Art/artificial/artifice

I am an actor. No, I haven't been in any movies, you may not have caught the several amateur theater productions I've been in, but never the less, mark my words: I am an actor.

The little foray i took in to the world of theater started in my elementary school days. And, no, I am not referring to the pre-school play about vegetables where i dressed up as some fibrous leafy green plant; but rather the fourth grade (not too far from the vegetable patch) and our class production of the classic opera "The Magic Flute."the Lyric Opera House in Chicago had started a program for school children, and, Yes, we all lip synced. I was "The Queen of the Night." Fitting, methinks, since i have always been the bad girl (since the vegetable patch, where i apparently said bad words all the time, to other tattling plants).

There, in the fourth grade, I became aware of the allure of art and the nuances of artifice within it. The costumes were wondrous, sumptuous velvet dresses and numerous feathered hats. We were far too young for falsies, foundation, rouge and the like (we got lipsticked tho) but it was a fine start. There, the performing bug bit me, and damn, did it bite hard.

After "The Magic Flute" I progressed to the role of Maria in "The Sound of Music," Yente in "The Fiddler on the Roof," Kate in "The Taming of the Shrew," Alexis in "The Khalifa" and my personal favorite: Satine in "Moulin Rouge." There were other less notable roles; but for the sake of circumspection i wont go into them. All these roles taught me about the application of artificiality, and little by little, it consumed me.

As i got older, the productions got bigger, the make up got thicker and (hopefully) the acting got better. The bigger and more fantastical the productions became, the less satisfying reality became. The excitement found on stage made it impossible for real life to compete. When actors say they get lost in roles, in the parts they play, ITS TRUE. Sometimes its more fun, sometimes its easier; to be someone other than yourself. That,  my friends, is the art of artifice.