Ugly Green Dress Comes in Handy

Ignore the Charlie's Angels type pose.  Admire the dress, the lovely hue of green, how figure flattering it is and how large it is.

This is "my" Nutcracker dress.  The past two years that Kyra has danced in the Nutcracker, my contribution has been to be an adult party guest.  My reward for doing so is the privilege of wearing this ugly green dress.

Until yesterday I did not realize that the ugly green dress had anything to offer me.

Last night was our first rehearsal for Tartuffe.  I've been cast as Elmire.  According to the costume designer, my dress will be quite something. The director warned us ladies that we will need to become accustomed to wearing a dress with a fitted bodice and long bulky skirt.  That we needed to know how it felt to wear one, how one moves in it, how one sits, the space one takes up with such a dress on.

And I thought - check!  After all I danced in the ugly green dress and worked back stage doing quick changes in the ugly green dress.  I know the movement, feel and spacing of the ugly green dress.

I just hope my Tartuffe dress is prettier.

Audition

The last time I participated in community theater I was not yet a mom and not yet married.   So let's just say it's been awhile.

This past fall Kyra participated in SHAPE theater's production of Bye Bye Birdie.  I have been impressed by SHAPE Players for a number of reasons.  Even in just dropping off and picking up Kyra I could tell that the participants were having a good time, respected one another, took their roles seriously, and were giving a significant amount of time to the production.  Briefly observing rehearsals I could tell that the production level was high but not unrealistic and that the director is quite talented.

I began to consider if I could possibly make the time commitment to a production.  The more I watched the director, the more I wanted to give it a try.  (The director recently won an award for best civilian employee of morale/welfare in the entire military - not only for being really good at his job but also his ability to involve a large part of the community - soldiers, civilians, adults, teens, kids, etc)

So last night auditions were held for Tartuffe.  Tartuffe is a comedy by Moliere.  The play is being done in English not its original French and the director is setting the play in the American South during Reconstruction.  The audition notices did alert us that southern accents were required.  I started trying to channel my inner Scarlet O'Hara a couple of weeks ago.

The auditions were quite fun.  We practiced our southern accents we read short scenes from the play in various combinations so that the director could get a sense of of stage presence, etc.   Even though scenes were read out of context by people who had no time to prepare, practice or refine, they were funny.  I can only imagine how much better the play will get as it is staged and practiced and refined.

I'm now waiting to hear if I have a part.  I hope I do because it was fun.  If not, I'll wait and try again next time.  Watch this space for news....

Opening Night

 Last night was opening night of the SHAPE Players' production of Bye Bye Birdie. 


Kyra was cast as a "sad faced girl."  She and another "sad faced girl" Renee were in the number Put on a Happy Face.  

Their characters were sad because Conrad Birdie (a teenaged heart throb) was going off to war.

In the number, Conrad's manager, Albert encourages them to cheer up and put on a happy face.

He makes funny faces at them and acts goofy and eventually gets them to smile and dance with him.

The number was cute and all three did a great job with the acting and the dancing.

Kyra is currently quite sick so she's had to push herself to put energy into her performance and she has three more to go this weekend.

She'll make it but after Sunday's matinee I expect she'll go to bed and stay there until Monday morning.

I'll let you know how the weekend goes....