A Weekend in the Country...

Hello All!

The past few weeks have been very very busy.  Good busy.  I've been working as an SP at Temple Medical School during the day, going to the gym, then doing something in the evening, usually going to The Arden to see a run through of A Little Night Music, or working on that, or seeing a show.  I haven't had time to post much recently so I'm sorry if I've neglected this little blog.  But I have updates.

A Little Night Music is a charming and romantic musical that just went into previews at The Arden Theatre Co. in Philadelphia.  I was asked to understudy the role of Charlotte, who is played by Karen Peakes (who, by the way, is fantastic in the show).  The experience of being an understudy is unlike anything I've done in my life.  Or, I should day, being an understudy who is actually doing what they are supposed to do is unlike anything I've ever done.

See, I was supposed to understudy Ado Annie in my high school production of Oklahoma but I didn't take it seriously.  I had a scare where the girl who played Ado Annie (Courtney Starr Pezola, who again, was amazing) came late to school after their senior year class trip and almost didn't make it in time for her to be considered "present at school", which was, I believe 10:10am.  That would mean that the performance that night would have had to be me, little unprepared me, because she wouldn't have been allowed to perform that night if she had been considered absent that day.  I remember very vividly watching the street outside waiting to see her car drive down Loch Alsh Ave and turn into the high school parking lot.  Long story short she got there with about 10 minutes to spare and she went on.  When I saw her later that day I hugged her and said to myself "I'm never putting myself in this position again."  Thusly, I have been treating this whole opportunity very differently.

It's a treat to work on a musical of this size and caliber.  Just being in the rehearsal space with everyone was like feeling electricity pop all around you.  Actors are making strong, bold choices with extraordinary voices (one of whom, Teri Bibb, played Christine on Broadway in Phantom of the Opera!).  Terry Nolan, the director as well as Artistic Director at The Arden, is a very precise and caring director, he seems like a really great leader.  He was always honest with the cast but never condescending.  In fact he was always really complimentary and would say things like, "That was really great, you lovely lovely group of people".  Everyone working on the piece is really talented people, it has turned out to be a gorgeous piece of theatre.  Watching it grow has been a delight.

Yesterday was my first understudy rehearsal and it went well.  Of course there is always work to do but I felt very prepared and ready to work.  Though I never feel truly totally prepared, especially when I'm on my feet on stage for the first time, so when I was finished with my scene I was a disappointed in myself, constantly thinking about how I can do more work.  Sam Tower, the assistant director, gave me great direction and I was happy to hear how I can make this character more on point.

There are, I feel, a lot of things you need to balance while you're working as an understudy.  I had to call the actor's hotline every day to hear if my character was called at rehearsal the next day (which honestly was kind of a thrilling experience for me.  I get to call...a hotline?  It felt so old school and all..."actory" to me.  Anyway, I got a kick out of it).  I had to decide how often to go to rehearsals, not just depending on when my character was called, but also if I had conflicts like working, and also I didn't want to be there all the time.  I was there as often as I needed to be, I didn't want to overwhelm them with my presence.  I tried to show up to rehearsal 1-2 times a week, so that I really did see it grow and change, I became more and more comfortable with the show.   It was also good to be there just to show my face and get to know people I didn't know before.  When I would decide to not go to rehearsal I spent a lot of time working on lines and singing the songs to get them down and sounding alright.  I met with my sister and she helped me plunk out the songs on her piano.  Ed's been helping me with lines and my intentions.  And I've been drilling and drilling until I get closer and closer to cold on the part and the lines.

The idea of going on, IF that happens, is all at once exciting and terrifying.  But I'm trying not to focus on that.  I'm trying to get my work done so that if it does happen I can walk in and be confident, precise, honest...and just simply tell the story.

