BAD ACTING

TRICKS

        I headed into my scene study class Wednesday night. My third attempt working my first scene at the Young Actors Studio. The scene from The Talented Mr. Rizley left me questioning my abilities as I struggled to prove myself to Karen. Reading the cards for Carrie invoked different energy in my soul and I planned to use that moving on with my acting. I mentally prepared before class in the same way I did before Carrie entered my apartment. The Tarot scene became the real project. I tricked my mind into performing the Tarot scene while saying the lines selected for me by Karen's assignment. My character needed to be right in my scene partners face. Demanding answers and revealing Matt Damon's character to be a fraud.

        The stage became my apartment and I began the scene replacing my partner's face with Carrie's. I used the same rage and jealousy triggered by my blonde trust fund frenemy and focused it on my new victim.

        It worked.

        The world I used to know ceased to exist. I took my first step forward on the giant board game in my imagination. After many false starts, I proved to my audience that I could play.

        The combination of confidence from my first auditions in LA and using Carrie's Tarot reading as practice finally changed the dynamic the third time around. Sitting in my chair for the remainder of the class I felt relieved to be able to move on to another scene the following week. I connected more to the character I channeled for the Tarot reading and so I settled into him for the present time. Realizing this helped me look at socializing differently. When in doubt remember the feeling of that character because he works. A tool to add to a collection I anticipated eagerly.

*

        Michael asked me to go to the movies with him Friday night and I could not come up with an excuse fast enough to get out of it. I met him at the theatre and he informed me of the two movies we would be viewing.

        Two!?

        The teen horror flick up first I enjoyed. The young female lead played a babysitter in an incredibly modern-futuristic home. A killer hid in the house while stalking the sitter through phone-calls and power outages. The action drama that followed I hated. Ready to be finished with the awkward double-feature my ADD started kicking in hard. The night continued on forever.

        Finally, the second movie ended and Michael and I stood in the lobby discussing the films. I nodded my head and spoke quick basic comments. I wanted to be in my car driving away. Before I left, Michael gave me a big tight hug and did not let go. I told there as he held me for what seemed like an eternity.

        My heart thundered in my chest.

        what the hell?

        why am I receiving all these unwanted hugs? and why is he still holding me?

        at least Carrie knew to back off

        Driving home I sped away from Hollywood as fast as possible. I opened the windows in my car feeling the wind cleanse me of the awkward encounter. I successfully completed the task of movies with Michael. I never felt so happy to leave a movie theatre, and I learned to never say yes to any field trip Michael Dell proposed.

        Sweat dripped onto the floor in small puddles as I danced in my living room with my music at full volume.