The day has finally arrived. Opening night.

I woke up this morning feeling excited, nervous and filled with joy. Joy that for the next 12 days I get to act, play and experience the made up world which Leo Butler has created in his play “Made of Stone.” I get to be Carol.

Carol is a no nonsense kind of girl. She’s 16 years old and certain of her beliefs about how the world works. Like many of us, whether we wish to admit it or not, she’s also very angry about the leash that has been wrung around her neck which makes her feel insecure, uncertain and small. In the play, Carol breaks free from this leash and decides to demand something different from her life. She demands to be appreciated and seen for who she is. She is sick and tired of being treated as a kid in this so-called adult world.

Carol may not always come across as being extraordinarily likeable, but nothing can be said against the fact that she always goes after what she wants. She’s gutsy, vindictive, sometimes loud and often impulsive. I have learned a lot from getting an opportunity to play her.

As I prepare for opening night, I work to quiet my mind. I’ll be honest, my racing thoughts occasionally spew doubt in my direction. When this happens, I breathe deep, acknowledge the thought, and then gently remind myself that this sort of thinking will do nothing to help me. I remember:

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” – Corrie Ten Boom

I remember that I am strong.

So, with this in mind, I breathe and prepare for the journey that awaits me.

A cast member asked me the other day, “what do you want to be an actor.” My answer surprised me, but came without any hesitation:

Because there is something magical about stepping onto a set and living a life that is not yours. There is something magical about story telling, and this magic has drawn me in since I was a little girl.

In truth, I think that all of life is a magical adventure and every time I inhale on stage and a line of dialogue comes to me as if it were my own thought, I am reminded of this magic.