LOS ANGELES 2010 - Con 5-7 FEB 2010

MARRIOTT HOTEL LOS ANGELES

Renée O'Connor

Sunday 7th February 2010.
We all know that Renée is very creative. She is a more calm woman then Lucy she always knows how to touch people and how to surprise them. And in her own way she then stares to the crowd and enjoys how people look and react.
Today Renée makes an unusual entrance. First we get to see a short film which tell us that Lucy and Renée are still friends, that "Fins, Femmes and Gems' is her current favourite episode....because.... Ted Raimi (Joxer) looks cute in pink!, but that is all old. How about something new?
Then we see Renée in that short film aswell dressed as a fisherman and if I recall it correctly we see her shadow against an evening sun on the ocean accompagnied by th song Fleet of Hope (Indigo Girls). When the film comes to Renées shadow against the evening sun, Renée also appears on stage, also dressed as a fisherman, with lantern and pole. It is as if she just came out of her film. That was a very nice thing to do and the effect was there. This is really something only Renée could think of and perform it. Nomally such creativity is shown when it comes to exceptional professional occasions. But here Renée just gives us this great gift. I don't know how many people are aware of what she just gave to us, but this something to keep in your memories for ever. From the heart to the heart! She gets a huge applause when the film stops but somehow the lights are kept dimmed. It is a moment to get goose-bumps from!

Renée starts by telling a story about when she was a teenager and was on vacation in the Bahamas. She was in the water and she had the feeling there was something else in the water aswell. The water was perfectly clear and she couldn't see anything. But a minute after she got out, a giant shark came up. Renée said : "I knew it was there, even though I couldn't see it and had no proof of it."

Self awarness journey
We know that Renée is on a journey of self awarness. And that is typical Renée. That is something that is so her. She told us that for the last five years she is on this journey and that she wants to share this with the audience. This is Renée again, always there for others. Renée told us that she always will keep making films, because that is was she does. But the awareness journey is something new. To have the opportunity to know there is so much more out there, all the time and we don"t need to gow to the movies or theathers to see it. Cause we can and have learn that it is always within our selfs, in our hearts. So in fact it is a journey within yourself and you need to find the way to discover yourself inside yourself.

Gabrielle and Renée
It always remarkable that after all these years they still tell us how this huge show had an effect on their life. They seems they to keep inspired by it. So don't understand why a movie is kept blocked. Ok, back to Renée. She said it was a great match in her life to play Gabrielle. Someone who was so loving and so strong. And now she wants people in her life who serve that. Renée told us that she and Lucy were talking the day before about the synchronicity of the role. I don't know if everybody understood that. You can go two different ways with that. Synchronicity between the character and the person you are. Or the synchronicity between both characters in the show. Either how, both do lean to the real life if you consider it with a clear view. So, the message with a life lesson has been brought to the audience, so yes it was a huge succes.

Renée also told us that she did split up her life in compartiments. She could be either a mother, or an actor but she didn't know how or if she could do both. Now she found out that she can be everything at the same time : a mother and a filmmaker, and an actor, and a teacher. Most important things is ofcourse that you keep seeing yourself as one piece and not a fraction. She told us that she used to let people shame her, and then she chose Hollywood of all places. A place where you have live to a certain standard, a certain way of showing yourselves, even weight a certain amount.( In fact being everything what you are not, but what people want to see and thus being unnatural, that is to me.) "And I chose that!" she said. Then she told about the moment that she was at a certain boulvevard (was it West Hollywood? I get mixed up with streetnames) where lesbians and gay men where fighting over the battle against Prop8. She said that she was shocked to see everyone at odds who should be united. She pointed out that she knows it is a hell of a time for many of us, but that we are all in it together.

Renée asked to have the house lights brought up so she could see everyone. I must admit that staying in the dimmed light when she spoke to us had a very good effect. Everyone was focussed on her, on what she said and I think most of us started thinking about her words, her message. Well done Renée. There were some questions but I didn't take almost no notes as I was still thinking over what Renée said to us. Oh she has a way to get to your soul in a very good way! I love that woman more and more!

