Don't be Afraid to be Theatrical

Professor R said it best to me, but the above title is a common note I get. Professor B says I'm honest and Professor L thinks I can deliver a truthful line with the best of them. They all mean the same thing. Professor R reminded me of it again today when my partner and I were performing our Hamlet scene, in which I (Hamlet) tend to rant in soliloquy. It was a very true note, but I must say Professor R makes it seem much easier than when I attempt it. Such is the life of a BFA candidate.

Well, I had a full last week. My dinner with Joy Haynes was great! I invited my roommate, and we went to a snazzy restaurant downtown to eat with Joy, the President of our college, the dean of my theatre department, my costume designer from Rabbit Hole, and one of Joy's old friends that works at the Okoboji Summer Theatre. We talked about Joy's documentary that is in the works, which is being filmed at a mental ward, and I got to hear a lot about Washington D.C. where Joy is currently working. I had heard most of it at the lunch I had with her, but it was fun to see where all the theatre alum were from the class of '93. Many of them have children, and many of them are highly successful in theatre. One is on Broadway, one is on TV, some come back to Boji to direct, and Joy works professionally in her field as well. Very interesting. You can see all about her at her personal website: www.joyhaynes.com


The castlist for All my Sons went up, and I was not cast. Some of my best friends got great rolls, and I'm very excited to see the show. I think it's going to be a challenge and a great experience for all of them, especially those First Year understudies.

I also had a film audition last week. It was awesome!!! It was the most professional one I've been to yet, mostly because it wasn't a student film. I got my sides early by e-mail, so I could look over the part. Then I prepared a monologue for the audition as well. All of the crew were really welcoming. I got to meet the writer and she and the director told me what they were expecting. The audition area was actually lit with lights and reflectors. I was surrounded to the point where it was hard to see the director when he was talking to me. It was great! They all knew what they wanted and it felt great to be surrounded by people like that. I did my monologue first, and then they had me sit and read a long monologue for the character I was auditioning for. After I read it, they gave me an adjustment--and here's the irony--it was to be LESS emotional! Which means I was being too big for the camera. Ah, the perfect balance needs to be found. However, they seemed to enjoy my second reading and they asked my availability and if I would be able to commit to the principle photography dates. They explained that callbacks would be this week from Wednesday to Friday if I got a callback. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. However, that was the funnest audition I've been to all year and I had a great time!

This weekend I started a list of the Top Ten Paid Internships I should look into. This is a really hard list to make, because each theatre is so different and so is the experience I would have there. So far I only have 3 internships. Professor D talked about Grad School in our last Nuts and Bolts lesson. He said you need to have a really good reason to attend Grad School, and they're going to ask you why you think Grad School is right for you when you audition. Wanting to go to GS because you're afraid of the real world or because you enjoy the classroom setting is not a good enough reason to attend. Professor D said he went because he didn't know his 'type', or the kinds of characters he could be cast in. One day I'll go to GS because I have more to learn, and I want to further my knowledge, and because those connections will take me to amazing places. However, I think at this point in my life I need to experience the real world.

Just some food for thought.

I got a new laptop this weekend. My last one died unexpectedly; the motherboard crashed. But now I'm up and running again, with a lot more work to finish before MOMMY GETS HERE on FRIDAY!