Seasonless Greetings

Hey everybody!  Long time, no read, I know, but shit happens and I'm back.

Given the Season upon us, I should be writing holiday musings, but I hate this time of year with an irrational passion, so I'll spare you the suicide-inducing rant and talk about theatre.

Again.

Anyroad, I am currently rehearsing a role that practically defies description.  "Practically" in the sense that I can tell you I play a 72 year-old whore with a hare lip, one eye and a limp, but I really don't think that simplistic description does Princess justice.  I don't think anyone or anything has ever done poor Princess justice, but, again, shit happens.  It's a boatload of fun, in any case, and I'm having a ball.

Next month, I start rehearsing as Polonius in Hamlet.  I have been trying to think of a civilian comparison as to how these two roles differ.   It's kind of like if you have two dates in a row, and the first is with Howard Stern and the next is with Maya Angelou.  Nah, that doesn't sound right.  How about: you're going clothes shopping and first you buy a lacy bustier and then you buy a police uniform.   Still doesn't feel right.  Anyroad, it's one of the things I love about acting--that you get to portray such a wide variety of experiences, many of which you'd never actually like to do in real life (i.e. I would not enjoy having a hare lip and one eye [I'm guessing]).  It is an incredible challenge as an actor, and it keeps the whole process fresh, which is unusual in any profession.  I think that's why actors leave a long-running TV series, because they want to experience that challenge again.  Also, at that point they have more money than God and they can do whateverthehell they want to.  Us poor community-theatre-have-to-work-a-crap-job-to-survive types don't have that luxury, but we still salivate at the idea of playing a complex character nothing like ourselves.  And Princess and Polonius are definitely not two P's in a pod. 

So, Merry Chrismahanakakwanza to me.  The rest of you can have your Santa and reindeer the endless caterwauling of Christmas music, but I'll sit back and polish my eyepatch and take each man's censure but reserve my judgment.