sex, drugs, rock n' roll and a little Wilde

This past month has been one heck of a ride. Tonight we open The Picture of Dorian Gray at Round House Theatre and I must say I’m a little sad about that. Opening means that rehearsals are over, our playwright goes home, we say goodbye to our director- the amazing Blake Robison- and the cast is only together for three hours a day instead of eight (or twelve). I’m going to miss the luxury of just working on theatre- stimulating, challenging theatre- and will return to the day jobs. But what a run we’ll have!

The edgy, funny and insightful writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has exposed the subtext of Oscar Wilde’s novel by thrusting the characters into the sensational art scene of London in 1988- and thus enters the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. This show has presented quite a few challenges for me, all of which have been exciting and fun to surmount. I play five different women, learned a few new accents and worked to make the others better, appear naked on stage for the first time (that’s the big one!), had input on a new play and gained the confidence to play “the most fabulous person in the room”, among other things. I need to thank my amazing company for creating a safe and supportive environment for me to feel vulnerable in- a necessity for this show- and in turn giving me the confidence to pull it all off.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, adapted by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Big Love on HBO, Marvel Comics) directed by Blake Robison running at Round House Theatre Bethesda until October 4th. Hope you can make it!