Day 9- Stand Out

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend. 
Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago. 
Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet. 
Day 7 – Your dream wedding. 
Day 8 – A song to match your mood.


Day 9 - Something you are proud of.
Title- Stand Out is from A Goofy Movie. I really fell in love with this song while I was in high school. One of my closest friend's says it still reminds her of me whenever she hears it. The reason I chose it today is because the things that I am proud of, I feel like stood out amongst the other things that I've accomplished in my life. 


When thinking about the things in my life that I am proud, acting, of course, pops up first in my head. I am honestly really proud of a lot of the plays that I have performed in. The reason that I chose these in particular is because I feel like I had to do a lot of work in order to accomplish them. These weren't plays that audiences liked more than others. These were plays that were all challenging pieces, and I feel like I rose to the occasion.

 Dead Man's Cell Phone was a really fun piece. I got to drop the F bomb a few times, I had a hot costume, and I got to work with an awesome cast. The play is a really weird, abstract piece that was challenging on many levels. But I think the cast pulled it off. I was dead, eyes open and sitting straight up in a chair for the first fifteen minutes of the play (uncomfortable!), I had to memorize a nine page monologue, and I had to create a character completely different than me (arrogant, charming and good looking. Way far from me, I know. ;] )

1776 was a challenge vocally and character wise. The song I had to sing was difficult. It was emotional as well as strenuous on my voice. I also had a lot of physicality during the song, as you can tell. I was exhausted every night, but it felt good. It was a challenge character wise because my character had motivations and ideas that I simply disagreed with. The major scene I was in focused on slavery. And my character fought, and won, to keep slavery constitutional and legal. Talk about controversial! I loved this piece because I got to take the audiences breath away every night. I never got applause after my song because the audience was stunned into silence. It felt incredible! Also, my costume was the most beautiful on stage. Which is always a plus.

Endgame is an absurdist piece in which I played an ANCIENT man, with no legs, who lived in a trashcan. Pretty out there, and that isn't even the half of it. When I first read the piece, I literally HATED it. I didn't understand it, and I new the audiences wouldn't either. This was definitely a challenge. I spent the entire show in a trashcan, and had to speak in an old Irish brogue. I can honestly say that this play made me a much better actor. Because I was confined to the can, I had to focus on creating emotion with my face and voice. By the end of the second week of rehearsals, my entire opinion of the play (and of absurdism in general) changed. I ended up loving the piece and, surprisingly, most of the audiences did too. It became one of the best theatrical experiences of my life. 


Among others, these roles shaped who I am as an artist. And I am looking forward to dozens of more roles just like them that will help me grow and become an awesome actor.


-mikey-