How Shakespeare and Improv Led to a Career of Letting Loose!

I've always loved Shakespeare, and it has often been said of me....

Surprisingly, I've never played Hermia, whom this quote belongs to (or about, rather) though my husband often teases me about being "low and little." He gets no end of delight out of that. And we actually did a scene as Hermia and Lysander for an audition, but I think we scared the other actors, who were watching, because we went for a comic boob-grab, and they all gasped!

I wanted to say, "It's Shakespeare! It's SEXY!"

Thus, it's no surprise that one of my first professional full-time acting gigs was in the Shakespearean Troupe for the PA Renaissance Faire. I was also hired to be a singer in the Madrigal group and the Bawdy Balladeers (below).

Coming from the desert of California to lush world of Penn's Woods was quite a shock, but it was a delicious way to dive into my craft! We rehearsed 6 days a week, learning not only Shakespeare, but improv (Shakespearean Improv!), history, customs and manners. For example, a lady never walked to the left of her escort, because "a lady on the left was no lady at all." It was also because the gentleman had a sword on his left hip, and thus needed to draw it without fear of wounding his lady-friend.

I performed at the Faire for 4 years, including their Fall and Winter shows, Poe Evermore and A Dickensian Christmas. Each production required being "on" and in character for 8 hours a day, three-four days a week (more for Christmas and Halloween), running from show to show, stage to stage.

For the Faire, we'd do half-hour segments of Shakespeare, as well as shows on court (or a peasant's) life. I played the town rogue (below right), the court slut (above, and historically Penelope Devereaux had poems written about her, so she was classy and passionate in my opinion), a grave-digger who could talk to fairies, MacB's Third Witch, The Wall in Pyraums and Thisbe (below top right), and a Spanish innkeeper, Frida (below left).

It was A BLAST! I made some amazing life-long friends, and I met my husband, Rob (below with the Herb Sisters).

Plus it set me up for future work, because I still use improv for stage and screen projects today. For nearly every film I've done, I've been asked to improvise, and I love that, because it feels like letting the character loose!

Truly, it's a trend I've noticed in all my characters. One director encouraged me to keep my foot on the gas, to go from 0 to 100, because I could. I tend to get cast as characters that burst into a scene. For Johnny On a Spot Off Broadway, I literally burst through the doors, and it felt like blasting off!

As my director for Steel Magnolias said, "You change the energy of the room just by walking into it!"

I'm so thankful for my humble beginnings. Starting my career off with Master Shakespeare was a great start, and I look forward to the next adventure!

Jackie Robinson Day

When I was a kid, I loved sitting with my great-grandpa, listening to Vin Scully call the play-by-plays for the Dodgers. He loved them when they were the Brooklyn Dodgers, and when he moved to LA, he took it as a sign because the Dodgers did too!

Sometimes he'd watch the Dodgers on TV, but I think he preferred to sit in his comfortable chair with a bowl of peanuts, listening to the game on the radio.

By this time, Jackie Robinson had passed on, but I was born on Jackie Robinson Day: April 15th. 

And I thought that was cool, that when I was coming into the world, this great ballplayer had made his major league debut.

My Dad always liked baseball - after all, this was his grandfather (my great-grandpa) - so I imagine he went through the same rituals I did, sitting there with grandpa, listening to the baseball game on the radio.

When I was growing up, Dad would let me round up the kids in the neighborhood so we could play baseball in our backyard. Girls weren't allowed in Little League at the time, so I created my own team! Dad would pitch, chasing after the ball after we'd "knock it out" of the backyard.

I still play catch with Dad when we visit.

And I played catcher for my nephews this past weekend, playing baseball in the backyard.

So I've always loved baseball, and when I saw the movie 42, and learned about Jackie's story, well... I'm glad to share my birthday with this great man. And keep on playing ball! :)

When You Realize You Have Wings

I just finished the 100 Day Get In Gear challenge with Bonnie Gillespie, author of Self-Management For Actors, and I feel FABULOUS!

I signed up for this to kick off my New Year, and somehow managed to do it in the midst of rehearsals and performances for Steel Magnolias. It was truly life-changing!

I recommend SMFA to every actor I meet, and wish I would've read it myself sooner! It's a great guide to strategizing the business side of show business, as well as creating clarity on your brand and nurturing your creative career.

The 100 Day challenge draws from the tools Bonnie writes about in SMFA, and just expands from there, providing daily lessons filled with videos, MP3s, group powwows, and all sorts of goodies to inspire artists on our journeys.

Today is Day 100 for me, and I definitely feel like I have wings! Looking forward to the next adventure! Let's FLY!