Happy Holidays!

December 24

Today was largely spent blocking the book scenes. Directing is a fascinating process because there is this fine line between completely prescriptive direction and setting up a framework for the actor’s own creativity to fill in beyond the directorial composition. We’re always in search of moment to moment specificity in the theatre, but where in the collaboration those specifics get decided on is really hard to place.

That said today’s scenes had a lot of gags and comic moments in them. They’re all fairly early in the play, so much of the heavier themes aren’t apparent on the surface yet. I have a theory that people won’t cry at a show unless they’ve already laughed, so the humor is well placed here.

What’s also so important that never gets discussed enough are the moments between the lines. Reactions to lines can be as powerful as the lines themselves. That’s one of the strengths of good writing, that it can be mined by actors and directors for actions and reactions. One aspect of Rick’s direction that I particularly admire is his control of rhythm. It’s often the spaces in between the lines where the rhythm of a scene can be found.

I was thinking about some of the a historical moments in the show. Fraulien Kost is always bringing home sailors as part of her patriotic duty. I read it as a sign of the remilitarization of Germany. That would not have been happening just yet in terms of history, but the way that the show compresses time it makes dramatic sense. There is also a really interesting moment in terms of Cliff’s language lessons. Most Continental Europeans learned (and probably still learn) British English and British pronunciation, so an American teaching English in that period would be working against a specific establishment.

We’re still fairly early in the rehearsal process. Later on I hope to get into detail about certain moments and maybe talk a little about how some of the stage combat works once we get up to the fights.

Have a good holiday!

Meron

Stage Combat for CABARET

December 23

Perhaps this is only of interest to stage combat types, but those people who have read one of the published scripts may not be aware that there is a fight written into the score that is not mentioned in any readily available versions of the script that I’ve read. It takes place among the ensemble in one of the club scenes during a dance number. What’s especially interesting is that the direction is only that there be a fight during a specific portion of the music. Not which characters are fighting or why, but only that there is a fight. Rick and Kelli and I discussed just how much havoc might be wreaked in that moment. We know that we’ll want maximum chaos in a fairly contained time frame. That moment of composition hasn’t happened yet, but the foundation for the character conflicts that lead to the physical confrontation have started to be set.

Meron

First Rehersal

December 19, 2008

Hello everyone! My name is Meron Langsner. I’m the fight director and one of the assistant directors for Cabaret, and I’ll be one of your guest bloggers for this rehearsal period. Last season I was New Rep’s Playwright in Residence through the National New Play Network, and I’ve done all sorts of things with the company including writing, fighting, curating, and teaching.

I signed on to this project back in May, not knowing it was going to be Rick’s last show here. That said, I really feel privileged to be a part of it.

The rehearsal hall was filled with a mix of new and familiar faces, even including a former student of mine from Tufts! It’s a pretty large project, so the diversity of talents we have at work here adds to the excitement. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on the cabaret movement in Berlin and other related areas and I’d been waiting to be able to apply that scholarship in the context of the production.

This rehearsal was about design and dramaturgy presentations, discussing the concepts of the production, and doing the first read through/sing through so we could start to get the voices and characters together.

What we’re exploring in this production is the fragility of civilization. The show is set at the end of Germany’s Weimar Period and ends with the rise of the Nazi party. This is heavy stuff we’re dealing with. Part of what makes this show so effective is how much fun it is. We’re in mid party when one of the ugliest parts of the modern era begins. “In here, life is beautiful.” But we can’t be in there forever, and the longer we wait, the uglier it gets.
Along with the design presentations (which I won’t get into as you deserve to be surprised), my fellow AD Adrienne and I did dramaturgical presentations. She covered the general period in terms of WWI history and the Weimar government and I concentrated on the cabaret movement.

I go into this in more detail in my program note of course, but it’s worth saying here that the cabaret movement of the time was something really special with no real modern equivalent. It sort of occupied a place between popular entertainment and the avant-garde. The movement began in Paris and spread from there, adapting to the specific culture of each new location. The basic structure was a small stage for a small audience, numerous entertainments linked by a host, and much smoke and drink. The character of the entertainment was often satiric, sexual, and topical. Berlin as a city was known for having an especially biting wit, and its entertainments followed suit.

History plays an interesting role in this show. In many ways, the more knowledgeable you are about history, the more problems you might have with the book. But what’s important to remember is that in this context aesthetics trump accuracy. The more I look at the a historical moments of the play, the more I see the human truth they are getting at more than the chronological moment they are meant to represent. I may be talking about these moments more as the process goes on as it’s a really interesting problem in period pieces.Rehearsal was called off early as the blizzard was just beginning, but even with the semi snow day we’re off to a really great start.

Meet the Christmas Carol Cast - 2008

SOFIA JULIA HAUSER - (Tiny Tim) A big fan of Bollywood, Sofia also enjoys karate, skiing, piano, biking & drawing. She has appeared in Bye Bye Birdie, Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Cats.

Meet the Christmas Carol Cast - 2008

BROOKE HARDMAN is thrilled to make her New Rep debut after relocating to the area from Chicago last year. Her Chicago credits include Man From Nebraska (Steppenwolf), The Doctor’s Dilemma (Writer’s Theatre), The Romance Cycle: Pericles & Cymbeline (Court Theatre), Voices From Jerusalem (The Next Theatre), The Vow (Stage Left) and Nathan the Wise (Chicago Festival of the Arts) among many others. Brooke was also an Artist in Residence at The Court Theatre for three seasons where she taught Shakespeare to high school students on Chicago’s south side as part of their Artists in the Schools initiative. Her regional credits include Portia in Julius Caesar (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks), Street Scene, The Winter’s Tale, and Annabella in ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Mary Stuart and The Last Hurrah (Huntington Theatre Company), Henry IV, parts 1 & 2 and Lainie Wells in Two Rooms at The Vineyard Playhouse where she was also a staff member for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. New York credits include Kathy in Moonchildren, and Desiree in Pains of Youth (Act2 & Williamstown Theatre Festival at HERE). She has also performed as a stilt walker with Chicago’s Redmoon Theatre Company and the punk rock marching band Mucca Pazza. Brooke is a founding member of Shack Productions, an independent film company that has produced nationally distributed feature films, documentaries and several short films that have been screened at festivals and theatres across the country. Brooke has trained with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Shakespeare & Company and holds a BFA in acting from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. She is currently the Artistic Director of ArtFarm Enterprises, a sustainable arts organization located on the island of Martha’s Vineyard where she lives with her husband Brian Ditchfield.

First Rehersal

Wow! After the first day of rehearsal for SANTALAND, I’m very excited, a little exhausted, and more than a little terrified. A one man show is a huge lift and just learning the lines is a full time job. The good news is that it’s such a funny script and Chris Webb (the director) and Sara Johnson (the stage manager) and I are already having a blast. None of us have been involved in New Rep’s past successful productions of SANTALAND, so we’re discovering it for the first time and making it up as we go. In any case, I feel confident that we're going to have a terrific show, and I'm really happy to be working for the first time at New Rep. I’d write more, but my script is staring at me and shrieking, “LEARN ME!!!!!!!” More soon!

Kraig

Meet the Christmas Carol Cast - 2008

BECKY WEBBER

Playing the roles of Belle & Hermione, Becky is a 2008 graduate of Brandeis University. She spent the past summer playing fiddle in the Commonwealth Shakespeare production of As You Like It. Other credits include The Berkshire Theatre Festival.

About Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

Early in 1843, as a response to a government report on the abuse of child laborers in mines and factories, Dickens vowed he would strike a "sledge-hammer blow . . . on behalf of the Poor Man's Child." That sledge-hammer was A Christmas Carol.

It only took Dickens about six weeks to write A Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843. Initially six thousand copies of the book were printed. More copies were ordered after the first printing was sold in only five days.

At the time Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Christmas wasn't commonly celebrated as a festive holiday. In A Christmas Carol, Dickens' descriptions of feasting, games and family unity combined with his message that Christmas was a time "when want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices" helped revive popular interest in many Christmas traditions that are still practiced today.

In 1867, Dickens read A Christmas Carol at a public reading in Chicago. One of the audience members , Mr. Fairbanks, was a scale manufacturer. Mr. Fairbanks was so moved that he decided to "break the custom we have hitherto observed of opening the works on Christmas day." Not only did he close the factory on Christmas day, but he gave Christmas turkeys to all of his employees.

Meet the 2008 Christmas Carol Cast!

