Three Blog Entries #2: Waiting Around Backstage

I suppose I ought to check in soon and see where we're at in the show, so I can go out for curtain call, during which I have more stage time than my whole part! I have to say, it is hard having such a teensy part. And not out of any need to BE A BIG STAR or anything like that, but because I really enjoy acting, and there's really not enough of it for me in this play. Even if I had one meaty scene, that would be fine. But just a few lines without much to do other than get the information across quickly and truthfully...it makes me miss getting to really dig in and be present with another actor. It was especially poignant during the eSe fundraiser the other night - I was reading a love poem with another woman - she read in spanish and I read in english, and we did it as though we were reading the poem to each other. Midway through, I realized they had just voted for same-sex marriage here in Washington State just one day before, and that somehow hit me and reading through the rest of the poem with that in mind bumped the stakes up that much more! The audience cheered when we were done.

Here for this show, I'm just onstage and out, delivering a message. There's not enough meaty in there for me, and way too much time sitting on a cold floor in the wings, walking around the corner to get on and offstage, and hanging around backstage. Argh. I don't think I ever need to do another tiny role like this again - though the director said some very lovely things in the opening night card she gave me tonight, and everyone in the cast has just been lovely to work with, a REALLY GREAT group - there's just not enough acting in here - don't feel like I really get to flex my muscles. I guess it's a great exercise in humility.