General Update

I apologize for not posting my weekly advice column on Saturday. What with the holidays, things are a little hectic. I have them lined up, but I want to save them for Saturdays, so this Saturday I will be back in the saddle again. For now, I am just sharing some overall thoughts.

I have not looked at a calendar to confirm for certain, but I am 99% sure that at the moment, this is the longest hiatus from being in a show that I have ever had, since becoming an actor. (My last show being the one I also directed at the Old Opera House, back in July.) Speaking of getting back in the saddle, it is in fact time for me to do a show...Though circumstances do not seem to be cooperating with me totally for the moment.

I will not say my life flies apart when I am not in a show. I do however feel confident in saying that nothing keeps my mental and creative aspects sharper than being in a good show, with a cast that I like."Full use of your powers, along the lines of excellence", as the Greeks used to advise in order to achieve happiness in life. Though there are some other things in my life, when I am not in a show, I do not feel I honestly am making FULL use of my powers.

So, it will be time for a show soon, if things work out?

"Things such as what, Ty", you may ask.

To begin with, the Old Opera House is opening next year with a play that has no real positions for me. In fact, next year in total at the OOH will have fewer parts for me all the way around, given that men my age will not have many shows to choose from. (One even being an all emale cast.) There are probably one or two shows I would consider trying out for, just for the sake of being back at the Opera House. But their season opener is pretty much out of the question for me. Perhaps their second show of the season will have some parts for me.

Then, there is the sometimes mentioned, (here on the blog) Apollo Civic Theatre. I have had more than my share of problems with the ACT. I will not name names or anything, but let us say that I have a really hard time with the way that institution is run. While I have not sworn off giving them another chance forever, it would have to be a play I truly loved, with a director that friends of mine could personally vouch for. Neither of those things is the case for their next few shows. (Well, to be more precise, Shakespeare's Scottish play, which I do like, is on the docket for February, but it is a staged reading, and not a performance. I do not think it would be quite as enjoyable. Plus, a few parts have been as much as pre-cast, and I have already spoken on this issue with other theatres, here on the blog.)

So the A.C.T, for the first few months of 2007 anyway, does not seem a likely refuge.

Then there are the "others".

The quotations and emphasis is mine. I call theatres that I have little to know connection with in the area that because they seem so different from the nature of community theatre that I am used to that I fear I would be shell shocked to even give them a try. Again. (I have been turned down by various members of the "Others" at least 5 times. I have not once gotten into any of their shows. I do not know what is on their docket for the coming year, yet. I have not looked into it. I know that should not keep me from looking into them, but sometimes when your first taste of something is a bad one, you are thereafter unwilling to jump right in again later, even if years have elapsed. Such is the case with "The Others".

So there it is for now. A small amount of theatrical doldrums in my life of late. It has been taking a bit of a toll on my spirit during the last few months. The solutions would be to wait until something great comes along, or bite the bullet and try to get into a show that has less appeal to me, or at a theatre that has less appeal to me. I will probably end up doing the later, if the community theatres in the area do not render male performers in the 20's obsolete next year.