T'was Nine Nights After Christmas...

If you have followed this blog recently, you know I have left out a major update; how the one night reading performance of "T'was the Night Before Christmas" went. The truth is a lot of unpredictable things went on not after the show, and after Christmas itself, that updating on this blog got left quite far behind.

I will say, simply that the reading did go well. It was, in fact, a packed house. Most of them were children hoping to talk to our Santa Claus, who stayed afterward for pictures and such. Nonetheless, everyone present, parents as well as children seemed to enjoy our short presentation.

There is talk of presenting similar short readings, while acted out by others, for different stories throughout the year. I'd be in favor. I'd even like to be the sort of go-to narrator of such productions. Not for ego's sake, but I just feel like "that guy." The wing-back chair, the glass of wine the (fake) fireplace. The story telling aspect. Not all such possible reading would be as short as this one was, (ten minutes or so) but all of them would require minimal time investment from audience and cast/crew.

I'd never want to give up being in full shows. I sort of wish I were in one now, in fact, as a means to recover from some recent chaos I have been through at home. But being in real shows doesn't preclude the possibility of these little story tellings here and there. All of course would depend on the management of the Black Box Arts Center, but they have already expressed a similar hope for the future anyway.

Not every story is for every actor. But every actor, every theatre person in fact, a storyteller. Different jobs help with different aspects of the stories, but it is all pursuant to story. People in theatre only enhance their ability to tell the big stories by showing a willingness to tell the small, fast ones well.

Perhaps 2018 will allow for a possibility of more such stories between the bigger stuff. (Though all of us involved in this one would hope for just a tad more rehearsal time next go around.)

You'll know right after I know, loyal blog readers, if I'm involved in such a thing again.

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Actually, it will be two nights before Christmas. And really more like afternoon.

But semantics aside, I will be participating in a one-night only staged reading of Clement Moore's classic poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which of course is commonly known as "T'was the Night Before Christmas. As usual with me the last few years, I'll be doing this at the Black Box Arts Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

It was all a sort of last minute project. My friend that runs the BBAC was talking with a newer friend of mine who has never directed before, and they concocted this project. It will be my newer friend's directorial debut.

There were no auditions for this, only recruitment, given the time constraint. I was given the choice of being "Pa" or the Narrator, and I chose the latter. With one exception, I'll be the only one speaking during the show; I'll be reading the poem as others act out the scene on the stage next to me. I even have a small cozy nook from which to do my part.

 a small cozy nook from which to do my part.

We'll rehearse this twice before we perform it on Saturday afternoon. Maybe more than that, as we can probably fit in more than one run through a night. The point being, it won't take long to get set.

If you've read this blog before, you know I usually jump at the chance to take part in staged readings. They can never replace regular stage productions, but readings are good for all actors to take part in sometimes, if you ask me. A small helping of the meat of performing, without having as much "green vegetables" of rehearsing, and no memorizing. Less time, less energy, but nearly as much fun as a standard show, if you want it to be.

So hopefully this will be a happy reading for all, and for all a good night. I'll keep you posted this week on how it's going, loyal blog readers.