Bad Actor No Callback

Finished the first weekend of the show, small house but so appreciative! I got several very kind people who came up to me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed it, which is the best.  There is a pickup rehearsal tonight, before which we are going to attend a meeting of the Richland City planners or something, IN COSTUME, to support the construction of a performing arts center. Neat!

I have felt like I’ve really grown during this run. At the first show I realized (probably breaking the spell for a moment ) that I had forgotten about the audience. Not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, but it probably was part of why I got a from the director saying it was the first time she’d seen me really acting. I was almost offended for a split second, but hey, growth is growth and it WAS a compliment after all!

I am in the full throes of show ADD. I realized Monday, mid-run of the Gondoliers, driving to a meeting for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, listening to the Soundtrack for the RLOC Fall show, the Wedding Singer, that  a) I have work lined up for the next 8 months, and B) I have never been so happy.

Been reading some stuff on New Thoughts for Actors, I found it through the Inside Acting website, and eventually found that it was linked from Bonnie Gillespie’s blog. There’s some great affirmations, general thoughts on acting and positivity. Right up my alley.

I’ve restarted working my way through the Inside Acting Podcast, a cool little production by two working actors in LA that are interviews with actors, agents, casting directors, etc. and search for nuggets of wisdom. Their last show of 2009 they had a list of questions for their listeners that was copied from a newsletter that is meant to help you reflect on the year and realize what you have or haven’t done. Having not blogged in a bit, figured why not?

8 Questions about 2010

Eesh, I don’t know. Took steps on my path to sharing my gift with the world? Honestly though, I think that I can have great influence with my newish positive outlook on everything.

So it’s been almost/right around a year since I became a professional actor (I’ll be sure to update anyone when I actually make a dime off it). Seems like as good a time as any for a general update.

I haven’t felt like I really grew a ton as an actor this year. I think that’s partly because of the material I’ve been working with. I say this not as an excuses, but an explanation. The three plays I’ve been involved with are highly stylized. Drowsy Chaperone was a 20s musical, and I had no lines. South Pacific was a 40s musical and I was a goof. The Gondoliers is a topsy-turvy opera, again very stylized. I had auditioned for a Richland Players show that would have been A) not a musical and B) more realistic. I had never thought of musicals as being detrimental to your resume. I had always thought that if you could do a play AND sing, it would be at least as impressive as just doing a play. But a college mentioned the Players show and said I would  be good for me to have something that wasn’t a musical on my resume. I didn’t get in, but got a solid “Please continue trying out!” from the director and producer.

I got a lead-ish part in RLOCs show, The Gondoliers. A return to my roots, having cut my musical theater teeth on G&S. I have two duets with my character’s love interest and several quintets as well. Having seen nothing of the schedule, I would assume the rehearsal schedule will be somewhat mild as my character vanishes for the entire second act. The “quintet” I am a part of is three people I know (one very well) and another guy I haven’t worked with yet. They are all pretty cool and I think this will be a great show. Love the music.

I am still taking voice lessons with Reg Untersaher, and they are going well. I feel like I had a breakthrough last Tuesday after a few weeks of mild frustration. I was involved with a Mid Columbia Mastersingers Christmas concert at the very end of November. It had been a really long time since I sang in a choral setting like that. Justin Raffa, the director, offered to get me involved more with the Mastersingers after their holiday whirlwind of activity.

Merry Whatever Holiday and Happy New Year to all the spam bots reading this!

Got the news yesterday, I’ve been cast as Stewpot, one of the named sailors, in Richland Light Opera Company’s South Pacific. Not the part I intended, but I am certainly not sad! A few of my friends from Drowsy Chaperone were cast as well, so hurrah! And the rehearsals start next week so no downtime!

It’s actually probably best that I didn’t get the part I was going for, as I’m going to be start voice lessons soon. I have a request in for Reg Untersaher, at the re-recommendation of Mark, a cohort from Drowsy. Hopefully I can get in, I DID call a while ago and, as I understood it, that should have me on a list of interested parties.

Let the leg breaking commence!

