BAH HUMBUG!

Its that time of year again!! Halloween candy is almost gone (thank goodness) and the holidays are fast approaching. You know what else that means.... many versions of the classic show A Christmas Carol. Now I have been a fan of almost every iteration I have come across of the beloved Christmas Carol. As a child I watched the 1977 movie musical version called Scrooge. To this day that is still one of my favorites. And as I watched the versions of this story unfold, I always dreamed of playing Belle, Scrooge's young love. Well lucky for me, not only did I have the opportunity to audition for it twice this season, but I was cast in one of my dream roles! I will be playing Belle (along with several other characters) in Pocket Sandwich's annual production of Ebenezer Scrooge.

This isnt your standard version of A Christmas Carol. Pocket's own Laurie Tirmenstein wrote the music for the show and is music directing. This is an original take on the show with 20 original songs and familiar Christmas carols!

Make sure to set aside time in your busy holiday schedule to come see Ebenezer Scrooge at Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Mockingbird Station November 29- December 23!

The Diary of Anne Frank

I have had the immense pleasure of bringing to life Miep Gies in The Diary of Anne Frank. Anne's diary was one of my favorite books as a child and I always held Miep in such high regard because of the commitment to both the families that lived in the annex and the memories that they left behind. This woman literally put her life on the line every day for her friends to make sure they survived the holocaust. After the war was over she painstakingly protected their memory and honored them by starting a museum, publishing Anne's diary and making sure no one forgot the story of  little 13 year old girl.

This show has been interesting for me, since Meip is not onstage all that much. I have a lot more to do behind the scenes. During one scene change, I help 3 actors get dressed and ready for the next scene. Its fast paced and I always have to be aware and on my toes.

Miss Taffy did an amazing job creating a family from our cast. The show double casted most roles, and somehow she helped us feel like one cast, so when we had substitutions, the show ran as smooth as ever. The use of theatre games which sometimes seem silly at the time, really make the difference in creating a family unit. Some shows it is not necessary for the cast to be a unit, but in a show where the characters literally spend every moment with each other it is vital. I am blessed to have been a part of this production.

Gleek the Musical

One of the most exciting things I have been able to do this year is write a musical for my Show Production students to perform this year for their spring show. Show Productions was started 12 years ago when as a middle school student, I saw something missing in the elementary school. As a student at Sallie Curtis I was always teased and picked on for being smaller and having different interests and hobbies than those of my classmates. I was a performer. I loved ventriloquism and theatre. Not your average interests for a second grader. I found that I could be myself onstage and all those things other kids said about me disappeared. I could be free. In the 6th grade I had the privilege to join the middle school drama club and I found what I was missing. A place to belong where no one judged you or saw you as different. A safe place. I then began my work in getting show productions started at my old elementary school, and by the time I was in 7th grade we had our first crop of students.

In the years since Show Productions started we have taught almost 1000 student, and reached many more. But this year I wanted to create a show that would transform these students point of view and make them look at the world differently. I wanted to attach a subject that isn't usually discussed in elementary school: Bullying.

Gleek is a spin off stage musical of the popular television show Glee. The show deals with issues like tolerance, acceptance and working together. It features a young girl who just lost her mom, a boy who is physically abused by his father and a girl who is so smart but severely misunderstood. Using popular music to weave the story the students come together to create one cohesive team.

What is unique about Gleek, is that the stage show is only part of the experience. When the rehearsal process begins, students usually sit with their group of friends. During Gleek, we challenged that. Instead we put together group of students who normal would never associate with each other and made them work together. Not only did they learn to tolerate and accept, it made the acting part on-stage a lot easier for elementary students to grasp. The students who before would never have talked to one another became families throughout the show and were there for each other. They felt a sense of loyalty to those who were in their rehearsal groups.

Another exercise in the process of this show came when we were working on the "Born this Way" section. We gave each cast member a poster and asked them to write one thing other people in the room didn't know about them or wouldn't understand. We had things like "bird watcher", "Ballerina", and "math wiz".  But the one that surprised me the most was a 4th grader who seems to be the most confident and self-secure person in Show Productions. When she showed her sign it said "insecure". At that moment I knew what we were doing was important.

