The Happy Reprise

It’s 11:23 am. I am currently sitting on a metro after what has already been an exhilaratingly exhausting day.

Last week I auditioned for a scholarship for my school. The auditors were non-AU faculty and one happened to be the artistic director for Olney Theater in Maryland. Olney Theater is currently auditioning for Sound of Music. I felt good about my audition and thought I had a chance at the money but certainly was not expecting the phone call I received the next day to come in and read for the part of Liesl in The Sound of Music. This would be my second professional call back I have had in DC so far. (The first was for Rapunzel in Raunzel the Musical of course…the whole thing was funny…I didn’t get it… and that was just fine with me) I called Sam right away and he told me HE got a call to come in and read for Rolf or whatever that Nazi lovin boyfriend’s name is. So we prepared some 16 bars of Rogers and Hammerstein and drove forever away to Olney Theater.

It’s a funny life, this whole actor’s life thing. I spent all day yesterday worrying about that audition. I ran home to get my hair fixed, dressed, and all made up. We drove for about an hour and ran into the theater. All this for literally a 10 second audition. “Hi. I’m Angela. Hello Young Lovers bla bla bla bla. See Ya.” They said they’d let us know that night about MORE callbacks…jeesh

I went to acapella. Sang with instruments. (sidenote Treble in Paradise is sounding BOMB lately) As I was singing in harmony I got a message that I was called back not Leisl but for the nuns and…MARIA! Woah! I was definitely one of the youngest women there yesterday so this came as quite a surprise. I called to set up an appointment. The mass nun call was 10 am this morning…let me reiterate that Olney, MD is in the middle of nowhere. However, I was not expecting the hassle.

My form(s) of transportation unfolded as so:
*Woke up at 8

*Called a cab at 8:30

*By 8:55 still no cab.

*Went back upstairs, got an umbrella, walked out to Mass Ave to hail a cab. In the rain

*Got a cab

*Got in the cab in just enough time for the cab driver to tell me that it would be impossible to get to Olney at this time. Wonderful
*He drove me to the metro stop….which took lightyears longer than it should have. I paid him 9 friggin dollars and got on the metro. It’s about 9:20 at this point. I have 45 minutes to get there..Unlikely.

*Got on the metro and took it 19 stops. It was a 35 minute ride. As I went further into Maryland, less and less people were surrounding me. By the time I had about 4 stops to go, there were 2. Me and homeless friend. I didn’t get a chance to warn him but I desperately needed to warm up in order to sing this Canticle nunsense, so I give him a bit of a concert. He didn’t once applaud.

*I got off the Metro around 10 and was able to call the Theater to let them know I would be late. I still needed to take a 15 minutes cab to this godforsaken land of Olney. As I run out of the metro, I can’t exit because I am short all but 5 cents on my metro card. I go back to the exit fare to put in a nickel and as I open my wallet, I drop it and of course literally everything falls out. I got on my hands and knees in my audition attire and picked it up as the lovely people of Maryland walked by. I left most of the change hoping that someone who needs it will find it.

*I got in the cab and drove. I was watching the 50 cents on the metro go off literally every second. A 15 minute ride was 20 bucks! Whatever.

Ok. I made it to the theater alive, ran up the stairs and tried desperately to learn these nun harmonies. My voice teacher happened to be there, called back for the same thing, so she helped quite a bit. When I went in, everything went swimmingly. The audition gods shined all their light on me and I gave a fun audition. They confirmed that they would be seeing me for Maria tomorrow and then throw one more call back on me. They want me to read for the Baroness as well!
All in all, I realize I have no room for complaints. Keep me in your thoughts tomorrow as I give my best Julie Andrews impression at 11:30 am! (I’m leaving at like 9, don’t worry)

So this is cool because I am pretty sure anyone who potentially read my blog before definitely gave up on me. If you happen to read this…be easy on me. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve written like this.

I’ve been wanted to start my blog again for months now but I had not a clue what to write about. I certainly could not just catch everybody up on the past 6 months of my life. Believe me..you don’t want to know. Since summer insanity happened. Literally I not only closed and opened a new chapter of my life…I think I started a whole new book. I’m living in a new place, surrounded by new people, and the biggest of all changes dating someone different. Although this post is not going to be about that or him, know that things are wonderful. I’m not sure who or what I have to thank for this but this entire semester has been wonderful. This is 100% the longest I have gone as a college student without getting sick (knock of got-damn wood). Literally not even a COLD! Most impressive is not only me not getting sick during the run of the show I was in Company, BUT I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A MENTAL BREAK DOWN DURING IT! I’m exercising, eating healthily, getting my school work down, and living happily. Things are looking up.

So why today? Why decide to pick up the Happy Reprise for just that, a happy reprise? A couple of things. The new fellow in my life was inspired lately by his Stage Design class and decided to keep a personal journal that recalled the events of the day. I want to read it! But I realize…curiosity killed the cat. Hearing him enjoy his journal so made me miss me wee ol’ blog. Which led me to read my old entries. Each entry entertained me so much! I’m pretty funny! And a little sad even! However, most recently the tip of inspiration iceberg, was sitting as an audience member at Arena Stage’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. God. Good.

This is the text message I sent to my brother when I walked out of the theater:
“That may have been the most powerful art form I’ve ever seen. I think I have not only reaffirmed why you and I both do theater but why it’s so important to humankind.”

It’s taken a day to digest this play. I am not going to get in to the nitty gritty about because honestly, everyone just needs to go see it, but it effected me in a very interesting way. It got to the point that I was upset that other people were in the theater with me. I was so engaged and involved with this characters that I myself even felt like I was intruding in their lives. I didn’t want anyone else. I wanted to be the only one hearing this story. When the show ended I didn’t want to talk about it with my friends but I couldn’t even articulate my feelings yet. I realized that it wasn’t just the story that affected me. It was the people telling the story and what they did in order to move me. I get so caught up and upset with how selfish acting can be sometime, but those actors were able to move me to a point now that I want to change the way I am approaching things. I know I want to perform. I feel best singing and acting for people. But whenever I think about performing as a way of life…something isn’t complete. There’s a part of this situation that is missing. I can definitely pinpoint that the thing that is missing is the ability to give back or do something for others, make a change for someone. I realized last night that this change doesn’t need to be something life-altering or even tangible. Like I’ve said already I am satisfied with everything in my life right now. I wasn’t going to theater looking for a glimpse of hope or help in a decision or guidance. But I got it all. Those actors changed me and I haven’t fully figured out how yet but this is where I’m out. The importance of creative art and performance as a form of therapy should NEVER be ignored. It could be, in my opinion, the healthiest form of expression that we have. We need it. We all need it. So let’s use it. I want to research and involve myself in theater for change. If that means talking to Jamie Johnson and learning more about drama therapy, or collaborating with my insanely intelligent professor and work with music therapists, I will. I know I want to perform on a stage but if I can help people and impact lives in the meantime, that’d be wonderfully cool. And in my entire acting career, if I can move one person through my performance the way I was moved last night, I will be totally satisfied.

At the start of the semester, I dedicated my focus to a goal self titled Operation Get Famous. Now I think I need to shift a little to Operation Make a Difference…even if it’s for me.

I’ll keep you updated.

Its’ good to be back…