But, it's only for the last 20 minutes or so of the show so I suck it in, and squeeze into the dress...during opening weekend, it occurred to me that the Widow's theme song specific to this costume was a no-brainer. Enjoy a little flashback to some early 90's country!
My final costume for Widow (Dorofia!) fits quite snugly. So tight, in fact, that I'm forced to wear a "shaper" to fit into the dress & allow it to be zipped up. (Side bar - Shapers are evil!) But, it's only for the last 20 minutes or so of the show so I suck it in, and squeeze into the dress...during opening weekend, it occurred to me that the Widow's theme song specific to this costume was a no-brainer. Enjoy a little flashback to some early 90's country! It's Shakespeare's birthday and I'm performing in a Shakespeare play that opens tonight. Coincidence? Maybe. Clever marketing plan? Possible. A jaw-droppingly good time? Definitely! And here's some pics to prove it - that Johnny Knight is an amazingly talented fella. That's me as Widow, or as I've dubbed her on various days: Mrs. Roper/Dorofia Blanrose (a compilation of all 4 Golden Girls). (Costume Design: Theresa Ham) And here I am with the other 'rejected Lords' - I've dubbed my character Jimmy Mack (though the King calls me Lenny - must be the blank stare look!), then there's Bucky who is too young. Not sure what Helena's problem is with Madison and Rinska, but alas, they didn't make the cut either! Poor Parolles didn't even get a chance.
I'm a big fan of books. I used to love summer vacation because it meant I could start a book during the day, and then stay up as long as I wanted that night so I could finish it because I didn't have to wake up early for school the next day. (Yes, I was a nerd. Shocking, isn't it?) I still love reading and miss that simple joy of picking up a book and not really moving until I've finished the story. Oddly, I don't feel the same way about plays. I'm a horrible play-reader. I find it difficult to imagine the whole world with just the characters' dialogue (and no, stage directions don't help!). I think that's why I love rehearsal - using the script, the actors, designers, and directors get to create the world that the dialogue lives in. They get to make it all up and I find that to be a much more fun & rewarding experience in the company of other creative folks, rather than sitting by myself with some pieces of paper (or a Kindle). With books, the author has an amazing ability to place you in a world that is already complete. Every detail has been fleshed out - the sounds, the scents, the attitudes of each character. The surprises...I love it all! I also firmly believe in the power of education to shape the world. I have a little tea tag from some Good Earth tea. I don't know how long ago I consumed the tea, but the tag is still on my bulletin board of 'important' things* and it has on it a Socrates quote: "The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Books are an EXCELLENT source of knowledge - a great way to learn about and experience parts of the world you've never been to or thought about...an exploration of ideas and relationships and feelings and metaphors. Sigh. I really like books. Lately, because adulthood, I don't get to read as much as I'd like. Just last month, a friend bought me a book for my birthday and I inhaled it in a 3-day period (just after one show closed, when I had an unexpected night off rehearsal from the next). It was bliss. Despite not being able to curl up with a cup of tea & a good book quite as often as I'd like, I do still get my 'read' on, with my current obsession with audio books. I download and listen to several books every month (having a day-job isn't always bad). And because the Chicago Public Library is amazing, I am able to do so for FREE. (Audible is great and all, but $15/month? Why?) Plus, what amazingly talented voice over artists. Mad props to folks who can create that entire world of the book just by the power of their voice. So, today, I'm giving back. As a bonus, I found out that this is the middle of National Library Week! (Who knew this was a thing?!?!). In honor of all these things, I've made a donation to my beloved CPL for $100 (Actually to the Chicago Public Library Foundation) so they can continue to provide books (in all formats) to people (of all ages) for free! *Bulletin Board of Important Things
(For more info about National Library Week, you should check out ilovelibraries.org) In true Shakespearean fashion, random phrases that are not typically used anymore are part of everyday speech for the characters of All's Well That Ends Well. One phrase used several times is "steal away" and every. single. time. I hear it, this song runs through my brain. Tech begins tonight and I have my stash of almonds and Arbonne fizzy drinks to get me through. See you at the show!
or...Buying Something I Never Knew I Wanted
I'm buying a seat. Not just any seat. A seat in a theater. A theater that is being built to house a theatre company that I've had the pleasure of working with.
