Opening Night!

There is nothing quite like Opening Night. For months, you prep and memorize and study and try to incarnate a character so that you can feel proud when it's time for curtain call.

Last weekend (sorry for the delay in blogging, I blame the Thanksgiving turkey) I got to do exactly that after performing the lead role in "Learn to Be Latina" at The Diversionary Theatre in San Diego.

This process was unlike many of my other acting endeavors. My background is predominately film, so taking on the lead role in a play was a challenge in and of itself. With a talented cast beside me and the amazing Theatre House Directors, we came together in the final hour to deliver a solid show. The feeling of hearing your audience laugh uproariously for the length of the entire play is indescribable.

This has been such an incredible (or as my character would say "increíble") learning process for me. I've grown and stretched myself so much as an 
actor. (That's me to the right! Backstage in all of my pop star glory.) I really feel like I can tackle any role that is thrown at me now. I'm so thankful to the amazing cast I have on stage with me every night and to everyone else who made this show what it is. I was so touched that so many of my friends came down from LA (and NY!) to see me on stage. Those that are close to me know how much blood, sweat and tears (literally) I have put into this show. So I thank them personally for their support!

The show runs though December 18th, so if you find yourself in the San Diego area, come check it out!

Quick loving shout-out to the rest of the amazingly talented cast: Faeren Adams, Olivia Espinosa, Amanda Cooley Davis, Steve Smith and Dangerfield Moore.

--Tamara Dhia

Comments

[Lauren Twombly]

This is so great. Leading roles really do shape you as an actor (mine was my college production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons playing Kate Keller...so emotionally grueling). It's wonderful to hear what this role has done for you.

P.S. Also loved your video on "Sh*t White Girls Say to Arab Girls"...hysterical.