During rehearsal and the run of the show, I'll be introducing you to some of the Christmas Carol cast members. We begin with one of our youngest, Victoria Sarkisian, who'll be playing Alice Cratchit.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Victoria Sarkissian is a bright 1st grade student enrolled at St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School. She is talented in singing, dancing and acting. She loves to be in the spotlight. Victoria has appeared in the 11th, 12th and 13th annual recitals for Abaka Armenian School for the Performing Arts. She is currently enrolled in her fourth year with Abaka. Victoria values her family and friends. She is a very nurturing and caring big sister to her 3-year-old brother, Philip. She enjoys swimming, biking, reading, arts & crafts and building puzzles. Victoria aspires to become a teacher one day.

We'll be starting rehearsal tomorrow. Always a very exciting time and more so this year with all of the new cast members joining the Christmas Carol family! Come back for more posts and buy your tickets now!

God Bless Us, Every One!

It's that time again!

New Rep's production of CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, now in it's fourth year, promises to be especially memorable this season.

First, our director, Rick Lombardo will be leaving New Rep in January to accept the position of Artistic Director with the San Jose Repertory Theatre. It's a wonderful opportunity for Rick and we all wish him well in this exciting endeavor. Christmas in Watertown won't be the same without him. Hopefully, New Rep, Arsenal Center For The Arts and the Watertown Children's Theatre will continue to produce Mr. Lombardo's intelligent, moving, literate adaptation of Mr. Dicken's holiday classic for many years to come. Next season, perhaps Scrooge will be visited by one additional spirit . . . the Spirit of Producing Artistic Director Past. Good luck, Rick! We'll try to make your last Christmas Carol the best yet!

This season, we'll be joined by several new cast members. It's always exciting to add new faces to a long running show. Of course, we change the children's cast every year. This season marks the addition of a new Ghost Of Christmas Past, Ghost Of Christmas Present, and, Bob Cratchit! Don't worry! Many of your old favorites have returned. Peter Haydu will still be scaring the kids silly as the Ghost Of Jacob Marley. Dawn Tucker will continue to bring her warmth, humor and incredible musicianship to Mrs. Cratchit (among others). Will Keary is thankful that I'm returning as Scrooge because that means he gets to return as Young Scrooge! Several of our child actors are returning in new roles that are suited to their advancing years. Take a look at the cast list. Maybe you know someone in this year's production:

Kristina Ayanian: Fan, Ensemble
Peter Davenport*: Bob Cratchit, Lighthouse Man 2, Ensemble
Claire Dickson: Ensemble
Paul D. Farwell*: Scrooge
Nathan Greess: Turkey Boy, Ensemble
Brooke Hardman*: Ghost of Christmas Past, Elizabeth, Mrs. Dilber, Ensemble
Sofia Julia Hauser: Tiny Tim, Ensemble
Peter Edmund Haydu*: Jacob Marley, John (Belle’s husband), Miner Father, Business Man 1, Old Joe: Ensemble
Virginia Jay: Martha Cratchit, Ensemble
Will Keary: Young Scrooge, Lighthouse Man 1, Undertaker's Man, Ensemble
Samson Kohanski: Fred, Ship's Pilot, Ensemble
Chuck Muckle*: Mr. Fezziwig, Collecting Man 1, Business Man 2, Ghost of Christmas Present
Will Osborn: Peter Cratchit, Boy Scrooge 2, Ensemble
Joel Perez: Collecting Man 2, Dick Wilkins, Topper, Ship's Watch, Business Man 3, Ensemble Victoria Sarkissian: Alice Cratchit, Ensemble
Julian Schepis: Willie Cratchit, Boy Scrooge 1, Ensemble
Katrina Shinay*: Mrs. Fezziwig, Edna, Molly, Ensemble
Lily Steven: Belinda Cratchit, Ensemble
Dawn Tucker*: Mrs. Cratchit, Miner's Wife, Ensemble
Becky Webber: Belle, Hermione, Ensemble

* - member of Actor's Equity Association

We're thrilled to have our creative team back! Our erstwhile Director/Adaptor/Composer, Rick Lombardo who will be assisted this year by Artistic Associate, Bridget Kathleen O'Leary; the tremendously talented Anna Lackaff will return as Musical Director/Arranger, working her magic to make us all sound great; that terpsichorean tornado, Ilyse Robbins will stage her womderful dance numbers; and, Carola Morrone will make all the magic happen as our Stage Manager.

In later posts, I'll be telling you more about our cast members, new and returning. And, we'll let you in on some of the backstage secrets that make CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL such a magical adventure!

Talk to you soon! Until then, Bah Humbug!

Scrooge
aka - Paul Farwell

Lifecasting Continues

I came back to Pittsburgh and over the past few weeks I have transformed the plaster casts into latex and foam heads. I started this process by molding the plaster positives with silicone and casting clay reproductions of the plaster casts. I then sculpted traumatic injuries onto these clay heads. At this point David approved the sculpts, and he said I could make a plaster mold of the clay heads. I poured latex into these plaster molds and an expanding foam into the latex before it is pulled out of the plaster molds. So, after lots of back and forth from mold to cast to mold to cast… I have a latex copy of the actors in the show with their injuries. Now I am going to paint the heads, and then I will apply wigs, facial hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.

Behind-the-Scenes Look at "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"

On the 22nd of September, I travelled to Boston for the first time in my life. I came to undertake the difficult task of lifecasting three actors, one after the other, and flying back to Pittsburgh in a single day.

Lifecasting is the process of taking an impression of a person’s flesh (face, hands, or some other body part) and creating a duplicate of them in a synthetic medium. I collected three lifecasts of the actors who play the members of the Splinter Group in New Rep’s production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore has many strenuous special effects demands, and one of the more time consuming ones is the lifecasts of these three heads. The lifecast starts by applying a rubber compound called alginate to the actor’s faces. The rubber is reinforced with a jacket of plaster bandages, which is applied on top of the alginate while it is still on the actor’s face. The aligante and plaster bandages are removed from the actor’s face and the result is a negative impression of the face.

The negative area is filled with several layers of plaster and allowed to cure. The cured plaster cast is removed from the alginate and the result is a positive impression of the actor’s face.

More steps occur before a finished head is produced; but this is all I needed to take back to Pittsburgh with me, and was all I could fit in my carry on luggage. The rest of the work will happen back at my shop. Finished heads of these actors (on a lifecast body) will appear in the show, which runs October 26 to November 16, 2008.

-Steven Tolin, September 25, 2008

l. to r. Curt Klump (Joey/James) and Steven Tolin (Special Effects)

l. to r. Steven Tolin (Special Effects) and Andrew Dufresne (Christy)

l. to r. Ross MacDonald (Brendan) and Steven Tolin (Special Effects)

An alginate negative impression of Andrew Dufresne's (Christy) face

l. to r. A cured plaster cast of Curt Klump's (Joey/James) face and Steven Tolin (Special Effects)

Recipe for a Work of Art

EURYDICE isn’t theatre. It’s more than theatre. It’s a work of art. Which, I submit, is different than art. All theatre is art. But to qualify as a work... well, there are different criteria for works. Works have to transcend their media. Works have to be more than the sum total of their parts. Works have to be immediate and eternal in the same breath, which blows directly into the soul. It’s hard work to be a work.

I have never been involved with theatre like this. When I first read EURYDICE, my heart stopped beating a few times and I cried. When I first read it, that is. “What a sap!” Oh, no, that’s never happened before. Never. Then, at the audition, I had no nerves. None. Zero. That’s never happened before. When I met my co-star on the first day of rehearsal, my heart stood up and said, “Yes.” Strange feeling to have your heart stand up and talk.

I’m sorry I’m not being straightforward here, but working on this play has inspired me to poetry. No, seriously, ask my parents. They’ll say: “How’s the play going?” “Unbelievable! It’s stirring so much in my soul. I’m feeling a profound connection to my true self and the universe as I explore the embodiment of Love.” “Oh. So... it’s going well, then?”

It must be annoying.

But that’s the effect that a Work of Art can have. It can make you write poetry. It can suggest you call your first love to apologize. It can help you understand what “unconditional” truly means, and then help you feel it the next time you hug your family. I feel so blessed to be involved in a work with the ability to go out into the audience’s hearts and play their strings.

And so, without further ado, this is the Recipe for a Work of Art, as I have come to understand it (Rachel Ray didn’t have one, so I put this one together myself. There’s still something missing in the sauce, but it’s pretty dang close):

Take –
a Play
a Poem
a Painting
a Dance
a Symphony
a Love Letter
a Confession
an Apology
and a Discertation,

Put them in a rehearsal hall for 3 weeks and stir them with a Brilliant Director, Loving Actors, Playful Designers, and a Devoted Production Team,

Transfer them to a stage, add an Open-Hearted Audience, and allow to Rise.

