Shakespeare Saturdays: The Utah Children's Theatre's Shakespeare Festival

This is the second year that the Utah Children's Theatre has present their own Shakespeare Festival. Since I had friends in every show, I bought a package to see everything. I had no idea what to expect.

It was wonderful!

Much Ado About Nothing
This was performed under the hat of the Youth Stage, meaning that all of the actors were between ages 8-18. I love this comedy and have seen it several times lately, in different forms (the Kenneth Branagh and Joss Whedon movies). I really wish they'd had this program when I was a teenager; I'm totally jealous of the opportunities those kids have. The two playing Beatrice and Benedick -- the main characters -- were Mary and Colin when I did The Secret Garden there a few years ago. I adored them then, and it was delightful seeing them play such different, adult characters. They and everyone else were so funny, and I had no trouble making sense of the dialogue and the story. The guy who came with me had never seen ANY Shakespeare, and he didn't have any trouble either. Hooray for great storytelling!

Cameron Colony and Lucy Holmgren -- stars in the making

The Greenshow and The Tempest
I saw these two shows on the same night. I'll be honest, I wasn't in love with the Greenshow. I thought the segments were great (a scene from Romeo and Juliet, an excellent sword fight, a puppet show), but the chaotic dancing and connective dialogue were a little too frantic for me. I felt like they talked down to the audience more than they did in any of the other plays. Then again, the Greenshow was free. You get what you pay for, I guess?

Fortunately, The Tempest was excellently done. I studied this play in college, but I've never seen it performed, and I didn't remember much about it.  I was a little nervous when I heard it was set in the Old West, since it's supposed to take place on an exotic island. Happily, the setting worked great! The characters were distinct, relatable, and a lot of fun, particularly Caliban's depiction as a wacky prospector; I've seen that actor play the romantic lead several times, and it was fun to see him do something else. I've also seen the actor who played Prospero in several plays, and this was my favorite of his characters by far -- I liked seeing him play totally sincere and comfortable. I was impressed by the quality of the acting all around. I kind of wished I had auditioned... It made me wish I could see The Tempest they did at the Utah Shakespeare Festival so I could compare the two.

Breakfast with Shakespeare
This was the one I was the most nervous about, and the one I probably ended up liking the best because of how well they pulled it off. The idea was to present 15 minute versions of four of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies -- Julius Caesar, King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth -- in a humorous way that was also presentable to little kids. What followed was a "Shakespeare Smackdown" where the audience got to vote on which they liked best. They were all a bit silly, of course. The conspirators in Julius Caesar carried random weapons like rubber fish and used the password "lightsaber", and Macbeth's witches used "Soothsaying Puppets of Doom" at one point. It was effective, though. They didn't shy away from the deaths and gore, but it wasn't scary or gratuitous. Also impressive was how much of each of the stories they were able to cram in. The only one that really suffered was King Lear -- a LOT happens in that one and they left out most of the "B" story with Edgar and Edmond which ends up being important in the end. The "breakfast" part of the title included a donut and drink, and a 10:30am start time. At the end of the show, I was hard-pressed to pick a favorite of the four. They were all so funny and memorable! I wanted to exclaim with the rest as they ended each play: "Shakespeare!"

The talented cast of Breakfast with Shakespeare

After I had seen everything, I honestly told the actors that I didn't think I could pick a favorite. I was glad that I'd seen them all. Even better, I took someone with me to each performance, and although none of them had seen anything at the Children's Theatre before, they were definitely fans after. That's the highest praise I can think to give it!

I've seen a lot of wonderful things at the Children's Theatre lately. I'm glad that their great work continues, and that I got to spend part of two Saturdays and a Friday night supporting them.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next year :)

Throw-back Thursday: City Rep Memories

Once upon a time, I was 16 and did 8 plays/festivals in one year, most of which overlapped (if you count classes, it was more like 10). I recently had some of the film negatives from that year transferred to DVD. I'm a little disappointed in the quality, but I guess there's only so much you can do with scratched-up, almost 20 year-old negatives.

Still, some turned out okay! Here are three of my favorites:

The Little Mermaid

Tom Sawyer

The Secret Garden

Was I really ever that young? And was my hair really that long? *Nostalgic sigh*

City Rep Family Reunion

During my teenage years, I did a lot of plays with what is now the Utah Childrens Theatre. It's been known by quite a few names during the years in between, but back in the day, we regulars just called it "City Rep."

