The Heiress, the Boy, and the New Job

Well, I have been in 2 shows since the last time I clicked "Publish Post" those few months ago. I was "Edith," the not all quite there, incredibly speedy, Cockney maid in Blithe Spirit. Then came the uptight, embezzling bitch, "Trish Hammers," in Reckless. Now I am playing "Maria" in The Heiress, a maid again, only this time I don't run and ...well, there aren't very many laughs. It's incredibly noticeable since the last two shows were comedies. It's fine, I love a good drama but it definitely means that I have to work hard. I guess I should be lucky, comedy always came so easy to me. I never quite understood when I would hear people whine and complain or even gasp in dread, saying that comedy was terribly hard, some people even throwing in the towel before trying it.

My dramatic characters are very subtle, controlled even. Calculating and cold like Medea or the Marquis de Merteuil (two of my favorite dramatic characters). Those are the ones I am good at.

It's because I don't blow up at every little thing in my real life and, perhaps, that is a problem since I feel I'm too controlled when it comes to dramatic stage characters. In fact, my current director even commented on this after a particular rehearsal. So since then I've been tearing myself apart practically, trying to find out what I could do to be this character, this other woman. I've yelled about it, cried about it and eventually just went to bed to sleep on it but all to no avail. Yet, I'm not giving up, I just won't let myself. A theatre friend of mine suggested that in order to get past the "controlled" me, I should take up improv again. I do believe he may be onto something. I haven't done improv in a while and have been really wanting to get back into it.

Today's rehearsal was just so-so for me, but since I'm in this bad place with my character, they all tend to be so-so. Today I incorporated more comedy into some lines and yes, I'm happy they got laughs and yes, I know that not all drama is purely serious but I feel like it's an easy out for me to get some laughs when I should be trying harder to understand the seriousness of my part, her life and what she has to gain/lose.
So that's what's been going on in theatre world for me. I have a few auditions lined up for more shows (most of them are comedies or musicals that have at least one part for a woman who doesn't sing at all or is a character singer).

In the winter I was also in a short film called "Frostbitten" directed by Timothy Ryan Becker. It was a comedic, silent film that was a lot of fun to shoot even though it was freezing outside at the time. I'm hoping to work with Timothy some more for his upcoming projects.

I also modeled for a photography class just recently in which the four gentlemen who were in the class got to spend the whole class period positioning me and taking photos. Two of them have sent me plenty of great photos from the experience and I'm waiting on the other two as well as the teacher (she grabbed her camera too) still. Compensation was just enough to fill my gas tank but I'm not complaining, it was a fun night. I'm planning to head to a couple agencies in St. Louis soon and I might be using one or two of those photos in my portfolio.

 One of my favorite shots from the photography class. I think it looks kind of Joan Crawford-ish

I recently was hired by a marketing company in Earth City, MO called Schmitt ProfiTools which was a wonderful turn of events since I had been out of work since October. It's a 9-5 desk job chock full of computer data entry pages, spreadsheets, chair adjustments, stretches, animal crackers from the kitchen, and running up and down stairs when you have random bursts of energy. Since I'm not used to sitting at a desk for so long, every single day, I feel like I need to move constantly. I'm thinking I should get up early, work out and then go to work but I have a feeling that won't ever happen, I love sleep too much. Though I will be signing up for a membership at Gold's Gym this week. I need to keep in shape.

My fella is doing very well too, though just as tired, if not more so. He's in a show right now called Miss LonelyHearts at his university, Fontbonne. I'm going to go see it on their final dress rehearsal since it goes up the same weekend mine goes up. I'm so happy because I get to see him later this week, though it seems I just can't get enough of seeing him. To say that he's going to be great in a show is definitely a safe bet. He has stolen many a show, it seems to come so naturally to him. I'm envious in a way, though in a state of "awe" rather than jealously. Like studying a great master.

I was driving in the car earlier today and thinking (instead of concentrating on the road) about my dearest and then wondered to myself, "What did I used to think of before I met him..? Did my mind expand and is now holding more thoughts or did these thoughts (concerning this new person in my life) write over some of the old thoughts?" I'm sure it sounds completely ridiculous but at the time it really had me wondering. Of course, I was incredibly tired at the time too.

Until next time, I need to seriously get more sleep, drink more water and move around more.

What will happen in the coming days? Will I finally find my inner Maria and feel much more at ease with "The Heiress"? Will I become fat and lazy due to my dormant position at my new place of employment? Will the boyfriend find out that he's annoyed by me and tell me to hit the road (he had better not if he knows what's good for him)?

Tune in next time to find out!

Same bat time,
Same bat channel

~BOO