Monthly Archives: April 2012

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Sometimes We Smell

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Happy Saturday!  Tonight will be the third run of our show Midsummer Nights Dream.  Instead of boring you with news about all the wonderful “oooooohs and ahhhhhhhs” we got for our preview shows, I am gonna give you a few behind the scene details that made me chuckle and doubt if things were gonna be pulled off in time for opening night.  First things first….we lost our set designer the day before we opened and the stage was left in a sad, weeping, naked and vulnerable state.  If you could picture in your head three plain black walls with two benches and that’s it, then you probably understand why were a little shocked.  Within moments of our director telling us the bad news, our amazing costume director swooped in like a super hero and offered to help out.  In doing so, he created a beautiful forest with draping trees and a visual world for the actors to run through.  (problem 1)  Then we ran into an issue for me and the other fairy dancers that the stage and new platforms created a challenge since the rehearsal space we had been practicing in was quite different and we didn’t account that we were going to be dancing on a 6×6 ft raised box.  We had one fairy down but she bravely got back up and into the game.  Thank goodness it was only during a rehearsal and she wasn’t badly hurt.  (problem 2)  Some of the male characters were given boots as part of their costume and boy did they create a whirlwind, literally.  Those boots were so new that when the men ran across stage they each ended up either on their asses or gliding around stage with flailing arms like a terrible ice skater.  (problem 3)  I don’t know what it is about someone tripping or accidentally falling (with no injuries of course) that makes me giggle.  That’s actually how I made one of my best friends years ago.  I had just started working at the Barnes and Noble Cafe and one of our closing tasks was to mop the floors.  Me and Alana* were almost finished when all of a sudden I saw her slip, fall, and then slide into a bunch of garbage cans as if she were the bowling ball and the cans were the pins.  I could not contain my laughter and finally managed to spit out an “are you ok?!”  I later found out she didn’t like me very much from that moment on but fortunately she forgave me and we can still laugh about it today.  An Alex issue kept coming up for me during dress rehearsal which is that I COULD NOT remember one of my lines, and by line I mean one word.  I think I need to work on my short-term memory skills because every time the fairies ran on stage I had to cue them by saying the word, “Ready!”  I would get so wrapped up in the moment I was entering stage in full excitement that I would blank out on what to do next.  It finally took my friend behind me to continuously poke me in my ribs to realize I had to say something.  I keep joking with her that maybe on the last night of the show I will finally remember my line.  (problem 4)  Another issue that actors rarely bring up is the smell of their costumes.  I’m gonna keep it real for this blog and for those that don’t participate in theater so they know what really goes on. Sorry to break the news.  Costumes usually get cleaned once a week so you can imagine it creates a very interesting Eau Du Stinky (read that with a fake French accent and it makes it funnier.)  Good thing there is such products as perfume and febreze.  (problem 5)  I guess most of these aren’t earth shattering problems but they just make me shake my head and smile and hopefully bring you a little closer into the world of THEATRE.  xo

 

* -Alana is not my best friend’s real name.  It is not to protect her, but to protect me from being yelled at.  😉

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Massacre and Faeries

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Hail all you mortals. Faery Alex here. I’m sitting in the dressing room of the West End Theater awaiting my que to pop on stage. We are having a 10 hour rehearsal today so my exhaustion is setting in and I feel slap-happy. I’m making up spontaneous dances and I can’t help but create songs with farting noises. I’ve officially hit the wall and need to relax on the couch with a cold beverage (preferably alcoholic. ). I’m almost there. Must stay focused…. I know! I’ll tell you about what I did yesterday. I recently got an IPAD so I have been procrastinating life in general while playing games and being a drone to Facebook. I am the person that keeps the plastic on new objects as long as possible so it stays so fresh and so clean. Due to the constant use of my new toy I realized I probably need a cover to protect Prefontain (my IPAD’s new name.). I went to multiple stores looking for a damn case and was appalled by the ridiculous prices on just a piece of cloth to cover Prefontain. The lowest price was $50. It’s unbelievable the amount of money we spend on technology just to keep up with the world. I have decided to put the cover on the back burner for now and just carry Prefontain in its original box. Yes I might look strange but I will find him a good home when the right time comes. Later that night I went to see my friend Anatol’s play called Massacre: Sing to your Children. It is a new play written by Jose Rivera. Click on his name so you can see his other works. The play was phenomenal. It was modern, scary, and had a few twists that made you want to shrink down in your seat and peek through your hands that covered your eyes. Well, maybe that was just me. Maybe I am biased but Anatol’s performance was flawless. His excellence as an actor is humbling so, if you are available this month check out this show. You won’t be disappointed.
I have finally arrived home from a long day of playing a faery and my wish came true. I’m in a sleepy state sitting on the couch with a girlie facemask on and about to watch an episode of Anthony Bourdain. Ahhhh till next time little elves. Xo

