Sixty-Four Squares of Lessons

From the first moment of audition through the rehearsal process, from opening night until the final curtain of the last show, an artist goes through more highs & lows physically and emotionally than a schizophrenic drinking jeager-bombs. Having just finished the run of Chess the Musical, I'm currently in the reflective phase of comedown after the final curtain. The cast became family & the show itself our bubble of everything that was both fantastic and frustrating in life. I learned so much in so many ways, and not just in the forms of theater arts via our directors & choreographer. These are just a few of them:

Things are not always what they seem ...

Onstage, creating the fantasy that becomes a temporary reality escape for the audience is key. So many times in life there is the fantasy, a person's internal perception of a situation, that can seem so much more real than the overarching truth of what is actually occurring in reality. Misgivings about oneself, doubt, confusion, conflicting emotions about everything occurring around you, can warp the line between what's real and what's imagined. The same can be said for the perceptions of those around that person. Remembering that without the benefit of a crystal ball that gives background & all encompassing perception about every "player" in "the game" is an important part of not jumping to a judgement conclusion that results in some "squalid little ending" .... conclusions jumped to, about oneself or others, are usually some level of wrong anyways.

Nobody's on nobody's side .... sort of.

This is true of everyone, but especially the occasionally warped sense of humor of those who are in a position of control! Their version of the end result could be good, could be bad, could be just plain amusing, and any one of those results is probably completely subjective, although all can be learned from! Just because you can't initially see the big picture doesn't mean it isn't going to be brilliant ... go with it.

Everybody's playing the game, but nobody's rules are the same

Ultimately in life, on the stage and/or behind closed doors, Everyone is out to prove themselves. To prove themselves to the world around them, to people close to them, to their own sense of self-worth. We all just go about it in slightly different ways. In that same vein, everyone approaches the team effort slightly differently. It takes all mindsets & all approaches working together to create the best possible final picture. Everyone fits in somewhere in that puzzle ... there really no one right way to achieve it.

Final basic (not so serious) takeaways

Enunciation is of utmost importance, especially when singing tongue-twisters.

Too much pineapple juice will make your stomach feel not great while under hot stage lights.

Lattes go especially well with edible marshmallow glitter.

It is possible to jump, spin, leap, do splits, and all-around dance your ass off in 3"-5" heels, as long as you practice more than twice in them first.

Google eyes can turn weird looking objects into something you'd want as a pet .. or just to release into the wild.

Febreeze & a Tide pen are two of the most useful things ever backstage ... besides bobby pins, safety pins, eyelash glue, and ribbon.

Glitter fixes almost any stage makeup mistake, and sometimes there can never be enough of it. However, it does not leave. Ever. Forty-five showers & fifty makeup remover wipes later, it's still attached to eyelashes, skin and hair. Seriously.

At the End of the Game

Thanks to the entire cast and crew for an amazing, enlightening, empowering show experience. I'm sad that it's over, but looking forward to the phenomenal things we'll create together in the future! Glitter hugs to all! Each game of chess, means there's one less, variation left to be played.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress