Theatre Thursday- OSF Spring 2012-Seagull

Last weekend was my 12th wedding anniversary. My dear hubs took me down to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We only had time for one play but are planning to return in the summer and fall to see more.  We saw Seagull by Anton Chekhov adapted by Libby Appel and translated by Allison Horsley. Libby Appel was the Artistic Director for OSF before Bill Rauch took over.

Appel loves Chekhov as much as I love Shakespeare, which is quite a lot.  So, it was with great care and understanding that she adapted and directed this play.  The results are glorious and surprising with few bumps at the performance we attended.

Seagull is a lesson in subtext. Something that all good actors understand.  The effectiveness of the actors in this play hinges upon their ability to portray the underlying emotions of their characters. Thus, the performances that were the most memorable were those who were the characters even when they were not speaking.

Kate Hurster is my new favorite stage actress. She has it. She is Masha.  I can now add that role to the list of roles I would like to play. Even when she is not speaking she is telling Masha's story brilliantly. The longing she feels for Konstantin is palpable. Konstantin was played by Tasso Feldman another wonderful actor who I hope sticks around at OSF for a long while.  I felt that Hurster and Feldman ran away with the show, too bad their characters never were able to run away together. Perhaps it was their stories that appealed to me the most and thus they stood out to me.   It is one of those shows that I wish I could watch it over and over because you would see something new each time.

The brilliance of Chekhov, like Shakespeare, is that he has the ability to effectively portray a variety of characters from all walks of life.   Chekhov seems to do it in far fewer words than Shakespeare.
The audience sees themselves in certain characters depending on their life experiences. Thus, mine and my hubby's differing opinions of our favorite characters.

Seagull at OSF shows how Chekhov was meant to be done.

A fun side note: as I was reading through the program and artist bios, I read that one of the actresses Lisa Wolpe who played Polina has worked at Southwest Shakespeare Company. So, that made me smile. Also, some of the minor characters were played by interns from Southern Oregon University and Jonathan Dyrud is a graduate from SOU and is working on getting his equity card. Those facts made me excited about my possibilities in the future!

Theatre Thursday- I'm singing!

I am taking voice lessons in an effort to improve my voice and work on breath support. I apparently have a knack for picking songs that are really hard to sing. I am currently working on Maybe This Time from Cabaret and Unexpected Song from Song and Dance.  Unexpectedly, Unexpected Song is easier for me and I felt like it was the one song that if I could sing it, I could sing anything I wanted. I was so naive.

Good news is I can hit a high G and even all the way up to a high B flat on a good day and I can sing as low as a man. My range has been surprising. My issues it turns out are mostly psychological.  I am not used to hearing myself sing high and when I know a higher note is coming, I have a bad habit of psyching myself out.

We went through Maybe This Time and made some conscious acting choices and it helped but I have found that I am out of shape acting wise, because it has been so long. I am enjoying it but I had taken for granted how hard it can actually be to perform.  Add on top of that, singing correctly while giving a meaningful and believable performance and I was intimidated. It did however help my singing and I sounded better than ever, until I got to the section where  I knew the notes were high.

The crazy thing is that Unexpected Song has even higher notes than Maybe This Time, but I don't have any problem hitting them.  My issues in that song are breathing in all the correct places.

So, I have learned I have issues.  My voice instructor joked that maybe I need a counselor and not voice lessons. My voice is amazing according to him. I just need to believe in myself.  So, I am going to work on believing in myself, but I could sure use some outside encouragement.

Of course, I realize that I really just need to accept that I am amazing. Not just that I will be awesome in the future, which I will, but that I am pretty special right now.  Why must it be so hard for me to believe that I am of worth?  I need some self esteem lessons.

I'm not perfect and I never will be, but what I am right now is enough for right now. Onwards and upwards!

