Monday, May 7, 2012

Make It Work

Rehearsals have been wonderful--it is such a joy to be working with such talented actors, and musicians. We finished blocking the show last week, and by Thursday night, I was already transported to another dimension watching the other actors discover new and amazing layers to their characters. What an experience! It's amazing to me what four years can do to expand an actor's tool box. 

Interestingly, a couple of us have been battling allergies and illnesses for the past couple of weeks...and last week, my illness took a turn for the worse. I'd ignored the fact that I have developed allergies and allowed myself to get sick, which turned into bronchitis--and I wound up in Urgent Care needing a breathing treatment (the first I've ever had), and then wound up back in Urgent Care over the weekend with a fractured rib. PAINFUL!!! Now, this is probably my 5th rib injury in the past 4 years--I seem to have something going on in that area, but this is the most painful injury I've ever had. I have cracked a rib in the middle of my back, and there is just nothing I can do to escape the excruciating pain. I keep getting stuck in position and cannot move. If it weren't so painful, it would be funny. But, of course, it hurts worse when I laugh, so I try to just ignore myself.

Thankfully the bronchitis is all but cleared up (finished my very first ever round of "Z-pack", yesterday, along with a round of prednisone), so that's great...but this rib injury seems to get worse by the minute. A dear friend took me for a treatment at The St. Louis Salt Room in Maplewood during my lunch hour, today...and I was actually pain free for 30 whole minutes--the first pain free time I've had in 4 days. I will go back tomorrow and Wednesday to continue treatment and am still waiting for my doctor (who has been out-of-town) to return my call.

This could be a whole new dimension for Marie LaSalle--LOL! She is 4 years older, and apparently a mess. Somehow, I will find a way to make it work, because that is what we do. Period. I've performed with pneumonia; I've performed hours after the tragic death of a beloved pet; I've performed immediately after having my eye split open on stage; we take what we have, and we create something new with it. It's a lot like life...but better!

Tonight we run Act 1 off-book. That may well be as painful as my broken rib...we'll see. Whatever it is, we will make it work. We always do. Not only that, but we make it work better--and therein lies the reward.

Love and Light!

1 comment: