Thursday, November 27, 2008
Okay, so rehearsals. I honestly haven't done a rehearsal since my last recital for my dance classes that I used to take. In fact, surprisingly doing those recitals was extremely insightful for what was to come for doing theater. So awesome, I am NOT going into this COMPLETELY like a deer stuck in headlights. That was atleast somewhat comforting.
The first night of rehearsals was pretty much one of those, "Hi my name is Bob, I am 32, and I've never acted a day in my life." sort of dealies. And then we sat there and read through the entire script, which was oodles of fun for any of the girls playing the courtesans. Only one of us has a grand total of "one" line in the entire production. As I said earlier the courtesans do the most dancing, we're dancers...not speakers what do you expect from us?! Ha.
The nights that were to come were spent working on all the group musical numbers one night, blocking certain scenes another night, group choreography another night. Everything was divided so that we were concetrating on one major thing per night. I assumed this was in an effort to not make all our heads explode by feeding us too many different things in only 3 hours.
Prob
ably the nights that I looked forward to the most, were the nights where we got to learn choreography. I miss dancing I really do. So sliding my ballet shoes back on, and getting to dance (whether it be level 3 and 4 moves or not) in an official room designed FOR dancing, was most certainly a rewarding element to being apart of the production.
And for a group of people that only 30% of have had previous dance experience, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly everyone was able to catch onto the movements, and piecing them all together...it came along nicely, and ended up looking absolutely gorgeous for the stage. Teamwork!!
It was no surprise to me that the people that I bonded to quickly and mostly (aside from my voice teacher who I already knew I was going to talk up a storm with), were the other gals playing the courtesans. Its no wonder, considering that the 6 of us pretty much do EVERYTHING together in the show. The only time where we are individually doing our own thing is when we are each being introduced and doing each of our dances. But even that number we end up working in unison with one another. So I just feel insanely fortunate that the 6 of us get along so well, and we're not a group full of "Get out of my spotlight, bitch!" type...of women. Well...most of us anyway.
So my role...the role of the Gemini. Is of course shared with another individual. It was quite an arduous process putting together our dance. And all together frustrating, and disappointing. Not only did ou
r dance get changed several times, but we also have THE shortest dance out of all of the courtesans. We clock in at roughly 27 seconds, where as everyone else has atleast a minute to do their thing, if not more. At one point we were doing this complicated looking, but cool looking lift to one another...and they decided that we couldn't handle it and scrapped it. Which lead into a series of movements that in a barring all pleasantries sort of way...that more then resembled lesbian like tendencies. Don't get us wrong...its hot, and I am sure it'll make some people very very happy in the audience, but for two gals that have plenty of dance experience behind them...couldn't blame them for wanting to actually, show off that time, hard work and money they put INTO the lessons...but anyway. We got over it, and just decided to work on selling ourselves as a novelty to the audience.
When we actually got to move our rehearsals to the stage, I think that just made the experience that much more enjoyable. I loved being on stage for my dance recitals, and the sights
from the wings, the smells, the secret passages to get to one part of the stage to another...was all too familiar and was getting me pumped to actually all out perform the production for a live audience.
There's only one other person in the production that has never done a play before, and he's 15 years old...so it of course makes me feel a little outnumbered and a little vulnerable to some of the more intimidating members of the cast, but there are so many more people that are willing to let me crouch underneath their wing as I learn and I've appreciated it immensely. I guess its just been boggling my mind how many of these people are even several years younger then I am and have done soooo much theater work.
I mean yes, I've done a lot of film work. But theater productions take SO much time to pull together. I mean a feature film will take months to pull together sure, but I am not at the stage yet where I've had the pleasure of working on something like that. Short films, take maybe tops...a couple weeks to complete. So this whole rehearsing 5 nights a week for 3 hours a night, and then performing it 9 times, and having 3 pick up rehearsals in between that time...thing? Yeah wow, can we all say time consuming? Its been pretty exhausting, but fun as hell. So I guess it just blows my mind how many plays others have done, given the knowledge of how much time it consumes. 
