My Experience in Moon Swallower
I was recently in “Moon Swallower” by Colby Quick put on by the University Theatre Players (UTP). This was such an amazing opportunity but also extremely stressful. I originally auditioned for the show because my friend was directing and did not think I would get a part in the show. Not only was I cast but I also got the female lead in the show! This was terrifying because I have never been in a play before and I typically have social anxiety.
In December, I was given my script to start memorizing because the show dates were for mid-February. This was anxiety-inducing because I had 74 lines to memorize! Luckily, my friends who have much more theatre experience gave me some great notes for line memorization. The most helpful thing for me was to just recite my lines out loud to myself.
Rehearsals started as soon as we returned from winter break and I was so excited to finally get started. We were on book for a couple of weeks in January, which means we got to have the script in front of us. This was helpful, but at the same time, I was having a hard time “acting” because I was reading my lines from a script.
After off book date, which was towards the end of January, we were not allowed to have the script on stage. This was nerve-wracking, but fortunately, we could call “line” if we forgot our next line. After a week or so, we hit our off-prompt day. This meant that we were no longer allowed to call for “line” and just had to roll with it if we forgot a line.
Once we were off book and off prompt, I noticed such a change within myself. The inflection within my lines improved greatly as well as my reactions to what was happening on stage. Everyone told me that this would happen, but I did not expect such a great shift. I felt so much more comfortable on stage and with my character.
Tech week was next, which was a lot of fun but also very draining. The first day is called “load in”. This is where the cast comes to the theatre and cleans, set up props, sounds, lights, costumes, etc. After loading in we did our first dress rehearsal. With this rehearsal, we had lights and sound for the first time as well as costume changes. After doing two dress rehearsals, we were ready for the show!
My first night on stage was extremely nerve-wracking. I felt like I could not breathe and my heart was racing, but as soon as I stepped on stage, my body took over. The first show is a blur, but all my hard work had paid off! The rest of the shows throughout the week were so much fun, and by Sunday I was exhausted. After the Sunday showing we had to “Strike”, which consisted of taking down the set, putting away props, taking down sound and light, taking home costumes and cleaning.
Although I had so much fun being a part of this show, I most likely will not do it again. As a commuter, full-time student and someone who has to work 20+ hours a week to pay bills, adding on another 16-hour-a-week commitment was just too much. I was so drained and exhausted that my schoolwork and relationship got moved to the back burner. I am so happy I got this experience and created so many valuable friendships! I highly recommend trying out for the next show with UTP, just for the experience and friendships that you gain from the time you spend preparing for the show.
