A Time Too Brief to Have All Things Answer My Mind



 I'm back in LA after my five-month contract at Utah Shakes.  I can't overstate how much I loved getting to work in those beautiful theatres with those beautiful artists!  I told John in my exit interview that it seemed like my entire career was an attempt to get to work somewhere like USF, and now that I've done it, I hope to make a habit of it. 

The final month there was different than the first four, because the outdoor stage was closed.  The summer was over, and the fall company was much smaller.  And although I went from having eight shows a week to only five, somehow the final month seemed the longest.  Perhaps the whirlwind of the eight-show schedule made time fly, or maybe it was the smaller audiences (until the final weekend) that stretched the time out in my mind.  Either way, I am glad to be home, but definitely miss all my new friends.  

In the last few weeks, I got to see the shows I hadn't seen yet.  The Mountaintop was an incredible what-if journey about MLK's possible last night on earth. AK was nothing short of brilliant as Dr. King, and Alia was delightful as the mysterious visitor in the night. The production values were mind-blowing and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.  Also, in the Anes, I got to see Silent Sky.  AK and Alia were also charming in this play in support of the powerful performance by Katie as Henrietta Leavitt.  My friend, Kat played her sister in a relationship that was fraught with misunderstandings. And one of my favorite actors in the festival, Sarah Shippobotham, about whom I have written before, stole the show with her comedic turn as Willamena.  I laughed a lot and cried a bit.  It was a beautiful show!

Finally, I was able to see The 39 Steps, which is a farce based on a Hitchcock film.  Seeing this piece on a large stage with great actors and inventive scenic devices was a pure joy.  Tom played a nebbish guy living a humdrum life until swept up in intrigue.  Swept up by a series of beautiful women all played by the beautiful Tracie, and the rest of the characters were played by the two clowns.  Mike Doh may be the funniest person I've ever met, and his mumble speech defies description, but I was in physical pain from laughing so hard.  The other clown, the night I saw it, was fellow understudy, Miss Whit.  And I am happy to report that she crushed it.

There were a lot of understudies going on in the last week.  That darn Covid is still a thing, and unfortunately, it's here to stay.  But everybody kept the train on the tracks, and we survived, and the whole family was there for closing of Much Ado!

The final week also brought the high school Shakespeare Competition to the festival.  Somewhere around a million high school kids (I was told there was no fact checking) descended upon us in the final week, bringing amazing energy and vitality to the audience of each show, and providing many of us more work in doing workshops and adjudicating scenes and monologues.  It was a great way to end the season and extremely rewarding for all of us.  

And now, I'm back home in need of work and fighting off a flu. Suddenly it's over, and I hope it comes again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pride and Preparation

Image
  My first show of the week was a 2 PM matinee of Much Ado About Nothing on Monday.  So, I aimed to get there at 12:30 because I am a psycho.  So, I rolled into my dressing room around then and my dresser, Madison, asked if I needed help with my costume track.  I thought maybe she was joking, because we've done the play 53 times.  But then she saw my confusion and told me that Henry was sick, and I had to go on for Leonato.  Then I checked my phone and had several missed calls and texts which happened in the seven minutes it takes me to drive from my amazing housing to the theatre. (I'm not joking, my housing this year is incredible.  Plus, I have the best roommate in the world.  I really feel as if I won the lottery).   A second later, my Angel, Tanya poked her head into the dressing room and confirmed that I would indeed be going on for Leonato in 90 minutes.   Here's a little backstory for this weekly adventure.  When I...
Read more

I love you and durst commend a secret to your ear

 This summer is flying by, and I realize I've not really updated my blog in ages.  So, to my four loyal readers, my sincere apologies.  I haven't played supporting roles since grad school, so it was an adjustment at first. In many ways, they are much more difficult to play than leads. For instance, when you play most leading roles, there is plenty of dialogue to let you know who this person is you are playing. There's also a lot more action to give you things to do. But there is a certain amount of freedom that comes with that as well.  As the summer wears on, I am finding some new things about both of my characters.  In Henry VIII, I am playing Sir Thomas Lovell.  I believe I have about seven lines, but I am onstage for the entire show. Also, my character is incredibly high status in the kingdom and his name may be mentioned more than anybody else in the play. He was clearly an important man in the kingdom, and Shakespeare and Fletcher show that with his c...
Read more

The first day of school feeling

Image
 I've been at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for two weeks, and it's been a whirlwind.  I was talking to my angel, Tanya Searle, during a break today and we were both amazed that it's been two weeks.  Of course, for me, I've felt like it's the first few days at a new school where everybody knows each other, and nobody knows who I am.  However, those first day jitters have been taken away by the lovely people here.  I've been welcomed with open arms.  Given a seat at the table and been encouraged to be a partner in this process.  By everybody, directors, actors, administrators, designers, choreographers.  It's sort of like dying and going to the heaven I hope exists.  A beautiful Shakespeare festival that is loving, welcoming, and filled with ridiculous talent!! I love the characters I am playing in Much Ado and Henry VIII, and I especially love that I am doing Henry VIII.  My new friend, Topher, who is playing Henry commented on how lucky...
Read more