Take that, Actor's Apathy! (A Pep Talk)

When we were rehearsing today, I realized something. It wasn't as striking as an epiphany, and it wasn't as passing as a thought. A realization. And it was this: PURPOSE.
Today's rehearsal lacked that. Our whole cast lacked it.
I think we have problems realizing how powerful the stage actually is. That every single movement on it will be witnessed by hundreds of people, even the moves we didn't mean to make. Countless times I've made a decision to do something onstage, and halfway through the action, had doubts and awkwardly stopped in the middle. It happens to everyone, but what the audience sees is someone looking like a floundering, unsure, green actor.
So, to avoid this half-done, half-hearted, willy-nilly, meaningless action, you need what? PURPOSE.
A character walks across the stage, why? Because the director asked them to? So they can get offstage to get to that leftover intermission food? NO. A character walks across stage because, DARN IT, that's what the character needs to do. It's an unswerving focus that drives performance. Confidence. Action.
This deeply ingrained confidence, indeed PURPOSE, doesn't affect the acting itself. You can still play a timid, shy character with this power deep within. It's an internal strength that makes your character blossom under the stage lights, that makes it burst out from backstage without actual bursting. It's a personal power.
And you know what?
That same confidence is inside you...even when you walk off the stage.
And that's the epiphany.

End of 2011 Theatrical Checklist

Senior Play: Check.
Senior Musical: Almost Check.
NWTG's Cinderella: Around the corner.
Church Musical: Closer than I care to admit...
NWTG Summer Program: Miles away.

What else could there be...? That may be all my dramatic ventures this year. Or something bigger might be coming...
Hobey ho. Here we go.

What Can't Fit In A Bio...

Please indulge me for a moment... I am speaking to my Seniors. I am speaking to Kristen Folkertsma, Jami Jo Libolt, Kelsey Vander Zouwen, and Kaitlyn Brown through the medium of my blog. I am not too terribly good at saying what needs to be said, so now that I can take some time to think, I will hopefully be able to communicate what I am actually feeling.
These chicas have been my constant companions, my friends, my shoulders to cry on, my mic change buddies, my first scene partners, my theatre sisters, my drama dorks. You girls deserve to be honored. You have taught me what it means to be a great actress, and a humble person. Every step of the way, you have been there, you have fought through long rehearsals, you have dealt with flubbed lines, you have weathered hours backstage, you struck for strike, hung up posters, paid for make up, paid for tap shoes, paid for sweatshirts, paid for flowers, paid for tights ;), paid for food, sprained ankles, torn through costume changes, cried, laughed, yelled, danced on that stage, acted on that stage, fought for that stage, gave up that stage, OWNED that stage.
Kristen: your voice, your creativity and composure, your acting, your confidence is unmatched. Jami: your humility, your spirit, your support, your talent is so wonderful to see and be a part of. Kelsey: your love for the art, your incredible talent, your projecting voice, and your willingness is beautiful to see. Kaitlyn: your rock hard facial expressions, your graceful dances, your devotion, and the fact that you don't take it all so seriously is inspiring.
I love you all dearly. 
Theatre Seniors 2012. We got this. We got this. We got this.

"The two hours' traffic of our stage..." (Trinity Western University)

A couple weeks ago I saw Romeo & Juliet at Trinity Western University up in Langley, British Columbia. If you are all familiar with R & J, then you may remember Shakespeare’s famous prologue, “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene…” When they began the show, and didn’t say the prologue, I thought they had just skipped it for time’s sake. I bothered me for a second, but then I forgot about it as the scenes flew by.

At the end, just when I was getting teary eyed about the two star-cross’d lovers…the rest of the cast emerged from the wings and began to slowly sing the most eerie, beautiful song to the words of Shakespeare’s famous prologue. They saved those magical words for the end of the show!! At this point, I started hard core crying, which I am not afraid to admit. I mean, if you want to love theatre, at some point you must respect Shakespeare. My respect for the director, and for the cast of that show sky rocketed and I knew that TWU did not take their Theatre lightly. All of the actors were so devoted, and so DANG GOOD at their parts, it surprised me. I’d never seen Theatre so professionally done, and yet with an aspect of community that astounded me. The best show outside Broadway that I’ve ever seen.  

