Lots has been happening since Endless Highway wrapped! Sorry I haven't been the best at keeping up with the blog.
I've become a known regular at Crash Test Drama (a monthly ten minute play competition). The idea behind Crash Test is fantastic. The writers submit their short plays in the time leading up to the round, then the actors turn up at 5:30, go through a quick casting, then rehearse for about an hour and a half. The audience shows up and the performances begin at 7:30. It's a competition, sure, but it never once feels like one. Instead it feels like a great opportunity to test out new scripts, practice your cold read skills, and have a very diverse evening of theatre. I've kept up about my achievements on the homepage of this site, but since i change that as time passes, I'll recap here. The first round I knew about my play received Runner Up for best play. It was a wonderful welcome to the community and I met a bunch of fantastic people. Then the second round I went to, the play I was in was more experimental. I played an emu who was confronting the scientist who created the hydrogen bomb and killed her. During the awards at the end of the evening, I was mentioned for "Outstanding Actress" even though our play didn't win. This most recent round was a very fun piece centering on drug-using flatmates and I played the one who appeared to be most sane with coffee being her drug of choice. It kept the audience laughing throughout and we took home the award for both Judge's Choice Best Play and for Audience Favorite Best Play. That means we go one to the finals! If you're interested in catching us, come to the New Theatre on July 14. Performances should begin at 7:30! I'm also recoding the American version of Sound Therapy International's Listen to Read Program. It's a course that helps kids learn to read! I love being able to do what I love and actually make a difference through it. The people who developed the program are absolutely wonderful and you should check them out! They have a collective background in teaching, working with children, and sound therapy. The Australian version is already available and soon, my voice will be available as the American version! I've also begun filming on a short film WXYZ. This one follows my character and her partner in day to day life as serial killers. It's a bit bizarre, as a film about serial killers would be expected to be, but it a fun change of character for me. It is definitely a different style and personality than I typically get to play! And this is a bit late, but did you catch the Tony Awards? Fellow Peninisula Players alumn Jessie Mueller took home the award for Lead Actress in a Musical! I loved watching my newsfeed on Facebook explode with congratulations to her. I am so proud to call these insanely talented folks my friends!
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Wrapped filming on the short film Endless Highway today. It's been a crazy week of filming, but I think we got a lot of great footage and I can't wait to see it!
The whole experience was lovely. My fellow actors were delightful to work with and the crew was fantastic. The only thing that didn't quite cooperate was the weather. Since the whole film takes place outside except one tiny part of a scene, the weather played quite an important role. It poured. Of course. Though, that works fine with a plot filled with mob bosses, hitchhiking, bounty hunters, and fights. Unfortunately it makes it more difficult to get multiple takes of some of the fights once the costumes get muddy. But with the magic of film, we managed! :) The biggest issue was, ironically, when the sun came out. Continuity and all that, but with some perspective shifts and lots of diffusers and screens the lighting worked out! Overall Sydney has welcomed me in and I have quite a few potential projects on the horizon as well as a few I've been working on and one coming up for sure. I love the creative energy everywhere! For example, I went to a gig in a backyard last week. It was filled with spoken word, music and storytelling that was all top notch, then ended with a brilliant fire dancer! There is so much talent in this city! Next up for me: more filming on For Rent, a new web series and a 24 Hour Theatre show with Black Box Productions. All in all, it's a great time to be here! I've been MIA on the blog-writing front for too long. My apologies!
Things got a little crazy trying to get everything done with Black Fox. Too many jobs for just three of us! It certainly taught me a lot in focusing my energy though. While I certainly don't mind the marketing stuff, it isn't my passion. I did finally get to perform for our cabaret ("Rainbow Connection" on oboe, anyone?), but I've missed acting. One-off performances here and there just aren't the same as the joy that goes into a full show. My one person show I was writing was, well, not what I'd hoped it would be. So I've scraped it until I can figure out why I feel so compelled to tell that story. Until it is a show I would want to see, it isn't what I want to be my first written piece. This is why people have workshops and editors :) My biggest news right now though, is that I'm moving! I was granted a Work and Holiday visa, so I am moving to Australia to try my luck there! I'm very excited at the prospect of what lies ahead for me. There are so many people to meet and experiences to be had! I'll be chronicling the travel/adventure part of that at www.LetsGoFeet.com, but I'm planning to keep this one up professionally, so long as I get work professionally! I land in Sydney Jan. 31. Time for a new chapter! Brothers Beckett is officially closed and we're on to the next show! I do have to say, it's really fun to be in auditions on the casting side of the table. It's teaching me a lot and always interesting to me how different of a perception I have that even the other people casting alongside me. Regardless, I'm very excited for call backs for The Nerd and can't wait to see what these actors bring!
Still writing on my one person show. It's proving far more difficult than I anticipated. Perhaps it's because I'm also still tackling my day job and the marketing for Black Fox. I am excited about it, but it's frustrating how slow some of it is coming along. Ah well. Any good thing is worth taking the time to get right. Added a video page to the website. Started making a reel then realized most of the filmed stuff I have access to is horribly outdated. So that'll have to be a project for another day. You know, with all this free time :) I did have a surprise day off yesterday though! I guess people wanted to take the Fourth of July off from their own jobs (I shouldn't be surprised) so I had time for a fundraising meeting and to catch the fireworks Well folks, I'm writing a show. A one person show that I'm hoping to mount to some test audiences this fall.
