When I was cut from full-time to part-time at work recently, I tried to make the best of the situation. Since I had plenty of money saved up from years of careful financial management, I figured it was time to indulge in a new hobby. The community theater down the street was holding open auditions for Macbeth. I tried out for several parts and eventually received a call from the director. He offered me the role of Macduff, and I gladly accepted.
As it turned out, the theater was operating on a shoestring budget. Local arts funds were running short and cast members were encouraged to supplement their wardrobe with clothes from home. I went online and found a realistic Elizabethan doublet that caught the audience’s attention and never let up. Watching a tape of the performance later, it’s obvious I could use some work with my acting chops; still, it’s been fun to pursue a new challenge.