Brandon Hanson called me around noon today (Jan 4) and asked if I would be interested in running lines and getting coffee with him this afternoon. Hmmm.....Brandon, lines, and coffee....yes! :) I asked if he had anywhere in mind and he told me that he already knew where we were going. So around 3:20pm we arrived at Black Sheep Coffee.
I have heard many students talk about how much they love Black Sheep, so I was excited to give it a try. I walked in to discover a very hippie-esque atmosphere. The chairs were all mismatched and by looking around you would not be able to tell the workers from the customers. There was also a group of Ethiopians as well as signs written in their language. I loved the artwork on the walls; pictures taken from all over the world up for sale by local photographers. I ordered my usual favorite: iced soy chai latte.
I was excited to take my first sip, but was highly disappointed because it tasted nothing like an iced chai usually does. It was very bitter and awful. Brandon saw my facial expression and reached over to try it himself. He made the same face. So my $3.60 piece of crap sat unconsumed for the rest of our time there. Brandon's drink was delicious, or so I hear. By the time I asked for a sip, he had already drunk it all. Haha.
We got to work on the first scene of Neil Labute's "Fat Pig." After a read-through, we went back and discussed and wrote down notes about things that had caught our attention in the script. I have been studying this script and researching since even before I got the part, but it is so beneficial and exciting to have collaboration. It is crazy how changing the delivery or effect of even one line can change the motives of the rest of the scene.
Dennis Thum, the USF campus pastor, also happened to show up at Black Sheep. He sat at a table near us and asked what we were working on. We gave a brief synopsis and were met with more questions and a thoughtful look. Dennis then asked us if we would perform a five minute scene from the show for the Valentine’s Day Chapel. Brandon and I were excited by this invitation because we have a chance to share a brief message of the show as well as advertise because the Chapel is the day before opening night.
All in all, Black Sheep was a very positive experience. I may not have gotten the drink of choice, but my mind was opened to a new culture. I was not in my usual coffee shop setting of classy furniture and scarves. I was a little uncomfortable at first, but it can be good to put yourself in uncomfortable settings. It forces you to realize what it is that you prejudge. Instead of focusing on how different Black Sheep was to a place I would have chosen, I tried to appreciate what it has to offer for the people who regularly go there. With theatre I have learned that you must be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Thank you Black Sheep for this acting exercise. J
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