Here's a quick dressing room shot of me in my costume. Libby loves her green and white pin-striped jumper and bouncy curls!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Meet Libby
Here's a quick dressing room shot of me in my costume. Libby loves her green and white pin-striped jumper and bouncy curls!
Opening Night Thoughts
To my regular blog followers, I apologize for the small hiatus from entries. It’s been a crazy tech week for Babes, with classes and rehearsals during the day and preview performances at night. Lunch and dinner are about the only breaks we get. When I come home at night, I have the choice to shower, sleep, or blog. Unfortunately, blogging hasn’t been at the top of my priority list.
With six preview performances down, tonight is the official Opening of Babes in Arms! We’ve gotten great feedback from our viewers so far, and seem to be hitting our target audience rather successfully. Our director, Gray Simons, has a very specific sense of humor that lends itself well to this classic Broadway musical. Babes is an over-the-top, happy-go-lucky show that will leave you feeling like life couldn’t get any better. Sometimes you just need to laugh, and that’s what Babes does well.
The idea of “larger than life” has been a recent theme of my thoughts lately. Musical theatre in general demands a heightened sense of reality that oversteps the bounds of most modern realism. (And by realism I mean the genre of theatre that is naturalistic and more true-to-life than say, melodrama.) I first began to grasp this idea while working on the role of Kathy Selden in Singin in the Rain during my first year at Regent. Early in the rehearsal process, I found myself approaching Kathy as if she was Arkadina in The Seagull. After two semesters of studying Chekhov and Meisner, it was the only method that seemed appropriate. My director kindly challenged me with the idea that musical theatre is not realism, but is in fact a completely different genre and should be treated as such. At first I took serious issue with this idea, believing that anything other than realism would simply not be believable. But after more discussion and thought, I began to see his point. After all, what is real about bursting into song and dance in the middle of the street? I don’t know about you, but that could only be normal for me in a world where the stakes are significantly higher than my everyday reality.
Working on Babes in Arms has reminded me a lot of Singin in the Rain, and Gray, much like my former director, has absolutely created a world of heightened reality. He has encouraged us to think of our individual roles as contributing to something bigger than ourselves. Our lines extend beyond the present circumstances into a future that is dependent on our choices now. Babes is very much about community and teamwork, so his request isn’t hard to acquiesce to. The world these characters live in is one much bigger than our own, and requires much more energy to survive. When speaking can no longer express a character’s thoughts, song takes over, and when there are no more words, dance.
I really appreciate the idea of striving toward something bigger than myself. It’s incredibly refreshing in a business where it’s “all about me.” It’s a good reminder that I am serving a Greater Good, both in the story and in my life. I love acting techniques that train you to focus on the other person or on something outside of yourself. It is way too easy to get wrapped up in what we like to call “actor thoughts” that take you out of the moment and back into yourself. It’s too easy to worry about what people think of your performance or to get self-conscious and afraid to try something new. Pride is the actor’s greatest enemy, whether we all acknowledge it or not.
The best actors in my opinion are the selfless ones, giving of themselves unconditionally and expecting nothing in return. Where there is no pride, there is no fear. This profession isn’t for divas and isn’t for pansies. It takes guts to be vulnerable, and that is why I keep coming back for more.
With six preview performances down, tonight is the official Opening of Babes in Arms! We’ve gotten great feedback from our viewers so far, and seem to be hitting our target audience rather successfully. Our director, Gray Simons, has a very specific sense of humor that lends itself well to this classic Broadway musical. Babes is an over-the-top, happy-go-lucky show that will leave you feeling like life couldn’t get any better. Sometimes you just need to laugh, and that’s what Babes does well.
The idea of “larger than life” has been a recent theme of my thoughts lately. Musical theatre in general demands a heightened sense of reality that oversteps the bounds of most modern realism. (And by realism I mean the genre of theatre that is naturalistic and more true-to-life than say, melodrama.) I first began to grasp this idea while working on the role of Kathy Selden in Singin in the Rain during my first year at Regent. Early in the rehearsal process, I found myself approaching Kathy as if she was Arkadina in The Seagull. After two semesters of studying Chekhov and Meisner, it was the only method that seemed appropriate. My director kindly challenged me with the idea that musical theatre is not realism, but is in fact a completely different genre and should be treated as such. At first I took serious issue with this idea, believing that anything other than realism would simply not be believable. But after more discussion and thought, I began to see his point. After all, what is real about bursting into song and dance in the middle of the street? I don’t know about you, but that could only be normal for me in a world where the stakes are significantly higher than my everyday reality.
