Some Good Fun: Reflecting on my Dec 2021 Christmas Shows
Screengrab from “A Virtual Christmas Carol”
Last weekend, I took part in two Christmas productions with AlphaNYC Theater Company: “A Virtual Christmas Carol” and “Christmas Shorts.” And what a great time!
Firstly, I was just so glad to be acting in a truly technical capacity again, even if it was on Zoom. And what do I mean by “truly technical”? Well, it’s the only way I can think of to put it, but the fact that we had multiple performances over multiple nights and I had to think about my entrances/exits and costume changes, felt like a wonderful return to the somewhat-normal. Since the start of the pandemic and up until now, I’ve mostly just been working on productions that were pre-recorded or small films (so on-set stuff). Going forward, I really would just like to find myself back in a theater again in 2022.
Hey, Mom! (A Screengrab from “Christmas Shorts”)
Additionally, this production was just so much fun! The cast was great and brought a level of energy that really made working on this project a joy. Not only that, but the characters that I played were varied and interesting.
I was double-cast for “A Virtual Christmas Carol” and triple-cast for “Christmas Shorts.”
In “A Virtual Christmas Carol,” I played the roles of Fan and Brittany. Fan was the sister of Ebenezer Scrooge and someone he had loved in his past. As a role, it was great to play a character who gave and received so much love in her life. Similarly but not quite the same, Brittany was the wife of Ebenezer’s nephew. She was a bubbly, excited character but one who didn’t really care to have Scrooge over to ruin their fun. For that production, it was great to switch between the two of them and explore how these two women expressed loved differently.
Dear Santa… (A Screengrab from “Christmas Shorts”)
In “Christmas Shorts,” I played: Victoria, a young girl writing her letter to Santa and eager to be on his nice list; Four, a child excitedly yammering to her mother about Christmas coming up; and Young Girl, who shows up in a brief flashback-like moment for a couple of lines.
Victoria was great fun to play because I really got to embody a childlike wonder and excitement as I read my letter aloud, begging Santa to excuse any “mishaps” that occurred throughout the year and to gift me the Shirley-Smiles-a-Lot doll with the red velvet dress and silver slippers! Four was like an over-excited child who was only moments away from crashing from a sugar rush, and Young Girl was a nice little moment expressing the importance of kindness and generosity. Overall, some interesting roles!
Anyway, this was a great, low-pressure ease back into the live-acting sphere for me. Hopefully for 2022 you will see me back in a physical theater for real.
Happy Holidays!
xx Selma