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!

Thou Lovely Loon!

We're halfway through the run of Kiss Me Kate, and I have to say that this is a play I could do for months, if not years. I am having so much fun! The cast is wacky, sometimes inappropriate, and always accepting and kind. It's been amazing to associate with these people who are so confident of who they are. They know what they want and they are so strong! They encourage me to be my best self, and I'm not afraid to be that person!





And then there's the play itself, with the difficult choreography, bipolar costumes, hilarious audiences, funny lines, and gorgeous music. I love to perform in this show! I love the antics backstage and on. I love that I've had the chance to perform with both casts -- they are so different but both brilliant.







Anyway, this experience has been a blessing for me. It may even have been life changing. I am going to miss it when it's over. I am so grateful it has such a long run! I still have six performances left.

Thank you to all who have come. And thank you to all who have been supportive whether you can come or not!

Another Op'nin, Another Show!

It's here! It's finally here! Opening night of Kiss Me Kate at Rodgers Memorial Theatre! It's been a rough couple of weeks, what with the tech rehearsals, set changes, and new costumes, but we're finally ready to present our product to the world! I hope it's successful. It certainly has been fun!

If you're interested in coming to the show, let me know and I'll send you the dates I am performing. Please visit the Rodgers Memorial website for theatre location and prices (you get a discount if you say you're coming to see me!).

I will say that based on your sensibilities the show probably isn't suitable for kids under 13. It's no naughtier than, say, your average Doris Day movie, but it may be disconcerting that most of the ensemble is dancing in (modest) underwear for most of the second act. We are fully covered and have multiple layers on, but it's still underwear. You have been warned :)

I am so excited to open this show! I am very proud of it and the work that I and all of my cast members have done. It's going to be a good one!

Rehearsin' KMK

(I am really tired, so I apologize if this isn't totally coherent)

So... remember how I auditioned for Kiss Me Kate on a whim? Yeah, it's pretty much pure awesome. I love it! I love the cast and rehearsing is so fun! I am even glad that I'm not one of the leads, because I love the crazy, manic, superhard dancing. There are lifts in every dance that I have yet to master. We need two more men for the chorus (do you know anyone who's available and a good dancer?). I don't get to see my friend Jason hardly EVER but I'm sure he's still in the show. I haven't been in an ensemble in so long I forgot how hard it is to create a character completely from scratch. I have decided on a character name: Norma Billings. My darling double cheerfully agreed to adopt the name with me. She is the BEST!

But, like I said, I have an awesome cast to discover it with. And the pro[duction] team could not be more fun and funny. The director tonight mimed getting on a soap box before he lectured us, for crying out loud! We get pretty wacky and have full permission to be crazy... as long as we're quiet offsides (which, by the way, is why he was lecturing us). We get pretty loud and chatty.

One of my favorite things about the cast is that most of us are in our mid-twenties to mid-thirties, most are married, and everyone is totally comfortable with themselves. We've discovered that the play is rife with innuendo, and some are really good with making it even more naughty (which I'm sure will be toned down before we open). We're having fun with the switching of couples between dances and the fact there are more men than women in the cast! That doesn't happen very often!

It also amuses me that our clothes are getting really beat up. I have owned my character shoes for 12 years, and they didn't start getting scuffed up until this show! The color on the sides of my shoes is almost completely worn off. I will probably have to polish them at least once a week once the show opens. Plus, we do a lot of sliding on the floor, and since most of us wear black sweatpants the dust marks on our hindquarters are inevitable! Why do I mention this? Why not? It's a part of the whole experience!

Several of us have even gone out after some of the rehearsals. A month ago we went to Dairy Queen, and last Friday we ate out at Iggy's. Good times!

We open in less than 4 weeks! It's weird to think I auditioned nearly 3 months ago, and it will all be over in 2 more. I am so glad I randomly auditioned for this play! It's been awesome so far!

Starting Over Again

I was so nervous at my rehearsal tonight! The first rehearsal for a show I don't know well at a theatre where I haven't performed in 5 years. Ack! Fortunately, I know a few people in the cast and others are friendly. I have not met my double yet, but hopefully she comes to the next rehearsal and is easy to work with :) We started to learn a few of the songs and I get to sing second Alto. Oh, and I was measured for my costumes. I always love the music and costumes!

Always exciting to start with a new show. I can never guess what will happen during the next 10 weeks of rehearsal and 4 of performances. It may be just another show... it may change my whole life....

Whatever happens, it's going to be a lot of hard work and a lot of fun!

Too Darn Hot!

No, the title is not in reference to the weather outside (though it was a pleasant day today). It's in reference to the only song I know in the next show I'm doing.

