I've somewhat been MIA because I have been so busy with this and my freelancing, but since this is such a big deal in my life, of course I have to blog about it here, and probably on "Taking it One 'Stef' at a Time" as well!
I haven't been blogging about this because I wanted to experience this process without the constant blogging/vlogging obligation that I usually do, but this still deserves a mention on my website.
So yes, I made my Studio Players debut with the Magic Trunk children's play 'Wooing Wed Widing Hood' by Charlie Lovett! It was directed by Sue Mandzik-Davis and Tommy Ehrenberg. I played a lady-in-waiting named Sophie and we opened up the 2017-2018 season! :D
This is my first play since HIGH SCHOOL, so it's been a good 10 years since I have portrayed a character onstage in a play setting. And usually back in high school I was a member of an ensemble anyway, so it's awesome to have a character I can call my own. Sophie was a small part, so therefore perfect for me, someone who hasn't been at this for awhile. I've auditioned for Studio Players in the past, but this is my very first time ever actually being casted in something! I was so thrilled when I got Sue's voicemail that I actually got the part that I wanted. I felt connected to Sophie right away when I read her first scene and immediately wanted to play her. Her character description was "ditzy and flaky," so I immediately decided to talk in question and use a valley girl vocal fry voice for my audition, which made the directors laugh and eventually made everyone else laugh too. If I made people laugh, I felt that I was doing my job. :)
I had been interested in auditioning somewhere and reading up on it, even interested in being an extra in a film or series, and coincidentally lo and behold I received the email from Studio Players about auditions for 'Wooing'. I'm on their mailing list and wrote some articles about them in the past, and not to mention it is closeby to both my middle/high school and college, so therefore I feel a special connection to this particular theater. I auditioned on Monday, June 12 and got the call by that Friday. We then started rehearsals on July 24 and had been at it weekly ever since.
At first I was a bit concerned about accepting the role, wondering if I was biting off more than I can chew, but this has been one of the best times of my entire life and I certainly don't regret it one bit! I've always wanted to see the process of what goes into putting on a play and now I finally got to experience that! I enjoyed every minute of it and people liked my performance. There has not been a time when I left the playhouse unhappy and I always looked forward to going back. I only missed two rehearsals, one because I was at Cape May celebrating my parents' 30th wedding anniversary and the other because I was sick. I basked in it all because it was my first community theater play and I was just so grateful. Given that I usually never get cast, I wanted to take it all in and do everything I wanted to do as a cast member. Who knows if/when this will happen for me again? I may have just gotten lucky that I fit the part of Sophie!
What's also great is that I decided to bring my journalism and media skills to this experience as well. I told my director that I am a freelance journalist and approached her with the idea of doing video cast interviews, and everyone was all for it! For a couple of weeks I made them and sent them to the Studio Players webmaster to post them on Facebook and YouTube. I got compliments on them and I love that I got to bring some of my personal expertise to the play and that people appreciate my work!
Because I was so into this, I decided to resurrect my "Performance" pages and remodel them. I hope to share more about this experience as time goes on and hope to do this again! It also got me further pumped to write more of my own plays and made me realize more about what I want to do in my life. :D
The show ran at 1:30 and 3:30 on October 7, 8, 14, and 15. The Studio Players family have been so welcoming and the cast, creative, and crew has become a family, which I love! I appreciate the camaraderie among us all.
A HUGE shoutout to Sue, Tommy, Mirit, Lisa, Angela, Ali, Olivia, Patrick, Jason, Donna, Nikye, Brianna, Rob, Theresa, Lara, Jose, Emilee, Franki, Brissae, Raushanah, Caleb, John, Amy, Joe, Steve, and Laura for making this such a wonderful and memorable experience! :D <3
For production photos of me as Sophie, click here.
I haven't been blogging about this because I wanted to experience this process without the constant blogging/vlogging obligation that I usually do, but this still deserves a mention on my website.
So yes, I made my Studio Players debut with the Magic Trunk children's play 'Wooing Wed Widing Hood' by Charlie Lovett! It was directed by Sue Mandzik-Davis and Tommy Ehrenberg. I played a lady-in-waiting named Sophie and we opened up the 2017-2018 season! :D
This is my first play since HIGH SCHOOL, so it's been a good 10 years since I have portrayed a character onstage in a play setting. And usually back in high school I was a member of an ensemble anyway, so it's awesome to have a character I can call my own. Sophie was a small part, so therefore perfect for me, someone who hasn't been at this for awhile. I've auditioned for Studio Players in the past, but this is my very first time ever actually being casted in something! I was so thrilled when I got Sue's voicemail that I actually got the part that I wanted. I felt connected to Sophie right away when I read her first scene and immediately wanted to play her. Her character description was "ditzy and flaky," so I immediately decided to talk in question and use a valley girl vocal fry voice for my audition, which made the directors laugh and eventually made everyone else laugh too. If I made people laugh, I felt that I was doing my job. :)
I had been interested in auditioning somewhere and reading up on it, even interested in being an extra in a film or series, and coincidentally lo and behold I received the email from Studio Players about auditions for 'Wooing'. I'm on their mailing list and wrote some articles about them in the past, and not to mention it is closeby to both my middle/high school and college, so therefore I feel a special connection to this particular theater. I auditioned on Monday, June 12 and got the call by that Friday. We then started rehearsals on July 24 and had been at it weekly ever since.
At first I was a bit concerned about accepting the role, wondering if I was biting off more than I can chew, but this has been one of the best times of my entire life and I certainly don't regret it one bit! I've always wanted to see the process of what goes into putting on a play and now I finally got to experience that! I enjoyed every minute of it and people liked my performance. There has not been a time when I left the playhouse unhappy and I always looked forward to going back. I only missed two rehearsals, one because I was at Cape May celebrating my parents' 30th wedding anniversary and the other because I was sick. I basked in it all because it was my first community theater play and I was just so grateful. Given that I usually never get cast, I wanted to take it all in and do everything I wanted to do as a cast member. Who knows if/when this will happen for me again? I may have just gotten lucky that I fit the part of Sophie!
What's also great is that I decided to bring my journalism and media skills to this experience as well. I told my director that I am a freelance journalist and approached her with the idea of doing video cast interviews, and everyone was all for it! For a couple of weeks I made them and sent them to the Studio Players webmaster to post them on Facebook and YouTube. I got compliments on them and I love that I got to bring some of my personal expertise to the play and that people appreciate my work!
Because I was so into this, I decided to resurrect my "Performance" pages and remodel them. I hope to share more about this experience as time goes on and hope to do this again! It also got me further pumped to write more of my own plays and made me realize more about what I want to do in my life. :D
The show ran at 1:30 and 3:30 on October 7, 8, 14, and 15. The Studio Players family have been so welcoming and the cast, creative, and crew has become a family, which I love! I appreciate the camaraderie among us all.
A HUGE shoutout to Sue, Tommy, Mirit, Lisa, Angela, Ali, Olivia, Patrick, Jason, Donna, Nikye, Brianna, Rob, Theresa, Lara, Jose, Emilee, Franki, Brissae, Raushanah, Caleb, John, Amy, Joe, Steve, and Laura for making this such a wonderful and memorable experience! :D <3
For production photos of me as Sophie, click here.