#henryvosf

What was particularly special about #SnowInMidsummerOSF being a part of @osfashland’s 2021 season was reuniting & reminiscing with #OSFfamily all month long. So this last event was the best way to cap it all off bc Rosa Joshi— who directed me in #HenryVOSF the same year as Snow— made this reunion happen with playwright Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, director @justinaudibert, & dramaturg @amramalama where we got to speak to her Seattle U students for their OSF Virtual Residency. Not to mention crossing zoom paths with other #OSFfamily participants, especially @gwenturos who helped coordinate this amazing weekend, & @anniepaul31 with whom I got to create & teach an Acting Shakespeare workshop! Grateful to know these exceptional humans & artists. And hopeful that I will one day be back in the same physical space with them again. ❤️ (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPzB-F_jl9p/?utm_medium=tumblr

More meet-ups, chance run-ins, babies, & a play reading by an exciting new Asian American voice in the theatre #OSFfamily #NYCfamily #OSF2018 reunion, #SnowInMidsummerOSF reunion, #HenryVOSF reunion #backhomeagain #ewg @publictheaterny #davidzheng @luckydogbar #brooklyn (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ZGLPAJY7m/?igshid=16nnmm372or6z

What an awesome way to kick off my marathon of NYC shows this weekend, which ended up being a mini-OSF reunion & worlds colliding: FEFU AND HER FRIENDS at TFANA, directed by the brilliant Lileana Blain-Cruz (who we ran into at dinner & who directed #HenryIVOSF), sound design by @palmzhefferan who got me the tix (& who I worked with for #HenryVOSF & #AsYouLikeItOSF), lighting design by Jane Cox (who I also worked with on #SnowInMidsummerOSF & who we also ran into at the theatre). It also turned out that @yenagraphy’s 1st architectural project in NYC was designing TFANA’s whole lighting system 10 years ago & this was the 1st time she got to see her work in person! So of course we had to take a photo with the 2 lighting designers. And then we ran into @mgrahamsmith!!! (@thewilldao where were you???) ❤️ To top it all off, this was a brilliant piece of theatre written by the late great María Irene Fornés, which hadn’t been produced since its premiere in 1977. NYC, go see this now! (at Theatre for a New Audience) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5NjGwwJXTV/?igshid=27sw5gx910vu

::1 SHOW LEFT:: CLOSING NIGHT:: #AsYouLikeItOSF 1) The final Final Kiss I can’t quite process yet that we’ve come to a close on this season & esp on my 3 years at @osfashland. But I’d be remiss not to acknowledge the ones who made this incredible journey possible: 2) ROSA JOSHI— Rosa is a literal dream of a director. W/ unmatchable grace, humor, fierce intelligence, & boundless energy, she sets a joyful & easy-going tone in every room— to play and also be serious about playing. Bc she leads w/ such clarity of vision & steady calm, she can also foster an open environment where everyone feels they have agency and authority to add to the work. She saw something in me, all the way back when I auditioned for her as Princess Katherine in #HenryVOSF in #OSF2017—which wouldn’t have happened in the 1st place if it weren’t for (3)JOY DICKSON calling me in. Before coming to OSF, I never expected to be cast as a young leading lady by a major theatre, much less a romantic leading lady & def not ingénues, even when I was in my 20s. I didn’t think I fit the mold. But thankfully she, Joy, & (4)BILL RAUCH had more imagination & confidence in me than I did. No matter what I had been told in the past by lesser people, no matter my age or race, I’m worthy of being seen & heard, of my existence taking center stage & not on the periphery, of having my point of view represented in all stories—not just the “ethnic” ones. & it gives others who look like me permission to make themselves known too. W/ each year at OSF, I was able to grow into my power, own my uniqueness, & without apology inhabit the stage & the world as fully myself. 5) Rosa’s opening night speech. I was documenting as usual & then she caught me off guard when she thanked me 6) The one of only 2 times the automation ever actually worked for the dramatic transition from Court to Arden. What we ended up w/ was actually perfect & more “us”, but... oh, what coulda been. 😆 7) all of us crammed in the studio w/ @palmzhefferan, recording “Come Hither" 8) Rosalinds of #OSF2007, #OSF2012, #OSF2019 9) Rosalinds & Orlando’s of @osfashland 10) The Final Scene w/ my beautiful cast #OSF2019 #ArtisticHomeForLife #theatrefamily (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4F9cW2JOnJ/?igshid=19h1jjvo1aciv

