AS THE WORLD TURNS' Alison has had quite the tumultuous summer, between her love life and the machinations of Dr. Rick Decker. Her portrayer, Marnie Schulenburg, hasn't been short on drama, either...

"Throughout the year, I consistently do readings and new plays, and I do a little cabaret here and there with my friend's musical theatre company," explains the actress. "I pretty much try to keep those muscles working."

Her most recent workout came in the form of Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell, by David Stallings, a production that debuted at New York City's annual International Fringe Festival. "I haven't done a full production of a show since last fall," notes Schulenburg. "Everything I've done since then has been a two-week rehearsal process or a one- night event or show, so I was a little nervous." That was in part due to her daytime gig.

Thanks to pulling double duty in Oakdale, Schulenburg couldn't be there for the "tech" run-through before Aug. 8's opening night. "Opening night was my first night on that stage and in that theatre," affirms Schulenburg, laughing. "I had no idea where I was entering and exiting, and they changed certain blocking with the new set pieces, so I had no idea what I was doing."

Then the production underwent a last-minute casting change, too. "It was Murphy's Law," sighs Schulenburg. "It's ironic, because we rehearsed the show so much and kept running it, because we knew once it hit the stage, it was going to be confusing and we were going to have a lot of elements thrown at us."

Still, Schulenburg assures that all's well that ends well: "We got all kinds of great reviews, and it's a great group of actors. We all really loved working with each other. That's half the battle right there."

As for ATWT's Alison, stay tuned as the battle for her heart heats up.