After performing with The Roxy earlier this season I just couldn’t keep myself away… So two weeks ago I stuffed the contents of my Manhattan apartment into a U-Haul and drove 15 hours down to Clarksville, TN. I’ve migrated to the south to perform in the rest of this season at the Roxy, and I couldn’t be more excited to be back!
Until rehearsals for Hamlet begin at the end of this month, I have been sitting in on some of the rehearsals for the upcoming production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. Travis and I have been helping out around the theatre with random tasks ranging from hanging posters and painting the stage floor checkerboard, to sewing some bling on the girls’ hats for the show! The enormous amount of work that goes into a show, not only from the actors onstage, but also behind the scenes is remarkable. It has been awesome to have a different kind of creative outlet in painting sets and such, but also to be able to see these five amazing performers going through the rehearsal process and working together to create art. Under the direction of Ryan Bowie, these three women and two men have been an extraordinary cast to watch. Definitely a show you do not want to miss!
Other than helping out at the theatre, I have been biding my time by going to the YMCA, and taking the yoga class that is offered at the Roxy on Tuesday nights. Also, last week I had an opportunity to be a part of the filming for a Civil War documentary. We were able to film at the Smith-Trahern Mansion and it was a very cool experience. Since I haven’t done much on-camera acting, it was interesting to learn how to translate from stage to screen and it was fun to see behind the scenes then as well. After a full day of filming all around the mansion and out in the snow in a hoop skirt I was exhausted!
Regardless of how much I enjoy working behind the scenes for this show, I am very anxious to start rehearsals for Hamlet, which is set to open after Ain’t Misbehavin’. My good friend, Gregory Pember, whom I graduated with from The Boston Conservatory last May, will be playing the title role and I will be playing opposite him as Ophelia. It will be wonderful to work with him again and also to be performing such an iconic work by Shakespeare. We will also be teaching the next round of acting classes on Tuesday nights together starting March 1st, so come join us!
~ Kendall Anne Thompson
