I decided to write two entries for the final posts. This one is about and for my cohort members. I
would like to give thanks and talk about those people who made me better on
so many levels. Throughout my writings,
I’ve avoided using real names. But they
deserve to be known, so I’ll make an exception.
I hope they won’t mind.
Keith Traver
Keith is a sweet pea.
He is part boy and part dude.
Affectionate and incredibly supportive.
He goes out of the way to help a friend even when that friend (i.e. Me)
is cranky whilst doing battle with the Laundromat. He’ll bring by coffee and a hug. He has a willingness to try anything in
rehearsal and I admire that. He is the
guy who will catch you when you fall. He
will post the perfect youtube video or meme on your fb wall to brighten your
day. And he makes a mean cherry
klafouti.
Phil Bartlett
I’ve been so blessed to have had him as a director for
numerous projects. I joke with him by
saying that when he becomes a big deal in five years, I’ll ride on his coat
tails and he’ll hire me and get me back to the UK. To which he replies, with his rapier
wit, “Darling. 5 years? Give me three.” I believe it.
He has excellent instincts and an eye for quality. My favorite thing about him though isn’t
about theatre. Phil always has what I
call a “song in his heart” that plays and makes him dance. All the time.
He also, when explaining something, emphasizes important points by doing
an arabesque. I love this. I’d work with Phil any day. Because I respect him. And I trust him. And he will only get better and better over
time.
Nick Bayne
He and I may not have always clicked. But I truly enjoyed working with him on our
last project. He’s a good guy with a
good heart and has the best intentions. He
wants so badly to do well and has a great passion for food. There was a point when he and I butted heads
back in January. I laid into him more
than I should have. He came back the
next day, plopped himself down next to me, and apologized flat out. No excuses, no justifications. At that moment, I found a new respect for
him. That takes balls. I’m not an easy person at times and he had
enough gumption to take me down a peg through openness and forgiveness. Nick knows how to forgive. That’s very special.
Michael-Alan Read
Oh, Michael-Alan. I
can honestly say I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s had one of the biggest years of his life
on all levels. It wasn’t just the fact
he was challenged with crazy and intense roles this year, though he met them
head on. He’s changed or rather rewired
or maybe just discovered who he’s always been.
It was like he arrived here carrying massive suitcases, each filled with
a past demon or anxiety, and throughout the year we’ve watched him hurl them
off, one at a time. He’s sensitive and
crass. He’s hilarious and honest. He’s forgiving of others and loves
loyally. He’s one of the most beautiful
and generous people I know. And for some
reason, he thinks I’m pretty great as well.
I have no filter with him. I can
say things exactly as I think them; A luxury, for me. I think he may be the only one in this
universe that I don’t have to censor a thing.
And that’s because he doesn’t have one either. It’s like taking a mini holiday for the
brain. MAR (as we call him, often) is
someone who’s heart is in the right place and it puts a crack in mine to know
that he’ll be staying in the UK and I won’t be able to take him home with
me. But he’s just married his Scottish
“bub” and I wish them all the greatest joys together. …and besides, it just
means I have somewhere to visit when I come back. For wherever MAR is, I know a 1980’s power
ballad baking extravaganza is waiting.
Ashleigh Kasabowski
I will buy her folk album when it comes out. I envy people who have music inside them that
is their very own. Physically, she’s
this little ball of energy. A wrecking
ball of force. And she has sheer will
that propels her to stand up first, give anything a try, and push herself
harder, faster, higher. Ashleigh will do
very well. Because she won’t allow
anything else. Just wait. You’ll see.
Maria McColgan
Maria has one step in fairy land and one step on earth. There is nothing else in the world that wants
to do but theatre. Whether it is
paid/unpaid/indoor/outdoor, it doesn’t matter.
She has an incredible capacity to hope.
She sees the world for its possibilities. If she reads for a part, it
will be unlike any other person you’ve heard.
Not just because her voice is pure liquid gold, warm and rich, but
because she just works on a different frequency. I can honestly say there’s no one like
her.
Amber Lageman
I feel like I’ve just now begun to get to know this little
spark plug. And I am so sad that I hadn’t
made the effort to get to know her sooner.
