Author Archives: Karmyn Tyler

Clear Skin with Kukui Nut Oil

Posted in Skin Care by

Kukui OIl

Hawaii. Up until this year, I was the only person in my family and circle of friends who had not visited the USA, the land of paradise. Our family stayed on the Big Island, Kona side. Breath-taking really is the only way to describe it.

It was also the first time in years that I stayed in the sun longer than walking to my car or subway station. We hiked, beached, walked, hiked some more, and I ended up with a nasty sunburn.

While visiting the Hilton mini outdoor shopping strip, I found an oil that I had not heard of called Kukui Oil. On the bottle, it read “Natural Relief for Dry Skin, Sunburn, Eczema and Psoriasis.” (Hmmm…I’m suffering from one of these, and the Aloe Vera is making it worse.) Being an “I love oils” girl, I poured some out of the tester and rubbed it on my shoulders. It was oily but not greasy. It immediately absorbed into my skin — not just on my skin.

It felt good. Hours later, it still felt good, and my skin was not as red, so I decided to Google it!

It’s been used in Hawaii for years to moisturize and protect skin from sun, salt, wind, and other environmental elements. (Especially by Hawaiian royalty) It’s chock-full of essential fatty acids (linoleic and alpha-linolenic), more than jojoba and argan oil. Plus, it contains the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, so it protects against free radicals.

It absorbs completely into the deepest levels of your skin to form a protective barrier and is fantastic for all skin types, even acne-prone skin. It’s noncomedogenic, minimizes scarring, and calms irritated skin. For mature skin, it locks in moisture and softens fine lines and wrinkles.

I began using it all over my body (yes, my face too). I started noticing that my skin looked less red and naturally dewy – NOT greasy!

I have, in the past, suffered from acne to the point of being on Accutane. (Not fun!) So, I am always looking for ways to keep my skin clear, whether it’s what I put on my skin or what I put in my body.

I’ve been using the Kukui Oil for 2 weeks now, and acne has been practically non-existent. Through a menstrual cycle, eating peanut butter and soy (my skin allergy issues), I only had a few very small pimples. Using this oil is the ONLY thing I’ve done differently.

I’m ECSTATIC with my results!

I’m currently using a combination of blended oils: 35% Kukui oil, 35% Jojoba Oil, 20% Argan oil, and 10% of either Geranium or Chamomile, in a 1-oz glass dropper bottle. The jojoba and argan blend was what I was using before my Hawaiian discovery. The addition of Kukui has been a godsend!

What I bought: Oils of Aloha

Resources:
Suite 101
Live Strong
Herbal Healing
Venus & Vetiver
Ingredients to Dies for

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The Day I saw Rafa Nadal Play Tennis!

Posted in Tennis by

If you keep up with me on my social network feeds, you’ll know that yesterday my husband gave me the BEST one year anniversary present I could have asked for! A day at the US Open to see my favorite player Rafael Nadal! And what a day it was! He snagged court side seats right where the players emerge to play with a perfect angle to view the match.

My husband, Chris, always laughs and says that one reason all us women go crazy for Nadal is that he reminds us of Atreyu from The Neverending Story. And as much as I hate to admit it…he’s probably right.

So there we are with these FANTASTIC court side tickets where the players were practically touchable. Instead of rooting for Rafa, like me, Chris decides he’s going to root for the underdog, Philipp Kohlschreiber. He figures Rafa has plenty of support anyway, so why not. I said, “Whatever honey!!” (With a snicker!)

Anyone who knows my husband knows his laugh! He has an AWESOME, hardy…telling laugh.

It’s the first set and Nadal attempts a play that should guarantee a win. The play backfired and Kohlschreiber answered back triumphantly and stunned the entire crowd. At that moment of silence is when my husband’s laugh was heard ’round the stadium. (I’m NOT over-exaggerating!) It was a laugh that had the distinct tone of…”Well, well, well, ya thought you had that one in the bag, but OH Ho-Ho-Ho NOOOO!”

Nadal whipped his head around and looked STRAIGHT at Chris!!!

