The Stupid Economy Sizzle Reel

The Stupid Economy Characters

"Flight" - 'Seen in the Dark' Movie Review w/ Chris and Michael

"Flight" - 'Seen in the Dark' Movie Review w/ Chris

Minor Activity

At some point, a person needs to learn to say "no, thank you", even to projects which seem fascinating and educational.  I have recently had to turn down two projects which were very interesting to me.

Don't worry!  I am thrilled to have done so because I am TOO BUSY!

The Stupid Economy by Robert Lynn is gaining popularity.  A law school is interested in bringing it to their campus (I haven't even compiled all of the emails I'm working on for getting the word out that it is available for hire), we just booked a party of 25 for a night the theatre is generally dark, the local accommodations owners are spreading the word, and we have professional level theatre-things happening thanks to Dan Balocca - Technical Director extraordinaire!

My television show, Culture Cravers, is well liked by the people who matter at the cable company and so I need to kick into overtime to get more material to them.  Now that Dubuque is growing exponentially in the arts, this is not as hard or daunting a task as it used to be, thank God!  Up until recently I was writing, filming, producing, editing, etc..all alone.  Now, I have the help of some great production crew!  Life gets easier if you keep at it, right?

Lina and Mitch have amazing imaginations and if I think for one second that I can work from home I can forget that!  Who can work when Mitch is doing the most incredible, uncanny rendition of a T-Rex or Velociraptor ever or Lina's belting voice singing any Lady GaGa song?  Not me.

Fingers crossed, I am currently awaiting acceptance into Loras College.  More later...

Services offered; Living the dream, right here, right now.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Summer-Sizzler-Update.html?soid=1110474080912&aid=E0fIaYG6NDI

A Secret Promise - Film Festival Flix

IF you missed these films in Dubuque, watch them via Streaming here~

And, watch for next Film Festival Flix - Dubuque!

A Secret Promise - Film Festival Flix

http://filmfestivalflix.com/film/the-holy-land-of-tyrol/

Exhausted but Ecstatic

These months have been crazy!

An idea of my day:  Shoot, research (and, in some cases, stalk new celebritie), write, record, voice over, edit Culture Cravers; my television show featuring the arts, run on my lunch break, dinner with the children, perform The Stupid Economy, meet and greet with the audience, sleep (if that's what you can call it; last night I dreamt I was postponing my death by talking the grim reaper out of it while drinking and smoking.)

Last week, all of these things were true plus I ran around organizing and wining and dining our newest guests to Dubuque.  In attendance, the every fabulous Jill Savarese of MouseTrap Films Distribution and Film Festival Flix, Philipp J. Pamer, director and writer of The Holy Land of Tyrol, and Michael Boatman; Actor (Spin City, Anger Management, China Beach, Arli$$), Author, and new personal fave!

Tonight, I shoot a YouTube video (starring yours truly) for a client who views me as a spokes model...I write , research, shoot, and edit that bad boy, too.

Literally, I've aged about 20 years in the last couple of days.  I hope the wisdom of age comes with it!

The Stupid Economy

Written by award-winning playwright Robert Lynn, and performed by award-

winning actress Chrissy Hogue, The Stupid Economy explores the stories of six 

women as they struggle with their personal economies. 

Meet The Women of

THE STUPID ECONOMY

Pam Babler is a clueless robo-signer, 

called to explain her actions at a deposition. 

Carolyn is a single mother who 

falls in a deep hole when she uses drugs to 

cope with her husband’s death and her need 

to find work. 

LaMonica Johnson struggles 

through a series of "odd" 

jobs, looking for legitimate

work and trying to keep her 

five daughters in line. 

Summer is a young, attractive, former 

drug rep working the system and trying 

to find the job she knows is out there 

for her. 

Louise is an old-money matron 

who doesn’t like how the country has 

changed. 

Cindy Trenette is a spendthrift 

housewife forced to reform her habits 

when faced with an unusual 

repossession. 