So we’re half way done with The Drowsy Chaperone. I have to say, I can’t believe I went two years without being on stage! I have a feeling that my enjoyment is at least partly due to having a game plan. Before acting locally was just another opportunity to be denied a lead role that I felt I deserved for some reason. Now it’s a chance to have fun, get experience, and meet people! This is the first show where I feel like I’m not some quiet weirdo, but actually making friends!

I am now looking ahead. Three days after Drowsy closes, Richland Light Opera starts auditions for South Pacific. I’ve watched two versions of it so far, and I like it. It’s one of those shows where I can be about as certain as I can about anything that I will be cast (a couple male leads and 18 sailor). I of course am hoping to land the part of Cable, but being part of a classic show like this in any way would be great.

Also, I’m heading to Leavenworth next weekend with some of the Drowsy cast for the last weekend of the Leavenworth Summer Theater…extravaganza? Anyway, it should be fun!

I should have been keeping up, charting progress, etc. while rehearsing. But I didn’t, maybe next time.

Tonight we open The Drowsy Chaperon at the CBC Theater. I think we’re ready, but I am a recently converted optimist! We’re going to be about as close to a full professional run as possible, the pros doing eight shows in six days, we do six shows in six days, none of that two shows in a day.

I’ve loved this. I can’t believe I got by for two years without doing this. Making friends and contacts, etc., not bein’ a little weirdo.

There  are plans to go to the last weekend of  the Leavenworth theater-fest-thing, that’ll  be fun! Gonna see if we can get the Worldmark timeshare the folks have and use it, nicer than some hotel.

Break a leg!

So I got a mention in the local paper for the upcoming show (4 days to opening!), something I was alerted to by my google alert set up for my own name. About time the thing showed up with something besides my posts on this blog and the Los Gatos Rotary Club member and doctor who shares my name.

Rehearsals (do one of those wordcloud things, I’m sure this is up there) are in full swing for The Drowsy Chaperon. They’re awesome, the show will be awesome, but I wanna share something else that happened. And it happened in a way that is becoming par for the course for this show.

A bunch of the cast was going out for food after rehearsal. I had brought my gear to try to hit the gym, but we ended so late I’d've had maybe 40 minutes before the gym closed by the time I got there. So I decided to go out with them, mostly to keep me from retreating into my quiet shell. It was a fun group of people so we started swapping theater stories.  Eventually it came up that one of the ladies had lived in LA for a few years working in TV and film. I told her that’s what I want to do with myself eventually, and she practically insisted that I let her advise me, cause everyone who doesn’t listen to her “comes back with no money”. I said I’d love that. On the way home, it struck me: did I just network?

So much of this show has more or less fallen into my lap. I auditioned, expecting to get a part in a different show, so I wasn’t stressing about the audition. At callbacks I read for a part I hadn’t prepared for and charmed  them enough to be made understudy, and now this contact that has worked in the industry.

Stuff is happening! *does a little dance*

Drowsy Chaperon rehearsals are underway! So far we’ve done two group rehearsals, both focusing on the ensemble music. Which is good because they have some section where the male chorus is broken down to 4 parts. There was a funny part where the music director instructed everyone where to break, but because all the leads were singing their own thing, we had myself and the other ensemble guy and three parts to sing.

Dance practice tonight, very excited. I gotta find my dancin’ pants though. I hope they fit, I haven’t worn them since I started working with my trainer.

The first day of rehearsals for Drowsy(I word I keep wanting to spell with an E) Chaperon. Did a basic read/sing through, very funny. There’s a few things I didn’t get from my personal read through. I guess the ensemble is in virtually every scene, so they all get almost as much stage time as Man In Chair. I also didn’t get that apparently Man interacts with the cast as their doing their thing. I suppose that’s funnier and more interesting than him just sitting there talking. Shows him getting into the show he’s listening to in a very literal way.

The production staff kept mentioning the sight gags and something about “doing everything you were never able to in a show”, which kinda confused me. They mentioned stuff like Man In Chair’s fridge door being the main entrance during the Introduction song, but I don’t really know what the second thing was about. What haven’t I been able to do in a show? Have more than 5 lines? Be cast as a grown up? Ah, now I’m just bitching. I’m sure I’m just missing something, really looking forward to doing this play!