Tag: BJ Hughes

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Spoon Lake Blues dress rehearsal

Tuesdays dress rehearsal went great. I was a little worried about lines and other people’s lines, but even with a few stumbles (and no ability to call lines) it went really well. Something we added to the mix last night was drinks. The drinks are Diet Coke with a Bud Light wrapper. Tell you what. I got a caffeine rush after nearly chugging the first one. Don’t really need to do that. We do open a lot of cans throughout the performance.

Pat Hurley (coach, light and sound, etc.) said it was one of the best performances, best acting he has seen me do at any time. That is great, I am improving my skill. What bothers me somewhat is that with even a small audience, my drive, energy, etc. increases. Not that that is the problem, just that I need to find all that energy during rehearsals and especially auditions. I can feel it, I know I have it, just where is it when I need it.

We rehearsed curtain call. Always an ego type of thing, curtain calls are. I had in mind that Kellee and Kandice would come out together and then Greg and I would come out together. BJ’s first order: Kellee, Kandice, Greg, and then Me. Got a little excited about that. I have had leads and have come out as the last pair, but never been given top billing. (I did say this was an ego thing). So I was excited and like I said, I thought Greg and I would come out together. Final plan: Kellee, Kandice, Greg, and then I walk out. Greg and I are to compete over bowing. Then bow as a group. Then the girls push us off stage. So no single spotlight, but I think this is better. Ego be something-or-other somewhere else.

TIP: Never make a comment about Curtain Call during planning and rehearsal of. And NEVER complain. The smallest things concerning ego can get you disliked. I even had a director once comment the she had never created a curtain call that did not elicit some kind of comment from the actors. I think she hated doing them.

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Auditioned for the Summer Reps

This past Saturday night was the audition for Summer Reps #1 and #2 with consideration for #3 and #4.

BJ Hughes and Pat Hurley are the directors for Reps 1 and Reps 2 respectively, so the audition was in front of both of them. After introductions, BJ asked if I had any monologues. Monologues were provided if you did not have one. Well, I have been working with Pat on a comedic and a dramatic for the Atlanta Unifieds.

BJ asked me to do the comedic monologue and so I do. And then Pat turns to BJ and says that I know MARTY. So I do that one as well. When I finish, Pat gave me a thumbs-up hidden so that only I can see it. Pat tells me on Sunday that not only was that the best he has seen me do those two monologues, but also that BJ said it was the best he has seen anyone do MARTY. Sweet.

Both were satisfied with the monologues and did not want to see a cold reading. BJ even said he was familiar with my work. I don’t remember BJ being at any of my plays. But he seemed very please.

As I am leaving I hear BJ tell Pat, “Great start to the evening”.  It seems to have been one of my best auditions. There was very little in the way of lessons learned except that as I am waiting in the green room, I did not prepare for my monologues. Got lucky. Pat says my instincts are very good. I really should have been preparing in the green room with my monologues or even for a particular role if that is what I wanted to audition for.