Fran's World…and Welcome to It!

Everything I'm involved with performance-wise usually is centered around humor, whether it's my motivational talks, my stand up (which better have humor) or my commercials. So naturally when I was recommended by not one, but two casting directors, Donna Drake and Donna McKenna, for a dramatic role... I was a little shocked.

The way it happened was I got an email from Donna, which Donna you say? I said the same thing, since it came from an email address I didn't know. Then I got a call from Donna McKenna, so I assumed the email was from her also...WRONG! Talk about embarrassing... I finally had to say, "Okay, which Donna am I speaking to?" Who is recommending me? Turns out both of them were which is rather nice, (it's just that one Donna happened to be cute and use a different email), but agent 99 figured it out quickly.

Anyway I was asked if I would be interested in auditioning for director, Lisa Regina for a project called, "The Write to Heal."

Donna M. gave me some background, "Lisa's a great gal to work with. In addition to being a director, she's also an educator, filmmaker and acting coach. As a matter of fact, she coaches Donna Drake's kid. Anyway, Lisa has been an actress for over 25 years, so she knows how to direct actors. She herself has been in the Sopranos, The Bakery, The Tournament and national commercial campaigns for Delta Sky Miles and Macy's. Now the reason she is doing this project is because she was the victim of a domestic assault by her former fiancé. She was messed up bad, but following her assault, she used writing as a way to heal. Instead of letting the assault stop her, she created a not-for-profit domestic violence program called, A Write to Heal which is a weekly writing program where Lisa gets together with other women who have been abused...and through writing and letting it all out, they help themselves heal.
The thing is Lisa being a performer took it one step further. She wanted the public know what it was like to go through an abusive situation...so she created a series of monologues and put them into a powerful stage performance. And that's where you come in Frannie. They have been looking for an actress who understands comedic timing, but also can end the piece on a powerful dramatic note."
"Wow, Donna...this is a heavy topic."
"Yeah, I know...but I am sure you can handle this."
"And you say this is a comedic piece?"
" She said it had comedic elements."
"Comedic elements...why do I feel I'm about to enter a science experiment, with my own career as the guinea pig?"
"Why don't you call her and discuss it and see if it's something you want to do. I really talked you up, and I think the two of you will hit it off great."

Not being one to hesitate, I called Lisa up. We talked, got along and I agreed to audition. She emailed me the sides (that's the lingo for script in the acting world).

I looked over the sides and to my relief I was not playing an abused woman. I was instead trying to talk my best friend into leaving her abuser boyfriend. Okay... I can handle being the wise girlfriend with the sarcastic remarks about the fat ass Romeo who thinks he's hot and beats his girlfriend.

Fast forward to four days later. I arrive at Lisa's studio in Manhattan. I'm honest with Lisa and tell her I didn't really have much of a chance to look at the script. We talk, and then she says,
"Mind if I tape your audition?"
"Sure why not...if it's good I'd want a copy, if it's bad I can get some comedy material out of it."

Now here's where the big difference between acting and comedy come into play. With comedy you are constantly breaking the "fourth" wall. Another words, you acknowledge your audience, you can make asides to them, joke with them, make them part of your act.

In acting however you pretend that the fourth wall is up. The audience now instead of being part of your act is watching you in an intimate moment almost like a bunch of paid peeping Tom's.

With that difference in mind, I did the piece. I glanced down at the script, used a lot of my own improvisation, talked to my imaginary friend Brianna, in an imaginary chair and was done. (In any other profession if I did this I'd wind up in a strait jacket.)

Anyway, as soon as I finished the piece, Lisa said, "Perfect! You have the right combination we are looking for. If you want the part it's yours."

"Wow...sure. Wait! I'd have to come to rehearsals and stuff huh?"
"Yup." Lisa smiled. I think she was amused.
"Mmm...as a comic I'm used to rehearsing at home. All the movies I've ever done, I memorized my part, did some improvisation and then just showed up on set. I never did like the rehearsal stuff. Do I have to memorize all these lines? I mean, what if I memorize the beginning, middle and end...you know can't I just get the gist of it?"

