On to the next...

One show closes, must be time to find another one to do.  Tonight I'll be checking to see who's got spring shows and find out which ones I want to audition for.  Musicals, straight plays - as long as it's not too far or runs into or past Memorial Day weekend, I'll consider it.  First step is to pick an audition song and get it ready.  My resume's current, and I have headshots; now to decide at whose auditions I'll leave 'em...

So what did I learn?

... from doing this show? 

• First & foremost, that I can do more than I thought I could.  My memorization was never quite where I wanted it to be, but I did manage to pull off the role.
• I found that I was usually able to cry when I needed to, something that I'm sure will be useful in subsequent roles.
• When I have a LOT of lines to learn, I'll set mini-deadlines for memorizing X number of pages or certain scenes. ("I have to be completely off book by this date, so I'll get this scene down by date A, pages 20-30 down by date B...")
• With a lot of thought and focus, I can shift from one mood to another in a single scene and make it believable.  That is, if one friend's comments weren't meant only to protect my feelings... ;)
• I can "smoke" onstage pretty realistically with fake cigarettes.
• With enough practice and patience, my "opponent" and I can pull off a scuffle.
• I'm a Del Shores fan - I love the way he writes for women, at least in this play.

Another show closed

Last performance last night, followed by strike (because another company was loading into the theater this morning), followed by a cast party at a nearby diner.  Our marvel of a stage manager (SM) loved her gift (2 season tix to the company's new season and a poster signed by the cast & director), and the director loved his so much he actually teared up!  (Texas-shaped frame with just enough openings for pictures of each cast member, the SM and director)  The director also had all of us sign the lobby poster of the show logo.

Very well organized strike - we were outta there by midnight!  It helps that it was a one-set show and we had plenty of volunteers in addition to the cast & crew, but there were still truckloads of props to take care of, as well as furniture that included an actual upright piano.  Maybe the fact that so much of the stuff was loaned to the company helped a little - that meant those things went home with their owners instead of needing to be shoehorned into the truck.

What a great theater experience this turned out to be.  I learned a lot, both about acting and about my own abilities, got to meet and work with some great people, and learned about a playwright who writes GREAT roles for women and is still writing.  (I've already ordered copies of 5 more of his plays.)  Del Shores is only 55; may he continue to have a productive career!

Before I have to go thru theater withdrawal

Here my show has barely opened and I'm already looking at auditioning for spring shows.  I'll probably go tomorrow for a company I've been trying to break into (they get scores of people at their auditions - VERY stiff competition), another company is doing Ragtime, and a 3rd is doing a Cole Porter show that sounds like fun. The music director and choreographer for that one are both people I've worked with before and would enjoy working with again; only the stage director is an unknown.  Pity my poor theater widower. ;)

A 4-footed audience member?!?

Yesterday when we came out for the curtain call, I heard this strange sound over the music.  Eventually, I realized that odd silhouette I was seeing was a dog roughly the size of a spaniel that had its front paws on the armrest and was barking its head off.  (I imagine the music and clapping were hurting its ears.)  This was no service dog - a working dog would be bigger and better-behaved.  Who brings their dog to the theater?  I can't imagine the poor beastie enjoyed the show, and it may have bothered some of the patrons, especially if they had allergies.

Now I understand why actors don't read reviews until after they close

Opening weekend went pretty well - the house was at least 2/3 full each night and the audiences all seemed to enjoy the show.  The fight scene went very easily - finally felt smooth & natural.  I stumbled a little on my opening speech, but in general I think I did pretty well.  Hardly an award-winning performance, but nothing to be ashamed of, either.  I was a bit thrown when the audience was laughing at points throughout my big, emotional scene, but given the way Shores has other characters throwing in non sequiturs and other interjections to lighten the mood, I can understand it.  I may never know whether I made anyone cry, but at least I know the wig made 'em laugh. :)

We've gotten 2 reviews so far.  The first reviewer gave us 5 stars out of 5, went into great detail (starting with the costumes - my kinda reviewer :D), and had absolutely nothing negative to say.  The 2nd reviewer was less glowing; didn't like the costumes the first reviewer did, mentioned only 2 performers (though both reviewers had the same favorite), and generally said it was fun, but not great.  Funny how 2 people can see the same production so differently.  This sort of thing tends to remind me of The Six Blind Men of Indostan - everyone encountering the same thing, but in very different ways.

