Tag: Rebecca Coffee

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Auditioned for Driving Miss Daisy

I was able to audition for Driving Miss Daisy last night at Act1 Theater. There were a total of 3 people who auditioned for DAISY, 2 who auditioned for HOKE and only me for BOOLIE. That’s pretty good for me.

The director Rebecca Coffee, who also directed A Christmas Story, admitted that she has already additions “some” people already who could not make it to the two scheduled audition times. And she may already have someone she wants for BOOLIE.

And there is still Thursday’s audition.

Still, if there is no one else, I got a pretty good shot at having the role. There is never a guarantee until you receive the call. Rebecca could actually not want me at all.

After the audition, I had a discussion with one of the actresses about character development. Her thought is to “steal from the best” and by that she meant, look at what has already been done and use it. I have only seen bits-and-pieces of the movie but after watching this actress for a few moments, I realized she was, I believe, doing exactly what Jessica Tandy did in the movie. Her thought was that it is still her doing the acting and herself will be part of the role to make it unique.

I try to avoid watching some movies for this very reason. I want to be Jay Croft as BOOLIE, not Jay Croft as Dan Aykroyd as BOOLIE. I want to find my own character, feel the character for who he is. That does not mean that I won’t add little things from what other actors have done, little mannerisms etc, as it feels right.

I am not saying ether way is right or wrong, just that it is not what I want to do. Besides NO ONE can do themselves as Jimmy Stewart as GEORGE BAILEY in It’s a Wonderful Life and be taken seriously.

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A Christmas Carol at Kudzu

I went with Rebecca Coffee (Director of A Christmas Story) and her family to see A Christmas Carol at Kudzu Playhouse last night. Now I am not a critic and I do not plan on starting now. I will say it is worth seeing.

The point of this post is not the play itself, but the actors in the play. I did light and sound tech for this show last year and have throughout the year worked with many of the same actors. So after the show, during the greeting the cast, I received hugs from what seemed like, half the cast (more like a quarter of the cast of 40).

It just show me how close cast members can sometime get. It is very nice to be part of a community of actors who enjoy working together.

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Update for Octorber 2007

Since August 14th: Ramona Quimby has started and we are actually approaching our last weekend; I started a new job; And landed a lead role in A Christmas Story.

Ramona Quimby opened in Kudzu Playhouse’s old location but moved to Kudzu’s Stage 2 on September 22nd. I spent every night, and all of Friday the week before and around Saturday’s two shows building out the set and dressing room. I was exhausted after that week and skipped acting class that Monday night, more on that in a minute.

I also picked up another role in Ramona Quimby, that of MR FROST. Paul Komorner who was MR FROST always had a conflict on Sundays and Saturday nights. He was also in Bermuda Avenue Triangle on Kudzu’s Stage 1. MR FROST was being played by Jerry Harlow in the old theatre where he could escape from the tech booth for just long to do the 30 second part.

I purchased from a Halloween shop, a hat, Elvis glasses and beard to alter my appearance. With an overcoat I look completely different. One cast member said I looked like Hank Williams, Jr. I also use a Texas twang for a voice.

I started taking an acting class again with Chris Cole Harris. She called and said she was trying to get a class together and at the time I was not doing anything other than Ramona Quimby, so I said why not. The class started on September 17th and after a very long week, decided to skip the night of the 24th.

I also started a new job on September 4th.

Every year, Kudzu does A Christmas Carol for the Holiday Season. Last year, I was light and sound tech and had such fun with the 120+ light and sound queues that I wanted to do it again this year. I went as far as telling Wally and Jenny that I wanted to be tech again.

Well, it turns out that Act 1 Theatre in Alpharetta did not fill the roles of RALPH (Narrator) or THE OLD MAN (RALPHIE/RALPH’s dad) in A Christmas Story. I was recommended by several people to Rebecca Coffee who is directing the show. Working with Rebecca I scheduled an audition on Thursday, September 26th for ether role. Rebecca decided to cast me as RALPH.

If you remember from the movie by the same name, there is a narration all throughout the movie. The Narrator is the grown up RALPHIE. For the play, the narrator (RALPH) is on stage for most of the play.

I have finally landed a lead and I am very excited about the play. And a little nervous, there are a bunch of lines. Oh and this play is also being reviewed for the Metro Atlanta Theatre Awards.