Greetings from John Malinowski, lighting designer for New Rep's production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile. I'll be blogging here.
What a wonderful play Steve Martin has written and I can't wait to help bring it to life on the stage in Watertown at the Arsenal Center for the Arts. Danny Gidron, the director, Cristina Todesco, the set designer, Frances McSherry, the costume designer and I met a few weeks ago to brainstorm about the world of a bar in Paris in 1904, which is where Steve Martin set his play.
We decided that the specific period of Paris in the 1900s is a spark that ignited the playwright's imagination. The world of the play is much bigger than Paris in 1904. Steve Martin has imagined a bar where Picasso and Einstein might meet. What would they talk about? What sort of conversation could a brilliant artist and a brilliant scientist have in Paris together? What do they have in common?
I have not seen a production of this popular play, but after hearing the premise of Picasso and Einstein meeting in Paris, I was intrigued. I read the play fresh and open minded about what encounter Picasso and Einstein might have in the mind of brilliant comic.
I'll leave this entry here, where I began several months ago. A script in hand, the famous names etched in my mind, and a modern day comedian bringing them together.
The possibilities put a smile on my face as I sat down to read the script for the first time.
Please come back soon and share my journey.
- john malinowski
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Fight Directing "Fool for Love"
Hello all,
This is Meron Langsner again. This time I’d like to give a quick overview of the fight directing process for Fool for Love.
Like any other design discipline, fight directing begins with the text. After giving the play an initial read, I go through it once more notating any violence or potential violence and where it fits into the script and plot structure. Those notes get sent to the Director, Bridget Kathleen O'Leary, and she and I have a conversation about what she wants out of each moment of violence so that I can go into the choreography with the entire concept of the production in mind.
Something that came up right away was the use of a lasso in this play. Lassoing is not a commonly practiced movement discipline around here and was not a part of my own training, so this was wisdom I had to seek elsewhere. An old friend of mine from martial arts circles, Dr. Peter Ward, an anatomy professor at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as well as the head instructor of Greenbrier Traditional Martial Arts Society, happened to have this skill (he is from Wyoming). He came to our aid with a short instructional video he created and sent our way via the internet. This was useful not only in helping Tim Smith obtain that skill, but also in deciding on how certain set pieces would be placed in order to serve both the safety of everyone involved and that specific series of dramatic moments.
Before rehearsals started I attended a production meeting where I was able to assess how I would work within the parameters of the set and costume design, and equally important, get a feel for how the concept was coming together so that everything I composed would fit in with the whole. Ideally, it should be unclear to the audience where my work begins and ends in relation to the director’s. Knowing what the designs look like is an important aspect in making this happen. Questions I ask set designers include whether or not certain set pieces can take weight and/or impact, as well as whether small set pieces can be moved around and used in the fights. When looking at costume designs I need to know how much freedom of movement the performers will have as well as what kind of shoes they might be wearing during the fights.
The main part of my job, the work with the actors themselves, can often be very brief. In this case the entire composition of the fights took something like two ninety minute rehearsals early in the process, followed by a return trip to watch a dress rehearsal and give notes.
As my actors in this piece are very physically adept, I was able to give them some fairly difficult moves with confidence that they would assimilate them into their work safely and effectively. For some sequences they were given very precise movements meant to create very specific illusions. These were drilled in the moments they needed to happen, and then set. For some of those moments the actors and I showed Bridget some options and then we decided which one was most effective choice for that point in the characters’ journey. For other sequences, I gave the actors a framework in which to safely improvise the violence during the rehearsal process before setting it. In those sequences I used a “contemporary violence” technique developed by a woman named Ricki Ravitts, who is an esteemed fight director based out of New York City and one of my first instructors in the discipline. In this method the actors can create some fairly intense movement while staying both physically and emotionally safe. Many of the scenes between Tim and Stacy were developed with Ricki’s methods. The scene between Tim and Andrew was mostly “by the book” as it were, since the moment called for in the script is so specific.
Towards the end of the rehearsal process I attended a dress rehearsal and gave notes. The adjustments I had to make in this case were few and minor. An angle on one illusion had to be reset to sell well for the entire audience, and other than that all that was really necessary was to check in with the actors to make sure they still felt safe and comfortable with the choreography.
The violence in Fool for Love is an integral part of the storytelling. Though there are relatively few moments of actual assault on stage, each one is crafted into the play to move the plot forward.
This is Meron Langsner again. This time I’d like to give a quick overview of the fight directing process for Fool for Love.
Like any other design discipline, fight directing begins with the text. After giving the play an initial read, I go through it once more notating any violence or potential violence and where it fits into the script and plot structure. Those notes get sent to the Director, Bridget Kathleen O'Leary, and she and I have a conversation about what she wants out of each moment of violence so that I can go into the choreography with the entire concept of the production in mind.
Something that came up right away was the use of a lasso in this play. Lassoing is not a commonly practiced movement discipline around here and was not a part of my own training, so this was wisdom I had to seek elsewhere. An old friend of mine from martial arts circles, Dr. Peter Ward, an anatomy professor at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as well as the head instructor of Greenbrier Traditional Martial Arts Society, happened to have this skill (he is from Wyoming). He came to our aid with a short instructional video he created and sent our way via the internet. This was useful not only in helping Tim Smith obtain that skill, but also in deciding on how certain set pieces would be placed in order to serve both the safety of everyone involved and that specific series of dramatic moments.
