Saturday was my second ever SLAM.
SLAM is an annual fundraiser with Plan B Theatre Co.I'd never seen SLAM until I was in my first one final year.I think everything around it, including the low words out of my mouth when it was over, "I will never do that again".
Nothing bad happened.I had a large part by Julie Jensen.Acted alongside Mark Fossen and Stephanie Howell and was directed by Andra Harbold.
t went just fine.More than fine.Not alone was it fun to do, but it still went on to be published.But I saw some other pieces where the actors seemed to make pages and pages and pages of dialogue.Tons.I was blown away how they had memorized it.I didn't think I could get through it, and that's when I got scared.Holy shit, I'd gotten lucky! Maybe I should allow it at that.I didn't think I'd wish to get that risk.
Yet, there I was for another go.
SLAM is this: Five plays, ten minutes each, written, memorized, fully arranged and performed in 24 hours.
The way it breaks down for us actors is this.We get to the house at 9 am the day of the show, and we're told who's in what play, who's directing what, what props we have, we throw a quick meeting with the playwright, and so we begin.Showtime is at 8 pm.
It's hard.Real hard.You see a lot about yourself as an actor in that day.You do the unthinkable and truly surprise yourself at what is possible.You all get out of your own way because you don't get a risk to second guess anything you're doing.And I absolutely know that.It's too difficult to find from.Real hard. The day after is spent completely wiped out.I'm still feeling a little bit of the SLAM hangover today.And so is my butt.But more on that later.
I loved the man I got to do.This year each play had the same title, "Control_Alt_Delete".Each play had one prop, a cardboard box, and a somewhat different image on a screen behind us.
Matthew Ivan Bennet was the playwright, Mark Fossen and Carleton Bluford were the other actors and we were directed by Kay Shean.It was an absolutely hilarious script and I loved what I got to perform.That's the matter about SLAM.You get no thought what you'll be acting so you can't really ready for anything other than try to keep calm, go in with a super focus, and make to accept anything and everything that comes your way.
Time seems to go both too dense and too fast all day.
Doing SLAM more than once must be like what they say about having a baby.You leave any hurt or difficulty and you hold to go through it all again!
It seems like it's so far away so suddenly the day is here.The dark before and the dawn of you wish to give up an apology to get out of it.You're wondering why on gods green earth you agreed.You are sure you'll never be capable to learn your hand let alone have any form of a performance, and you'll be the one to fix it all up.But you too have butterflies because it's all so exciting.It's all division of it and you secretly love it.
It's a serious thing you don't give into your fears because it invariably comes together.And trust me, halfway through the day you're certain you'll never get it out alive.
I'm still on a high from being able to do such a large piece.A man that hadn't even existed even the forenoon before! I loved a prospect to be lightheaded for a way full of people who see me as serious more frequently than not.
It's not every day you drop your time riding a make as a knight as an example to get closer to your husband while Dr. Easy not only guides you through, but hops on to "help".;)
Sure, it'll be awhile before I can comfortably sit on my butt, but is was so worth it.
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