It has been almost a year and a half since I step back onto the stage (in the matter of speaking) and decided to see if I could continue to be on stage as much as possible and for as long as I am able until I burn out.

As one would notice via my Thespian Page, I have been extremely busy in the second half of 2011 and throughout 2012. I have met plenty of new friends and acquaintances, found myself reanalyzing my beliefs and perspective with several groups and manage to integrate myself into others. All in all I do not have any regrets and in fact 2013 looks to be as busy if not busier on many levels.

Earlier in the year I posted a short list of musicals that I wanted to be a part of… it doesn’t matter the part. In that same post I mentioned that I don’t usually have a wish list of plays that I must be a part of, and that still stands true to an extent.

What happens is that when I read a script, if there is a character that a part of me knows is almost perfect for me or is something that really stretches me as an actor, I will do what I can to work towards that part or show. A few scripts have done that for me recently and you can bet I am “planning” to work towards those as much as possible.

Why have I been pushing myself to audition constantly lately when normally I would take extended breaks? Well it started with a favor for a friend, which led to a last minute casting call… and eventually I found myself changing offices so that I worked closer to the western suburbs for the span of a year. Not only did this cut my commute significantly, but I was in a centralized position where I could virtually participate in a vast majority of community theatre groups and still keep my commute time to within an hour per trip.

An hour? Why an hour? Well… back in 2005/2006 I made a point of taking ballroom dance lessons with a studio about seventy-five minutes north of where I lived at the time and I felt that if I was willing to make that kind of trip for almost two years… then commuting for an hour would be cakewalk for me.

However, the special project that requires me to work in the western suburbs was not guaranteed for any longer than a year, because it all depends on the budget for the project. So I made a point of hitting the audition circles hard and willing took roles anywhere and everywhere as long as the commute was within an hour per trip.

It turns out to have paid off, I found myself in some juicy roles and really grew as a person and as an actor. I learned more about the community theatre world and some of the history, not to mention the interconnections that occurred during the times that I was out of the loop.

Now that I was reaching the end of the first year I found that I didn’t want to leave the life that I was leading up to the end of the year. There was so much that I enjoyed and so much that I wasn’t ready to let go of… however, as life would have it the contract has been renewed for another year, so guess what I have been doing? If you glanced at the Thespian page I already have a couple of shows lined up and am working towards other productions that I really want to be a part of.

I have yet to update my “dance card” because I do not really know what the various community theatre groups will have in their 2013-2014 seasons. However, if the rumor mills are to be believed, there will be some plum shows that I will be focusing on.

But what would happen when I am forced to work out the city as opposed to the suburbs? Well the chances become a lot higher that I wouldn’t be able to partake in the theatre world nearly as much as I would like. Then again that is why I am learning the ropes of work behind the scenes… so that I may find myself in the position of being far more flexible and continue to participate in a world that I have grown to love.

Who knows? A lot can happen in a year… but if 2012 is any indication I think 2013 will be just grand.