Getting my Sea-Legs

Last night I began a new rehearsal journey, for the first time in 8 months, as an actor.

It's the longest amount of time I've been away from acting and rehearsals in the 12 years I've been performing. Needless to say I was a little nervous. I packed up my rehearsal bag (you know, script, notebook, pencils, string cheese, apple, water, ballet slippers, ipod, sweatshirt etc.) and started the adventure of The Little Mermaid at the Wheelock Family Theatre. I was excited to arrive at the theater for the read through, to meet my cast mates (including 49 kids...yes you read that right) and get right into blocking.

It was a great night. I was the kind of exhausted at the end of it that you get when you truly focus all of your energy on something really fulfilling. Getting up on stage with a script in my hand and so many opportunities and choices to be made was just thrilling. I had forgotten that part. The excitement. The newness.

But the familiarity and comfortableness were palpable too. It was like putting on my favorite sweater. I slipped on my actor-self and was instantly at ease, warm, at home. It was so natural. I was expecting a certain level of rustiness, or uncertainty in myself, but there was none. I just did. It was wonderful.

I've had many different kinds of experiences in the time I've been away from acting. I've directed, house managed, stage managed, and joined the Co-Lab. All have been worthwhile and I have learned something new about theatre, myself, and the rehearsal process doing them all. But I realized last night, that they are things that just work to continue to shape me as a performer. And right now I'm feeling pretty good about who that performer is.