Theatre Thursday- The Curious Savage

The Curious Savage by John Patrick was the last show that I performed at the Hale Center Theatre before I took a long hiatus from the theatre scene.  It was directed by Mark S.P. Turvin, who also happened to be a theatre critic in AZ at the time.  When I first read the script, I was immediately drawn to the character of Fairy May and I was lucky enough to have landed the role. J1 also got to be in the show as John Thomas. He was just in a short scene at the end and just had to look cute. He was brilliant.

J1 backstage

I got to wear several wigs and had some amazing costumes.  Originally, my hair was going to be messy/ratty and then we were going to try to make it look nice for the end scene, but my hair didn't allow that to be a possibility so we went with the wigs.  Fairy May was a resident at a mental facility.

The wigs and my makeup station

She was fun on the outside but had a lot of pain on the inside.  I found the book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher to be insightful regarding Fairy May's psyche. When I played Ophelia, I had used this book for a reference into mental illnesses in young women and also the societal pressures that they face.

Actually, this show is a comedy. I promise. You can read the synopsis here. I again got to play with my dear friends, Jere, and Alaina. The lead in this show was played by Jacqueline Gaston, she was amazing.  The pictures I do have are mostly backstage and a few press shots. I don't have any of me as Fairy May. I had tried to track some down before I wrote this post but had no luck.

Jere

The set

Alaina

Theatre Thursday- Kiss Me, Kate

Publicity shot for Kiss Me, Kate

Kiss Me, Kate was the first musical in which I have performed.  I played Lois/Bianca and it was a lot of work but very fun. It was put on by the Gilbert Fine Arts Association and directed by the same man who directed The Hasty Heart. It seemed that we had several obstacles put in our path to put on this show but it was fun nonetheless.  It is a show about a theatre group that puts on a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. This is what Chris Page from the East Valley Tribune had to say about my performance:

 ...a lovely actress and Hale Centre Theatre regular who earlier confessed to me she was more nervous about her singing than doing scenes of Shakespeare — proved she’s got worthy stage pipes and a command of the stage that allows her to walk away with the show in ditties like "Always True to You (In My Fashion). 
(I can link you to the full article upon request.)

I wasn't just nervous. I was terrified.  I had been extensively trained in performing Shakespeare but had just started some vocal lessons.  Now, it was not a perfect performance. I listen and watch it now and I can see areas for improvement.  I always think I can do better and try to do better. I think I would change some of my vocal choices now but, it was what it was.

On the night that Chris Page saw the show, I was a mess before hand.  Then something clicked and I didn't care anymore. I decided to go out there and give it my all.  I wish I had a copy of that performance so that I could compare it to the one I've got.  It was electrifying.

Vocally, I don't feel that "Always True to You" was my strongest song in the show.  But, it seems to be the only one that I can pull off of the DVD at the moment, so you are stuck with it.

So here it is for your viewing pleasure?

And part two:

By the way, the guy you hear laughing at times is my good friend Jere.  Thoughts? Criticisms?  All are appreciated.

Theatre Thursday- Hale Centre Theater, AZ, The Hasty Heart

It seems serendipitous that with Friday being Veteran's day that the next show I did took place during WWII.

The show is The Hasty Heart by John Patrick.  If it sounds familiar, it is probably because it was one of the movies that Ronald Reagan played in before he became president.  Another fun fact is that James Earl Jones played one of the roles originally on Broadway.

It takes place in an Allied mobile surgery unit toward the end of the war and centers around a group of wounded soldiers from various countries.  The cast is predominantly male. In fact, there is only one woman in the show, my character Margaret, who is a nurse from England.  The unit is a peaceful and enjoyable place to be until a surly Scotsman is admitted.  Unbeknownst to him, he is only expected to live a couple weeks due to having only one barely functioning kidney.  All the other soldiers know about his condition and try their best to  make his last days as best as possible.  Of course, the nurse and the surly Scot fall in love. But the truth has to come out about his fate and conflict arises.