Enjoy!


By Brian Bielawski

Riffing on Eurydice

eurydice loves orpheus the demi-god, who is offering her the entire world. is it possible, she's thinking? can it be? HOW can it be? what about her father? what about everything she's never done? is there something else she needs to do first? when will she be ready?

eurydice loves her father. he's dead- but unresolvedly so -not quite laid to rest, which will be clear when he reappears in her life via--

a thoroughly unexpected source -- the nasty, in-ter-est-ing man. hm. options personified.

eurydice loves to know. what is behind door number 1? 2? 3! wait, what about 1? take me back to 1!

the nasty, in-ter-est-ing man is glamour, quickness, facility, intelligence, and all ploy. he is archetypically predatory. he may or may not also be the Lord of the Underworld (complete with death-metal theme music and a tryke-zilla by the way) and may or may not devour eurydice for the sheer sake of domination.

eurydice walks a tightrope. she descends. there is a fall. (capitalize that if you like - it certainly appears in countless creation stories.)

in the original story of orpheus and eurydice (this was ovid's poem, i think), eurydice was an almost unconscious girl-siren being pursued and attacked/wanted by a man who she turns to flee from. as she turned she was bitten (ah, into? tasted?) by a serpent and taken down into hades, where she would have to wait till her lover descended after her with song in order to gain her freedom.

oh, holy imagery. the need to know, the desire to question, love of life, beauty, and the allure of the forbidden. "serpent", depending on your spiritual study, has value ranging from connotation associated to the serpent in the garden of eden all the way to a native american (also celtic/druidic) symbolism representing wisdom and infinity. talk about an oceanic drop-off here. what is sexuality? what is sensuality? when (and how) does love switch allegience from (as Sarah Ruhl has chosen to explore her own affinity to the eurydice archetype) love of the father to love of the husband? what is the nature of responsibility and decision-making? when is faith in the promise more important than contractual details? getting thicker, which comes first? faith in the thing that makes the thing real, or the reality of the proposal that will grow the faith of love?

dear Sarah, i playfully disagree with rick lombardo, you are not a genius, but dear Sarah, i totally agree with rick lombardo: your linking of string theory, "reality", and questions about the nature of the world around us to the simple and heart-plucking question of "do you love me this much, really?" is genius in its reach and profound in its simplicity. it echoes. i should be paying you for advancing my own knowledge of myself through this work.

in our version, Sarah writes eurydice as the one who calls out to orpheus on their ascent out of hades. this is a completely different dynamic than was introduced with the original myth. in the first telling, orpheus needs to be sure eurydice is behind him on the long walk out of hades. he turns and she falls away. in another telling, he is consumed by jealousy and wants to be sure she hasn't "known" anyone else. he turns to gauge her. she falls. rather passively. (i'd like to write about this another time... when i can feel it out a little more onstage.) for now though, these are iconic lovers --- baby, i will cross death for you!/yes, i know you will, do it for me!--- and so somewhere out there is also the version (operatic- 1 out of some 100 of them) that re-imagines the two star-crossed lovers as raised together into the heavens for a final, triumphant movement.

star-crossed lovers. hmm, we've got some romeo + juliet in here too, which is appropriate, given that at the top of the show Sarah's stage directions indicate orpheus and eurydice should be almost "too much in love" - that the actors should stay away from playing them classically. so, in comes youth, zealousness, emergence, fantasy, first flush, temperament, a little bit of selfishness (after all, the world is still about "me" at this point) and intense, unabashed desire, all which serve to raise new questions about love and what it is when it is so young that it can only see its projections and not what it itself is.

eurydice and orpheus grow up and eventually grow together with this transition through the descent/death cycle. they start with the whole shebang, everything they have ever wanted, but are unable to speak or communicate their whole selves directly to one another. they lose one another. then begins the journey of going it alone, sifting through shadows, and repiecing themselves. each must move through a hero's journey(yes, carl jung is in here too)which sets the stage for their perceptions and expectations about how love is and what love is to shift. do they though? can they? what if love is indivisible from all the things about love that make it so painful?

this version is descended from a greek myth and theatre history class teaches us that all greek myths feature tragic flaws in their heroes and heroines as teaching devices. the concept of tragic flaw raises new question. yes, it is overwhelmingly sad that eurydice is uncertain that the sun, moon and stars are really being offered to her. her response to her fear about love and being loved is to question but, limited by her youth and inexperience. she manages to ask only the tip of the iceberg. this girl-woman wants to know that her demi-god lover wants her, really and truly her. underneath the "what are you thinking about?" questions is a great need for reassurance that she is indeed worthy of this kind of love, from this kind of a dream man. she needs to know that orpheus is real as much as she needs to know that her father is really dead.

orpheus, who can not hear her need for reassurance clearly enough to address it directly, is the other side of the too-young vision of love when he is unable to speak to her need because he does not even recognize the possibility/actuality of doubt in love. to him, what is beautiful is only and simply beautiful. things are not more lovely when they are considered, only more removed from their original form. he ends up turning the spotlight onto the framework and structure of her thinking, and here is where- tragically - they both utterly miss the point even as they experience being exquisitely and soul-fully in love with one another.

it k i l l s me.

dear Sarah Ruhl, why couldn't you have just had eurydice say "orpheus? i love you more than anything that has every been or will be. it is hard to believe that you love me this way too, so every once in awhile when you are composing your endless overtures and knocking out your most-beautiful-songs-in-the-universe, will you just remind me that i am a part of that, that my being here at your side and saying yes, i'll be your wife somehow makes all of that even better? please?

and orpheus will say "baby, ohhh baby, my sweet baby... you're the One..."

--

please come see this play. the literary, poetic, comedic, historic, visionary voice that Sarah Ruhl has tapped into is one of the most exciting i have ever experienced.

by Zillah Glory

According to Tip

Tip O’Neill, like most people, had a temper. But one did not feel the heat of his anger so much as its iciness. I experienced that chill first-hand one morning about thirty years ago outside of Saint Monica’s Church in South Boston.
As I emerged into the sunlight following the funeral of a local dignitary I spied the speaker of the House standing off to the side with one of his aides. I had known him for some years and covered him as a reporter and commentator on Boston television. Moreover, I valued my relationship with him because he was such a unique character and had such personal warmth. I headed over to say hello.

“Good morning, Mr. Speaker,” I chirped as I approached.

He looked right through me, refusing to even acknowledge my presence. I knew it wasn’t that he was distracted or anything because I was standing directly in front of him, only about five feet away.
Uh oh, I said to myself, he’s mad about something I said or did. I slunk away, chagrined at having lost a relationship I cared about but knowing that’s the price one pays for being a critic - which is what we who consider ourselves pundits really are. I found out later that the speaker was not mad about anything I’d said about him, he had a thick skin when it came to that, he was mad about something I’d said about his son Tom, then the Massachusetts lieutenant governor.
That, I surmised, was that – until some weeks later when I was in a Palm Beach, Florida hotel at a speaking engagement. As we were preparing to sit down for dinner the fellow who had over-paid me to go there said, “I suppose you know all the politicians up there in Massachusetts.”

“Yes, indeed,” I agreed.

“Do you know the Kennedys?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“How about Tip O’Neill, do you know him?”

“I certainly do,” I replied.

Whereupon a guy who was standing with us chimed in, “Do you know that Tip O’Neill is in the function room right next door to us?”

“What?” said the guy who’d paid my fee. “You’ve got to introduce me. I’ve always wanted to meet him.”

Suddenly aware of what had happened the last time I’d been in the speaker’s presence, I began backing and filling. “Well, I’m sure he’s very busy, doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Oh, no,” said the guy, “this is my chance to meet him and you’re going to introduce me.” And he took me by the arm and headed me in the direction of the adjacent function room.

I was literally quaking in my boots as we opened the door. There were about fifty people there, including the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation. The first person that spotted me as we entered was Joe Moakley, the congressman from South Boston, right next to Tip’s district. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he grabbed my hand. Before I could say anything he piped up, “Does Tip know you’re here?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” I stammered, by this time about as steady as a mound of jello.

Now Moakley had me by the hand, leading me across the room with the guy who was paying me trailing behind, and he was calling out, “Tip, Tip, look who’s here.”

