She's BACK!

When people start referring to themselves in the 3rd person, either they are really bad-ass or bat-shit crazy. Humor me, and let's pretend (just for today) that I'm the former.

Today was the last performance of my play, the Los Angeles premiere of Horton Foote's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Young Man From Atlanta". I just got home, and I'm still aglow!

Although I LURVE theatre, this is the first full-length play that I have done in 8 years. Most theatre in L.A. doesn't pay the bills, and although I've missed performing onstage, I just couldn't afford to do work that wasn't going to contribute to my bottom line until now. Going into this, I was apprehensive, fearful, rusty, and undisciplined. I almost didn't even audition for it. 3 months later, it was the best thing that I could have done at this time. I need to find a way to do more theatre. N-O-T-H-I-N-G will whip your acting muscles into shape like performing in front of a live audience. Those people paid their hard-earned dollars to see a show, and you had better give 'em one. You get one take, and you'd better make it good. No "oops, can we do that again?" No "Sorry, what's my line?" Make it work. The end.

I got to work with a great cast of professional, seasoned actors, a few of whom have been in this business as long as (if not longer than) I've been ALIVE. I learned so much from watching them. The producer and director were happy with my work, I received some great compliments from the audience and fellow actors, some good reviews, and by week 3 it was second-nature again. Like riding a bike. This is what I do.

I need to get back to the theatre regularly. I'll be joining Actor's Equity next week so that I can audition for Equity productions, and not have to do the non-Equity open calls. I don't yet know if I need to find an Equity agent or what, but I'll figure it out as I go. My mother likes to quote Proverbs & tell me that my gifts will make room for me (basically, if I use my gifts, things will work out to enable me to keep using them), so I'm just going to accept that on faith.

I feel like I've found my way home.

Color me happy. And a little tipsy from the wrap party. Hic.

Cheers!

XXOO

--Nicole

P.S. - My scriptfrenzy script isn't going so well. I'm supposed to be writing 3.3 pages a day, and I don't think I've written anything in a week. More on that later. I'll be writing my butt off tomorrow. I don't want to break this commitment to myself, and I'm salty that I've even gotten into this situation.