Publicity shot by D. Dietlein

The cast was so much fun.  It reminded me a bit of my childhood and growing up with five brothers, very entertaining and rambunctious.  The show is filled with the harmonies of many different accents and it was fun speaking with a British dialect. Eric who played the "Lachie" the Scotsman just nailed the accent and was great in the role, all the critics loved him.  The show was directed by Charlie L. and stage managed by our mother bear Siobhan.

Besides, the accent, Margaret was a challenging role.  She must try to remain detached and despite knowing what she knows about his condition and his inevitable death, she can't help falling for Lachie.  We had some  emotionally charged scenes that challenged me, but I like to think I did well. I received good reviews from the show.  Chris Page from the East Valley Tribune said I was:

A splendid actress and a crush-worthy cutie, Mathias is used to playing wooers to difficult men at the Hale, in both the comedy "The Man With the Pointed Toes" (which will come back to open the theater’s next season) and as Scrooge’s young flame in "A Christmas Carol."

Later the show won an Honorable Mention for Best Drama in the Tribune's Spotlight awards.  I also got an Honorable Mention for Best Dramatic Actress that year for my role in this play along with Man with The Pointed Toes.  Funny enough the woman who won the actual award was at the time married to the man who played Hamlet to my original Ophelia.  She made an incredible Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and I was honored just to be mentioned as being in her company for the award.

Here are some more backstage pictures from the show:

I forgot to mention that Eric was gone for a couple shows and we had Carson S. fill in.  I was his first stage kiss, if I remember correctly. He was so nervous but did a good job in the role. I remember overhearing some old ladies leaving that said they thought he did great and they wouldn't have known he was an understudy. He is the one in the black shirt.

I also just recalled that it was the first time I got to have a dressing room all to myself and so I put up a gold star on it just for fun.

Theatre Thursday- A Christmas Carol

Since many people are already gearing up for Christmas, even though it is just barely November, it seems appropriate that the next show that I did for Hale Centre Theatre was A Christmas Carol.

I was a little nervous about auditioning because at that point I hadn't had much musical training.  Hale's version of  A Christmas Carol is interspersed with some original music and classic Christmas music dispersed throughout. I was cast, obviously.  I played several roles in this show and the same show the following year. I was a narrator, Belle (Scrooge's love interest), and Charwoman.  It was fun switching between characters and a mad rush to redo my makeup between each not to mention getting in and out of corsets.

Narrator

In the middle as Belle

My costumes were in the bathroom.

My spot was always the right corner, next to the bathroom.

It was really fun getting into the holiday spirit by doing a show. Of course, I had to juggle being a mom and wife on top of all my acting duties. The second year my good friend since high school, Jere, was cast in the show and we did an auction during dinner between one of the matinee and evening shows to help him raise money for an iPod.  That was fun.  

The second year of the show received a "Spotlight Award" for the Best Christmas Production.  I got special mention in a review for the show and was called an "East Valley favorite" along with my friend Jere.

JL, Jere, Me (2nd year Charwoman) in the dressing room.

The Hale Centre Theatre really knows how to treat their actors and crew.  They really make you feel like family.  Hopefully, we will make it down to AZ for Christmas and I will get to see their Christmas Carol this year.

2nd year Christmas Carol Cast (I'm on the far right)

My good friend Alaina played the Laundress to my Charwoman the first year of Christmas Carol.  Check back tomorrow for my interview with her.

Theatre Thursday- Hale Centre Theater -AZ- Pointed Toes

In the summer of 2003 I helped assist at the Conservatory, I met some amazing people.  I designed and made the costumes for their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  It was an incredible summer filled with some very talented people who have gone on to do amazing things in the theatre community.

In the fall, one of my 'students', Chad K., called and told me that the leading lady in a show he was cast in, dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with another show.  He asked if I would be interested in auditioning.  I asked him what the show was about and a little about the character.