Thanks to Facebook, I've become reacquainted with many of the old City Reppers. A bunch of us got together and decided it was high time for a reunion. Between us, we invited at least a hundred people (and family) to join us for an afternoon potluck in the park; maybe about 20-30 of the players showed up. I'm grateful that I recognized every single person (there were quite a few on the guest list that I didn't know)!

It ended up being an awesome event. Most of the founding Parker family was there, which legitimized the whole thing in my eyes. It was fun to hang out with these people who knew me as a teenager, and realize that our friendships felt about the same, even 10+ years later! We're older, but essentially still the same folks we were. I love these people. I enjoyed catching up with them, and making plans with some of them!

We might have to do another one in a couple of years :) Maybe these photos will encourage even more folks to come, too!

Couldn't resist decorating in the old "jester" colors: purple and green!

Best smiles ever!

Just for fun, here is one of Karissa and I (above) from back in the day -- we were so little! What a difference nearly 20 years can make!

Shirley Temple curls

I've had occasion to wear pink sponge curlers many times during my life. Somehow, there was always an excuse to make my natural curl just a little curlier and more fancy, and the advantage of the sponge curlers in MY hair is that the curl doesn't fall out... actually, the jury's still out whether that's a blessing or a curse sometimes.

A five-year old on Christmas morning

A twelve-year old on Easter

A seventeen-year old getting ready for a performance (on the left).

A twenty-year old wench (on the right).

Failed attempt at 1940's hair, but at least my make-up and cohort look pretty!

After the above photo (I was thirty-one), I wondered if I was too old to wear the sponge curlers much longer. After all, SOME of the curlers I own are probably the originals from the 80's! It made me sad to think I'd grown out of this "little girl" method of styling. I'd worn those curlers to classes in elementary and high school. I'd slept in them a bajillion times (no, they are not comfortable -- the sponginess is totally negated by the hair and plastic fasteners). I had even worn them to work once or twice, when lucky enough to work places where they don't particularly care what I look like. I mourned the end of an era. And yet... I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

Then along came The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast. I tried using pin curls to curl my hair, but the results were disappointing. So, I broke out the sponge curlers, just to see if I'd like the effect. The rest is history, as I've been sporting a pompadour-and-ringlets style for the play each weekend!

Last Friday, we had a performance in the morning for a couple of elementary school classes. I went back to work for the afternoon, where my hair looked like this:

I suppose I could have pulled it into a ponytail, but what's the
point when I'd just have to re-do it again for the performance
that night, and the folks at work didn't mind?

That night, I nonchalantly walked through the mall to grab some dinner before the show, pretending I didn't notice the people pretending not to stare at my uncommon hairstyle. The hipster kid who served me at Subway, however, was polite enough to actually ask about it. I told him about the play and the sponge curlers, and he said he thought it was cool. After I'd paid and he was about to move on to the next customer, he said, "Good luck, you bad-a**." It was a little under his breath, but the tone clearly indicated that he was complimenting me. I was surprised though; it was the first time I'd ever been called a "bad-a**", and it was all because of Shirley Temple hair! Haha! Or maybe he couldn't help but respect my casual attitude about looking so different in public. Either way, I was flattered.

Here's hoping that after this play closes I'll still have opportunities to break out the sponge curlers once in awhile. Sure, they're tough on my hair, but the effect sure is fun! I'll be sad when I do finally retire them. One can't be a little girl forever.

Only one more weekend/three more performances left to see me in The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast at the Children's Theatre! I hope that if you haven't been able to come yet, that you'll make it this weekend. I think you'll be surprised and delighted with what you find. I'm sure going to miss it when it's over!

I've been reviewed!!

Ever since I first heard of the Utah Theater Blogger Association (UTBA) I have been terrified I'll be reviewed. Family and friends tend to be nice, but strangers don't have to be! I put so much into each show that I do I can't bear to have a stranger tell me -- let alone the world wide interweb -- they didn't enjoy my character. I've been in several plays reviewed by this group (all well-received, luckily), but they've never called out my individual performance.

Until now.

When I saw the review for The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast pop up in my reader feed last night, my heart nearly stopped. But, it turns out, the reviewer and her daughter not only enjoyed the play, but they liked ME in it!

The blonde sister (Smyth) was hilarious with excellent comedic timing.  Her off-the-cuff remarks and use of body language added several layers to their story. 

Hooraaaaaaaaaaay!

Come and see me in this play, and bring a friend or two. I just can't believe that you wouldn't enjoy it (I don't say that about every show I'm in). It's magical and whimsical and fun and cool. Click here for ticket information.

