4 Shows a day, 7 days a week

It all ended at about 4:15 yesterday afternoon. If you follow this blog, I've written several posts about a show I was doing called "Always, Patsy Cline" with Va-Rep Theater here in Richmond. The first run opened January 20, 2012 and ran until April 29, 2012. Because of the popularity of the first run, the powers that be brought it back, and a re-mount opened on August 10, 2012 and closed after six more weeks running with yesterday's matinee. I have spent the better part of a year adoring "Patsy Cline" through the eyes of my character, Louise Seger, a devout, and by today's standards, maybe even crazed fan of Patsy's from 1957 until Patsy's tragic death in a plane crash in 1963. True to form, I was emotional yesterday. You would think after doing the same part for a total of 21 weeks on an average of 4 times a week I would have been ready to say good-bye. Judging from the tears streaming down my face as I made the final speech about how Louise hears of Patsy's death on the radio, I wasn't. Was this show a good time? Yes. Was it fun for the audience? Yes. Was it fun for me? Yes, but it also made me think. It is no secret that I love performing. I feel honored and blessed to be able to share a talent that I have been given with others. That doesn't mean I don't get tired. That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt when I miss important family things because I'm performing, (my daughter's college orientation). However, comparing my performing life with Patsy Cline's, mine is a dream. I remember the first time I read the speech that Louise makes about Patsy's death. "...they came on the radio and said that Patsy Cline had died in an airplane crash on her way back to Nashville. She was only 30 years old." I thought, wow, she was only 30? Every picture I had ever seen of Patsy Cline made me think she was older than 30. By today's standards, 30 is so young. She obviously did not have it easy, as was the case of so many starts of that era, Elvis, Judy Garland come to mind. There was no spoiling or pampering. Their managers literally worked them constantly. Patsy makes a speech in the show and talks about going to Las Vegas where she will be doing 4 shows a day, 7 days a week. I have done some 2 show days in my time, and even some 3 show days when I was very young, and I was beat, and I wasn't even the headliner. How does someone sing their heart out for 4 shows and even be able to function? In the play when Patsy and Louise meet at a honky tonk in Houston, Patsy has taken a taxi from her hotel way out to a "big old barn like structure out on Hampstead Highway" She has no entourage, no bodyguards, not even a manager with her. She's working with the house band that she's not even sure knows her music and she's all alone. I've never been "on the road", but I know it's a hard life, especially if you have a family. I never thought about that until I did this show. I never thought about the sacrifices that stars like Patsy Cline made to make a living using their gift. When she died at 30, she left two little ones, a boy and a girl, who probably never really got to know their mother because she was on the road while they were young, and then they lost her. Her music touched so many, but at such a great cost to her. Like I said, it made me think. Mostly how very lucky I am, and the next time I want to whine about how tired I am because I have to do a matinee after getting up early to go to church or go to my real job after doing a show the night before, I'll stop and think what things could be like if I was Patsy Cline in 1961, and be thankful.

It's an honor just to be nominated!