A nameless corporate insider narrates the show, telling the

audience the truth about how corporations and government 

operate. 

The characters return at the end to give their thoughts on
 how we got into this mess, 

and how we get out.

Throughout, we see not only how the economy has affected people, but the different 

ways that people have affected the economy. In addition to the economy, the play 

touches on everything from the college experience to Chinese production, racism, 

refinancing, politicians, and magic dogs, in the end providing a launching point for a 

conversation we all need to have about where we've been and where we're going.

Note from the Actress:
Now that the show has been performed 8 times between Chicago and Dubuque, Robert has re-written and I have re-memorized 18 versions and possibly more of the script, The Stupid Economy is just about ready for it's Galena year long run premiering May 30th at 8pm.  Location:  The Galena Trolley Depot Theater in historic and beautiful Galena, IL.

The support we have received moves me to tears most days of the week and keeps me going even when I wonder how I can possibly do this intense one-woman show five nights a week, work full time creating Culture Cravers, act as the local coordinator for Film Fest Flix, and care for my children.

But, I have done this before.  Many times I have done this.  As the show goes on so will the characters grow.  I will find new, interesting details while I'm speaking that will come out through the natural, organic process.  There is no way to stale a production like this unless I get lazy.  And, lazy, is not in my vocabulary.

Thank you to all who have supported, promoted, attended, photographed, and cheer us on daily!  Special thanks to Ronald Tigges; Digital Dubuque for these excellent in production shots!

We can't go on with out your love!!!

Deeper Film: Just Get Up! — Part Time Fabulous, at the Julien D...

Deeper Film: Just Get Up! — Part Time Fabulous, at the Julien D...: "JUST GET UP!"  Is brute shouting going to help? We know in our gut that it won't.  DEPTH: 5 ACTING: 4 PLOT: 5 ORIGINALITY: 5 PR...

First Bikes and Long Hikes

My son received as a birthday present from his paternal grandmother his first bike.  It is a beautiful red Buzz Lightyear bike with all the bells, whistles, and training wheels.  He went tearing off with no fear...

It reminds me of how I used to approach the stage way back before child birth landed me full on my feet in the world of reality.

Long ago I saw an actress speak about her journey since having children and she said that she suddenly couldn't act anymore because it seemed so silly.  Whether this woman planted the seed in my mind or it is just the case for some female actors, it became the case with me.  At the time, I remember thinking that would never happen to me because I would prevent it by never having kids!  Ha!  That, as we all know, was bullshit.

But, the feeling that acting is absurd is starting to wear off and I'm beginning to have fun with it again.  I have a much more rounded approach.  I have so much more life experience to draw on. The scars of death and birth have made it so.

As Mitch's journey has just begun, mine is a steady hike of solid upward motion and we're all getting closer.

Getting HOT in here!

Who knew Dubuque, IA would have so much work for me in store!  I am a neverending workhorse in that town. 

I mean, I do have a few things up my sleeve of my own because, God Forbid, I sit still for a minute or let someone else lay hands on my destiny! 

Here is a short list of things and projects I'm currently tied into:

• Julien Dubuque Internation Film Festival Celebrity Liason
• and, Filmmaker Coordinator
• The Stupid Economy-A One Woman Show written for me by Robert Lynn
• I am filming and editing a Press Kit Video to go along with this bad boy because I would like it to go on tour past Chicago.  Which, by the way, it is.  I have been approached by the owners of Mindframe Theatres in Dubuque, IA to produce it there and have been selected by Voices From the Warehouse to Present it as part of their three week art show.
• Creating, editing, writing, hosting Culture Cravers.  A quirky, fun, educational TV show about the arts including word etymology and history.
• Just finished draft 1 of a screenplay I intend to start filming in October 2012.
• Created a page for HogueMade Productions and will be holding a gathering for people interested in Dancing, Choreographing for my new Modern Dance Theatre Company.
• I'm working with the incredible Jill Savarese on getting whatever she wants!  That sounds crazy, but, truly, all she need do is ask and I will.
• Creating, editing, writing and hosting a YouTube Marketing Series for a prominent restaurant owner.
• Shooting an Industrail with the beloved Happee Smith Productions.
• Casting a massive project called Family Shots, which I have conceived and written 16 webisode scripts for.

