Stumble it!Performing ill and union rules!
Performing ill
This Tuesday and Wednesday nights I performed in the SlamBoston short play competition. I acted in two out of the eight short plays, my plays went on back to back, luckily my costume changes where pretty small since I had about two minutes back stage before coming on again. I took on two roles because I wanted to challenge myself and I am always looking to take bigger risks in order to stretch and grow. Well, the universe did not think that was a big enough challenge so I ended up with a nasty cold too. This was my first time performing before a live audience while ill. Luckily, I had the good idea to bring on a handkerchief in my pocket in case I had to “in character” blow my nose. Because at one point in the first night during the second play I did have to use it because I just got so congested that I had to do something so that I could be heard; nasty. Anyway, as an actor this is something I am going to have to deal with in my life. I am sure this will not be the first time I perform ill. But now I know to just be prepared and to make your real life necessities part of your character’s necessities and everything will work out ok. Neither one of my plays won the Slam competition but for me it was a huge victory on several levels. First, I took on an extra role at the last minute and was able to get off book really quickly: Off Book is an acting term meaning fully memorized. Second, I discovered that performing ill and having to make adjustments for it on stage was not as bad as I thought it would be. Thirdly and most importantly I finally feel a lot more comfortable with doing theater performances in general. Movie roles don’t make me very nervous but theater has up to now been a very scary thing for me. Last night I found a new comfort on stage that I have never felt before.
Union Rules!
Well last entry I talked about loosing a gig due to my union affiliation and how it can be kind of a bummer. But this week I am so happy that I am in the union. Tomorrow on Friday February 24th I have a chance to read for speaking roles on two major motion pictures! One is Underdog which is to be filmed in Rhode Island by Walt Disney Pictures and the other is Gone, Baby, Gone which is to be filmed in Massachusetts by Touchstone Pictures; Ben Affleck’s first shot at directing a major motion picture. I could only have received this opportunity by being in the union. In New England this is a very rare and exciting thing since not a lot of major movies are made here. But because of the film incentive bills passed by Rhode Island and Massachusetts this will become less and less rare. It is my feeling that soon the old adage that “You are crazy to join the union in New England” will become “You are crazy not to join the union in New England!” Here is how it played out. I got a hotline email saying that on Wednesday starting at noon the first 72 men and the first 44 woman to call in to the office would get a time slot to audition. I was on the phone for 55 minutes straight dialing and redialing until I finally got through and got my spot. The number one requirement is that you have to me a member in good standing; they check your union card at the door. I love the union, the union rules!
[Updated 20 minutes later: Ok this is funny, I just got a call from Lauren, the director of the ice-cream vendor movie and after calling the local union office she decided she can not meet the requirements to make her movie union friendly; so I was re-cast. All that I could do was laugh. ]
‘Tis all for now.