By Some of you may know, but I am an actress ‘wanna be’. I’m not professional. I’m not a card carrying member of Equity. I didn’t go participate in the recent strike. I am an amateur/volunteer actress. I love singing, acting and dancing – these activities make me happy. I started to apply a ‘even though I’m not necessarily talented’ but I stopped myself because I don’t want to put an asterisk or caveat or condition on that sentence. One thing life has taught me is that it isn’t always about being the best or the most talented, it’s about being vulnerable and doing something you love.
Anyway, my theater fun has led me to roles in Germany (at Stage 13 in Erlangen). At Macon Little Theater, I sometimes had speaking parts, sometimes I sat squarely in the ensemble. I continued the theatrics at Playmaker’s theatre in Covington Louisiana. Finally I landed back in Roswell and joined in some productions at Roswell’s Acting UP theater (most recently as a Nun and some other fun ensemble work within the Sound of Music).
While the stars of the shows have the most lines to learn and can make or break productions, let me give a shout out to those of us who are in the ensemble, as I believe these are the true lovers of theater. Let me tell you, there’s not a lot of glory playing ‘Woman on the Dock’ in Yankee Doodle Dandy. Ensemble members are unsung heroes. They have to be most rehearsals and are often/always recruited to move props, change sets, act as dressers, and basically do whatever it takes to keep the production going.
So why do it? I love creating something from nothing. At the beginning: the stage is blank, no one knows their lines or where they’re supposed to stand and when. And then…after rehearsals, and blood, sweat and tears (and prayers) – boom – it is opening night and you along with the entire cast (and the director and the musicians and the sound and light crew) have created something beautiful. Not perfect. Each night it can be different. Each night there are curtain calls and the audience applauds. Or a joke is told and you hear the ripple of laughter.
And that’s show biz folks!