I'm going to see another preview tonight so we'll see how it's changed since the dress rehearsal I saw on Tuesday.  I am still struggling with the switches in intention.  I can get cerebral in my acting and sometimes I just need to accept that thoughts come and go and sometimes we say things when we aren't thinking, or when we are angry, or happy.  That a character, if written well, speaks exactly how they are.  I don't need to "act" it, it's all within the dialogue.  I just need to be it and live in it.  Which, as a lot of actors know, dangling off that cliff and allowing yourself to risk and possibly fail, is a very scary and sometimes petrifying place to hang out.  But that's my goal.  I'm going to listen and not focus on my line.  I'm going to focus on being.

What's cool is that there is an understudy run during the day in early June.  So I need to know my character cold by that point at least!  I don't know all the details as of yet but once I know I'll post them on this blog and my website.

Well I have a lot of housekeeping things I need to take care of, that I've severely neglected over the past few weeks.  So I must get on that before hitting the gym and going to The Arden tonight!

Be well, and if you haven't seen "Failure: A Love Story" by Azuka Theatre Co in Philadelphia, you need to try and get to see it.  Show tonight at 8pm and tomorrow at 2pm.  It was a very emotional experience for me, but that's part of why we do this.

Until next time...

-Cindy

Back in the Saddle Again...

Greetings, All!

I have a lot of really exciting news to share with you.  Things have been going well for me since coming back from my amazing and life changing cross country trip...

Grand Canyon!

So, officially, as of Thursday, I have signed the paperwork to become an Equity Membership Candidate!  This is a really exciting step to be taking.  While I was signing the paperwork I had to pause and take in the moment.  I have been working towards this for five years and now finally I have Equity points.  I celebrated with a piece of chocolate.

The reason I actually now have the points is because I'm understudying the lovely and talented Karen Peakes in the upcoming A Little Night Music at The Arden Theatre for the role of Charlotte.  Tonight I'm going to a stumble through of their Act I, and pretty much anytime I have free time available I'll be at their rehearsals.  Musicals can be deceptively difficult and tedious work.  I feel like no matter how much you prepare, you finish one thing, turn around and there's still a million things to do.  But I suppose that's the wonder of musicals, to make it look easy.

This past week since getting back I started doing a 30 smoothie challenge from Simple Green Smoothies and I cannot tell you how amazing I have been feeling!  More energy, I feel full longer, and I am fortifying my body with delicious nutrients from fruits and veggies, something I was severely lacking.  I have also challenged myself along with that to exercise everyday except Sundays (my day of rest).  Within this week I already feel like my life has changed.  Seriously, I think everyone should try to do the upcoming 30 day challenge in June.  Their smoothies taste amazing.

Also this week I was doing a mini school tour with BCKSEET Productions.  Every year they get a grant and put together a program called "Class Act" in which they use professional actors and bring plays to schools.  We did an all-women cast version of Julius Caesar and I had the magnificent opportunity to play Mark Antony.  It has reignited my love for that play.  Or I should say it has simply ignited it.  I read it out loud my sophomore year of high school and I remember watching a dour version of it in class as well.  I remember Portia's scenes were dimly lit and it was pretty boring.

JULIUS CAESAR ROCKS!  What a PLAY!  The Language!  Wow.  "Until then, think of the world."  That was the line while re-reading it this time around really snagged me.  I guess since my bad experience in high school I was turned off by it, but now that I am really proficient with the language of Shakespeare in general I am able to appreciate it more.  It was also helpful to hear it read out loud by amazingly talented actresses (Sarah Doherty, Catherine Palfeiner, Kate Brennan, Sarah Schol, Amy Hume, Mary Lee Bednarek, Jennifer Summerfield) and not high schoolers who stop at the end of every line.  It again reminded me of how much I love this community here.

Today I go back to rehearse with BCKSEET for a reading of a play called Bullyrag by Molly Lang.  This is sponsored in part by the Ani Fund, and part of that goes towards a scholarship through BCKSEET that goes directly to young artists.  It's inspiring to see artists my age doing such thoughtful and innovative work.  The reading is happening May 12th at 5pm at The Adrienne Theatre.

That's about it for now.  Ed and I are gearing up for summer camp and we are very excited!  Looking forward to another awesome summer with awesome kids.  They always teach me something.

Be well, world and until next time...

-Cindy