In This Summer Air
So I guess I will start off this day of posts with an explaination of my summer theatrical exploits. First off, I was in Saskatoon Summer Players production of Seussical the Musical. Then I was in Single and Sexy (later renamed to The Real World: University of Saskatchewan, much to the dismay of the cast) which was performed at the first day of Orientation.
So, Seussical. I had already done Seussical when I auditioned for it, and I was very nervous. I knew one person who was auditioning and mostly I am not comfortable with my own singing voice. I practiced like mad. I got a friend who played Gertrude (the female lead) in my high school's production of it to send me the sheet music for the audition song (Notice Me Horton) and I borrowed my roomate's keyboard. I have no idea how to play piano. I labelled the keys and highlighted all the notes that were the same, it looked ridiculous, but it worked. Anyway, I got a part in the chorus, which I was GLAD to accept.
Into the rehearsal process now, pain in the ass. We moved three times and it was so confusing. I had so much trouble picking up on choreography because I missed the first few rehearsals. I was also having trouble not singing when it wasn't my part. In my first run of the show, I was a bird girl and I couldn't stop singing thier parts, it was kind of embarrassing, but I did it absent mindedly. Anyway, as much as I felt like we weren't ready for the show, we got through it. Despite... interupptions.
Now, I work(ed) in a kitchen during the run and I have a severe and annoying allergy to cilantro (AKA corriander). During the first Saturday show, the cooks made a cilantro covered chicken and a curry soup (curry powder includes ground coriander). I can't touch it OR eat it. I swore I was so careful, but I must have eaten it because I got so sick and spent lots of numbers in the bathroom. I missed lots of numbers too. It was awful.
All in all I would say it was an enjoyable experience and I made so many new friends. <3
On to Single and Sexy now. This is going to sound super lame, but the casting story makes me happy. When I went to Orientation in my first year and saw this play, I almost died laughing. My Seager friends and I referenced it all year, quoting and whatnot. When I auditioned for it I was so excited, I wanted to be a part of it so bad. It was weeks before the director got in touch with anybody and he had all the roles cast but one. Now, this one couldn't be decided upon and it was a female role. I wanted it so bad.
I recieved an email from the director and he voiced his casting woes. His associate in casting, the old victim advocate, did not want to cast me in the last role. But he did. The reasoning for not casting me was that on my audition sheet, I said I was not comfortable with homosexuality. But between the time of auditioning and this email, I had had some sort of brain wave and completley accepted homosexuality; my religious convictions were holding me back but when I relized that God loves homosexuals as much as the most religious, I had to end my dislike for them. It's sort of complicated, but it happened. I remember the day I marched into the Pride Centre and delcared an end to my tyranny and discrimination of homosexuals and got my ally button. Anyway, I told the director my long winded story and I was cast! As soon as he told me, I started crying. That's the lame part. I love this play so much and to be cast was amazing.
The rehearsal process started sometime in early summer with a few table reads, and then nothing until a very intensive August. There's really nothing to say about it, it was rehearsing. It was angering when people didn't know their shit, it was embarassing when I didn't know my shit. Jokes were made, friendships were built. Which I was so happy for. I was working with some truly amazing actors and people who I look up to a lot. I am pleased that I got to work with them once before they graduated.
Show day came and I felt like shit. I don't think I was nervous, until about two seconds before I went on. Haha. But we did it, and it was awesome. The audience ate it up and laughed and cried (on the inside). It was so much fun. I wish we could do it again, even though we all kept saying it was lame and whatnot.
I am really enjoying the 'fame' that is coming as a result of the show. Well, at least I am famous amonst the first years. When I was walking home after the show people kept telling me it was awesome. I was on campus last night and when I was leaving around 10:30, a few people were like "HEY YOU! Were you in the show at orientation?" Of course I responded yes and they started cheering and shouting that it was awesome and hilarious.
I hope I get a chance to do the show again next year and maybe one year direct it. Don't make fun of my dreams.
