pros and cons

Guess what I was doing last night and the night before and will be doing every night for the next two weeks? It's probably something none of you have ever done or dream of doing.

I was running lines with my husband.

Yep....thrilling. Most of you are probably thinking that running lines sounds like a drag. Sometimes it can be. However, running lines does have it's pros and cons.

Pro:
Currently we're working on the part of Fred/Petruchio for Kiss Me Kate. My husband is the understudy and needs to be memorized in case of sickness, injury, or sudden death, (let's hope not on that last one.) One of the great things about running lines with my husband is that I get to read most of the show in advance. So I know what to expect when I see the show.

Con:
I read most of the show in advance and I know what to expect when I see the show.

Pro:
But because I get to read the show in advance, I can ask my husband questions about parts I don't understand like "Why is she so angry at him?" or laugh at funny lines like "Oh Lilli, you're not going to whoops" or discuss certain parts of the story like "It's sad to think that during Shakespeare's time women had their place."

Con:
However, sometimes this can ruin the show for me because I already know the intricate details of the plot and don't get to watch it unfold onstage.

Pro:
My husband is a trooper and does really well at memorizing so many lines so quickly. But I have to admit that I have a very good memory, and sometimes I memorize the other lines faster than my husband memorizes his....if I'm really trying. And usually I end up memorizing his lines because I hear them repeatedly.  

Con:
That just means for me that when I see the show, I know when an actor has made a mistake on his or her lines. This has happened a time or two before in other shows.

Pro:
Even though running lines takes at least an hour or more a night, it does mean that I am spending time with my husband.

Con:
I'm spending time with my husband....running lines....oh, the things I do as a theatre wife.

Pro:
I'm not an actress. My husband may convince you otherwise but if I were an actress, then Kristen Stewart would be pure genius on the screen. I've done a few acting tid bits in my lifetime, including two scenes for my husband's directing class one semester. However, I do enjoy pretending I can act. (Sir Ian McKellen on Acting -Yes, I am referencing this video again. :) So one of my favorite parts about running lines is making up accents and pretending to be the different characters. Lilli has a western accent. The gangsters have a New York accent. Paul is boring. Ralph is always tired. Hopefully by doing this my husband will admit that I am fun to run lines with.

Con:
If I practice too much, my husband may finally admit that I am good enough to be in a play and persuade me to do a show. Don't get me wrong, I love the theatre....I'd just rather be in the seats than on the stage.

We have fun running lines. Sometimes it's a drag and sometimes it's entertaining. Overall, I love my husband so much that I will sit on the couch, cuddle up to him, be the characters, and run lines...over and over and over....