My stint as a performer in the Haunted Forest has inspired and facilitated my foray into real life community theatre! On Sunday night I attended auditions for Dracula: A Reversed Genders Production. I hadn't actually tried out for anything for about a decade (as a desperately awkward and unattractive teenager, my dillweed high school music director dashed my hopes of stardom by not even casting me in the chorus of my freshman and sophomore year drama productions). I thought I'd be really nervous, and I was a little bit, but I actually had a ton of fun! I found out yesterday I'm playing "Ariana" (Arthur) Holmwood--think Cary Elwes's character from Coppola's version in a dress.

How cool is it going to be to do a play about a Countess Dracula preying on "Jane" Harker, the up-and-coming law clerk engaged to stay-at-home writer "William" Murray? Even better than that is the fact that my character's fiance "Lucas"--who I'm pretty sure I get to stake to death after his conversion to vampirism--is to be played by the baby_snister's new beau Miles. The two of them came over to watch the movie and make fun of Keanu Reeves's crappy British accent with me in preparation for the try outs. (Adorable as he is, it will admittedly be awkward if I have to kiss him. But I'll just have to deal with it if that's what the craft requires of me. :-)

My boss thinks that community theatre is going to be my new "thing", and I can't help but think she might be right. It's the perfect combination of flamboyancy and not sitting around inside of my apartment all the time. It's kind of funny because I'm actually pretty shy in person, but it's rather freeing to immerse yourself in someone else's role. I'm guessing that it appeals to a lot of people for that very reason. (beagley, if you're reading this, tell your delightful wife she completely made my day!!)