It WAS amazing! (A Little Women post)

I've been putting off blogging about the end of Little Women, because I feel like any words I put down will be inadequate. This show was one of the all-around best I've ever had the privilege to be part of. It might be my favorite show, ever.

The cast was incredibly talented and dedicated, the production team had a clear vision and were a pleasure to work with, the crew was professional and kind, the costumes and set were stellar. I loved everyone involved and feel so lucky I got to be a part of this experience. It didn't matter how bad the rest of my day might have been, when I arrived at the theater to prepare for a performance, I immediately felt energized and happy. Even being sick for three of the four weeks didn't bring me down (I was lucky my role wasn't as music-intensive as some of the others'). I had the most supportive people around me -- all willing to do whatever they could to help me perform my best, and never stingy with praise and gratitude. Oh, gosh. It was a pleasure to be there.

Plus, I know it was a terrific show. The positive response to it was overwhelming! May people, including me, complain about the script, but I feel like our performances made up for a lack of written character depth and gaps in the story. I didn't feel at all embarrassed recommending my friends to pay $20 to see it, though I understood if the price was a deterrent. There was a different cast for every day of the week (especially with the usually double-cast roles of Beth and Amy being shared by three actresses) and everyone played differently with each other in spite of our director's request we try to perform like our doubles. I had my opinions on which doubles were "best" in their roles... but those mostly depended on collective chemistry onstage (no, I'm not going to call out on this blog which was the "better" of any of the characters). More than one patron told me it was the best show they'd ever seen at CenterPoint Legacy AND Rodgers Memorial. I wish they had allowed us to take a video. I was so proud of this production and would love to show it off to any who would let me!

My character was insanely fun to play. I might have to write another blog post just about her, especially since I never got around to working on a character sketch.  Miss Amy March was written as the villain AND the comic relief in the show, and I did my best to do her justice and somehow make her a little endearing, too. It would have been so easy to make her silly and one-dimensional; I couldn't resist throwing in my own experiences and understanding of why she was so frustrated as the youngest, left-behind sister, and later coming in to her own and hoping her family would continue to love her even though she had grown up. I wanted to make her a strong and real person. Many of my physical and emotional choices were deliberate and I think they enhanced my performance. It's such a great role!

I am proud to say that I never failed to get a laugh from my favorite line: "Sashes aren't silly!"
I love making people laugh! It's one of the best things in the world!

My greatest stress -- and the cast's favorite joke -- was that I was at least 12 years older than the six women who played my sisters. Being so much older and yet playing the youngest was terrifying! Fortunately, like I said, everyone was supportive. My double was sixteen and I learned a lot from her own portrayal and her encouragement of mine. I was reassured over and over again that though it was obvious I was not 12, no one would guess I am 34. Every time a friend saw the show and said they were amazed by my transfiguration into a 12 year old I mentally cheered and breathed a sigh of relief.

Five for all -- FOREVER!!

Actually, many of the cast members didn't know my real age until the end of the run -- some still don't :-D

I had thought my days of playing teenagers were past, and maybe they are now, but I am inordinately grateful I had another chance to play this character. I loved doing it four years ago, and I loved it again now. I wish I could have one more shot -- I love her that much. I honestly believe this is one of those roles that I am uniquely suited to play and really identified with. I got to do just about everything I wanted to, and it paid off!

I never tired of this production. With the exception of having to change costume between EVERY SINGLE SCENE I think I could have continued for another month or year. Sixteen performances were not enough to play with my character and the other people in the cast and crew. It went by far too quickly.

A lot of people are looking forward to the next show at CenterPoint, The Scarlet Pimpernel (I have tickets for tonight!), and calling it the event of the year. I got to hear some of their rehearsals from the dressing room and under the stage during my show and it's going to be terrific. When it came to  Little Women, I don't think people expected much going in and then were nicely surprised. Even men who don't enjoy chick flicks or theater enjoyed it. The show had so much heart and talent you couldn't help but be moved. My friend Kate wrote one of my favorite tributes (click her name to read it). I am thrilled that she and others were so inspired by our production!

Thank you so much to all who came and supported me this time! It means so much to me!


Oddly, I'm not depressed about it being over. I loved it, and I miss it and the people involved, but I think my Marmee said it best on closing night when she said, "I'm not sad because I know I'm going to see and work with you all again." We truly created a family onstage and off and it won't end just because the play did and we may not hear from each other regularly if at all before whatever our next project together is. I'm so happy we got to create something wonderful together and learned to love each other, too.