Fairies Backstage:

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The stage for Massacre:

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Subway Etiquette

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Todays little message is brought to you because the New York Subway has shown me it needs some etiquette lessons. I understand this town is focused on the hussel and bussel of fast paced commuters, but holy cow people are in need of some manners. In the past week alone I have experienced a slew of ill-tempered adults that need to learn to smile a bit more. My first encounter was with a woman who desperately needed to be in front of me to get on the train. Granted there was a problem with the train and we were asked to wait on the other side of the platform for a new one to come which resulted in under the breath grumbles. I had packed a mini suitcase filled with costumes and makeup that I needed for filming a movie scene the other day. I had deliberately placed it in front of me so it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. WELL, some woman snuck up next to me and then proceeded to move me and my tiny suitcase out of the way so she could be a few more inches closer to the door. The following day, I had been waiting for the subway for a while and you could tell people were getting frustrated with the delay but it doesn’t excuse what happened next. The chugga chugga of the choo choo did me a favor and the doors ended up in front of me. Normally this means easy access to grabbing a seat. In polite fashion YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LET PEOPLE OFF THE TRAIN BEFORE YOU GET ON. I guess not everyone knows this because some chic in a yellow coat behind me had other plans. The doors flew open and passengers tried to get off but No, she couldn’t wait. She physically started pushing on my back as if I were invisible which led me into some weird ninja move to hurdle over people and baby carriages. I normally don’t like confrontation but I had to yell at this girl to back off. I had my headphones on so I think I shouted pretty loud. Which brings me to my next 2 topics. First, if someone is wearing headphones on the subway: they probably don’t want to have a conversation with you. Second: please don’t talk so loud (shout) to the group of people you are with when you are drunk or just plain rude. No one really wants to know what your baby’s daddy has been up to. This blog is actually longer then I thought so I shall just list the rest of my subway concerns.
* Please don’t FART or BURP. The smell gets trapped in the car and doesn’t leave until the next train stop.
* Please watch as you creepily slide your hand down the pole that I am holding on to. I keep lowering my fingers because the touch of strangers is awkward and that doesn’t mean I want you to follow my hand.
* Lastly, Staring is just very rude.
Thanks and sincerely Alex xo

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BraveHeart

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I find it a very strange thing that as I travel to rehearsals or productions the rest of the commuter world is going home. As their work day ends at 5 o’clock, mine begins and I skip about the mob of people going in the opposite direction of me. If you have ever traveled via subway during rush hour, then you must know the challenge of going against the crowd. It’s almost as if you are in a mini version of Braveheart and have to charge forward through the mass of people. As long as I have my heavy-duty headphones on with music blasting I feel like I can gracefully dodge the oncoming chaos. After battling the trains to get to the theater, todays rehearsal started promptly with a change in the ending of the show and a new song that needed to be learned. We have 6 days till we open the doors to the public and I couldn’t be more frantic. They say in theater if you have a bad dress rehearsal then the show will be terrific, so hears hoping to some rough days ahead. 🙂 We received our promo cards today so if you see these around town you better grab one and come to see Midsummer Nights Dream. This is actually the first full length Shakespeare play that I have ever done, so I am getting a crash course on how different it is from regular theater. As you can see in the photo, things get quite interesting and always expect the unexpected. Till tomorrow…Adieu xo

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Snooze button Monday

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Hello Monday.  I don’t know how you will ever top my glorious weekend.  I was invited by my friend Greg to see The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall on Friday night.  The orchestra was performing a one night event in honor of music from Oscar Award winning movies.  The moment you walk into this theater your mouth drops open just a bit and your eyes twinkle from the light bouncing off the gold  embellishments on the walls and ceiling.  Our seats were so close up we could see the sweat glistening off Conductor Steven Reineke’s face.  Once the music started playing, it took everything in me not to get out of my seat and start dancing in the aisle.  The memorable theme songs from “Gone With The Wind” to “Star Wars” to “Harry Potter” drove me into an isolated finger dance in my chair.  Four days later and I am still humming The Cantina song.  I would normally put a link insert here but I wouldn’t want to put more people through this melodic torture.  After the last song I joyously clapped as hard as I could for all the talented musicians and then was quickly whisked away back stage to meet Mr Steven Reineke.  He is a tall handsome fellow and was very gracious to everyone he encountered.  Image

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Sunday evening was my turn to perform!  I worked with an incredibly creative, talented, and amazing actor and director.  We spent about 8 hours filming for a feature film where I spent the majority of the time running around in just a bed sheet and yelling profanity.  Any new experience or project I work on gets me super duper bluper nervous and it’s hard sometimes to get out of your head and use your skills.  I am so fortunate that my co-actor Nick has such an infectious personality, one can’t help laugh on set and feel at ease.  I can’t wait to hear more about this project and share what happens next.  This upcoming week is full to the brim with rehearsals for the upcoming Midsummer Nights Dream show debuts April 26th 2012.  Its crunch time I must prepare which I am lack there of.  xo