Disaster was at hand. Only my laundry man knew how nervous I was.

As we pulled up next to the speaker, who’d had his back turned, he looked around, spotted me, and threw one of his huge arms around my shoulder. “Oh, for God’s sake, my old pal,” he said pulling his cigar from out of his mouth. He had been mad a few weeks earlier, but he was willing to forgive and forget, at least this once.

My relief, and even gratitude, knew no bounds. “Oh, Mr. Speaker,” I said effusively, “I just wanted to come by and introduce you to my friend John Linstroth.”

Tip grabbed the hand of my host, looked him in the eye and said, “Any friend of Dick Flavin’s is a friend of mine. If you ever have a problem, just call my office.” The guy was thrilled, but not nearly as thrilled as I was.

We headed back to the other room with my host convinced that I must be a really important player back in Massachusetts.

That was Tip O’Neill, willing to let bygones be bygones and, more than that, always finding ways to make those around him look good. Would he have acted the same way if I had offended him second time? I never took the chance of finding out.

Dessa Rose - One Week Left

Our Dessa Rose journey is quickly coming to a close. Yesterday marked the end of our third week of performances. We close on this coming Sunday. What an experience it's been! I have had such a great time getting to know my fellow cast members and chatting with them about life and the business. I really think that the fact that we all like each other as human beings plays onstage. Even when we have scenes where our caucasian friends aren't necessarily being kind to their African American castmates in some of the shows' more difficult scenes.

Speaking of difficult scenes. We had a really great talkback with the audience on Sunday afternoon where some people volunteered how difficult it was to watch some of the scenes as they played out onstage. For example, the beatings, the coffle, and other violent scenes are hard, even when they are put into musical form. However, the example that was given was a point in the show where Ruth leaves the slave quarters and we all proceed to laugh at her behind her back. An audience member commented that this was difficult because it's such a universal occurrence that happens to everyone. For whatever reason, this really stuck with me. It's so interesting to think about the universal messages in this show and why it is so vitally important to make sure this story is told.

A friend of mine came to see the show and asked me how I felt about playing a slave. The question struck me because I realized something about my role in this show. This is so not about playing a slave in a musical. It is more about telling the story of these two women. And their story just happens to be set during a time in American history where this was their truth and reality.

I'm so excited about the remainder of the run - my two sisters and their friends are seeing the show on Wednesday, and more of my classmates from Boston Conservatory will be attending at random points during the week. Having love in the audience really makes a difference in a performance. For now, I'm enjoying my off days and resting up for a great final week!

Dessa Rose - Rolling Along

Today is the first show of Week Three of our Dessa Rose run. Things are going quite well - we've had a lot of lovely, very responsive audiences. Sometimes, it takes the audience a moment to really warm up to the subject matter. That's understandable, given that Act I moves pretty quickly and is really quite a lot to take. But they usually warm up and get lost in the story by Act II.

Last night was the New Rep Gala, and what an event it was! I met a lot of New Rep patrons and audience members. Many people had come to see the show more than once, and it was so wonderful to get an opportunity to chat with them and thank them for their support. Attending the Gala gave me an opportunity to learn about the other programs that New Rep does. One of the highlights of the evening was Rachel York's performance. Apparently, she is in the audience of our matinee today. That's really cool, but also a little nerve wracking, I admit.

We also received a note on our callboard today from Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the authors of Dessa, congratulating us on our current run. It's so cool to feel that connection with the authors of this piece and know that they appreciate us telling this story. Between that and meeting Rachel, I'm really starting to feel like a part of the theater community.

Well, once again this is a dressing room post, so I've got to head upstairs for the epilogue. ciao!

Dessa Rose - Back in the Saddle

Tonight was our first night back after a two day break. So interesting coming back to a show after running it for a while and getting a break. I've worked out certain character choices for my characters throughout the show - while allowing the individual changes in each performances to affect them - but it was so interesting finding those choices and really considering why they work or don't work after the show has been left alone for a bit. I think I might have fallen into a rut of making decisions and reacting certain ways to events in the show, but stepping away from it gave me a little perspective. This is not to say, of course, that I completely changed all my blocking and disregarded my props this evening. This is not what happened at all. However, it was so great just to a fresh unfiltered look at what's going on. 

It was also really nice to come back and see the familiar faces of my castmates and catch up on what they did over our break. It made me realize what a bond we're starting to have as a cast. I think that that really plays onstage and helps us have that ensemble feel. We are really going to be bonding this weekend - we have four shows in two days, matinee and evening shows on both Saturday and Sunday. That will certainly be an adventure for all involved :)

Okay, I must go to bed and prepare for my last day of classes (!!!!) and another great show tomorrow night. Until next time...

ACCORDING TO TIP

The baseball season is in full swing and that would have made Tip o'Neill a happy man. He was a life-long fan of the game in general and of the Red Sox in particular. He loved telling the story of how, at the age of seven, he was taken by his father to his first game at Fenway Park. He'd always take care to give the exact date, July 1, 1920. The reason he remembered it so clearly was that Walter Johnson, the legendary Washington Senators pitcher, threw a no-hitter that day. Young Tom O'Neill was transfixed, and hooked on baseball for life. Having seen only one big league game he assumed that no-hitters were common-place. As it turned out, though, it was the only no-hitter Johnson ever pitched and, in more than seventy years of watching, the only one that Tip O'Neill would ever see.
He was a regular at Fenway Park and later, when congress was in session, he and his pals would often make the drive from Washington to Baltimore when the Red Sox were in town to play the Orioles.
Although he was rightly renowned as a great story teller and conversationalist, at ballgames those stories were mostly confined to the down time between innings. He'd score the games on his scorecard and pay close attention to everything that was going on. As an avid card player he had developed the habit of counting in his head which cards had been played. He also counted pitches the same way, this was long before pitch-counts were in vogue. Today the number a pitcher has thrown are tabulated on the scoreboard. for everyone to see. But in those days late in a game he might remark, "This fellow's got to be tiring, he's already thrown a hundred twenty three pitches." Those with him would look around in wonderment at how he knew that.
Meanwhile, he was wondering why nobody else had been paying attention.
He was five years old when the Red Sox won the 1918 World Series, too young to know or appreciate what had happened, and through all the years of his rooting for the team, he never saw a championship flag fly over Fenway. But he got a lifetime of enjoyment out of the game and out of the team, and even became great friends with some of the players, like Carl Yastrzemski, so he'd be the first to say he got his money's worth out of being a Red Sox fan.
But, boy, would he have loved to see those flags flying over Fenway today.

Dick Flavin Nominated for Emmy!

After a 21 year hiatus from television, Dick Flavin, playwright of According to Tip, has been nominated for a New England Emmy award in the writing category, making it his 15th nomination. Dick was first nominated thirty years ago at the very first New England Emmy awards and in it's following nine years was nominated 14 times receiving 7 awards. This makes Dick the only person who has been nominated every year of eligibility as well as the only one who has had a twenty-one year hiatus between nominations.

Dick is also the only individual who has been nominated working not for a television or cable outlet, but for a sports franchise. After leaving TV in 1986 to pursue speaking and writing interests, he did not return until 2007 when the Red Sox asked him to get involved with Red Sox Stories, a program that aired on Channel 38 on Sunday nights, produced by the Red Sox themselves.

The winners will be announced on May 10th!

Dessa Rose - And We're Off!

The show is open! We enjoyed a really fantastic opening night yesterday. The show was really full of energy and fun. I was a little worried that the subject matter would throw audience members, but everyone seems to be enjoying the show a lot. I'm really glad about that - this is such an important message for people to see and hear.

Tech week and previews are always so intense, but it's so great to have such a payoff at the end of the process. Our opening night gathering was really a lot of fun - we got a chance to really interact with those on the technical staff and our audience members. It was nice to see them face to face and have the opportunity to tell them thank you either for sharing this story with us or for being such an integral part of creating it.

I learned today at the matinee that this show can be really draining, so I think it will be really important to keep up the stamina and the energy for every performance. I have such a blast doing it, but it really is vocally, mentally, emotionally challenging for the actor. But thats the fun part! And the art of this whole theater thing - weaving it altogether, telling the story.

One of the most fun parts of this process has been hanging out with the other ladies in the dressing room. We're always flying around the dressing room at our places call half dressed, but it really brings out the kindness in these ladies. People helping others get dressed, telling jokes, giving life lessons. A sense of camaraderie is really making itself apparent in the cast, which is really a lot of fun. It's one of my favorite parts of theater. Aside from how much fun it is to be up there doing it :)

Until next time! Please come see the show and tell all your friends!