She’s lovely. She’s got the this
busting at the seams kind of laugh and a gift for reaching for heart wrenching
emotion in a scene at a moment’s notice.
She is low drama, loves to dance with a freedom that I only have when no
one is watching, and keeps things simple.
I’m thankful she’s one of the few that will be coming back to America
with me. It’s nice to know there’s
someone who’s heart is in the right place that will be near me.
Lance Fuller
Man, does anyone get any quirkier? It’s brilliant. I never know what he’s going to do or
say. Lance found his footing in the UK
quicker than most. It just felt like he
belonged here. He’d always be out and
about experiencing new places, beers, things.
He’s got great taste in sneakers.
And I couldn’t be happier that he has found someone to love and to love
him for exactly who he is. He’s good
people.
John [no middle name but that’s ok because my surname is
awesome enough] Scougall
John is someone that I wish I knew better. But I know enough to respect him as a person
and as a professional. He is
incredible. Period. He’s the person who set the bar for me as an
actor. I may not have worked with him
much, but with every performance he gave, I immediately thought, “well shit,
I’m going to have to try harder, do better, be better.” He probably never even knew it and would
probably embarrass him if he ever read this.
Because John just does his job.
He’s so good at cutting through the crap. He can network the pants off
of anyone, he can carry on a conversation with anyone, and he has an abundance
of kindness and humor that is infectious.
He’s good to have around when you need perspective, he has a wealth of
knowledge when it comes to centering yourself, and he has sensitivity towards
human beings. I don’t really know how
else to describe it. He can sense when
you are struggling and he knows how to cheer you up or help you find clarity. He has a clear line between personal and
professional and knows this is a business but also a playground. And if you ever get him on one of his naughty
days, you know you’re in for a ride.
Yes, he has excellent focus. But
when he gets in one of his delightfully devious moods, you can guarantee that
very little will get done, unpredictability will occur, and you won’t mind it
one bit. The best advice John has ever
given me was when we were at the Globe.
We were doing some intense exercises and I had just finished one with
him that put a heaviness on my mood. He
walked across the room to me (which didn’t take him long since he’s so damn
tall), gave me a quick squeeze, and said “shake it off.” Blunt, no sugar coating, but said with love. And
he’s absolutely right. Do your job, but
then shake it off. You can’t marinate in
emotional nonsense. You go there, use
it, then discard it. Because it’s just a
job. It’s a fun job. But a job, nonetheless. I’m going to miss, John. He has the best laugh. And I believe in his
talent and abilities. He’s one of those
people I would recommend for a job without even auditioning him. And if there’s anything I can do in the
future to help him get where he wants to go, consider it done.
Lauren Young
Lo Lo. Boo boo. Pookie.
Our member of the black delegation (as she puts it). Lauren is loyal. I can trust her to follow through. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as
organized as she. I’ve been living in
her apartment for a few weeks and it’s brilliant that everything is labeled,
color coded, and clean. If you need
something, Lo has it. Probably in triplicate. As a person, I don’t think people realize how
tender hearted she is. She is generous,
boisterous, and loves being part of the whole.
And she does a great booty pop.
Sarah MacGillivray
Kind. Sarah is
kind. She will listen to anything you
have to say without judgment or prejudice.
She is never afraid to give you a hug.
And she is beautifully quirky. I don’t
think she realizes just how good she is.
As a person and as an actor. I
loved teaching her ballet. She’s come to
class wearing her orange tutu that I bought her for her birthday and she’d flit
around the room with childlike joy. She
reminds me of Phoebe from friends. She’s
one person that I wish I had spent more time with. But I truly enjoyed being around her and am grateful
for her humor and light.
Flora Munro
Oh, Flora. My little
sister. The ray of sunshine. I’m not worried about this kid. She has more natural talent in her baby
finger than most people do in their entire body. And she’s beautiful. But more than that, she’s effing
hilarious. Her attention span may not
always be the longest, but her intentions are always good. I could sit next to her in a dressing room
and just listen to her chat about reality tv stars and youtube videos with
animals in them and before you know it, I’ve not had time to be nervous for a
show. Sometimes I take things too
seriously, but with Flora, you just cant.
