An Actor is...Tired

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Just a quick update on rehearsals for Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter.

Wow! I'm exhausted!

We've gotten through the bulk of the script (I think). My brain is not firing on all cylinders. Last night at rehearsal...or was it the night before...I said something and had completely inverted two of the words in my sentence. Not as in the style of that controversial Star Wars character (i.e. "Do it again we should."), but more like "I'm really up picking not on that dance step." Or something of the likes.

Intense this is! We're doing a stumble-through tomorrow night of what we have so far. That means starting at the top and trying to make our way through until it falls apart, fix it, and keep going as far as we can.

I've somehow mananged to end up with script and music mixed together in two different binders in an attempt to be organized and now find myself completely lost. Frightening.

Oh! Speaking of frightening. The "passarelle" is this thing that extends out from the stage and circles around the pit (the lowered pit in front of the stage where an orchestra would be for a big musical). It's about four feet wide across the front and we're dancing(!) on these large "gold coins" ON THE "PASSARELLE!" (This term, I think, originated from some story as a joke and the spelling is rather nonexistent, but it sounds like it might be spelled like that.) It's really plenty of room and safe, but when you're dancing across it, it sometimes a bit daunting.

Ensemble work is incredibly difficult. I've acknowledged this for several years now and I'll say it here: There is a very different skill set required for ensemble work as opposed to principle work. It seemed that in college and even now that there exists this mentality that being in the ensemble means that you're "just in the chorus." So far from the truth. It is so much intense work and in such a teamwork kind of way, even more so than principle roles, I think. I'll try to come up with a better way to describe the difference between the two. All the cast is in the same boat (along with the director/choreographer, stage manager, designers, production team, etc.), but in the ensemble it's...I have no coherent way to describe it right now. I'll give it more thought and see what I come up with.

And there's so much more singing and dancing! So much to learn!

So here's my hat off to all the gypsies out there! You guys rock! I think after this show, I think I'm going to leave my hat off to the gypsies instead of trying to put their hat on. Whew!

OK...I'm going to try to get my binders meshed into one and figure out where I move when!

(Photos: 1. Matt James (Duke of Bonfire) in foreground, Dawn Westbrook (Director/ Choreographer) seated at table, David Janeski (Rumpelstiltskin) in the background; 2. Jar Jar Binks; 3. Maggie Roop (Lady Vennesse/Granny/Ensemble), Corey Davis (Lady Camilla/Ensemble) 4. Devin Richards from the recent Broadway revival of 110 in the Shade (and the Gypsy Robe winner from that production)