As you may have noticed, I did not reflect every day this summer. I got about two weeks into the experience before I simply became too busy to keep writing my reflections down and posting them. See, this wasn't an experience where I worked in the theatre for five hours and then had time to myself for the rest of the day. I was constantly surrounded by my castmates because we all lived together, and my room was the 'hallway' to other rooms, so I really had no privacy. I'm not complaining either! This summer reminded me of my freshman year of college - living in a dorm wasn't the most ideal living situation, but it sure was fun. There was always something going on - walks down to the beach, spontaneous cookie baking, or just sharing stories and getting to know each other. After the first two weeks, I became so entangled with my new friends and our shared experience that I preferred to just spend time with them than to go off and seclude myself to write. And this says a lot about my idea of what reflection should be - something written and well thought out. But maybe it doesn't have to be (written, it should be well thought out, I think). I learned this summer that I should reflect in the way that's easiest for me - maybe that's an audio recording, or a video, or maybe it's just little blurbs of thoughts throughout the day instead of well written paragraphs. I think the point is simply to reflect, no matter the medium, and I didn't quite realize that this summer, and I still haven't fully realized that this semester. Because I want to write - I actually love to, and I feel most comfortable with my writing when I have time to plan it out and flourish it. But I recognize I need to let go of my desire for perfect, or even comfortable, writing. I need to just reflect.
I’m proud of everything I accomplished this summer. I reaffirmed my psyche as a dancer by being in A Chorus Line and as a leading man by being cast as Hero in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. I also stage managed a teenage production of Death To The Drama Club! Moreover, I developed a schedule, fitness routine, and a consistent, whole foods, vegan diet, all of which made me feel in control of my life and much healthier. Now that I’ve been back in school for a couple weeks, I find myself missing the time I had to workout and prepare meals without feeling rushed to get on to the next thing or pressured to be doing school assignments. The challenge in school, and maybe for the rest of my life, is to maintain my health (sleep, nutrition, and fitness) while still doing everything else that’s asked of me.
Living in a shared space presented its challenges, despite all the fun it brought. Sharing one washer and dryer between nine people in the house required vigilance to make sure my wet clothes didn’t end up on the top of the machine. Keeping the kitchen clean and sharing two fridges and pantry space is much harder in reality than it appears on paper. We all had to carve out our own space, which was ok in the pantry spaces, but finding food in fridges quickly became a game of moving other people’s food around and rearranging tupperware. The sink and the drying rack required constant attention - it was definitely a struggle to keep both of those clean and empty. Despite all of this, I enjoyed sharing space with other people - I felt like I was in the middle of a family, even when I was hundreds of miles away from my real one. We actually settled into unique rapports with each other, like a family unit.
The theatre I did this summer was so remarkable for me. A Chorus Line was an exhilarating show to be a part of. Throughout the first week of rehearsals, I was constantly sore from the new movement that my body was not used to. I even had shin splints from some of the very vertical choreography. However, as my body adjusted and recovered from the first week, I found the rehearsals to be more manageable. I was still exhausted, because dancing for four to five hours a day is challenging, but I was loving it. The actual performance of the show was a unique beast by itself. The real trick of the show is that we have to dance our butts of at the top of the show, then stand still, then dance again, then stand still some more, and … well, you get the picture. It’s basically high intensity interval training, and the show goes by quickly, especially because there’s no intermission. We’re offstage for maybe ten to fifteen minutes total, but it was always a blast, and now I’m doing it again at CCM. I couldn’t be more thrilled.
A Funny Thing Happen On The Way To The Forum was a type of show that I’ve never really done before - a farcical musical. The comedy is quite unique, and our director, Ron Fassler, was very specific in the action he wanted. I found myself continually reinvesting in my work and in new choices because something I did didn’t quite suit his vision, so I would adjust, or sometimes he would tell me exactly what he wanted and how to do it. This style of directing definitely caught me off guard at first, because the directors I’ve worked with at CCM don’t work that way. They all have their own way of working, but none of their styles come close to Ron’s. So, working with Ron was a really productive and efficient process for me because I experienced a new style of directing and because if something wasn’t working, he knew exactly what to change to make it work. The performances of this show were just pure joy. The audience enjoyed every moment of it, and it feels so rewarding to earn the audience’s laughter. This show made me want to do more comedic work in the future.
