Summer update

This has been a busy summer! I've been doing a bunch of film stuff -- took a couple classes and put three projects "in the can," as they say, even though two of them used tape and one was on memory cards. (But that's good, too. It's still work, even if the old phrases don't apply anymore.) One of those was an independent feature entitled Saturnalia, and will be my first imdb.com credit once it gets posted up there. So that's exciting! Here's a clip from the film where you see me for the first time:

This coming Monday, Aug. 31st, I'll be performing a new monologue I wrote called "Kids say the darnedest things..." in The Actor's Project NYC's Monlogue Challenge -- you can still get tickets if you want to come and vote! I've competed in three of these over the past couple years and made the finals in two of them. Hopefully this new piece will get me to the top of the podium. And if not, at least I'll have a strong piece of material that sells me and my type better than the last few that I wrote. So that's good.

As the summer winds down, I'm gonna continue pursuing film projects and training and networking and submitting. I'd like to start working with a manager or agent in the coming months and really making a push into the film and television worlds. Theatre and commercials would be great, too, of course.

2009 Monologue Challenge!

The Monologue Challenge is a competition to see who can perform the best monologue. 35 will perform, 5 will be declared finalists, but only 1 will take home around $2,000 in prizes. Industry guest judges select the finalists, and then the audience selects the winner.

Last January, I made the finals, this time you can help put me in the winner's circle!

I will be performing a new monologued entitled, "Paralyzed." Come check it out! Tickets are ony $15.00 and are almost sold out.

UPDATE: Tickets available at www.theactorsprojectnyc.com/reserve.html!

UPDATE: I made the finals, but lost out in the audience vote to a brilliant monologue, written and performed by Joe Naples. He's a good guy and his monologue was amazing!

Update - Awards, challenges, and a sitcom

Thank you to everyone who came to The Actor's Project Showcases in June. Because of the outstanding support, I won the Box Office Award -- over $1,000 in prizes! I've already been taking advantage of my new lifetime membership and entry-fee waivers.

In October, I will be taking part in the next round of showcases; the dates are yet to be finalized, but I will let you know when they are.

My friends Jen Kwok and Eric Fortin -- collectively, The Tijuana Yacht Club -- have been writing a sitcom entitled Undiscovered New York: Uncovered, and I will have a recurring role. We've met several times and we are set to start shooting in the next few weeks. Should be awesome!

Finally, the next Monologue Challenge will be taking place next Thurs, August 21st. Just like one in January, industry judges will pick the finalists and the audience will pick the winner. I was a finalist last time, but there was nothing to be done about competing against the old woman talking about her suitor's "pee-pee."

Maybe this time there won't be a Michael Phelps-like juggernaut, everyone else fighting for second.

Here are the details:

• Thursday, August 21st, 7:00 PM
• 353 Studios, 353 W. 48th St., 2nd Floor
• MAP
• Admission: $15 (2 for 1 if you buy today, 8/15)
• Tickets available HERE or by calling 212-560-0991.

Alexander Dies Monologue

This is a recording of the monologue that I performed during Just for Giggles on February 18th. It's also the same monologue I did at the Monologue Challenge on January 7th.

• Alexander Dies

Monologue Challenge Results!

I did not win the Monologue Challenge, but I did make the top 5 as a finalist! As we performed, the judges gave us ratings and the five highest-ranked actors were declared finalists. The audience members then cast ballots to pick the winner.

Unfortunately for all the rest of us, an adorable 70-ish-year-old woman took part and did a piece where she tells the story of how a man showed up, naked, in her room one day with a beautiful bracelet around his erect "pee-pee" as a token of his affection. She rejected him and the bracelet fell to the floor as its support was, ahem, deflated. It was hysterical and none of us really stood a chance at that point.

It would have been great to win, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. I made some contacts and I had a chance to make a good impression with some industry folks And it was a lot of fun, simply watching so many great monologues. Kudos to all who took part.

Upcoming Events

In the next several days, I will be posting some information on here and on my web site about upcoming events, in addition to the mass emails. Let me know at justin@justinhoch.com if you would like to subscribe.

Monologue Challenge - Jan. 7th @ 7:30 PM

I'm competing in a monologue competition! Judges pick the finalists, audience picks the winner! That means I need to you be there and cheer loud if I make it to the finals! And if I don't, at least you'll get to see a bunch of funny stuff and good acting. It's win-win.

If you want to go, tickets are $15 and they are VERY limited, so call soon and book them! 212-560-0991.

353 Studios
353 West 48th Street
2nd Floor(Between 8th and 9th)

Bring friends! Don't be late! Competition starts promptly at 7:30!

Here's the announcement:
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Limited to 30 Contestants! One-Minute Monologues

Winner will receive 3-months free membership into The Actor's Project NYC. A performance of that monologue in our February Industry Showcase. Two free Premium Seat Tickets to Theatre of the Diverse. A Free Agent/Actor Forum. Free 2-Session Private Coaching with Bobby Holder. A free Two-Look Session with a top New York Photographer (www.davecrossphotography.com) or Half-Off a Full Session. And a few more industry-related prizes!
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