"You're kidding me." After a delayed moment of silence hang in the air between us, I finally spoke in a measured tone. "You want me to go on in two days?" We were standing alone in the rehearsal green room. Mark, the director of the touring show Bird Brain was smiling at me. It was unlike his usual, knowingly goofy grin, but rather a closed-lipped gesture. It's like he was saying, "I know, I know, but you're going to have to do this, and it would really help me if you didn't freak out right now, but just got on board and were like, 'OK. What a great opportunity! I'm actually really grateful and not at all terrified or in any sort of panic mode at all. Because I'm a professional, dammit! I am a goddamned professional and it's my goddamned time to shine, dammit!'" And so with that smile, (and a few more words that transpired which were not instantly revealing of my sincere excitement and appreciation for the chance to step up), I became a cast member of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's touring company of Bird Brain, a show geared towards grades 3-5. The original cast member playing The Queen was sick and needed someone to fill in. And, because the show had no understudies, I became 'Plan B' or... 'Plan L.' Plan L stood as follows: Take the show off the road for 24 hours. Use said 24 hours to unload set from van into rehearsal room, rehearse the shit out of play, and get me a costume fitting. Take show back on tour and pray, one day later.
...and also was beginning rehearsals for a two person show which would open in about a month...and understudying another show which was also close to opening. (Funnily enough, I wasn't even the busiest intern working at that time, bless your heart Kelsey). Needless to say, I was stressed. But something else had just happened that would inform how I would proceed with this *devastatingly* EXCITING news. I became a Mother F*cking Actress. That's right, I got my EM EFF AY and I was damn proud of it. Here was the perfect opportunity for me to step up and act like the entitled, double degree bearing, ankle deep in debt owing, qualified up the ying yang ac-TRESS that I had become! And yet, this is how I felt. Completely freaked out.
But I showed up. I took the script home that night and learned the lines as best I could. I was solid until the last third of the play by the time I showed up for my one and only rehearsal the next morning, that fateful Tuesday. I came sleepy-eyed and fired up. I was scared, some'in fierce. This fear became the gasoline in my engine. And I focused as deeply as my MFA would allow, which is pretty deep as it turns out. Thank you, R&S. The next day I was, once again, in front of a sea of eager children, the most honest audience you'll find next to a pub full of drunks on karaoke night. I looked out at all their awe-struck faces, beaming back, dazzled by the textures and colors of the magical set. They had no clue as to how ready I was, and frankly my dear, they didn't give a damn. What they did care about was an intangible desire to be whisked away to wherever this story would take them. And in that moment, that's all I really wanted for myself as well. "Deep...deep in a winter wood..." I performed for about two weeks as The Queen in Bird Brain. I never went on for any of the five mainstage roles I understudied at The Playhouse otherwise. There were often times I joked about this disparagingly, having missed out on the opportunities all us interns had not-so-secretly hoped to get. I watched life happen to the equity actors, and one by one an intern got to stand up. And I groaned at the 'inconvenience' of having to learn an entire role in 24 hours and recommit myself to the notoriously laborious and unromantic tour life. Looking back now, I just think of how funny it is. I had so much fun performing for those little kids. They really, really liked the show. I got to connect with them. And it's just that simple. LBR
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The end of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 24th production of A Christmas Carol just about marks my midway point through my time here as an acting intern. It seems that most actors will encounter this play at some point in their careers, and I feel lucky to have been a part of this particular production in this particular year.
In twenty-four years, never has the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge been understudied at this theater. However, this year the-powers-that-be decided that the prospect of cancelling a production of this theater's cash cow was probably not a great plan. Naturally in the first year of having a Scrooge understudy, our own Nick Rose did go on for an injured Bruce Cromer for a number of performances. Alongside injury, most of our cast experienced what I tenderly named #flupocalypse14, also resulting in understudies to take stage, thus shifting our cast list on a nightly basis. But besides all the random acts of God or whatever causes such events, this production was special to me for less traumatic reasons. This production is technically my very first equity level, regional theater premiere. So that was kind of big. And with all that, I got to work alongside some wonderful dressers and stage hands who have held up the backstage life of this theater for decades. I was surprised by the completely cool parents, having my own childhood memories of doing theatre and some of the insane personalities I encountered in 'stage moms.' Always relaxed, hands off, but supportive, these people gave up hours each day in travel and rotating meal duties to support their kids' passion. And the kids were all freaking awesome too! Poised and ready to work, but always able to find the fun in it, I couldn't imagine a better group of young artists to learn from. Of course, I was also lucky to be surrounded by incredible adult actors who, with such grace and ease, breathe spontaneity and life into roles they have played for years and years, some for decades. From all these glorious people, I received generosity and kindness in sharing their own experiences and returning my curiosity with genuine interest in how I imagine myself moving forward in this theatre life. So its sad to see it all go, even though from auditions to closing its been three months of non-stop Christmas. And if you think the holidays are long for your family, just consider the song Joy to the World on repeat for three months in your brain and get back to me. LBR 10/8/2014 0 Comments At the Heart of 'Off the Hill'Cincy Magazine featured this great piece on the Off the Hill work we do at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. It's an excellent write-up of how these plays engage the community and especially young audiences. The stigma of actors doing 'crappy children's theatre' probably exists for a reason, but that's not what we're doing here. For those who see our current show Roses and Thorns, this might be their first exposure to theatre, and hopefully, with our work (not to mention the work of a dozen professional artists and technicians in and around Cincy Playhouse), not their last.
On the flip side, this work is also incredibly valuable to emerging artists like us doing all the 'crappy children's theatre' acting. Having an audience in the 8yrs+ age group reveals to me just how excited, frightened, delighted and moreover, present an audience can be. They are truly with us every step of the way and unfortunately that's not always the case with adults. And because they are so honest in their criticism, it's a good test for the clarity and truthfulness of character, moment, and action of the story: If we suck, we'll know! - LBR 9/29/2014 0 Comments Roses and ThornsThis past weekend we opened the first #OffTheHill touring show with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Roses and Thorns is a tale of Beauty and the Beast written by fellow Seattlite, Bret Fetzer. In it I play a number of characters including Mulch, the forgotten, under-appreciated horse. In his eyes, this play would be named, The Tragedy of Excelsior: Forgotten, Misunderstood, and Misnamed as Mulch. If you're in the region, check out the website and find a neighborhood and showtime near you! It's been getting rave reviews from all my friends (the most trustworthy of critics, in my humble opinion) :-D -LBR This fall the Playhouse opens with Jeffery Hatcher's Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club. The show is directed by KJ Sanchez and opens this Thursday, September 8th in Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's Marx stage. I'm thrilled to be understudying for the lovely Tonya Beckman who plays the mysterious, deliciously coy Club Secretary. It's been a joy to watch her and the entire cast bring this more humanizing portrayal of the later years of Sherlock Holmes' adventures to life.
-LBR |
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