Upward, forward

  Final Scenes took place at the DC Studio Theatre last night, and it was quite a show. Most everybody brought their A-Game, and there was some fantastic work on display for our audience. Even though the room was smaller, the turnout was great.
  My scene with Cristina, taken from "The Rainmaker," was last in the order, and we closed the show to tremendous applause. We were in really good shape to give the scene, and we connected beautifully.
  Near the end of the scene, things take a dramatic turn, and my character, Starbuck, says some pretty cutting things to Cristina's Lizzie. We were so deep in it last night that after I laid those words on her, she looked up at me with such hurt in her eyes... and a single tear spilled down her cheek. It was one of the most beautiful and genuine moments I've ever been part of on a stage. I will never forget it.
  After the audience left, the faculty met in a seperate room to discuss the pieces and the actors themselves. Meanwhile, the students all enjoyed a potluck banquet and shared a lot of relieved laughter and memories from the semester. About forty-five minutes later, our instructor returned and sat us all down.
  One by one, she discussed each student's work and progress, and announced the faculty's recommendation as to whether or not the student should proceed or repeat the course. Sadly, about 75% of the students were held back. I had heard ahead of time that the curriculum was really tough, and I now understand why.
  I was the last student discussed, and after seeing some of my peers held back, I was admittedly nervous. I'm very pleased to announce, however, that I successfully completed the course and will be advancing to "Character and Emotion" and "Voice I" next semester. Voice I will be a perfect companion to my voice lessons, and will help me bring what I'm learning there onto the stage and into characters.
  Our instructor had a lot of wonderful things to say about me, but warned me that the next semester would be really challenging. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Otherwise, what's the point? I've learned a lot this semester and I've grown as an actor. I wrote recently that I didn't quite have my breakthrough yet, but I'm right on the edge of it. I think it's going to happen in this next phase, and I can't wait.