Actor-Producer Chronicles: Post-Mortem

Well, friends, I can’t believe I can finally say this, but — The King’s Whore is officially opened and closed! And I survived!

Go ahead and listen to this song while you continue reading, if you please. It’s the song that played right after Anne Boleyn got her head chopped off in our play, and I think it encapsulates my whole experience with this project well:

Producing and starring in this show was a life-changing experience for me. I feel so much older than I did a year and a half ago when I started out on this journey…and not just in the oh-my-god-I’m-so-exhausted way (although that way, too…), but also in how much I’ve learned and evolved as a performer and as a member of this industry in a larger sense.

I won’t ever approach a show the same way again. I learned exactly where I fit into a production as an actor by hiring actors of my own, and I learned exactly what is going on behind-the-scenes that the actors aren’t even aware of. I knew both of those things before, but I don’t think you can ever truly understand them without being in the producer’s shoes.

I also learned how rewarding it is to not only bring someone else’s words and vision to life, but to be a Creator in all senses. I created this production from nothing, and there is nothing more exhilarating (and exhausting) than that.

We got great reviews, and our audiences all seemed to love the show, which I’m extremely proud of. But what I’m perhaps most proud of is that several of my designers and actors approached me to say that they had never seen an actor-producer handle everything with such grace, kindness, and poise.

Considering what a frazzled mess I often was on the inside throughout this whole process, I’m proud of the fact that I was able to handle the almost 30 (yes, 30!) people working for me on this show and to earn their respect and friendship. It’s not necessarily an easy thing to do to get so many older, more educated, and more experienced people to respect a 26-year-old blonde actress as a producer.

I’m also proud to have told Anne Boleyn’s story. She was an extraordinarily admirable lady in my estimation, and I’m honored to have had the chance to tell her story. I hope we did you proud, Anne!

People keep asking me what’s next, and I’ll tell you honestly — I’m not quite sure. I know that I don’t have the energy to produce anything in the near future. I’d like to go back to just being an actor for awhile. We’ll see how long that lasts 😉

I am unbelievably grateful to all of you for your support — whether it was throwing a few bucks our way on the indiegogo campaign, cheering me along as I took this project on, or attending the show and getting to see the finished project — I am so incredibly aware of everyone’s contribution to making this project what it was, no matter how small.

I’d love to give back by writing some posts about this process that hopefully inspire / challenge / help / whatever if you’re thinking of embarking on this journey yourself. What would you like to read about? Leave me a comment about what you’re dying to read about in self-producing, and I’ll write you a post!

Would I recommend this to everyone? No. Would I recommend this to anyone wanting to take the reins of her career into her own hands by any means necessary? Resoundingly yes.

Major shout-out to my fantabulous associate producer, Meghan Pressman, and my equally amazing director, Jen Wineman. I couldn’t have done it without these ladies. Or my husband.

Photo credit for all production photos except the last goes to Nathaniel Johnston. Julia Anrather took the final photograph in this post.