Yesterday afternoon Chris Flieller called me and invited me to audition this Sunday for their production of Veronica's Position next season! That was a real pick-me-up after the mixed reviews of Fool For Love!
Funny how you can be on a natural high when life kicks you to the dirt, but then it just yanks you right back up a few days later. Just gotta get back on the horse, even when it's already trotting away. Life doesn't wait for you... so you've gotta go knock down doors with megaphones and billboards!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fool: Reviews
Well we received a glowing review in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel! Alex (Eddie) was raved about. I didn't get quite the stellar mention that he did, but it still spoke positively of me in the end... "Bethany Ligocki Peters' May is as conflicted as the man she loves and hates.
Shepard's women are rarely as compelling as his men, and Peters can be overly emphatic in trying to bring May to life. But she gets there, with an aria toward the play's close that gives voice to all that Eddie himself feels - and never finds the words to say."
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/123189508.html
Thirdcoastdigest.com on the other hand, tore me to shreds and stole a tiny piece of my soul. Haha, ok that's an exaggeration, but I was frustrated and disappointed with the review and his opinion that I seemed "disconnected" and "aloof". The critic DID refer to May and Eddie's relationship as sibling rivalry, so I'm not going to give his opinion much weight anyway. But it still stings to have your accomplishment ripped into when you pour so much of yourself into a role, and you invest so much in rehearsals and the final production (time - AWAY from my husband no less! - effort and money on costumes, props...) Expressmilwaukee.com basically said that Alex and I lacked chemistry, and examiner.com said "This Alchemist production gets off to a rough start: movie-star gorgeous Bethany Ligocki Peters doesn’t quite exhibit the acting chops needed to internalize May’s torturous inner life (it is, to be fair, the most difficult role in the play)." I guess I'd rather be hideously ugly and have talent... but I'm still growing!
It's tough when you care so much and are proud of your show, and then you get a bad review. But you can't let it bring you down or let you second guess your choices in your performance. Instead, as my loving husband advised me, "Use it as fuel to take you to the next level."
A review is one person's outside opinion. (Funny how the only negative thing said about my performance in the Journal review is that I can be overly emphatic sometimes, but then Third Coast Digest complained that the cast is "under-wrought". See, it's all up to interpretation.) It's easy for a critic to come and sit back and critique the entertainment we provide, and nobody gets to proofread the review in case they're off base and missed the point of the play... It stinks that it's published for the public, but it's one person's conclusion. Which is why we artists continue onward to provide entertainment for audience members to form their own opinions. And in the end, what really matters for an actor is if you, your director and everyone involved in the production are happy with the outcome. And I am! WE are!!! I'm proud of our work and I've had a fantastic experience with this show, and I won't forget that! I don't act for praises in the paper. Theatre is a safe place to explore unsafe ideas, and I love that I get to be involved in theatre and bring a story to life!
Critics are paid to be critical. It's really challenging to put yourself out there completely, but thank God for performers and artists who have tough skin and aren't afraid of failing or of a few public insults here and there. Without brave artists, the public wouldn't have entertainment, and critics wouldn't have a job!
Shepard's women are rarely as compelling as his men, and Peters can be overly emphatic in trying to bring May to life. But she gets there, with an aria toward the play's close that gives voice to all that Eddie himself feels - and never finds the words to say."
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/123189508.html
Thirdcoastdigest.com on the other hand, tore me to shreds and stole a tiny piece of my soul. Haha, ok that's an exaggeration, but I was frustrated and disappointed with the review and his opinion that I seemed "disconnected" and "aloof". The critic DID refer to May and Eddie's relationship as sibling rivalry, so I'm not going to give his opinion much weight anyway. But it still stings to have your accomplishment ripped into when you pour so much of yourself into a role, and you invest so much in rehearsals and the final production (time - AWAY from my husband no less! - effort and money on costumes, props...) Expressmilwaukee.com basically said that Alex and I lacked chemistry, and examiner.com said "This Alchemist production gets off to a rough start: movie-star gorgeous Bethany Ligocki Peters doesn’t quite exhibit the acting chops needed to internalize May’s torturous inner life (it is, to be fair, the most difficult role in the play)." I guess I'd rather be hideously ugly and have talent... but I'm still growing!
It's tough when you care so much and are proud of your show, and then you get a bad review. But you can't let it bring you down or let you second guess your choices in your performance. Instead, as my loving husband advised me, "Use it as fuel to take you to the next level."
A review is one person's outside opinion. (Funny how the only negative thing said about my performance in the Journal review is that I can be overly emphatic sometimes, but then Third Coast Digest complained that the cast is "under-wrought". See, it's all up to interpretation.) It's easy for a critic to come and sit back and critique the entertainment we provide, and nobody gets to proofread the review in case they're off base and missed the point of the play... It stinks that it's published for the public, but it's one person's conclusion. Which is why we artists continue onward to provide entertainment for audience members to form their own opinions. And in the end, what really matters for an actor is if you, your director and everyone involved in the production are happy with the outcome. And I am! WE are!!! I'm proud of our work and I've had a fantastic experience with this show, and I won't forget that! I don't act for praises in the paper. Theatre is a safe place to explore unsafe ideas, and I love that I get to be involved in theatre and bring a story to life!
Critics are paid to be critical. It's really challenging to put yourself out there completely, but thank God for performers and artists who have tough skin and aren't afraid of failing or of a few public insults here and there. Without brave artists, the public wouldn't have entertainment, and critics wouldn't have a job!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Fool: Opening Night
We had a fantastic show last night!!! We actually had a few audiences for preview shows on Wednesday and Thursday which helped us prepare for an audience reaction. It is always such an interesting experience to receive an audience. And we're especially tight knit and intense with this show, so it's been a fun challenge to not let the occasional audience laughter or gasp pull me out of the moment.
I'm SO excited for this run!!!
I'm SO excited for this run!!!
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