Hey FOSers! I've been out recently because, well, life is insane and I've actually been booked through October. Soooo that's awesome. But I have a super-touching story for you.
So I did a show with this company last year, and it was fantastic and original and I loved every waking moment of it. This company is Art House Productions, in Jersey City, and I adore them. I had an incredible experience and am kinda sad to say that I didn't see them for almost a year until this 'happening.'
So, the director of my show last year (Jack Halpin, director of "Sea Story") e-mails me over Memorial Day Weekend and says, "Hey Jen, we're doing a staged reading of this play and we just thought you'd be perfect as the lead. Are you available?"
My jaw kinda dropped, because while I know they love me as much as I love them, I was still a little surprised that they'd consider me for a leading lady. Of course, I was even MORE surprised when I found that the lead was supposed to be a sultry, manipulative and sex-kitteny woman cheating on her husband. Um, really? You really thought of ME for this? (This isn't meant to be like I'm offended, it's meant to be ridiculously honored.)
So I moved the earth and moon and stars to do this reading, and I actually (were the play done proper) would have been a character with a LOVE INTEREST! Imagine that! And he's an adonis! And there's kissing, and sexiness, and everything! The experience was such a thrill for me, because I never get to do this stuff onstage. Of course, I'm the Mrs. Lovett or the best friend--which I adore, but it was really, really cool being the sexy, wanted leading lady. REALLY cool.
And, the best part is, it wasn't just cool for me. The reading was last night, and the audience response was INCREDIBLE. All these people from different theatre companies were coming up to me and saying, "Oh, you were so perfect! You just absolutely nailed it! You should do this as a full-out production!"
--and I was like, "Man...they actually BOUGHT it! They BOUGHT that the fat girl was the sex object!" In fact, I think that's exactly what I said to my darling man, word-for-word.
I *hope* that this is the kind of experience that all fat actors/actresses get at one time or another. Not just reading to yourself, not just in scene class, but actually PERFORMING as the love interest. It was so incredibly empowering, and I felt like I broke down walls last night. For my perceptions, for others'...just, WOW. :)
-Z.