ACCORDING TO TIP

Ken Howard is the perfect actor to play Tip O'Neill. He's got the reputation, as a Tony and Emmy winner that gives the play instant credibility; he's got the right temperament and he's got the acting chops to make an unforgettable character come alive on stage.

When people ask how we managed to catch such a big fish, the simple answer is that we went fishing. How we found him is a little more complicated, though. When the script was in its early stages I brought it to Lenny Clarke. Lenny has been famous for years in this area as a stand-up comedian, but he has evolved into an outstanding television character actor. Michael Allosso and I worked with him for some months, but his television commitments kept getting in the way.

The next actor we talked to was Brian Dennehy who is, of course, an A-list Broadway icon. He was appearing on Broadway at the the time in Long Day's Journey into Night, for which he would win a Tony Award. He was more than happy to see us backstage and I was very heartened that he took my script as seriously as he did. After some weeks he decided to stay with recreating roles in classic productions (he has since been on Broadway in Inherit the Wind). So we went fishing again.

George Wendt, who won fame as Norm on Cheers, came to our attention. There was a certain amount of synergy there. It is not generally remembered, but Tip O'Neill was responsible for saving Cheers from being canceled. Early in its first season, the fall of 1981, the program was unable to draw an audience. It turned out, though, that the mother of the Cheers casting director was Delores Snow, Speaker O'Neill's longtime assistant. In a last ditch effort to improve the ratings Delores prevailed upon the speaker to make a cameo appearance on the program when he was going to be in California that January. At that point his epic battles with President Reagan were at their peak, making him the most well-known Democrat in the country.
NBC trumpeted the fact that he'd be on the show. When O'Neill showed up at the Cheers bar, sitting next to Norm in a hilarious scene, the ratings were huge. The program had found its audience and it never left. Anyhow, George had loved acting with Tip and wanted to do the play, but when it looked like we were going to launch a few years ago he had a TV pilot that was picked up and had to back off. George is currently starring on Broadway in Hairspray.

Rita Fucillo, who was then doing the producing, cast the net out once again and we got word that Ken Howard had read the script and loved it. I flew out to Los Angeles and had dinner with him and his wife Linda. I knew right away that we was the perfect guy to be Tip O'Neill. I loved the others to whom we had talked, and still do, but Ken Howard was, and is, The Man.

We shook hands on the deal that night.

Since then the project has been through some ups and downs but Ken has been right there with us, solid as a rock. In the process he and I have become real, honest-to-God, friends. In a stroke of luck, Ken happened to be in Boston last September and on the day he was to leave Paul Boghosian, now the producer, had set up a luncheon with Rick Lombardo at New Rep. I took Ken by and everyone hit it off. Rick showed the theatre to Ken, who fell in love with the venue. And here we are, less than two months away from show time.

Sometimes when you go fishing you catch the big one.

Dessa Rose - Final Dress Rehearsal!

We are approaching the end of our rehearsal journey! It's been a crazy few days. We just got out of two days of 10 of 12s (10 hours of rehearsals with two hours of dinner break). The tech for this show is pretty intense - lots of light cues, a multi-tiered set to play on, and tons of costume changes for various people. Tech is a lot of hurry up and wait - get into costume, do a few lines, then someone calls hold while the technicians adjust lights, costumes, instruments, etc. This is the time when the show really starts coming together - when everyone is really in high gear doing what has to happen to really make the world of this play come alive.

Tech for this show was pretty intense because of all the vignettes and dream sequences and character changes and everything. But it is soooo exciting to see everything come together and land in its place. With this particular show, I really love how the lights help tell the story. The set, costumes, everything is just striking. Even though I know the show really well by now and I know everything that happens along the way, I still get choked up every night at during the Epilogue. There's just something so beautiful and simple and poignant about it that is really affecting.

One really fun part of tech is getting to know my fellow actors better. I've really had a good time getting to really chat with Leigh and Uzo, whose dressing tables are next to mine. I learn so much from them just watching them perform, so chatting with them in general is just really fun. I'm really getting to know Michael and Peter, too - such great guys with so much experience in this theater business.

Okay, I'm in the dressing room due for an entrance soon so I've gotta fly. :)

Dessa Rose - Sitzprobe Night

Tonight we had our sing-thru with the orchestra. It's so fascinating what that extra element can do to the show as a whole. I actually did Dessa Rose at school a few weeks ago with a solo piano, but I noticed so many new nuances in the music that I never noticed before. One of my coaches here at school always talks about using the music and allowing it to be your scene partner. I felt a lot of room to further develop and extend what I'm doing in the show just based on hearing the music that's going to be under us.

During our run earlier in the day, we were able to peek into the theater and see the set as they were working on it. Whoa. It's quite impressive. I'm so excited to work in that space - there are sooo many levels and different things to play with. I always feel so connected to the story I'm trying to tell when I can do it from the physical world. I can't wait to start layering in those extra elements - set, costumes - but I'm a little nervous as well. It's just going to be really important for us as a cast to remember the moments we've developed in the rehearsal hall and maintain that focus once we get in the space. It's going to be strange to walk up and down platforms rather than wander across tape lines. But we'll get through it. I think the show is already pretty strong, and I look forward to watching it grow in the next few days of rehearsal.

Six days from first preview! Unbelievable! Thus starts a lot of long days in the rehearsal process. Tomorrow is on the lighter side, but then we're kind of off to the races for the rest of the week. But bring it on! I look forward to it. I can't wait for people to come and see the great work that's gone into this show from every angle - musicians, performers, designers, carpenters, everyone. Okay, off to prepare for this crazy week.

Congratulations to our 2007 IRNE Award winners!

The Wild Party
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Sarah Corey
Best Ensemble

A Streetcar Named Desire
Best Scenic Design - Janie E. Howland
Best Sound Design - Haddon Kime
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama - Bates Wilder
Best Actress - Rachel Harker
Best Director of a Drama - Rick Lombardo
Best Production of a Drama

View all the awards at StageSource

According to Tip - A History

ACCORDING TO TIP

In two months According to Tip will finally be born on the stage of New Rep.

It's been a long and winding road. Here's how it began.

in January, 2001, I embarked on the project of writing a play about Tip O'Neill, a legendary character and an important figure in American history. I had no experience as a playwright, but as a longtime television commentator and speaker I already knew about writing for the spoken word as opposed that that which appears on the page. As a professional presenter I also knew about crafting stories and about delivering what audiences want.

Moreover, I knew the former speaker well. I had covered him for years as a TV journalist. I assumed nothing, though, and spent the first three months of the project on research. I reread everything of note that had been written about him. I sought out friends, colleagues and adversaries for their insights, something I have continued to do as the years have rolled by.

In April of 2001 I set to work on the first draft of the play and by July it was finished. I was naive enough to think my work was essentially over. Silly, silly boy.

That summer we staged a reading before about fifty friends and acquaintances. That was my first wake up call. I knew that I had something, but that it was far from a finished product - really far. I went back to the drawing board and began rewriting - and then re-writing again.

At this stage Michael Allosso, who is a well known acting coach and director, came into the picture. He helped in the shaping of the script and directed three workshop performances that were held at the Vokes Theatre in Wayland, MA. Actually, they were somewhat more than workshops because the actor (me, if you can believe it!) was off-book. The audience again consisted of friends and acquaintances. The workshop performances were not open to the public and no one paid to see fledgling production. Rita Fucillo of Playbill Magazine and The Show of the Month Club was invaluable as a producer during that period. In June we did a truncated version (twenty-five minutes) for potential investors.

Here's what I had learned so far; we were getting better but we weren't ready.

Back to the drawing board. Finally, in 2005 we were ready. We thought. There was still something missing. We didn't have anyone with real business sense at the helm. I was in charge of the money, a sure recipe for disaster, which was just what ensued.

I relied on pledges of support from people I had solicited and blissfully went ahead and rented and, and paid for, Zero Arrow Theatre. What happened next still makes me cringe. Prospective investor after prospective investor backed away when it came time to write the checks. I had been too innocent, or incompetent, take your pick. The money didn't materialize and I had already spent about one hundred thousand dollars given by early investors.

The plug got pulled on the show, I was in debt to the tune of six figures, representatives of an actor in Los Angeles were threatening to sue and I was all alone. Just me and my script.

