Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

I am once again in rehearsal for an amazing show. And something ocurred to me. The last few musicals I have been in, with the exception of new work, there has been no table read. Day 1 of rehersal begins with learning music and Day 2 is movement or dance, and Day 3 begins staging. The only problem is the characters are being developed on the fly. The words and lyrics are coming together, but at the start they are missing some depth because the actors did not bond through a table read. For those who are not in the business, a table read is when the actors sit around with the creative team and read through the lines and lyrics without music or commentary. It allows for individuals to hear what is being said and begin to create cerebral relationships. This is imperative in a musical because actors are given the responsibility to tell a story through words, lyrics, and dance. Some light and funny scripts create 2-dimensional characters on the page. But, the table read and a conversation ...

The last 2 days have reminded me of the beauty of storytelling that can be found in the pages of scripts and lyrics. I have been surrounded by fresh stories that are not related to budget cuts, poor decisions at the School District of Philadelphia, or the creativity that is being ripped from our classrooms as a result of standardized testing. I have been reminded in a beautiful home filled with textile and visual art that creative energy is the best energy to be around. I had almost forgot about emotional arcs and finding personal connections with spoken word. The ability to make sweet harmonies with a variety of amazing voices. And the inherent beauty in lyrics expressing the silence between scenes. Yes! I have missed this for the past few months and I am excited to be back and I cannot wait until tomorrow. As an aside, imagine if all of our children and more adults experienced more moments like this for the rest of their lives.

As artists, we are always improving and reinventing what we want our artistic life to look like. At times we are faced with obstacles that may appear overwhelming or we lose confidence that we are on the right path. The power of being an artist is that we are very accustomed to keeping it moving no matter what. This is what makes us working artists. There are those that claim to be artists but they are really dreamers who continue to be afraid to get up off of the coach or afraid to face any of their weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Or even worse, they sit there attempting to invite you to their personal pity party with insults and negative comments. This 2014 message is not for them. This is for those of us that are always working towards making each year better than the last. The select few who at times make $15,000 per year look and feel like $100,000. I plan on attending even more auditions, creating more artistic opportunities locally and regionally, and living my dream ...