If you don't come, I'll make this face:

So very, very frumptastic. I both love and hate this photo at the same time.

Okay, fine. I'll probably make that face if you DO come, but then it will be in character!

The handsome Prince, carrying his Beast mask

Sisters (Beauty in the middle, and Haughtense on the right).
Funny enough, I'm the tallest one. We all know I'm on the
short side of average, so it always makes me giggle when
I'm one of the tallest girls in a play!

Three grotesques, all ready for another pure awesome performance.

Only nine performances left. Hope to see you there!

Come see Beauty!

My latest play, The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast opens a week from Friday!

Do you think it's a little nuts that we started rehearsing two weeks ago and open in just another week and-a-half? So do I! But, we'll be ready. It's already shaping into a beautiful (no pun intended) play. The cast is perfect -- I swoon over the Beast, and the girl playing Beauty is absolutely darling -- and I can't wait to get the set and costumes and start running the show!

Don't let the theater's name "The Children's Theatre" throw you. Yes, the plays are appropriate for children, but most of the actors are adults and we don't dumb down the dialogue or act cutesy as you might imagine someone might in a play geared toward children. I know adults will enjoy it... even if they don't have a child with them ;) And yet, children will love the characters and the dancing and the story. It's clever and fun and crazy and magical. 'Twill be a lovely way to spend an evening or afternoon. I know I'm looking forward to it!

Click here to purchase tickets. Keep in mind that both Saturday performances are matinees, and that there is no assigned seating, so you might want to get there a smidge early to pick a seat (I recommend sitting as close to the front/middle as you can, but honestly you should be able to see everything fine from any seat). Also, a reminder that this is not the Disney version of the story, so you might want to warn any little children who love the movie that there is no Mrs. Potts or Gaston. Hopefully they won't be too upset with you or us!

We perform every Friday and Saturday in November. I'll try to post photos as we get closer to opening, and definitely once we've started performing.

I hope to see you there!

Beauty and the Beast and Me

Sixteen years ago, I was deep into my involvement with The Children's Theatre. They announced auditions for a cool version of the Beauty and the Beast story called The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast. It's not the Disney version. It's the original tale (sorry, no Gaston or LeFou), and instead of being a musical it's written in rhyme so it has a very Shakespearean feel (we all know how much I've longed to do Shakespeare these last couple of years!). I was devastated when I wasn't cast. Then, after the run had started and I'd seen it a few times and REALLY fell in love, one of the actresses called me and asked me to play her role for a few performances while she understudied for another actress who was going out of town. I was surprised that she asked, but thrilled to play my favorite role! I learned the part in a few days, performed five times to good reviews, and dreamed of the day I might get to do it again.

I am still proud of the fact that
 as assistant costumer I did all of
 the glitter detailing on this gown.

Fast-forward to today, and the role is MINE at last!


I auditioned last week for The Children's Theatre's latest production of The Masque of the Beauty and the Beast. In spite of my apparent inability to completely shake this pneumonia, my audition went well and I was called back for the next evening. The callback was a little bit frustrating. The director has known me for seventeen years and has a good idea of who I am and what I can do, so she spent a lot of time with the actors she didn't know as well. Consequently, I spent a lot of time sitting around. I hate those kinds of callbacks! They make me feel so out-of-control and uncertain. I read for a few roles and made people laugh at my pantomime of an old lady, but when I left I had no idea how well I'd done or what the eventual outcome would be. Frankly, I wasn't very hopeful. I spent a whole lot of energy on angst for the next few days.

Fortunately, I had calmed down and resigned myself to the inevitable by the time the cast list was posted Friday evening. That's the only reason I can think of why I didn't immediately burst into tears of relief when I saw my name next to Dyspeppsia (this isn't the Disney version, remember?). Instead, my emotions swelled into insane excitement which hasn't dissipated yet! She's one of the sisters -- the whiny, pouting, funny one! There were so many terrific actresses at that callback; I was genuinely surprised to see my name there, and as delighted and grateful as I've ever been to win a part in a play. I love digging into a good character role, and I can't wait to make this one my own!

(Note that the actress playing Haughtense -- my partner in comedy and villainy -- is named "Meighan Smith." Just continuing my tradition of having at least one other Megan in almost every Children's Theatre show I do -- once, there were four of us in the same show!)

So, I'm gearing up for my second fairy tale play in a row! We have just a few short weeks to rehearse and will perform each weekend in November. My holiday preparations just got a whole lot crazier! Wah-hooooo!!