Working on Babes in Arms has reminded me a lot of Singin in the Rain, and Gray, much like my former director, has absolutely created a world of heightened reality. He has encouraged us to think of our individual roles as contributing to something bigger than ourselves. Our lines extend beyond the present circumstances into a future that is dependent on our choices now. Babes is very much about community and teamwork, so his request isn’t hard to acquiesce to. The world these characters live in is one much bigger than our own, and requires much more energy to survive. When speaking can no longer express a character’s thoughts, song takes over, and when there are no more words, dance.
I really appreciate the idea of striving toward something bigger than myself. It’s incredibly refreshing in a business where it’s “all about me.” It’s a good reminder that I am serving a Greater Good, both in the story and in my life. I love acting techniques that train you to focus on the other person or on something outside of yourself. It is way too easy to get wrapped up in what we like to call “actor thoughts” that take you out of the moment and back into yourself. It’s too easy to worry about what people think of your performance or to get self-conscious and afraid to try something new. Pride is the actor’s greatest enemy, whether we all acknowledge it or not.
The best actors in my opinion are the selfless ones, giving of themselves unconditionally and expecting nothing in return. Where there is no pride, there is no fear. This profession isn’t for divas and isn’t for pansies. It takes guts to be vulnerable, and that is why I keep coming back for more.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Cast Party!
It's so great to have Brandy Caldwell (Regent alum) here working on Macbeth. She is playing the role of Lady Macduff.
I enjoyed talking with Maureen Stanton (very generous patron of BTF) who threw our cast party. She is known around here as "The Countess."
Gray Simons, director of Babes in Arms!
A quick shot with Kristen (left, assistant to the director for Babes) and my roommate Zoe (middle).
Brittany Jo Sowards is a great friend here!
"Babes" cast pic with just the ladies! We are proudly joined by The Countess in the middle. (A few of us in the front thought this was supposed to be a silly picture. Apparently the girls in the back didn't get the memo.)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Half-Time Report
Yesterday marked the official half-way point of my apprenticeship at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. As Week 7 of 12 begins, we are in full throttle of the summer season. With two shows rehearsing and three shows in performance, there isn’t much down time here at BTF. It’s hard to believe that one week from today we start our preview performances for Babes in Arms!
Thankfully, the apprentices had Sunday off which was our first real day off in about two weeks. I enjoyed the day with my boyfriend Chris who came to visit for the weekend, spending most of the day in the nearby town of Pittsfield where we ate some really good food and saw a really good movie (Inception, anyone?) On Saturday evening we saw an amazing production of Richard III at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA (about 10 minutes away), which was an absolute inspiration. There is just nothing like good theatre!
The sheer amount of (free) theatre that I am being exposed to this summer continues to be such a great asset to my education. It’s amazing what a solid performance by a gifted actor can teach you if you know what to look for. So many concepts and principles that I’ve learned in the last two years of my MFA training are made clearer by watching someone else flesh them out. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s usually far easier to recognize technique (either good or bad) in someone else than in myself.
But watching is what I do when I’m not busy, which is hardly ever. Most of my training here is hands-on and requires my full mental and physical energy. Dance rehearsals are getting longer, and the days are getting tougher. With class and rehearsals all day and various responsibilities in the evening, I find myself sleeping very well at night. :)
As I look toward these last six weeks, there is still much I want to accomplish. There are still a couple of books and many plays I’d like to read, several places I’d like to go, and a few people I’d like to get to know. I also have a lot of lines left to memorize because I found out yesterday that I’ve been assigned to understudy one of the principle characters in Babes in Arms. Then there’s my upcoming thesis lurking in the background, always beckoning me to more research. And if I can just get a few kinks worked out in my own self-discipline, I’ll be perfect! ;) I’m one of those people who have great intentions but horrible follow-through, so we’ll see how many of those things I’ll actually achieve.
In a lot of ways the past six weeks have gone by incredibly fast. In other ways it feels like forever. There are ups and downs to any apprenticeship, but I know that I’ll always cherish this time that I have spent at BTF. My ultimate goal (interestingly both on stage and off) is to make the most of each day, being fully present in the moment. Not living in the future, and not in the past, but in the now.
