2010- Year in Review

It's hard to believe that it's the last day of 2010. This has been a wonderful and incredibly challenging year for me as an artist, as a friend, as a wife and as a human being in general. I've learned and experienced a lot and, barring any incidents today/tonight (knock on wood!), it's been a year without loss of anyone in my family! Woo hooo!!!

So, let's recap the year, shall we?? It was a LOT less insane than 2009 was, that's for sure! I don't think I could have handled another year like that, and I certainly would be divorced by now if I'd tried.

January: Show Boat in Concert

Role: Ensemble

Company: Lyric Stage
Read the Review

Read my Recap

May: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Role: Muriel Eubanks
Company: Music Theatre of Denton
Read the Review
Read Another Review
Read my Recap

June: Encore III –The Divas!
Role: Director and Performer
Company: Denton Community Theatre
Read my Recap

August: The Producers!
Role: Ulla
Company: Denton Community Theatre
Read the Review
Read my Recap

I'd say that was a much more manageable year, wouldn't you?? I also kept most of my sanity this time and was able to focus on some Very Important Things such as my very best friend in the whole world getting married:

...and walking 60 miles in the Dallas 3-Day Walk for the Cure:

I also wrote the following reviews for John Garica's The Column before I resigned from that post:

Women and Wallace at Sundown Collaborative Theatre

Tuna Does Vegas at Casa Manana

24 Hours of Love at MBS Productions

La Llorona at Amphibian Stage Productions

Getting Sara Married at Runway Theatre

Again, not nearly as busy a year for me. Last year I wrote 11 reviews! So, 2010 was definitely a lot less insane, but because of that, it was also a lot more fulfilling. The projects I did meant so much to me and they are so special to me (not to take anything away from the wonderful experiences I had in 2009 of course) because I was able to take the time over this recent 4 month break and really reflect on them as landmarks in this year. Rather than a blur of images that I have from 2009, each show I did in 2010 stands out clearly.

I also went through some very major physical changes this year that have boosted my confidence so much that I enjoyed that time onstage so much more because I felt better about myself and I was able to do more and have more energy than I have in previous shows.

2010 was also the year that I had a spiritual re-awakening that caused me to even question what I should be doing artistically. I still don't know...in case you were wondering.

However, I do know that I've learned a lot about what I need to focus on (God, family, work) and that I am going to be a lot choosier about shows; picking of projects are going to mean the most to me and challenge me as a performer.

I'd really like to work with some different theatre companies in 2010 and add a non-musical or two to my resume. I've been to four non-musical auditions in the past two months (though I sang at 2 of them, funny enough) and I have already learned so much about what I need to do to improve. I haven't been blogging about these auditions because...well, I'm a little superstitious and don't ever want to jinx them and also...because I know that these auditions aren't always going to result in a role and I don't want to just blog about each audition/possible rejection. That's just boring, so I'll just save that kind of talk for my husband and close friends. You're welcome!

Finally...I've been hesitating about writing this next part for a few days now, actually, but I really feel like I want to share the biggest artistic discovery I've made this year. I am well aware that this is my own personal opinion, and you should treat it as such.

It really does not matter "who you know" as much as people think it does. "Networking" will only take you so far if you don't have the talent and the work ethic to back up all your "connections in the business."

No, that doesn't mean that meeting people in the field isn't important. No, that doesn't mean that you can just say or do anything you want because you don't care whom you offend. It's very important to meet other people in the biz because they are your future colleagues. But it's just more important, I feel, to show those colleagues that you deserve to be there because you are talented and you work hard and your behavior is above reproach. I've grown so weary of all the fake friendships and the walking on eggshells that so many people do around people who do not matter in the grand scheme of things.

In a nutshell: Don't burn bridges...but also don't worry about the ones that lead nowhere. Consider if the bridge you're working so hard to build and maintain is worth the effort and energy. Don't spend so much time looking at what's on the other side of that bridge that you are completely disregarding all the awesome things that are right next to you.

Is the bridge metaphor getting confusing? I'll be clearer: don't say no to projects because you're afraid of what other people will think -- if it's going to challenge and fulfill you artistically: do it. Don't spend hours and days and pieces of your soul keeping people happy who wouldn't do the same for you if it were asked of them, and especially don't do that if it means you're missing completely awesome friendships and relationships that are right in front of your face and so much easier to maintain.

Okay, I'm officially getting off my soap box now! Cheers to an incredible 2010, and here's to an amazing 2011!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Divas: Directorial Post-Mortem

The Divas singing their fabulous hearts out on "I'm a Woman" - the opening number!