Confession/retraction

Okay, so when I announced my latest role, I said that one of the reasons I am so excited is because I've never had the chance to act out my life-long girlhood fantasy of playing a princess...and I've been racked with guilt ever since because it's not technically true.

I have played four princesses.

But, in my defense, three of them looked like this:

I'm not sure why I played this role on this day. The actual understudy is standing right next to me...

Obviously, none of the actresses playing the "fat" princess was actually at all fat.
This probably made it more funny, though.

 As you can see here, they aren't exactly the "fairy tale, dream-role-type" princesses that Cinderella is. In fact, they are three "unsuitable" princesses who are rejected in The Princess and the Pea. And I wasn't actually cast in any of the roles. I wasn't even the understudy for any of them. I was the understudy to the understudy... for the entire cast. (I wasn't in the A cast or B cast; I made up the entire C cast -- who else can say that? Kind of awesome.) This enabled me to play all of the unsuitable princesses, and even one of the guards at one point. They never let me play the actual, pretty princess, because she had her own understudy. I just played the understudy's part if the real princess couldn't be there.

Really, though, playing those awful princesses was a hoot, especially since I didn't know the exact lines for two of them. I knew enough to get along, but the prince was very nice about helping me out when needed. There was so much ad-libbing going on in that show anyway that I'm pretty sure no one even noticed that I might have made stuff up. I love live theatre!

The fourth princess was in The Twelve Dancing Princesses, where almost everyone in the cast was a princess:

In fact, the press release listed every other actor, and then said, "--and a bunch of girls playing princesses." So it was hardly special. And I wasn't the pretty princess in that one either. I was the bratty crony to the "mean" princess -- think Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter. Again, fun to play, but not quite the fulfillment of a dream.

So, I relish the opportunity to play a real, pretty princess. One little girls might want photos with. One who gets to run around in a pretty ball gown and marry the handsome prince. I was so excited last night about my first rehearsal tonight, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking, "My friend Casey is playing my stepsister and will be torturing me!" and "Little Red is going to say 'You can talk to birds?' to me!" and "I get to pretend to have small, dainty feet!" I'm already thinking about ways to keep the character from becoming too cartoony and stereotypical and boring but still remain the elegant princess. How I love "we haven't started yet" anticipation! I don't know anything yet, and I want to do everything. Let's get started already!

Oh! It feels so good to get that confession off my chest! Now I can proceed with no further guilt on that score. Nice start to a Monday :-D

A rootin' tootin' good time!

Last year when I saw Busytown at the Childrens' Theatre, I wished I'd taken my nephew with me. It was absolutely adorable, and I know he would have liked the apple car, the pickle car, and Lowly Worm.

This year when I decided I could not miss The Tall Tales of Pecos Bill, I decided not to make the same mistake again. I asked my sister-in-law last Sunday if I could take him on Friday night. She said it was fine with her, but expressed some concern that he might not be a great theatre-going buddy. I know the G-unit doesn't often like going to the movies, but he really, really liked Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when I did it last year, so I crossed my fingers.

Even so, I didn't mention anything to the G-unit, just in case I chickened out. To be honest, I was a little scared of having this energetic, clever, handsome, sometimes shy, six-year old to myself. We haven't had a lot of one-on-one time together lately and I'm not always sure what to talk about with him. What if I really am the lame aunt?

But I still wanted to see the play, and I still harbored hopes that he would like it (especially when I heard it was in the same vein as Busytown), so I plunged ahead and left a message with Lindsey on Thursday morning asking if it was still okay to take the G-unit with me the next day.

That afternoon, my nephew left the following message on my phone:

"Hi Megan. I was just letting you know that, um, I want to come tomorrow and I'll be at Grammy's house and pick me up at six! 'Kay, bye."

Cue some very subdued waterworks.

Now, you have to understand that the G-unit has never called me before. And you also have to understand that in my mind he's still a very little boy, inspite of his lengthening limbs and widening vocabulary. So to hear his voice on the line, so excited to come and sounding so grown-up... well, it made my whole day! I was SO GLAD that I didn't chicken out! I immediately bought tickets online and then walked around the rest of the day with a huge, silly grin on my face like the boy of my dreams had just told me he loves me.

My mom was baby-sitting the girls Friday night, and Adam and Lindsey were meeting there for a date night, so I picked up G-unit from there, assured Lindsey that the tickets were on me, buckled his booster seat into my car, and off we went! We chatted about school and plays and G-unit's summer plans during the car ride and found a parking spot right in front of the theatre, which almost never happens for me. We also didn't hit many red lights. I've decided my nephew is a good-luck charm in cars.

