When I first created my blog I vowed to myself that I wouldn't make it too personal. I wanted to steer clear of writing about my life, because, if there's one thing I know, my life isn't incredibly interesting. Being the narcissistic person I am I could rattle on for ages about myself, the trouble is that no-one would want to listen. However I thought I'd take a break from writing about the wider world and talk about me for a while...try not to doze off.
As the author of a blog that has been running for a year and a half I am disappointed with the level of celebrity I have amassed. By this time I was expecting to be the most famous person in the world, yet somehow that fame has eluded me.
Be that as it may my blog is slowly gaining momentum. Last week, for example, I was asked (commissioned, if you will) to help write a blog about the current school play. The play is Shakespeare's "As You Like It." As a great admirer of Shakespeare's work I was very pleased to be both performing in the play and writing the blog for the school website.
The selection process for the cast was an odd one. There were no auditions whatsoever; the cast were merely chosen by Head of Drama Mr Aldred based on previous school plays. As an Olivier in the making I was one of the lucky few to be chosen.
The list of characters was posted a few weeks later. The group flocked around to see which character they would be playing. I was feeling rather hopeful as the week before I had been told by more than one person that I would be perfectly suited to the main role (Orlando).
I looked down the list for my name.
Chris Lewis.....Corin.
My heart sank. I was not the main character like I had hoped. I wasn't even one of the main few. No, I was given the role of Corin, the old shepherd. Looking through the script I saw that I only had four lines in the entire play.
The rehearsals began. While the other actors and actresses got their bit on the main stage I was stuck in the background...as a tree. Over five years of drama at the school and they make me a tree. I am forced to stand there with my back turned to the audience and my arms out in stupid positions while the real actors deliver their lines. This is not good enough.
The worst part is we are touring this production. I have to go to many different locations and act as a tree in front of several different audiences. Will they remember the tree in the background? Will they go home and tell all their friends and family how good tree #4 was? No! Maybe if Mr Aldred actually could remember my name it would make the whole ordeal more bearable. But alas, he cannot. My name is neither Joe, nor is it Philip. My name is Chris, and I play a tree.
Not to seem to pessimistic I will leave you with something funny. There is a character is "As You Like It" called Hymen. If you want to see what the character looks like just search it on google images.
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