I Have Limits?

In one of my last posts, when I mentioned I had a break, someone commented that it probably wouldn't last long. And she was right.

On Friday, I spent most of the day going through tech for Zucchini Grotto's Modern Broadway Cabaret. The best part was when I got to put my foot down at the cue-to-cue. I managed to zip through 47 cues in under an hour thanks to the power of the God mic. I was also very fortunate two have not one, but two NAC employees running the lighting and the sound boards for me, which made my job a virtual breeze. Then later that night, we had the show and it was fantastic! I hope some of you got the chance to see it.

On Saturday morning, I headed out bright and early, my little suitcase in hand, for a short film I was doing. Things seemed a little hectic for the crew since one of the actors simply decided not to show up. Tapping into my new-found SM powers of not panicking (and also because all her scenes would be with me), I whipped open my cell phone and started calling people from my acting classes who could pull off a high school look (I'm flattered that the production thought I still could... I guess the breakouts on my face can be handy at times). Two phone calls later, I had someone I was more than happy to be working with.

The shooting took place in one of the bathrooms at Lester B Pearson High School. It was lots of fun and I can't wait to see it.

Then when I got home, I tried to nap before my call time for the Cabaret, but the phone kept ringing. And since I was expecting a call from Darcy, I couldn't ignore it. Damn telemarketers.

The last Cabaret was even better than the first in my opinion. The house was packed and I was much more comfortable with the cues. I'm glad to know that if I ever do get stuck and need work, stage managing is something I could pull off.

Listening to all those showtunes though made me really want to work on my singing voice alot harder. The problem is, I'm still sick. On Friday, I got into a massive coughing fit in the booth that, fortunately, no one but the other two techies could hear.

By the time I got to my Shakespeare workshop on Sunday, I wasn't any better. That meant that I wasn't allowed to sing with the rest of the group (not that I would have been able to anyway) and I had to sit and watch with the other two or three sickies in class. I was also two light headed to participate in some of the basic sword fighting movements we were learning. Voice work was also a bust since all my resonators were clogged up. I was getting very bitter and annoyed that I wasn't able to do anything. No one likes sitting out when everyone else gets to play and have fun. However our instructors took the time to give us a brief lecture on taking care of ourselves, because if we push ourselves too hard before we're better, we'll just make it worse.

And it's true. I realized it by the end of class when they let me walk through one of my scenes. My energy was low, my voice was shot, and I couldn't stop coughing. I am not a superhero. Pushing myself to the limit was probably a big factor in getting me sick and I can't keep doing that if I ever want to get better.

This week, I will get better and I will take all the necessary time to do it (except for two plays I have to see, one short film rehearsal, and Valentine's Day... but that's it!)