The show was called Man With the Pointed Toes by Lynn and Helen Root. He told me the show was about a cowboy who had suddenly found oil on a property that he had won in a card game.  He then meets a lady from NY and goes gaga for her.  He doesn't feel like he has enough 'culture' to win her and decides to hire a tutor to help educate him.  The lady from NY is a gold digger or oil digger as the case may be.  The schoolteacher he hires is a bit plain looking at first but has a heart of gold.  The cowboy and the schoolteacher start to have feelings for each other and hilarity ensues as they try to express their feelings and the ranch hands try to oust the NY gal out of the cowboy's life.  Basically, it is a romantic comedy about unrequited love. It was the AZ premiere of  Man With the Pointed Toes.

Headshot for the show

I said I was interested so I went down to audition.  As regular auditions had already occurred, there were just three of us there to audition for the schoolteacher role.  The director, Allan Dietlein, was there along with his son, Dave, who is the owner of the Hale Centre Theatre in AZ.  You can read about their amazing history here. They are gentlemen in every sense of the word.

Allan, Sandy, me and Dave on New Years 2004.

There were only cold readings with the leading man, no monologues.  It was kind of a weird audition because my competitors were in the room, if my memory serves me correctly. I threw myself into the character, one of the scenes we read was where the schoolteacher gets drunk/high on antidepressants and I just went with it, using my previous skills of acting drunk. It felt good to be acting again. We were then asked to wait in the hallway while they decided. Allan came out and said that they appreciated all of us coming to audition and that they decided to cast me in the role. I was really excited but had to contain my enthusiasm because the other auditionees were right there.

Me as Florence the school teacher/ tutor

I jumped right into rehearsals. It was a little weird coming into a cast that had already been working with each other for a bit.  I worked really hard on my characterization.  Alan's wife Sandy did the costumes for the show and is just an amazingly gracious woman.  Alaina B. played the lady from NY and she was just fabulous, we got to play in other shows later as well. We were the only women in the production and had a blast.

I wish I had a better picture but this is the only one my mom
was able to take of Alaina B. and Chad K.

The Hale Center Theatre is a theatre in the round, which means the audience is on all sides of the stage. Instead of looking up at the stage, they are seated stadium style on the four sides of the stage looking down or if you are on the front row, you are level with the actors on the stage. So, this was all new to me. The audience is very close and you have to not only act with your front side but your back side too.

View from the west.

View from the north.

The show was an instant success and we remounted it in their country theatre in Sandy, UT. We remounted it again in 2004 at Hale Centre Theatre.  Since I moved, they have done the show a couple more times, but with Alaina B. in the role I played and another actress in her original part.  The leading man was also recast for those later remounts.  It is a very entertaining show, it is a bit like My Fair Lady but with the teacher as a woman and the man as the one needing some refinement. So, I was not surprised it became an audience favorite.

Trying to look pretty and feeling like a failure.

Starting to fall in love

Feeling inadequate but trying to be encouraging.

It remains one of my favorite roles ever. I could play it a million times and not get sick of it.  The cast was just amazing and had great chemistry. The men who played the ranch hands were just brilliant comedic actors and made the show super fun.  I felt blessed to work with such amazing actors and was grateful to my former student for thinking of me for the role.

Chad, me, John J, John A, and Don C.

Chad and I along with my other Conservatory
friends in the background after a show.

This production was only the second show to perform in the newly built theatre. It is amazing that I am now a part of their incredible history. I wish I had some better pictures and a cast shot, but alas I do not.  This role led to some other great roles for this company but those will be highlighted in the coming weeks.

Theatre Thursday- The Second Conservatory Year

I knew that the Conservatory would offer me an opportunity to dust my talents off and reuse them again.  I was scared but knew that I was in good hands with the faculty. I felt safer there than just plunging headlong into auditioning for shows after such a long break.

They had changed the format a bit and decided that instead of just doing scenes for the final performance that we would do a full blown production. So, despite not having to audition to get into the conservatory I did have to audition for a part in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale.


