Julie Jordan Scott - My Life on Stage - The Stage In My Life
My travels on-stage (and backstage) in Bakersfield Theatre
A blog about Arts & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, and Personal Journals.
Real Name: Julie Jordan Scott Member Since: April 01, 2005 Last Signed In: January 08, 2009 Profile Views: 10021 Blog Views: 16260 Being Noticeably Better If You Were A Reporter, Telling about YOUR 2008, What Would the Stories be? An Apt Metaphor for Me What did you say? Another Theatre Beginning.... Today's Daily Stuff... Let Me Straighten this Life Coaching Hat.... Preparing to Burn Again WOW! Its been forever and then some As It Should Be, For Me August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 
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It has been a while since I have had such a long break between the read through of a show and the rehearsals. It was like “oh, yeah, I am in a show, I think, opening in November or sometime after the fair and Halloween and… wait, what is it again?” My character felt dusty yet also grateful to be taken back off the shelf Monday night as I took out my script and reviewed my lines for the scene which was about to unfold.
I stood at my point of entry for the scene and did some of my usual body warm ups in order to prepare and be solid in “the minute before” entering a scene. I like to do that as a routine, I create whatever it is I am doing right before I walk onto stage and into the scene so I am fully entrenched in the action taking place.
It is like wearing a raincoat. You want it on before you enter the rain shower rather than walking out into the rain, notice it is raining and finally, after getting wet putting it on. That is awkward. Wet and chilly, too.
I stood there, offstage, and I noticed the strangest thing. My toes were turning in. It was as if my character was whispering, “just slightly dear, there. Just a touch turned in… “ before she shuddered slightly and uttered the words, “slightly pigeon toed, just slightly.”
I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone else heard this odd command.
I always listen to my character’s voices when they are this insistent.
“Ok,” I said in my mind as I turned my toes inward, just slightly.
Rehearsal was great fun for my short scene and then I went home and stuck my character back on the shelf.
Last night she was back and I found myself feeling slightly off character-wise. I couldn’t hear her voice so strongly because I was distracted by the vision of the man playing my husband as Archie Bunker so all of a sudden Edith Bunker was taking up all the space in my imagination.
I think it was I, not my character, who giggled and ‘said’ in a whispery, shudder filled thought-voice, “a slightly pigeon toed Edith Bunker.”
It feels great to be back on the BCT Stage. It has been a while since I have appeared there and in the interim so much-not-great-stuff took place that being back there felt, at first, Herculean. Now, I can feel pleasantly nostalgic as I wait to go on. I can look around at the places where I have stood as different characters.
I smile when I think of it all over again, wondering what stuff my new character, Helen, will give me next week when I am back on the rehearsal stage.
My script isn’t on the shelf anymore as I have been consistently reviewing my lines.
I am putting Edith Bunker on the shelf and watching for the Real Helen to once again speak up so the Real Julie can breathe her into being.
That feels so good to say. It feels even better to live.
"In the Boom Boom Room" Written by David Rabe and Directed by Ron Bastone will be presented at Bakersfield Community Theatre in November. I hope to see you there! Call 831-8114 for reservations and information.
Last night was the first rehearsal for “In the Boom Boom Room”, the November production at Bakersfield Community Theater. I will be playing Helen, the mother to Chrissy who is the lead in this play by David Rabe.
Compliments are a great way to inspire a person to give his or her best. I know this from experience, but when the technique is used on me I turn into a puddle of happiness long before I think “Ohhhh, how familiar!”
Director Ron Bastone singled me out when he said, “I was very impressed with your reading at the audition.”
I turned into a blubbering idiot, “Oh, thank you so much, I am so grateful to get positive feedback…” acting as if I had never received positive feedback in my life. I think in acting I still have that belief that I am not very good at all and that any success I have had is primarily due to accident.
“You were present the entire time, even when he” (pointing to Richard, who is playing my husband, “had a long speech, you were responding to what he was saying.”
I stayed in the scene and it was noticed.
“I kept expecting for you to ask me to read some more.” I was actually hoping he would ask me to read more. I enjoy auditions and see them as the one shot I have to portray a character so my intention is always to experience that character completely.
“Sometimes you just have a feeling about an audition.” He said.
“In the Boom Boom Room” is different from any other play I have been in before which is one of the reasons I wanted to audition. My character isn’t very sympathetic at all and I know I will find reasons to come to like her more, but for now – in the getting to know you stages – if I met her through a friend I probably wouldn’t care if I ever met her before. Part of my work will be to make her interesting and multi-dimensional for the audiences.
They will be curious about me anyway from the set-up playwright Rabe creates through earlier dialogue from Chrissy and Harold, “my” husband.
I had almost forgotten how much anticipation and excitement comes from starting a new production. It is like the first day of school. I can’t wait to see what happens.
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