Slogging

Slog, Slogged, Slog-ging, Slogs -verb- 1. To walk or progress with a slow heavy pace; plod, 2. To work diligently for long hours
This is one of my favorite words in David Auburn's Proof, which I am currently working on at Ohio University in an all graduate student cast. I play Catherine.
I think it's my favorite word because I have the opportunity to use it so often in my real life these days. It's the second term of my three year Masters in Fine Arts acting program, and I am slogging. It's not that graduate school is terrible, it's simply that it is forcing me to work on some of my most difficult and reoccurring acting problems. Which is easier said than done. In case any of you are under the impression and unfortunately common misconception that acting is easy, you're wrong. Acting is, in fact, incredibly hard.
I am, however, trying not to be discouraged, and I repeat my personal mottos to myself all day.
1. Failing is good. If we do not fail, we do not grow. We must fail, and fail harder.
2. I went to graduate school to become a better actor, and although attempting to let go of my bad habits is frustrating, it is worth it.
3. I must remember to give my all in my work here, and if I continue to do that I will ultimately succeed.
In other words, I'll be fine.
Proof is going quite well. Catherine is an extremely challenging character and I am doing my best to manage her. As a cast we are doing very well. Only half way through our rehearsal process, we have worked all the way through doing a second round of scene work through Act I, and we find ourselves in a place of great exploration, curiosity, and promise. I am pleased.
Add that to all the class work, and of course the fun things like Friday night madnesses and you have quite a party!
Speaking of Friday night madnesses, this photograph was taken by Andy Black last Friday before the show. The man in it is Scot West, a talented third year MFA student who co-stared in Andy's short piece with me.

Back

After such a long stretch in Oregon over the holidays, getting back to being a graduate student in Athens, Ohio, is a little shocking. Suddenly my world has gotten a lot smaller (this town is tiny), and my life has gotten a lot busier. Yesterday, for example, was not only my first day of classes (acting class included), but I also did a play reading and went to my first rehearsal for Proof. I'll be playing Catherine in February in an all graduate student cast. A very talented all graduate student cast I might add. We're also working with a very enthusiastic graduate student director. I'll certainly be working to keep up with my colleagues on this one. Everyone is really passionate about the project, though. We just began last night with a read-through and some table work, but the conversations that are happening about the play are already really interesting and exciting.

Christmas Carol at PCS

Christmas time is sometimes as hectic as it is joyful. Why, I've attended three different holiday parties this week alone, but when a friend of mine invited me on a group outing to see A Christmas Carol at Portland Center Stage (PCS) somewhere between fretting about gift buying and what to do for New Years, I found I just couldn't say "no." Maybe it was because Dicken's ghost of Christmas past was tugging at me, because I knew I would be in for a night of really interesting special effects, or because two of the Northwest's very talented theatre practitioners (Rose Riodan, direction, and Mead Hunter, adaptation) had brought the show to life this year, but despite the particular reason, I was compelled to go.
I can honestly say, from the bottom of my heart, that it was my favorite production of A Christmas Carol I have ever seen. Yes, it's the same old story, yes, it's certainly a little silly, but for me it recaptured some of the magic of this season that tends to lose its sparkle as we grow older. Jacob Marley was terrifying, the snow was beautiful, the way objects would occasionally move about by themselves or voices would resound in eerie whispers across the house was ever so spooky, and Ebbe Roe Smith's Ebenezer Scrooge was charming.
I have to confess, I have an awful habit of getting teary in the scene where Scrooge is shown the Christmas of Tiny Tim's death. This year Michael Fisher-Welsh as Bob Cratchit just made me weep as he held his grieving family close. As comical as it sounds, my friend sitting next to me was understanding enough to pull a handkerchief out of his pocket for me.
So, I loved it. It was a nice dose of holiday cheer without all the hustle and bustle, and at the end of the show, when it began to snow once more, not just onstage but on us as well, I could not keep the smile from my face.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