Lisa smiled. "You know we can work with it. If you feel a funny line, as long as you stick to the integrity of the script...I'm okay."
"Okay then, if you're okay, I'm okay...I'm set. This will be a good experience."
"Good, because we don't' have much time. We are set to perform this piece, March 14th and 15th in New Jersey in an 850-seat auditorium. Mayors of the town will be there, the local school board, the press, and it's being recorded for a documentary. "
"Geez, If I'm going to get indoctrinated into this "dramatic" world...that's sure one way to do it, with all important people watching, and the pressure of the press."

I smiled and continued. "I'm kidding, this will be good for me to do, and not to mention that it is an important topic. People don't realize how many abusive relationships are out there, and how the people suffer for years after it's over, that is if they're lucky enough that it doesn't end in death."

We talked a little more, shook hands and I was told we had a rehearsal the following Monday at a theater in the Village. (That's Greenwich Village for you out-of-towners.) There I would meet the other actors, the chorographer, and we'd go over our blocking (where we will stand or sit), lighting cues etc.

Over the weekend I promised to read the script ten times.
With all I was doing, the following Monday came quickly.

I got to the rehearsal space, (which if you've ever been in acting you know is really just an empty room with some chairs, usually a piano, and if you're lucky it's sound proofed.)

Unfortunately we weren't so lucky. The people in the next room must have been rehearsing for the elephant's rendition of the Wizard of Oz. They were stomping, singing really high and laughing like munchkins on crack. It was a tad hard to concentrate.
Even harder for me not to yell, "Go back to Kansas."

Anyway, even with the commotion next door we introduced ourselves. There were seven of us doing monologues (including Lisa) and a choreographer, Sal. Two cast members had emergencies and weren't present. Three of us were new to this production. (Are you keeping track of the math here?)

At first Lisa gave us a brief verbal run through of the whole play, where each of us would be during our monologues, where we'd sit, stand, when the lights would black out and where the chorus would come into play. Of course the moment I heard chorus I got nervous.
"Wait, we don't have to sing do we? That wasn't in the brochure!"
Lisa laughed, "No we have professional singers."
"Whew, because if I sang, that would be abuse for the audience. Then again, maybe I should do it just to annoy the munchkins next door." The girls laughed.

As we did the actual rehearsal, Lisa ran the camera, documenting it and also looking for points to make the piece stronger.

It was pretty intense hearing all these monologues, each one different...each actress representing a different part of society...old, young, Black, White, Asian...in other words, abuse crosses all racial and generation lines...no one is immune.

The actresses were wonderful and powerful (even with the munchkins singing next store). I did see now how my piece was the comic relief in the midst of all this realism with my character making funny asides to her friend, which worked great for me...because that's the way I would really talk to a friend, balancing a delicate line of humor and seriousness to get my point across.

I say delicate because you can't just be blunt to someone you care about and say, "Listen, your guy is an idiot, and you're an idiot for staying with him. Wake up and smell the roses before they're on your grave." Well I guess you can say that...but who would listen? The person would get defensive, shut down and it wouldn't help.

After we did a run through, Sal had some intense ideas on the ending choreography. We all watched him as he worked with the one actress.
(Luckily there was no dancing involved for me.)

At the end of the whole rehearsal, Lisa asked me to tell the girls about my world record...So I went into my fast talking Three little pigs rendition for posterity on camera. The girls really seemed to get a kick out of it.

I ended by saying..."Now you can appreciate how hard it was for me to slow down during my monologue"

With that Lisa gave the final announcements, "Okay girls, next Monday...I promise I will find a quiet space...heck we can use my apartment if we have too. Either way we have four weeks to work it all out!"

"Yeah", I added, "The no pressure of press and 850 people awaits us."

We laughed, said our goodbyes and left. As I drove home I realized, I no longer felt like a science experiment but that I was part of something wonderful, something that would get a strong message across, something that hopefully bit-by-bit, if we spoke loud enough-- could change the world.

Hmmm, Maybe I would have to talk to those loud munchkins next door after all.

Performance Details:
A Write To Heal in association with
The Camden County Mayors Association

Date: Friday, March 16th, 2007
Showtime: 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 pm)
Location: Sterling Auditorium, Sterling High School
501 South Warwick Road, Somerdale, NJ 08083
(856-784-1333)
Admission: $10 (tickets sold at door)
(Due to Sensitive nature of performance & subject matter ages 16+ only)

Email for info and directions: info@awritetoheal.com

Tsunami of Talk gets first dramatic role

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