Why a reading? And a most embarrassing moment

Dear Jessica,

I love the play “August: Osage County.” Why did you decide to do this one as a reading?

— Pam N.

Hi Pam,

I’m glad you love “August: Osage County” — it’s also one of my favorites. Rogue Theater Company is doing the play as a reading for a few reasons. First, many of the actors we cast are busy acting elsewhere, and this is less of a time commitment for them. Rainbow Dickerson, Samantha Miller, and K.T. Vogt live in Los Angeles, and they juggle acting in film and television as well. Director Henry Woronicz will be heading out the day after our final reading to perform at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. And some of our local actors are also acting at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this season. Another reason is staging. The set is a replica of a two-story house with a long staircase. This would be quite a challenge for our scenic designer, Michael Ganio. Lastly, the cast is quite large at 13. Need I say more? Because the text of this play is richly descriptive, and the characters are clearly defined, I think the reading will be a powerful experience for the audience.

Hello Jessica,

Do you have — and can you describe — a single-most-embarrassing theater moment? 

— Frank W.

Hi Frank,

Any actor who has worked onstage has experienced embarrassing moments. The curse and the blessing of live theater is anything can and will happen!

A myriad of things can cause embarrassment. Some that come to mind: forgetting lines or cues (or awkward pauses before finally remembering the line), technical glitches, tripping or falling, wardrobe malfunctions, breaking character, and, for some actors, stage fright.

I’ve had more embarrassing moments than I care to remember, so I’ll tell you about the very first one I had as a professional actor. I was fresh out of school at the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., when I got cast as Maggie in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” At the top of the play, Maggie is alone on stage while talking to Brick through the bathroom door. She enters in a huff because one of the “no-neck monsters” — as she refers to her nieces and nephews — hit her with a hot buttered biscuit and soiled her dress.

As I strip down to a slip (as if that’s not embarrassing enough), I’m rattling off a monologue while doing a lot of stage business: getting dressed, putting on makeup and jewelry, smoking, etc. I’m also filing my nails. I made the rookie mistake of waiting until the first preview to paint my nails bright red. Having never used finger nail polish before, I was clueless that it would add texture to my nails. So when I reached for the emery board and started to file, the board kept slipping, and I couldn’t get the file to maintain contact with my nails. I’m sure performing in front of a live audience for the first time didn’t help either. In a moment of frustration, I threw the emery board across the room as I yelled at Brick about something or another. The silver lining is that later when teaching acting, I retold this story so my students might avoid similar pitfalls. My philosophy is that a life in the theater gives us lessons that help us grow, and surviving embarrassing moments makes us more human both as actors and people.

To the audience, it may have seemed that what I was doing was in character. I was upset about the hot buttered biscuit and frustrated with Brick. But it clearly wasn’t a choice. In the moment, all I could think of was “maintain contact with the nail, maintain contact with the nail.” But that emery board had a mind of its own!

Theater lovers, what would you like to know about theater, acting, stagecraft, etc.? Send your questions to contact@roguetheatercompany.com. In the meantime, bring up the houselights, and let’s have some fun!

Jessica Sage is artistic director of Rogue Theater Company. “August: Osage County” is performed at Grizzly Peak Winery on May 2, 3, 4, and 5 at 1 pm. Tickets and information at roguetheatercompany.com.