New Show and Documentary Update!

This is the last Repost from Rene's Revolution. For now. ;-)




I didn't have a great photo for this post so, I just used a couple of my new headshots. That one in the green won't really ever get used, I don't think, it was one we took just for fun. But I like it. :)

A couple of days ago Curtis and I woke up early and headed to LA to do some filming for the documentary. We were in a plastic surgeons office. We got to see a lot of things including part of a breast augmentation. Boy, I always knew that surgery wasn't "pretty" and that it would be rough going when filming surgeries but man- it was really disgusting. The smell alone was gross. But the sight of someone cutting and cauterizing skin is really gruesome to me. Curtis handled it a little better than me, but then, he doesn't have boobs. ;-)

It's been a busy week in general on the documentary front. We're really getting into the filming part now. Most of the paperwork and research is behind us. That is exciting! Add to that business the fact that I am just finishing up "Tech week" for the show I am doing. Tech week is also known as "Hell Week". It's the week of dress rehearsals, sound and light cues and last minute changes in blocking, costumes and stuff like that. It's not always bad. This director is actually really good about getting us out at reasonable times, but it's no matter what it's always a somewhat stressful and busy week for the actors and tech crew involved.

We open tonight! Last night we had our final dress rehearsal with a small audience. It went okay, but not great. One of our actors was sick the night before our dress rehearsal so that rehearsal was a little out of sorts without him. The dress rehearsal was good for us to get back on our feet all together but it was a little rough. I think tonight will be better. Let's hope. ;-)

I play 4 different parts in this play. A cockney accented Ukrainian immigrant, a touch chick truck driver/delivery girl, a recently sobered up alcoholic doctor and a somewhat bitchy recovering alcoholic waitress.

I won't lie, the cockney accent was hard for me. Some accents come somewhat naturally to me and others not so much. Cockney is not one of my strengths. But I gave it my best shot with accent cds and such. But by this week, I had to just let go of the idea of being perfect and just have fun with it. I believe that while I will probably have critics critiquing my accent, I would have had them even if I was better than I am and more people will enjoy my performance if I am having fun with the accent than if I am nervous or trying to hard. Also, at one point I felt really good about the accent but the director was afraid that some of the audience wouldn't be able to understand me so, we dialed it back a bit so now it's a watered down cockney. In any case, it's a much more fun part when I am just having fun with the accent than it was before when I was nervous and trying hard to make it perfect.

In other words, I don't think that all the great, real "chameleons of acting" out there have to worry about me catching up to them, yet, in terms of accent mastery. Oh well, I did the best I could on my own and with a couple of accent cds. ;-) Also, my character is Ukrainian who learned English from a cockney speaking teacher. So, really, that accent could be very varied. That's my story and I am sticking with it. ;-)

Sometimes it's not about being "perfect" as much as it is making the best of what you've got. :) I took this part because going between characters and doing different accents and voices would be a challenge for me and would help me grow as an actor no matter what. I'm glad that I took on that challenge and I hope that it pays off in terms of audience enjoyment. :) I should probably take a couple of improv classes though. I think having more improv experience would have helped me in this show.

I am excited to be a part of the show though. It's written by the Amy and David Sedaris and I love them both. David has written some of the funniest stories I have ever heard. My friend Karen and I had a great time listening to his books on cd in her car whenever we went places together for about a year straight. We also went to one of his book readings and he signed our books. He was very nice and funny. His sister Amy is also quite funny and she is an actress. I am also a fan of hers. You can check her out HERE.

I am thankfully not playing the part she plays. I'd hate to ever be compared to her playing a part that she and her brother wrote for her. I also now really regret not getting to see her in this play years ago. My friend Karen and I were going to try and see it when it was up in LA but we ended up just never being able to. I would love to be able to see her vision of it now. I wonder if it was ever recorded? Hmmm. I should look into that.

So, that's where the show stands as of now. I will leave you all with a little blurb about the play from the playhouse website:

The Book of Liz
From one of the wittiest satirists of our time and his comedienne sister Amy comes the wacky tale of Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, cheese ball maker for her cloistered religious community, the Squeamish, who leaves the compound for the very first time to discover the lunacy of the outside world.

The playhouse website is

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