Fancy Nancy - Vital Theatre Company - “How Fancy!”
Hi Friends -
HAPPY MONDAY - New week, New chance to thrive! Here’s a message and a reminder all in one…
I recently listened to an interview with LeAnn Rimes about her struggle to find inner peace in her life, even at the time when she was the most prolific in her career. In the interview, she discussed how depleting it can be to sell something that you love to do as a business - how you can lose sight of the essence of why you wanted to do it in the first place. She was speaking about singing, of course, but it spoke to me on so many levels.
In classes, I constantly hear myself saying “If you have fun in the audition room, we’ll have fun with you.” “If you love what you do, we’ll love what you do.” Often, it’s really just that easy. But, I think, over time, the hard part is remembering how to have fun when what you love has become a commodity. Trust me, you are not alone if you feel this way.
However, in this moment, you have a little time to reconnect to the purest essence of you before we return to a more normal version of our industry. So what can you do to rekindle your love? When you first sang, did you sing with joyful glee on a swing-set with your friends? When you completed your first pirouette, where were you and who celebrated your accomplishment? How about when you got your first pair of pointe shoes? When you made your first appearance on stage, how did it feel when you heard that applause? Do you remember gleefully sneaking a peek at the audience through the curtain before the show began? Feel free to share your memories in the comments below - I’d love to hear them.
Here’s one more question - How can you feed that young, joyful spirit as you practice and prepare for a return to the stage? What more can you do to encourage that inner child to be free?
I remember sitting in Vital Theatre and seeing the first show that I cast. Breathtaking - I think the most rewarding part was seeing the overwhelming delight of the children in the audience to the actors I had helped to put on that stage . At that point, in casting, I had no idea what I was doing or if I was going to be any good at all, but I wasn’t thinking about that - I was having so much fun working on the project and the show was a hit. I plan on spending a good amount of time rethinking my perspective on casting to allow for so much more joy when I am allowed to return to our community. But, I am mostly looking forward to the new playful energy that you bring to the table.
It is not accidental that we call it a play. So get ready to PLAY!
Shine on, friends!
Vital Theatre throughout the years - From top right - Twinkle Tames a Dragon, The Bully, The Butterfly Girl, Owen & Mzee & Stinky Kids. Your love for what you do brought so much joy to children throughout the years!!!