So I guess I will start off this day of posts with an explaination of my summer theatrical exploits. First off, I was in Saskatoon Summer Players production of Seussical the Musical. Then I was in Single and Sexy (later renamed to The Real World: University of Saskatchewan, much to the dismay of the cast) which was performed at the first day of Orientation.
So, Seussical. I had already done Seussical when I auditioned for it, and I was very nervous. I knew one person who was auditioning and mostly I am not comfortable with my own singing voice. I practiced like mad. I got a friend who played Gertrude (the female lead) in my high school's production of it to send me the sheet music for the audition song (Notice Me Horton) and I borrowed my roomate's keyboard. I have no idea how to play piano. I labelled the keys and highlighted all the notes that were the same, it looked ridiculous, but it worked. Anyway, I got a part in the chorus, which I was GLAD to accept.
Into the rehearsal process now, pain in the ass. We moved three times and it was so confusing. I had so much trouble picking up on choreography because I missed the first few rehearsals. I was also having trouble not singing when it wasn't my part. In my first run of the show, I was a bird girl and I couldn't stop singing thier parts, it was kind of embarrassing, but I did it absent mindedly. Anyway, as much as I felt like we weren't ready for the show, we got through it. Despite... interupptions.
Now, I work(ed) in a kitchen during the run and I have a severe and annoying allergy to cilantro (AKA corriander). During the first Saturday show, the cooks made a cilantro covered chicken and a curry soup (curry powder includes ground coriander). I can't touch it OR eat it. I swore I was so careful, but I must have eaten it because I got so sick and spent lots of numbers in the bathroom. I missed lots of numbers too. It was awful.
All in all I would say it was an enjoyable experience and I made so many new friends. <3
On to Single and Sexy now. This is going to sound super lame, but the casting story makes me happy. When I went to Orientation in my first year and saw this play, I almost died laughing. My Seager friends and I referenced it all year, quoting and whatnot. When I auditioned for it I was so excited, I wanted to be a part of it so bad. It was weeks before the director got in touch with anybody and he had all the roles cast but one. Now, this one couldn't be decided upon and it was a female role. I wanted it so bad.
I recieved an email from the director and he voiced his casting woes. His associate in casting, the old victim advocate, did not want to cast me in the last role. But he did. The reasoning for not casting me was that on my audition sheet, I said I was not comfortable with homosexuality. But between the time of auditioning and this email, I had had some sort of brain wave and completley accepted homosexuality; my religious convictions were holding me back but when I relized that God loves homosexuals as much as the most religious, I had to end my dislike for them. It's sort of complicated, but it happened. I remember the day I marched into the Pride Centre and delcared an end to my tyranny and discrimination of homosexuals and got my ally button. Anyway, I told the director my long winded story and I was cast! As soon as he told me, I started crying. That's the lame part. I love this play so much and to be cast was amazing.
The rehearsal process started sometime in early summer with a few table reads, and then nothing until a very intensive August. There's really nothing to say about it, it was rehearsing. It was angering when people didn't know their shit, it was embarassing when I didn't know my shit. Jokes were made, friendships were built. Which I was so happy for. I was working with some truly amazing actors and people who I look up to a lot. I am pleased that I got to work with them once before they graduated.
Show day came and I felt like shit. I don't think I was nervous, until about two seconds before I went on. Haha. But we did it, and it was awesome. The audience ate it up and laughed and cried (on the inside). It was so much fun. I wish we could do it again, even though we all kept saying it was lame and whatnot.
I am really enjoying the 'fame' that is coming as a result of the show. Well, at least I am famous amonst the first years. When I was walking home after the show people kept telling me it was awesome. I was on campus last night and when I was leaving around 10:30, a few people were like "HEY YOU! Were you in the show at orientation?" Of course I responded yes and they started cheering and shouting that it was awesome and hilarious.
I hope I get a chance to do the show again next year and maybe one year direct it. Don't make fun of my dreams.
posted by Jennifer at 9:17 PM
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