It's a ton of work and both frustrating and rewarding. But I'm doing it. I've never much fancied myself as a writer, but if the work you want to do isn't out there I guess there is really no choice but to create it from the ground up! More details coming soon. In the mean time, only two more weeks to see Brothers Beckett! Brothers Beckett is officially open. It has been such a different kind of experience for me from any of my past theatrical endeavors. I can say I have been involved in every part of this production except the writing. I don't remember the last time I really got to sleep before 2am because I've been working on props or corresponding with websites and reviewers to market the show. I've been in tears from stress and anxious from all the variables that are part of this incredible art form.
Right now, though, all I feel is gratitude. I am so happy with the way the show went tonight. There was life and laughs and so much energy. We really got lucky and found incredibly talented actors and a remarkably dedicated team to make it all happen. We had a fantastically responsive audience and so much support from the theatre we're renting. I'm beyond supported by my friends and family who back me financially and emotionally. I am surrounded by people with astounding artistic skills and ideas. I could list all the ways I feel like I've hit the jackpot right now, but instead I'm going to crawl into bed before midnight. <3 M Rehearsals are going fantastically for Brothers Beckett! We've been laughing until our sides hurt most nights (which is a wonderful problem to have). The cast is so energetic and upbeat that I look forward to going every night, even knowing that parking will be a nightmare in the area. Speaking of parking, the other day is took me a solid 40 minutes to find a place to leave my car! Thank goodness I always try to show up crazy early!
Right now my efforts are torn between marketing (gotta fill those seats!), soliciting reviews (already have a few coming!), and pushing the IndieGoGo campaign (gotta pay for the show!). Then there's the whole day job thing to worry about. Plus I'm dancing in Vaudezilla's show this Saturday night. I'm certainly not complaining about any of this, I love to be busy, but my time sure seems to fly away lately. I do find it interesting that as I'm buckling down hashing out tech schedules with all parties of the show, emailing with reviewers, hunting down props, et all, it's also the time I need to be hunting for auditions and the next show. It's amazing how quickly all of this flies by and how easy it is for things to pass you by. Certainly don't want to miss an opportunity! Time to send out more headshots :) <3 M I totally meant to post this a few days ago and time got away from me. I've been very busy at work for my next theatrical venture! Are you ready for this?
(drumroll please!) I'm happy to announce I am the new Marketing Manager for Black Fox Theatre! Black Fox is a young theatre company with great taste and a lot of excitement. I'm so very happy to be part of the team and am doing lots of work to help them be everything they can (I've already booked an event for them as far out as September with shows already planned into October!). It has been humbling and exhilarating to be working with them. Plus, check out the website I made them! www.BlackFoxTheatre.com This past Monday we held auditions for their production of Brother's Beckett (which I'll tell you all about at a later date) and the amount of talent in this city is absolutely fantastic. We had a blast and laughed so very much! Then callbacks showed just how many amazing ways this show could be done. The cast we went with is going to be wonderful and (what I think may be the coolest part) is not at all what I pictured when I read the script but now that I've seen what they can do, I don't even remember what I'd pictured any more. Every actor should sit on the opposite side of the casting table at least once. You really do root for every performer to blow your mind. You really do want them all. The decisions are actually tough. What's more is that you adore their excitement and it only fuels yours even more. There are so many non-acting things I didn't even realize I was taking into consideration while we were casting. Personalities that showed through before and after the scenes, the ways the people interacted with one another. Absolutely fascinating. Tonight is another night of Alone Together and we've already sold out two of the performances we have left. If you haven't already bought tickets, you're running out of chances! After today's fantastic matinee of Alone Together, a bunch of us went off to have fun at the Enchanted Castle in Lombard. Now, to be absolutely clear, as we walked in there were small children running amok, the smell of way too much sugar in the air, tokens clinking, and every ridiculous flashing light game we could think of to greet us. This is no small arcade. This is a megaplex that, in the wrong mood, could drive any well meaning parent insane.
Now with all that said, I could not picture a better end to a weekend. After a great audience this afternoon, we got to go nuts and just have fun ourselves. No sense of "keeping up appearances," no "these 'prizes' are not worth the token price." Instead it was a bunch of people letting loose and having fun. I find artists are typically more open to doing that. I know part of my personal bias is because I spend so much time with artists in general, but I hear comments from my family about how "out there" some of my friends are because we will respond with the glee of children when we are happy. Do I wish everyone would be this sincere? Definitely. Is society always accepting of this? I'm not sure. I know I've gotten strange looks for owning up to things I get excited about, but I can't imagine not expressing joy. Anyway, tomorrow is another big day and it is late, so I'm off for the night. <3 Alone Together is finally open! The preview went well on Thursday and it was great to finally have a small audience to play with, but nothing beats a big crowd that laughs at much of the show. There was one point where I had to hold like crazy because the audience could not stop laughing.
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AuthorMegan is an actress in the Los Angeles area. These are her adventures! Archives
February 2017
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