It’s that
time every actor dreads… TECH WEEK. Time to make sure all the pieces of the
show fall together, meaning the props are made, the costumes fit, the set is
finalized and all the lights and sound come on when they are supposed to. Up
until this point, you’ve played “make believe” with a lot of the details. Don’t
have REAL cupcakes? No problem. I’ll just pretend I’m eating one, or I’ll buy
some munchkins at the Dunkin Donuts and eat those instead. It works (and
they’re delicious too)! Don’t have that sign you’re supposed to hold up as part
of a punch line? It’s okay. I’ll just grab a phone bill from my purse and use
that instead. But now the moment of truth has arrived, when we find out if everything really DOES
work. And maybe it’s just me, but it’s f**king scary!
And it’s a
bit more intense when you do a lot of what I like to call “guerilla theater”. I should note that guerilla theater is a term
traditionally reserved for shows which are performed on the streets and deal
with political and social issues, but I fully believe the term applies here
too. To me, it should apply to ANY show where you have to dig in the trenches
with your fellow artists and do what needs to be done! Remember those movies
where Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney would excitedly exclaim, “Let’s put on a
show!” and then they’d proceed to throw up a show in their backyard? No
surprise they were called “backyard musicals” and they were wonderful. (Check
out “Babes in Arms” sometime and you’ll see what I mean.) When you do guerilla theater,
it’s much the same. It’s the ultimate in DIY. And it’s not to say that it’s
unprofessional. Some of the productions I am most proud of have been launched
in such a fashion. An actor isn’t just an actor. A director isn’t just a
director. We are all working as a team to make sure everything comes
together by opening night.
Just last
weekend, I was making rice crispy treats at 10:00 o’clock at night for a
rehearsal I had the following morning for the show I'm currently doing, Farce This! These treats are used as one of my
props, and I wanted to start practicing with them. As it turns out, my PRACTICE
props will probably be the ACTUAL ones I use in the show. They’ll be a week old by opening night, but
hey, who hasn’t eaten a stale dessert in real life? I just hope I don’t crack a
tooth in the process. Just kidding. Sort of.
I had my
first official run through last night of the show, and I felt those magical moments on stage that remind me why I love acting so much. I feel blessed to be working with such talented people, who are also a part of my acting studio, Matthew Corozine Studios. There is a camaraderie and trust already built in because
of the common experiences we share. But with live theater, there are also
moments of panic where you think “What the HELL is my next line?” (even though
you’ve drilled them FIVE TIMES IN A ROW right before the run through and you
not only know YOUR lines but your partner’s too). The slightest reaction from
the audience can make you pause and wonder if you are in the right place in the
show! That said, it’s only a slight
hesitation and luckily the “Theater Gods” (or whatever you want to call them) as
well as my amazingly talented castmate, Cali Daby, are always there to push me
forward. Having a partner you believe in, who believes in you, makes all the difference
in the world. (And it helps keep my “fear gremlins” at bay!)
So tomorrow
night, as I stand backstage waiting to enter and be my best Midwestern
Mama, I will remind myself why I do this. Because I LOVE it. And there is
nothing in this world that makes me happier. And for those of you around this
weekend, please come by and check us out: http://farcethis.brownpapertickets.com.
Maybe I’ll even make a fresh batch of rice crispy treats to say thank you for
attending. Merdé!
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