With my brand new notebook and freshly sharpened pencils in hand, and the encroaching feeling of butterflies in my stomach, these tell tale signs of the first day of school can only mean one thing… the first day of rehearsal has arrived! I am always so excited for the first day of a new project, but without fail all of those anxieties from the first day of school come rushing back. Have I prepared enough? What will the other actors be like? And most importantly… what should I wear?
I couldn’t be more excited to begin our work on Hamlet! It really is like going back to school when starting a new project. You are thrown in the mix with fellow artists to collectively create art, and the process is always a learning experience. I see the rehearsal process as a continuation of my education as an actor, and enjoy the time we have to play, take risks, soak up wisdom from our peers, learning to work together, and continue my growth as an individual.
My friend Greg Pember and I are also beginning to teach the acting classes on Tuesday night this week. As we were coming up with a plan for our classes and going over our notes from our own acting and speech classes at school, Greg said, “we are going to learn so much!” That’s the amazing part of this job. We have an opportunity to share what we have learned in our experiences, and in return, we learn just as much from our students! So come check out our class and collaborate with us to continue the education of the arts in our community!