I had the opportunity to stage manage a show this summer! The stage manager is basically responsible for coordinating all of the technical elements with the action on stage. I created a diagram of the stage, took blocking notes, pulled props and costumes for the actors, called breaks during rehearsals, helped cast the show with the director, supported the director with his vision, and called the show from offstage. This experience was a lot of work, and especially with rehearsing for A Chorus Line during the same two weeks this show rehearsed for, my daily schedule filled up pretty quickly. We rehearsed for Death To The Drama Club in the mornings from 9am to 1pm, then A Chorus Line rehearsed from 1pm to 6pm. For those two weeks, I had to really be on my game and make sure my whole day was prepared for the night before. This experience was especially rewarding though, because the teenagers who were a part of it really loved it. They were there because they love theatre, and to see that love of theatre alive without any knowledge of how hard it can be for an actor in the ‘real world’ made me feel so much joy. Especially now, as I am preparing to move to New York City, remembering those kids’ pure love reaffirms my desire to be an actor.
Ultimately, this summer was one of the best summers of my life. I know there aren’t many people who can say they got paid to do what they love in a very special place surrounded by supportive coworkers and employers. I consider myself very fortunate to have been cast by this amazing company, and I definitely would go back to work there again if that is in the cards. Also, for this to be my last honors experience seems very fitting as well - all my training and classwork culminated in the work I did this summer. As I prepare myself for graduation and the start of my professional career, I will always look back on my experiences at Priscilla Beach Theatre with fondness and joy. The ten weeks I spent there was a time of immense challenge, growth, and adventure. I plan to continue to find those qualities in the rest of my life.
As you may have noticed, I did not reflect every day this summer. I got about two weeks into the experience before I simply became too busy to keep writing my reflections down and posting them. See, this wasn't an experience where I worked in the theatre for five hours and then had time to myself for the rest of the day. I was constantly surrounded by my castmates because we all lived together, and my room was the 'hallway' to other rooms, so I really had no privacy. I'm not complaining either! This summer reminded me of my freshman year of college - living in a dorm wasn't the most ideal living situation, but it sure was fun. There was always something going on - walks down to the beach, spontaneous cookie baking, or just sharing stories and getting to know each other. After the first two weeks, I became so entangled with my new friends and our shared experience that I preferred to just spend time with them than to go off and seclude myself to write. And this says a lot about my idea of what reflection should be - something written and well thought out. But maybe it doesn't have to be (written, it should be well thought out, I think). I learned this summer that I should reflect in the way that's easiest for me - maybe that's an audio recording, or a video, or maybe it's just little blurbs of thoughts throughout the day instead of well written paragraphs. I think the point is simply to reflect, no matter the medium, and I didn't quite realize that this summer, and I still haven't fully realized that this semester. Because I want to write - I actually love to, and I feel most comfortable with my writing when I have time to plan it out and flourish it. But I recognize I need to let go of my desire for perfect, or even comfortable, writing. I need to just reflect.
I’m proud of everything I accomplished this summer. I reaffirmed my psyche as a dancer by being in A Chorus Line and as a leading man by being cast as Hero in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. I also stage managed a teenage production of Death To The Drama Club! Moreover, I developed a schedule, fitness routine, and a consistent, whole foods, vegan diet, all of which made me feel in control of my life and much healthier. Now that I’ve been back in school for a couple weeks, I find myself missing the time I had to workout and prepare meals without feeling rushed to get on to the next thing or pressured to be doing school assignments. The challenge in school, and maybe for the rest of my life, is to maintain my health (sleep, nutrition, and fitness) while still doing everything else that’s asked of me.