There was a moment during one of the Saturday performances where -- as I listened to the sold-out audience laugh and applaud -- I felt like I had finally arrived. I felt like all of my other theater opportunities had built up to this role in this show and this theater. It was one of the best moments of my life. I am so grateful that I have been blessed to play so many roles in so many plays that I have loved. Who else is as lucky as I am? I have the best hobby in the world!

I am the troll in the bottom center of this photo

I hope that the next production I do is as fun, well-done, creatively fulfilling, and successful as Little Women was. For now, I'm taking a well-deserved break; not in a hurry to do anything else in the near future -- not before Christmas, anyway. I'm just basking in the joy of my two perfect summer plays, and feeling grateful and happy. 

Backstage photos that I love:

Director Leslie Giles-Smith and choreographer Joan Bowles

The padding under my troll costume

My wigs matched my real hair

Troll in the hole!
(Literally a box under the stage)

Made by Tom's fan club, fitting for our characters!

Half-dressed for microphone checks

Landon and I in 42nd Street (left) eight years ago,
and Little Women this summer.
To be fair, he has old age make-up on
in the photo on the right

I felt it was important to draw something in Amy's sketchbook.
Isn't it hideous?

Ready to perform an Operatic Tragedy!

Cute Conner faux-proposes to me --
man, that kid can ad-lib!

Most of the sister combinations during the run!

.

Another belated birthday present!

I have a new television! My parents generously offered me their "gently used" flatscreen and brought it over Tuesday night. Since I wasn't home, they even hooked everything up for me.

Still surprised by how large it is --
my cabinet can barely contain it!

An unanticipated benefit is that I can actually watch network t.v. again -- LIVE! Remember how I got rid of cable last year (wow, was it really 18 months ago)? Turns out, the cable for the regular antenna didn't fit on the hookup for my old television, so I haven't even had limited t.v. viewing. All I've been using it for are DVDs and VHS (yes, I have a combination DVD and VCR -- I'm replacing my VHS tapes really slowly). It was so lovely to sit and watch Modern Family last night without worrying about the inevitable spoilers on Facebook or blogs today. I laughed AND I cried! Two really good episodes to initiate my new t.v. in my apartment!

I was surprised at how many commercials there were. I've been mentally complaining about the length of the "ad time" on Hulu, but it does take less time to watch there.

Now the temptation will be to sit and watch my t.v. whenever I'm bored... but when honest with myself, I admit that I've been time-wasting on Hulu and Netflix anyway. The only difference is that I can drag my laptop into my bedroom. I keep the television in the living room for a reason so that I can shut it off and go to bed (there is sometimes a temptation to fall asleep on the couch, but my bed is sooo much more comfortable)!!

Good-bye, old, reliable Panasonic. You have been my roommate in every home I've lived in during the past eleven years and I am grateful! I hope your next family appreciates you as much as I have.

Anyone want to volunteer to lug the old television out of my apartment and over to Deseret Industries? I really should have had my parents do it when I had the chance...

Happy 10/11/12 (October 11, 2012) everybody!

The Cave Troll's birthday

Thought I'd post a funny video today, since I know a bunch of my friends are having a tough week. I spotted this one and appreciated the giggle (and then I watched a bunch of related videos -- they're silly!)


(Is anyone else as excited about the first Hobbit movie as I am? I finished the book and can't wait to see it on the big screen!)

Now, run to Smith's and buy a slice of cake (if you don't like cake, go to McDonald's and get an ice cream cone. Oooh! Or a corn dog from Dairy Queen! Or find a terrific, healthy peach ... I'm digressing). Tonight, I'm going to relax by watching Snow White and the Huntsman (didn't see it in theaters and it's finally available on Netflix) and possibly also a few episodes of Gilmore Girls. Hope you have something lovely planned, too.

Megan Elizabeth II

My friend Megan Dunyon died this week. She was thirty-three years old.

I met Megan Dunyon when we were ten years old, and her family moved into my ward. She was the first person I had ever met who shared my name. She even shared my middle name! Her family called us "Megan Elizabeth I" and "Megan Elizabeth II." I was "I" because I was a few months older. She and I became fast friends. We immediately started having sleepovers, where she introduced me to Saturday's Warrior, and we tried to have Star Wars marathons (and always fell asleep during The Empire Strikes Back) at her house. I'm pretty sure she introduced me to Gone with the Wind, too. During our sleepovers at my house, we'd stay up all night playing computer games like "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" We even won the game a few times, which was quite a feat. That's when we started calling each other "Holmes" and "Watson."

