Author: theactorvist

I love the Theatre. It's my church. It's my joy. I have been performing in plays and musicals for over half of my life, and I would be lost without it. Now more than ever, people are cutting back on everything that is too expensive or unimportant to their lives. As an actor, heck as a person, I don't know of anything that is more important than the arts. Art reflects history. It shows humanity at its worst but also its best. Every day some artistic program is getting cut from a school or a great show goes unseen. Maybe a talented singer isn't able to audition for American Idol. There are a ton of people who live in the South Bay Area of California, who go unseen or unheard. There are many production companies that are just bursting with talent, but people don't see the shows. I will do my best to bring you interviews with local artists of every kind, send out the call for local companies looking to cast people in productions, and much more. Stay tuned because this is only the beginning.

Through the Hardest Parts… {edited}

Are still to come.

The original title I had for this post was called “One More To Go…” I had begun writing the night after our penultimate performance of Zombie Prom. It had a multitude of meanings that were well suited for it at the time. Unfortunately, it got very late and I couldn’t stay awake anymore, so I planned to pick up again in the morning and posting it before the show. As it turns out, I woke up 10 minutes before our call time (the time the actors have to be at the theatre to get ready and what not) and the post went into the draft pile.

I said “See ya soon!” to the Sunnyvale Theatre after 5 months, and I looked forward to the shift of taking on Christmas Mouse. There is no dancing. There is the tiniest bit of singing. I thought a nice calm small role would be the perfect way to finish out this last month of the year. Now, with only one more performance left, I find myself already saddened by the thought that I can’t audition for a few months and there are all these great shows happening the same time I am working on JCS.

*sigh*

I know it sounds completely selfish, but I finally feel like I have some traction under me; and if I stop for any longer than a few weeks, I will have lost all the momentum I have built. I am sure that this new adventure is going to be as incredible as I hope it will. I have an insanely talented cast, truly. The trouble is they have an insane director.

I will begin creating the dances on Monday and reread and organize all the notes I have made for the last 8 months into something more useful. So much to do still, and rehearsals begin in 3 weeks.

Sometimes I don’t know whether to dance with excitement or pull my hair from panic. I suppose I could always make it a modern piece and dance freneticaly and pause during quiet moments to alternately cackle or tear at my hair. Hmmmm… now to just figure out the right choice of song…

So, it is with this mindset that I will end my 2013. I will be sure to laugh and play in between the crazy times to keep my sense of fun, but deep down I shall always be thinking about what I can or need to do next. That makes this the hardest part. To not be completely immersed in the moments of my life while it is happening always makes me just the slightest bit sad. Even so, this is my passion. I enjoy the challenge and I do not regret wanting to do the best that I possibly can for it and for those I am lucky enough to work with.

So until next time, friends…
Thanks for reading the ramblings!

It’s Child’s Play… I Mean A Child’s Play…

My latest project, Christmas Mouse, is a children’s play. I have never actually had the chance to do a show like this. Like the movie, Child’S Play, there is the sense of “awwww, that’s cute” and “OMG, this is terrifying!”

Let me try and explain…
I enjoy working with kids. Before our contract expired, I volunteered with Zohar teaching dances to kindergartners. I loved dancing with these little ones as the first thing I did on Thursday mornings. When I was first brought on board, the kids were shy and some opted to watch from the side of the room. I totally get that. Meeting new people is hard and if you don’t do it often, it is hard to get the hang of. Hell, I still get like that a lot of the time, especially during orientations for new shows.

The terror thing that gets me is that we don’t have weeks to get the children that come to the show to get over shyness. We have minutes. Before each show, I get so nervous for that very reason. What happens if the children don’t join in the participartory sections? What happens if the children get bored and want to go? After the initial wave of panic is done washing over me, I can shake it off and refocus.

Then, after the curtain speech, when the kids actually talk back to me, I feel so much more excited and excitable. Sunday’s audience was outstanding. Lots of people, that are responsive and in good spirits, always make for a better show.

