Lena Hart
I'm at an audition having been called back for the supporting lead. Five minutes ago I was informed by the stage manager that they want to hear me for the lead. In a musical. It's been 2 years since I've done a musical. I've never done a rock musical.
Twenty pages of music are gently pressed into my paws and the sweet stage manager smiles, "you have five minutes until you're on." And then it happens. Panic ensues. I can feel my heart begin to race...no, I can actually hear the beats pounding in my ears. I look around the room at the other women up for the role. They look incredibly prepared. And then they all turn to look at me. I have become the common enemy in the room. The panic is shutting me down, "This is not good," I think to myself.
And then I remember. Alexander. I think, "I have 5 minutes. I can use one of those minutes to get free." I free my neck, allowing for the potential of movement. My head moves forward and up, my back lengthens and widens, and my feet magically find the ground. My heart has stopped racing. I open my eyes to one of the other actresses sitting suddenly next to me.
"You only have a couple minutes, so I'm going to teach you the music," she says.
Another actress joins us and puts her hand out, "Here is my iPod. Go ahead and listen to the cast recording."
I was shocked...in awe of their generous spirits, and I couldn't help but wonder, "was it the Alexander that brought about the change?"
I put the earbuds into my ears and freed my neck. Calmly emptying myself and allowing for the possibility of expansion. Then the strangest thing happened: I had the sensation that the music was laying itself on top of me and through me--as though it were imprinting itself onto my bones in a very soft almost ghost-like way. I habitually wanted to investigate further, and detail what exactly was happening, but luckily for me my name was called to audition.
I walked on stage scared, but strangely confident that the music would just be there when I opened my mouth. The other actresses watched on with pitying looks. The director looked hopeful and doubtful at the same time. The music started, I heard my cue, freed my neck, expanded my mouth, face and jaw to do whispered 'Ah,' and a sound came out that I had never before heard. The director perked up, the music director started to pound the keys jovially. I didn't dare look at the other actresses. The music was there! Not only that, but so was the character!
I walked off the stage, and the woman who had lent me her IPod approached me.
"Who are you and how did you do that in 3 minutes of prep?" she asked.
I answered, "I'm Lena Hart and I study the Alexander Technique."
