Reading Performance

I felt so relieved to get my performance over with. The day before we performed for oakton community college we were told that our reading was suppose to be scenes and we expected to be off book all along. I had never felt so pressured in so long. Our original director who was in charge of passing on the correct information had to had over the ranks to Marie who is the house manager depaul theater conservatory alumni. We were originally scheduled to have 4 rehearsals 6 3 hours long located at Depaul college student theater building. However when we got to meet up our original director had a pressing family emergency which pushed our rehearsal dates back. So we only had one full rehearsal which was the day before our performance. One that very day we found out that we not only were expected to be off book which we thought it was just a reading but actually complete scenes off book and we performed at 9:30 am. We decided to incorporate a bat for our fences scene and I was responsible for retrieving one asap. The morning of our performance I arrive I wake up at 5:am because it takes me nearly two hours to get to our meet up spot so we can carpool. I had not memorized my lines so I keep telling myself just wing it, you can do it. Nerves in my body were just jumping jelly beans. I called my mother to ask her can she take me to train station and bring me a bat (shes a softball player) and as I was calling her she decided not to answer her phone. So when I finally got in touch with her it was around 6:30am and I had to meet up with the rest of the mpaact members at 8:30 so I was in such a rush to get in touch with my mother to not only grab a bat but to get to the train station. She told me that there was already a bat at my house which I never thought to look. I ask her to take me as far north as possible. We jump in my grandmothers truck and zoom down lake shore drive and she takes me through traffic swerving through cars like a quiditch player. She drops me off on north and clybourn and I get to meet up with the rest of the gang right on time. God is good. When we arrive to the directors house expecting to get a ride he tells us he was never notified that he would be driving us and he had other plans during the morning. Communication is key and miscommunication always lead to complication. We then call the college in which we were performing at to tell us again what time were we scheduled to perform and to all of or relief not until 10:45. Phewww. So we grab some Mcdonalds on our way there and I recite my lines in the back seat with our scene narrator. We finally arrive and Im told just to relax we have no choice but use our scripts. Luckily for us the audience in which we would be performing for didn't know the script well enough to catch any ad libs. We decided moments before to come up with some pre show music going through Reggie (executive director of MPAACT)  music library. We found four tracks that helped establish the mood well for each scene. The performance was amazing!!! I myself went on stage and in the word of my scene director Marie Go Denzel on 'em! I dug deep emotionally I focused on my characters deep and difficult relationship with his father and took from my own experience and just gave it my all. The final scene is a shouting match between the son and father and I was felt myself really being hurt by my characters father. acting: living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. I was truly my character full mind and body. However there was no separation from me and the character as much as it should've been. I really transformed into my character and I saw myself as Cory like I put on some glasses and I was back in the country during the 50's. I did however guide the character and not let him guide me. I was so relieved to get it over with. We got around of applause and it was so gratifying. It reassured me that this is what I suppose to be doing.