Another Opening

(photo is not of my cast)

Some of you may think I'm a little crazy. And you're probably right. I know there are plenty of actors and stage managers who have done more, but I'm about to embark on my fifth touring experience with Theatreworks/USA. Which is a lot, I've gathered, mostly from the playful ribbings I've received from many Theatreworks staff. However, crazy or not (and, let's be honest, who isn't a little nuts in this business?), there are a few reasons I keep coming back. And the rehearsal process of Duck for President, Fancy Nancy and Other Storybooks has proven to me that all of them are still valid.

Duck for President, Fancy Nancy and Other Storybooks (and the show can go by either or both names, so don't get too confused) is a revue-sical of six short storybooks: Duck for President, Fancy Nancy, I Have To Go, Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, Pirates Don't Change Diapers and, finally, Babymouse: The Musical. Six mini-musicals strung together in a Reading Rainbow-esque invitation to "turn a page." This is the third of Theatreworks's attempts at this type of show, and clearly it's a formula that works.

Perhaps most exciting for me is that this show is brand new, having been workshopped and given a "mini-tour" around New York and New Jersey last spring. Our company is the first to have completed audio tracks to sing with, finished set pieces to turn, full props to throw (well, maybe not throw) and piles of costumes to change. We really are the first production to head out, which is, for me, a first as well. And that fact has certainly made the rehearsal process an adventure. Daily, stage business and choreography changed, harmonies got altered, keys moved up and down, set changes shifted, costumes got fit more snugly to our frames and, slowly, everything slid into place. Theatreworks gave us an extra two days of rehearsal over the normal load to make sure everything was in sync. As with all Theatreworks tours, our time on the road will help inform and deepen a lot of the choices and timing but, as the reaction final run will attest, we are ready.

And who are "we" exactly? Well, for the first time in my Theatreworks history, "we" are six, not seven. Our show is down to a single van, with five actors and a stage manager in the front and our set in the back. And "we" are also mostly veterans of Theatreworks/USA tours. Courtney (whose main character is Fancy Nancy) and Nic (Pirate Braidbeard) have each done a tour before, so they very much know what to expect. David, our stage manager, is going on his fourth Theatreworks tour. And newbies Jonathan (Duck) and Kristen (Babymouse) are both in more-than-fighting form for the road. This company is outrageously talented and funny, which has made the last two-and-a-half weeks really fun. In my estimations, we have picked up a very complicated show in record time, particularly with the shifting ground that comes with a piece of theater still under construction.

So, why exactly do I keep doing these tours that many people swear they will only do once? Well, as former blogs have shown, Theatreworks has provided me with the chance to see places and meet people I would never have been able to otherwise. Many of my very best friends have come from Theatreworks, and more-than-a-few of my professional connections have stemmed from rehearsals at Chelsea Studios. The Theatreworks brand of tour is a very essential type of theater: we are the show from start to finish, and we make it work in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. I love the ownership that gives me of the production: it feels like mine from start to finish, which make the highs (and lows) that much more exciting. Theatreworks has taught me to pace myself, to maintain consistency over a long run, to collaborate creatively in high-pressure circumstances, to remain flexible, to compromise and adjust to keep a company happy and to maintain a sense of fun, even in some challenging moments. And, of course, part of why I do this is the kids. Some of my favorite memories of touring are still the random exclamations that come from the kiddies at the most unexpected moments. Maybe it's sappy, but I do get a kick out of being part of a kid's first live theatrical experience, or inspiring a munchkin so much that he wants nothing more than to run home and read a book. Sometimes the life of an actor feels a little soulless, with the constant rejection and daily grind of auditions, but there is no more affirming feeling than hundreds eager, smiling faces hanging on your every word as you bring their favorite characters to life before them.

And I should know.

Call tomorrow: 6am, Garage on the Upper West Side. We are opening with a three-show day at a school I've performed at twice before. This seems fitting somehow.