So. In some personal theatre news. I am attending Trinity Western University next year, to major in Theatre. The only University around here that actually spells the word the way that it needs to, with “-re”. Reason enough to attend... not even counting the A+ directors, talented actors, AMAZING performance space, great selection of acting/theatre classes, fresh vision, proximity to Vancouver, and opportunities, opportunities, opportunities…

In Which I Speak of the Unspeakable...

I so thought there was at least two stage kisses in Hello, Dolly!...
Guess not! I checked the script, and there is not one moment in this show when Cornelius & Irene share a moment...or even Dolly & Horace. That's awkward!
Forgive me, but I have a few thoughts about stage kisses (which is interesting, since I haven't ever had a stage kiss myself). At the level of theatre that I am currently involved in, it is VERY iffy to kiss onstage. But that's part of the distinction between LC shows and other community shows: we never skip out on it. We have (nearly) always been true to stage directions. If it's there in italics next to a line, we will try our very best to perform it. So, we have tried and failed, and tried and ROCKED at stage kissing in the past, but it's always been there, and we have been respected for it. And this time, no?
I'm sort of disappointed, actually. Those moments onstage have the potential to show our audience our dedication and talent...AND there is nothing more exciting than the day when we block THAT scene. The kissing scene. Somehow, the entire cast ends up being out in the auditorium at the same time, our two leads standing up onstage, blushing, laughing, smelling their breath etc. until they kiss. It's great fun.
There is technique though!
1) If you find out that you are going to kiss onstage, build up to it. As soon as you get the part, find your partner, hug them and say, "I can't wait to act with you!". As weird as it sounds, having physical contact will make things easier. Hug, playfully punch, actually punch (jk lolz), dance...This is for the audience's sake, not your own. If you want to give your fans a performance they can believe, chemistry MUST be built.
2) Do not be dramatic about it. Seriously? How immature is that. You're an actor, it's all part of your job.
If you're nervous about it: pretend you're not.
If you're excited about it: definitely pretend you're not.
Be indifferent.
That's definitely the main lesson surrounding stage kisses: Keep it cool, boy. Real cool. Your audience will thank you. Your acting partner will thank you. Your director will thank you. Your boyfriend/girlfriend will thank you. Everyone WILL thank you.

To the characters mentioned above: I am criticizing the writers of our musical, not your immense talent. All of you would handle stage kissing with grace, and fresh breath. But you don't have to! So you're completely off the hook! Yes! Celebrate and laugh like ha ha ha.  

In the news...
The Lynden Performing Arts Guild (it's a GUILD, love it!) is doing a great show called The Christmas Toy Shop. November 30, December 1 @ 6:30 pm. December 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17 @ 7:30 pm. December 3, 10, 11, 17 @ 2 pm. Claire vg Thomas Theatre in the Windmill. :) One of my theatrical mentors is in it. It's gonna be a BLAST.

Thoughts from a Difficult Saturday...

RIGAMAROLE: An annoying series of seemingly unnecessary steps that causes a commotion and results in confusion, irritation and resentment. (Urban Dictionary)

Auditions Auditions Auditions Auditions Auditions Auditions Auditions Audition Auditions Auditions Auditions Auditions...that's what happened recently in my theatre life. Besides rehearsing, opening and closing You Can't Take It With You, an Audition Rigamarole has been occurring.
...Not gonna lie, it's been a hard journey...Remember that whole post that I put at the beginning of my play? The one about disappointment/expectation? The one sitting right below the post you are now reading? Yeah. Me being a stupid human being, I decided to ignore my own advice going into this audition. My mistake.
Time travel back four years to September of my freshman year. Fools. I was SO banking on the fact that I was going to get in. I was nearly pre-rehearsing my part. My mistake. I was cut. And all the confidence that I felt before and during my audition came back to slap me in the face.
Zoom forward four years to November of my senior year. Hello, Dolly! I was SO banking on the fact that I was going to get this one role. I was  nearly pre-rehearsing (idiot). My mistake. I didn't get it.

I'm not writing this for pity. Ew. That's the last thing I want. I am writing this because of what came afterward. I couldn't even anticipate everything I learned because of not being cast in this role. When I thought about abandoning everything I worked for, these theatrical sages flew in from out of no where.
Here is what they said...

"and no challenge?! MAKE it challenging. Do something you've never done before. make a character that blows all your other characters out of the water."

"Casting isn't just "who's the most talented", it is also who needs to go where because of what's best for them. There is no such thing as small roles, only small actors."

"Have fun with it and don't be disappointed. It doesn't make you any less talented."

"A part is a part is a part is a part."

That being said: HERE WE GO. My senior musical. My very last show. #8. Here's to my theatrical sages.

Hello, Dolly!: February 3, 4, 7, 9, 10 & 11. Lynden Christian Worship & Fine Arts Center. @ 7:30 PM. Save a seat.

In other theatre news. Lynden is doing Once Upon A Mattress! One of my best friends is King Sextimus. Be there or be square ;) Performances: TBFOAAALT (To Be Found Out About At A Later Time)

Northwest Washington Theatre Group is doing Imagine Christmas: Performances: December 9 & 10 at LC Worship & Fine Arts Center. @ 7 pm. OR December 15 at the Mt. Baker Theatre. It's gonna flippin' rock.


Oh. William, Weston and Thomas. thanks.

You Can't Take Disappointment With You

"And a quality of an actor is to be half in love with rejection. Because that's what you're gonna get. I mean, actors get more rejections than Jehovah's Witnesses." ~ Tom Baker

There's a spectrum of  emotions that actors can select from when they get cast. It starts with rejection, a bitter kinda cold feeling that usually resides in your stomach area. It ends with elation, a bubbly, light, shaky happiness that can't be dulled by any attacks to your self-esteem. It's usually in your chest/heart area, and makes you feel like you rule the entire universe.
But...on a scale of 1 to Elation, there is a 5: Disappointment. I can't even pinpoint where in the body you actually feel this emotion: all I know is that you feel it a lot. Do yourself a favor and when you read Baker's quote, just substitute the word "rejection" with "disappointment" (that makes me really like the whole JW part). Being in love with disappointment: a very difficult task and no one has actually mastered it yet, (that I know of) but here is some news and advice surrounding it.
Just yesterday, I finished my audition process for my annual school play. This year is You Can't Take It With You, about a girl with a zany family who wants to get married to a guy with an uppity rich 5th Avenue type family. Families collide and hilarity ensues. There was one part that I was actually shooting for: Gay Wellington. There isn't a ton of stage time, I admit, and the time that you are onstage, you're drunk. You pass out after about 10 minutes and remain onstage for the last half or so of the play. It's a super great part, there is SO much opportunity. I thought I was gonna get  it, but I didn't. Then I got a little bit of the 5 feeling, just a tinge.
After realizing that I was a tad bit disappointed, it just brought me back to the root of all my issues. Expectations. Oh darn those things! My mother wisely tells me all the time that expectation ruins relationships... until I realized that expectation ruins pretty much everything. My advice: when you go into an audition, keep your expectation to a minimum. This is a sure shield against every feeling below 5. It also keeps feelings 6-10 really, really pleasant.
Another way to steer clear of disappointment: pay attention to your fellow cast members. Congratulate them, encourage them, offer to run lines with them. In the end, the cast is your family, and why be disappointed if you get to be a part of it? The cast is the thing!
TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT:

Rule 1) No expectations.
Rule 2) Remember each other.
Rule 3) Run with Rule 1 & 2 everywhere...even outside the stage doors.