How did that happen?

All along I've been a bit in awe of the size of my role in this play.  The other night, one of my (very experienced and eminently talented) castmates confirmed what I'd been trying not to think about, that mine is the largest role in the show.  How did that happen?!? 

I've always considered myself a singer who acts, rather than an actor who sings, and I only auditioned for this show for the practice.  I never expected to make callbacks, let alone get cast in the lead!  Quite a change for someone who's used to ensemble and featured roles.  I've been trying not to think too much about how big the role is and how much other people's cues and things rely on my getting my lines right. Sometimes, though, it's hard not to stress out, simply because I've never had such a big role before.  I think it would have been less stressful had it been a musical role - I've had plenty of experience learning music and choreography.

TW has been after me for years to audition for straight plays, not just musicals.  I've been doing that, but the demographics have generally been against me (fewer roles for women than for men, fewer roles for "women of a certain age" than for younger women, more women than men auditioning).  Now, though, I'll be auditioning for plays with a new confidence, knowing that at least one director believes in my ability to deliver a huge, meaty role.  Starting Friday, I have 8 chances to do just that.  And in cotton-candy-blue hair! :D

Tech week

Every time I go into tech week, I mention to at least one castmate that I love it because that's when the magic happens.  Having the sets, costumes, make-up, props, sound and lights make so much difference! That's when it starts to feel real, that you really are putting on a show, not just rehearsing for the fun of it.

This tech has been a bit different.  For starters, this company doesn't have anywhere to do any set construction ahead of load-in, so that first day is spent loading materials, not sets.  Makes for a very long day (and very creative set design and judicious play selection).  Monday was our first run on the set, which is usually one train wreck after another because distances are different, spacing is different - everything that affects your timing is different from the rehearsal space.  To my surprise, we had only minor problems, and only tweaks to the blocking. We also added wigs for those of us wearing them.  I was hugely relieved to learn that mine wasn't as extreme as I'd feared, nor was it the distraction it could have been.  ("Will it stay on during the fight? Or when...")  Last night we didn't get thru the whole show because the lighting and sound techs spent a lot of time setting up their cues.  It was also our first full dress; it was great to run things with the full rig - hair, make-up and costumes.  Unfortunately, because the tech work needed so much time, we only ran the first scene of Act II, not getting to the one quick change 3 of us have.  We finally got to work that tonight and I was relieved to see that I have a little more time than I thought I would, especially if I can get someone to help me get my boots off.

Tonight we also choreographed the curtain call.  And yes, it's choreographed, not just blocked.  Our director has us doing a very simple little dance.  Some of the others ("I'm no dancer!") were freaking out a little, but I thought it was fun, of course.  At one point I found myself calling it for people; our director seemed happy to let me, and even let me give a starting count the next time we ran it.  I hope the choreophobes can get comfortable with it; I'm certainly willing to do what I can to make that happen for them.  Now to figure out how to give that starting count so we can all hear it but the audience doesn't realize that's what's going on.

Walking wounded

Such a day!  I had 2 wisdom teeth taken out 2 weeks ago.  (If you want to lose weight over the holidays, tooth extraction is guaranteed to keep you from overeating.)  This morning found me back in the oral surgeon's chair; turns out I had a bit of bone that was trying to work its way out.  He gave me a coupla shots of novocaine, winkled that thing outta there, and sent me on my merry way.

As luck (or Murphy) would have it, today was our second marathon rehearsal (9-4:30), and our last before moving into the theater.  I showed up less than half an hour late (thank heaven for dental offices that open at 7 on Saturdays), still a bit numb, and dove right into the scene they were working when I walked in.  As the anesthesia wore off, it started to feel as though the bit the doc removed had loosened a few smaller bits.  Either it was just an illusion or the bits eventually worked themselves loose, because that sensation faded by the lunch break.

Than there was that dreaded fight sequence.  During the second time we ran the show, I fell during that sequence and landed hard, squarely on my tailbone. =:o   Maybe it was adrenaline, but I was able to pick myself up and continue as if nothing had happened.  Later, though, it started to hurt, so that now I walk a little funny if I've been sitting still too long, and I'll probably have a nice bruise by tomorrow.  If only I'd managed to fall on padding, not bone!

