Here it is, our final weekend of bare. And I am so sad.
I have put on 3 fabulous productions with New Line theatre now: Evita, Two Gentlemen of Verona and bare. Each show has meant something incredible to me. They've all touched me in such a personal way and they've all really pushed me to be better each time.
A few months before I was cast in Evita, my best friend of 13 years was severely injured in a car accident. The one person who could make everything better, my confidant, my right hand. My life shattered when I thought that I had lost her, and fortunately she survived and fought the odds against her. She proved the doctors wrong and 4 months out of a coma she came back kicking and screaming and progressing her way back to who she was before the wreck. It's been over a year now, and she's really impressed us all with her strength and courage.
I mention this only because Evita was a difficult production for me to persue at the time. If you read my previous blogs of my Evita experience, I discuss how much "Eva Peron" meant to my ensemble character. Evita changed her life. Evita saved the people. She rescued us! She cared about us. And, she was one of us.
Kati, my best friend, was my Evita. Watching Eva die in front of us, and dreading the level of difficulty our lives would reach without her was devastating. It brought me back to ICU waiting room every night.
Evita gave me hope. It allowed me to transport my own anguish and pain into my character as the mistress so easily. Really, the entire production was just very symbolic to what was and had already gone on in my life.
I had just graduated ECC. I was working everyday all day, already bored out of my mind as too-soon-adult. And I had no idea what I was going to do without my friends, one unable to speak to me due to a car accident and the other headed off to L.A. to pursue her dreams. Where was I going to end up? What was I going to do?
"So what happens now? Where am I going to? Don't ask anymore." No one will ever know what that song meant to me. I'm so grateful I auditioned for New Line's Evita, it changed my perspective when I needed it most.
Then we had Two Gentlemen of Verona. :) A show that had so many small moments that completely mirrored my own life at some point, but that didn't strike such a soft nerve as Evita did. Boyfriends cheating, following someone you love to the end of the earth, changing who you are to try to keep someone around, releasing your anger and forgiving the people that hurt you, finding love in the most unexpected of places, and of course being the cynical yet strangely optimistic friend that loves you no matter what. Haha, there were alot of those moments in Two Gents that I thought, "Geeze, I've been there way too many times."
I really loved Two Gents for one reason, though. I got to transfer so many of my own quirky qualities into Lucetta/Cesario! I mean, that role was probably the least amount of acting I have ever had to exert onstage. Most of what you saw in Two Gents, that was SO much of Terrie, it's ridiculous!
But since I'm blogging of the symbolism in my life to all of the New Line show's I've been a part of so far, here's this. I had gone through such a whirlwind of emotion last year with the car accident and with my relationship of 2&1/2 years with my boyfriend ending abruptly and having to find a new place to live, buying a new car, and oh my god so much more. It was rough. But I wasn't letting it keep me down, and I worked really hard to get back to a happy place. Fortunately, Two Gent's rehearsal started when I had just moved to Ballwin and I was single and so incredibly happy with my new beginning. Two Gentlemen of Verona is such a loose and freeing musical, you can't help but be happy when you see it. Being privileged to play Lucetta/Cesario really helped complete my inner-peace-circle in my heart. That may seem very strange to you readers, but it's true. Being able to just let loose onstage and dance and love and sing like a hippie really brought all of my "newness" to life. And I think it really showed. March 2011 was one of my happiest months in a very long time.
Again, New Line theatre. I don't know what it is about you, but you bring me such joy. My casts, my crews, my characters. I have no restraints at New Line. I can be honest with myself and with the audience. It's really sensational and it's incredibly fulfilling.
As for bare...well, you've already read about what it means to me. Or maybe I've been really terrible at relaying my thoughts during this blogging period. Probably! since I do it at work and am constantly getting up and down having to retrace my thoughts and feelings throughout the process. Haha, anyways that's not important. I'll save my final bare blog for my finishing thoughts on the show.
Being an actor is really cool. Thank you, theatre gods, for leading me down this path. :)
This weekend is going to get crazy. We are all so comfortable in our roles now, all 3 nights are really going to rock the theatre. I am so happy that we have been able to impact so many people with our performances. Several people have returned to see our show multiple times, and everyone I've spoken to who's seen it can't stop raving about how influenced they were. Bare is a touching story. It has a beautiful message of love and acceptance that I think we all should revel in.
I am a Pisces.
I was once a cat.
Pasta with a red-meat sauce is my favorite dish.
Froyo has been the most visited place on my bank statement this month.
I am optimistic.
I kiss far better than I cook.
And those purple leggings are the most comfortable costume piece ever. :)
Love life and everything in it. <3
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