We auditioned at City Rep together when we were fifteen. Megan and I were both cast in a musical version of The Wind in the Willows, and we were immediately sucked into the community theater world -- a world we occupied with enthusiasm for the rest of our junior high and high school years. We may have been friends closer with other individuals then with each other, but we remained in the same circles.

For the most part, we lost touch after high school. I was sad to learn during one encounter with her that her dad had died. We did our last show together in 2000, and I'm ashamed to admit that we did not get along during that time. We had grown apart, and she had some chronic illnesses that were making her life difficult. After the play ended, we parted ways. We had mutual friends, so I still heard about her once in awhile.

Then, out of the blue last year, she messaged me on Facebook. It was the first time she had reached out to me in eleven years. I messaged back... and then didn't hear from her again until a little over a month ago. We messaged back and forth several times, catching up on our lives and our families. It was nice to be reminded of our history and to discover that neither of us held any ill-will after all this time. We became friends on Facebook and started to make plans to see each other.

On Wednesday, a mutual friend called to tell me that Megan had passed away during the night. Megan's illnesses had overwhelmed her, and she died quietly of natural causes. I've had a couple of days for it all to sink it, but it just won't. It's still too unreal.

I have very little experience with people dying that I had known well, and this one seems more personal than most because there are so many unanswered questions. I will never know what prompted Megan to get in contact with me again, but I am grateful that she did. I have talked with several of our mutual friends over the last couple of days, and many of them said that Megan also sought them out recently. I am so sad I didn't get to see her one last time, but glad that she had been talking with people she held such fond memories of. Our teenage years were awesome. I don't know if I would have had the courage to audition for that first community show without her. My life would have been so different without her.

I'll always think of Megan as a ten year-old with long, brown hair and tiny ears, dancing in her nightgown to "Sailing On" (from Saturday's Warrior). That was the Megan I knew and loved, the happy Megan who had not yet experienced all the pain of adolescence and illness and the difficulties of adulthood. I hope that she and her dad are happy together and doing good things in the spirit world. I know they are thrilled to be together again.

Good-bye, my Watson. I'll miss you.

Teacup pig... I don't want to be with you...

Last night as I wandered around Barnes & Noble, I spotted this adorable calendar:

Which made me think of this episode of How I Met Your Mother:


And now I kind of want a teacup pig.

Right now.

Happy Friday!

Days of Plenty

Shortly after being cast in our show, one of our Marmees, Wanda, was diagnosed with a form of cancer called  Hodgkins Lymphoma. She talked it over with her husband, doctors, production team, and double, and everyone was very supportive of her continuing with the play. Wanda missed many rehearsals while recovering from chemotherapy and sat in the audience to watch her double when she was well enough to come but didn't have the strength to practice. 

Marmee and her girls

We showered Wanda with prayers and support during rehearsals and performances. It was a huge miracle that she didn't have to rely on her double and was able to perform during all of her scheduled shows! Wanda was such a sweet, sympathetic, and strong Marmee.

I am grateful that I chose to watch her cast on their closing night. I was able to bask in how wonderful the show was, and finally understand why everyone told me the play had made them cry the "ugly cry." (I sure am glad it was dark and no one could see my own ugly crying!)

But the moment that put me over the edge was watching and hearing Wanda sing her power ballad "Days of Plenty." It's a beautiful and meaningful song in any circumstance, but when I thought of Wanda's particular experience, my emotions filled my heart and spilled out my eyes. 

MARMEE:
Don’t make so much of me Jo… (spoken)

I never dreamed of this sorrow,
I never thought I’d have reason to lament,
I hoped I’d never know heartbreak,
How I wish I could change the way things went!
I wanted nothing but goodness,
I wanted reason to prevail,
Not this bare emptyness.
I wanted Days of Plenty.

But I refused to feel tragic,
I am aching for more than pain and grief.
There has got to be meaning,
Most of all when a life has been so brief.
I have got to learn something,
How can I give her any less?
I want life to go on.
I want Days of Plenty

You have to Believe,
There is reason for Hope.
You have to Believe
That the answers will come.
You can’t let this defeat you.
I won’t less this defeat you.
You must fight to keep her there,
Within you!

So Believe that she matters!
And Believe that she always will!
She will always be with you!
She’ll be part of the days you’ve yet to fill!
She will live in your bounty!
She will live as you carry on your life!

So carry on,
Full of Hope,
She’ll be there,

For all your Days of Plenty

I hope that one day I can be as inspiring as she is to me, and that I could follow her example when faced with a similar crisis. I have no doubt that she will beat this illness and become stronger than ever. I cannot wait to see and work with her again someday.

Director Leslie, sandwiched between our two brilliant Marmees!