Remember last week when I posted that I wasn't called back for Kiss Me Kate? Apparently, it was because they'd seen all they needed... to decide they wanted me in their show! I got an email on Saturday asking if I would accept a part in the ensemble (They had to send an email because it seems I gave them a bad phone number - ack!). I called the stage manager this morning and accepted the role. It was such a rush!

When I looked at the cast list, I realized I am one of only 14 girls in the show - 7 in each cast! Crazy, eh? I am totally flattered, and totally, totally excited. I loved the dancing at the callback and can't wait to get to know the show and the cast and become reacquainted with the theatre. I haven't done a show at Rodgers in 5 years, and I only did the one. I'm not thrilled about the commute in the worst months of winter, but maybe there will be people I can carpool with... I hope the other three people I know are in my cast -- or that at least one of them is!

Rehearsals start after Thanksgiving which gives me a chance to close my current show before I start another. That will be nice. Not really a break, but at least they don't overlap, and I already had a 9 month break from theatre earlier this year.

Yaaaaaaaaay!

(If the dancing is anything like indicated at the callback, or like that in this clip, it may kick my butt. That's worth seeing, isn't it?)

Kiss Me Earnest

I auditioned for two plays today.

The first was The Importance of Being Earnest at Hale Centre Theatre West Valley City. Miss Cecily Cardew is one of my absolute dream roles! I have been preparing for this audition for weeks. I haven't auditioned for a straight play in awhile, and I really, really wanted to give myself the best chance possible. I even solicited help from two trusted friends, Kate and Stephanie J, who gave me wonderful advice and encouragement. (This is the audition I was referring to in the Audition post. I had to scrap the original monologue, but I think my audition was the better for that week of work.)

Even after rehearsing for a solid week and really working on the reading the director requested, I was nervous this morning. But I went in and gave it all I had. I feel great about it. I couldn't have done any more than I did. I know I was good and I had fun! I was actually surprised that I wasn't called back. I am probably more disappointed than I will admit to myself. I've heard some rumors since this morning about what they were looking for with Cecily, and there's nothing I could have done about the "wishes" that I don't meet. It's just the way it is so I won't worry at it. I have absolutely no regrets about the audition. I am glad that I gave it a shot and that I did so well!

I just hope I have another opportunity soon to audition for Earnest again. I really do want to play Cecily someday!

To take some of the pressure of the Earnest audition off, I decided to audition for Kiss Me Kate at Rodgers Memorial Theatre today, too. I figured, if I wasn't called back for Earnest then I'd still get to go sing and dance and have some fun, and if I was called back for Earnest it would be something to do with the excited energy.

I was thrilled when I pulled into the parking lot and saw my friend Austin walking past. He had just auditioned too! He came with me and waited for me to sing so that we could grab some lunch together before the dance audition (I think it's a great idea to dance as part of the initial audition to give people a second chance at a call back). I literally selected a song at midnight last night and then rehearsed it the entire hour in between the Earnest and Kate auditions this morning. I sang "42nd Street" which I know well, and I think I did fine if not good. I just love to sing!

Austin and I ate burgers at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and still had plenty of time to hang out before the dance audition. We had the option to do an easy dance and/or a difficult one, since not all of the parts require a lot of dancing. I chose to do both, but I really wasn't feeling the easy dance. After I finished, I thought "This is lame. What am I even doing here?"

I enjoyed the difficult dance more. It was freakishly fast and hard, but I was able to do it and I had fun. I felt a little intimidated by some of the other women there. Looking around and watching the other girls I realized what an un-Fosse-esque body I have. I danced fine, but I don't think I looked quite right. Crazy. I could do the steps and was proud of myself at the end. I don't have much training, but I do like to dance!

I didn't get called back for Kiss Me Kate, either. It's probably just as well. I should probably finish Sleeping Beauty before I get too deep into another show!

The funniest part of today? After I finished my Earnest audition, while I waited to find out of I'd been called back, I pulled out the book I'm reading -- Persuasion by Jane Austen. The second paragraph I read said:

"It is over! it is over!" she repeated to herself again, and again, in nervous gratitude. "The worst is over!"

Ain't that the truth? Classic!

August Odds and Ends

The longer I look at the word "report" the less meaning it has and the more it looks like it's spelled incorrectly. Same with the word "tree."

I am now the owner of the best paper doll book of all time. It was necessary to buy it. There are six Disney Princesses (Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, Aurora, and Snow White) and they're all standing in the same position, so I can mix and match the 150 outfits! It's awesome! I saw the book at Albertsons last month, leafed through it, and then put it down because I'm 30 and have no use for a paper doll book. I could buy it on the pretense of giving it to my 3 month old nieces, but if I were to buy it I'd want it for me! Well, a week later I really, really wanted it, but it was gone. I even checked a bunch of Albertsons stores. I ordered it online and now it's mine! I don't even feel the need to punch out the dolls and clothes right away. I'm just happy having it on my bookshelf for a rainy day...

