by Sugie - SGN Contributing Writer

For eight weeks, I rehearsed and earnestly studied for my first starring Seattle play, 'The First Fireworks.' Last month, on March 10, 2014, I appeared with my scene partner, Kari, as we wowed them on the quiet stage of North Seattle Community College. My teacher Julienne graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. As soon as I hobbled onto the stage, I directed all my energy toward a wooden bench, placed center stage. I almost completely blocked out the audience. I say that because as I 'old-ladied' my lines, I could see someone in the front row with their legs crossed. I say 'old-ladied,' a made-up word, because I had to train myself to speak slowly and haltingly for my role. I also had to feign that I was in a lot of pain throughout the play to further capture the character of Dawn.

How my character came about
I worked on Dawn, using a tape recorder to help me learn my lines. I recorded the lines of my scene partner, who played my daughter. Then, while I played my scene partner's lines, I would stop the tape recorder while I said my own lines. On opening night, I must have said my lines six times, just to really make sure I knew them. Yet there is more to being in a play besides remembering all one's lines.

All my gestures and movements had to be synchronized to the character to make her even more believable.

Opening night lives in my memory
I had to wear a flimsy flowered nightgown as my character's costume. I had her carrying a cross, which I carried in real life to ease my mind. I also had my character wearing a Cameo necklace and pearly bracelet. My teacher Julienne would urge me in rehearsals to be 'organic' when it came to carving out Dawn's character. In other words, make everything natural about Dawn. My character had to die at the end of the ten-minute play. This was the first time that I ever had to be dead in a play. I used some Yoga breathing to help me out, and at one point, I remember saying to myself, 'You're dead.' On opening night, at the end of the play, as I said my last line, 'No more words, no more words.....' I shut my eyes, and let drop the cross I was carrying. As the lights went down from full light, to half light, to no light, I opened my eyes a crack, just to see when I needed to get up and take my bow with my scene partner. Then a burst of applause trembled through the auditorium, and I even heard one voice yell, 'Bravo!' Words cannot describe the swelling feeling of pride I felt in myself. People came up to me afterwards to compliment me on my performance.

Epilogue to a new thespian on the scene
My play may have been over, yet my interest in acting in more plays has just begun.

I am enrolled in Advanced Acting Techniques, also taught at North Seattle Community College.

What does the future hold for me? How about it holds at least a smile when I encounter anything that looks like a play for me to mold!

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