Director Diva with her music and Blackberry saying "Can we get a follow spot here?"

Last weekend, I made my directorial debut. No, I didn't premiere a huge tap musical to sold out audiences for a four-week run. It was a much smaller scale than that, but still a very worthwhile experience from which I learned a lot.

Every summer, Denton Community Theatre puts on a summer fundraiser. For the past six years-ish, it's been a musical revue of sorts. For three years, it was called Bravo for Broadway, and it was an invitation-only concert of new and old Broadway songs performed by some of the local favorites. The next three years (including this year), it was called Encore! and featured local actors reprising songs they sang within the context of the shows when they were performed as mainstage productions.

For the summer 2010 version of Encore, we decided to celebrate all of the gloriously talented women our little town has had to offer over the past decades. I was asked to come on board for two reasons. One was because I'd had an idea to do a similar One for Mahler performance as a fundraiser for Anna's and my Susan G. Komen 3-Day minimum fundraising goal, so the seeds of a "divas" concert were already growing in my head. Secondly, the managing director of DCT was asked to direct it, and he had also never directed a show before. Apparently he valued my opinions and knowledge enough to ask me to come on board and head up this process (as well as perform in the production) and, after some thought, I graciously accepted.

We met a few times, compiled a list of women we'd love to see come and perform, sent out the emails, gathered up all the "yes!" answers, found a production team, and Encore III: The Divas! was born. Act I was to be comprised of songs from any show that DCT has produced in it's 40-year history, as well as a song from each of the 3 musicals in it's upcoming 41st season (in order to keep up the "encore" theme), performed by ladies in the cast. Act II was when we let the Divas pick their own song...something they could really cut loose and wail on.

The thing about the summer fundraiser that makes it so difficult is that there is very little preparation time. Mike and I, along with our musical and technical design team, met several times in the months leading up to June 21st, but we only had one week of actual rehearsal in the performance space to put together a beautiful, seamless production.

At the end of the day, we definitely succeeded. I am still getting emails and Facebook messages about how much people enjoyed watching, performing in, and working backstage for this production. I know I enjoyed being a part of the ROCKING group number to start each show ("I'm a Woman" from Smokey Joe's Café) as well as singing my two solos ("Moonfall" from The Mystery of Edwin Drood in Act I and "Spark of Creation" from Children of Eden in Act II) and working with some incredibly talented women.

However, I won't be lining up to direct a show again any time soon, I don't think.

At the risk of sounding incredibly arrogant, I will say that I think I did a pretty bang-up job, overall. I had some good ideas, learned how to wrangle a group of people and face LOTS of different ideas, opinions, attitudes, and the ever-present "too many cooks" problem with grace and professionalism...mostly. Okay, I did lose my temper once, but nobody's perfect, right? RIGHT?! :) I was treated with respect by people who suddenly had to have me as a director when they were a peer/castmate only weeks before. I was humbled by the gratitude and sweetness of the performers, overall. It was in no way a negative experience.

I am very tired now, though, and just ready for a great big vacation from the theatre. Having to balance all the production emails, cast member emails, organization and planning with the responsibilities of my day job, learn my OWN music/lyrics, and still remember that as soon as it was over I had to go back to another rehearsal process for my next project was just too much. Being at the theatre until 1am and back up at 7:30 for work the next day. Having to eat a quick, unhealthy dinner (or no dinner sometimes) and skip the gym so I could be at the theatre to run through some logistics before the actors arrived. Too. Much.

I've started to associate the theatre -- my second home, the place I love and the venue in which I can express myself artistically on a fairly regular basis -- with stress and exhaustion. Booo. I'm fairly sure that this is going to be VERY short-lived, but it definitely could not have come at a better time. Next week I will be on vacation from all things work and rehearsal, and I think I desperately need it.

I feel like this is coming across as negative and/or ungrateful for the opportunity, and that is VERY MUCH NOT the case at all. I had a really great experience, and I gained a lot of respect for my past and current directors, musical directors, vocal coaches, and designers since I had to fill all of those shoes in at least a tiny way throughout this process. That knowledge and respect of what all they do is invaluable to me now, and will change the way I behave and act as a performer from now on. I also got to sing some KICK. ASS. SONGS with some incredibly talented women.

But for now? Just give me my blocking and my notes and I'll quietly write them in my script and say "thank you." :) I'm ready to go back to just being a performer!