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So in case you haven't heard, I got my first official acting gig!! I have been working on my acting for a while now. Going to classes. Memorizing monologues. Going to auditions. Performing improv for anyone who would listen.
And then just this summer I wanted to go to an acting summer camp instead of those regular ones about nothing in particular... boring (no offense regular-summer-camp-go-ers)! So my parents gave me two options; A two-week acting class where you learn techniques or a three-week Shakespeare camp where you actually do a play and do 3 performances. Now back then I thought what pretty much every middle schooler thinks about Shakespeare: He is a boring old nonsense writer who might have been impressive in his time (what 400 years ago? He's gotta be way outdated by now right? I mean my jeans go out of style in a week and this Shakespeare guy is still around 400 years later? Uggg, he is so stealing my... everything!!) but is totally outdated nowadays (is that still a word?).
But then I actually went and participated and enjoyed myself a found my people within this crazy Shakespeare-loving world! I mean who would have thought?
At first, I was a little wigged out at all of the weirdness ( i mean we all know that actors are a strange crowd, don't we?). First, we warmed up, making all of these strange sounds so load and... actor-ish that I didn't think could ever be possible for a group of our size. And then we did Comedia del Arte (click the link if you are confused... don't worry, I was too... maybe I still am...). We acted like all of these strange people, started yelling at each other (don't worry we were acting... or were we? You will never know... ok yeah we were acting) and walked around a public place singing a song from our play. Yeah, weird. But weird doesn't mean bad. In fact surprisingly in my case in meant... well, AWESOME! I mean these people weren't afraid to step out of their comfort zone to express a different emotion or character! And I was so surprised at how I felt about it all...
I absolutely loved it!! I had fun being someone other than myself with people who do the same as me and who wouldn't find me weird for doing what I love. I had found my crowd and confirmed that I did, indeed want to pursue acting.
But this story is not what I want to talk to you about. Since that was a class I do not consider it an acting gig. But I have a story about my first one.
I was checking my email for the morning and as I did my email-checking I noticed an email (I know surprise, surprise)! And, kind of obvious, but it was for me! So I clicked on it and it opened and I read it, kind of like I would for any other email.
But this wasn't any other email. It was an offer for an acting gig. The Shakespeare camp directors mom had emailed me. And it wasn't the normal "Be nice to my daughter" kind of email (she is a grown woman), it was the abnormal "Would you like to be in a play?" kind of email. In fact, it is so abnormal, this is the first time it has happened.
But there was one problem. The play was really soon and I was afraid I wouldn't be back from vacation in time. So I talked to my parents and (thankfully) they said we would be back about a day before the play. But that still worried me, because I would miss all of the rehearsals that way. I emailed the director and asked if I would have my lines ahead of time so that I could at least know them for the play. And she emailed back and said that I could, but didn't need to as it is only a 40-minute play and only requires one rehearsal, an hour before the real thing.
So I said Yay! I get a whole new thing on my acting resume, and it's only a day gig! Unfortunately, I don't think it's paid, but for a newbie like me, even the honor of being in a play is enough (ok yeah though, some cash would be nice).
Unfortunately, the play has not happened yet, but I will write a post on my experience when the play is over. So yeah, that's my week. You?
Crazy Abbie Out