Dry Weather Wind, by local playwright Kai Elijah Hamilton, is part of The Magnetic Theatre's New Play Development program. It will be presented as a "live" reading on Zoom on Friday, October 2nd, 2020 at 7:30 pm. We reached out to actor Emily Tynan McDaniel with a few questions about this production.
1. What are the challenges of performing under these circumstances?
The biggest challenge is not being able to make eye contact with other actors. There is an energy that happens when you are physically onstage with another actor that feels like a third being up there with you, and when it works well, it is intoxicating. Over Zoom, if you are looking at their eyes, your own are downcast; if your own eyes are up and available for other actors to see clearly, they are directed at your own camera. It is so wonderful to have the chance to work with other actors again after a difficult year, and I am so happy about this project, but the energy of being over Zoom is different.
2. What have you found to be your biggest quarantine hobby?
During quarantine, I have found that I am better able to focus on kinetic activities. So I am gardening a lot (even more than I usually do in my non-acting job, a professional gardener), cooking, and hiking with my dog.
3. What makes you most excited about being a part of this project?
I am most excited about working with the other actors involved in this project. My favorite part of acting is focusing on someone else, and the other actors in this project are bringing so much to the table - they are mesmerizing to focus on!
4. What is your favorite line from Dry Weather Wind and why?
"Be careful out there. Ya hear? Cause sometimes you only get one shot. One. Two if you're lucky. And three if God is really tryin' ta knock some damn sense into ya." I love this line because while I don't agree with the truth of it, I do relate to the sentiment in the moment, the way it can feel as if a door is suddenly opening in front of you, even though there were actually many doors opening along the way - doors we just weren't able to see up until a convergence of elements make this one abruptly, glaringly, obvious. I also love that it is a tender offering from a character who hasn't shown much tenderness up to this point (particularly to the character she is speaking to in this line), the gift of a lesson offered at the same time it is being learned; the character is finally ready to make a change, shifting from self-pity to action, while still not owning the choice.
7. If you could play any character in any show, what would be your dream part?
Violet Weston or Audrey Two.
Biography
Emily Tynan McDaniel (Dixie) - Emily Tynan McDaniel began taking acting lessons in 2014 shortly after moving to Asheville. Since then she has completed her Meisner training, appeared in two other productions at the Magnetic, and acted in several films. She is a gardener by trade and lives in West Asheville with her husband and energetic dog, Dolly.
Grab your tickets for Dry Weather Wind on October 2nd, 2020 at 7:30 pm by clicking here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=116201