When people hear those words, their first reaction is usually, "Yeah! Right!", but in my case, they really are true! Earlier this week the official word came out from the RTCC (Richmond Theater Critics Circle) of this years nominations for the "Artsies" as they've come to be called. The Artsies are the Richmond equivalent to Broadway's Tony Awards. Each October for the last 4 years, Richmond's theatre community shows up in their fanciest duds to celebrate the previous season with an awards ceremony. It is always a fun time, and as an actor I love getting dressed up and seeing all of my friends that I have worked with past and present. Best of all the money from ticket sales goes to the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund established to help those in the Richmond theatre community who fall on hard of times due to illness, injury, or extenuating circumstances. I'm always excited to see when the nominations come out, but this year I was particularly invested because I have spent the better part of 2012 involved with a wonderful show called "Always, Patsy Cline" produced by Barksdale and a re-mount under the Va-Rep banner. I play the character of "Louise Seger" a devoted fan of "Patsy Cline" played wonderfully by the fabulous Debra Wagoner. "Louise" is a character I could probably play for the rest of my life as long as I could walk. Every moment on stage has been pure joy for me! I am so proud of our little show and everyone involved! That feeling, and having the extreme luck to be working as an actor would be enough for me. I got my first paycheck as an actor at the age of 10. I have been doing this for almost 39 years. I'm not famous. I'm not a millionaire. I love it, and that's why I do it, and every once in a while something comes along, like this show, that makes all the running around and working a regular job all day and going to rehearsal for another 4 hours worth it. This show was one of those. So in that alone, I count myself extremely blessed! Then, this past Tuesday, I saw the link on Facebook to Dave Timberline's Theatre Blog announcing this year's nominees. As I read the list, I saw Debra's name first. So happy and proud! She works her ass off every night singing 27 songs in one show. Well deserved! then I get down to the Best Supporting Actress Category, and I see my name. I was floored and soooo happy. When you are proud of the work you put into a role, and the way a show comes together, it is so nice to see someone else say, "I like it too! Good job!" That's what the nomination says to me. 
There is a story about Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier when they were working on the film, Marathon Man. Hoffman asked Olivier, "Why do we do this?" (acting) Olivier replied, "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!" That might not be every actor, but it's certainly this one. I enjoy being on stage in the spotlight. I like it when I deliver a line, and the audience laughs. I like taking a bow and hearing the applause. All of those things make it worth it for me, but just once in a while, it's nice to know that somebody "looked" at me and thought I did a good enough job to be recognized for it! 

By the way, Houston was a swingin' date!

I wear many hats. I am a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, and many other roles have emerged over the course of my 48 years. Other than mother, the role that I most enjoy is "Actor" I guess you could say I have been an actress longer than I have been anything else, except for daughter and sister as those roles were bestowed upon my birth. Actor, however, was a role I chose. A choice I do not regret for a minute! From the time I took my first professional acting job at the age of 10 until now I have had some amazing experiences and wonderful opportunities! I have made some lifelong friends, and it's true what they say, "There's no people like show people!" Yesterday, I ended a 15 week run in a show called Always, Patsy Cline at Barksdale Hanover Tavern. Briefly, the play is based on a true story of a fan, Louise Seger, my character, and her love of Patsy Cline music, and her encounter with her in a Houston Honky Tonk back in 1961. I was cast in this show last fall after attending an Open Call audition. For those of you who don't know, an open call is like a human assembly line. Hundreds of actors are there, and you wait, and wait, and wait until you are called to go in, and then you have a minute to show what you can do. You leave and then wait for the phone to ring. This particular wait was pretty long, and I was sure I hadn't been cast. "Louise" was a role I really wanted for two reasons. ONE: The show was being directed by Joe Pabst, one of those lifelong friends I mentioned above, and one of the finest directors I've ever worked with. TWO: Debra Wagoner was cast as "Patsy" I have known Debra since high school, and she has always had an amazing voice. If I was going to do a show where my character spent a good portion of time listening to someone sing, there couldn't be anyone better than Debra. After doubting myself over and over and, despite the encouragement and positive bolstering up from my girls, still assured I did not get the role, I got the "official" offer. I was through the roof ecstatic!! Over the course of a month we would rehearse and put this show on it's feet. I have to say, I was a little intimidated. Debra had done this show several times before. The other pretty scary thing to a 48 year old's brain was that I had pages and pages of dialogue to learn and most of it in monologue form to the audience (translation: if you forget a line, you're screwed!) I even had myself believing this would be my swan song. I was too old to do this anymore, so much so, that after my kids saw the show, they were mad at me for all the worry I put myself through. Looking back, I was pretty much of a fool. The show opened to great reviews, and through the 15 weeks we played to mostly full houses every night. Debra and I met countless people that stayed after to tell us how much they enjoyed the show, how happy it made them, how much they laughed. As Debra said, "That's what makes this worth it." That's what being an actor is about, entertaining people, bringing them joy. For 15 weeks Thursdays through Sundays, I was honored and privileged to be able to do that. As an actor, there are times when you are on the stage, and you can feel to the very core of your being that magic is happening. Always, Patsy Cline was one of those shows. Yesterday was hard for me. My daughter, who was also Debra's dresser for the show, had to keep reminding me of funny quotes from a movie we both love, Malibu's Most Wanted, as a focus, so that when I made the final speech in the show about the time "Louise" hears the news of "Patsy's" untimely death in a plane crash, I wouldn't melt into a puddle of tears. Luckily, I made it through with those thoughts and constantly telling myself that the show wasn't over, we were just going on hiatus.
I also write this post as a thank you. To my "Patsy", Debra : Thank you for all of the laughs in the dressing room, the encouragement and confidence in me and my talent, the make-up tips, the help with "Pepper" and most of all for the deeper friendship we have formed, and yes I am crying while typing this.
To Joe: You gave me my first featured role in this town back in 2003 when you cast me as "Mother Abbess" in The Sound of Music. You also gave me my first lead that same year as "Charlotte Hay" in Moon Over Buffalo, my favorite role I have ever played (although "Louise" is running a close second.) Thank you for trusting me enough to give me all the roles you have given me over the years, but especially this role as I would be sharing the stage with your wonderful wife. Thank you for always being in my corner and believing in me as an actor!
To everyone else involved in the show on stage and off, thanks for helping make that magic happen every night!
Hope to see you again soon! Love always, Terri Moore!

