Oh, the Drama!

What are you afraid of? It’s an appropriate time of year to ask this question.

A few weeks ago I saw a performance of Pagliacci / Carmina Burana at the Portland Opera. Not only did it involve adultery and murder but in the Carmina Burana portion there was a large live snake on stage and a group of performers doing an interpretive dance. For me, it doesn’t get much more terrifying than men and women rolling over each other in an attempt to symbolize Spring! and Fertility!

Here’s my recreation of the final scene in Pagliacci, performed by my handmade clown from Switzerland and my Roma Lenci doll.

And then last Tuesday I watched Andrew Lloyd Weber’s take on Sunset Boulevard at Portland Center Stage. That evening reminded me of what scares me most in life. No, my fear is not becoming a washed-up screenwriter at the mercy of a has been silent film actress. One of my greatest fears is musicals. Despite Ms. Desmond’s gorgeous costumes, this production reaffirmed my irrational fear of beautifully written dialog set to hokey melodies.

I always get goose bumps when I take my seat at a live performance. Maybe it reminds me of an audition that almost happened in high school. I couldn’t tell you what the play was or what monologue I had memorized, but there I was, a nervous sack of bones waiting for my name to be called. Too bad I never made it to the stage. My life could have turned out completely different.

But my life is what it is and Halloween is fast approaching. My costume will be very scary. I’ll be in tights and a tutu.