Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind, yet Out of My Mind

Well, rehearsals have started for both 'Macbeth' and 'Proof' and I am running ragged to New Jersey.  Nothing wrong with Jersey, per se — okay, lots wrong with Jersey — it's just the driving home for over an hour when you've had 14 hours of rehearsal.  Exhaustion. I haven't had the energy to blog, for which I hope you will all kindly forgive me.

I should not be complaining at all though, because I am the luckiest dog in the galaxy.  Both shows have excellent casts and astute directors, and being an overworked actor, as we all know, is a rare and wonderful affliction.

'Macbeth' has proceeded through its "table work" — the part of the process when you sit around a table reading and discussing the text, agreeing on meanings, pronunciations, themes, characters, etc.  This coming weekend we proceed to rough the blocking, i.e., where everyone should be standing and moving in the scenes, and generally figuring how not to bump into the furniture.  The rest of the cast have started fight rehearsals, of which I am not part, since Lady M does not get to wield a sword.  I know!  Ah, well.  I've worked with fencing rapiers before, but never with a broadsword, so that would have been sweet.  As for Lady M, I love her.  I am relishing every word.   Shakespeare really went out of his way to give her some really tasty words and such visceral lines, such powerful emotions and motivations.  I must have done something good in the past for the universe to grant me the opportunity to inhabit her for a while.

'Proof' has just finished table work as well and we move to blocking tomorrow night.  The play has a four-person cast and it could not be stronger — everyone is talented, skilled, and intelligent both in the sense of intellectual acumen and emotional intelligence.  The work is invigorating and challenging.  The text of the play is superbly written from the aspects of plot, character, and fluency of the dialogue — our challenge as actors for this one is being able to stay real, not to do too much 'acting'.  The author, David Auburn, has an impeccable ear for speech and his lines read as if you were looking in on people having real conversations and real arguments.  It will take a lot of emotional finesse and honesty to do it justice — the audience has to believe they are looking in on real people, forgetting they are in a theatre, as much as is possible within the medium.  I think with the cast and director we have, this is an attainable goal.

Tomorrow, or rather today I guess, I have a photoshoot for new headshots.  I can't use the screaming blonde ones and I intend to stay brunette for now at least.  As fate would have it, however, my body has decided that we need to revisit puberty, and I am sporting several hideously disfiguring zits.  No, I'm not exaggerating — these are not cute little reddish 'pimples' but modern relatives of buboes from the Black Death era.  All I'm missing are angry villagers chasing me with pitchforks and torches, else the trolldom is complete.  I sure hope he does airbrushing — the last set were not retouched at all, but one would think a pro would know what to do.  Ha!  If not, I will take my Princess Leia shot to Walmart and have them print me those for headshots, tee hee!

Ariel had her surgery last Thursday and is doing well.  She's wearing her Elizabethan collar, because she tried ripping her stomach open a few nights ago, and she looks like the RCA doggie with her own satellite dish.  Quite adorable she is, too.

Well, I must to bed. Maybe with the help of Clearasil, some fabulous miracle will take place, and I will wake up with flawless, radiant skin.  Ha, yeah, right!  I do profess to be a dreamer, but I'm not THAT deluded to actually believe it!

Goodnight munchkins.  Thinking of you with love.

Katja, when are you coming? Saw the perfect new Converse sneakers for you.