My mouth dropped open and Chris looked at me like, “Oops!” I lowered my head and started to silently laugh! I was worried it was gonna be ME not able to control my emotions and yell out something too loud. Nope, it was my husband!!

Chris started laughing too…a little “tail between his legs” silent laugh.

Then Nadal proceeded to lose that set. 6(4)-7(7).

Well, I continued to yell for Rafa. I even got a little more physical with my cheers letting him (Rafa) know not to hold my husband’s heckling laugh against me!

When it was all over, we were both overwhelmed with the amazing athletic performance of these two men! It was AWESOME to experience!! As Kohlschreiber left the stadium, I quickly thought to grab Chris’s white baseball cap for him to sign and he did.

Strangely enough when Nadal came by, he looked up at Chris and passed on signing the cap.

Ah, well, I don’t blame him…Nadal OR my husband! (giggle!)

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2020-COVID-19 Update! Low-Cost NYC Theatre Tickets

Posted in Acting, American, Broadway, Buy Online, Discounts, Musicals, New York City, NYC, Off-Broadway, Theatre, tickets by

June 11, 2020 – UPDATE

Broadway is dark and from what I’ve heard via my vocal students is that it may be a long time before they are up and running again…like not until 2022.

I hope to have more info as I hear it, but for now check here:
1) Broadway.com
2) Playbill
3) The Broadway League

New York Times article asking people who live outside the city how ready they are to see a Broadway show. – June 7, 2020

February 23rd, 2020 – UPDATE!

Yep!

If you’ve been to New York before to see a Broadway show, you know about TKTS‘s discount booth in Times Square, but did you know there were other ways to get discounts on Broadway shows?

Being an Actors’ Equity member, grants you access to even more discounts with TKTS with their program TDF. TDF gets off-off Broadway tickets for as low as $11 and Broadway shows for $49. There is a yearly fee of $40, however right now (Winter 2020) join for just $35! That’s a small price to pay for a big discount. They usually don’t have tickets for new shows, but there is a lot of variety and the Broadway shows they DO have are great!

HERO-IMG-051
School of Rock Broadway

NOW, did you know that teachers, full-time students, members of the armed forces, retirees and clergy can ALSO join TDF? Yep! Just check out their site! The “catch” is that you have to mail or fax in your information to be approved. So, a few months before your big NYC trip, just send in the info and you’ll get a letter from them with your membership.

Some great sites to look at are Theatre Mania, Ticket Liquidator, Broadway Box, and Broadway.com. For students, HipTix for the Round About Theatre Company (which recently upped their age to 40-years-young) and Student Rush. I don’t personally have experience with these sites, but I’ve heard excellent things! NYtix has some great coupon codes and links to what the term “rush ticket” actually means! NYTix is pretty cool! They give FREE tickets away all the time and you sign up to get emails! You won’t have control over what tickets are to be given out, but hey, free is FREE…right? 🙂

My favorite app is still TodayTix! I saw this app online back in 2013 – a while ago, but didn’t use it until a friend told me about the amazing deals! Ever since then, it’s been my go-to ticket finder!

hamilton-01-800
Hamilton!!

How does it work? You only get a two-week availability window. So, two weeks before you want to see a show, you log in, pick the show, date and time, purchase and get an email confirmation. Then, on the day of, TodayTix tells you a designated spot for pick up in front of the theatre (45 minutes before the show) and a nice representative in a red shirt will have your tickets in an envelope. It’s THAT simple!
**Oh and if you buy NOW, you can get a $10 discount on your first purchase with this code: TRAXR (you’re welcome!) 😉

Now, when you are in town, you can always go straight to the theatre and ask about their offers. In my experience, Playbill has to most update information!

Ok! For those of you who want the most bang for your buck to get REALLY inexpensive tickets are rush tickets, (SRO) standing-room-only, and Lottery Rush tickets. How to Lottery tickets work? Well, you get up early in the morning – the day of a show, go to the theatre of the show you want to see and enter to win! The tickets are usually between $10-$40! You aren’t guaranteed a win, of course, but you could see some cool street acts from Broadway performers! Most Broadway shows have changed to online lottos and shows like Hamilton now have an app because so many people were showing up that it was causing a public disturbance! G_d bless theatre fans! NYCTix.com has the most up-to-date lottery list I could find but each theatre has its own rules so check out Playbill or Broadway Direct for the best updates. BroadwayBox.com also does a lotto for some shows!

