“What have you been doing?” (Proverbial elephant in the room):

I'm a returning on-camera/commercial actor.  Sometimes at interviews/auditions I'm asked, "What have you been doing?" I only wish I had a retina cam to show you the look on the face of the person asking.  What to do?

A friend and industry expert suggested that until I'm able to fill up my resume with credits that I should just address the "elephant" in the room on it. 

Here's the full version:

I was promoted and transferred to California in 1983 to sell nuts, bolts, screws and washers….metric thread that is! My first thought, “Divine Intervention.” After settling in at the nuthouse I started auditioning for musical groups to regain my creative sanity.  After several auditions I was hired as a tenor/baritone for the group Tuxedo Junction (TJ). After TJ and several years of musical theatre I gave up slinging nuts and bolts and started taking acting classes. After graduating from the South Coast Repertory Professional Acting Conservatory I joined both SAG& AFTRA. I was on my way! Then nothing, nada, zilch! To survive I started working in municipal government and earned an early retirement release in 2009 for good behavior.  My last civic duty was as the campaign manager for a good friend running for city council.  In 2010 my friend lost but I won.  “I’m back!”

Now I have to compress this to two or three sentences for the resume!