I have to say the past two days have been non-stop. From working at the Firehouse Shelter to dentist appointments to grocery shopping to a hair appointment to getting a new desk to cooking meals to…I am sorry, I am exhausted! And I tend to forget to stop and eat. Today I walked to Edgewood to pay for my desk, then walked to downtown Homewood to get my hair done before going back to pick up the desk and unload it. I then headed to the high school to help set lights for the Miss Heritage Pageant. I came home and started working on moving things in my office to the new desk. My old desks (yes plural- I had two little ones) were hand me downs from Tim and Jon. Both were beaten up and awful. When I saw the leg of one of them give way earlier this week and my life (computer files, etc.) pass before my eyes, I knew it was time to give up being frugal and go get a desk. I found a great one and I am so excited.
But more than that I have to say I am even more excited and shocked to have had such a successful two weeks. When I finished college in May I felt sure I would never work in theatre again. I was so glad to get a part in Picnic this summer and it was a stellar experience. I felt like after that whatever happened at least I had done something with my degree! Then I auditioned for a show I just knew would be something to keep me happy and working until the Christmas holidays. I am so excited about the holidays this year- no finals, no juries, no projects. Just getting a tree up in a timely manner and decorating the way I like to decorate! Christmas in every room, swapping all of the throw pillows for Christmas pillows and making cute vignettes all through the house. But I failed miserably at the audition. I changed songs minutes before I left the house, I freaked out because of the people in the audition room that I had not expected to see and the pianist played my music when I was going to do my monologue first. I got a callback, but that went even worse. WHY!?!? I agonized over it for days. And I never got cast- of course!
But in the past two weeks I have auditioned 3 times and had fabulous experiences every time. I got cast to play Mary in “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Montevallo Main Street Players and “Welcome to Mitford” with South City/Shelby County Arts Council! The third audition is still pending so I won’t jinx it by saying anything, but I feel good about what I did so I am OK whatever happens! (But I feel positive!) Had I been cast in the first thing I auditioned for (and bombed) I know me and I would have not agreed to judge in Wetumpka a few weeks back and I would not have done any of these other auditions- I would have felt like I was doing all I could do. I would have just sat back, content to do that one show. Instead I felt defeated for a few days and decided to try for everything and hope for the best. And what I got is the best for me.
When I tell people all I am doing and think about how fortunate I am, I can’t believe it! Never in a million years would I have thought it possible for me to do anything after I graduated. I jokingly told people, when they asked, that I was going to go back under my rock after graduation. After my awful audition in September I figured under that rock was the place for me! But I forced myself out of my comfortable place and now I have fulfilling work for months to come! It surprises even me! So I am tired and trying to juggle rehearsing two shows that kind of overlap, but hey- I have done it before and I can do it again! I would rather be fulfilled, busy and tired than home staring at the walls trying to think of what I can do next!! Onward and upward!
