Alright, technically, 2012 has been here for a month, but January is really the only time the industry in NY quiets down a bit. Which is why, every January, I try to take advantage of the ebb in the tide – I travel, visit family, eat whatever I want (lies – I do that year-round), and just generally regroup to physically, mentally, and emotionally prep for the new year.

In a way, February is the start of my 2012, and I’d like to ring it in by first taking a peek at some of the highlights of its predecessor. But if you’d like to skip the nostalgia, just scroll down a bit for a look at what 2012 has in store so far 🙂

2011 Highlights

• White Collar- In April, I shot my first co-star role on primetime television: Season 3, Episode 3 of USA Network’s White Collar. I portrayed an assistant to a journalist (played by the wonderful Jayne Atkinson) who gets herself fired for caring too much about her boss’s safety. In a second scene, I also had the pleasure of working with Tim DeKay and Sharif Atkins (Agents Burke and Jones, for fans of the show). I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such incredibly talented people, even if it was just for a day! The episode aired on June 21, 2011, and it’s available now on Amazon. Hopefully the season will be on Netflix very soon, for those of us with small wallets and no television!
• Arbitrage- In May, I booked and shot my first principal role in a mainstream film (or what we hoped at the time would become a mainstream film!) Nicholas Jarecki wrote and directed Arbitrage, a Wall Street thriller about a hedge fund magnate (played by Richard Gere) who becomes increasingly desperate as his empire crumbles. The film also stars Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling and Tim Roth; I have approximately three lines somewhere in the middle, but I worked with Brit Marling in the scene, and had a fantastic time on set. The film just had its premiere at Sundance, where it was purchased by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions – so look for it sometime soon at a movie theater near you!
• Bakwas Bumbug- In June, I made a return to the stage in the world premiere (okay…workshop production) of Desipina & Company’s Bakwas Bumbug, a rock opera reinvention of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol told through the lens of “NYC Immigrants and Hyphenated America.” Under the direction of the ultra-talented Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri, I developed the character Sunita, a bright-eyed girl with a mind of her own who’s just trying to figure out who she is. It felt so good to be back on stage again, and even more wonderful to sing on stage again, especially surrounded by such a passionate and brilliant cast. I still have my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to mount a full production of the show in the near future!
• Occupy Main Street- In October, I had the opportunity to work with CollegeHumor  again, this time under the direction of the HILarious Josh Ruben, in a sketch  called We Are The 1%. It’s a parody of “Occupy Wall Street,” and the video pretty much speaks for itself, so if you haven’t seen it yet, make it a priority STAT!
• Rising Circle Theater Collective- In the beginning of 2011, a friend of mine told me about the Rising Circle Theater Collective and their mission to broaden the scope of storytelling and diversity on the stage. I immediately submitted my information to their Actor Database, and very soon thereafter found myself meeting with the Collective’s Artistic Director, Deepa Purohit, about participating in a workshop reading of her beautiful play Flight. During the reading, Rising Circle’s PlayRise Festival, I portrayed Birdie, a girl who has lost her wings and her voice. I’m looking forward to more opportunities to work with Deepa and the Collective!

I know it seems silly to look back at years past, but I find it incredibly cathartic, even inspiring. Which now makes me seem really egotistical but hear me out! Every time I look back at the previous year, I’m reminded of how being in this industry is a process, a process that takes time, hard work, patience, perseverance, and determination to complete. Every year I’m more excited to be on this journey and see where it takes me.

2012 is off to a pretty great start: re-signing my contract with my fabulous agency (go Bloc!), pilot season in NYC (I’m not quite mentally ready to tackle pilot season in LA yet), and Arbitrage hopefully coming soon to the big screen in wide release (fingers crossed). Plus:

• Last year I recorded two more episodes of Pokémon, which will be airing on Cartoon Network sometime next month – stay tuned!
• I know it’s been a while since I’ve had any Oh, Sophia news, but trust me, big things are a-brewing! Our fearless director has been hard at work on the edit, and I’m so jazzed about the clips I’ve seen so far. (Do people still say “jazzed?”) Maybe if we’re all lucky there will be a new trailer soon (No pressure, B!)
• The name of the game so far is “Networking.” And if Networking has a subtitle, it would be “Collaboration.” Thus far this year, I’ve been expanding my network – thanks in large part to recommendations and introductions from friends, fellow actors, and industryfolk. I’m so grateful for the relationships I’ve developed over the years, and I love that in our little circle (our ever-growing circle!), we always support and encourage each other, collectively rising to ever greater heights. I’m so excited for what the next few weeks may bring!