Next, the narrator comes out and begins the show. It never fails that the little ones love being recognized and offered the chance to participate in the show. So all my worrying was completely pointless. Now the “awwww’s” have kicked in. Getting to hear them cheering on our protagonists reminds me of how much fun it is to mix kids and the Arts.

Our first weekend was really fun as we got used to having an audience. I am hopeful that our second weekend of audiences enjoy this adorable show and we are sold out.

So, like I said, it IS like the movie. Just in a very different way.

A Christmas Mouse plays thru Sunday, 12/15 in Santa Clara. You can get you tickets by calling 408.248.7993. Bring the kiddies and enjoy a little holiday fun.

I Have a Cast!! Well, Mostly…

special announcement from us

I feel JUST like this right now!!

I have been chewing my fingernails for the last week trying to work out something to finalize my major players in the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and finally today, on my lunch break I got a text message that gave us the green light! I just now was pacing for a good 15 minutes because I couldn’t sit down to write this since I am so excited.

Yes, Oprah, honey I am so happpppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy!

We did have some gentlemen decline our request to join us as apostles, so at the time of print our role for Matthew remains open. But fear not, there are options on the horizon. And there are some confirmations for female ensemble that we are waiting for. I just cannot wait any longer. I am so EXCITED, I have to tell you!!! Keep in mind there are a few more players that will be added.

Here’s the breakdown for my cast:

Welcome

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

CAST LIST

Jesus of Nazareth……………. Mischa Stephens

Judas Iscariot………………… Andy Cooperfauss

Mary Magdalene…………………. Angela Cesena

Caiaphas……………………………. David Murphy

Annas……………………….. Jessica Whittemore

Herod…………………………… Aaron Weisberg

Pontius Pilate…………………… Jeffery Henson

Peter…………………………… Kevin Brownstein

Simone………………………… Jessica Ellithorpe

James the Great…………… George Fernandez

John……………………….. Carmelo Rosado, III

Andrew………………………………….. Jeff Tuttle

Thaddeus……………………………. Ronnie Misra

Thomas………………………….. Robert Summers

Nathanael……………………… Chris Cruz-Collier

James the Less……………….. Samantha Stidham

Matthew…………………………………………………..

Philip……………………………………. Gaby Catipon

Priest #1…………………………………. Ian Douglas

Priest #2………………………………….. David Cori

Priest #3……………………………… Michael Carey

Soul Girl……………………………….. Nique Eagen

Soul Girl……………………………. Jen Wheatenfox

Soul Girl…………………………………….. Lisa Allen

Soul Girl…………………………. Valerie Valenzuela

Soul Girl………………………… Elizabeth Lawrence

Soul Girl…………………………… Maggie Velazquez

Female Ensemble………………………. Amy Wright

Male Ensemble………………….. M. Gerald Crofoot

Male Ensemble………………………. Frank Sherlock

I am so excited to be working with such an amazing group of people. Lots of people. How I am going to get them on that stage will be a challenge. But in the words of the great Barney Stinson “Challenge Accepted!”

GAAAAHHHH!!! I am so excited!!

I Survived Day 1…

Superstar

Disclaimer 1: I wrote this part while having breakfast before auditions.

Even in spite of all the meetings and thoughts and numerous ideas I have committed to my trusty notebook for this, TODAY really feels like the day when I am beginning this brand new adventure in theatre.

In previous meetings, we have discussed the personalities of all the main characters, what their motivations are, what we are listening for, what the set looks like, what the costumes are going to be like, where the orchestra is going to be situated, contingency plans if our audition turn out is less than desirable, and which songs will be “danced.”

Along with the meetings, the numerous spins of those disks in my car and repeated plays in itunes, and the time that I took to make a 30 second dance combination for the people who audition, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that I am going to be responsible for this show.

The thought not only makes me giddy with excitement, but it, in a very small way, terrifies me. People have constantly asked me “What’s your concept for the show?” They stand there waiting, wide eyed and truly interested. And to be honest, I had thought of a number of different ones, but my favorite was having JFK or MLK “as” Jesus and setting everything around that. There are different conspiracy theories surrounding JFK and Dr. King is such a good example for nonviolence and equality of his time; I thought it would make for a very new spin on the show. Feel free to use the idea if you would like.

