Alright, Alright...If You Insist.

Lately, some heard some complaints from my fans that I haven't updated my blog in awhile.  And by fans, I mean my parents.  

The truth is, I've been so busy doing some really awesome things, I just haven't had time to write about them.  And to some degree, writing about how awesome things are COULD be perceived as tooting my own horn, and contrary to what Dean might tell you, I don't like to toot.  I do, occasionally, poot- but that is a different blog.

Last week, we closed our short run of WHALES AND SOULS at The Flea Theater.  It was the first NYC production by The Salvage Company, the first full production of the show in the US, and it was great.  We had super houses, and we're keeping our ears open for opportunities to bring it back down the line.  Check out some production photos from our run (courtesy of Dean Poynor.)

In the midst of rehearsing WHALES, I agreed to take part in Primary Stages One Minute Play Festival, held at 59E59.  It was a hoot, with brand new plays by Neil LaBute, Tina Howe, Craig Lucas, Nilaja Sun, and many, many more.  I was in 5 of them, and in the course of the evening, I dragged myself across the stage without the use of my legs, forced my kids to swim with Tennessee Williams, spotted and ran from an approaching tornado, and said some questionable things as a sex-starved Maggie the Cat.  

In early October, Chris White came to NYC to shoot some scenes with me for his upcoming film, GET BETTER, and this Saturday, I head to NC to finish shooting the film there.  Check out the blog he and his wife Emily have about the film and their process.  Pretty moving stuff, and I'm honored to be part of it all.

I finish shooting GET BETTER November 7th, and then I travel to Myrtle Beach, SC to play the Mom in the stage adaptation of A CHRISTMAS STORY at Atlantic Stage.  Yep, it's the same as the movie, and I get to say, "You'll shoot your eye out."  Mindi and Thom Penn run Atlantic Stage, and are killing it on the Grand Strand with their fantastic work, and I'm so happy to join them.  I'll be there off and on through December 18th (thank you, Spirit Air!)  Hooray for friends and hooray for theatre!

So, that's what's been up with me, work-wise, anyway.  I could bore you with details about how my husband is phenomenal and talented, or how my dog is super well-behaved, or how I'm cooking up a storm lately in the kitchen, but I'll save personal life stuff for another post.  

Sorry, I tooted.  ;)

Our Radio Interview!

We are in Cairns, Queensland Australia, performing Andrew Kramer's one-woman show, Whales and Souls.  Yesterday, we had a great interview with Fiona Sewell of ABC Radio, and here is the link to it.

More bog posts to come.  It's a busy time, as we open TOMORROW on a double bill with La Mama Melbourne.

MWhttp://soundcloud.com/mawyche/whales-souls

Our Radio Interview!

I'm in Cairns, Queenland, Australia, performing Andrew Kramer's one-wman show, Whales and Souls.  There will be blog posts to come, but for now, please enjoy this interview Andrew and I had with ABC Radio in Cairns yesterday.  I think we sound pretty good, frankly.  :)

Wish y'all could see this show.

Oh, wait.  You CAN.  We're doing this show in NYC in October, so clear your calendars for October 19-23.  We'll be at The Flea Theater!!

MW

I Should Be Packing

In 9 hours, I will be on a flight to Australia.  In 6 hours, I will be in a car to take me to the airport.  In 5 hours, I will be weepy and Dean will be unable to pry me from around his neck.

And I haven't started packing yet.

I haven't even picked up the laundry yet.  I've not showered yet.  My To-Do list is long.

Don't get me wrong- I am so excited and very fortunate to be traveling to the other side of the world to perform Whales and Souls.  I'm thrilled to see old friends in Cairns, to bring these characters to life, to get to know my playwright friend Andrew Kramer better (22 hours of travel time should do it.)  I'm interested to see how the audience responds to the work there, and I'm excited to snorkel again on the Great Barrier Reef, and maybe even hold a koala again.

But you know, it's tough to leave your loved one for 11 days.  Tough to leave your cats.  REALLY tough to leave your dog.  It's tough to leave your kitchen and your mailbox.

So...what I have to remember is that I get to come home.  I get to do this amazing play in a far away, tropical place, and when it's all over...I get to come home.

And when I get back, I will not complain about walking the dog for a very long time.  :)

They're in There. Somewhere.

I'm learning lines this morning.  Well, right now, I'm distracting myself with a blog post, but I'm REALLY learning lines.  A lot of them.  All of them.

It's funny.  When I'm in a play with other actors, I don't feel as pressured to learn my lines quickly, because it feels like the cast shares the burden together.  As if it's only 30% my responsibility to be off book.  This is crazy math, I know.  There's a feeling that "the lines will come" once the cast gets in the habit of running the scenes over and over.  There's this trust that things will fall into place right on schedule...or sometime shortly after.

This time, it's different.  I'm my own scene partner.  If I plan on learning Beatrice's lines, I darn well better learn the ones for Tamara, because they're in a scene together.  I can't hang out backstage and listen for when Thandi comes on, because I AM Thandi.  I can't rely on Eedric's cue line to remind me what I say next, because Eedric is ME.  And I can't run offstage to the restroom during Joven's scene with The Creature because...you get the idea.

Don't get me wrong- this is an awesome opportunity to test myself like this, to branch out and try something new.  But it is no small feat.  And with THAT, I return to my script.

I just needed a momentary diversion.

Talking to Myself...Again.

So, I have a LOT of lines to learn before I head to Australia next month.  Like, ALL the lines in the whole play.  LOTS. OF. LINES.

Usually, rehearsing scenes with other actors helps the lines stick in my brain.  Like when you hear a song over and over again, you eventually start to pick up the lyrics, right?

But what happens when the other actors in the scene are YOU?  When YOU are all the actors?  When you are in a scene with yourself (or selves, as the case may be.)

Enter the iPhone.  Have you seen that voice recorder app on there?  The one you thought was for grocery lists or to record that great screenplay idea you had on the train.  It's quickly becoming my best friend.  I recorded all 26 scenes of Whales and Souls as individual sound files, and can now listen to them as I run errands, ride the train, and...read my script.

Some people are visual learners, some are kinesthetic learners, and some learn by hearing things.  When I was teaching school, we recognized that the more ways you can impart information to a person, the more likely it is to stick.  Having a kid read a chapter on the civil rights movement is one thing, but having him watch "Hairspray" as well helps to drive the message home. (You see, it's about the civil rights movement...and DANCING!)

While I would love to watch "Hairspray" right now, I will instead be listening to the sound of my own voice for hours on end.  Like Dean has to do every day. (Ba-DUM-dum.  Enjoy the buffet, I'm here all week.)

Send me good thoughts.  Otherwise, I might be calling you to run lines with me.