Off book!

The first rehearsal off-book. Thankfully it was just Act I, but Act II won't be as bad for me as it is for pretty much everyone else in the cast. I'm gone for most of the second act. Today's rehearsal saw me pretty much focused on myself and my lines.

In my short four years as an actor (I don't count elementary school plays), I have noticed one thing about my technique or lack thereof - I have always been horrible at monologues... especially monologues where somethng can easily distract me. In this show, my first monologue (not that I have real beefy monologues.. only a few sentences apiece) takes place as I'm having my pants removed, etc. Problem with this? My character isn't supposed to realize this is happening to him. I'm being jostled around a bunch, but then I don't even bother to look at what's happening to me. This is very difficult for me, as is apparent in the fact that I completely screwed up every line I had from that point on in the show (the last scene of Act I).... I get flustered easy.

Another thing that I've struggled with as an actor is projection. I just cannot to it convincingly. I'd really like to know how my diaphragm works, because something's got to be wrong with what I'm doing. Doing the musical JUST SO was really difficult for me because we didn't get microphones. I had to sing a song with the rest of the company doing backup vocals, and I would be completely drowned out.

My main note from Dillard tonight? "LOUDER"

Overall, lots of great things going on with the show. Dr. Seibert did some really nice stuff tonight. Dr. Dillard changed some things up in the rehearsal scene and made it even more hilarious. Jen and I figured out our sex dialogue... with no help from me since I couldn't think of anything to say that could be funny and secual without being masty at the same time.