We were there for opening night, which I didn't take into account, so they started a bit late. I knew a lot of people there and felt guilty whenever I talked with them, although at least G-unit knows and has opinions about Disneyland (he's very jealous that I went last month)... he seemed pretty bored while we were waiting. I finally pulled out my iPod and started teaching him Solitaire. Maybe not the most kid-friendly game in the world, but it's all I had! I did ask at one point if I could take a photo with him in front of the set. The G-unit doesn't care to have his picture taken (I have a lot of him jumping out of the way or hiding behind things) so he said, "Maybe later." Of course, I forgot about it "later". Clever boy.

Once the play started, though, there was no time to be bored. It was awesome! I laughed so hard, and my nephew laughed and smiled through the whole thing. He really could not get over how Pecos Bill caught a bullet in his teeth (he's come up with a few theories since that night). I offered to buy him a treat during intermission, and had to giggle when he picked a container of mini-M&Ms. The lid makes a popping sound whenever you open it, and I happen to know the actors hate it... sure enough, he popped that thing many times during the second act, but nobody seemed to notice. We were too entertained by the crazy antics going on. The flashy costumes, the actors teasing one another, the inventive props, the hilarious ad-libs, the wonderful music played and sung by actors who could apparently play every instrument... it was wonderful. They encouraged the audience to sing along during the chorus of "Home on the Range" and I was a little surprised that none of the kids seemed to know it, though all the adults did. The G-unit, however, is very good at following along, so he sang with gusto! It was seriously adorable.

Afterward, my nephew was kind of in a hurry to get going, so I didn't get to stop and say Hi to everybody as I would have done otherwise. The G-unit was so anxious to have more time to play at Grammy's that he didn't even want to stop for ice cream on the way home! So, we headed to my mom's house where my nephew spent the rest of the night playing Wii games with Grammy and me, and I played with my rambunctious, impossibly enchanting nieces. They both amazed me with their sign-language skills... there were several things they signed that I had no idea what they were. Kinda nice to know when they want a cracker, and to see them say "Thank you" when they get one!

When Adam and Lindsey arrived, they were surprised to learn that the G-unit had wanted to stay for the entire play. Apparently he usually requests to leave during intermission. I am really glad that I hadn't known that ahead of time, because I would have been even more nervous than I already was! He recounted some of the cooler stage business and his parents thanked me for taking him with me. It was my pleasure. I was so proud to introduce him around and enjoy the experience with him. It was a great night!

So, if you and the kids in your life are looking for something to do on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon for the next couple of weeks, I highly recommend the Tall Tales of Pecos Bill. It was a lot of fun and made for a great auntie/nephew date night!

5 x 11

I just finished my 5th show in a row. With no breaks in between any of them. This means I've been either performing or rehearsing (and sometimes both, because there was a lot of overlap) for nearly eleven months. And I've LOVED it! All of the plays, theaters, and people involved were all so very different I can't even compare them to each other. So I'm going to describe the differences and highlights of each:

1. Sleeping Beauty: the adventure story.
It all started when I auditioned for this show in September last year. I played a fairy, which was something of a dream come true for a girl raised on fairy tales. To be honest, I had really wanted to play Sleeping Beauty herself, but I am very glad I accepted the fairy role. The casting was too perfect. I got to play around and make up my own character in a lot of ways. Plus, the two women playing my fairy sisters are long-time friends and we had a blast in our efforts to steal every scene we were in (which included pretty much the entire show since we almost never left the stage). I was ecstatic to be doing a "straight" play, i.e. not a musical. The last non-musical I did was in 2004, I believe, which is weird because I consider myself a much better actress than a singer, but not weird because we all know how much I LOVE to sing. (...And then of course they cast me as a character that sings all the time!)The Childrens' Theatre did this show when I was in college and I was always sad I missed out at that time. I hadn't done a play with the Childrens' Theatre in six or seven years, and returning to this theatre to do a play I'd wanted to do for so long was wonderful! I had forgotten how much I love my Joanne, and what great work they do with the storytelling and young actors. It was also cool to do a period piece that did not take place in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. The costumes were very Shakespearean, and we all had to train ourselves to throw out any sort of modern mannerisms, which is harder than you would think! My parents brought my nephew to see this play -- his first play! -- and he loved it, especially the dragon. I must admit, I loved the dragon, too, because not only were the effects cool, but from backstage it sounded like a videogame. I forgot how much I like the "backstage" experience! It was a nice welcome back after not doing a play for 10 months (the previous show was Babes in Toyland, Christmas of 2008)!