When people ask me why I created Show Productions and how can we spend so much time on something that has no financial reward, all I can tell them is its about the kids. The group of fifth graders that graduated from Show Pro this year was a very special group of kids. Most of them have been with us since the first grade, and let me tell you they have come a LONG way. I didn't realize the impact this program had until Gleek had closed and I was in the dressing room with the remaining kids packing up their stuff. We had kids crying because this program was their identity for so long and that was changing. You could see the impact on their faces. As I was back stage, a little 6 year old first grader comes running up and hugs me as tight as she could. I looked down and this little face was beaming up at me and said "Thanks for starting Show Production!" and goes running off. At that moment I knew it was all worth it. But the one story that absolutely tugs at my heart it the story of a little girl named James. James is in the third grade and one of the most talented kids in our show. She played the lead "nerd" and did a superb job. As the fifth graders were crying and making a big deal about not having show pro next year she quietly packed her things, but had silent tears streaming down her cheeks. None of us could figure out why she was so sad. Come to find out, her dad had been transferred to Houston, and they had just told her that morning. Gleek would be her final show with Show Productions. When we talked to her later she said through tears, "I don't know what I am going to do at my new school without Show Productions. Who will I hang out with? Where will i fit in?" Those tears are the reason I do all of this. Children need a place to feel safe and fit in. It broke my heart that I couldn't give her that at her new school.

Gleek's world premiere was a huge success. We are bringing the show and the experience back for a second run during Show Productions's first ever summer camp in the Summer of 2013.

This show would not have been possible without the dedication and help of the teachers and parents of Show Productions: Ellen Miller: Director/Costumer; Amy Rubin: Co-Director, and Samantha McCarroll: Co-Director.

Journey to MsTx 2012

As i prepare for Miss Texas this year, I took the time to look back on some of the appearances I have made this year, and all I can say is WOW! I couldn't have done any of this without my amazing directors Amy and Jason!

Fort Worth Fall Fair

Madison's School Carnival

Chamber of Commerce Awards Ball

Veterans Day Celebration

Chriskindle Festival

City of Arlington Christmas Kids Lunch

Miss North Texas

City of Arlington Tree Lighting

Fort Worth Horse Cutting Competition

Margarita Ball

City of Arlington Lights Parade

Celebrity Teddy Bear Hunt

TCU Chrones Walk

Miss America 2012

Arlington Museum of Art Fundraiser

Stonewall Jackson Elementary School

Race for Wishes

Miss Arlington Dash for the Sash

Gleek the Musical: benefitting CMNH

Miss Arlington Fundraisers at the Rangers Ballpark

Dash to the Altar

JuCan Do it!

Texas Elementary School for the Arts

Good Morning Texas: Dash to the Altar

Texas State Student Council Convention

Arlington Chamber of Commerce Daddy/Daughter Dance

The Column Awards 2012

So far 2012 has proven to be extremely exciting! Aside from an incredibly fun New Years eve, I have found out that I have been nominated for THREE column awards. There are still a few rounds of voting left to go, but I am thrilled beyond belief to even be considered amongst the top actors in Dallas.

For those of you who do not know, the Column awards are like the local Tony's for the Dallas theatre scene. The Column's John Garcia started the awards to raise money for Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids, and it has grown into one of the most sought after recognitions in Dallas theatre.

This season has been filled with many firsts for me, as well as many fun triumphs and learning experiences. I have been nominated for the following:

Best Actress in a Musical:

Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun

Best Actress in a Musical:

Janet Wiess in Rocky Horror Show

Best Actress in a Play

Carol Melkett in Black Comedy

Thank you Art Centre Theatre and Rover Dramawerks for allowing me 

the incredible opportunity to bring these characters to life. Each one 

struck a chord with me in a different way, but I am certainly a 

better actress and performer for each of them.