Don't Want To Give It Away, But . . .

 

SCAPINO - 1976. That's me on the dock

There's quite a thrill involved when you do sonething you love and get paid for it.  I spent 21 years as a Touring Professional Actor/Director. Meaning I got paid for performing and sharing my craft. Then, after moving to Spokane, spent about 10 more years as a Working Actor.  After being able to put food on my table by indulging in a profession I adore, I must say it's difficult to "give it away".  Opportunities to work professionally in this area are few and far between, but the draw of the stage remains strong. 

So now comes the difficult question -- I want to get back on stage, but I don't want to jump into just ANY production. Especially since I would be donating my time and talents to do so.

I often ask other actors to name a play they've done and would NEVER want to do again. For me, that was the musical A WONDERFUL LIFE.  I thought the script needed a LOT of work, even though playing Clarence was enjoyable.  Then, 15 years later, I was giventhe opportunity to do the show again - but this time I was getting a hefty paycheck for my efforts.  Did I put my opinions aside for the sake of income???

Yes, I took the job

A good friend (PT) has said acting is the Second Oldest Profession. You are told "Be at this place at this time, here's what you'll wear, and when you're done the money will be on the dresser" (actually the check will be with your agent, but still) But I digress . . . 

So, do I take whatever roles are available just to feed my habit, or do I exercise discretion and select projects I really WANT to do and suffer the consequences? (see previous post about the Project That Never Came About - "A Mild Rant")  To quote one of my least favorite playwrights -- "There's The Rub"

Until next time.

Looking Back on 2019 - Part 4 (It Was A Beast Of A Run, But A Beauty Of An Experience)

                       The Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - June 20 - August 10, 2019

Ya gotta love professional theater.  We put this show together in about 2 weeks - from first read through to opening night.  We then ran it for almost 2 months, doing (on average) 2 performances on Wednesday, 2 on Thursday, 1 on Friday, 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.  And on Monday, we collapsed.

The saving grace was the cast - a wonderful group of folks.  I'd worked with some of them before, but many were new acquaintances.

The resolve and strength of the cast was put to the test as illness and injury hit us.  Our Belle was out for a few performances (and her understudy did a fantastic job!) as well as a few of the Company at various times.  But the cast pulled together and made it work every night.

LeFou is sent into the woods

Sometimes when a show is done, you might "borrow" a prop or costume piece as a souvenir.  There was one prop I REALLY wanted to take, but it wouldn't fit in my suitcase.

Maurice's Invention - and it really worked

Belle and her Papa

The behind the scenes stories are many and wild -- Birthday parties, BBQs, road trips, lunch outings, too much to go into here! (ask me later)  But it was a joyful experience, one of those shows that was hard to leave behind.  I still cherish the relationships that were built and strenghtened during this run.  

Blessings to you all!

Memory Lane Is In My Ears And In My Eyes

I started this, and by golly I'm going to see it through to the end!  

Another full year of work - and all but 1 was a paying gig.

One  more to go!