Showing posts with label Becky Durango. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Becky Durango. Show all posts
Monday, July 26, 2021
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Girlhood Crush!
A little about me: My name is Jill Summerfield, I'm 29 years old, newly married, and has just achieved my dream of running my own law firm. Its small but its just beginning, who knows what the future will bring?
My husband, David, is my childhood sweetheart (well, one of them) and the man who got me started thinking seriously about law as a career. I remain still fairly close with my best friend from high school, Debbie, or as she likes to be called these days, Wind-Passer or no, wait, Wind-Dancer. (I think that's right.) We are as close as can be expected with the fact that she lives across the Pacific in Hawaii and I live and work in the beautiful San Francisco. She works for money in a restaurant and paints, smokes, and who knows what else by night. I believe she is very talented and just wish she would do more with her life...this is a source of major contention and disagreement between both of us as to what "more in life" really means, and basically, has been since we were teenagers!
When all is said and done, I feel as if Debbie is more a sister than a friend and her involvement in my life is without question.
Debbie and I bonded when we were girls together over our mutual love of music, especially The Beatles. She patiently stood by while I gushed over the amazing John Lennon and, for that matter, still have the same adoring affections for the man to this day. Although my obsession has tamed a bit since my youth, I still find myself pulling out my old records and listening to such favorites as "All You Need is Love", "Yesterday", and "Because" especially during moments of stress.
Although the divorce and subsequent marriage of John Lennon to Yoko Ono was shocking, to say the least, I really admire and believe in their message of "Give Peace a Chance" and "Make Love, Not War". I see these truths as vital to the change we need to make in the world, starting with ourselves first and then allowing that to move outwards.
And, then the shocking news came....
Jill Summerfield is a character from the play, "Loving John Lennon" written by Darlene Ensor which will be read at Paschal Winery on February 28th and March 1st at 7 pm. The play is directed by Michael Meyer and stars Brittany Bosworth, McKenzie Baratta, Lia Dugal, Kristen Lorange, Diane Nichols, and Becky Durango. The show includes musical guest, Chiron O'Keefe. Ten Dollars admission fee at the door.
My husband, David, is my childhood sweetheart (well, one of them) and the man who got me started thinking seriously about law as a career. I remain still fairly close with my best friend from high school, Debbie, or as she likes to be called these days, Wind-Passer or no, wait, Wind-Dancer. (I think that's right.) We are as close as can be expected with the fact that she lives across the Pacific in Hawaii and I live and work in the beautiful San Francisco. She works for money in a restaurant and paints, smokes, and who knows what else by night. I believe she is very talented and just wish she would do more with her life...this is a source of major contention and disagreement between both of us as to what "more in life" really means, and basically, has been since we were teenagers!
When all is said and done, I feel as if Debbie is more a sister than a friend and her involvement in my life is without question.
Debbie and I bonded when we were girls together over our mutual love of music, especially The Beatles. She patiently stood by while I gushed over the amazing John Lennon and, for that matter, still have the same adoring affections for the man to this day. Although my obsession has tamed a bit since my youth, I still find myself pulling out my old records and listening to such favorites as "All You Need is Love", "Yesterday", and "Because" especially during moments of stress.
Although the divorce and subsequent marriage of John Lennon to Yoko Ono was shocking, to say the least, I really admire and believe in their message of "Give Peace a Chance" and "Make Love, Not War". I see these truths as vital to the change we need to make in the world, starting with ourselves first and then allowing that to move outwards.
And, then the shocking news came....
Jill Summerfield is a character from the play, "Loving John Lennon" written by Darlene Ensor which will be read at Paschal Winery on February 28th and March 1st at 7 pm. The play is directed by Michael Meyer and stars Brittany Bosworth, McKenzie Baratta, Lia Dugal, Kristen Lorange, Diane Nichols, and Becky Durango. The show includes musical guest, Chiron O'Keefe. Ten Dollars admission fee at the door.
Friday, February 14, 2014
The Other Side...of Acting!
Acting, for me, is the best form of therapy. At times, the most painful yet in the end the most healing to free myself from the past.
In every character, I can find an element of my true self, albeit comedic or tragic, but every now and again, there is a character given to me by more than the director or the writer but, indeed, by the hands of the divine that is in her essence so much of me that she and I become one. In that way, I lose myself as I bring her to life--her worries, struggles, pains and, yes, hopes and dreams become fused with mine. It was this way with Edna Miles and it is this way with Elizabeth, a character from the short play, The Other Side, written by Bob Valine, which is part of this weekend's readings at Paschal Winery.
I always am humbled when, if ever, I have the chance to meet the writers and always hope that in bringing to life their beloved creations, their characters, their babies, I can do their work justice. Even though I love all of the work given to me this weekend, it is Valine's Elizabeth that I am most grateful for and that poses the biggest challenge. It is for this reason some days have passed before writing this.
In this play, Elizabeth has lost her husband, David, in a tragic accident and is trying, failingly to put it behind her. Similarily, I lost my own beloved first love due to divorce, a death in its own way, even though the right thing to do.
Elizabeth suspects foul play in that David was unfaithful with a "bikini" and I, too, know that feeling in that my ex's "other woman" was, in a sense, his illness. Like Elizabeth, I try to hold in and deal the best I can with the conflicting emotions of love and hatred for the man I swore to love for all time yet can never be with again; my first love at first sight soul-mate.