Just this past year, I had the pleasure & joy of working with The Factory Theater for the first time on their World Premiere production of Hotel Aphrodite. After being in the audience for their productions of Jenny and Jenni, 'Namosaur, and Street Justice Condition Red, I was finally getting to join in the fun. And that is exactly what it was - FUN. The script was irreverent, the cast was insane, and our director guided us to find & share the human moments in a farce of orgasmic size. It was also a really good learning experience for me personally - my comfort zone is classical text. I enjoy the heightened language of Shakespeare and figuring out ways to make the most poetic lines sound like everyday speech (it's hard, but fun - yes, I'm weird). With my work with Babes With Blades Theatre Company, I've been doing a lot of new script development. I'm learning to be more comfortable with the 'creation' of a character, but it's still very much a learning process for me. Being able to play with a different group of people helped me see how their process worked - the bravery required (especially with a broad comedy) to just go for it; try something; go BIG; take risks. All those cliches came alive. And it was amazing! So my second donation is to The Factory Theatre's capital campaign via IndieGoGo. Not only is it supporting a great artistic endeavor - a theatre company with a proven history of producing original works - but it's creating a space that will help reinvigorate the local economy of the Howard Street corridor in the Roger's Park neighborhood of Chicago. Countless studies show that the arts and economy are closely related - here's hoping that The Factory Theater's return to Roger's Park will be just the beginning of the creation of a safer, more welcoming neighborhood.
On the selfish side - I went with the $250 level because that means I get a seat in the new space with my name on it. How. Cool. Is. That???? I never knew I wanted this type of legacy...but I guess I do.
(Plus - maybe the folks at The Factory Theater will let BWBTC rent the space at a special 'friends' rate once they get up and running! <wink-wink; nudge-nudge>)
For some background on my tax-return-spending venture, check out the first post where I detail my personal freak-out to being debt-free for the first time EVER. (Told you I was weird.)
I find myself recently in a situation that is entirely new to me. I have no debt. None. Zero. I have living expenses and a job that pays me enough to meet those expenses. (Weird, huh?) I paid off my credit cards about 12 years ago, after consolidating them into a single payment plan and cutting them all up. Since then, I've reopened several and use them often, but always, always, ALWAYS, pay off the balance before it's due. (I basically treat them like debit cards and track purchases in my check-book, which keeps me from spending more than I actually have). It's not always easy, but I have distinct memories of being in over my head and I work very hard to not be in that situation again. I paid off my car last November - throwing a bit extra toward the principal in addition to my regular car payment each month. This was mostly made possible because I made the difficult choice to once again have a roommate (after 3 years of living on my own in a 1-bedroom apartment). It wasn't an easy decision, but I feel great at the result and know that next year when it's time to revisit my living situation, I'll be in a good place to make the best choice for my pocket and my sanity. I paid off my student loans just last month (same was as the car - putting either a double payment each month, or making the regular payment, but adding some to a savings account. When the savings reached the same level as the amount due, I made a final, big payment). I can't tell you how good that felt. Truly. So the dilemma is: what do I do with my upcoming tax return? Many ideas are bouncing around in my head, including vacation, starting an investment account for a down payment on a home, throwing it all into a retirement account, going on a random shopping spree...and, yes, I'll probably take about half of my return and do some (or all of those things). But I've also decided to put my tax return dollars where I think my actual tax dollars would and should be going. I'm donating to causes I believe in. I'm putting money into the hands of people with a proven track record for supporting causes I believe in. Very little of the Federal or State budgets get spent on things that I consider to be essential to my daily existence: Art (do you even see this anywhere in the above graph?) Education (we can do better than 6%, right?) Social equality (women's rights, civil rights, LGBT equality) Peace programs (if we can spend 55% on the Military, how about a little on what peace-time could & should look like?) Human rights (food, housing, & medical services for those in our society who can't provide such bare necessities for themselves) My first donation is being made to the Human Rights Campaign, as part of my commitment to social equality and also as a response to the RFRA recently passed in Indiana. Posts I'm seeing about this on my facebook feed have led to great feelings of rage & sadness on my part: I find it truly appalling that there is now the equivalent of legal cover for discrimination based on sexual orientation. I find it terribly disheartening that this is even an issue in the United States of America in 2015. The idea that one person's religious convictions can change the way business is conducted in our supposedly free market and free society scares me to death. "HRC envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community." I agree with this goal and I'm putting my money where my mouth is: $100 donated today |
Archives
September 2018
Kimberly Logan
This is my blog (aka: mind dump). For my full site, please visit www.ActorForHire.net Categories
All
|