It was intimidating once again to be surrounded by my friends as instructors and strangers as classmates.  I couldn't help but feel that I had betrayed my friends in some way by running away to join the Army. I mean who does that?  I tried desperately to win their support once again and put my heart into my audition.  I performed Ophelia's "Affrighted" monologue in front of everyone.  Mr. G (who was once an upperclassmen of mine in HS) said that he never wanted to see that monologue again.  I think he meant it as a compliment, in that it disturbed him somehow.

And did I forget to mention,  my Hamlet was directing this show.  Gah! I was so nervous.  To round out our instructors, I had the amazing TH as the director of the whole conservatory program (who played Gertrude in Hamlet).  Her marvelous brother MH who was also in Hamlet.  DG also in Hamlet. CW who was in Hamlet and H on T.  The director of Hamlet came back to teach Restoration Comedy to the Track Two students and there was one instructor that I did not know who came from California, Mr. E who taught Comedy. Also, the unforgettable LW who helped me find my singing voice.

As I said, friends as my instructors.  I was so blessed.  All the roles were double/triple cast to accommodate everyone.  I got cast as Hermione, Time.  I was the second Hermione when Leontes first accuses her, and at the end when they are reunited.  Time is a narrator of sorts that comes in the middle of the play to say that time has passed and they are in a different place.  We did a dance with sand.  DH still likes to tease me about the sand dance. It was done with a bit of an Oriental twist.  We also had half masks.  We all wore black with fabric that draped over us in various ways depending on our character. I also ended up sewing the edges of all that fabric with my serger.

Leontes and me as older Hermione.

It was a great summer. I met some wonderful people whom I still consider friends, even if I only "see" them on FB.  We also remounted the show in the Fall for the college, with a slightly different cast and I got to play my same roles with a bit more in the beginning for Hermione and I also played Old Shepard but as Old Shepardess instead.

Amazingly tired cast. Try to find me.

Once again, a great experience for me. It was my first time on a thrust stage.  We also had a white scrim behind us where there were sometimes shadows of the action happening behind it such as the famous "Exit, pursued by a bear" scene. It was the most artistic show that I have ever been involved with but it was a blast.

JK with Bear that kills him. Audience only saw the bear in profile.
I'm  in the back putting on my makeup

After this, I was asked to come back to the conservatory the next summer to help assist Mr. E in teaching.  This was in order for me to learn more by teaching and hopefully help some people on the way.  It was a generous offer and I gladly accepted.

I can't begin to tell you how these wonderful people affected my life.  They helped bring me out of the pit of my despair and accepted me even though I had abandoned the theatre for several years.  They were a second family to me and I still love them and appreciate all that I learned about myself and the theatre.  I will never forget them.

Theatre Thursday- Private Benjamin or The First Detour

Biology is driving me crazy right now and I had my first test yesterday. I am scared of the results of that test but for now some reminiscing of the theatre.

During rehearsals for Hamlet, I had gotten a call from an Army recruiter and basically told him there was no chance I was joining the military.  Fast forward several weeks,  I had finished up Hamlet and H on T and then didn't have anything lined up.  Southwest Shakespeare Company's next show was the musical A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.  At that time, I was not a singer and so didn't even bother auditioning.

So, I tried to attend Scottsdale Community College, but I couldn't really afford to go and didn't really know about financial aid or how to get it.  I didn't like my acting class because it was full of students who had no experience and let's face it, I thought I was better than them.  It wasn't challenging and so I wasn't doing very well.  It never occurred to me to ask my instructors or even the director of Hamlet (Lynda Linford) who was actually a part of the theatre program at the University of Utah for help on navigating the college world. 

I was sitting at home and I got a call from the recruiter again.  This time I wasn't doing anything and wanted a way to pay for college.  So, I dropped out of my classes and joined the Army.  (I actually didn't drop out of one of my classes correctly so I have an F on my record for Acting. Ooops!)

