Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Making Her Triumphant Return to the Stage . . . .

I auditioned for the first time in ten years last night, for the Oneonta Stage Players All-Female version of The Odd Couple.  I went in with the basic expectation of trying to prove to myself that I could still do it, with small hopes that I might somehow end up with the role of Vera, which, when I saw The Odd Couple with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (3rd to last show, by the way, and I have no idea how my friend Ann got tickets because the run sold out faster than a garage band), was played by Lee Wilkoff, who originated the role of Seymour Krelbourne in Little Shop of Horrors.

And I got it.

I got the part.

I read cold and I was suddenly inspired by a girl I went to grad school with, a girl we'll call Princess.  Princess was not the brightest crayon in the box.  She was a few tacos shy of a combo plate.  A few ants short of a picnic.  You know the drill.  And she had this voice, this little stupid idiot vacant voice that allowed you to actually hear the flies buzzing inside her empty skull.  I played Vera like that, with that same tight, clipped little speech pattern . . .  and I got the part. 

I got the part.

Ten years after I swore off acting, I got the role I really wanted.

Guess I owe Princess a thanks.

No comments:

Post a Comment