-
May 20, 2008 8:20 am US/Central
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Dream Jobs: Chris Compares Thee To A Summer's Day
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
In fair Minneapolis where we lay our scene, each on the Morning Show is trying the job of our dreams.
Bill Hudson designed a skyscraper, Angela Davis sang like Stevie Wonder, and Sue Turner blew the whistle on an elementary school gym class. Now it was my turn to try my hand at a job I would want to do if I wasn't on TV each day ... and if talent and education weren't factors.
My dream has always been to be an actor. When Tim Allen came to town to film "Joe Somebody" in 2001, I got to be an extra. You can faintly see me in the background in the karaoke scene if you look really carefully.
To fulfill my dream I went to the experts: the folks at the Guthrie Theater. I took part of a monologue from "Romeo and Juliet" to prepare for an audition.
Randy Reyes, who is currently in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," helped me out. First, he coached me through Romeo's famous line, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun."
His first suggestion is to remember that I'm looking at someone I'm in love with. Then, make sure to use a softer tone. Memorizing Shakespearean English is pretty daunting, especially for an amateur.
"Don't think of the words as a speech, think of them as moments," said Reyes. "If you think of them as a whole, you're done."
My next challenge is to audition for the Guthrie's associate artistic director John Miller-Stephany. He handles all of the Guthrie's casting and sees a lot of actors.
"Shakespeare, to many actors, is easier to memorize than more contemporary playwrights," said Miller-Stephany. He suggested I try walking and moving while I deliver the line, "Arise, fair sun, and KILL the envious moon who is already pale and sick with grief."
We did several takes and I started to get the feel for the lines, the rhythm and the emotion behind the words, but it was clear from my audition that I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon.
But parting from one's dream job is such sweet sorrow.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)