I think that's enough for now.  Aren't you bored yet?

The Stupid Economy

is almost ready.  

Still so much to do.  I never imagined this amount of work!  Thank God I am currently unemployed!!!  Never thought I would say that...ever.

*A portion of the proceeds will the donated to the 1% in some way, shape or form.

Capitalism: My own love story with US Bank

Back in September I started a journey to buy a house.  I scheduled an appointment with the predator, oops! I mean, lender and began the process of jumping through absurd hoops and emblazoned rings of fire.  You know the drill!  First time home buyer gets a groovy new job making money with potential earnings based on commission, everyone is excited (boy this girl is thinking, I'm going to make more money now than ever before!), my predator -there I go again - lender starts pulling strings this way and that and finally we are about to secure a closing date and WAIT!  One more hoop!!!  He wants me to REFINANCE my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.  Really?  Why?  That car is a salvage and I've got my loan maxed out on it.  Nobody who works at my real bank would allow me to do that because they give a shit!  About me and their own careers!  Why would I extend a loan out on a car five years that won't last the end of this one, I ask, what's going on?  He says, You are a 41 ration for debt to earning and you need a 48.  Well, now, I've already given him all my tax info and my $500 non-refundable processing fee to discover that this is the moment when this thing falls through because, SURPRISE, Chrissy, you can't afford that house!!!  I say, no thanks, I'm pulling out.

I am lucky to not have gone through with that because within no time at all my big money job turned into a big sexual assault nightmare.  So, I emailed the preda-ehem!-lender in a professional matter saying thank you and should I pop in whenever to retrieve my tax files?  He never replied.  Big shocker that one! So, I call and he refuses my calls.

 I will be walking in there today in the hopes that my file is waiting for me somewhere.  God help me with patience.  I'm just about out!

Thank you for reading!

www.ChrissyHogue.com
www.ChrissyHogue.icanvoice.com

An Actress Mother's Life: Master Cleanser day 1

An Actress Mother's Life: Master Cleanser day 1: This is the first year I made resolutions since I was a kid. Every resolve has been followed up by some further need to continue the work. ...

Master Cleanser day 1

This is the first year I made resolutions since I was a kid. Every resolve has been followed up by some further need to continue the work. For example, I quiet drinking and social smoking for the entire year of 2012. The social smoking is easy with the lack of drinking because I simply don't smoke!! As part of this new lifestyle I am starting the Master Cleanser today. You might know it as The Lemonade Diet. The shock to my routine is truly only in flavor. I admit, I never thought I'd go for any period of time whatsoever without my morning coffee (strong coffee with three heaping tablespoons of sugar and milk) but here I sit, with my sea salt water obediently consuming the entire quart. From three tablespoons of sugar to 2 teaspoons of sea salt I gotta tell ya...ugh. I can't wait for my first glass of lemonade! This cleanse goes for ten days. It can go for up to 40. I should probably go to 40 to get all of the years and years of horrible toxins out of my body but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I will just focus on today...

Ragged Dick

Some of you may remember this idealistic novel from reading it in high school.  Other of you may have stumbled upon it yourselves.  For those of  you who haven't read it at all: it's a story of Rags to Riches.

Rags to Riches is the American Dream.  People from all over the world come here to achieve it and some succeed.  Think Penelope Cruz, Michael Caine, or any number of people who are not as famous but equally as rich and successful.

Many of us will wonder for the rest of our lives how to strike it big!  There are resources, books, consultants, etc all out there ready and willing to tell you how but in the end, the fact is, it really is just luck combined with perseverance.  And, even then, you may exit this life with nothing.  So what!?  It's fun to play, isn't it?

"Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it."  -- Oprah Winfrey