Shellie Award for Best Actress In A Musical

Wow. It's been almost a week since the Shellie Award Ceremony, and I'm just finding time to sit down and write about it. It was an amazing evening. My parents and my boyfriend were there with my, along with what seemed like most of the Contra Costa theatre community.

As I sat there listing to the names of the nominees in my category being read, and the drum roll beginning, I was simply thinking about how much each and every one of these women must have put into their role and their production, and how worthy we all are. It's odd to be singled out, I think we all deserve awards. But as I sat there, a wave of surprise went through me when I heard her read "And the award goes to: ... For Evita ..." - and then I couldn't even hear my name being read because the wave of sound, and the wave of bodies rising out of their seats was so overwhelming. That was what shocked me more than anything. The thing that totally floored me was the amount of support I received. Daniel and about two or three hundred other people shot out of their seats before I even realized I had to stand up. So here I am looking at this beautiful, adorable hand painted statuette with my name on it.

In that wave of shock, I didn't bring up my little piece of paper with all the people I wanted to thank on it. While I feel I did a great job of expressing my thanks and gratitude, I forgot to thank so many people without whom I never would have been standing on that stage Saturday night. So let's try that speech again:

This award sitting on my desk belongs to so many people. What goes into a performance like the one I gave in Evita, goes far beyond my own work. It's an illusion spun by dozens upon dozens of people. So I share this award with each and every one of them. This award is for Richard Nickol who built every last note in my voice. It's for my parents who always supported my dreams and ambitions no matter how outlandish, and trusted me to know my own way. It's for Daniel Cadigan, who puts up with my leaving bed at 2:00 in the morning to go write for an hour on a revelation about my character, and understands why I come home at midnight six nights a week for the sake of a show, and still loves me through and through. It's for every cast member that shared the stage with me, and wept with me every night. It's for Scott Strain, Shannon Demmers, Danny Boyle and Dustin Riggs who make CCMT what it is, and who made sure Evita happened at all. It's for Kevin Morales, our director, Karl Pister, our music director who made sure that each and every one of us was taken care of and Suzanne Brandt who made me feel like a dancer for the first time in my life. For Marianna Ford and her delicious constumes. For Erin O'Donoghue for getting me out there fully clothed every night - assure you that wouldn't have happened without her! This award is for Bobby Weinapple, who is continually helping me grow into the actress that I aspire to be. It's for Carol Kammen, Jodi Gold and the entire Pathways community who have helped me learn what it is to be a woman, and to own myself in this ever changing world, and then, what it is to let myself go so that something else can come through.

But most of all I want to share it with the audiences. It's for the theatre goers. Because you're why I do this at all. I do this because I know what it is to sit in a theatre and have my life changed because somebody is willing to get up there and show me a way of being that I'd not been able to reach on my own before. The more of myself I can understand, the more of myself I can bring to you. And my deepest hope is that that gesture will bring you home to yourselves. So thank you for giving me a reason to love my work, and for making it possible for me to sustain myself on it.

This award, my heart and gratitude go out to you.

Cheers,

Mindy

P.S. If you'd like to watch the video of me receiving the award, here's the link: Mindy Wins The Shellie

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Wow!!! My first EVER, full length Equity contract. Thanks to CenterREP, who got me into the union during the last two weeks of "All Shook Up", I'm receiving an Equity Contract from Broadway By The Bay for playing Christine Colgate in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". I could fly!

First of all - what a role! I so thrilled about that. But what makes my spine turn to jelly, and puts a permanent grin on my face is the fact that I'm actually going to get paid. I get all that joy from doing a show. But suddenly the stress is gone. It used to be that when I did a show, I was working full time and taking classes during the day, and then at night, driving myself into the ground (and loving every minute of it), pouring my heart into whatever show I was doing, and just barely paying the bills.

But now I'm getting paid... Which means, yes, of course I'll keep my students, because I love them, but, my God - my income isn't going to DECREASE from doing a show, it's going to INCREASE. Whudda thunk it?? It's like I can breathe all of a sudden. This means that shows are no longer this great love that I make enormous sacrifices for... They're this great love... that love me back and take care of me! This marks the beginning of a completely new relationship to my art. Hallelujah!! I could sing! In fact, I think I will!

SO. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". Aaaahhhh. I can't wait. The show is utterly hysterical. I've never played anybody like this before, and I can't wait! I can't tell you too much, I don't want to give away the plot - but I'll tell you this much: I watched a bootleg of the show on youtube before it was taken down, and I had trouble staying on the couch because I was laughing so hard and so long!

The show will be directed by the fabulous Brooke Knight, music directed by the brilliant Rick Reynolds and choreographed by the wonderful Robyn Tribuzi. This is sure to be a knock out show! I'll keep you posted as I find out about the cast. I hope you'll come see it!

Happy New Year!

-Mindy