Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Who the Heck Is She?



I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be an actor. Or a dancer. Or a writer. Or a teller of stories in some kind of limelight. I can't remember a time.

I was one of those obnoxious children who stole the focus from siblings and grabbed the lens. I bounced in and out of shots, assuming an audience waited for me.

I distinctly recall my uncle, with his 8mm movie camera, filming me balancing step after step along the curb of a sidewalk. Here's the thing: I knew he thought he was shooting candid footage. But he wasn't, because I was posing. I was already acting and I was three years old.

I took my first serious steps into the acting profession at sixteen years of age, I had my Actors' Equity card by eighteen and covered a lot of ground across the regional stages of Canada and the U.S.


I moved from my hometown of Vancouver to Stratford, Ontario, to Toronto, to New York City, and to Los Angeles. Chasing, chasing, chasing, and finally stopping.

I had an exciting stage career and an interesting television and film career, and when I became someone I didn't want to be I walked away and broke my own heart. I did not want to be a bitter, sad and angry actor and I could feel the onset of that as I waited for my agent to call.

So, that was a tough and painful surgery without anesthetic. I became an acting and dialogue coach. I was accepted into the prestigious Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute and still I waited for and wondered about the next big thing.

The Shakespeare Club was the surprising portal. I now find myself on the most unlikely stage in front of little kids who love his stories, his characters and his conflicts. I have three things to offer them:

    1. I know something about the works of William Shakespeare.
    2. I know a lot about the craft of acting.
    3. I remember what it was like, from the age of three, wishing to be heard.

This is who the heck I am.

4 comments:

  1. Welcome to the world of blogging. I look forward to reading all about you and Will!

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  2. And right back at you! I loved your Blanche stories, especially. And your funny take on age,clothes and chocolate stuff.

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  3. Loved this year's performance and am looking forward to following your journey to next year's! Clever blog name!

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  4. Thank you, K.C. Next year "Macbeth" oooooo....

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