insatiable curiosity

This week has gone by quick-quick.

After (most) of the cast memorized the show for Monday (4 days after we got the script), we jumped into running and perfecting it.  This week has been a huge week of ultimatums.  We have ranged from full runs to scene hash outs, too slow to too fast, not enough to too much.  But here we are at the end of the week-with 3 more rehearsals left till opening; and I feel as if we're in a good place.  As I reflect back on how I was feeling a week ago today, I am grateful for the progress I've personally made (its been a week of first timers: 2  week rehearsal period, playing in a farce, playing this type of character, living in a new city). Good grief, how in the world did I get through it all?

I think it was curiosity.

I just realized this today actually, after I spent some of my morning at the local farmers' market (3 stands on one block - Goshen, be grateful for what you have) and got to know some of the vendors there. I want to know how, why, when, where, who - its a time of 'sponging' for me both in my work and 'play'.  THIS is the performer's job: curiosity.

Anna D Smith calls it 'insatiable curiosity' in the 'Reaching Out' section of "Letters to a Young Artist" (p 81). She acknowledges that artists don't necessarily have to experience the whole ranges of emotions to convey them in their art - they just need to communicate them as if those feelings were their own.  Smith says it "is a process of reaching out from.  That is different from avoidance and denial, it is reaching out from your pain, to see and understand the pain of others" (p 81-82).

So my requirement as an artist is to soak, to exude curiosity, to converse with farmers at the market, to observe strangely dressed golfers, to seek the truth in my character no matter how awful he is.

That's why I love my work.  I get paid for my curiosity.

untitled

The following is the section called 'Rent' in A.D. Smith's "letters to a young artist":

"As an actress I feel that my identity is up for rent.  Not for sale.  But for rent."
p 54

I think about this a lot. But it is always comforting to end up at the line, "Not for sale." Even though I am giving all of myself to learn and create a whole new entity of myself on stage, it is not a permanent sell.

But what should I put up for 'sale'?  I am running into communications, experiences, stories, bits of wisdom and education that has potential to be temporary: for rent.  Where and when can I switch the sign?

I must dwell with this one some more. Advice?

Procrastination ya'll

And we're off!

Yesterday was our first read through of the first show of the season: "The Fox on the Fairway" written by Ken Ludwig. Its quite the fantastical farce.  I was thrown a role that I was not expecting to receive: Dickie Bell, an unpleasant 40-something full of bonhomie (what does this word mean?), owner of The Crouching Squirrel Golf Club, pompous, loud, preppy.... the list goes on. Not only does approaching this character leave me a little weak-kneed, but the shear mention of 'farce' sends me through the roof. YIKES.  It'll happen though: aren't we all loud, pompous and a little farcical at times?

But, today's LYA (letters to a young artist-Anna d. Smith) section is from her comments on procrastination.  The reason being?  Line memorization. Smith says many good things (like always) in this section but a few stood out to me:

"The main fuel for procrastination is thought" (43).  Sometimes we focus too much on HOW MANY things must get done rather than JUST DOING IT. So, to refute that tendency is to just do what needs to be done. Duh. Too bad we're blessed with a mind that thinks.

Smith uses the phrase 'active avoidance' a lot in this section. What am I actively avoiding in my life? Sure, the occasional dish in the sink, line to be memorized, and note to write, but really; what am I running away constantly from?  Not that this is a bad thing - I run away from bees quite often, and avoiding spam emails is a daily marathon - but I guess it could be as it takes up time from the things I want to be running toward.

Back to memorizing. Or maybe I'll go run. Active avoidance.

'Everything OK!'

Arrival at last!

Upon settling in yesterday evening I rode around checking out all that this tiny town has to offer.  How much you ask? nm. It seems to be very reminiscent of Goshen, only a bit smaller. I feel quite at home here, having gotten lost once on my ride and again this morning on my run.  I think that should be enough wandering for the rest of the summer.  My hub-points are as follows: home, Main Street Market (a member as of this morning; yay discounts!), library, theater. I would like to add one more but have not been inside yet:  a Chinese/Mongolian grill restaurant named 'Everything OK!' right outside our apartment door.  Come on down to Frankfort and you can try it out with me!

Official 'work' starts tonight.  I'm excited to know where all this is headed, as I know the past 24 hours have been filled with a lot of 'acquainting'- people and places.  The company that lives here in the apartments total 7. I think.  Right now there are a total of 2 guys and 2 girls.  I think the rest are coming later this week.

I decided to parallel these posts with a book I'm reading:  letters to a young artist by Anna D. Smith.  If you have it, I suggest you read each section with these blogs I will be periodically posting.  I'm going to start it off with the section entitled 'Exchanges' (p 43-46). Smith tells the story of her relationship with a boxer.  They open up to each other and find the other's art in a way they had not experienced before.  She ends the passage saying, "I think that tapping into the sheer joy of whatever it is that you do..., the sheer joy is what liberates us, opens the senses, the heart, the arteries, so that we feel that strong will to communicate that is greater than any chains we may have" (46).

God, let my joy flow with ease so that my communication both on stage and off is golden.