I was invited back to The Lyric Repertory Company in Logan, UT to perform in their 50 Year Anniversary Celebration. I have done seven seasons with Lyric Rep and consider it one of my first classrooms in my pursuit of acting. They do their shows in "rolling rep". That means that once all four shows are open they do them back to back. So, one night I am playing an old rich lady in a musical comedy, the next night I am playing a middle aged mom dealing with the death of her daughter in a drama, and the next a nerdy secretary in a farce...you get the picture.
In short, the Lyric is where I honed my skills as a character actress. Even though at that time in my early 20's I was considered an ingenue. The training I received gave my ingenue characters more depth and dimension. So, when I got older and started playing leading ladies, moms, old ladies and crazy ladies, I didn't miss a beat. I had a wide range of experience to draw upon and the training that I received at the USU Theater Dept, and The Lyric Rep was a huge part of that.
They gave us a broad education. Even though I was steeped in movement classes, acting and voice classes, we received amazing instruction in storytelling, script writing, theater history, design classes and of course, hands on experience in class and productions on campus. I was blessed later on to find a vocal technique for singing that gave me a strong foundation. I learned the rules (and am still fine tuning those rules) and then I learned how to break those rules rules in a healthy way.
As you can see from the photos there was a variety of songs performed on this night. I jumped from Sondheim to Country, from Belt/Mix to Legit, from Character driven pieces to the more Melodious and Haunting. In order to be cast in a theater company like the Lyric, a performer needs to be versatile. It takes learning the technique, and then one needs to practice, practice, practice. And that repetition can be in the classroom, in rehearsals or in the privacy of your own home.
Even with great teachers and mentors like these two gentlemen, Sid Perkes and Vosco Call, one still must put in the work every day to learn about their body, their vocal instrument, and their ability to connect with the text no matter what genre.
It always amazes me when people find out that I do theater they often say, "Oh, that sounds like fun!" in a belittling tone. Like it is a lesser profession than an engineer, doctor, or salesman. Those who do this professionally know it takes everything we have (and sometimes more) to bring the audience what we do each night. The focus, consistency, the psychological journey, the grind of staying healthy, and the stress to rely heavily on our technique and take shortcuts when needed (without the audience noticing) when we aren't in good health. It is the daily commitment to put in the work and the payoff of course is being cast, feeling free to create in a rehearsal room, and then performing in front of a live audience. There is nothing like it.
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