::3 SHOWS LEFT:: #AsYouLikeItOSF As we roll into our final week, we now celebrate people’s bdays who are in the off-season. NOV. 8, Show #99: Kevin Kenerly— we all know the man, the myth, the legend. I’ve had the privilege of being in 2 Shakespeare plays w/ him all year, where he naturally plays royalty in both— & does he wear that crown w/ ease! Who else could make a paranoid tyrant like Duke Frederick who only appears in Act 1 so compelling that his presence reverberates for the rest of the show? It’s a master class to witness 1st hand his sharp intellect & precision w/ language at work, bolstered by his booming yet velvety voice. What an honor to learn from one of the greats all season long, but even more, to have gotten to know his big softy heart & sweet generosity of spirit. I also consider it my crowning achievement to date that I made Kevin Kenerly break onstage in #AllsWellOSF closing night. DEC. 31, Show #101: @bellefuille_boi & Josh Heuertz— we celebrated Griffin & Josh’s bdays together so they’re now known as “Joffin”. 😆 As New Year’s Eve babies & artisans working behind the scenes, they’re not used to the spotlight. Actually Griffin’s the one who puts the spotlight on everybody else. Another special person that I’ve worked w/ on both #HenryVOSF & As You, Griffin is vital as our lighting technician. They’re damn good at what they do & truly have the keen eye & soul of an artist. Just check out their insanely beautiful sketches for #inktober2019. But I’ll most appreciate our laid-back hangouts in the green room during intermission & their cheerful willingness to pause their post-show checks to take a photo for me when I bring visitors on the stage! I said it before & I’ll say it again, there is no show w/out the backstage crew & Josh rounds out our trio. He has the tricky duty of doing lightning-quick prop hand-offs to me, literally in the span of 3 seconds. Yet he does it so calmly & methodically, it’s like he’s an extension of myself. I never see him stopping during the show— he’s in constant fluid motion, ensuring everything’s in place & making it all look as easy as his friendly gait & smile. #OSF2019 #ArtisticHomeForLife #theatrefamily (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/B37cbm3pHvn/?igshid=1ssni1rnpkyqy

::4 SHOWS LEFT:: #AsYouLikeItOSF OCT. 6, Show #95: @shauntc37— Happy Closing, Shaun! Today is actually his last day w/ us, leaving early to be perform off-Broadway in @theatre.bedlam’s THE CRUCIBLE & then to the @lyrictheatre in Oklahoma to world premiere his own original musical, DISTANT THUNDER, which he wrote & will star in. He’s another fellow 3rd year OSFer & it was an absolute joy to have worked w/ him for 2 of those years, in #HenryVOSF & again this year. Eternally youthful inside & out, Shaun brings fun to the process & puts his gleeful stamp on everything he does— or “Shaun things!” 😆 Always brimming w/ ideas & boundless energy, he relishes in finding good bits, the ones that really tickle him, like in our few special moments as Rosalind & Oliver, & constantly looks to refine them, even 100 shows in. He’s pure talent, head to toe, w/ the singing voice of an angel, & the heart of one too. Tho he’s already achieved so much in his career, even before OSF— he remains humble, open, & hungry to keep growing & learning. I’ll miss my brother & friend, but can’t wait to see him continue to rise to even higher levels that match his talent & passion. OCT. 12, Show #98: @wwilhelm— I’m so thankful that I got to work & live life w/ Will this whole season. From the start, I felt an instant kinship to them. It also helped that we lived right next door to each other! They are warm & open yet take no BS & suffer no fools. I love how they brought AuBrey to life, giving them agency & strength whereas normally AuDrey can be made the butt of bawdy jokes, given only a few lines & as a mere plot device for Touchstone. But as they do in life, Will took charge & made sure Aubrey had a literal voice & substantive arc as well as a strong stage presence, which Will already has in spades. Whenever they go, the brightness of who they are will keep being a beacon to others & their relentless drive & sharp wit leave no doubt that they’ll achieve anything they put their mind to. I’m just fortunate to have found such a dear friend who I can count on for hikes, board games, lake trips, raucous laughter, or a night in w/ a glass of wine. #OSF2019 #ArtisticHomeForLife #theatrefamily (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3x2KF7Jmvj/?igshid=nv67nmut1e70