Living in a shared space presented its challenges, despite all the fun it brought. Sharing one washer and dryer between nine people in the house required vigilance to make sure my wet clothes didn’t end up on the top of the machine. Keeping the kitchen clean and sharing two fridges and pantry space is much harder in reality than it appears on paper. We all had to carve out our own space, which was ok in the pantry spaces, but finding food in fridges quickly became a game of moving other people’s food around and rearranging tupperware. The sink and the drying rack required constant attention - it was definitely a struggle to keep both of those clean and empty. Despite all of this, I enjoyed sharing space with other people - I felt like I was in the middle of a family, even when I was hundreds of miles away from my real one. We actually settled into unique rapports with each other, like a family unit.
The theatre I did this summer was so remarkable for me. A Chorus Line was an exhilarating show to be a part of. Throughout the first week of rehearsals, I was constantly sore from the new movement that my body was not used to. I even had shin splints from some of the very vertical choreography. However, as my body adjusted and recovered from the first week, I found the rehearsals to be more manageable. I was still exhausted, because dancing for four to five hours a day is challenging, but I was loving it. The actual performance of the show was a unique beast by itself. The real trick of the show is that we have to dance our butts of at the top of the show, then stand still, then dance again, then stand still some more, and … well, you get the picture. It’s basically high intensity interval training, and the show goes by quickly, especially because there’s no intermission. We’re offstage for maybe ten to fifteen minutes total, but it was always a blast, and now I’m doing it again at CCM. I couldn’t be more thrilled.
A Funny Thing Happen On The Way To The Forum was a type of show that I’ve never really done before - a farcical musical. The comedy is quite unique, and our director, Ron Fassler, was very specific in the action he wanted. I found myself continually reinvesting in my work and in new choices because something I did didn’t quite suit his vision, so I would adjust, or sometimes he would tell me exactly what he wanted and how to do it. This style of directing definitely caught me off guard at first, because the directors I’ve worked with at CCM don’t work that way. They all have their own way of working, but none of their styles come close to Ron’s. So, working with Ron was a really productive and efficient process for me because I experienced a new style of directing and because if something wasn’t working, he knew exactly what to change to make it work. The performances of this show were just pure joy. The audience enjoyed every moment of it, and it feels so rewarding to earn the audience’s laughter. This show made me want to do more comedic work in the future.
I had the opportunity to stage manage a show this summer! The stage manager is basically responsible for coordinating all of the technical elements with the action on stage. I created a diagram of the stage, took blocking notes, pulled props and costumes for the actors, called breaks during rehearsals, helped cast the show with the director, supported the director with his vision, and called the show from offstage. This experience was a lot of work, and especially with rehearsing for A Chorus Line during the same two weeks this show rehearsed for, my daily schedule filled up pretty quickly. We rehearsed for Death To The Drama Club in the mornings from 9am to 1pm, then A Chorus Line rehearsed from 1pm to 6pm. For those two weeks, I had to really be on my game and make sure my whole day was prepared for the night before. This experience was especially rewarding though, because the teenagers who were a part of it really loved it. They were there because they love theatre, and to see that love of theatre alive without any knowledge of how hard it can be for an actor in the ‘real world’ made me feel so much joy. Especially now, as I am preparing to move to New York City, remembering those kids’ pure love reaffirms my desire to be an actor.
Ultimately, this summer was one of the best summers of my life. I know there aren’t many people who can say they got paid to do what they love in a very special place surrounded by supportive coworkers and employers. I consider myself very fortunate to have been cast by this amazing company, and I definitely would go back to work there again if that is in the cards. Also, for this to be my last honors experience seems very fitting as well - all my training and classwork culminated in the work I did this summer. As I prepare myself for graduation and the start of my professional career, I will always look back on my experiences at Priscilla Beach Theatre with fondness and joy. The ten weeks I spent there was a time of immense challenge, growth, and adventure. I plan to continue to find those qualities in the rest of my life.