Clowning around

So here it is, about a week after we were cast and hand out the scripts to “Black Comedy” and we’re about to jump into tech rehearsals.  And like I thought would happen, I have started to enjoy rehearsals after memorization was finished.  Today I played. Played the play.  Welcome to the world of theater folks: where actors don’t work-they play.

Shall I say it?

I love my job.

I’ll bring back Anna Devere Smith and her book ‘letters to a young artist’ that I often look to for wisdom of this work that I call play:

“As an artist, I see myself as one of the clowns, one of the fools, one of those who see the world upside down and inside out.  I am a fool in the classic sense.  But I take my foolishness very seriously.” (pg 185)

Not only does this excerpt highlight the importance of sensible silliness, but it also shows the responsibility of the clown.  Or rather the need for responsibility of the foolishness.  My foolishness is my work.  What happens when we don’t take what we do seriously?  Whether it is washing windows on the Sears Tower, or teaching preschool; not taking your work seriously could be fatal.

So here I am: taking the ‘play’ serious.  And finding what my responsibility is as a clown.

Oh right.

We started rehearsals for Schaffer's "Black Comedy" on Thursday.  Since then it has been a mad rush of memorizing ridiculous amounts of text.

Oh right.

This again.

The show weighs heavily on physical comedy, so I am desperately trying to get off book as soon as possible (as always?).  I keep telling myself that as soon as I'm memorized I will be having the time of my life.

Sometimes I think my passions don't stem from what make me happy, but rather what I forget makes me frustrated.

The first few days...

Well, here it is.  Almost a year later and I’m only now posting something.  Quick update on this past year:

After leaving Red Barn in August, I immediately started working on choreographing Goshen College’s “Urinetown” for the production in November of 2012.  I both performed and choreographed the show which was immensely difficult but also very rewarding.

In May I was part of the new Goshen start-up theater company, GoShakes’ inaugural production of “Romeo and Juliet.” This was also a challenging experience as I balanced work and two roles in the production (Mercutio and Paris).  A great show that pushed me in a way I haven’t been pushed for a while.

And now, after stressing over what I should do in the summer of 2013, I am back at Red Barn Summer Theater.  I have joined the company halfway through the season as a sort of filler before I move to Chicago.  It seemed like the best possible choice for me, so I went with it.  I will be starting rehearsals for “Black Comedy” this coming Thursday, and then “Next to Normal” in a few weeks. 

I am getting antsy to be back onstage, even though it has only been a month or so.  When I am not involved in a production I daydream about being in one. It is because of this that I know I am doing the right thing for me at this time. 

God give me wisdom to think of the now rather than confusions about the future.