Yet there are moments when I wish I could have with him, one last chance, to tell my Billiam that I love him still and for always and that a part of me misses him and will never ever forget...
I am truly thankful to Bob for writing this script and birthing Elizabeth, to Michael for giving me to her to portray, and even my Theatre-Mama, Becky, for sharing this stage with me.
To find out what happens, see you this Saturday, February 15th and Sunday, February 16th at Paschal Winery for the Paschal Readings. Doors open at 7 pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/703614122993149/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
http://www.paschalwinery.com/
Bob Valine is a local Southern Oregon playwright.
In every character, I can find an element of my true self, albeit comedic or tragic, but every now and again, there is a character given to me by more than the director or the writer but, indeed, by the hands of the divine that is in her essence so much of me that she and I become one. In that way, I lose myself as I bring her to life--her worries, struggles, pains and, yes, hopes and dreams become fused with mine. It was this way with Edna Miles and it is this way with Elizabeth, a character from the short play, The Other Side, written by Bob Valine, which is part of this weekend's readings at Paschal Winery.
I always am humbled when, if ever, I have the chance to meet the writers and always hope that in bringing to life their beloved creations, their characters, their babies, I can do their work justice. Even though I love all of the work given to me this weekend, it is Valine's Elizabeth that I am most grateful for and that poses the biggest challenge. It is for this reason some days have passed before writing this.
In this play, Elizabeth has lost her husband, David, in a tragic accident and is trying, failingly to put it behind her. Similarily, I lost my own beloved first love due to divorce, a death in its own way, even though the right thing to do.
Elizabeth suspects foul play in that David was unfaithful with a "bikini" and I, too, know that feeling in that my ex's "other woman" was, in a sense, his illness. Like Elizabeth, I try to hold in and deal the best I can with the conflicting emotions of love and hatred for the man I swore to love for all time yet can never be with again; my first love at first sight soul-mate.
Yet there are moments when I wish I could have with him, one last chance, to tell my Billiam that I love him still and for always and that a part of me misses him and will never ever forget...
I am truly thankful to Bob for writing this script and birthing Elizabeth, to Michael for giving me to her to portray, and even my Theatre-Mama, Becky, for sharing this stage with me.
To find out what happens, see you this Saturday, February 15th and Sunday, February 16th at Paschal Winery for the Paschal Readings. Doors open at 7 pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/703614122993149/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
http://www.paschalwinery.com/
Bob Valine is a local Southern Oregon playwright.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
The Reason for Being An Actress
The other day on Facebook a dear friend and fellow collaborator in the crazy art of acting and all things community theatre posted a comment about how a past character had once again surfaced and spoken something meaningful to his heart and while I can't completely understand his relationship, I can relate because I, too, have a character that I internalized, that not only became real, but became so because she found herself in me and I in her, where suddenly two 'became one' as it were, married to the art of getting the message across, the message of our mutual pain, weaknesses, sorrows, and also of our hopes and joys--
Yes, she was and is me as much as I am myself and playing her helped me to become more of myself. I found more healing in her than ever on the couch of a therapist's office; more freedom and ability to release and truly let go---
And today, in certain moments, say walking down a city-street at night (however cliche that may seem), I can sense her, understand her feelings of "walking the street", a sense of power mingled with shame. Yet I can know honestly why a thing like that is done, to find that momentary healing from the loneliness, to feel wanted, appreciated for something; to catch a glimpse of true love---
And yet still there is that cold, quiet ever present emptiness silenced only by the aching need of a hungry belly and fragile heart, never satisfied, and in that, I can sense her gratitude for understanding.
Some time has passed since the show ended so the ache of missing her is not as sharp, but alas it is there and for that I am grateful, for that strange form of relationship--
That, I suppose, is the pay-off for us unpaid community theatre actors/actresses (hoping someday for that paycheck), for that intense character-work and self-discovery that is the process of our art.
My friend, Peter, played the man, John Merrick, and that is his character. My friend/theatre mama, Becky, has an 19th century distinguised actress, and me, well, I'm a hooker!
Yes, she was and is me as much as I am myself and playing her helped me to become more of myself. I found more healing in her than ever on the couch of a therapist's office; more freedom and ability to release and truly let go---
And today, in certain moments, say walking down a city-street at night (however cliche that may seem), I can sense her, understand her feelings of "walking the street", a sense of power mingled with shame. Yet I can know honestly why a thing like that is done, to find that momentary healing from the loneliness, to feel wanted, appreciated for something; to catch a glimpse of true love---
And yet still there is that cold, quiet ever present emptiness silenced only by the aching need of a hungry belly and fragile heart, never satisfied, and in that, I can sense her gratitude for understanding.
Some time has passed since the show ended so the ache of missing her is not as sharp, but alas it is there and for that I am grateful, for that strange form of relationship--
That, I suppose, is the pay-off for us unpaid community theatre actors/actresses (hoping someday for that paycheck), for that intense character-work and self-discovery that is the process of our art.
My friend, Peter, played the man, John Merrick, and that is his character. My friend/theatre mama, Becky, has an 19th century distinguised actress, and me, well, I'm a hooker!
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