2. Kiss Me Kate: the comedy.
When I auditioned for this play, I knew nothing about it, except it was supposedly a classic, was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, and had the songs "Too Darn Hot" and "I Hate Men" in it. I might have known that people dance around in their underwear. (Hmm, maybe that's a lot I knew about it.) The show covered just the right time in my life, because as you'll recall I lost my job during the rehearsal process. I've said it before, but my job-search depression would have been a lot worse without this show to go to every night. The cast was made up of all adults and sometimes the goings-on backstage were inappropriate (never TOO much). We had double-entendres for everything so we probably thought the show was funnier than it was, but we had a brilliant time! I was surprised to be cast in the ensemble in this dance-heavy musical, but happy for the chance to strengthen that weakest angle of my triple-threat triangle. Boy did the choreographer work us hard, but I managed to get it all down and my friends and family members were pretty surprised at some of my moves! I can dance! I sang the second alto part, which I loved! I adore singing harmony and it sounded so cool when we got the 8 part harmony right. Our music director called me his "power alto" -- I cannot even begin to describe how proud I am of that! Also, my hair looked awesome in every time period, both Renaissance and 1940s. I even had a cute slip to dance in, which was especially useful during a dress rehearsal where I had to change onstage and didn't make it in time (forcing me to continue a whole scene wearing just that slip...I didn't even have the green shirt at the time...). The play was double-cast, and we had a great time mixing and matching the cast members. Once again, I had a fantastic double, and I was sad that she was the one person I never got to perform with!

3. The Secret Garden: the drama.
A revisiting of a play I did 15 years ago. It's wasn't the musical and I was only in four scenes, which was lucky since I closed Kiss Me Kate a week before this one opened and could only go to a few other rehearsals before that. I played Lillias Craven, a ghost who was the wife and mother of two of the other characters. I loved getting to work with one of my favorite directors -- Emily Holmgren -- the person who taught me that knowing my character is the most important thing an actor can do. I definitely knew Lilias Craven inside and out! Sadly, I never thought of my character as creepy until someone pointed it out opening weekend; then I couldn't think of myself as anything but! I loved the relationships with the actors and characters and, again, revisiting old friendships. It was really cool seeing how very engrossed even the littlest of children were as they watched this talk-heavy, very dramatic play. They loved it! Children are much smarter than most people give them credit for. I had the BEST costume ever, and I loved getting ready. I didn't even care that my dress weighed, like, 25 pounds and people stepped on the train nearly every performance. I giggled when the cast would greet the audience after the show and little girls wanted a photo with the "princess." It was odd playing a character that no one could see -- odd enough that it was hard to get used to EVERYONE looking at me in the next show. I spent a lot of time backstage and made myself useful helping with scene changes and costume changes.

After I was cast in the Secret Garden, I formed the idea in the back of my head that I wanted to be constantly involved in one show or another for a whole year. Not a goal, per se, but just a thought that "I have time and it will bother no one, so why not?" It all depended on whether I'd have the energy and opportunities.

4. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: the dream.
My favorite show ever. A dream role, show, and cast. I have never worked so hard in my life and loved anything so much. Even now, it's the show I miss the most. I don't know if I'll ever be a part of another show that comes together quite as miraculously as this one. We had so much stacked against us: the loss of our anticipated performance space, the loss of performances, almost no advertising, almost no support from the Arts Council, multiple injuries, and so forth, but it all worked well in the end. I am still just so proud of the show! It was such an overwhelming experience playing the character that glues the rest of the show together. I was in nearly every scene, had encounters with all of the other characters. If my performance wasn't believable the whole show would be garbage. Happily, I had help and plenty of time to prepare. My favorite rehearsals were those when Brett, Denise (my Adam and my director), and I would just sit around and talk about our motivations, our backstories, our relationship, and the historical context. I loved my character and all of the others onstage with me. It was so great getting to spend so much time onstage, so much time exploring different aspects of the story. I grew so much! I had a whole character arc! I was the star! I got to feature others and support them in their roles! I loved it every day and probably would have been really depressed when it closed if I hadn't immediately jumped right into the middle of rehearsals for...

5. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: the party.
This poor show fought an uphill battle in my mind. My darling Kate asked me to audition and I was thrilled to be cast, but I was so tired after working so hard in Seven Brides that it was often a chore going to rehearsals. It was through loyalty and love for the friends involved, force of will, and a desire to let loose and party that I managed to get myself through this show! I am so glad I did it. I adored singing the music. I was thrilled that I got to play a drill team member and was repeatedly told I am a dancer (bless you, Stephanie M!). I relished in the dancing. I laughed a lot. I cried a couple of times. But in the end it really was a party. I had a blast playing with my pom-poms and -- miracle of miracles! -- I was able to touch my toes for the first time I can ever remember! Once again, my parents brought my nephew to the show -- his first musical -- and he loved it! Now he listens to the soundtrack all the time and wants to do a play with me sometime. I am so excited! I would love to have a family member to perform with. I am so jealous of all the friends who get to perform with kids or siblings! I must say, I'm used to getting yelled at by one or more members of the pro team at some point, but that never happened with this show. The whole experience was very positive. The very best part was the gift of spending six weeks with many people I completely love and don't get to see very often, if ever. I may be completely wiped out now that it's over, but I know that choosing to do this play in spite of my personal adversity was the right thing to do. I can't imagine not having done it. I still plan on posting one more time on the Cottonwood Joseph blog. I need a cathartic wrap-up.

Now that Joseph has closed, I am reveling in blissful non-participation. There were several plays I could have auditioned for to finish out the year, but I am too physically and creatively exhausted. I need some time to replenish, visit with some of my friends inside and outside of the theatre world, to go on vacation, to sleep in, to just sit around and do nothing, and to enjoy the last little bit of the summer because I've spent the entire time inside either at work, rehearsal, or in performance. I'll be honest: I'm pretty happy not to be doing a show at the moment.

I am really grateful for all of the support I've had during this time! For awesome castmates and production teams and people who came to see me perform. Most of the people that mean the most to me either came to or were involved in at least one of the plays this year. I was often surprised at people who actually came. I've become reacquainted with a lot of friends I'd only seen recently on Facebook; I love that more than one friend I hadn't seen in more than 10 years came to see me in Seven Brides! I am a little disappointed with some of the people who made no effort to see anything. Really? I'm in 5 plays, some of which were super-inexpensive, and you couldn't come to one? I understand some people live out-of-state and for others life in general is really busy, but I'm allowed to be disappointed anyway. I just keep hoping (but not too hard lest they miss the next, too) that they come to the next show.

I've grown up a lot in this last year, I hope. I've learned many lessons. I've learned that not getting the part I want doesn't mean I'm not talented enough to play it. I've learned that making the most of the part I do have pays off. I've learned that people see a lot more potential in me than I see in myself. I've learned that a show can overcome all sorts of obstacles if the people involved are dedicated and brave enough to do what must be done. I've learned not to be afraid to list conflicts on my audition form because if a production team really wants me they'll make it work and be really nice about it. I've learned that I can be the lead -- I can command and guide a show and I can do it well! I've learned that it's better to audition for a show and not get it than to not audition and wonder "what if?" I've learned that I have a lot more energy than I thought. I've learned that I need a break in between shows (or at least between every two or three). Best of all, I've learned that the theatre world is shrinking all the time and I have friends from all over the Salt Lake valley who generally care about me.

There are quite a few types of plays I'd like to do in the somewhat near future: a Shakespeare play, another crazy-big part in a musical, a tap-dance show, and a full-length straight play. Someone asked me a few weeks ago what my dream role is. Well, it was Milly in Seven Brides, and now that I've done that I don't know what the new dream is. There are so many parts I can and want to play!

What will I do next? I'm not sure. I would kind of like to audition for a Christmas show, but the idea of starting up another show makes me feel tired. I don't know if I'll be ready to jump into another play again in the next couple of weeks. I'm enjoying the freedom. (Yes, most Christmastime plays have auditions in August or September.)

It's been a good year for stretching my acting chops. Hopefully this next one will be, too. It probably won't be as busy -- I don't know if I can or want to continue to keep up this pace -- but I have my fingers crossed it will be just as satisfying!

Already Only a Memory

The Secret Garden closed on Saturday, and I already miss it... as per normal. I loved this group! Everybody was so different -- some really wacky, some quiet, some chatty -- and we meshed so well! I'm going to miss going to lunch inbetween shows, my fear of someone stepping on my train and ripping off my skirt (you can laugh, but I did step out of it once), watching Cameron/Colin cry backstage, listening to Lucy's stories in the dressing room, begging people to button my gloves, kissing Cameron in the hair so that I didn't leave ghost-lipstick on his face for most of the second act, sitting in the dark behind the stage, hoping that my performance didn't scare any little kids (I was a ghost, after all), playing with Cameron's hair, my one costume change from my "alive" leather gloves to my "dead" fancy gloves, staring longingly at my husband and son when they reunited at the end, "The lump! The lump!", helping Lucy with her costume changes, playing with Gibby the hamster, and willing hugs anytime I needed one.

