I got called to do a reading of a play last night. The script was sent to me, I was told my part, and I just had to show up. It was a fun play – with tons of characters – and my part was a small one. I had 6 lines. I was a dumb French whore at the time of the storming of the Bastille. The play takes place on July 14, 1789. I am a dumb whore (literally – I’m not using the word “whore” as a judgment – like, that was my character’s profession) and my lines were like: “Duke de Tremouille, can I play with your sword?” etc. hahahahaha<\/p>\n
There’s just something so funny and so SATISFYING about leading what I call the “double life”. I go about my day, I do my normal things, and then – on occasion – I have to go to a random venue and pretend to be someone else. I can think of nothing more satisfying. It just struck me last night as I hurried through the hot grimy streets to the Stella Adler Studio on 27th – the double-ness of it all, and how natural it seems, and has always seemed to me. As a matter of fact, I can’t imagine my life without that double-ness. I’m still like a little kid. You know how little kids must play their make-believe games for a good HOUR before they are ready to join polite society again? (Ahem. Cashel. He goes into his room, shuts the door, and you can hear random laser blasts and explosions … It’s his way of relaxing.) Anyway, I still have that need to play make-believe games. I’m actually really no good as a human being, and no good to polite society, if I DON’T, on occasion, get a chance to play make-believe. And it just seemed so funny: Yesterday I had my normal day. I did my normal adult Sheila things. Then I rushed to the studio, took my place with the rest of the actors – many of whom I knew – I also ran into the fight choreographer from my last show<\/a> in the hallway there – so cool to see him, then we all sat down, took out our scripts, I pretended to be a dim-witted French whore for 45 minutes, and then I was done, and on my way home. hahahaha But it’s like working out. You know how you feel better after working out? That’s how I felt. I feel clearer, more open, more available. It doesn’t matter WHAT I am pretending to be … it’s just the mere act of accepting another world, another personality, and going with it.<\/p>\n Also it was pretty cool – I love the Stella Adler place because you walk in and there is a massive (I mean: MASSIVE) bust of Harold Clurman<\/a> and over the reception desk are two HUGE oil paintings of Stella <\/a>herself, back in her glory days. It’s just – the tradition of it. I love it.<\/p>\n And there were some moments last night – with some of the other actors – where I just felt in love with all of them. The HUMOR … especially this one guy – we were all sitting in chairs in a circle, and every time he said a line he was cutting straight to its comedic center. He was playing a total pretentious blowhard (one of the dudes whose heads would eventually roll in the French revolution) – but also with a deep core of anxiety in regards to his wife’s fidelity. He was INSANELY JEALOUS … and she seemed to give him good reason to be jealous. She was very funny, too. Being blase, and making tons of sexual innuendoes – in a bored voice – which of course drove her poor “husband” insane. But whatever – this actor, whoever he was, was so feckin’ FUNNY. Being completely pompous one minute, going off into his own private Idaho of poetic glory … and then hissing nervously at his wife about this or that indiscretion. I loved this guy. I just loved his commitment. We’re all holding scripts, and the whole thing is very casual – we’re all drinking coffee, sitting in a circle, no big deal – but he was funny, man. He was making us all GUFFAW. Again, I love it. My kind of crowd. Adults. FUNNY PEOPLE. Who love to randomly come to a random studio on a Wednesday evening and pretend to be other people.<\/p>\n Just another chance to play make-believe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I got called to do a reading of a play last night. The script was sent to me, I was told my part, and I just had to show up. It was a fun play – with tons of characters … Continue reading