So this is what it's like in theatre, huh?
Last week was absolutely crazy, stressful and wonderful all at the same time! (Sort of like being in love I guess.) On Tuesday afternoon I got recruited to participate in an annual historical re-enactment. It's called Magnolia Memories because it takes place in the beautiful and historic Magnolia Cemetery. There are all sorts of people buried there since the 1800's who really contributed to the city of Baton Rouge, and whose accomplishments can still be seen today. Some of them are ex-slaves and / or the children of freed slaves. Each year the Foundation for Historical Louisiana picks about five graves, and the actors are given their scripts wherein they portray the person at whose grave they are standing, and they talk in first person about some of the things they have contributed to our fair city for posterity.
On Wednesday, I went to audition (something I've never had to do before) and on Thursday I was at dress rehearsal. Here's the thing: I had no idea what song I was going to sing. I had to come up with something all on my own. (I did not even learn the song until Thursday night!) My person was a Scotsman who came over just before the Civil War and made several shrewed business investments. He had Hill Memorial Library built on our campus in honor of his son who had died. His life was bittersweet, having been very successful in his career, but also having outlived his wife and several children. The actor who portrayed him did a fabulous job with the Scottish accent. (I can spot a fake accent from a mile off.) On Friday night just before we opened the show, all of the actors were nervously pacing, reciting their lines quietly to themselves. It almost sounded like they were praying. The actor doing the Scottish accent was drinking Scotch from a flask with the bag pipe player, talking about the Civil War. "Still makes me mad," the bag pipe player said in a very Southern drawl.
I chose the song The Parting Glass, which was played at the end of one of my favorite films, Waking Ned Devine:
"Oh all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er I've done, alas, it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be to you all...
Of all the comrades that e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I loved, would wish me one more day to stay
But since it fell into my lot, that I should rise, and you should not
I'll gently rise and softly call, good night and joy be to you all...
So fill to me the parting glass, and drink a health whate'er befall
And gently rise and softly call, good night and joy be to you all."
I had to perform it fourteen times in total, and I was just as nervous the fourteenth time as I was the first time! (Once I forgot for a few seconds exactly what I'd done with all the money that e'er I had.) It is a very bare stage. There was not five feet of space between me and the audience. I was scared to death. It was so agonizing; if you screw up, forget the words, your voice cracks, whatever, everybody knows it. I'm used to performing for an intoxicated crowd. These crowds couldn't have been more sober. Not to mention the fact that Magnolia Cemetery is right next to a fire station, so we had to compete with sirens from fire trucks, ambulances and cop cars. I had on a beautiful long hooded cape and was barefoot. We had a bag pipe player in the background when I did my song, and once, the bell chimed at Sacred Heart across the street the second I finished the song! I wanted to jump up and down and shout "YES!! Did you hear that??!! The bell chimed! The bell chimed!" The actor asked me, "How did you get the bell to go off like that?"
Even though it was a nervous experience for me, there were a few instances that I'm sure I'll never forget. Once there was an elderly man sitting in the front row (long white hair and beard--he looked like Santa Claus). As soon as I concluded with "good night and joy be to you all..." he said, "And to you, miss." Once during the song I could see a man grabbing his wife's hand. (I'm not sure why these things stand out in my mind.) Out of the fourteen tours, we had some crowds who looked as though they'd all just had a shot of Novocane. Some were lively, and some were in the middle. But it was agonizing fun. Donna Britt was even out there once (local news anchorwoman for those of you not from BR). I'm glad I didn't notice her until after the performance was over!
Great experience, nice people, loads of fun. They want me back next year!
On Wednesday, I went to audition (something I've never had to do before) and on Thursday I was at dress rehearsal. Here's the thing: I had no idea what song I was going to sing. I had to come up with something all on my own. (I did not even learn the song until Thursday night!) My person was a Scotsman who came over just before the Civil War and made several shrewed business investments. He had Hill Memorial Library built on our campus in honor of his son who had died. His life was bittersweet, having been very successful in his career, but also having outlived his wife and several children. The actor who portrayed him did a fabulous job with the Scottish accent. (I can spot a fake accent from a mile off.) On Friday night just before we opened the show, all of the actors were nervously pacing, reciting their lines quietly to themselves. It almost sounded like they were praying. The actor doing the Scottish accent was drinking Scotch from a flask with the bag pipe player, talking about the Civil War. "Still makes me mad," the bag pipe player said in a very Southern drawl.
I chose the song The Parting Glass, which was played at the end of one of my favorite films, Waking Ned Devine:
"Oh all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er I've done, alas, it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be to you all...
Of all the comrades that e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I loved, would wish me one more day to stay
But since it fell into my lot, that I should rise, and you should not
I'll gently rise and softly call, good night and joy be to you all...
So fill to me the parting glass, and drink a health whate'er befall
And gently rise and softly call, good night and joy be to you all."
I had to perform it fourteen times in total, and I was just as nervous the fourteenth time as I was the first time! (Once I forgot for a few seconds exactly what I'd done with all the money that e'er I had.) It is a very bare stage. There was not five feet of space between me and the audience. I was scared to death. It was so agonizing; if you screw up, forget the words, your voice cracks, whatever, everybody knows it. I'm used to performing for an intoxicated crowd. These crowds couldn't have been more sober. Not to mention the fact that Magnolia Cemetery is right next to a fire station, so we had to compete with sirens from fire trucks, ambulances and cop cars. I had on a beautiful long hooded cape and was barefoot. We had a bag pipe player in the background when I did my song, and once, the bell chimed at Sacred Heart across the street the second I finished the song! I wanted to jump up and down and shout "YES!! Did you hear that??!! The bell chimed! The bell chimed!" The actor asked me, "How did you get the bell to go off like that?"
Even though it was a nervous experience for me, there were a few instances that I'm sure I'll never forget. Once there was an elderly man sitting in the front row (long white hair and beard--he looked like Santa Claus). As soon as I concluded with "good night and joy be to you all..." he said, "And to you, miss." Once during the song I could see a man grabbing his wife's hand. (I'm not sure why these things stand out in my mind.) Out of the fourteen tours, we had some crowds who looked as though they'd all just had a shot of Novocane. Some were lively, and some were in the middle. But it was agonizing fun. Donna Britt was even out there once (local news anchorwoman for those of you not from BR). I'm glad I didn't notice her until after the performance was over!
Great experience, nice people, loads of fun. They want me back next year!