2 Dirty Little Secrets About Performers

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

POP GOD POPcast: Episode 18 – Carol Rezzelle

slide.001

Welcome to Episode 18 of the POP GOD POPcast – an exploration of into the lives of people seeking God in the present tense.

This week’s guest is Carol Rezzelle. Carol is the Director of the Enopion Theatre Company. Enopion has been producing original musical theatre shows across Augusta for 15 years. Their latest show “Jacob” takes the stage in May and Carol sat down to chat about the 5 year journey this show has been on. Carol shares how Enopion got started, the purpose of each show, dreams for the future, and talks about the incredible power of theatre to impact someone’s life. Enopion is a real DIY passion project for Carol and her husband and you’ll understand why they’ve poured their lives into it after listening to this interview. Enjoy this deeper look inside the life of an artist truly seeking God in the present tense.

Listen to the podcast here:

[audio http://adoriot.podbean.com/mf/web/ybujtz/Popcast18.m4a]

Or Download on iTunes Or Listen on Podbean

 

Check out the Enopion site for more information on “Jacob” or call 706-771-7777 for tickets

Find out about how you can get involved with future Enopion productions

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, rate it, leave a comment, listen to all the other episodes, share it on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

I love sharing stories of people seeking God in the present tense. Let me hear your feedback. Leave me a comment and let me know how to improve things, what you’d like to hear discussed, and give me your ideas as to who you’d like to see on the next episode of the POPcast.

JACOB Index

What Were You Created To Create?

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

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