I learned a lot in the Army.  I felt a bit like Private Benjamin in some ways. I got in great shape. I got a free trip to Germany.  I studied Computers, had a Top Secret clearance and graduated top of my class.  Fun stuff.  

I also met my first husband in the Army. I got pregnant. I got out of the Army. I got married to my first husband and then gave birth to my first son. J1 was born premature and was in the hospital for a month and then came home.  

When J1 was about 6 months old or so I discovered that my first husband was cheating on me. I then divorced from him as he had no intention of leaving his mistress.

I moved back to AZ.  Met DH, got married, had A1. My X signed away his rights and DH adopted J1.  

After I had A1, I was struggling a bit with PPD that turned into full blown depression for a couple of years. I felt like I needed to get back into the theatre and that is when I decided to take Track 2 of the Conservatory.  But that will be for the next post.

Theatre Thursday- The First Conservatory Year

My senior year of HS I was awarded two awards: Best Supporting Actress and Best Overall Thespian.  Which basically means I worked my butt off and never got a major part.

After HS however, I got accepted into the Southwest Shakespeare Conservatory which was run by my former HS teacher's wife at the time. It is a summer program, that is similar to boot camp but for actors.  These days it is called The Scottsdale Conservatory Theater as it is now more closely associated with Scottsdale Community College as opposed to the Southwest Shakespeare Company.  Track One of the Conservatory involves movement classes, voice classes, improv, text analysis, scene study and other fun stuff like mask work.  We got 12 college credits for attending and passing.  I actually got a C from one of my instructors.

It was really a lot of work but it was exceptionally fun too.  I got to play Joan of Arc, which ended up giving me a great monologue for auditions.  Which brings me to the first time I auditioned for The Southwest Shakespeare Company.

The show they produced first that season was none other than Hamlet.  When I read Hamlet in HS, I promised myself that one day I would play Ophelia.  Let's just admit that I'm a bit crazy and I identified a bit with the character.  I was auditioning with all my classmates and all my instructors because Hamlet is a show that every classical actor wants to be involved with.  I auditioned with my Joan monologue and the Julia letter monologue.  I saw the director sit up and take notice and the other people behind the table whispering to her.

I was called back for the part of Ophelia along with one other girl who had not been in the conservatory.  I read sides along with three of my male instructors for the conservatory who had been called back for the part of Hamlet.  The man who eventually got the part of Hamlet thought he was too old and that the director might be looking at him for Polonius and me for Ophelia.  I just inwardly shook my head because I felt he would make an amazing Hamlet.  It turns out I was right.  He was also the instructor who gave me a C.

I'm the one in front in the nightgown.

Nunnery scene

I got cast in the role and got the confirmation call from none other than my HS Drama teacher.  Let me tell you, that was really cool.  Rehearsals were grueling and it was difficult to get into the crazy mind set and make it believable but with the support of an amazing cast and great director, I somehow pulled it off.  My Jr. High English teacher even came to see the show.

During one of the rehearsals (which was held in a VFW hall)  a producer came to watch us.  He was casting a show called Hamlet on Trial for the UK/AZ festival.  I got called in to audition formally.  Only two people from our cast were chosen to participate and I was one of them.  The other actors that they got for the show were all equity (Actor's union).  They also brought in Billy Connolly as a guest artist.  They originally tried to get Vanessa Redgrave but she had scheduling conflicts so they brought him in instead.

He played a role in "Muppet Treasure Island."

 We only had one week to rehearse. The show had three different endings, and the ending was chosen based on what the guest jury decided.  It was held at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. It is a really beautiful theatre that has a ceiling that lights up to look like the sky and as the time gets closer to curtain time it turns it to look like the night sky.  It was incredible.

OrpheumTheatre-Phoenix

I had made cards for all the cast members the day of our one performance of Hamlet on Trial. The day of the performance was spent rehearsing because that was the only time Mr. Connolly could come.  I had left a card in his dressing room and noticed that it had been tossed aside later.  He was very stand offish towards everyone.  I was not impressed.

