CHARACTER PARTY 2013/In The Moment Acting Studio

All month Laurel Vouvray's students have assumed identities of historical figures representing Good and Evil in the world.  We researched, developed back stories, studied accents and walked in shoes of people who many of us knew little about.  The great finale is the coming together of all of these characters at a party where the first two hours we ate the most delicious Senagalese  food prepared by Iba, discussed among ourselves how to fix the world, plotted and schemed how to overthrow the monarchies, get rid of Hitler, and drank!  All this at Scoot Inn.

Dressed as Queen Victoria, wearing a tiara, a fur lined cloak, and walking with a staff I enter C Note and ask where the party is.  No one in the restaurant looked up from their laptops, the servers didn't laugh and told me it wasn't there.  Thank goodness Stefania Bellini answered my text because David Lee Hess was too busy being Thomas Payne ranting, raving and eating!

At Scoot Inn I walk into a room filled with the most unusually attired characters, beautiful women and men, talking, discussing in character and being so free to make reaches, laugh at ourselves, educate each other about who we are and provide support, affection and warmth.  Laurel keeps her students from different classes so connected and it was lovely to meet people who knew my name. Others I had met at auditions or a birthday party for another classmate.

The partying  began after two hours with Trent providing the most incredibly good dancing music.  He played some strings with his tongue!  For real!  And his teenage son was his drummer!  The best treat for me was being in a room of actors who love love love to dance. Unabashedly, rhythmically, fearlessly. Watching Michael Joplin as Sigmund Freud dance is a visual joy!!!

To quote my daughter  Liz who met many of my classmates the evening before :"Mama, you've found your community."  Yes I have.