October 2009
Internship at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Thanks to my school, I was able to intern for forty-two hours over five days. There was a rush to get in all the needed hours, which Jeremy and Rebecca gratefully added on. I started on Wednesday around mid-day picking up brochures for their production of All's Well that Ends Well. That day was fairly uneventful for the most part as I was sticking labels on brochures and stuffing programs. However, I got to watch actors at work, doing everything under the sun to learn their lines, juggling, rehearsing with others, and just walking about. For one reason or another, the one thing I remember is Watson coming out with a whole bunch of flags and Sara's eyes lighting up and waving a flag about happily. I got the chance to hang out with Rebecca and Jeremy's fiance Kelly at the Canon Club, which is group devoted to reading the works of the Bard, every other month, much like seminar at Clark. I also got to interview Kelly about her experience as an actor and what that's like. I think one of my favorite moments with her was at the Canon Club when describing her character in All's Well that Ends Well: "She's just like that girl in college who steals your boyfriend because she claims shes pregnant...I have stories." The next couple of days was mostly watching rehearsals and sitting in on performances. I think Larson's "secret doughnuts" was a highlight and so was getting to sit in on the production meeting seeing all the different aspects of what was going on. That was pretty much the internship in a nutshell, I would have loved to have spent more time there but sadly my school only gave me a week or so time-frame. I'm hoping to come back for the summer...if they let me.
September-November 2009
Epic Proportions
Now this is the big one, I could write post after post after post about this show. What's odd is how far away it feels, it doesn't feel like its been four months, it feels like it's been a whole school year since the curtain rose and fell on the show that was Epic. This show was the most daunting thing I have ever taken on, a directorial debut and producing your first show will probably do that to you. I started out with an idea and a hope that I could start something that would last, my own personal senior gift. There were nights when I worried if I would ever even be able to get it off the ground, whether or not the costumes, the actors, the sets, the props would come together. This is when I remember a line from the movie Shakespeare in Love: "Strangely enough, it all turns out well." "How?" "I don't know, it's a mystery."
There were many points when this show could have fallen apart, when I could have given up. I think I wanted to prove something, not only that something like Epic could be done, but that I could do it. In my own selfish way, I wanted to show everyone at my school my talent, something that they really never saw, or chose not to see. I brought it close enough that to ignore it would be almost impossible. I also didn't give up because of the people who did believe in me: my parents, my theatre folk, and everyone how signed up for the project. I think it is time for acknowledgments!
Alex: You took on a lead role when you were far more comfortable with something in the background. Not only did you accept this role but you handled it so well, especially for your stage debut. I would have offered you the potato sack as a lasting memento of the show but sadly it was not mine to give. I wish you all the best in your writing efforts
Darwin: Even though there were moments I wished to punch you in the soul, especially when you were absent, you were there when I needed you to be. You really understood what I wanted to do with Shel and granted I might have been the only one laughing at that bit, you made me laugh and sometimes that can be extraordinary difficult. You have been a great friend and that's the most I can ever ask of you.
Molly: My dear Molly, thank you. You were my stage manager and granted you didn't fully understand what you job was but by God you did it. You were there almost every rehearsal, ready to lend a hand and no matter what you came in with a smile.
Bryan: I am so glad that Chris twisted your arm in order to get you to come audition. I know at times you were the group punching bag, it was all in good fun but you took it and always had a good attitude about it. You really started to get the character when you needed to and you brought aspects to him I hadn't thought about.
Jim: I gave you one of the most thankless parts of the show and you took it happily. I am glad you accepted your role, while there were times I could tell you were frustrated, you grinned and bared it. Thank you for dying as many times as you did.
Joe: You helped to get the sound design for the show where it needed to be. I know at times the concept of tech rehearsals and what not escaped you but you made up for it, you took a lot of cues and you nailed each and every one of them and without a doubt the show could not have happened without you.
Deanna: You were there for all three days of auditions and I am really glad you did. I could not have asked for a better Louis. You got the character and you just rocked the part.
Emily: Your Cochette was great and so was your Queen. I thank you for bringing the other guys with you on the final day of auditions. It saved the show.
Alexa: Thank you for coming, you are quite talented and you really showed versatility in your roles, I know with some of the roles I really pushed you out of your comfort zone and I'm glad you went along with it. I know I confused with my direction at times and I'm glad that despite your frustration you never got angry.
Ben: Why so sad my queen? My friends at whatiwore2day.blogspot.com and beefymuchacho.blogspot.com still love your delivery of that line. I know of the cast you had the least stage time, but for what you lacked in quantity you made up for in quality. I could not have asked for a better deadpan DeWitt.
Vince: I know you don't read this blog but thanks man, you saved my ass in terms of lights and sound. I'm sad to say I will not be going to your alma mater as I was given a rejection letter last month but I am glad that I got to work with you. You have to keep the theatre program alive at Clark, please try and keep what we started going.
The last week of the show was hectic with canceled rehearsals, no use of the stage, not having lights until the afternoon before the show went up, and cast members sick during the final rehearsals. However, it turned out so well and I could not have gotten there without you guys. That goes for the people in the audience as well. Everyone who turned out, for the one night only show. From Katherine who came all the way from Ripley to my aunt and uncle who came from Indianapolis, from everyone in my senior class and all my senior teachers to my community theatre folk. I could not have asked for a better audience. From Jo laughing so hard she cried to Dan turning to me halfway through the show and giving me a nod of approval, which is no faint praise, it was, well, Epic. After the cast gave their bows, me being called up on stage and getting that standing ovation, still amazed that I had done it. In fact it still seems like a dream, like it almost never happened, but it did and I think that it was my own personal graduation. No matter what happened the rest of the year, no matter how many colleges I got rejected from, no matter how many times I questioned whether or not I was talented enough or driven enough to make it as an actor, I just look to my Epic binder. No matter how many rejections I have gotten or will get, I look at what I have achieved and I know that any dinky rejection letter cannot take that away from me. Cheesy, yes, true, yes.
i totally agree epic feels like eons ago!!
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