The Moments That Take Our Breath Away

It is a well known fact to anyone who knows me or reads this blog that I am passionate about acting. I cannot remember wanting to be anything else when I was growing up. I have been blessed to have had a fairly consistent side career as an actress for the past 38 years. I have never really addressed my philosophy or my particular style of acting before in this blog, but something happened to me last week that inspired me to share in this post. 

I have never had any formal training as an actor beyond high school drama classes and the experience I have gained under the mentoring of some fabulous directors over the years. I never studied Stanislavski or Adler. I am not "method", the classic "What's my motivation?" style. If I had to name my style, it would be "in the moment" I try, when I am onstage, to be "in the moment" always! Acting is pretending, pretending to be someone else, somewhere else. I think about my character. Who is she? What does she like? How does she sound? How would she feel? in this moment. By being in that moment, every action and sometimes, more importantly, reaction are consistent and real. If I create that real moment, then the audience isn't watching me act, they are experiencing that moment with me. I have created a world, and I have invited them into it. The more real the world is for me, the more they feel they are a part of it. 

Right now, I am playing the part of an adoring fan, Louise Seger, in Barksdale Hanover Tavern's "Always, Patsy Cline" This role is nothing but moments because except for a very few lines to "Patsy" and the band members, everything I say is directed to the audience. It needs to be real or I am sure the audience would soon bore of the long conversations I have with them. The character of "Louise" creates a world for the audience out of her memories of her friendship with Patsy Cline. She makes it quite clear how enamoured she is with Patsy and her music. At the end of the show, Louise shares with the audience the moment when she heard the news that Patsy Cline had died in a airplane crash. It is a sweet, tender moment. Most of Louise's lines in the show are fun and illicit laughter. This particular time is a side that the audience has not been allowed to see of Louise.

Barksdale Hanover Tavern is an extremely intimate theater. This plays well for this kind of show. In this particular production, after my "Louise" shares this news with the audience, I have been directed to step off of the stage and in the aisle as we all look at a solo mic, spotlighted in the center of the stage, and listen to the last notes of "How Great Thou Art". Last week as I stepped off of the stage and into the aisle, as I stood there in the dark of the theater, I felt the hand of the woman sitting in the front row on the aisle slip into mine and give it a gentle squeeze as if to say, "It's all right, Louise. I miss Patsy too. It's okay to be sad. I'm here with you." She held my hand until it was time for me to step back up on the stage. In all my years of acting, I have had many moments. I have never experienced one quite like that. It was so special to me, and one I am sure I will not soon forget. It reminds me, once again, why I do this, why I have always wanted to do this, and why I will continue to do this as long as my mind and body will let me.