Feels for the Day

A tug on my hand,
A kiss on my forehead.
A tear on my cheek,
And plenty on my my mind.

One day we'll understand
Why we chose this instead.
We'll find what we seek
And won't have to rewind.

That day isn't today,
At least not for me.
Au jour d'hui,
Tu me manques.

It'll be okay,
It'll be lovely.
Tu es mon ami,
Le futur est quelconques.

A Comedy of Errors

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiie, how impatience loureth in your faaaaaace."

The cleverness and variety in "A Comedy of Errors" makes it one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Twins, separated at birth, have now arrived in the same city and a series of mistakes leaves servants confused and overworked, a wife in distress and a really insane doctor trying to clear the whole thing up.

I played Luciana, sister to Ariana, wife of Antipholus of Syracuse. Our director was super cool, because he always wanted to do Shakespeare in a different time period or setting. For this production, we were hippies. It was the most radical production you've ever seen. This play was probably one of the most fun I've ever been in.

Steel Magnolias

"This is it, I have found it. I am in hell."

This journey is an absolute gem. It has all my favorite feels in it. Steel Magnolias is the story of six friends who give their story to the audience through visits to Truvy's salon. Shelby is about to be married, her mother M'Lynn is like any mother-of-the bride, widow of the mayor Clairee enjoys watching all of it unfold, Annelle is a brand new stylist and scared to death, and Ms. Ouiser Boudreaux is just about every cranky loud grandma you've ever met, combined and magnified by 18. As their lives and love change, we see the beautiful strength in these women.
This is one of the plays I am most grateful for. I hold an overwhelming appreciation to my director for trusting me with the gift of Ouiser. She's a nut, like me, but I can't believe he actually believed in me that much, and for that and many other lessons he taught me, I'll be indebted to him in my entire life. I had so much fun in this wonderful story. I learned so much from all the other actors who each became my role model. I love them very much. This show was so special because the note sessions we were able to have were so focused and particular, as we played with each other's hair our director would give us the most valuable feedback. Since this play was a cast of all women, amazingly enough, he directed another marvelous show called "12 Angry Men." They were all so good and we loved having that super cool experience of transforming the set back and forth.

The Music Man

"I hope I get my raisins from Fresno!"

Happy Pioneer Day! I love that we have this holiday to recognize and appreciate the spirit of the pioneers in the valiance of their lives. Speaking of pioneers, that's pretty much what we looked like in our elaborate costume in The Music Man.
"Professor" Harold Hill arrives amongst the stubborn citizens of River City Iowa to sell them on the idea of creating a children's band, because the new pool table that's just come in is MUCH to dangerous. He's really a con man who gets caught up in love with Ms. Marian the Librarian, who is quite set in her ways and doesn't want to hear a word from him. But of course, he's eventually found out, changes his ways lives happily ever after (as far as we know) with Marian.
As a part of the ensemble, my favorite role was one of the ladies among Eulalie Shinn's band of Grecian Urn Ladies. This musical includes some great, classic Broadway songs like "Rock Island," "Trouble," and "Shipoopi." The thing to really remember about this one is we had so many kids involved. It was such a great experience and they were wonderful, but our afternoons of  the acting/babysitting hybrid was certainly very memorable.

A Tale of Two Brothers

"Phineas, when did you change your shirt?"

This was definitely one of the silliest, cheesiest, and most fun plays I've been in. I was such a little sophomore and felt so proud of my first "female romantic lead" when really I was they only one who actually wanted to do it. Ha ha! This was the cutest play written in part by one of my favorites, Carrie Finlinson, making light satire about our city of Murray and small quirks of our church.
It's a really sweet story that spins off of Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors." Phineas and Phineas were separated as infants when a tractor hit their tour bus, sending Dad and Phineas into Preston, Idaho and Mom and Phineas into good old Murray, Utah. The boys grow up, Mom and Phineas in the church, but he's having doubts because he's gotta maintain that Legend-In-His-Own-Mind Image. Phineas of Preston seeks out to find the rest of his family, meets the missionaries, finds his mother without realizing, accidentally kisses his twin brother's girlfriend, and even speaks at "cemetery" graduation. In the end we "don't stop believing" in eternal families and all the joy thereof.