But a year later, like Lazarus, I thought I and my project were rising from the dead. A friend of mine, Seth Yorra, who has wide experience in theatre both here and throughout Europe, put me in touch with a producer in New York. The guy had some big-time credits, many of Eddie Murphy's movies, for example. I sent him the script and met with him to give my pitch, but before I could begin he said not to bother, that he had read the play and was in for the full amount of the production's cost. Hallelujah! We were off and running. Or were we? The producer was going to fund the project with an influx of money coming to this country from Eastern Europe. But a funny thing happened to the money on its way to America. It never showed up.

And we were back to ground zero again. Somehow, though, even though it had cost me considerable money and considerable heartache I never gave up on the project. I believed in it. I felt it was too good to let die.

Last New Rep On Tour Post

These are my last words on here...and i'm already feeling dramatic about it.

I'm a little sad, summing up all that I've been through on this tour. I was so lucky to be chosen to work with such great actors, a very special director, and a lovely stage manager.

This past week, we visited our final schools. Every school was a new and different place. I started to feel like a pro at this touring stuff--walking into a fresh new school, getting quickly acquainted with the new space, performing, and leaving.....just like that. Theatre itself is kind of like a tour....which is why i'm a little sad. You get quickly acquainted with people you work with, you have moments with them, perform, and before you know it....its over. Thing is, I am the only girl in the cast. I'm the only truly emotional girly one.....no one else was in a sad crying mood so I held in the tearful goodbyes. Somehow our goodbyes passed without meaning too much. It was more like..."see ya.."

Interesting schools I didn't write about this past week--we visited a strange school near my apartment in Boston right near Fenway--Boston Arts Academy. It was a small little black box stage with garbage on the floors, nails and sawdust on the stage, and a creepy stage setting which looked a lot like it was from the "underground railroad" times...(This makes sense to me)...
The audience liked us.

We also went to a school called the Waring school (I think) where there were little children running around and everyone could use their cell phones in the halls....(kids these days!?) Also, the air smelled of biscuits and tomato soup, which I craved greatly upon getting a whiff.

Today was our last performance at the Brandeis Arts Fest. It was a good one. They clapped for a long long time, way after we left the stage. I will remember a little girl with bright orangy, red hair who came up to me and told me she really like the show. That was very special. You had to see her.

My favorite school--The Waldorf school. It was early on in the tour. Maybe our second performance. Nothing could compare to those kids and the way they received our show. No it wasn't the loud cheers of Catholic (which Paul and Robert loved most)...but it was their respect, and silence during the emotional parts. And the room was so spiritual you could cry. These are kids with a special circumstance and coming to perform for them was really giving something back.

Just some things to note before I go....

Paul often announced to the audiences that it was Kate's (our stage manager's) birthday. Today he got a cake for his (next month)
(I had to blog about that)

I will miss seeing different sites every time I go to perform. I love to see places I've never seen before.

Bob needed to make sure that his nose got back to its original box but he did not want to keep it for himself. (I see a lot of meaning in this)

Alright....that's it. I enjoyed this play very much and the journey we have all taken together.

Dessa Rose - Blocking Done!

Today we officially finished blocking the entire show. Now comes the fun part - working through the show, finding those fun little moments, continuing to develop characters. This is definitely my favorite part of the process - that time when you know where you're going on stage and you're getting the book out of your hands and discovering new things about the show and your character.

When we blocked the epilogue today, I think I suddenly just really got what this whole show is about. The end is just so simple and beautiful, and that realization really made me connect with that section today for whatever reason. My rehearsal day was pretty brief and it was a ridiculously beautiful day outside, so perhaps it was a combination of those factors that made me just all about that epilogue today. Whatever it was, I'm hoping I can find that again.

I'm so excited to get on the stage and walk the set and really see the world of the play. Our lovely stage managers have done an awesome job in the rehearsal hall of making tape lines where set pieces and platforms will be, but I'm excited just to perform in the space at Arsenal. And you can draw so much from your surroundings in making the world more real.

Now I'm off to make sure I have all of my staging/music/blocking down. And do a good amount of homework for school tomorrow :) Until next time...

ACCORDING TO TIP

I am counting the days when According to Tip opens at the New Rep.
I started on the project seven years ago and it has been a long and winding road.
I've long since stopped counting the drafts I have written (in fact the tinkering continues) but I have stuck with it because I am convinced that the life and times of Tip O'Neill are worthy of a theatrical presentation.
His career in public office lasted fifty years, but culturally it spanned the entire twentieth century. He began in the days of street corner rallies and torch light parades and lasted into the age of computerized politics and multi-million dollar campaigns.
He played a role in issues ranging from the Red Scare of the thirties, Watergate and the Reagan Revolution. But more than that he was one of the most colorful characters in American political history. He battled with Reagan while at the same time they were close friends, he played cards with Nixon, campaigned with the Kennedy's and sang a song or told a story at the drop of a hat.
As a political reporter I covered him and in his retirement he befriended me.
And now I've written a play about him.
He was an American original and come this June, thanks to Ken Howard, Rick Lombardo and the team at New Rep, he'll be coming back to life.
I'm counting the days.

Dessa Rose - Press Photos

Here are some photos from Dessa Rose.

Leigh Barrett as Ruth and Uzo Aduba as Dessa.Leigh Barrett as Ruth, Uzo Aduba as Dessa, and Todd Alan Johnson as Adam Nehemiah.

More info

Dessa Rose - Blocking Rehearsals

We finished blocking Act I today. It's always so much fun to see how shows start to come together, especially seeing what my fellow actors bring to the table from the first moment. I'm also learning a lot seeing how Rick takes his vision and allows it to join with the actor's ideas about their character to create some really poignant moments.

We've been talking a lot about the role of women during slavery, and the realities of life in that time are horrifying. We talked about the process of childbirth - it often left women bedridden for months. Slave women were raped, mutilated, and suffered unimaginable tragedy. It's shocking and incredibly sobering to think that these things actually happened to real people. Rick and the production team placed photographs on the walls of the rehearsal hall that put a face on this time period. It's such a contrast of images - stately plantation houses next to a slave's scarred back, a minstrel cartoon of a smiling black man next to photographs of stone-faced slave families.

Even in the face of all of these depressing images and the realities of the life, we as a cast are finding those moments of celebration and joy in these people's lives, the things that made them wake up each morning and live this semblance of a life. Yesterday, we played with one scene where the slaves use their household chore materials as instruments to celebrate Dessa's liberation. It was a great exercise in listening to your fellow actor, calling and responding, all while creating a common rhythm together. It's still coming together, but it's one of my favorite moments so far.

Tomorrow is our off day, which means a full day of school for me :) but I love being busy, I wouldn't have it any other way! Tuesday we'll resume Act II blocking. I really can't believe that Week I is over already! Only two more weeks of rehearsal and then our first preview!

Dessa Rose - First Rehearsal

And so our journey begins!

I'm Kami, and I'm playing Annabel, various other female ensemble roles, and understudying Dessa Rose in New Rep's upcoming production. I'm excited for the opportunity to be a voice from the cast to the community so that you guys can get an idea what goes on in that third floor rehearsal hall :)

I am so excited that New Rep is taking on this brilliant show and its difficult subject matter. A female slave that leads a rebellion? A white society woman who falls in love with a black man and helps slaves find their way to freedom? These are topics that are not often discussed. These are women who were willing to defy societal constraints to live their lives. Ironically, the characters in the show travel to the area I'm from (northern Alabama/Mississippi), so the show feels that much closer to me. I'm excited for the challenge of bringing each of my different characters to life and really breathing a soul into each of them.

Yesterday was our first day of rehearsal. We filled out a lot of paperwork in the morning, then heard presentations from the shows designers. I was so excited to see the work that's already been put into the production long before the actors showed up. Then, we started a sing/read/stumble thru of the show. Oh man. There was some really great talent in that room.

I've got to say, I felt a little nervous and intimidated going into the room. I'm still in school working towards my masters degree in Musical Theater and this is only my third professional theater experience. I was so glad that my classmate and friend De'lon, who is playing Kaine in the show, was there too, just to share in this new experience and to chat with on the T :) The cast and crew were all really kind and friendly and great to work with, so I got over the nervousness thing pretty quickly. I'm excited to soak up the knowledge from them as we continue in this process.

This entry probably sounds like a lot of gushing about the entire production after only the first day. And it is :) But I just feel really fortunate to be a part of it! Today is more learning music. Until next time!

-Kami

Nearing the End

We only have one performance this week--which was today with the International School of Boston. We performed for lots of French students in a church building.

The kids were very sweet and appreciated the show very much. They did get a little antsy during the emotional parts but what really counts is the feedback afterwards. They really enjoyed the show.