Traffic school was not as bad as I thought it would be. I was pulled over for not fully yielding at a stop sign and I don't remember if I did or I didn't. I probably stopped but it might have been at the curb instead of the line. Anyway, I had never been to traffic school before -- and I qualified -- so I thought I'd give it a shot. One of my friends said she went to traffic school in Sandy and it was three hours long and super boring. Luckily, I was pulled over in Midvale, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was only an hour long, and the officer in charge went over a bunch of traffic rules he's most likely to pull people over for. (Oddly, he never mentioned mine, and I forgot to ask about it so I'm still not entirely sure what I did wrong.)

My company is doing an office-wide challenge where the person or team of people who log the most steps wins some sort of prize. I admit, I haven't been paying a lot of attention to what's involved. I don't walk or run for excercise, so I'm more doing it just for fun. I am enjoying the pedometer part, however :) We each recieved one for free, complete with company logo across the front. I lost the first pedometer within 24 hours; I put it on when I stepped out of the car, but by the time I sat at my desk it was gone. The second one died after too weeks, possibly because I dropped it so many times. It wouldn't stay clipped to my pants! So, I bought a third. I've had it two days and it seems fine so far. I learned today that it's possible to cheat with the company-issued pedometer by adjusting the stride of your steps. Like I said, I'm not taking the whole thing very seriously. Just having fun so I'm not too worried about it.

Pantene hair products have treated me very well for the last couple of years, but I decided to try something else. From some study I read somewhere (how's that for specific?) curly blonde hair is the most prone of all hair types to damage, because it's often so fine and snarly. Well, a friend recommended I try sulphate-free shampoo to keep my hair from drying out so much, so I'm using L'Oreal EverPure. It smells amazing, though I haven't noticed a huge difference in my hair's hydration level. I can't say my hair looks better, but that may be because I'm washing it in the morning instead of at night. I get really warm while sleeping, and that coupled with my reluctance to turn the A/C on means I need to shower in the morning during the summer. However, since my hair now dries vertically while I'm doing my morning activities instead of lying on my pillow at night it doesn't dry as crazy-curly as I prefer. I may go back to showering at night come wintertime. My hair was way cuter during Babes in Toyland than it is now. I'm glad it's getting longer though and it does seem more healthy!

It's official. I'm bummed I didn't do a show this summer. I originally decided not to do one because we were supposed to have the big deadline at work July 15. Then in May it was postponed until January 15 which means it may foul up my winter-performing plans. Or I may do a show anyway and REALLY not have a social life. I haven't decided. But I almost-desperately miss performing!!! Thank goodness so many of my friends have been in shows -- giving me an excuse and reminder to go -- otherwise I'd be in complete withdrawls. In the last three weeks I've seen James Blond at the Desert Star Playhouse, The Scarlet Pimpernel at Hale, Once Upon a Mattress at the Empress, and Lucky Stiff at Rogers Memorial. The latter three are now on the "shows I want to do someday" list... which just keeps growing and growing! (They were all fantastic, though. Go if you still can! They close soon!)

It's the Feeling of Being Alive!

Thursday I joined Amy and saw her adorable husband Jason play Sir Danvers Carew in Jekyll and Hyde at Rodgers Memorial Theatre. It was amazing! Such a good show! It's a little short on plot, but it's a character piece anyway, so I didn't mind. I love the music, and Rodgers did a terrific job using the stage and gorgeous costumes to help us suspend our disbelief. I loved watching Jason play an earnest and truely nice guy -- it was a breath of fresh air in the midst of all of the murder and horror going on.

Meanwhile, I was surprised to find that my friend Danny Lasko was playing Jekyll/Hyde! Hadn't seen him in years and was thrilled he finally gets to play his dream role. He had an insane amount of charisma and I have no idea where he found all that energy. I had chills every time he came on stage as Hyde. I was so proud of him! It was fun to chat afterwards and catch up a bit. It's always nice to meet someone who is achieving his dreams and knows how truely blessed he is!

There were several other cast members I had performed with years ago that I was excited to see. I don't know why, but I'm always afraid people won't remember me, so I don't always say "hi". But this time I did, and every one of them remembered me and seemed so happy to see me! Hooray! I love having friends in the theatre! One can never feel alone when one is involved in Utah's theatre community. Eventually, you run into each other again and most of the time it feels as though no time has passed. It's fantastic!

Anyway, I had a great time, and will recommend the show to anyone who asks. Tickets are selling out, but go if you can! You likely won't be disappointed. Thanks again Amy for being my date. I love talking with you and cheering with you, too! Well done, Jason! Love you both!