Playing Anne

 

...Well folks, I'm back.

It's quite hard to know where to start and how to begin, when so much has happened inbetween. Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post - it was so exciting to share it with you! And now I begin the impossible task of putting the last several months into words for you. (I decided to upload some pictures also, as I know how much I love looking at such things. I don't have very many, sadly, as I didn't have much time to take photos, but what I do have I'll share with you.)

The show actually closed over two weeks ago, but I didn't feel ready to write about it before now. There were too many feelings to process, plus I also got barreled over with sickness. (I almost lost my voice the week leading up to our opening night, and goodness me, it gave me a scare. But many cups of tea and hours of vocal exercises later, I managed to hold onto my voice and never lost it for a show... and managed to stay well for every performance as well! Hallelujah!) 

When I auditioned for Anne of Green Gables, I had no idea how much of my life it would dominate and how the show would consume my time and energy. But I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Marilla, Anne and Matthew <3

The rehearsal process went from the end of February up until the beginning of June, and I never missed a single weekend. We went through character development, backstories, then began running through scenes, exploring motives and energy and direction. Surprisingly (to me, anyhow), the directors would pick out certain scenes out of order and we would work through them. We only ran the whole show for the first time maybe six weeks out from performances. 

An interesting fact would be that memorizing my 530+ lines was probably one of the easiest parts! (I can attribute that to a few things; namely, I know the story very well, had grown up listening to a dramatized version on CD with a very similar script, and I also just enjoy memorizing things haha.) I was most nervous about two things; one, remembering the blocking and where my entries/exits were and the sequence of scenes (I didn't have time to spare if I mixed up which scene was next, as I was often scurrying back through the rat run to make it to the other side of the stage on time), and two, my costume changes. I had 5 different outfits, and 4 costume changes during the show, (one of them being in our intermission break). It was fun having so many different outfits, but goodness, I got a bit stressed when for my first costume change, my mother (who was helping me) and I fumbled so much with two sets of buttons that I didn't make it on time for my next scene and missed my cue. XD That was a rude awakening to quick changes, haha. Fortunately, that was still rehearsals, and I spent every run of the show practicing quick changes with the people that helped me in the dressing room. I am very happy to state that, thanks to the many lovely people that assisted, I never missed a cue and made it on time for all of my scenes during performances. ;) (Not to mention that I had to run down two sets of stairs and under the stage to the dressing room and back up again each time - I was often quite breathless and had to try and mask the fact that I was puffing underneath. XD)

Getting my wig ready for our dress rehearsal!

Aside from all that, there were two other things that made the entire process one that I will be eternally grateful for. First, that I was blessed to have such incredible directors that encouraged me, coached me, and supported me all those months. I had a lot of questions, and a nagging self-doubt about the existence of any acting ability on my part. I'm not sure how I would have managed if I didn't have so much encouragement and kind words from the people around me. They built me up in my confidence - enough so that I could walk onstage and not second-guess myself after each scene. ;) It was a genuine struggle, and it still is, but I have come a long way. Every time I think over all the tips and promptings my directors gave me, I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness. I basically got free one-on-one acting coaching! How lucky am I?! 

Second, getting to meet so many amazing and talented people! I thrive in social settings, and wow, this was no exception. There were over 40 people in the cast, not to mention stage crew and directors and volunteers etc. I made so many great friendships, and shared so many laughs. By nature, I'm not too much of a hugger, but goodness, by the end of the show, it was a tradition to hug almost half the cast once the curtain closed. ;) The shows that you do would be nothing without the people you meet.

Posing with our set before our final show :')

Tech week came and went and remarkably, we all survived. ;) Opening night happened the Friday of that week, and I was stunned to find I did not have any nerves. Like, barely any. I couldn't believe it! We'd rehearsed so much, and I felt so prepared, I hardly had any butterflies while standing in the dark, clutching my bag and hearing the recording for people to turn off their phones etc play overhead. I had become so used to numbing my feelings, after being thrown outside my comfort zone the past few months, that I had managed to numb the nerves as well. But not to worry - hearing the audience laugh for the first time was one of the most exhilarating feelings ever! It spurs you on like nothing else.

We had six performances - a Friday night show, a Saturday matinee + gala lunch and Saturday night show, then all that again (x2) the following weekend. One thing I never expected was how different a performance felt depending on the audience, and how startlingly different every audience acted. Some of them were very loud and boisterously laughed - even at parts that I couldn't even understand being funny - and others were extremely quiet, and would laugh politely at a few of the jokes. Some of them would cry and sniffle and blow their noses during the saddest part of the play towards the end (Matthew's funeral), and others would remain icily silent. Sometimes it felt like hard work, warming up the crowd and getting them invested, and other times the energy of the audience carried me along and pushed me to spin my lines in whatever way I could to get a laugh. 

Gilbert posing with some of the girls

I never realized how much energy one can find in performing. How hyped the entire cast was during dress rehearsals and tech week and performances. We had so many snacks going around, and games played between shows, and silly photos taken. I was given four bouquets over the two weekends by dear friends and family, and I had countless members from the audience come up to say how much they loved the show, and especially my Anne. It was surreal. I even had several little girls come up and want to meet Anne, have a hug and take a photo. 😭 I remember when I was a little girl, wanting to meet the actors that played at the children's theatre, and thinking they were superior to any other human being. xD As if they were magic, almost. 

Perhaps magic is a good way to describe theatre. It is magical. Of course, when you're a part of it, and see how much hard work and long hours and unromantic labour goes into it, it does open your eyes a bit more. But producing a show that had so much heart, and seeing the amazement in the eyes of those little girls that stared up at me and stroked my dress to check I was real... I think there must have been a little bit of magic in there somewhere. ;)

after our final show, with my incredible directors, Tammy and Luke

It was an incredible experience, full of highs and lows and challenges and thrills. We had rehearsals where I was onstage for nearly 10 hours straight, with no breaks (I had time to maybe eat half a nut bar). I had an almost mental breakdown a few weeks out from dress rehearsals about not being able to do it. I was forced to say no to several fun invitations and events because "sorry, I have rehearsals". 

And yet... I never forgot any of my lines during the show. We sold over 750 tickets and had a sold-out audience for our final matinee. We had a few dramas backstage, but managed to pull everything together and keep it moving because the show must go on. (I'm telling you, audiences are blissfully unware to the mishaps and emergencies that happen backstage while everything looks perfect and smooth onstage. ;))  And the audience clapped after every performance, so we must have gotten something right. And we made them cry, every show. And laugh, every show. They gasped when the slate shattered over Gilbert's head every time, and they chuckled knowingly when I poured the third glass of  'raspberry cordial' out for Diana. 

Anne, Mr Phillips (out of costume ;)), Diana and Marilla,
waiting to perform a skit at a festival

I will never forget what it felt like to stand on the stage alone, with the spotlight on, saying my final monologue, knowing that this would be the last time I would be living and breathing in Anne's world, seeing life through her star-studded eyes. Anne helped me see the beauty in this world, and how it never leaves you, even when tragedy strikes and darkness pervades. For, as I said every performance, in closing the show,

"... at this very moment, God is in in His heaven, and all is right with the world."

All four of us siblings involved - Mary Jo, Anne,
Prissy Andrews (/Music Director!) and Jimmy Glover.

P.S. I just remembered, for anyone that is interested, I have a public Instagram account @gabriellaambrey where you can follow along with all my theatrical and musical endeavors, if you so desire. :)