Glad this week is over

Monday Dad went in for a routine doctor's visit and ended up in the hospital for tests.  My cold started shifting into high gear, making me a baritone.

Tuesday my dentist told me I had a cracked wisdom tooth; appointment made w/ oral surgeon. Dad's preliminary tests showed advanced carotid stenosis.

Wednesday Dad got his carotid "roto-rootered".  My cold was trying to asphyxiate me.

Thursday my cold had me sounding like I was about to cough up a lung.  Had a work emergency that kept me there until 9 pm, completely missing rehearsal. I don't feel solid in my role yet, so I really couldn't afford to miss a single rehearsal. :(

Friday Dad was having some problems, which eventually cleared up once they adjusted his various meds.

Saturday I got my wisdom teeth pulled, this time under general anesthesia.  The post-op instructions were somewhat better than the first time I did this, but still laft me with questions.  Finally got to talk to Dad, who sounded in good spirits, knowing they were going to kick him out the next day.

Sunday:  Dad fell during the night, so they made him stay an extra day.  He did not exactly love this news.  I'm pureeing everything, doing my saline rinses faithfully (I do NOT want dry socket again!), and wondering how soon I'll be able to go back to solid foods.

So:  Dad's health, my health and work - nothing but stressors this week.  Bleah.

This fight scene may be the death of me

Tonight we worked on the first half of Act II, which includes the fight scene I'm in.  When we got to that point, the director stopped us and made the 3 of us in the fight run it, and run it, and run it some more.  There are a couple of places I'm still having trouble with - can't seem to get my balance right, or this isn't convincing, or the timing of that is still not there.  It doesn't help that, not only am I already a few inches taller than my "opponent", but the cowboy boots add 3 full inches to that height difference and shift my balance forward. That little piece will probably only take a minute or less, yet it felt like we spent an hour on it (probably only 10 or 15 minutes).  I was getting frustrated - just couldn't seem to get it right, though I'm closing in on it.  The director plans to have us run that sequence at least once before every rehearsal from now on, and we'll probably run it on the set before every performance too.  We need to get it into our muscular memory and the only way to do that is to run it and run it and run it and ...

In fact, it was an exhausting rehearsal in general.  In addition to the fight scene, the section we ran tonight included the laughing and my big, teary scene - all my most emotional and physical bits.  Good thing I'm off stage for the next piece; I'll need the time not only to change costume but to repair my make-up!

My first cowboy boots

My character wears cowboy boots for most of the show.  The ones our costumer found had pretty high heels for someone who lives in flats and very low (1/2") heels.  Last night I wore the boots for rehearsal for the first time, and I plan to wear them for every rehearsal from now on so I can be sure to get used to them.  for those of you who are thinking "So the heels are higher; what's the big deal?" - a higher heel shifts your weight forward, shifts your balance, and changes your posture as your feet, legs, hips & back adjust to a different angle. 

When we ran the fight scene, I found the heels made a difference in my balance when I had to turn, bend, or walk into someone and push.  Not to mention that they made me a good 2"-3" taller than I am in the sneakers I've been wearing to rehearsal, so that I felt like I towered over the other women in the cast.

The boots are perhaps half a size too big, so I'll also have to experiment to see just how thick a sock I need to wear.  The pair I wore last night, the thickest I own, were thick enough that my toes felt a bit squished.

Gluten-free cooking - not for the faint of heart

Last week our parish was supplying dinner for the student center at the nearby campus.  I volunteered to make a gluten-free pasta dish and gf cookies as my contribution to the cause.  The pasta wasn't too big a deal - it was an improvised layered casserole based on past lasagna-making, with pine nuts, sauteed with the mushrooms and thrown into the sauce, for a protein source.  (If the price of the durn pine nuts doesn't make you blanch, I recommend them in your sauce, though toasted might be better than sauteed.)  One other volunteer also provided a gf option; the students who needed to eat gluten-free were delighted to learn that not only was there pasta they could eat, but they even had their choice of two kinds.