Thankfully, the apprentices had Sunday off which was our first real day off in about two weeks. I enjoyed the day with my boyfriend Chris who came to visit for the weekend, spending most of the day in the nearby town of Pittsfield where we ate some really good food and saw a really good movie (Inception, anyone?) On Saturday evening we saw an amazing production of Richard III at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA (about 10 minutes away), which was an absolute inspiration. There is just nothing like good theatre!
The sheer amount of (free) theatre that I am being exposed to this summer continues to be such a great asset to my education. It’s amazing what a solid performance by a gifted actor can teach you if you know what to look for. So many concepts and principles that I’ve learned in the last two years of my MFA training are made clearer by watching someone else flesh them out. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s usually far easier to recognize technique (either good or bad) in someone else than in myself.
But watching is what I do when I’m not busy, which is hardly ever. Most of my training here is hands-on and requires my full mental and physical energy. Dance rehearsals are getting longer, and the days are getting tougher. With class and rehearsals all day and various responsibilities in the evening, I find myself sleeping very well at night. :)
As I look toward these last six weeks, there is still much I want to accomplish. There are still a couple of books and many plays I’d like to read, several places I’d like to go, and a few people I’d like to get to know. I also have a lot of lines left to memorize because I found out yesterday that I’ve been assigned to understudy one of the principle characters in Babes in Arms. Then there’s my upcoming thesis lurking in the background, always beckoning me to more research. And if I can just get a few kinks worked out in my own self-discipline, I’ll be perfect! ;) I’m one of those people who have great intentions but horrible follow-through, so we’ll see how many of those things I’ll actually achieve.
In a lot of ways the past six weeks have gone by incredibly fast. In other ways it feels like forever. There are ups and downs to any apprenticeship, but I know that I’ll always cherish this time that I have spent at BTF. My ultimate goal (interestingly both on stage and off) is to make the most of each day, being fully present in the moment. Not living in the future, and not in the past, but in the now.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Maybe she's born with it?
So much of life is out of our control. Actually, all of it is when you think about it. How much power do we really have? Ultimately, I would submit none. You can do your part and try your best, but at the end of the day, someone else is calling the shots. That person could be a boss, a customer, a law enforcement officer, or a spouse. It could also be one of those wonderful inanimate objects like a stoplight, or a dead cell phone battery. Some might say those things are happenstance, but I beg to differ.
Now I’m not discounting the need for personal integrity. We should absolutely do what we can to be prepared, try our best, eat right, exercise, etc., etc. But ultimately there aren’t many things we can control. Now, you could run the stoplight or toss your cell phone out the window, but that won’t help your case at traffic court or to make a phone call. Whether we like it or not, we are all subject to a higher Authority.
I have been amazed lately at how quickly things can change, and how little I control them. One minute I’m at the top, the next I’m at the bottom. And usually I never see it coming. Variables can range anywhere from weekly job responsibilities to interactions with patrons in the parking lot. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s not so good. Even simple things like which role I get cast in, the place I’m assigned to stand on stage, or even my physical body and voice are all realities in my life that never ask for my opinion. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am very happy with my part in Babes in Arms, and I feel very blessed to have my petite stature and high soprano voice (usually). But my point is that I did nothing to deserve them.
I guess that fact is most apparent to me when I am unhappy with my circumstances, like when I feel entitled to a given thing and don’t get it, or when I feel slighted or insecure. That’s when I notice that I have no control. It’s easy to think that when I land a good role or get noticed by a supervisor it’s due to how amazing I am or because of something I did to merit the attention. The reality is that it has NOTHING to do with me at all. My steps are ordered.
I could have been born with a completely different voice, personality, and body type. I could have been raised in a completely different family with a completely different religion and completely different political views. But I wasn’t. Someone decided for me that I would be exactly as I am, exactly where I am, and exactly who I am at this very moment.
Again, I’m not suggesting that there is no accountability for our life choices. Certainly each of us has a free will (that often needs tempered.) But I am saying that just because I make a choice doesn’t mean that I can control the consequences. Just because I choose to exercise everyday doesn’t mean I’ll look like America’s Next Top Model. But it certainly could mean that my body will be developed to its full potential, whatever that looks like.
I’ve recently come to understand more clearly that my best won’t necessarily look like someone else’s. Just because I don’t get the blessing someone else gets doesn’t mean that I did something wrong. And just because I get a blessing, doesn't mean that I deserve it more than someone else. I personally believe all circumstances are determined by Someone far greater than our human minds can comprehend. Now even among the most sincere of Christians that point will be debated, but there are far too many “coincidences” that occur in my life for me to ever think otherwise. Too many unexpected blessings. Too many re-occuring lessons of patience. No, I am on a journey. One that has been planned for a very long time. And for that, I am very grateful.