Then, I thought about the venue. I know the patrons and subscribers and they enjoy the traditional tellings of shows. And I thought, as a new director, would the idea be too big to pull off in a clear way, as in would I get to bogged down in the idea that I lost focus of my true characters. I remember a wonderful man telling me, in a cafe many months ago, keep things clear and simple. So with that in mind, I decided I will keep the traditional look, but let’s play with the way things are being said. Once I began to dig into the lyrics, there are a number of times that if you merely change the person that a lyric gets sung to, new possibilities open up. All you need is a door to walk through to get into a new room.

What worries me is that this particular show, while I have a tremendous fondness, it is not a very popular musical. Many people either A. hate anything that says Andrew Lloyd Webber on it, B. hate the rock music, or C. hate the story. There are so many great parts and some of them I am really willing to cast nontraditionally, again…door.

But if you were to just forget about who is in the story and the why’s and think about it as a story of loyalty, love, and guilt don’t you think it is intriguing? What would you do if someone you love asked you to do something that could cause them physical harm? Could you do it? Why? Or better question, why not? If that person told you it would be a huge benefit to so many people, isn’t your refusal selfish? There are so many questions to ask and so many answers to find. I just hope that people will get their tickets and explore this journey with us.

Disclaimer 2: I am writing this after Zombie Prom performance.

Before we began, I thought about something my director for Pippin said to me about auditions. She told me, “Don’t set an expectation for particular people to show up. Sometimes life gets in the way and they can’t make it. Be open to the people that are there and what they bring to the table.” I tell you, it made all the difference in the world. I felt more relaxed and enjoyed the process a hell of a lot more emotionally. Physically, I feel a little worn down, but so thankful to the many talented people that came to audition. The prospects are looking pretty good even though it was only the first day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. Yeah, my body may hurt a little now and I will be stiff as all get out tomorrow, but these first auditionees make it all worth it.

We have another day of auditions tomorrow from 6:30 – 9 at the Saratoga Civic Theater in Saratoga, CA. Come on down, sing us a song, and dance a little bit. It’ll be fun!

So I Said To Myself… Don’t Judge Me…

I recently began working on my next show. Thanks to the Prom, I had missed 3 rehearsals and was meeting the cast for the first time.

Meeting new people always gives me a little anxiety. But I knew the director and it was nice to just kind of chat with him a bit. He quickly went over the blocking that I was given. After about 10 minutes of that, we began running the show, with scripts.

My first entrance felt way clunky and jarring. I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but I can read things and sound totally casual, like I was making it up. This particular moment though, I felt so out of step with myself. I noticed that the other actors were really getting into their characters with motion and great choices. I, on the other hand, kept checking for the markers for the entry points of the set before I walked out.

About the third exit, I had to take a deep breath. “Relax. This is your first rehearsal. These people have been working on this for almost two weeks. You just have to catch up.” I said to myself. Once I realized that it was okay for me to be a little clunky, I was able to shake out whatever was making me feel awkward and by the time I had to improv a tango, the folks were giggling at my little dance.

The point is, most of the time, you have to get out of your own way. The only way to do it though is to be aware of yourself and ask logical questions about such and such. You can’t just sit there and say, “why am I sucking?” Ask smarter questions like “What is making me misread this particular script?” the answer; anxiety. “Why am I anxious about being here?” answer; meeting new people. So I smiled at my fellow actors and when we had down time, I went over and asked what they did the previous two weeks. Problem solved. I didn’t get the chance to bond with the cast at the beginning when original introductions were made, so that added to my own silly neurosis.

Even after all the shows this year, I still have a problem meeting new people. I guess it’s a process, but I feel like I am getting better at it. But it is such slow going.

Do you get anxious over meeting new people? Or is it something completely different? What do you do to get through it?

Thanks for reading!!

Until next time…