It’s like a mini vacation from myself.
I think she’s got a great career in front of her and I look forward to
watching the telly one day and seeing her and be able to say, “I know her.”
Joanna Greaney
Our very own black irish.
The girl’s got soul. And more
patience than a saint. A bit of a gypsy,
I think. And an endless pool of
understanding. I worked with her very little
but she always gave off warmth with a hint of scrappiness. I feel as though
there are wells of untouched depth with her.
Just waiting to be tapped.
Kristin Davis
When I think of Kristin, I think of kittens. I dunno why.
She’s playful and sweet and soft spoken.
An avid runner and sweet tea lover.
She quietly observes and love scrap booking. She’s a cheerful addition to any outing and is
a born teacher. I never got to work with
her which is a shame. Because I think
she allows others the freedom to play and think for themselves which is
invaluable to an actor.
Angie Kay
Angie was a birthday fairy.
She made sure everyone had something special on their day which is wonderful
when you are so far away from your own family.
She has a delightfully dirty sense of humor. Right when you think you’ve said something
that crosses the socially acceptable line, she’ll come in with a zinger that
will top what you said and more. She
makes incredible peanut butter fudge swirl and is always up for a good bit of
banter. Her sense of direction is off as
she fully admits that she doesn’t know her left from right. She has a huge weakness for chocolate. And this will be her second Masters. Her first, being in medieval sex. Yup.
She’s on in a million. And she’d
do anything for a friend.
Levi Morger
Part man, Part boy. Charming and lovely. Vulnerable and playful. Generous and has no idea how truly special he
is. When I first met Levi I never
believed he would become such a good friend.
He’s highly unpredictable, incredibly caring, and has a way of making
you feel appreciated and beautiful just by looking at you. Even on days when you feel like a hag. Somewhere near the middle of third semester,
I started noticing that when I needed calm, I’d plunk myself down next to Levi. I would grab his hand or lean against his
side like a golden retriever in need of a pat on the head. And I realized, it was because he brought me
comfort. Just by being there. He never tries to solve your problems or fix
your life. He never turns around and
tells you his life story, comparing his life to yours. And I don’t need him to. There’s just something in a Levi-hug that
says, “It’s going to be fine. Don’t sweat it.”
Which says a lot to me. Levi has
seen a lot of shit in his life. He
doesn’t walk around wounded, pointing out to everyone his battle scars and bad
memories. He walks around like…I don’t
know. Like Levi. Like someone who is still finding out who he
is, and where he’s going. But without
that frantic manic desperation that so many actors seem to radiate. Levi saunters. He has a lovely mix of depth and ease. To be
honest, I don’t know many facts about him.
I’m still getting to know how he works and gauging his moods. But I don’t need to know everything to know
that I’d trust him as an actor any day.
He is unpredictable and a bit spontaneous, but when he gives, he gives
everything. Ego never gets in the
way. If a director says he made a choice
that sucked, he never clams up or puffs up, instead he nods and says, “uh-huh.”
And tries something else immediately.
He’s kinetic and impulsive. And
he pushes me out of my comfort zone which is exactly what I need. I will miss his hugs, our tea dates, and
watching him find his way. He deserves
buckets of happiness and success. I hope
he finds it.
Riley Madincea
Always a mystery, this one.
A very talented writer and improv artist. I loved listening to his podcasts. Looked forward to what he would say, what
Denzel Washington clip he’d use, etc. He
has really great timing and I really hope his work gets picked up for
television. I always admired how he’d
submit his work for projects and always have something going on the side. When so many of us just tried to balance our
RCS lives, he juggled three other things at the same time. That drive is what will get him where he
wants to go. And wherever that is, it
will certainly be entertaining.
Steven Wallace
You never know what is going to come out of this guy’s
mouth. He started out in stand-up comedy. Enough said.
And I’ve never known anyone to have retained so much random facts. He loves pub quizzes, probably because he
does so well on them. From history to
media to whatever, he’ll probably know it.
