You could hear a pin drop

We're about half-way through shooting this really interesting project for social services professionals. All the scenes are discussed in advance, then we actors get into position on set, and we improvise as three video cameras roll and audio records.

My first scene today took about 15 minutes to shoot. I sat at a table across from a counselor who is really a counselor, but has acting and dance training, too. We worked really well together. I play a sixty-ish woman from Latin America. Not 'til this morning was I sure I would need to play her with an accent. The audience was composed of our director who is also a writer and two rigorously trained and engaged counselors who are the brains behind this project to train social workers in aspects of case management. First scene was covered in one take! You could hear a pin drop, as they say - the room was so quiet and folks attentive to our every breath.

I took a brief wardrobe change break, came back, did another scene in second outfit. Same thing! This has never happened to me before! Long, improvised scenes with three cameras rolling, all in one take! As I write, a few hours later, I am still in disbelief.

Next, a wonderful communal Chinese lunch break, a bit of chatting about the scenes to come, and this revelation from the video director who came over to give me his card. "Lisa," he said, "until talking to you just now, I had no idea you were an English-speaking American. You were so much the character, I really thought that's how you actually spoke!"

Once before, after my staged reading of "Real Women Have Curves," an audience member said the same thing. That was a blessing. This really surprised me.

Then, after another long scene was shot, I came back in my third outfit of the day, and, well, now we had my character in a completely different emotional state from the opening episodes, and, this important teaching scene took two takes. Two takes! As my colleague and I walked out of the room, part of a planned on-camera exit, there was total silence, until we left the room and closed the door behind us. Then, thunderous applause emanated from the room.

Man, I could do this every day! I get to do more of this project next month. Stay tuned for Part 2.