The stage was set.
Lights dim. Heart pounding. Music playing. Head foggy.
I was on after Joy to the World.
Hands shaking. Parched throat.
I closed my eyes. “There’s no reason to be nervous. You can say the lines in your sleep. And if you fall flat on your face, mom will give a standing ovation anyway.”
“And wonders, wonders of His love.”
The congregation’s last phrase died with the music, letting silence commandeer the large auditorium.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the spotlight.
Such is the life of an actress.
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For as long as I can remember, each year in December my mom, sister and I attended the Ladies Christmas Dinner at our church.
It’s the fanciest occasion of the year. You wear your finest clothes and put on your best behavior. (or something of the sort) Definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions.
One year, (a very long time ago 😉 ) being the drama fanatic that I am, I was asked to come up with a creative way to share the account of Jesus’s birth and present it at the dinner. Thus, I wrote a monologue, from Mary’s (the mother of Jesus) perspective.
It was about twenty minutes long and I was sooooooo nervous I’d forget something right in the middle of the performance. (like I did in a brief dress rehearsal half an hour before the dinner began! :0 ) I didn’t 🙂 And I was so blessed by how warmly it was received. Relieved, I thought that was the end of that.
However, the next Christmas season rolled around and my dad asked me to pull the monologue back out. Apparently some people had liked it and requested for me to visit their churches to preform Mary’s Monologue. Let me tell you, something twice memorized is a whole lot simpler on your brain than the first go-round.
And so, Mary’s Monologue did a little tour around my city that December, performing at three different churches and a home.
The last performance (and most memorable) was scheduled less than a week after I had a surgery. (talk about being worried I’d forget a line!) I’ll never forget feeling so foggy (#comingoffpainmeds) and the fact that my surgeon had forbidden I bend or kneel. (#akwardstagepresence)
However… that night was the only night we actually recorded the performance. *headdesk* And although I did look a bit awkward… ahem… not kneeling or bending, thankfully, the lines came to mind in the split seconds between keeping character and staring blankly at the back wall praying the line will show up in writing there. (actors, you know what I’m talking about 😉 )
All that to say…without further ado.
A little taste of Christmas. A little imagining of what Mary might’ve been thinking 2,000 years ago. A little glimpse of Rolena’s “actressy” side.
Follow the link to enjoy Mary’s Monologue. Presented by an 18 year old version of me. 🙂
Merry Christmas, Friends!!!
Raise your hand if you’re an actor/actress or have ever acted before!
Rolena Weber 