Did Something New

Back at the end of February an e-mail arrived in my in-box from Liberty Lake Community Theatre. They were holding auditions for a reader's theatre. I enjoy theatre very much even though I haven't participated in any shows since I was in elementary school. Since this was a reader's theatre and a pretty short-term commitment, I decided to audition and see what happens.

I was cast as one of the villagers. My lines weren't very complicated and not very many but I enjoyed participating. And as with all experiences, there were some things I learned.

I enjoyed meeting new people in my community; people I wouldn't have met otherwise. Well, there were a few cast members I knew. One family I knew from church and a couple of other kids I knew from working in the schools. I learned that the LLCT would like to expand the number of community members who audition from their productions, but for right now, it seems to be pretty much the same group of 20 people trying out.

I learned that I am a much better actor in my mind than I am in reality. I try to remember that acting, just like any skill, requires practice to achieve success. I'm just trying to decide if I want to continue to practice. Maybe this experience was enough to meet my desire to act.

I'm not sure if it was because this was a reader's theatre or if it was this director's style, but I felt like there was not much direction or feedback given to me. I am sure that this was due to the fact that I had a bit part that wasn't a make it or break it role. I learned that I really do require words of affirmation or critical feedback, especially when trying out a new skill. I want to know if I'm doing things right/wrong and where I can improve.

I learned that what Carson misses most when I am gone is no dinner. I have no idea how many nights he had cereal for dinner. Honestly cereal for dinner is pretty much a staple at our house so I'm not sure why he was so sensitive to this during the 3 weeks of rehearsals. Well I guess it is nice to be missed for something.

Overall this was a good experience for me. It got me out of my typical "running for social interaction" mode and gave me a chance to tryout a new skill. Even if I don't participate in another production, I will find a way to support LLCT and the new group of people I met.