Facing Edith on the Page
Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 04:58 PM
Rereading the script of Edith last night, I started getting really excited about the chance to tackle it again. There were three particular sections that I never felt like I fully "got". The director and the audience seemed to like them, but I always had that nagging feeling that I was just playing an arbitrary choice - I was not convinced inside that it was the "right" choice.

Of course, whatever choice you make, you must commit 100%. That will carry you through a lot. But that voice, the inner truthteller, what my first acting teacher used to call "the little dickey bird on your shoulder", knew it wasn't quite right.

How do you know the "right" choice, anyway? For me, it's an inner sensation, like a taste or a smell. A feeling of solidity, a conviction.

So now I hope that coming back to the script with fresh eyes, I'll be convinced of my choices in those trouble spots.

And I'll let you know how it goes.



[ add comment ]   |  [ 541 trackbacks ]   |  permalink
New Website Design Live!
Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 04:52 PM
Well, this is it. Today the redesign on my website goes up. I think it's gorgeous (possibly because I did it mostly myself).

If you have any trouble using the links or viewing any of the media, please drop me an email!

[ add comment ]   |  [ 271 trackbacks ]   |  permalink
Welcome!
Monday, January 24, 2005, 06:04 PM
As part of my new website redesign, I'm going live with my Blog! Oh, the pressure!

Two pieces of juicy news today - Stone Soup is having its first table reading on Wednesday - real live actors are going to read my words! Now, I finally get to hear what it sounds like outside my head. The reading is by the Threads New Works Development Series, and they're going to keep working with me as the script develops.

It's really different writing and knowing people are waiting for your results - concrete. Daunting. Liberating.

Let's hope the next round of feedback is as useful as the last. All the info about the Series is at FaithandWork.org .

Next big news is that I get to reprise Edith Stein next month! Okay, let's break that down:

I get do do Edith again, and get paid for it - YAY!

It's in 4 weeks - SAY WHAT?

Yep, the producer was going to go non-union this time, but something happened in the casting, and now they're bringing me back in. Most of the lovely and amazing cast is returning, and we're performing at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College in Boston. All the info about performance times, etc. is listed on the website for the .Rogers Center. It's on February 17th.

I loved playing Edith the first time, but it's so draining - I think it took me the better part of 9 months to get over it. Kind of like mono.

In case you're not familiar with the play, Edith Stein was an atheist philosopher who became a Carmelite nun. On top of that, she was born & raised Jewish, so converting meant breaking with her entire family - her mother never saw or wrote to her again after she went to the convent. On top of that, she lived through the rise of Nazism, saw most of her family decimated, and was killed at Auschwitz.

Tears. Lots and lots of tears. I was constantly dehydrated. But the play rocks - people really love it. Here's an awesome review from the first production: Review Page.

The main purpse of this blog is a production journal and reference for myself, to record and learn more about my process as an actress and as a writer. Hopefully, it's helpful to others, too. If you have any insights, questions, or helpful feedback, please do leave a comment.

Lines. Gotta go study lines.

[ add comment ]   |  [ 381 trackbacks ]   |  permalink

Back