::9 SHOWS LEFT:: #AsYouLikeItOSF MAY 8, Show #30: @romanzaragoza— my Orlando, the rock-hard 6-pack w/ a gooey warm center & puppy-dog eyes. It’s pretty easy to fall in love w/ Román every show, 6-pack or not— you can’t resist his warmth, charm, & ease. I couldn’t have realized my dream role w/out the right Orlando & he truly was for me. I’ll always be grateful for his open heart, gentle spirit, eagerness to learn more, & for his unwavering support & patience. I’m also proud to be the 2 Asian romantic leads in a “non-Asian” show. Bc Rosa didn’t cast us w/ that in mind at all— she simply cast us bc we were right for the roles. That in itself is groundbreaking. Román & I both came into #OSF2017 as our 1st season & we both will journey away after 3 years. Knowing his passion, work ethic, & natural star power, I have no doubt the rest of the world will also fall in love w/ him soon enough. MAY 13, Show #33: @rachel_crowl— Román put 50 candles on her cake! & Rachel blew out them all out in one breath like the badass she is. & she IS in all aspects, having lived so many lives already but never taking for granted of where she is, always marveling at how she got there— but it’s no mystery to me having shared scenes w/ her in #HenryVOSF, when she seamlessly stepped in mid-season, & this year, seeing her bring her authenticity & inner light as my mom Duke Senior. She’s also been my constant cheerleader. After I take my solo bow, as she steps beside me for the group, she always throws me a proud wink. I can’t WAIT for her Puck next season. MAY 17, Show #36: Mysha— our show went thru quite a few personnel changes, due to the demands of the rep schedule. But thanks to Mysha’s calm & zen-like steadiness, there was no reason to fret & made the transition so smoothly, like he’d been a part of our team from the start. Mysha has also become a key part of my prep before the marathon that is Act 2 for me, as I sit backstage & watch him twirl like the wind as our stage hands unfurl the sheets that were pulled down earlier to transform the stage from the court into Arden. Oh, & he’s low-key an accomplished musician & songwriter.#NBD #OSF2019 #ArtisticHomeForLife #theatrefamily (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3XWnreJMp8/?igshid=mi236tihlp5n

::10 SHOWS LEFT:: #AsYouLikeItOSF Our March/April babies mark our move into the Bowmer Theatre, after opening on March 8. & we upped our cake game. MARCH 25, celebrated Show #8: @hannfaw— Tyrone found a dairy-free cake for her! As with @grant120, we’re so lucky to have Hannah as our other SOU trainee. Regardless of their age, they’re integral members of our ensemble cast w/ their professionalism, enthusiasm, & confidence. When her character was adjusted for a more cohesive story arc, Hannah not only gracefully rolled w/ it, she fills that journey & consistently delivers that plot-point laden speech at the end with such clarity & purpose. She also sings like an angel in “Sweet Lovers”. & the way she attacks that last chime note? Fills me with glee every time. APRIL 2, Show #12: Sam— Tyrone found him a flan layer cake! W/out run crews, we would literally shut down. I always mark the start of the show with Sam’s uncanny little dog howls & the end with us high-fiving backstage after curtain call. Sam looks like the punk rebel of our crew, but he has a heart of gold (& the cutest dog that he dresses in distressed denim jackets). Our stage hands all have to wear Arden costumes. But even Rosa knew that it was important to express his individuality. Tho he can’t wear his signature kilt, Rosa let him keep his piercings, as long as they were in the world of the show. So Sam found a sheep that fit into his ear lobe. 😆 APRIL 28, Show #25: @rexdyoung— Sam wins the prize for best cake. Consider this my official nomination of Rex for the Dummy Box Award. You can always count on Rex to bring the mischief & fun—even in #HenryVOSF. So you can only imagine what gusto he relishes in as Touchstone. If you break or fumble w/ him in a scene, he loves to “smell blood in the water” & tries to mess w/ you—but usually ends up making himself mess up. Which makes that twinkle in his eye dance even more. I loved sharing the stage & playing with him the last 2 years (3 if you count when I went on as understudy my 1st year in #MerryWivesOSF). And thankful I can call him my friend & brother—who likes to give me noogies & wet willies. 🙄 #OSF2019 #ArtisticHomeForLife #theatrefamily (at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3SfArFp_cA/?igshid=1lza8f0i1l9sp