Thespian - translated from the Greek “one who translates”, an actor or actress.
I’ve made the miraculous jump from AM Radio personality to thespian in a matter of months of landing in Esperance, completely by chance. All I wanted to do was meet some more people, now I’m a superstar (sic).
So how did all this happen and where has it taken me? Cale Hill is the man to blame for all this, he suggested I audition for “A Christmas Carol” at the Bijou Theater, my only previous experience with the Bijou was months earlier when I was investigating this little town called Esperance before I moved here and I found a news article about McDonald’s wanting to open a restaurant in Esperance but the ‘local theater’ was complaining about the noise that would come from it and possibly impede on a production there. I mocked them at the time … now I’m ‘them’.
There’s a few things which I’m learning in the theater, here’s my list in case you fall into theater production anytime soon.
- Apparently you don’t say “good luck”, instead you say “break a leg” … I’m not comfortable with either so I say generic things like “go hard” and “give it 110%”
- You can never be too quiet in the wings or backstage
- If you’re going to be late then be an hour or two late - that’s way more fashionable than 15-45 minutes late
- Learning your lines is useless … performing them and understanding the story works for me
- Never work with animals, children or chains
- Bring lollies
- Old ladies feel they have the authority to talk to you about an eating plan once they’ve seen you in a production
- Older people will laugh at everything if you call it a pantomime
- It’s fully ok to be in your underwear in front of others backstage
- It’s fully not ok to be in your underwear in front of others on stage
- People at shops don’t understand why you’re wearing makeup and buying fast food at the same time
- Makeup is not emasculating, apparently it’s “for the lights”
- The smaller the number of directors the better
- Saying the word prompt doesn’t work in normal conversations with people, it only works when you’re on stage and you’ve forgotten what to say next
- Improvising is the fun part
- Secret improvising is the funner part
- The last night is when you can be naughty, but apparently not ‘that’ naughty … but you can have fun with the scenes as long as the story still carries and the cues aren’t missed. Apparently walking onto stage in your underwear is “too far”
- Hot chips are an ok replacement for real meals when you’re a thespian
- In local theater you don’t get your own dressing room
Oh it’s been a journey