Newsletter #18 - The Choppy Waters

The Ship, She is Rocking

Author

Hollis Beck
June 12, 2024

The Choppy Waters

In theatre school, in the middle of our 10-hour days composed of class, rehearsal, and performance, our instructors would tell us not to overburden ourselves. That it’s tempting to say yes to every project you’re offered, but burnout is real and we would regret not dedicating time to one character, one show, one script.

They honestly thought we’d listen. What a laugh, right?

In the midst of a packed calendar, I can compare being a working actor to being an old-timey spice merchant opening up trade lines. Setting up a good route and repeat business takes a lot of time and energy, but if done well, you’ve got a port in a storm, or at least a place to reliably unload the cumin you keep finding yourself with. Some voyages just don’t make sense — if your customers are taking you in wildly different directions, no amount of salt is going to make that trip worth it. But if the winds are strong and it looks like you won’t need to change course, why not book yourself through August?

A commercial artist needs to be captain, navigator, and tradesman all at once, and can weather choppy waters because they remember what it’s like when the winds die and the waves still.

Upcoming Events

I do improv! Come and see me be funny with my friends!

Herbitts, Wizards, and Borks, Oh My!

Starting this July, I’ll be performing with Pocket Sandwich Theatre in their high-fantasy spoof “Herbitts, Wizards, and Borks - Oh My!” as the corrupted herbitt Wheezy. I LOVE Lord of the Rings, so touching a project related to it in any way is exciting. Check this space for tickets when they go on sale, and bring your popcorn — for eating or throwing.

Recent Gigs

Since my last update I’ve provided additional voices for the following shows:

  • Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Season 2 Episode 17

  • Vampire Dormitory, Episode 5

  • Black Butler: Public School Arc, Episode 4 & Episode 6

Notably, I’m Love Magi Purple (right) in Vampire Dormitory! Let pure magic and love fill your heart!

Consume!

I’m here to stick to my brand and recommend another upsetting novel about war, gender, and self-determination. Enjoy!

“She Who Became the Sun” is a queer retelling of an emperor’s rise to power in 14th-century China, and if any part of that description made you wary, I’m doubling down on my recommendation. Parker-Chan’s attention to detail, investment in their characters, and unflinching depiction of the actions of desperate people all propel this novel to a conclusion that left me breathless. It poses tough questions about the concept of fate, the double-edged sword of egoism, and what makes a man, and has the confidence to not answer any of these questions clearly.

This book is the first in a duology, and the second book “He Who Drowned the World” is just as gripping. Check it, check it.

Performance of the Week

Bonus points for the novel above, it is read by one of my favorite audiobook narrators! Natalie Naudus has consistently impressed me with her ability to embody diverse, complicated characters and live fully in juicy story beats. Once you’ve read “She Who Became the Sun”, check out “One Last Stop”, “You Sexy Thing”, and “Empress of Forever” (these are just the ones I’ve heard her narrate, she’s done literally DOZENS).

Soon May the Wellerman Come

To stretch an already strained metaphor taut, when you’re selling spices on the high seas the actual unloading of cargo is just a small part of your life.

You need to be a star watcher, to make sure your path is true.

You need to be a boatwright, to notice when your craft (or your body) needs rest and repair.

You need to know the way of the seasons and the tides, to know if it’s worth it to set out at all.

You need a sense of the market, to know if what you’re selling is what is needed and how to expand your wares.

And for long voyages, or risky ones, you need a crew.

And this crew doesn’t need to get along all the time, or even LIKE each other, but we’re stuck on the boat for a while, goddammit, and we need to work together to make sure we all get to where we’re going in one piece.

Because there are people out there who are eating meat without salt, and this will all be worth it to see their faces light up when they taste it for the first time.