Tag Archives: community theatre

Loves of a Theatre Junky

Posted on August 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s another Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I have a different source for my angst today. I am waiting to go to auditions at Ilion Little Theatre for Lunch Hour, a romantic comedy to be presented in November. My angst is not from audition butterflies, because I have agreed to be stage manager. My job is set. My angst is is due to the onset of as huge case of WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING???

Of course the answer to that question is, I’m not. I almost never am. I am, it must be admitted, a theatre junky (my computer wants me to spell it “junkie,” but my dictionary says “junky” is also correct). When somebody asks me to do any theatre thing, I jump at the chance. They don’t even have to ask me, I often volunteer. And by “volunteer,” I mean beg. “Oh please, please, PLEASE let me be in your play! I can work backstage! I can make costumes! I can work on the set! I can do lights and sound!” Full disclosure: I may be a complete klutz and borderline useless at any of these jobs; it never stops me.

Actually, I have not had to beg since I got involved with Ilion Little Theatre. They are a very welcoming group, not at all clique-y. I feel very fortunate to be involved with such a fun group of such nice people. However, it cannot be denied that doing plays takes a lot of time and energy. Sometimes there is more drama backstage than onstage, even with a fun group of nice people.

The other source of my hesitation to become involved in Lunch Hour is that I am still so filled with concern over Roxy. Roxy, as regular readers know, is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre. It is less than two weeks until opening night! Yikes! Will we pull it together in time? Will it be good? Will I be good? Oh well, probably, but one can’t help but have butterflies.

You know, I don’t know why I’m sitting here with my wrist to my forehead. I LOVE the theatre! It is wonderful to audition for a play and get a part. It is fun to learn lines, go to rehearsal, develop a character and all that. And when the audience applauds at the end, well, that’s pretty good too. As an added bonus, I often get quite a number of blog posts out of it, as you may have noticed. So Happy Sunday, everyone, I’m off to auditions.

Wednesday with Quentin Tarantino

Posted on July 23, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Wuss-out Wednesday follows Tired Tuesday when one is on overtime and in a play. I do love the overtime. For one reason, it gives me a good excuse to slack on everything else. Uh, I mean, it gives me a chance to further my career, make a contribution in the workplace and… oh hell, nobody’s a good enough actor to sell that line of bologna. I’m sure you’ll believe I can use the extra cash, but it is vulgar to brag about one’s income (especially when it’s really nothing to brag about) (so don’t bother hitting me up for a loan) (you know who you are).

Where was I? Ah yes, striving to post something, anything before going to rehearsal. At last night’s rehearsal I showed that although I know my lines, I do not know my blocking (that’s moving where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, for you non-theatre folks) (and for any pedantic theatre folks who want to correct my definition, oh just give it a rest!).

In my defense, it is kind of a complicated play. There are flashbacks AND re-enactments. I think it’s a little bit like a Quentin Tarantino movie. I can’t even add “but without all the violence,” because my character chops off her husband’s head (that’s not a spoiler; everybody knows that about Roxalana Druse).

I studied my lines again today while on breaks at work (I know, I should have been writing my blog post; one can’t do everything, after all). I even said them to myself while I was working. Luckily, my job is not one where I deal with the public. I don’t think my co-workers were particularly disconcerted. After all, they’re used to me.

Right now I’m as tired as I was on Tuesday with rehearsal tonight and more overtime tomorrow. But that is OK, because the show must go on! Tired is not too great a price to pay for stardom! Or even for having fun being in a community theatre play.

NOT Tired of Being in Plays

Posted on July 22, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

This will be a Tired Tuesday post. Except that I CAN’T be tired, I have to go to rehearsal! For the sake of anybody just tuning in, I am in the play Roxy, at Ilion Little Theatre.

I spent my breaks at work going over my lines and I seem to know them pretty well. I have something of a reputation for learning all my lines pretty quickly (I know, you thought I was going to say I had a different kind of a reputation, oh you of dirty mind) (you know who you are). I hate to disappoint people.

It isn’t just a generic people-pleasing thing, though. I could do a whole other blog post about being a people pleaser (which I don’t think I am, judging from the number of people who are none too pleased with me most of the time) and whether or not that is a good thing, but that’s not really the dynamic at work here.

I strive to be the sort of cast member that directors, backstage people, and other cast members like to work with. For one reason, it makes things a lot more comfortable if nobody’s mad at you. More to the point, it makes a better play, because the sort of cast member most people like working with is the one who helps make it a better play.

Oh, I can see some of you raising your hands, ready to share with me stories about this or that sonofabitch who you wanted to KILL during rehearsals nonetheless came through and made it the best show ever. The important thing, you are ready to sniff, is not whether or not you get along. The important thing is can you ACT? (You may or may not say “ACT” with a gesture.)

I would argue that theatre is a collaborative art. We produce the best plays when we work well together. Additionally, this is community theatre. We are doing it for fun and for love of theatre. Of course we want to put on the best plays possible (what fun is it to be in a turkey?), but why make the process harder by working with sonsofbitches?

So I try not to be a sonofabitch. I learn my lines. In fact, I’d better go look them over again before tonight’s rehearsal.

Mohawk Valley Girl

Tag Archives: community theatre

Loves of a Theatre Junky

Wednesday with Quentin Tarantino

NOT Tired of Being in Plays

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