I played Adrian, the super-smiles, student body president, seminary president, laurel president, goody-two shoes that tries to keep her Phineas in line. She was fun to play because I definitely wasn't a great actress at this point, but it's alright, because the whole show was pretty corny, like me. But still so great. The Teal Buchi was a great co-star. He'd never acted before, but every girl's going to have a first-sight crush on him and adore his awesome personality. He taught me how to hold hands for our big scene, because I had never done such a scandalous thing! Kudos to Teal for puttin up with me. I gained some wonderful friends during this show. I can honestly say it's one of my favorites of all time, because despite whatever silly showtune rewrite we were singing (such as: "I'm Gonna Wash Girl's Camp Outta My Hair" and "Sew-A-Little, Love-A-Little"), we always felt the spirit because we all believed in the theme and message we were giving to our audience- the love of the  Gospel. You can even watch a scene or two of this show here!

Thoroughly Modern Millie

"Forget about the boy, Dillmount! Get yourself a canary."

Thoroughly Modern Millie is one of those super-fun musicals with a great, stick-right-in-your-head score. Millie is a spunky little farm girl that decides to change her entire image by moving to New York and marrying her new rich boss. But of course, through her roller coaster of love, jail, an insane hotel manager and stenoging, she realizes that her green-glass love is so much more than the emerald image she was running for.
I played the completely flattering Ms. Flannery. This was one of my favorite roles because of her cranky volume and all the tap dancing we got to do. Our costume designers were amazing, they made almost everything on stage! Who doesn't love dressing up like a flapper? So many fringes, so many bad wigs. I mean look at that beehive. I'm pretty sure it weighed three pounds. What a blast!

Mulan

The arts have been a blessing and quite integral part of my entire being. I'm grateful for every show I've been in and the directors willing to trust me with parts. I truly don't want to forget any of the wonderful shows I've been in, so I want to do a little article about each of them. So, the blog will be a bit theatrically clogged for a while, but isn't it always, anyway?

"Get your red-hot cheongsams here!"

The classic Disney story of Mulan came to life on our stage with interesting new music, a rather philosophical script, and lots of black hair dye. I played the "cheongsam salesperson" and lots of chorus roles. It was my first musical and I couldn't have been more neurotically excited to be a part of it. The legendary Camrey Bagley was our Mulan, and our ancestors were really cool. I'd say it was a really different show than any classical musical theatre.

Pas Aujourd'hui

But love, first learned in a lady’s eyes,

Lives not along immured in the brain;

but, with the motion of all elements,

Courses as swift as thought in every power,

And gives to every power a double power,

Above their functions and their offices,

It adds a precious seeing to the eye;

A lover’s eyes will gaze an eagle blind;

A lover’s ear will hear the lowest sound,

When the suspicious head of theft is stopp’d:

Love’s feeling is more soft and sensible

Than are the tender horns of cockl’d snails;

Love’s tongue proves dainty Bacchs gross in taste:

For valour, is no Love a Hercules,

Still climbing trees in the Hesperides?

Subtle as Sphinx; as sweet and musical

Asbright Apollo’s lute, strung with his hair:

And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods

Makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.

Never durst poet touch pen to write

Until his ink were temper’d with Love’s sighs;

O, then his lines would ravish savage ears

And plant in tyrants mild humility.
-William Shakespeare, Love Labor's Lost

Nothing to Read

I don't know what to say. Write, actually.  I always want to talk, write. But I am usually unsure of what to say. Maybe that's why I love theatre so much. They always tell you what to say and where to go.
So what would you like, Quiet Audience?
Let me know if you need me. I'll be here.