Week 3:
I Know Things Now (Little Red from Into The Woods)

July 8, 2021

It’s hard to believe that I have been in New York for over three weeks. It still feels like I just got here! The time is really flying by!

This week, we continued working on our scenes. Chloe and I ran through our scene and song from Wicked a few times before performing for our Interpretation and Performance class with Dev Janki. He gave us some wonderful and constructive feedback to make the scene/song stronger. In Acting Techniques, we dug deeper into our monologues, discussing the who, where, what, and why of the scene. We each presented additional background about our plays and characters and gave a 360-degree description of the rooms in which our monologues take place. During Movement class, Vanessa Butler had us go through our group scenes — my scene is from The Full Monty — in movement form. Basically, we told the story of the scene through three tableaus.

Tuesday was my big day — masterclass performance day! It started with an amazing morning of virtual classes — Movement Techniques with Joanne Edelmann and Voice and Speech with Christa Jones! I felt active in my body and voice by the time we finished, an absolutely perfect warm-up for my performance at the masterclass. I put on my spiffy performance dress and make-up and took the subway over to the studio. This week, we had Broadway performer Janet Dacal zoom in from Orlando, FL, to give me and the three other performers guidance through our chosen pieces. My performance went marvelously! I sang a 32-bar cut from “Not For the Life of Me” from Thoroughly Modern Millie, a piece that I sang in voice lessons with Dr. Lisa Hearne during my first two years at Cornell. I was very nervous but was pleasantly surprised by all the support and love I felt in the room. Janet gave me some notes, and I sang through the cut three times. 

She then asked if I had any more pieces I wanted to work on. I looked at Dev, our program director, who smiled and nodded to me. I pulled out “Omar Sharif” from The Band’s Visit. This is the song I had originally wanted to perform at the masterclass. Still, after reading in Janet’s bio that she is playing Dina in the show’s National Tour, I got nervous and decided to go with Millie. It felt so good to sing “Omar Sharif” for her, and it was incredible to receive instruction and insight from a Broadway professional who is actually in the role! After the masterclass, I went out to meet with a composer I had originally met at the International Thespian Fest in Nebraska in 2019, where I was helping recruit students for Cornell’s theatre program. We had a wonderful time and dinner together, and I’m hoping to work and collaborate with him while in New York!

In other highlights, I went outside of my Musical Theater comfort zone during Audition Skills and Strategies with Carol Linnea Johnson and sang Etta James’ “At Last.” Carol said I should save that as a “back pocket” piece for auditions. In the Business of Acting, Dev had an enlightening discussion with us about headshots, resumes, and types. In Storytelling through Dance, Vanessa Butler led us through a warm-up and meditation session, which the group appreciated and needed.  Dev had warned us at the beginning of the program that our bodies and minds would be tested and tired by the third week, and he was right! After class ended, I went straight home and slept for 12 hours. 

By the end of the week, it was all starting to catch up with me. In Acting a Song with BD Wong, I sang “So Anyway” from Next to Normal, which I chose specifically because my voice was feeling weak, and I thought, since the character is feeling sad, it could be a fitting song even if my voice faltered a bit. BD said I pulled it off well. I once again went straight home after class and went to bed early.

Unfortunately, when I woke up on Friday, my throat felt scratchy, and I was coughing.  I emailed my teachers for the day and let them know that I needed to stay home and be on vocal rest. I went to immediate care, where I tested negative for both strep throat and Covid-19. The doctor told me to take Mucinex D and rest. I stayed home the entire weekend, resting my voice and using my time to revamp my website and resume.

I am looking forward to going back to class on Monday, and I’m grateful that I do not have to perform in this week’s masterclass on Tuesday!