The tricky part was the cookies.  I found a recipe on line, had some gf flour on hand, so I proceeded to follow the directions to the letter.  The recipe said to refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours before rolling into little balls for baking.  After closer to 5 hours in the fridge, the dough was still MUCH too soft to roll, so I used a spoon to drop dough onto the cookie sheets.  They spread a lot, running into each other, so they weren't very pretty, but not too bad.  After I'd baked more than half the batch, only then did I get the bright idea to add more flour to the dough.  That extra 2/3 cup of flour made all kinds of difference - still too soft to roll, but at least the cookies kept their shape a lot better.  Both the thin and the thicker ones tasted pretty good, if a tiny bit gritty.  However, the one young woman who was delighted to learn there was both pasta and cookies she could eat made me decide this gf baking is definitely worth pursuing.

New appreciation for fight scenes

At last night's rehearsal, we blocked a fight scene my character participates in.  I was a bit scared of it - having never done a fight scene, I was worried that I might hurt someone through my ignorance.  Our director was very good about talking us through it all, though, and showed me the "tricks" of making it work.  Those of us who are doing the actual fight are now supposed to run it every rehearsal so we can get comfortable with it and work it into our muscle memory.  First order of business, though, is to get off book for that chunk of dialogue so we don't have to worry about lines as well as the choreography.

After spending a substantial chunk of last night's rehearsal on a sequence that probably only lasts a minute or so, I have a new appreciation for fight scenes!

Stretching my thespian muscles

Playing Sara Lee is going to be quite a work-out:

• It's far and away the biggest role I've ever played, which means a lot more stage time and a LOT more memorization.
• I have to "smoke" on stage, which means I'll have to learn how to use fake cigarettes and a real lighter.
• I get to have a major blow-up in one scene, though I don't think the director will have it result in an actual fight.  I also get a melt-down in another scene, and end up laughing hysterically with one of my sisters in another.

The playwright demands quite an emotional range from his characters; challenging, and rewarding if I can pull this off to my satisfaction (and the director's, of course!).

Making a list and checking it twice

Working on my Thanksgiving grocery list tonight.  The Chief & I are doing a small Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday (I didn't know you could find a turkey that only weighed 11 1/2 lbs), then going to friends' on Thursday.  TW has decided he wants both regular & sweet potatoes for our dinner, both kinds of cranberry sauce, stuffing, a Moroccan carrot recipe I found online and which was an immediate favorite, and we'll have pumpkin pie for dessert.  I'll make a 2nd pumpkin pie and an apple to take to our friends', so I need to make sure we have plenty of apples, eggs, half-and-half (the family pumpkin pie recipe calls for a full pint of it!), stuffing mix, celery, onions, carrots... We just had dinner, but this talk of food is making me hungry; I can just about smell how wonderful our house is going to smell!

What's with the T?

Lately I've noticed more & more people pronouncing the T in "often".  I can't imagine where that's coming from, unless it's another overcorrection, like all the people who say things like "please reply to Fred and I".  If anyone has any theories, please share.

Getting psyched for holiday baking

A couple of times I've gotten (just barely) organized enough to do a little baking for the neighbors at Christmas.  Nothing fancy, usually just a quickbread (though one year I did use my mini-bundt molds instead of loaf pans).  This year, though, I've allowed myself to be seduced by the King Arthur Flour catalog and have ordered a fruitcake mix and some mixed dried fruit.  I also ordered some boiled cider (like apple extract, apparently) and eggnog extract to try.  The reviews on the site were pretty enthusiastic, so I'm cautiously optimistic.  I plan to try the boiled cider in apple pie and cake to see if it ups the apple ante in those recipes.  I'm especially looking forward to the eggnog extract.  Homemade eggnog lattes, anyone? :D

It seems I'm amusing

Last night at rehearsal we were discussing our characters, their relationships with each other and so on.  B kept laughing at the way I was phrasing things,at one point reacting to something I'd said with "You're funny!"  They all had a good laugh when I said my character was a bit scandalized that her sister E and E's fiance were sleeping together "without benefit of clergy", and I was really surprised that only one of them had ever heard the phrase about someone "going to college to get her MRS".  The others were trying to figure out what kind of Master's degree I was referring to!

Crocuses in October!

I passed a house in the neighborhood yesterday that has a front lawn strewn with lavender crocuses!  I'm jealous - I want "encore crocuses" too!  Anyone know whether that's a specific variety, or just a fluke?