Reindeer Monologues at RTR

It is lovely to be back in Oregon for the holidays. I'm so enjoying seeing my family and friends, and, of course, some of the delightful holiday theatre that's happening around Portland.
In fact, these days, I've been spending my time on Santa's sleigh team in the dark Christmas comedy The Eight: Reindeer Monologues at Readers Theatre Repertory. This NOT CHILD FRIENDLY version of the Santa Claus myth is told through the eyes, hooves and antlers of his eight emotionally dysfunctional reindeer. It really is quite a scandalous tell-all revealing Mr. and Mrs. Claus' strained, alcoholic relationship, what really happened with the Rudolf foggy Christmas debacle, and why Vixen has accused Santa of sexual assault.
Come down to RTR and see me, Dancer, along with my seven teammates, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen at 8:00 tonight! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!

The Lying Kind at Third Rail

I'm back in Portland for the holidays, and the first thing I wanted to do was go to the theatre!
On Thursday night a group of friends and I went to the World Trade Center to see Third Rail Repertory Theatre's winter production. I don't believe anything makes this Anothy Neilson play, The Lying Kind, a holiday show except that is takes place on Christmas Eve. I can't say that the story of two police officers attempting and failing to tell an elderly couple that their thirty-four year old daughter was killed in a car accident on the way home for Christmas is what I would call the stuff of farce, but to my surprise, the show was, in fact, very funny. I was particularly fond of Richard Mathews work as Balthazar. Although, Michael O'Connell and Amy Palomino created my favorite slapstick comedic moment in the show. It was a surprisingly fun evening considering the subject matter.

Three Sisters at Cincinnati Playhouse then Dinner with Frank Wood

As the term was coming to a close here at the Ohio University graduate in acting program, a group of us decided it would be a good weekend to make a little road trip to Cincinnati, and not just any road trip. We had tickets to Sarah Ruhl's version of Chekhov's Three Sisters as directed by John Doyle at the Tony Award winning Cincinnati Playhouse. This production was unlike any other Three Sisters I've seen or heard about. Upon entering the theatre we saw no birch trees, no parlor. Instead we entered a tall looming space. A crumbling room which seemed to have one point been an elegant home, at another point had been transformed into an office building, and now was lying in virtual ruins as though it had been abandoned for several years. The walls were literally decaying and broken plaster laid strewn about the set. The actors stayed onstage then entire show. When they were not part of a scene they sat and watched from the deteriorating walls of this oppressive space. Like the three sisters, Olga, Masha and Irina, who always speak of moving back to Moscow and never leave their little village, the actors talked about leaving the house but never actually did.
The performance was stunning. Particularly Laila Robins (Broadway: Heartbreak House, Frozen, The Herbal Bed and The Real Thing; Film and Television: The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Law and Order, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, etc.) as Masha. Her command of the role and specificity of action was absolutely beautiful. I was engaged by every moment of her performance. I was also particularly fond of Lynn Cohen (Broadway: Orpheus Descending, Ivanov (with Kevin Kline); Film and Television: Sex and the City, Across the Universe, The Station Agent, Law and Order, The Cosby Show, etc.) as Anfisa. Her final monologue exclaiming how happy she ended up in life (Anfisa, the old maid, is the only character who finishes the play joyfully) was so charming and touching. The kind of thing that makes you want to jump out of your seat and hug her.
After the play we had dinner with another memorable actor from the production, Tony and Drama League Award winner Frank Wood (Broadway: August: Osage County, Side Man, Hollywood Arms; Film and Television: The Sopranos, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Changeling, Dan in Real Life, The Royal Tenebaums, etc.) who played Tuzenbach. Over dinner we discussed the production and he told us about his experience working on Sarah Ruhl's version of the play as well as having John Doyle for a director. He asked us how graduate school was going, and the whole night was fun and fascinating. Even the point where I couldn't contain myself any longer and had to geek out and tell him how much I'd loved his work in August: Osage County.
It was wonderful to be at the Cincinnati Playhouse for the first time, and what a powerful first production to see. I can't wait to return soon.

Autumn in Athens