I will be really depressed if I wake up Monday with just a whisper, as often happens at the end of a run after a two-show day. That would probably mean vocal rest (speaking in a whisper) for at least two weeks, half my hiatus.
Most actresses hope to not get laryngitis after two shows in one day. For me, it's not whether, it's how bad. I really hope I wake up Monday with just mild laryngitis. Couple days of rest and voice is normal...
I have about a month off before the next show starts rehearsal. Hoping my voice doesn't crash from two shows on Sunday. Would love to start my hiatus with just mild laryngitis, so I can rest it for a few days and talk normally for a month. To be continued...
Made my way over to a test screening of the new movie Wicker. My thoughts:
The quicker you avoid Wicker, the less likely you are to need liquor.
Seriously, it's a defiantly stupid movie. There's a decent movie somewhere in there, but the filmmakers aimed very low.
#WickerMovie
Got dragged to an Oscar party tonight. Didn't know anyone, and couldn't talk, but I had a wonderful "wingman" who stayed by my side and explained my silence (or whispers). Costume was a movie scream queen with a slit throat (one I have worn at multiple shindigs).
Week two of rehearsal almost done (day off today, then a long one tomorrow). Skating on the brink of laryngitis is much better than being immersed in it.
Going to custom print some t-shirts, explaining why I am not talking. Open to suggestions. Here is one I already had made. I got lots of attention, which was nice, since I tend to feel invisible.
My voice made it through week one of rehearsal without jumping ship. The cast thinks I am crazy. No one questions my approach when I have severe laryngitis and stay on vocal rest...point is, this is how I avoid laryngitis...or at least, how I avoid making it worse.
This always inspires me, always. No matter how many times I hear it.
Fun, productive rehearsal tonight. Voice held up. Definitely hoarse afterward, but won't need to talk until start of rehearsal tomorrow. With a day off on Friday, should be good for the long day on Saturday. Castmates seem to be figuring out I'm not some kind of freak.
Pretty great rehearsal tonight. After a day off, my voice was strong and felt effortless. Such a good feeling. No idea how my voice will be in the morning, but tonight the vocal rest that some call "overkill" and the whispering that some say is harmful, totally paid off.
Long chat today with a good friend. She said she needed vocal rest today, so we both spoke in whispers. Not something I expect or even want (guys whispering is yuck) but it was nice. She asked if I look forward to not being in a show, so I can talk normally. Hard No! I'm lost when I'm not in a show.
I am not on imdb, at this point, but not for a lack of film/TV work. I think for an actor to get credited, your face has to appear onscreen. My legs, on the other hand, have graced the screen quite a bit. i am bound to NDAs, of course, but I have been the legs of some A-List actresses.
Despite my vocal issues, I have never chased after non-speaking roles. However, this is one I was born for. Susan the Silent, in the breakthrough musical FINIAN'S RAINBOW. I can dance well enough and I have the legs for it...or so people say.
Never gets old. One of the greatest pieces of music ever written.
How I Whisper and Why it's a Good Thing:
It is called "open-throat whispering." Very simply, I breathe in, and as I exhale, I use the breath to create whisper sounds. The vocal cords are not a factor in this. Vocal rest is a way of life for me, and this allows me to communicate verbally.
And just to save everyone the time and effort, I have taken every kind of voice lessons known to man, I use my voice correctly, I hydrate, avoid alcohol and caffeine, I don't smoke. I am checked regularly for nodes. I just have very weak vocal cords. Any degree of projection is a strain.
Today was one of those days when I almost question my choices. Should I give up working in the theatre, so I can have a normal social life and be able to talk? I just don't want to be treated like a freak or pariah, because I have a vocal disability. I am an amazing whispering conversationalist.
I felt completely alone at rehearsal today. My voice sounded okay in my scenes, but I was straining the entire time. Offstage, no one would talk to me. The most anyone had to say to me was "whispering is worse for your voice." I can whisper without using my vocal cords, have been doing it for years.
This is my fantasy. Opera. My misshapen/absentee voice could never do it, but oh, how i wish I could sing in one, just once. I would be thrilled to be a supernumerary.
Maybe algorithms actually work. Why else would they lead a laryngitis-prone actress to a page about silent films? Not a lot of silents made anymore, but I think I would be amazing in one. With all my practice not talking in practically every situation, I was made for these. My face can say volumes!
There may be a Moliere play in my near future. I have always loved the costumes in every production I have seen, so I have been looking at designs...not that I will have any say in what I wear, but if the designer happens to see this...hint, hint.
Jean Bérain the Elder (1640–1711) was a prolific French designer. He collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Lully and Molière, creating elaborate sets and costumes that enhanced the theatrical grandeur of Louis XIV's court.
#History
Designs for the stage. Rhode Island School of Design
does you mom not test your knowledge on niche and obscure quotes from movies/songs/books?
Man annoying woman on train
"I Noticed That You Mentioned Silent Films So I Wanted to Come Over and Explain a Film I am Sure You Have Never Seen Called METROPOLIS" by Berthold Woltze