That night, I found out the mayor of London was in the audience and we had a full house.  Normally, the costumer would wait back stage for me to help me put on my robe.  My costume was a sheer nightgown (I had a flesh toned body suit underneath) that was bright white and we didn't want people seeing me backstage.  After, I did the "I have been so affrighted." bit, I came off stage hearing the deafening roar of the audience.  There standing in the shadows was not the costumer but Mr. Connolly with my robe over his arm clapping. He then helped me put on my robe and approvingly said, "Bravo. That was very well done." in his thick Scottish accent.  It is a moment I will never forget.

Me as Ophelia and M. as Hamlet

After the show, there was a champagne reception.  I was the only minor there and no, I didn't drink.  However, Mr. Connolly pulled me near him and somehow we started bantering back and forth and became the center of the party.  Later the director pulled me aside and confided in me that she was very concerned when she found out the producer had cast an 18 year old in the part of Ophelia.  She told me that he had assured her that if she didn't like me during the first rehearsal that I Could be re-cast.  I had no idea.  She said that I was wonderful in the role.  She also offered me a chance to move to NY and stay with her and her husband, if I wanted to try to make it in the Big Apple.  I politely declined for several reasons, mostly because I was terrified.

And that is just part of the story.

Theatre Thursday - My introduction to theatre

Thursdays are going to be dedicated to my first love: theatre.  Spell check does not like to spell it that way, but I like to think of theater as going to the movies and theatre as live theatre.  There is something about living and breathing the same air as someone creating art.

Since I am working on eventually getting a BFA in Theatre Arts. I thought I would use this day to chronicle what I am doing to improve and what is inspiring me.  As I start though, I would like you to reminisce with me on how I got to this point.

I got into the theatre during junior high.  I wasn't successful in elementary school at an instrument and since I wanted a fun elective theatre seemed like it would be fill that category.  I loved it.  Unfortunately, I was very shy and very quiet.  My teacher told me I was good but that it was too hard to hear me.  So the next summer I spent the whole summer in my back yard practicing "projecting."  My parents worked during the week so they never knew what I was up to and  since it was scorching hot in AZ during the summer my brothers left me alone. My mother did discover I really did love the theatre and took me to see my first professional show, Fiddler on the Roof which was put on my the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company. I loved it!

The next school year I was still not cast in any of the big shows but I still helped back stage.  My ninth grade year I got some smaller roles but nothing huge.  The biggest thing that happened to me that year was an introduction to Shakespeare.  It wasn't in my Theatre class but rather my English class that I discovered a knack for understanding the Bards works.

We even got to take a trip to see The Southwest Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet.  They kept it in the era it was written for and it was captivating despite some teenage rascals throwing Skittles at Juliet during her drinking of the sleeping potion monologue.  Juliet didn't miss a beat. I was entranced and vowed to work for the company eventually.

In high school, I continued with my endeavors. As fate would have it the drama teacher at my HS was also the co-founder for the Southwest Shakespeare Company.  As such, the company provided opportunities for HS students to act as "Wenches and Knaves" aka ushers for their shows.  I jumped at the chance and got to see many wonderful shows as a result.  I developed a keen love for Shakespeare during this time.

I kept getting cast in smaller roles along with backstage work in HS. I worked hard in order to try to improve my skills.  My senior year, the drama department put on The Tempest and The Matchmaker (the show Hello, Dolly came from).  In The Tempest, I played Trinculo, a clown and originally a part for a boy.

It was so much fun!  One of my good friends at the time, designed and made all the costumes.  My costumes had bells sewn all over it. So, backstage I had to wear a black robe and shuffle along so as not to create any noise as I walked.

The director of the Southwest Shakespeare Conservatory (an actor training program) was in the audience for one of the shows and told me I was just darling in the role.  But alas, this post is getting way too wordy. What came after is long enough for it's own story. So I will continue on next week.  

Exeunt Omnes