character – The Actorvist

Hello Gentle Reader,

OMG I have tried to complete the post about Kinky Boots for the last 2 months and by this time, I can’t add any of the photos that I want to now that the writing was finally finished. But then I went back and read it, and it was trash. There was no flow to the post and the thread of thought that I initially had doesn’t work because I literally spent 52 days trying to add to it to get all my thoughts out but it was a jumbled mess.

So I am scrapping that post altogether and just moving forward. 😵

The newest project is a fun little farce that is a great way to wrap up a really fun summer! Although, I have to say that I think unless I am rehearsing in an air conditioned hall/space, I don’t think summer shows are going to be for me going forward. 😄

I thought my big ass was gonna pass out with the heat we were dealing with here. Several days in the triple digits when my optimal functioning temperature has a max high of 75 degrees 🤭 made me feel like a polar bear in the middle of the dessert. All I wanted to find was a fridge to crawl inside.

This next project is Ken Ludwig’s Comedy of Tenors. Not exactly a sequel to the hilarious Lend Me A Tenor, but could be considered as one since 4 of the 7 characters are the same just older. With that being said, please note that one is not dependent on the other. And to make it even better is that this is my 6th team up with director Allie B! I may be more of a nuisance to her at this point. She is probably thinking “Why do I keep bringing this fool into my projects?!” as she shakes a fist to the sky. 😂

Of course, Sweet Reader, I am saying all of this in jest. At this point, she is a dear friend and I enjoy the shorthand that we have accumulated over the course of these projects. Nearly a decade ago, I was lucky enough to play Max in Lend Me however, Allie was not the director of that project. As a matter of fact, I have a post about it. It was a great lesson that I learned doing that show. It was one of those things where I was so sure that my way was the right way but found that I can keep my intentions the same but add different actions and the stage picture would be what the director was aiming for.

That lesson has helped me in so many ways. It has given me the courage to ask for clarification when I need it if something isn’t clear right away so that I don’t build up frustration. Not only does it build and feed the collaborative spirit but it really makes me feel like I am freer to try creative choices. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t but being able to feel the impulse and adjust your intentions to it in the moment really lets me live in the world on stage.

Opening night is just a few sleeps away, Kind Reader and we are getting into costumes and mics the next few rehearsals. I wish I still had the glasses that I wore for this character last time, but alas, the frames bent at some point and I could never get them back to the same shape they were before.

Interestingly enough, that is the same feeling that I get when I think back about Max. Being much older and a little wiser, I know that the way I am revisiting this fellow isn’t quite the same. Granted, the character has also done some growing up. So maybe not having the glasses is a good thing. One can still see that squirrely, tense, ambitious dreamer that he used to be but time has altered the shape of his world a little with a balancing act of artist and husband. It is a very interesting emotional arc that I get to play with and shape and I hope that the way I am playing it will pay off for that beautiful ending that this play has.

Well, Dear Reader, I thank you for once again, taking a few minutes of your life to entertain the ramblings of a vagabond actor looking for ways to make sense of this human experience called life. Before I sign off though, I am curious if any of you have looked back and examined where you are now versus where you were 5 or 10 years ago? Have you grown in the areas that you have wanted to? I hope you have accomplished what you have wanted. I know that Max has some unfinished work. As do I.

Until the next time, stay safe and aware. Take care of yourself and those around you.

I got this email on Wednesday, saying that the company, Three of a Perfect Pair, was going to have an audition for three one act Shakespearian style plays. It was to take place on Saturday, which leaves not a lot of time to prepare. The email said that there were a couple of characters that are my actual age range, however, I always seem to get cast as younger than my age.

In the hopes of trying something different, I decided that I would give this a go. But first I had to figure out how to look older. Since I hadn’t shaved in nearly a week, I figured…will one more day really make a difference? I also stayed up as late as possible. My original plan was to try and hold out til after the audition to sleep. I only made it until around 4 AM when I began to do that thing that kids do when they fight off sleep with the bobbing heads. I got up at 9:30 or there about, so I didn’t get a full night of sleep, but then again, I hardly ever do.

So looking like a hot mess, I get to the playwright’s house, and there are 4 other men there. Of course they are all about a foot taller than me, so I know that the romantic lead role is probably out. I decide that my best bet would be to shift gears and audition for a corrupt priest. In that particular play, the priest plots to over throw the current king in order to obtain that power for himself. In the audition side that we were given, I came to find out that this man is a really interesting part, as he identifies himself as a “devotee of debauchery”. He is a clever character that has to play allegiances to the king to manipulate him, the queen to woe her, and the church to help carry out his plan. Sounds like fun! The script was well written and did indeed feel Shakespearean but slightly less confusing.

I was surprised but the director and playwright had all the men read for every part that they needed to cast. It was fun to see how many different ways people can interpret a scene.

The final decision about the casting will be rendered within the next week and a half. I’ll keep you posted. Although to be honest, with looking slightly younger than my age, AND the fact that I am short, I don’t think I’ll get cast based on appearances. I just hope that my reading did come off well.