We are nearing the end of our tour. Our next show is next Monday and we need to get up extra early again.

It is hard to keep things fresh. You'd think that performing in a different place all the time would make things fresher--but maybe not. A lot of your time prior to performing is spent finding the bathroom, freshening up makeup and hair, setting up the stage and having a fight call. That doesn't leave much time to truly focus before the show. Sometimes the only way to deal with work that is condensed like this is to be able to laugh about it a little.

A lot of kids ask me what its like to kiss the men in the show.....they ask it as if kissing is something gutsy and unknown.....uncomfortable...maybe even a little scary...

When I was 5 or 6..i remember wondering how I would ever get married and have to actually kiss the groom! I wondered if i could get out of the kiss...or maybe not even marry at all because of it. And when I was a freshman in high school, I still never got to kiss anyone until later that year. It was always a magically unknown thing for me. So I understand those questions that the kids ask. It's funny how today I'm not fazed by a kiss. I told the kids...when you're older....it doesn't bother you as much. I sometimes feel immature and young about things, but when I answer some of these questions, I feel older...in a good way.

Catch up--YMCA, Newton, New Rep

It's been awhile since I have written--about a week maybe. We did one show at the Cambridge YMCA for a bunch of very spunky city kids. During the kissing scenes, there were "ooohs" and howls. One girl up on the balcony was very into the show. At the end she nearly yelled at Cyrano for not telling me(roxy) that he loved me. She disagreed with his choice to stay silent.

"are you guys famous?"

Then we did our Newton Center public performance which was ....odd:) We performed on a very small stage decorated Seussical style. There was silence during most of the play,however the family from India really enjoyed the show we gave them. They gave us a standing O. I know Paul and Robert need to hear laughs to feel like the show is going well. But for me, I go by how I feel personally that day..and...i didn't feel one way or another about it. Alice, the sweet lady whose hairs I wash in the salon attended and Paul's parent's surprised us as well. The talk back was discussed with much intensity.

Today was our two show day at New Rep! I believe that tonight was one of my best performances. Doug and his group said I got an A plus plus....which....golly..made my night. They said they laughed and cried. They were beaming. Before hearing that, i thought--hey. the last scene was very good tonight. I did what I could with the death scene. Of course, I had my qualms about this or that. But once you hear someone tell you A plus plus...it doesn't matter what you think. I love good grades.

As for the first early show today, we had home schooled kids and their families. Very nice folk. We had a couple theatre kids in there who were going to put on Rapunzel in their house. I think we inspired them.

Everyone has a different way of preparing before the show. Robert is a very focused actor. He is out in the audience or pacing, going over his lines. He is very mature.

Paul is very silly...but he can afford to prepare in a less serious way because his role is so funny.

I need both the seriousness and the silliness to do well in this show. But it was very hard not to laugh at Paul's popped collar in the opening.

Something Eventful Did Happen

Today was our performance at Central Catholic for the seniors. Somehow, I wasn't having the best day. We had a great show--except I was a little vocally tired. I felt connected for the most part with the acting, etc. But the kids were intimidating to me and I sort of got peer pressured into singing a bit of a song for what seemed like 200 seniors.

I know I sing. and should be comfortable with singing on the spot. But i'm not. I'm a perfectionist and I always like to be prepared for singing a song. I haven't had a lesson in a couple months and after an hour of projecting, my voice was tired.

The seniors were very receptive and supportive. But they wouldn't take no for an answer. I was embarrassed because I was shy and nervous in front of them. And being forced to sing was topping on my shy cake. If the kids were younger I wouldn't have been nervous about even leading the talk back, but I felt like these kids were my age. It seems like only yesterday I was a senior in high school. And I wanted them to think I was cool.

I took a nap today and woke up at three in the afternoon , thought it was the next day and thought I missed the 930 call and show of the next day. I was so out of it, with these 4am wakings and strange naps. I screamed to chelle, OMG OMG! I missed my show!!!!!! But eventually chel figured out that I had a show this morning and everything was fine.

This was not the most positive blog but I have to tell the truth...there were three actors on the stage, but I felt like I was by myself up there.

Central Catholic

It's early morning. I got up at about 4. My beady little eyes wanted to sew themselves shut but i'm awake now. Yesterday's school --central catholic was surprisingly great! We played for about 700 high school students. We are going back there again today for the Seniors and then...SLEEP.

Some of the questions they asked us---

"Do Christian and Roxane really kiss?"

(I guess it was unclear!?)

"Why are the two cousins in love?"

(I managed to answer intelligently--that they are just friends and not cousins--- and then add that they ARE family members by accident...)

"Can (Paul) do some impressions for us?"

(He did Borat)

This is a short blog because I've got to get ready--if anything out of the ordinary happens today I will blog later!

Becca

The Waldorf/Matignon Schools

The past few days have been crazy and different. I have to say that I had the most beautiful experience at the Waldorf School (I think I am remembering the name correctly).. The students were so respectful and receptive. They laughed at the comic parts; they were silent during the emotional parts. The setting was a sunny room with a stage and windows. I felt such a connection with the students somehow. It was my best performance yet.

After, students came up and told me how much they loved the show. One girl was beaming and told me she played Roxanne in school. The age group of these kids was 15-18ish....What a perfect day.

The next day was with Matignon Catholic High School. This was not my favorite performance. The kids weren't as receptive. They didn't seem to laugh much. However, the teachers were SO nice and bought us muffins and donuts...i even had myself a little piece of those goodies.

Doug came to this show. It was great to see him. I felt like Doug was watching us as a parent letting his children fly away a little. He guided us so well during rehearsal and I was so glad to see him there, especially since the rest of the audience was a tough crowd.

There is nothing better than feeling like the audience is with you during the performance. I felt like The Waldorf kids (and the other guest school which escapes me) were like friends in my pocket. I caught glimpses of their gleaming eyes, shining up at us, enjoying and appreciating us. I hope we have more performances like that one.

Our next show is ultra early! we have a 545 call which means...i'll be getting up at nearly 4 in the morning, maybe earlier. I pray that the kids at Central Catholic will be wonderfully worth the early start!

This has been quite an adventure so far.

A Show for Nativity Prep

Today was the first showing for an audience of about 50 8th grade boys from Nativity Prep. It was a strange show for us.

All of us had to adjust to the young men's attention span and tastes which differ so much from Doug's:)

We cut 6 minutes off the show by speeding things way up. There was no wallowing in moments--although i couldn't help but take some time with Christian's death scene.

The kids were great! They asked a lot of questions during the talk back.

It takes a very good actor to perform for kids, especially kids from all different types of backgrounds. Each performance is catered to that audience--it has to be. In this case, the show is not just a piece of theatre for the sake of good theatre---it's theatre for the kids.

I tried today to honestly do what I should do in character, but technically, I had to make sure I could be heard, that the energy was up, that everyone was following and paying attention to what I was doing---my luxurious moments with Cyrano could not be today...I almost felt like I was back in grade school myself---would they think I was cool? could they relate to me? No they wouldn't understand the death scene completely, but how can I truly be Roxane when I have to constantly be checking in with an audience that I haven't been including for the past couple weeks.

Doug wanted a lot of what I was doing to be just Cyrano and myself....like a private world. But I can't ignore the audience. Or else I may loose them. I am the one person in the show that doesn't really use the audience and it makes me feel a little strange. I must talk to Doug about this.

All in all, The show went well because we did it.

Pieces

The news from home is terrible. The death count is awful.

Stacy and I stopped each other in the hall in between costume fittings the other day and hugged. We felt speechless.

In the midst of rehearsal madness and trying to work on my lines, Suzana and I asked ourselves if telling this particular story is the right thing to do now, with all the chaos happening in Israel and Palestine. For a moment, we didn't know if we're supposed to respond to what's happening or to the story we're trying to tell. A story that took place fourteen years ago in a very different Middle East.

We searched for advice. We called a lot of people. We thought for a long time.