Now I’m not discounting the need for personal integrity. We should absolutely do what we can to be prepared, try our best, eat right, exercise, etc., etc. But ultimately there aren’t many things we can control. Now, you could run the stoplight or toss your cell phone out the window, but that won’t help your case at traffic court or to make a phone call. Whether we like it or not, we are all subject to a higher Authority.
I have been amazed lately at how quickly things can change, and how little I control them. One minute I’m at the top, the next I’m at the bottom. And usually I never see it coming. Variables can range anywhere from weekly job responsibilities to interactions with patrons in the parking lot. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s not so good. Even simple things like which role I get cast in, the place I’m assigned to stand on stage, or even my physical body and voice are all realities in my life that never ask for my opinion. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am very happy with my part in Babes in Arms, and I feel very blessed to have my petite stature and high soprano voice (usually). But my point is that I did nothing to deserve them.
I guess that fact is most apparent to me when I am unhappy with my circumstances, like when I feel entitled to a given thing and don’t get it, or when I feel slighted or insecure. That’s when I notice that I have no control. It’s easy to think that when I land a good role or get noticed by a supervisor it’s due to how amazing I am or because of something I did to merit the attention. The reality is that it has NOTHING to do with me at all. My steps are ordered.
I could have been born with a completely different voice, personality, and body type. I could have been raised in a completely different family with a completely different religion and completely different political views. But I wasn’t. Someone decided for me that I would be exactly as I am, exactly where I am, and exactly who I am at this very moment.
Again, I’m not suggesting that there is no accountability for our life choices. Certainly each of us has a free will (that often needs tempered.) But I am saying that just because I make a choice doesn’t mean that I can control the consequences. Just because I choose to exercise everyday doesn’t mean I’ll look like America’s Next Top Model. But it certainly could mean that my body will be developed to its full potential, whatever that looks like.
I’ve recently come to understand more clearly that my best won’t necessarily look like someone else’s. Just because I don’t get the blessing someone else gets doesn’t mean that I did something wrong. And just because I get a blessing, doesn't mean that I deserve it more than someone else. I personally believe all circumstances are determined by Someone far greater than our human minds can comprehend. Now even among the most sincere of Christians that point will be debated, but there are far too many “coincidences” that occur in my life for me to ever think otherwise. Too many unexpected blessings. Too many re-occuring lessons of patience. No, I am on a journey. One that has been planned for a very long time. And for that, I am very grateful.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
They call us babes in arms...
After day four of rehearsals for Babes in Arms, my aching legs and feet are thankful for a night off. It’s not even from the dancing, contrary to what you might think. Though I do get to tap in the show, so far the choreography hasn’t been that strenuous. My body aches this time have come from standing for hours on end, starting with Suzuki at 8am and then proceeding to blocking or dance rehearsals from 10-6pm. Monday and Tuesday was spent largely on music, which included learning and working the chorus numbers. Though I’m only in four songs, the music is catchy and really fun to sing. Many people don’t know that several hit songs such as “Where or When,” “I Wish I were in Love Again,” and “My Funny Valentine” come from this little tucked away musical by Rogers and Hart. A film version of the show features Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, but the storyline is almost completely different from the stage production. Only two numbers from the original show were included in the film.The adaptation we are producing at BTF tells the story of a young group of apprentices struggling to keep a New England theatre alive. With ticket sales rapidly depleting, they secretly decide to perform a revue of their own in order to help make ends meet. Snotty stars and stubborn producers get in their way, but eventually the determined youngsters perform for one of Broadway’s biggest producers. Oh yeah… and there’s a love story in there, too. ;)
We apprentices at the Berkshire Theatre Festival feel a special affinity for the apprentices at the Surf and Sand Playhouse in Babes in Arms. In many ways, our stories are very similar. We work really hard in exchange for room and board, we rehearse and perform in a red barn, and we work at a summer theatre in New England. Kinda makes character background sketches a bit superfluous, don’t you think?
Actually I’m having a blast with my character, Libby. She’s a joy to explore with her childish lisp and vigor for life. My friend Nick (who plays Bob) and I decided that he’s my older brother, because I’m always following him around. We spend a large portion of our time at the top of show “painting” the set. I’m up on a big, tall ladder while he braces the bottom and holds my paint can. It’s from there that I deliver my Juliet soliloquy, lisping my way all the way through it.
