Why don't you come on over, Valerie?

1) Warm. Sunny. "Budding tulips among the cigarette butts!" Warm. Holy hell I never thought I would appreciate the day as much as this. I was always a winter gal--something about parking yourself in a snow bank as a kid and taking in the silence the snow creates, no sound but the sway of the trees and the breath on your lips (I know. Snow is poetic. It's nothing new.)

2) Anyway, class yesterday. Nice way to begin my day, as usual. I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before-- I think it's because I downed a coffee and iced tea right before I went to bed (I see you judging me!) And so the longish warm up session was like sending an electric surge through my body like "who's ready to act?!" I AM. "Hey, whatcha doing, Katie?" Oh nothing, just waiting to take on a WILDEBEEST."

You'd think wildebeest would have the word "beast" in it, but there goes the English language again, fucking with your head.

3) The task of creating a Greek world seemed fun and a great way to utilize artistic license (I almost typed autistic). But then I guess personal issues came into the mix, and next thing you know the air is thick with passive aggression and middle school-ey whining. And I joined in as well--because that shit spreads like a virus--But it's supposed to be fun, people! We take each other too seriously. So once we cut the crap and focused on embodying the people of Ancient Greece, it was grand. It felt good to have Kashi walk into our world and approvingly observe our Acropolis-like environment and graceful movements.

4) Reading the text posed an interesting challenge (I felt like I had bronchitis after class). I believe an actor can grasp the intensity of the words without changing the pitch or volume of his or her voice. Take Sir Ian McKellen, for example. He is an accomplished Shakespearean actor and has successfully performed several monologues without screaming at the top of his lungs. But that intensity--that blistering energy and vigor is still there. I have to work on making it "bigger" without causing the audience to groan and say "wahh wahh." And that brings me to another point: a negative result of turning on the "acting voice" is that the words sound bland and repetitive, when really, there are so many fascinating things you can do to the audience and/or another actor with every line. These are real people who discussed problems that are still very much relevant to today's society; so I must learn to stray from stereotypical visions of the Greeks-- which merely constitute the shell of these characters-- and breath life into them so that they are real, heart-pumping organisms.

5) Look at this interesting adaptation of Electra, performed at MetroStage in DC. It's kind of Polaroid Stories-esque. Dunno what to think of it.

6) I am thrilled to take on the role of ELECTRA, Warrior Greek. Along with my bitch of mother CLYTEMNESTRA, played by Miss Beckerman.

Love,
Katie