Then, we remembered a speech by a character in a play of mine called This Bloody Mess, a play that Suzana and I worked on last summer:


Emma: How to stay engaged with the world after you’ve given up on it:
You work with what you got. Even if it looks like nothing. Even if it evaporates just when you get there. You work with what you got. Even if it explodes in your face every time. If you look closely, there is always bit of a thing there, inside the nothing, I mean. And inside the blood and the rocks and the ashes and the grief and the stupidity of it all and the waste, the terrible waste and the mistakes and the tears, all the tears. Inside that there is a bit of a some-thing.
(Pause)
The Buddhists believe everything is nothing, everything is a big void and in that, there is everything. Complicated. But in the huge nothingness, there is a bit of a thing, of a some-thing, and you hold on to that as well you can and then you run with it. Because that’s all you have and the rest is really nothing: stasis, paralysis, that’s truly frightening.
(Pause)
And sometimes, when needed, you hold on as if you’re holding on to your life, to other people’s lives, to what you believe inside is real and true and how it should be. You hold on to what you know, because that’s a bit of a thing right there – what you know. You take a long and deep breath and you hold on to this planet. You hold on and you never let go.

Now go.

We decided to tell our story as best we can.

Peace,

Zohar.

Last Rehearsal; New Beginning

Today was our last rehearsal. We did a run through for our biggest audience--5-7 people. We are surely overtired and over rehearsed and tomorrow's day off will be a welcome one.

We have our first performance for a school on Tuesday. I am excited and a little nervous about how everything will go. I hope the girls can relate to Roxane. Tomorrow I am going to do something (i don't know what yet) to make Christian's death moment a little more personal to me. Doug has told me the moment is in a good place, but I'm not quite content with it...it's a tricky moment. But I like the challenge.

I can't wait to start writing about our experiences at the schools.

Almost There

Things are coming together more and more. We had two run throughs yesterday and we've got two more tomorrow. It's not easy doing two in one day. I was mighty feisty for the first one and all of us played a lot. I used most of my energy on the first run, and by the second time around I needed a nap.

For some reason, this play makes me hungry. I start off the play moderately well fed, but by the middle to end of the play, I get hypoglycemic and hungry!

I hope I find a dress for tomorrow when I try things on. I heard Eric spent two days shopping just for me.

Word on the moment I was talking about when Christian dies--it's getting a bit better every time I do it.

Finally I will leave with name meanings I looked up which are quite fitting for all of us:

Cyrano: shy heart.
Roxane: star; bright; dawn
Christian: follower of Christ.

Cyrano - Roxane, the Mute

We open in 5 days. Tad nervous about it.

today was our first day performing in front of our audience of 3 during rehearsal. It was one awkward piece of theatre. I was Roxane, the mute, during half of Act 1, since I have only one line in the beginning of the show and am quiet until my cameo as Duenna---Let me tell ya, it doesn't feel good to be a mute.

Isn't the first stage of accepting death denial? I need to look this up. The moment when I find out about Christian's death is troubling me.

Pieces

Tuesday was the first day of rehearsals. In the afternoon, after our meet and greet, the cast and crew for both plays settled in for a joint rehearsal. Stacy read My Name is Rachel Corrie and I read Pieces. Hearing the two plays back to back with all of us in the room was astounding and intense. I felt myself want to sink into a deep despair. The Middle East and despair are not foreign concepts to me, not on a personal level nor on a political one. Sitting there, however, listening to the riveting Stacy Fischer read Rachel's words, it occurred to me there is real value in all of this. I'm not trying to fool myself into thinking that the theatre can single handedly fix the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict, but I was able to appreciate the fact that through telling these two very different stories, we're raising the questions and we're willing to sit with "the beast."

The Middle East is a many many things. It's filled with people and life and joy and pain. It is also scary and big and the situation is currently dire. This is why even in our little theatre, something happened, because, on Tuesday, together, we were willing to listen.

Peace,

Zohar.

Cyrano - 2 Men and a Little Lady

There were some great scenes today. We did a run through. Notes. and worked through the rough patches.

It's hard sometimes when it's only three of us--you can't hide!

The day before, we did an exercise where we had to tell each other what was beautiful about the other person inside and out. I think I could have used that exercise again today.

Being the only young woman in the cast isn't always easy. I play around with the guys--we wrestle, we duel, we laugh...we have a great time! But in the spirit of my womanhood, I was sensitive today and felt younger than my years. The guys are cool about everything, but the lady in me (and the Becca in me) was....feisty and untamed on the inside. I needed another woman next to me just so I could say things like...."ya know what I mean?"....or "I need some chocolate"

Eh--tomorrow is a new day. I feel like we are all a family. Perhaps I'll bring some sort of snack tomorrow.

Bob- I almost wish that I could do that "Beautiful" exercise today, because I would add that your awareness and understanding is truly beautiful. You have a way of knowing what's going on with the other person just by looking at them. And that is a gift.

Cyrano - Rehearsal 5

I must add a very important addition to my first blog. I need to clarify the statement I made about Cyrano's speech not bringing me to tears. My dry eyes were not a result of Bob's performance--on the contrary I am often distracted by his brilliance. It was just the 2nd rehearsal and I was thinking too much about the moment;)

Doug actually told me today that I can "take the burden off" about the emotional stuff I have to go through on stage--specifically on the line "I'M CRYING".....I was thrilled to learn that crying can be metaphorical and/or mean many things. I got time to discuss any places I felt awkward...I really feel like tomorrow will be an exciting run through.

It was a fabulous rehearsal day---I could hardly contain myself while I got to try on my outfits for the show. We decided Roxane needs to wear a dress, not a skirt. My fittings took about an hour (so it seemed)...the two men were in and out in what seemed like minutes. I have to admit that I feel like royalty when trying on costumes with a costume designer.

We ran through transitions. And Doug gave us the gift of getting out a half hour early.

This was a gitty report of the day--The excitement of rehearsing hasn't worn off yet.

Cyrano - 4th Rehearsal

Today was our 4th rehearsal. We finished blocking the whole show today and did a quick photo call.

We started off our first long day with some acting exercises....the first was hysterical! The three of us did a mirror exercise--one of us would be the leader and the other two would follow...the leader would then somehow pass on "leadership" to someone else. We all moved a little too fast for each other--this was so much harder than it was in college! At one point, Paul stuck his hands under his legs and made strange antenna finger movements for us to follow. Another time he was off doing his own movements, unaware of Bob and I following each other:) Bob enjoyed putting his leg up in the air quickly and then leaving it there! I couldn't stop giggling. When we were instructed to find an ending that would make sense for our characters, we formed some sort of circle and I hid behind a chair to hide my laughter....I swear I wasn't the only one laughing.

Of course, we all found significance to these exercises--not only did we bond during the process, but we gained more awareness of one another. We did another exercise after this which was much more serious and brought about new ideas for our characters.

A discussion followed. An hour lunch came after. And then we blocked.

At the end of the day, we ran through all our new blocking for the second half of the show. Although it was chaotic at times, we did not stop and the rhythm of the show added a great sense of reality to what we were doing. So much of this show is props and imagination. While we were blocking, my situations on stage were harder to believe with all the starts and stops. But when you have to go through things non-stop, it's almost like you're following the clock of the characters, not the actors...and your character's life becomes real.

It was a tiring but worth it day.

New Rep on Tour's First Blog

Hello! My name is Becca and this is my first blog:) I was honored to be asked to write about my experience with New Rep playing Roxane in Cyrano! I've been in other Equity shows before, but this is my first tour.

It's just three of us--Paul Melendy, Robert Kropf and myself acting under the direction of Doug Lockwood. We only have two weeks to put the show up and today was the third day of rehearsal.

On the first day, I nearly cried tears of joy when I saw the huge box of props for us to dig into. The pile of props included fake bloody heads and hands, blankets and napkins, a large assortment of dinner table equipment, flowers and hats. So far we have done many creative acting exercises which involved a great deal of prop playing. In the show, we will be using many of these props, which can become anything our imagination comes up with.

Because of the limited amount of rehearsal time, we all tried to be off-book for the first rehearsal. Being off-book means I am a little harder on myself. On the second day, when we were going through scenes and blocking everything, I expected myself to be emotionally available for all the situations I go through as Roxane. (this is typical) I went home slightly disgruntled with myself. "Why didn't Cyrano's speech bring me to tears?!" "Why do I feel awkward in this scene or that?" etc...etc... But I talked with Paul about this and he reminded me it was only the second day!:)

It's the end of the third rehearsal today and I can look back at yesterday and know I was being way too hard on myself. At the end of today, I know a million times more what I am doing in my scenes and I have many experiences in the show now to relish and work with. More importantly I realized I need to give the play time to sink in before I can...jump in it.

Finally, I need to say what a joy Robert and Paul are to work with. They are both wonderfully open actors. I feel very comfortable with them.

Tomorrow we have rehearsal starting at 10am....Tonight I'll be going over my scenes and putting myself right to bed. Can't wait for tomorrow.