"Dance First. Think Later. It's the natural order." ~ Samuel Beckett
Looking back I am not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to play Louise and understudy the role of Patsy Cline. I was basically memorizing a whole show! If I had stopped to think about it I may have run away in fear. Instead I jumped in with both feet having equal parts ignorance and confidence. It wasn't until people started commenting on how difficult it must have been that I took a step back and thought, "Hey...Yeah...That WAS hard!"The main hurdle for this show was memorization. I was given the script and score a few months before rehearsals began. Usually I start rehearsals familiar with the script, and get off book soon after I know my basic blocking. But this show was going to be a different beast, and I knew it would be wise to memorize as much as I could beforehand. My goal was to have the 26 songs memorized (Songs are much easier to digest than the spoken word thanks to the power of music!) and I would be mostly off-book for Louise's monologues by the first day. This would give me a chance to get my bearings in the space (Anyone else a spatial learner?) and get the lines under my belt after basic blocking was set.
My typical pre-rehearsal day was: memorize lines in the morning, sing for one to two hours in the early afternoon, watch footage or listen to recordings of Patsy for research later in the afternoon and then review lines before bed. There's roughly 20 pages of monologues and short scenes. I broke the script up into deadlines so I would have certain portions memorized by certain dates. Even with all of that preparation I felt like I took two steps back once we got into the rehearsal room, but slowly the lines emerged and became second nature. I continued to do a full line run each day before a performance, and things still went wrong on occasion! Yes even a couple of terrifying moments when I was the only person onstage not knowing who or where I was! With that many lines/lyrics during a long run it was bound to happen...Ah, the thrill of live theater!
I have to stop here briefly and acknowledge my husband Roger. He was integral in my process. He was and is my biggest cheerleader. I could not have done this without him there every step of the way. One of the upsides of the pandemic was that He was still working from home so he got to spend hours listening to me rehearse. Ha! And, this was by no means the finished product, this was constant repetition along with vocal frustration. It was the 'slow-motion' version of the 'getting in shape' montage. I am sure it wasn't always pleasant for him, but I honestly couldn't have gotten to the finish line without his listening ear to vent into, his arms to hold me when I wept in defeat, his willing hands that held mine as we jumped around the room when I would finally get through "I Fall To Pieces" without cracking, and his acting coach skills helping me fine tune my character choices. And that brings me to the second hurdle I faced: creating two distinct characters.
For Louise, who was based on an actual person, the goal was to create a character that was likeable, relatable, and able to hold the audience in the palm of her hand. An authentic person with boundless generosity, warmth, and humor. She danced like no one was watching and always looked on the bright side of life. She was a survivor who found inspiration, hope, peace and clarity within Patsy's voice and songs. And ultimately she would find those things in their friendship as well. She could easily become more of a caricature so I started inward with her being an exaggerated version of myself. I was already a huge fan of Patsy so it was a good place to begin. She quickly became her own kind of special as I was inspired by people in my own life who were living proof that it was okay to go big, be bold, and over the top while still being based in truth.
For Patsy, there was a definitive added challenge in playing an icon who actually existed and most audience members were familiar with. My main desire was to honor the memory of this gifted artist and extraordinary person. I wanted the audience to be transported back in time like they were really watching her in concert. I wanted to convey the love she had for her fans and create a performance that was nuanced and warm. I wanted them to not only hear, but feel that signature heartbreak in her voice, and see that twinkle in her eye. I also left myself open to learn from one of the best, Miss Cori Cable Kidder.
I distinctly remember the first time I met Cori. Her reputation proceeded her. She was described as charming, funny, beautiful, professional, warm, and a team player. We were told that she would fit right in with Adrien and me. But, I was still so anxious to meet her. Adrien and I had bonded over the course of the intensive two weeks before Cori came. Even with a glowing report from all who knew her, I still had trepidation that the little haven we had created would be disrupted with ego and a stubborn attitude of, "That's not how we did it in my past productions." The day finally arrived...She came through the door of the rehearsal space and my first impressions were, "She is tall, she is beautiful, yup she speaks with a charming southern drawl, and....she genuinely gives good hugs...kindness exudes from every pore in her body...I think I'm gonna like this gal just fine."
Cori gave me the final piece of the puzzle for Patsy. Her confidence, poise and connection to an audience astounded me. And I knew I needed to dig deep to get up to speed with someone who already had a long history with the show. It wasn't until we were in dress rehearsals and able to interact with small audiences made up of our design team and other various employees at the theater that I realized BOTH Louise and Patsy had to have that confidence, poise and connection to the audience. One through song and the other through the spoken word. Yes, they were very different characters but that was the common thread. The audience shouldn't feel that connected energy drop once Patsy stops singing and Louise starts talking. And vice versa. It is a give and take between actresses to pick up where the other left off. The audience was the third character in the play and if we couldn't draw them in the show would fall flat. With opening night just around the corner the weight of that responsibility was daunting. Would I be able to hold my own in front of an audience as both Louise AND Patsy?
PC: Leave It To Leavitt
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