The Silver Streaks in The Dusty Disco Ball by Kim Watson
Two years ago I joined a senior acting troupe called The Silver Streaks. It’s a small group connected to a local theater and we put on 2 or 3 plays a year. I did local theater when I was young, but had quite forgotten how difficult it can be. Acting looks so easy. Learn your lines and away you go, but there’s so much more to it. You need to create a character that people can connect with and then you need to sell that character to an audience. You don’t just learn your own lines, you have to learn everyone else’s too, because someone will inevitably forget something and you need to be able to cue or pick up the missing bit. Timing is critical and requires hours of practice. You need to know where your marks are on stage and how and when to get there. You need to remember to always keep one foot facing forward and to project your voice. Regular volume just won’t work. You need to know how to improvise if a prop is out of place or missing. Most of all you need to know how to connect to your audience and make them feel a part of what’s happening.
Our current play is called The Dusty Disco Ball and last night was opening night. I play an aging Disco Queen who haunts a woman’s dreams and it’s a fun play with lots of physical comedy and quick timing. Our audience was small last night and there were a few lost lines and prop failures. Our bed fell apart and I tripped on it, music cues came too early and our choreography didn’t quite come together. Oh well, that’s life as an actor. The trick is to make it look like all of it was planned and I think we managed to pull that off. The audience was with us all the way and there was lots of laughter. Tonight will likely be smoother, but if not we’ll find a way to make it work.
That photo is of all the actors. Missing is our writer/director and backstage crew of two. For now, I’m going to let you guess which one is me, but I promise I’ll give you the answer soon.
You all look to be lovely and fun people! I’m particularly drawn to the woman at the far left, in the white. There’s mischief just sparkling.
I don’t think I could act. I’ve been told I’d be good at it, oh, but audiences. Yeah no, not my thing. I applaud you all for having that sort of courage.
Are we guessing?
Second from left, in the shiny cap.
I am not guessing, because I do not have a coin with six sides.
The whole thing sounds like a lot of fun and if it is fun, then it fulfills its purpose. I have tried acting in highschool, only once, and It probably has made all gods and godesses of acting weep in desperation (akin to Bernie Wooster’s “I played Brutus at school once, and I was the one everybody stabbed.”).
What fun! I also will wait for the reveal, but you all look wonderful -- properly excited and ready to have fun! Hopefully, in a few years, I can pull of sequins and disco balls just like that.
(I was once in a musical, I had multiple small parts, including that of ‘dancing cabaret girl’. Best part? The costumes!)
(Ok, I confess to having made a guess, but I won’t share. :) )
I think you’re one of the women who wears glasses in the picture.
Ice Swimmer knows how to play the odds.
Ice Swimmer, you’re right!
If you want a more specific answer, check back in a few days.
*check back in a few days*
Ha! Clickbait!
The worst thing is, we’ll probably all fall for it, too…
I don’t know, but assuming you are in character the one that looks most like an aging disco queen to me is third from the right wearing sunglasses. I hope the rest of the performances are fun!
I’m not an actor, but rather support, backstage or if a musical, in the orchestra pit. I was the voice of Tinkerbell (on piccolo) during a high school production of Peter Pan.