Theater

2 Dirty Little Secrets About Performers

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

IMG_4141A few weeks ago I had the chance to step back on a theatrical stage for the first time in a year. I was just playing a minuscule background role, but it was a special performance for a couple of reasons.

For one thing I got be on stage with my wife. It was also my very first – and probably very last – time performing in an opera.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to sing. My only real role in the show was to throw a punch at a guy who was trying to steal my girlfriend away (a punch I never could get the timing right on).

As I sat in the background of the show waiting for my moment to come around, I noticed a few things about my fellow performers.

Now, if you’ve ever performed on stage before as an actor or musician,  you probably already know these secrets. But if you’ve only sat in the audience, I’m going to pull back the curtain and let you in on some juicy behind-the-scenes dirt.

I’m not doing this just to stir up gossip. Instead I think these are 2 secret tricks about performers that can help you be more successful on any stage in life: Continue reading →

What Were You Created To Create?

/ Alex Doriot / 4 Comments

I1620527_10152048961043778_884335416_nt’s almost here.

Hearts are racing. Nerves are jangled. The hours spent rehearsing are finally paying off.

The days spent acting for an empty rehearsal space are about to turn into days engaging with hundreds of children in the seats of the Imperial Theatre.

It’s almost show week.

The curtain will rise next week for 13 performances of Storyland Theatre’s Hansel and Gretel. For a couple of months now we’ve been rehearsing three days a week, memorizing lines, finding our characters, and learning how to sing (well, me at least).

There’s nothing quite like show week. A few days before the week begins you start getting antsy.

You know your lines. You know the blocking. Your costume fits.

You’re ready to stop rehearsing and unleash the show into the world.

I think I get so anxious to perform because it is what God made me to do. Continue reading →

The Trouble With Treasuring Trophies

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

IMG00358-20120422-1321With The Oscars coming up this Sunday night, everybody’s getting all worked up about who’s going to take home the big gold statues this year.

Pfft. Big deal. I mean, I don’t want to brag, but I have a pretty good supply of trophies I won during my childhood.

I wasn’t a particularly stellar athlete – I just grew up in a generation where everybody got a trophy at the end of every season, regardless of wins and losses.

Some people complain about how our culture gives trophies to kids just for participating. I think it can be a good thing.
A trophy is more than a reward; it stands out as a memory of a journey. The problem is when the pursuit of a trophy becomes your only obsession. Continue reading →