It was clear and obvious that she wanted to share her Awarness journey with us. I could see the sparkling in her eyes when she start talking about it. It must be do good to her. Renée told us she has been studying with Mary Rocomora, wo "took me step by step and guided me". She helped Renée start to believe in her dreams, however big they are. Renée became so joyfull of it that she asked everyone to get up and dance in their seats. Well, we both for sure did, cause we are two joyfull woman who love life, but I couldn't notice much other dancing movements around me. Some are refrained of doing so and that is such a pitty! Renée took of her jacket and went down into the audience and danced with them on a swinging joyfull song. I felt we should do such unrefraind things more often cause it makes you feel good. Just being yourself no matter what other think or say about it. For us this moment might have lasted a little bit longer.

At the end of her on stage appearance she talked about her forthcoming film Fitful. She said it was a project she was excited about but fell through because someone turned out to be a complete other person. (I think she said something like "someone turned out to be a shark, and I think that was meat in a bad sense") She added she felt bad that she didn't noticed that sooner. But then she ended up doing Fitfull. Although it was a small budget but a great film she got a very good feeling afterwards. "Thank you, this is what it is all about" sharing her thoughts with us. It all was being around people who are friends, who love working together. She also told us she would be working on another film about a family going through the moves of live. Asking around I found out that that film would be Beyond the fartest star. Renée added to it that she loves to be an actor, because as an actor you can put yourself into someone else's life and learn something when you come out the other end. That is typical Renée, always seeing beyond the person and beyond the character. Life is indeed more that we know. She already discovered it.

ée thanked everyone for giving her the opportunity the share herself. She is so humble! I respect her so much for being herself and share that with us. She left the stage with a huge standing ovation.

Renée O'Connor encounter.
I'm a Lucy fan and my wife Karin is a Renée fan.   We had tickets for the photo ops and autographs.

At the photo ops we immediately saw how much she had grown and become a very strong mature woman.  Woaw!
When it was our turn, I got a double hand shake and she kept my hand tight.  Then the same with Karin.  She focused right in our eyes.   Asked if we came from NZ and we told her we wish we were.  Gave her our little present.   Took the picture and then ............ as always we turn back to thank her for making the time for the picture and then................ she kept staring in my eyes as if she wanted to say something.   So......... I kept staring back .......................    The next fan came up and she had to turn.

At the autograph session I gave her the T-shirt (that T-shirt has a story as the original one was stolen in London with a signature of Lucy on it).   Renee almost signed my fingers aswell, hahaha, and while she was putting her signature on it, I told her we would return to NZ in 2011.  She replied that is a very cool idea, looked up, I thanked her again for the time  and .........yeah, the same staring in my eyes.  Now I paused, stared back again and waited , waited , got pushed by the next fan, kept staring..........and while I had to leave she kept staring at me.  And then she signed with her hands regarding my neclage and crossed her hands over her heart = meaning I love your neclage.    I got a typical NZ pendant on my neclage which is my kind of awarness guide and I think she recognized it.   Oh, I loved to give it her, just didn't had the time.    I got such a deep feeling when she did the signs while looking at me. One thing for sure, I can tell that Renée sees you and I mean really sees you. If she or me just only dared to break the silent connection I think we would have come out of it, giving eachother a much more awarness moment.

It happend thus twice to us on the same day with the same lovely woman.    Still see it before me when I close my eyes.    Still wonder what I should have done.  I have such mixed feelings about it, she not be able to tell me something, I not be able to give her what she liked or so.

It is hard to express but she touched me deeply.  I never thought that could happen.  And this has nothing to do with being a fan.   She got that something mystique, universal in her eyes.  Both  I'm so interested in.  

Still thinking about it.

Strange, what should I have done.