Lotto Quick Links
Hamilton
Tina
Beetlejuice
The Lion King
Wicked
Moulin Rouge

Do check out Playbill, it has a FREE membership of its own where you can get discount tickets.

One last bit of info, the less demanding times for seeing shows are January, February, September, and October (yay for me!) So if you can plan your trip around these months, you’ll have the BEST prices EVER!!! During these times NYC.go has a 2 for 1 Broadway Week to encourage ticket sales! Uh…yeah, it’s AWESOME! In the slow season, Off-Broadway offers 20 at 20. These shows offer 20 shows for $20 20 minutes before the show. SO…20 for $20 at 20…(Eeeek!!) 🙂

FOR KIDS! The Broadway League does a really cool Kid’s Night. Here’s how this works (directly from their site): “Adults purchasing a full-priced ticket will receive one free ticket for a child age 18 and under to the same show.” Now, they are only on certain nights and usually an off night like a Tuesday or a Thursday, but what a wonderful way to introduce your child to Broadway!

Well, I hope you’ve found all this info useful and that it GREATLY improves your NYC Broadway experience! If you have any insiders tips for getting great NYC theatre seats at a discount price, I’d LOVE to know! So, please share in the comments!

4449Broadway
Karmyn Tyler is a member of Actors’ Equity as well as many other talent memberships. Please visit her website, www.karmyntyler.com for more information. First posted Jun 8, 2013 1:34 PM EST – 1st Update March 1, 2016 8:57 AM EST – 2nd update February 24th 2020 7:58 PM EST
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An Ode to Head shots…

Posted in Acting by

An Ode to Head shots, by Karmyn Tyler Cobb


Head shot, head shot, please help me
When I look, what should I see?
My zit, my wrinkle, my nose so big
A doctor, a dad, a bum with a cig.

Thousand of dollars I’ll spend on you
Comedic, dramatic – the looks I’ll ensue
I’ll rummage through t-shirts, and jackets galore
Finding nothing…I’ll run to the store

All this anxiety churned into a brine
For that one “look” frozen in time
So off to the photographer I must go
To find “that look” to bring in the dough.

 Hmm…I’ve been on many “sides” of a head shot. I’m an actor, I’ve worked for an agent, I’ve cast a few indy films and I’m a headshot photographer. 

“So, Karmyn, what DOES make for a good headshot?”

 “It’s depends…on you!”

 

 ACTOR

As a photographer sometimes I feel like an accountant. Tax season rolls around and family members get an extension. Why? So mom can focus on the paying clients and while we get help after the deadline. (I love you +Suzie Tyler!!) 😉

But I’m currently very happy with my shots…until I decide to chop off my hair again! (Thank you Michael D’Ambrosia of Los Angeles)


AGENT

I remember when I worked for my Dallas agent, Ivett Stone, the pile of head shots on her desk. (My desk actually.) This was a daily occurrence  If they got opened, the number she threw away was extraordinary. She did keep a few and had me call those aspiring actors for an appointment. I asked her one day what she looked for. Her response was this: “I’ve been in this business a long time so I know what looks good and what I’m looking for. But honestly? I trust my gut.”

Wow! 

 

CASTING
I didn’t understand what Ivett meant until I was asked to help a friend cast a film in LA. Getting bombarded by zillions (no joke) of head shots, was overwhelming. This was before electronic submissions so my friend’s floor was a sea heads…of the actors she WANTED to call in. The others were trashed. The heads were put in piles by character first, then reordered by who we liked 1st, 2nd, 3rd…etc. Then the calling to agents/managers/their cell phones would begin. 

Looking at all those shots we would start talking about photographers…not the actors. Conversations like: “Here’s another shot by Big-Time-Photographer, you can tell because they all look the same.” or “I like this So-and-so-Photographer because their shots look natural and like the actor.” You would also get the occasional, “I love this guy’s work, but I wish he would get better shots!”