Even though I’m small in stature, I usually don’t get the opportunity to play a little kid. My professors say it’s because I don’t come across “young” on stage. I guess that’s a good thing. I mean, I wouldn’t want to ALWAYS play the kid, but it’s nice to get the chance once in a while. And for some reason, Libby and I just click. So far, she’s a bundle of joy that I keep getting to unwrap and play with. And when you have 40 performances of a show to look forward to, liking your part is a huge blessing.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A Season of Learning
As I sit here writing this entry I am finishing a piece of blueberry apple pie from the Main Street Café in downtown Stockbridge. I must say, it is quite a delight and very appropriate for July 4th weekend. Since I’m spending the rest of my night and Sunday morning on a changeover, I allowed myself the indulgence in hopes of strengthening my spirits. (A changeover involves striking (or taking down) the current set and setting up the next in its place.) Tonight is closing night for K2, so the mountain side is coming down so that we can put up Endgame’s set for their upcoming preview on Tuesday. I’ve been assigned to Sound Crew, which I’m hoping is less physically demanding than the Carpentry Crew. I’m also glad that I haven’t been assigned to the Electric Crew because they work all through the night. I suppose my turn will come eventually, but I’ll take the blessings while I can.
I don’t know that much about sound design, so I am looking forward to learning more about it. Sound seems to be a pretty complicated animal from my limited experience. It’s one of those things that no one notices when it’s right, but everyone complains about when it’s wrong. And from what I hear, it’s tough to get right. I’m not sure why, but maybe after working with some pros tonight I’ll have a better idea.
And speaking of pros, can I just say how incredible it is to be able to watch Jayne Atkinson and Richard Easton rehearse for BTF’s upcoming show of The Guardsman? As an apprentice, I’m allowed to sit in on rehearsals of shows as long as the stage manager and director approve. I was a little overwhelmed as I watched these legendary talents in process just a few feet in front of me. They grabbed their water bottles, scripts, and props just like everybody else. They even called for “line” every now and then. As I sat there watching I couldn’t even write a single note down. I just wanted to take the whole thing in. Nothing seemed important enough to write and yet everything was completely invaluable all at the same time. While they rehearsed a run of ACT I, and I just sat and watched like a little school girl.
The longer I’m here the more I realize what an incredible opportunity I have been given here. While it may really stink to have to stay up all night tearing down and setting up sets, the benefits far out weigh the drawbacks. (I’ll try to remember to tell myself that when I’m in the middle of strike tonight!) The seasoned professionals that come through this place, both actors and non-actors alike, have so much insight to offer, and I want to soak up as much as I can from them. Whether that means observing them in rehearsal, attending a talk-back after a show, or stealing a few brief moments with them at an opening night party, I am determined to learn from the best. Who knows, maybe one day it’ll be me giving the lessons. :)
I don’t know that much about sound design, so I am looking forward to learning more about it. Sound seems to be a pretty complicated animal from my limited experience. It’s one of those things that no one notices when it’s right, but everyone complains about when it’s wrong. And from what I hear, it’s tough to get right. I’m not sure why, but maybe after working with some pros tonight I’ll have a better idea.
And speaking of pros, can I just say how incredible it is to be able to watch Jayne Atkinson and Richard Easton rehearse for BTF’s upcoming show of The Guardsman? As an apprentice, I’m allowed to sit in on rehearsals of shows as long as the stage manager and director approve. I was a little overwhelmed as I watched these legendary talents in process just a few feet in front of me. They grabbed their water bottles, scripts, and props just like everybody else. They even called for “line” every now and then. As I sat there watching I couldn’t even write a single note down. I just wanted to take the whole thing in. Nothing seemed important enough to write and yet everything was completely invaluable all at the same time. While they rehearsed a run of ACT I, and I just sat and watched like a little school girl.
The longer I’m here the more I realize what an incredible opportunity I have been given here. While it may really stink to have to stay up all night tearing down and setting up sets, the benefits far out weigh the drawbacks. (I’ll try to remember to tell myself that when I’m in the middle of strike tonight!) The seasoned professionals that come through this place, both actors and non-actors alike, have so much insight to offer, and I want to soak up as much as I can from them. Whether that means observing them in rehearsal, attending a talk-back after a show, or stealing a few brief moments with them at an opening night party, I am determined to learn from the best. Who knows, maybe one day it’ll be me giving the lessons. :)
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