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Sleep Forever More

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I finally saw Sleep No More the other day and what a blast that was. If you haven’t heard of this show before I’ll explain just a bit. The performance is held in a renovated hotel that hasn’t been open since the early 1930’s. There are ornately detailed sets and rooms for the “audience” to roam around and participate in the show. It’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the actors run ( literally run up and down stairs at times) around the hotel leading whoever chooses to follow them into the depths of this drama. I admittedly was nervous about getting tickets to Sleep No More since I am the type of person that scares easily and it’s suggested each person creates their own story and goes off on their own. Even though I’m a scardy cat I do love thrills so this was a great way to get the adrenaline going. As you enter the building you are greeted with old Venetian masks ( think Clockwork Orange ) and the choice of champagne or absinth. Well, in Alex fashion I had both. Note to self: absinth tastes gross. You are then led up in a dark elevator where you must fend for yourself. I stayed close to Tim for a bit and then lost track of his plaid shirt amongst the crowd of flannel wearing hipsters. It was alright because he got in a wave good bye and I gave him a awkward thumbs up that I was ready to be alone. I had a nice buzz from my cocktails and started running after the actors down eerie hallways and narrow staircases. After two hours, this theater experience became an Extreme Sport and I was definitely ready to Sleep FOREVER More. This week is flying by with rehearsals for Midsummer Nights Dream and it’s going to be on its feet in less then a month. Crazy to think how close it is but hey that’s the way of the theater. It creeps up on you and your changing into costumes one minute, then before you know it it’s the last curtain and your kissing friends goodbye. There probably aren’t many people reading this little blog but if you’re out there – remember to smile, laugh and always enjoy the world around you.

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Secrets Love ACTION!

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During a late night rehearsal for the play Secrets; Love we decided to film a scene where my character Giselle comes home to her boyfriend; Diego who has prepared a lovely dinner for two.  Giselle has a history of cheating on Diego and developed a bad rep between them.  Surprisingly her boyfriend has a secret of his own.

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Let Me Entertain You

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Have you ever woken up from a deep sleep and couldn’t quickly recall if you were dreaming or not?  I had one of those mornings where I shot out of bed in a huge panic.  I dreamt that I was back in high school for my senior year.  All the drama students were huddled around and awaiting the director to announce the spring musical.  Biting our nails and drowning in the anticipation of the words to come out of her mouth.  “The spring musical for this year is going to be…GYPSY!”  I jumped up in excitment, only to be spun around by a unknown brunette girl saying she can’t wait to play Gypsy Rose Lee.  My eyes bugged out, my mouth dropped open and I knew what was happening.  I am a blonde and everyone expected me to try out for Baby June.  Noooo….I wanted to prove to everyone I could be the lead,  I wanted to be Natalie Wood.  Will anyone ever take me serious?  Will I always play the little parts?  AND THEN I WOKE UP.  I popped out of bed with the need and urgency to practice tap dancing, and singing.  Thankfully those feelings passed and I am not in high school and I am not playing Baby June and there is such thing as pink saddle shoes to be worn and dance about the day.  By the way, if you haven’t noticed I learned how to use bold and italic settings for this blog. yip yip hurray.  xo

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The Zen of Shoes

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“I’d rather have a life of ‘oh wells’ than a life of ‘what ifs.” Today started off like any other day. Wake up to the pitter patter of feet in the above apartment and the long-delayed roll off the bed after hitting the snooze button a bunch of times. For the past couple of weeks I have been preparing my “book” of music that will set me up for upcoming Musical Theater auditions (aka Broadway). It has taken me almost a year to get the confidence and proper training to go out amongst the Glee and Smash fans and try to sing a song and not want to vomit and run away. Today I had a voice rehearsal with my coach and we narrowed down some good songs ranging from Lady Gaga to Eric Clapton to Chaka Khan to Bernadette Peters. I am a “music schizophrenic” so my taste is all over the map. I left rehearsal on a high of piano chords in my brain and had only 45 minutes to run to the train and make it to Union Sq in New York for a audition. Luckily I arrived 15 minutes early and what is a girl to do when she is nervous, anxious and early…..She Goes To A Shoe Store!! I had some time to spare and the huge DSW shoe store was a few feet away from my audition location. I rode the escalator up into the heavens of shoes and handbags and the tranquility came over me. All of a sudden, my nerves for the audition were sub-sided by a beautiful pair of pink & white saddle Bass shoes. They gave me hope and clarity that helped me through the next hour. I embraced the crazy dialogue of the script I had to read from, and by the end I landed the role in a new feature film called “Brooklyn.” There is nothing like the feeling of going into a audition nervous as s**t and then being told you landed the role within the same day. I thank all those that look after me and hope as long as I put in the effort I keep trucking along. xo