The Play is the Thing

Posted in Seasonal Disorders on June 18, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (6)

While you will all (hopefully) be kicking up your heels and relaxing this weekend, I will be kicking off intensive rehearsals for an annual summer theatrical event: The Baltimore/D.C. Playwright's Festival.

Aye, the girl is a ~~drama queen~~ wannabe thespian.

I haven't even read the play yet, but I'm already so dreadfully nervous!

See, I neglected to mention that I suffer from the most severe stage fright.

Seriously, the physical and emotional breakdowns I experience before the curtain goes up (or even before the first rehearsals begin, as we're finding out tonight) probably make Barbra Streisand (a performer legendary for her stage fright) seem all cool, calm and collected before her concerts. (By the way, is she retired now? I can't keep track of everyone's "retirements," "final tour, really's!" and sudden, multiple comebacks.)

So why do I put myself through this misery?

Because I'm a masochist?

No, seriously. I do it, because always, after somehow managing to get on to the stage on my wobbly legs, the threatre gods seem to have mercy upon me and my imagination takes over to such an extent that I forget where I am (without forgetting my lines in the process, thank goodness!).

But please, don't take this as a sign that I'm even remotely good at this acting business, because I'm not. But I work hard, and time and experience and passion always seem to make it all okay in the end.

Passion being the key, of course.

Exit stage left.

Curtain.

Oh, and please don't tell me to break a leg, because I just might, "graceful" as I am!

6 Comments

Linda said:

Oh, and please don't tell me to break a leg, because I just might, "graceful" as I am!

Damn! OK...I wish you well. :)

June 19, 2004 9:32 AM

martha said:

i think I need to hook you up with a friend in Baltimore who's also into the thespian thing...:-) Check out the Mr. L-K link on my blogroll

June 19, 2004 9:48 AM

Gretchen said:

I've only done theater a handful of times, but I really enjoyed it.

I prefer the Ballet when performing. I adore dancing and, much like you, I would get terrible stage fright prior to stepping on stage. Somehow, I always managed to perform my dances without screwing up and making a fool of myself.

Man I miss those days!

June 19, 2004 11:29 AM

Maggie said:

ok, then merde - that's the ballet version of 'break a leg'.

Don't whistle in the theatre. (They used to use sailors for running the fly galleries - you might get a pipe dropped on your head).

No hats on beds (I don't know why)

Don't mention the name of the Scottish play (or if you do, you have to go outside, turn around 3 times and knock & ask permission to come back in).

I used to be in the biz myself - as an amateur actor and as a professional tech/stage manager. I miss it fiercely sometimes. However, I like the new income levels I have in the high tech world.

June 19, 2004 10:42 PM

emily said:

Just don't say "Hamlet". The other actors will kick your ass. Just sayin'

June 19, 2004 11:27 PM

Zinke said:

Thespian. Woah. Is that how you spell it? I thought is was spelled more like lesbian, with a "b." Hooked of Phonix worked for me! =)

No really, Good Luck! =)
I used to be in an impromptu skit group, in college. It was fun! There was always a huge rush right before going on stage!

June 20, 2004 3:42 AM

is a South African girl living in South Africa. That doesn't sound very original, we know, but you might find it remotely interesting when you learn that she has only recently returned to South Africa for the first time after a nine year, one month and two week (non-stop!) stint in the United States where she accidentally became an outlawed alien (also known, especially in immigration circles, as an 'illegal immigrant.' We prefer the term 'outlawed alien' ourselves). During her reversed exile from her homeland, she kept herself occupied by winning this website (but only after shamelessly bribing the judges) and thus being unleashed on the web where she slowly, leisurely became the World's Laziest Blogger; by being a nanny and by attending sci-fi conventions in search of other aliens. In the US, she also made her sailing debut, her international acting debut, tried and failed to learn the piano, and never learned to cook. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, dogs (especially Labrador Retrievers), how-to books (with a particular fondness for her copy of the Time/Life A - Z Medical Encyclopedia), and she tends to grossly overuse parentheses (we're not kidding) during her attempts at writing, which you may - if you really have masochistic tendencies - subject yourself to by reading the words to the right of this column. If you REALLY and truly STILL want to know more, you can read her C.V. here.
Or you can ~~stalk her~~ send her some love via e-mail at: redsaid[AT]gmail[DOT]com

The Wish List (Because yes, she really does need more how-to books. Honestly!)

online

Zinke : Thespian. Woah. Is that how you spell it? I thought is was spelled more like lesbian, with a "b." ... [go]
emily : Just don't say "Hamlet". The other actors will kick your ass. Just sayin'... [go]
Maggie : ok, then merde - that's the ballet version of 'break a leg'. Don't whistle in the theatre. (They us... [go]
Gretchen : I've only done theater a handful of times, but I really enjoyed it. I prefer the Ballet when perfor... [go]
martha : i think I need to hook you up with a friend in Baltimore who's also into the thespian thing...:-) Ch... [go]
Linda : Oh, and please don't tell me to break a leg, because I just might, "graceful" as I am! Damn! OK...... [go]