How About a Nice Hot Cup of Cocoa...?
I was first introduced to Jack Sharkey's The Murder Room in 2022, when I played Mavis in the opening scene for a scene study class: Little did I know, I would be cast as the same character in 2023 for the full-length production. The Murder Room was the most ambitious project I had ever been a part of; Bryan College's Theatre department put together costumes, a full box set, finished memorizing blocking and lines, and opened performances all in under eight weeks.
Character Work
The lack of any sort of message or deep meaning within The Murder Room didn't take away the opportunity for me to utilize a large amount of character work. Between rehearsals in the early days of putting together the show, I constructed a solid backstory and multiple insecurities for Mavis which cause her to act as outlandishly as she does. Playing Mavis was also an important lesson in taking care of myself as an actor to keep the show going. Mavis was a very physically and emotionally taxing role; the overly physical comedy, extreme emotions and facial expressions, and sudden screams and loud sobs in every scene made me realize that my body has very strict limits. In order to keep Mavis authentic and keep the show going, I learned to balance my physical health by taking care of myself between rehearsals.
Credits: Bryan College, Alexis Marsh