Once again I have gone on an unintended blogging hiatus due to
reasons that don't really exist, but I procrastinate so fuck it.
Rehearsals have begun gearing up for
the production of Twelfth Night I'm in and the performances have been
nailed down finally as well!
Aug: 7,8,14,15, 22 and 23. So it's going to be some hot and sweaty outdoor performances!
I
have also taken up a short Shakespeare Monologue class which I'm
loving. It's always a pleasure to be surrounded by students and teachers
who care so much about every detail of the works we study. It's
something I haven't been around in a while, unfortunately.
No idea whether I'm staying in Chicago past this summer yet, but I suppose I have time to decide.
I do know one thing and that is I need to become more
self-sufficient with my acting. Not only in terms of finding a
"preparation" that actually helps me prior to auditions, but also when
working on a project. Since working on films and shows, I'm starting to
see how much I lean on the direction I'm given as well as the energy of
my co-star. It's why I think I don't do as well in cold-reading
auditions.
In other words, (aka Metaphor time) I
have difficulties taking a hunk of clay and shaping it into a tea
pot and instead hand in a lump with a handle on it. I am just hoping
that the clay people (shut up, I'm trying to make this shitty metaphor
work) see enough of a teapot to go, hey we can help you make that hold
tea. Make sense?
I need to start going in with a
fucking Victorian-ass teapot and as of right now, I haven't been able to
do that. Even on set, I know that my best takes for a film I shoot will
be the ones towards the end after I have gotten distinct direction and
become more comfortable with my scene partner.
Speaking
of which, working with my fellow actors also tends to fuck me up. If
they seem to really know what they're doing, I can get intimidated and
lock up. If they have no idea what they're doing, then I either feel
inclined to help them (which distracts me from me) or ignore their
shortcomings (thus not responding to what they may throw my way in a
scene and rendering me confused).
When I find a
great scene partner, it makes my audition or scene or whatever the fuck
has brought us together. But I'm tired of waiting for luck to smile upon
me. I need to be able to be a lovely clay teapot regardless of what
clay creature is coming in with me.
So I've got something to work towards.
You know...teapots and that.
-B