We’ve had some good times, a picnic in the park, drinks at Molly’s, quiz
at Campus. He’s always been very good at
including me in things and is unafraid to tell you where he stands.
Steven Grawrock
This guy cracks me up.
A born improv clown. Rarely too
serious. And at the same time, he’s
always supported me in any role I’ve had.
Grawrock is the guy who laughs big, and would not be adverse to
slapstick comedy. He has a talent that I
will never have; the ability to do comedy where others laugh AT you. It takes guts and a lack of self-consciousness. And a great understanding of Play.
Dmitry Ser
He’s a ninja. An Russian-korean
ninja. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such
focus and dedication. Up at 4am, work
out at 5am, commutes from Edinburgh, warms up some more, rehearses, rehearses,
rehearses. Then does the whole thing
again the next day. 7 days a week. In the rare times that he cuts himself a
small break and settles down next to you, you can catch his quick humor and it
takes you a bit off guard. He is agile,
committed, but has always treated me with the utmost respect. Someday we’ll have to cash in that rain check
we’ve had for sharing that bottle of wine.
Kate Sketchley.
This girl started out as a quiet acquaintance, never making
a ruckus and a bit timid. She has become
my best friend here. My little
sister. My respected colleague. And someone I could depend on. She knows my moods and gives me a safe place
to unleash whatever pent up emotion I may have.
Because she understands that it does not come from a place of viciousness
but from vulnerability and/or pain. She
brings out the silly side that I rarely let out. She is the sounding board that I trust will
tell me when I am out of line or when I have gone overboard. And what’s more,
if she tells me I have, then I listen.
She is one of the smartest and most accomplished people I’ve ever met
and has an ornate goodness that comes from knowing how to love a friend. She makes me kinder and keeps me honest. Which are two attributes that I value above
most things. As an actor, I’ve never
seen anyone improve the way she has.
She’s gone from zero to breaking the speedometer. This is because she has sheer will that most
people miss unless they look hard enough at her. When she wants something, whether it be to
break through a role or even just executing the perfect ballet chainee turn,
she gets this look in her eye that says “Listen, mother f&*ker, I ain’
stoppin’ till I get this right. So
either help me or get out of my way.”
(Perhaps she’d never phrase it just like that. She’s far classier than I am. But the
sentiment is the same). She also has
this childlike sweetness, the sort that reminds me of when my nephew or niece
was two years old or so and they would get so overwhelmed with joy and love for
you that they’d hurl their arms around your neck and hug with everything they
had. Kate hugs with her heart and when
she loves you, you know it. She is a
gift. And I will miss having her in my
daily life. But I will be there for her
if she ever needs me. And I know she
will do the same. And I thank her for
making me laugh so hard that it hurts, for allowing me to be the person I am
and liking me for it, for her encouragement and respect. You can do anything you want, Kate. Anything.
There were 23 members of our cohort. I have had good memories with each of them.
No one will truly understand the depth of this year but us
because we have lived in each other’s pockets for so long. We have created this microcosm, this
bubble. And I am more because they were
here with me. To those members of the
cohort that have loved and supported me and I you, wherever I am, you have a
home with me.
Since drama school is not traditional and we don’t have
actual yearbooks and therefore don’t have “senior superlatives” (i.e. most
likely to succeed, best smile, etc), I thought I’d make one up for us. So…
Here's the "most likely to
be cast in a Shakespearean play as"
(if I were hiring my friends which
I hope to be able to do someday)
Twelfth Night
Olivia- Ashleigh
Viola-Kate
Sir Toby Belch- Grawrock
Malvolio- Lance
Orsino- Levi
Mariah- Lo
Andrew Agurcheek- Nick
Feste- Michael-Alan
Romeo And Juliet
Juliet- Flora
Romeo-Dmitry
Mercutio- John
Tybalt- Riley
Benvolio- Keith
Nurse-Joanna
Lady Capulet- Maria
Capulet- Wallace
Titus Andronicus
Lavinia- Angie
The Tempest
Miranda- Sarah
Hamlet
Ophelia- Amber
*all stage directions to be read by one Phil Bartlett J
Thank you all for a great year. Miss you.
