Hi, I’m Chris Wilson and I am currently playing Lt. Ike in The Dancing Princesses. I wanted to take a moment to give you all an inside look into the life of an actor here at Imagination Stage.
Being an actor is a difficult job. Acting requires dedication, skill, good fortune, and most importantly, a love for what you’re doing. The Dancing Princesses is a show full of wonderful music, beautiful (yet forbidden) dancing, and a touching story that ties it all together. Our job, as actors, is to bring this story to life.
When you see the show, you might not realize the work that actors have to do before the show can happen that day. Most of our shows are early in the morning. What do you sound like when you just wake up in the morning? Do you think you’d be ready to sing and dance right away? Maybe you can, but it can be difficult. Actors usually have to “warm-up” for a while before doing a show. It’s different for every person. Sometimes actors will do yoga in the mornings, or what I enjoy is singing my favorite music in the car on the way over. This is a good way to wake up your vocal chords so they’re ready for the show. Some actors might even get to the theater early and warm up there. Another thing that I find helpful are tongue twisters. These are especially great for me because I have a few very fast songs in the show called “Patter Songs.” I need to make sure my mouth is ready to pronounce the words so that everyone can understand what I’m saying. Try: “Red Leather, Yellow Leather, Red Leather Yellow Leather.”
After warming up, it’s time to get ready. We must be at the theater by “half-hour,” 30 minutes before the show starts. All the actors are required to “sign-in” and then the Stage Manager lets us know any important information we need for that day. Then, it’s time to get into our microphones and costumes.
Everyone in The Dancing Princesses wears a small microphone taped to their ear. Have you ever noticed the shape of the theater at Imagination Stage? The audience covers the stage on three sides. This is great because it makes you feel part of the action. However, in order for all of us to be heard by everyone on all sides, we need microphones to amplify our voices. You also need to hear us above the jazzy music of the show. After we put on our microphones, we get into our costumes, and its time to begin the show!
Once it’s time to start the show, the Stage Manager will call “places.” This means that all the actors need to get ready for their first entrances. We all get in place. I take a few more moments to focus, then it’s time for my first entrance. Once the show starts, there are many things that happen both on and offstage. This is why it’s important to always be focused, and quiet backstage. After a little over an hour, the show is already over. Then it’s time to repeat and do it again, up to nine times a week! Acting is a tough, but rewarding job. I hope you got a little glimpse into what we put into the show everyday. See you at the theater!