Saturday, November 22, 2008
At this point currently, I have been taking voice lessons for 9 months. But back in March is when I decided that I'd start auditioning for plays around this area. Better sooner then later to ATLEAST start getting over this fear I have of singing in front of people. The first musical I auditioned for was for Pensacola Little Theater, and it was for a musical called, "Seussical". Was definately a more relaxed environment then the Disney audition. So, if anything I was OVERprepared for this audition in comparison.
One thing that quirked my eyebrow though, was the fact that nearly 70% of the people auditioning were under 5 feet tall, and no older then 15. Well, that just didn't seem right but they assured everyone that they needed adults for the show too. So for the first time ever, I sung in front of a whole room of people that I didn't know. The judges, the other auditionees (and their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins, great uncles, etc.), and felt like I was all out going to pass out. I didn't do that great of a job, but little did I know that just that initial step up into actually doing something I was never able to do before was going to be a big milestone for me.
I didn't get a part in the musical, and again it discouraged me slightly. When I audition for films anymore, I am completely past the point of discouragement if I don't get a call back. Guess I got to work into it with theater. But about a month and a half after THAT audition there was going to be another audition for a musical called, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum"...and my voice teacher was also going to be auditioning for that one, and insisted that I go out for it. Not only that, but he assured me that ALL the parts were for adults this time. Ha.
Again, this was for Pensacola Little Theater...and the audition process was exactly the same as it was for Seussical. I had done some research on the play, and where as I would've loved to land a leading part I was just really hoping to land a part of a courtesan. They do the most dancing in the show (I've got 13 years dance experience in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern), and they have actual character "names". Which would be a lot nicer to add to a resume versus, "Ensemble".
Come call backs, I got the call! They offered me the part of one half of "The Gemini", which was a pair of courtesans that were twins. I was definately excited, overjoyed, felt like running through a meadow with my hands outstretched to either side and-you get the picture. Unfortunately, that same day...I was in a car accident. Which is a COMPLETELY different story all together, but long story short. I was t-boned at 65 mph, got knocked out on impact, didn't remember a thing except for the car heading towards me, and then waking up in the ambulance. It happened several months ago, I just recently got a new car (other one was totaled)...the whole freakin' mess is over with, and I am physically fit as a fiddle, and so what happened with the play do you ask?
I fortunately was able to still do it. My boyfriend God bless his soul, willingly drove me not only back and forth to work, but also back and forth to the many dress rehearsals every week that I had to go to. So I was able to go through with it. :-D
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
So, the Naval Aviation Museum holds a Halloween event for families every year, and this year they partnered with Pensacola Little Theater to have a haunted helicopter. It's this old war copter that they decked out in Halloweenish stuff and barred off the cockpit with caution tape, and put two skeletons in the pilot seats.They needed some actors for the copter, so I volunteered my time. Got to pick out a costume from the theaters enormous collection. Went through many phases, picked out several "dirty dresses", the directors contemplated making me a clown, which I honestly wasn't so keen about...I wanted something, different and unique that I could play with. (Yeah I know it was just a kiddie haunted house thing, but every oppurtunity counts!)
So I dug through some boxes from their previous year that they did a haunted theater of sorts and found the perfect dress, black lace and torn up...and fit like a GLOVE. So I became the dead black bride.
Not too many kids were scared of me, I startled them sure because they weren't expecting to see me as they rounded the corner, but once I opened my mouth to speak the fear would soon turn into a smile. Kids like creepy, undead women who like to stare absently at the wall...WHO knew.
interacted with them...to put them more at ease. Complimenting their costumes, asking how they were doing...and what not. Several kids got pictures with me, and one little girl INSISTED on coming back through several times just to talk with me, including running back in to give my legs a hug. That...I wasn't expecting. 
