Audrey

Tonight I'm going to a Bring Your Own Talent party...  a friend of mine who I haven't seen in over a year invited me.  It's to celebrate the Summer solstice but everyone who attends needs to demonstrate a talent of theirs.  I know a lot of actors will be there as I know the host from an acting venture I was part of a couple of years ago.  It was a lot of fun but unfortunately it was not a success.

At first, I wasn't too interested in going.  I like to go to parties to... well, party... not perform.  But, I decided to go.  It's probably good for me.  Besides, getting out of one's comfort zone is the key to success (or so I've heard)....

I dug up this monologue I did for a year and a half in LA.  It was for a monologue show.  My character, Audrey, is a Jewish lesbian from Brooklyn dying of breast cancer.  It's a pretty powerful piece. Audrey talks about her illness, growing up gay in a Jewish household and her first love.  It got me a lot of attention and I even got to go on this theatre critic's radio show.  I thought that I'd finally get some kind of break from that play but beyond that radio interview and a couple of positive reviews, nothing ground-breaking happened in terms of my career.  Then mom got sick and I dropped out of the play and left LA to take care of her. 

The play was being produced simultaneously in LA and NYC which wasn't bad considering the playwright isn't established.  It's still being produced.  The writer is very talented.  She actually went to NYU at the same time I did only we didn't know each other then.  We met when I auditioned for the play.  All the other actors kissed her ass incessantly but I never did and I think she respected that.  We're still friends.

When I was doing the show, it would take me at least a half hour to get into character.  Just how the fuck am I going to wing it at this party when I haven't performed it in five years?

Still, outta my comfort zone is where I will be tonight.  I was surprised how easy it was to resurrect Audrey.  The monologue which is a good 10 to 15 minutes long lay dormant in my subconscious all this time and it came alive yesterday.  Still, though.  I kind of want to get it over with early on so I can start drinking and not stirring in a state of anxiety.