Do I wake or sleep?

We had a nice big house last night, packed with friends, including Michael, Tesse, Lori, Patricia, Paul and Tony. They weren't really guffawing but they were really into it--at the end of the hospital scene when the big "event" happens, I heard a gasp and someone else made a sound. And during the Xmas party at the big reveal, there was another gasp. AWESOME.

Patricia was so incredibly sweet afterward. She was saying some really nice things about how much she enjoyed how I played the part, how perfect she thought I was for it. (She said the girl in the reading last November was beautiful but you could tell she was not a model--she said it was obvious I had modeled. It's all about the popped joints and wrists, baby!) It turns out she knows Calvin (they both went to Oberlin) and of course she already knew Shawn from Thyme. I haven't seen Patricia much at all since Prince Trevor, I really miss her. I asked Duncan to write us a show where we can act together again--I said "like Sideshow!" Because we look exactly alike! Anyway I just love her, she makes being in a show a special thing because she's always so positive and fun, and I want to do another one with her soon.

Interestingly I think last night's show was a little distracted for me, and I usually give better performances when people I know are in the audience. I think it was a two-days-off thing. Some scenes were the best they've ever been (the hospital scene with Calvin, the picnic), some were a little off (the tete-a-tete with Sean at the end of the picnic scene). The hospital scene went very well indeed, especially toward the end--I allowed myself to...get what was going on, and react to it dynamically, and start to...push it a little.

Afterward when Duncan, Lori and I were talking, I asked Duncan if he'd based Tara on me (something I've always suspected, which makes playing this character weird--I feel sometimes as though I'm playing myself, like I'm being and not acting). Duncan said not exactly, but he'd used some things I'd said ("summer is my favorite time of year" and the stuff I throw at Calvin in the hospital scene, plus the whole blonde fetish thing) and had always intended for me to play the part. This sounds about right. Tara is more of a spiritual dilettante than I am, and less conventional. Although I've quite enjoyed learning about yoga--my flexibility really HAS been improving. I can actually grab my toes now. Go, me!

So we're in week 2 of rehearsals for Duncan's play Ore, or Or and it's going quite well. I really like our director, Laura--she's calm, very organized and always on message and on schedule, and gives great direction. At the first rehearsal she laid out exactly what she expected of us, and it's great knowing that. She explained she wanted us to warm up, voice and body, and to get there well before the actual starting time--I'm so proud, I've been getting to rehearsal 15 minutes early! This is very unlike me! :) Our SM, Julia, is also great--as it turns out, she is also a Lost Colony alumna, so we bonded over that. There are six cast members but four principals, so we rehearse together the most. I already know Shawn of course (he was Demetrius in The Thyme of the Season)--he plays Shawn. And the actor who plays Calvin is named...Calvin. And I play a character named Tara. It's a little synchronous but we're dealing.

As rehearsals go on, I like Shawn's performance more and more. He might not be the best reader, because his line readings are pretty slow at first, but as he gets more familiar with them, he really starts bringing it. He's also a very thoughtful actor, and finds the beats, and he is very open to suggestions. I just really like working with him. He has a scene with Calvin where they argue about exclusionary trends in the various Star Trek versions and the scene is just great, they really invest it with energy. Lots of subtext there! Our Calvin is also terrific--I have one epic (Laura's word) scene with him that is taking a good amount of work to find all the beats, and I've been getting a little giggly. (I can't say why--spoilers!) But he's great, and I think it's going to be one of the best scenes in the show. (I already think it's one of the best-written scenes--every line advances the drama.)

The fourth actor in our little quartet is Elizabeth who plays Debbie. She is pretty quiet and seems shy (doesn't talk much) but very sweet.

I'm enjoying mapping out my character's journey--it's more complex than I first thought. I do a lot of yoga in this play, which is very new to me, and not easy at all--my hamstrings and quads are not really that flexible and it's quite difficult for me to do the "Downward Dog." However I love the "Upward Dog" and the "Warrior"! I've been really trying to stretch out, and when I take a hot bath, it seems to help a lot.

I suggested to the other three today that we should get together this weekend to run lines, and suggested the Mexican restaurant on 8th Avenue (Cancun--mmmm, yummy margaritas in adorable cactus glasses) that inspired the Mexican restaurant scene in the play. They agreed--we're meeting Sunday evening for drinks, line-running and cast-bonding. I'm letting the other two cast members know as well.

I'm almost entirely off-book!