I know too many people. Too safe. I need to be independent. I need an adventure. I gotta do it on my own this time.

I sit here waiting for May 18th to get here and I am more and more confident of my decision. My friends are in different places in their life and I can never have the life I want here. I cant wait to get away from some of the petty drama that has followed me. I get a fresh start, a new reputation to build and new friendships to make. I sit in the same houses and bars drinking away the days cycling through a new batch of people that come and go every year. Saying to myself “how long can I keep doing this?” and “if you want something else, go get it.”

I always thought that I wouldn’t leave Sacramento until I beat it. What does that mean? Well, I wanted to get the town to work for me. Find my place in it. Be successful. Be comfortable and popular with a lot of friends. I don’t want to move away from somewhere I haven’t conquered yet. I feel like I have beaten Sac now. I didn’t know a single person here 5 years ago. Then I spent 5 good years here performing, making great friends, partying, networking, working, and going to school. Now I can walk into a bar and not pay for drinks or cover. I have a huge network of friends that I can depend on several things for. People said I was a bad actor/singer/dancer so I took classes, kept doing plays anywhere and everywhere and got better. Which lead to me getting lead roles and I got an Irene Ryan scholarship nomination. I have been apart in so many different social scenes from ravers to theatre people to gutter punks to yuppies to church people to goth kids to hippies to you name it. I have had PLENTY of life experiences here and it’s time for my next chapter. I am not leaving because Sacramento has got me down and I can’t make it work for me, I’m leaving because I did already. I guess I have a different idea of what successful is compared to other people.

I have my reservations about leaving of course. I’m really scared. And excited. I’m leaving everything I have ever known. I’m leaving being comfortable. I always lived with my mom, I’m the baby. And now I am just leaving her high and dry taking care of my elderly grandmother by herself. But I keep having to remind myself that this is for the long term greater good.

So, Sacramento. Lets hang out before I go, bury any hatchets, have a beer or whatever. Stay tuned.

peace.

*pics are from our recent trip to chico.