Here are some photo memories of our fiercely awesome cast and show. It ended too soon!

Our freakishly talented lead actors. I am really excited to work with them again. Not only are they terrific actors, but they are hilarious, really nice people. Hopefully, our next project together won't involve me being invisible to all of the other characters... I'd love some onstage interaction with these kids.

Here our Mrs. Medlock is tying Colin's tie. I just love that it looks like she's choking him. Not that we'd blame her. The kid cried ALL the TIME (onstage, backstage... sure it was part of the show, but it was incessant)!

Backstage Babes. We decided to go out between shows one day while wearing part of our costumes (as shown in this picture). We took fliers for the show with us and even passed some of them out. No idea if any of the people we gave fliers to actually came, but we did run into some people who saw the show earlier that day. It's nice to get compliments from fans!

One of the reasons I love this photo is because I have one of my nieces making the same faces at each other; one yelling and one looking like "whoa! Chill out, doll!" Another reason is because these characters are soo different than the actresses playing them. Lucy is one of the nicest, most together, happiest people you've ever met, and Jessica is so strong and cool and wise. They ROCK!

I asked Ricky and Cameron for a "family" photo, and Ricky came up with this idea. Brilliant! Aren't we a pretty family? All that wonderful, curly hair!

I really, really loved this costume and character. There are worse things than having every other character describe you as a "sweet, pretty thing." As if I'm not already vain enough... :)

Cast photos -- which do you think reflects our personalities the most?

It's a SECRET garden

I opened The Secret Garden tonight. "Already?" you say. "Didn't you just audition for that a few weeks ago?" Why, yes! And yes! Our cast has busted our fannies for the last two and-a-half weeks, and I am proud of our product. Opening night felt really good (I say, knowing full well I'm only onstage for about 8 minutes in the 100 minute show). The cast is really strong all around, but the main reason it worked was because of these kids:

Our leads are tremendous! I can't tell you how impressed I am by them. I was not nearly this focused or talented as a teenager. They have been friends forever and you can tell when they perform together. They are so fun to watch. And they're nice people, too. I love laughing with them backstage! We are really lucky to have them.


Above: My stage husband, Ricky (I got the shot before he could block the camera with his hand -- bwahahahaha!) It's our third show together, and he always makes me laugh. We are pretty goony. We have our work cut out for us, him playing a miserable shell of a man, and me playing a serene, elegant lady. Very, very different from our characters in Little Women two years ago, when he played Mr. Brooke (Meg's husband) and I was erratic Amy :D

Below: I play Colin's (the boy in the wheelchair above) dead mother. Colin has a painting of me in his room, and this is kind of what I think Colin's painting of me looks like. The photo isn't the greatest, but I love this whole look on me! I don't want to go back and live during the Victorian era at all, but it's fun to get dolled up in something sooo not contemporary. The dress is amazing, and I am thrilled that Mom let me borrow her long gloves! I'm even proud of the hairpiece I made up to get that "Gibson girl" style -- the product of major fatigue, a trip to Wal-Mart, and unexpected inspiration. It works perfectly! I feel so pretty!

Below: Scenes from the show. We've repainted the stage, but I kind of like the bright colors! ("It's a secret oasis!") I took these during our quasi-dress-tech-all day rehearsal last Saturday. We had a devil of a time working out some of the technical issues -- there are a lot of props and costume changes and scene changes that took forever to work out just right, but we managed to get them worked out without yelling at each other too much. Now that we know more or less what we're doing, we can just to relax and enjoy the run!



So, the show is open, which means that I can just enjoy performing, and I might start getting some good sleep again (Maybe not, since I just can't seem to get myself to go to bed early). Hooray! We have had favorable words from audience members so far, for which I am grateful. I love the compliments I've had on my very small part, and I love seeing the way the rest of our cast has grown together and individually.

I'm glad I am a part of this show! I hope a lot of people come see it! We were surprised to find that even 4 and 5 year olds are understanding and enjoying it. It's a pretty adult show -- a lot of talking and story-telling and not much spectacle to hide behind or keep the little ones entertained. Wonderfully, they are being entertained by our simple acting. It's refreshing. There is hope for future generations of audiences! Come and see, and then tell your friends to come, too!