 

NOW WHAT?

What the heck DO I look for in my head shot???

Almost ever actor I’ve shot mentions at some time during the shoot, “I hate/dislike/get nervous taking head shots!” 

Why is that? Actors the same question can be asked: “How should I read these sides in this audition?”

 

ANSWER

You make interesting choices. 

It’s more ‘what you think’ while you’re getting your head shot taken that makes the difference. 

Stay relaxed. Take chances. Let loose. Actors? Act out your character for the big screen. Every nuance can be captured. Be interesting NOT attractive. Women? Don’t be afraid to look ugly! (…or hat you perceive as unattractive.)

A good photographer will help lead you through you self consciousness into freedom of frozen expression. So, communicate your vulnerability to your photographer. Hopefully you feel comfortable doing that.

 

HOW DO I PRACTICE? 

Selfies….duh! 🙂 Take pictures of yourself moving your head around to find what angle you like, what makes your eyes pop and not squint. Use the iPhone app Fast Camera so you can move as you would in real life. 

 

FINALLY!

The next time you take photos, prep to relax and explore yourself in front of a camera…in other words – Just Be!

Inspired by By Steve Johnson’s article on the Chicago Tribune, “The painfully unfunny truth about comics’ head shots.”
Karmyn Tyler Cobb’s photography website is www.photosbykarmyn.com 

The feature film “Wuss” is WOW!

Posted in Acting, Film, Friends by

Back in my Dallas years, a friend of mine thought I’d be great for small role in a short film, called More Air for the Rest of Us directed by Kyle Killen and starring the amazing Johnny Sneed. I had a few lines as a florist where Johnny’s character comes in to buy flowers. The film had a very talented DP by the name of Clay Liford.

Fast forward a few months and I was contacted by Clay for a role in his first feature film, Flowers Grown from Powdered Bones. I played the 1 of 3 cannibalistic sisters. (You gotta see this movie!!) There is simply NOTHING like working on an indie film! The amount of freedom and creativity that gets to flow just makes magic. A magic you just don’t get from Hollywood blockbusters.

Fast forward even again, and I have moved from Texas to LA, married and now live NYC. Through the miracles of Social Media (and the occasional phone calls), I’ve been able to keep up with Clay and his talent.

When Clay announced the Brooklyn premier of his film Wuss on Facebook, I jumped at the chance to see him and catch up. I also wanted my husband to meet the talent I kept talking about knowing that his style of filmmaking was right up his alley. And I was right!

Walking up to the reRun Gastropub, I was excited to not only see my friend’s film, but to catch up with him and his life outside of entertainment! Clay arrived fresh from an interview in Manhattan and we sat and talked about old times, and what’s been going on in our lives.

The reRun theatre was the perfect venue, retro and intimate. Clay introduced a preview short from his friend Leah Shore called Old Man. (Another crazy talented animator/filmmaker!)

Then….Wuss!

Our hero, Mitch Parker (played by Nate Rubin) is a substitute high school teacher turned full time after the unfortunate (and mysterious almost fatal) accident of the current English teacher. Mitch’s character at first is pretty pitiful. He’s a college graduate with aspirations to write novels…who still lives at home with him mom. The first scene sets up his timid, defensive tone perfectly at his 10 year high school reunion (where he now teaches.)

Small town suburbia is nothing like it was when he attended school. Teachers wear tasers and kids sell guns. Mitch has a classroom run-in with a gang leader and subsequently gets beat up by him and his friends. The rest of the film is fascinating. We watch Mitch deal with the humiliation while learning how these kids have learned to survive in circumstances he would have never dreamed.

The film is shot digitally but you would have NEVER known it! In fact, one audience member in the Q&A was certain it was shot on 35 millimeter ! In other words, the cinematography and shot set-ups were gorgeous!

I highly recommend this film!! I have a lot of talented friends in the industry, but Clay is one of the geniuses!

Watch Wuss on Amazon!!

Clay Liford

Clay Liford at AFI Fest

Keep up with Clay on Twitter and his production company Well Tailored Films.

Links to Press:
New York Times Review