PTE's own Alissa Watson, Performance Training Ensemble member and PTE School Instructor, shares her acting experience in RMTC's Harvey
I thought the “first day of school” sensation – you know the one – knotted stomach flip flopping in a deep dark pit, threatening to sabotage me by jumping out of my throat at the slightest missed breath – I thought those days were long over. For a moment I believed that my legs, transfixed and rigid with anxiety, might not move when it came to my transit stop and I would blow the whole thing by showing up late. I was so concerned about fitting in that I made sure I laid out my outfit the night before, something I hadn’t done for ten years. I thought the “first day of school” sensation was long behind me, but here I was, drowning in it, as I opened the door to my Manitoba Theatre Centre main stage debut.
 |
| John B. Lowe, Catherine Fitch & Alissa Watson. Photo by Leif Norman |
The last time
I experienced nerves like these was my first day of rehearsal for Magical Mystery Munsch at Prairie
Theatre Exchange. However, having been a
student at PTE for years made the rehearsal hall feel a bit more like
home. I kept telling myself that it was normal
to be nervous, at least at this point in my career. But I’ve learned that sooner rather than
later you need to jump in, to remind yourself to breathe, to throw your
inhibitions out the window, to remember to listen to those around you and to begin
to “play” - channeling nerves into positive energy for your character.
Despite the numbness
that plagued me on my way to RMTC the first day, I received a compliment from
our director, Ann Hodges, regarding my calmness throughout the rehearsal and
performance process. I candidly told Ann
my calm came from a mantra I carried with me from day one and repeated daily
before entering the rehearsal hall, “Don’t mess this up!” (only the language in
the phrase has been sanitized for this blog).
I knew this was my time to put what I had learned into practice - the
opportunity I had been waiting for.
 |
| Steven Ratzlaff, Jeremy Walmsley, Cathereine Fitch, John B. Lowe, Mark Crawford Alissa Watson. Photo by Leif Norman |
To conquer my
nerves and, in turn, do justice to my character, I grounded myself in the invaluable
training I received from my studies, regularly calling on the training I had at
Prairie Theatre Exchange School over the years.
From the Adult Company
directed by John B. Lowe - reminding myself that the real work can’t happen
until I put my book down; Shakespeare
Soliloquies with Arne MacPherson - realizing
the value and significance of each word in the text and the importance of
punctuation by the playwright; Stage
Combat with Jacqueline Loewen - where I began to shed my self-conscious
self and freed my physicality; the Adult
Company, this time with Mariam Bernstein - where I focused on objectives
and discovered how to ground myself in truth;
and, finally, my year in the Professional
Training Ensemble with Sharon Bajer, Miriam Smith, Debbie Patterson and
Brenda McLean (to name a few) - where I finessed not only my fundamentals as an
actress but my connection to my body and voice and, most importantly, committed
myself to becoming an actor.
I have many
things to be thankful for this season - the theatre community in Winnipeg, the
support of my family and friends, regional theatres that encourage work with
local artists, local directors who take a chance on emerging artists, “Harvey
friends” (old and new), the honor of working alongside not only industry
professionals whom I have admired on the stage for so long, but some of my former
teachers, this incredible experience at MTC, and the opportunity to be doing
what I love.
ABOUT ALISSA:
Alissa Watson is an emerging actress based in Winnipeg.
Alissa made her professional acting debut last winter in Prairie Theatre
Exchange's Magical Mystery Munsch, tour and main stage production.
Since, she appeared at the Edmonton Fringe as the free-spirited
Ernestine in inspired I theatre's remount of The Anger in Ernest and
Ernestine, directed by Debbie Patterson
and Sarasvàti's FemFest
this September in Jessy Ardern's premiere, Harold and Vivian Entertain
Guests, directed by Brenda McLean . This winter Alissa
will spend another Manitoba winter on the road touring with Manitoba Theatre
for Young People's production of Night Light.
You can catch
Alissa until November 9th in Manitoba Theatre Centre's, Harvey,
directed by Ann Hodges.