Before rehearsals started I attended a production meeting where I was able to assess how I would work within the parameters of the set and costume design, and equally important, get a feel for how the concept was coming together so that everything I composed would fit in with the whole. Ideally, it should be unclear to the audience where my work begins and ends in relation to the director’s. Knowing what the designs look like is an important aspect in making this happen. Questions I ask set designers include whether or not certain set pieces can take weight and/or impact, as well as whether small set pieces can be moved around and used in the fights. When looking at costume designs I need to know how much freedom of movement the performers will have as well as what kind of shoes they might be wearing during the fights.
The main part of my job, the work with the actors themselves, can often be very brief. In this case the entire composition of the fights took something like two ninety minute rehearsals early in the process, followed by a return trip to watch a dress rehearsal and give notes.
As my actors in this piece are very physically adept, I was able to give them some fairly difficult moves with confidence that they would assimilate them into their work safely and effectively. For some sequences they were given very precise movements meant to create very specific illusions. These were drilled in the moments they needed to happen, and then set. For some of those moments the actors and I showed Bridget some options and then we decided which one was most effective choice for that point in the characters’ journey. For other sequences, I gave the actors a framework in which to safely improvise the violence during the rehearsal process before setting it. In those sequences I used a “contemporary violence” technique developed by a woman named Ricki Ravitts, who is an esteemed fight director based out of New York City and one of my first instructors in the discipline. In this method the actors can create some fairly intense movement while staying both physically and emotionally safe. Many of the scenes between Tim and Stacy were developed with Ricki’s methods. The scene between Tim and Andrew was mostly “by the book” as it were, since the moment called for in the script is so specific.
Towards the end of the rehearsal process I attended a dress rehearsal and gave notes. The adjustments I had to make in this case were few and minor. An angle on one illusion had to be reset to sell well for the entire audience, and other than that all that was really necessary was to check in with the actors to make sure they still felt safe and comfortable with the choreography.
The violence in Fool for Love is an integral part of the storytelling. Though there are relatively few moments of actual assault on stage, each one is crafted into the play to move the plot forward.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Last Word
March 13th
Well, it had to happen some time, the last words, the last words on this particular blog about this particular production. Who knows, it might be the last time I get asked to write a blog for New Rep, who knows and God forbid, but it might be the last time I ever work for New Rep. If life has taught me one thing, never expect anything, never assume, never predict and never take anything for granted.
I don't mean that negatively, really I don't, as I was saying to a friend of Will's, sorry Mr. Lyman, last night, I mentioned that the play makes you think about all that has happened in the past. To be honest, it also makes you think of what may and will come. It's a play of emotion, passion, all that matters, and all that doesn't matter.
There were a couple of things that happened last night, which whoever is reading this, may find interesting, and if you don't, well sorry about that. Still, I will try to give one last little insight to our goings on, for you our little stage junkie.
Last night, Will, or rather the character he plays André, was half way through his first speech as Oedipus, and there I was sitting in the chair happily listening to him, when all of a sudden it dawned on me, 'I never get tired of listening to this speech’, and yet I hated studying Oedipus at school. Perhaps it is because of a really rather dull teacher I had, but then again I'd seen the RSC do the play, and I was bored stiff with that. However, there I was thinking, 'I never get tired of Andre's Oedipus', and then I thought, 'I better start listening for my cue, otherwise I'll stuff it up and then I'll be mad for the rest of the show'.
The second thing, last night in the scene when I'm telling André about my new play, I was thinking, 'who the heck is talking, whose voice is it? It's coming out of me, but who is it?'
Was I 'in the moment'? I don't think so, after all I've been 'in the moment' before, when emotionally I am fully involved and present in the situation. But last night, it was the first time that the character was all there, and I felt possessed. I wasn't having to be conscious of my accent and inflection. It was all just coming out, a South African voice coming from my mouth, and I couldn't control it. Or as Mr. Lyman, put it, the characters are now in charge.
Finally, it's not because I want my own little 'Oscar' moment, but I just want to say thank you to the individuals I have worked with on Exits and Entrances. For they all deserve a mention.
Thank you for reading my blog. Thanks to Will Lyman (André), Chris Jorie (Director), Amy Weissenstein (Stage Manager), Candice Mongellow (Assist Stage Manager, Danielle Kellerman (Assistant Director), John Malinowski (Lighting Designer), Eric Propp (Costume Designer), Patrick Lynch (Scenic Designer), Basia Goszczynska (Prop Mistress), Dave Wilson (Sound Designer), and Ben Bryant, (The Lighting Dude)! What a team!
Also, my thanks to: Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) , Bridget O'Leary (Artistic Associate), Gia Podobinski (PR & Marketing Manger), Alison Anderson (General Manager), Mark Soucy (Development Manager), Desiree Pedrami (Development & Marketing Asst.), Christopher Webb (Education Associate), Becca Solomont (Cultivation Coordinator), Todd Michael Hall (Audience Services Manager), Rachael Donnelly (Box Office Associate), and of course Joseph O'Dea (Production Manager), (you may like the Yankees, but you are okay with me). The New Rep team! Thank you, and thank you!
Finally, to the House Managers: Dawn, Alison, Anna, Desiree and the new girls. Thank you. Oh and of course, my thanks to all the Ushers, you do a grand job and you are most appreciated.
Well that's it! Good day, God Bless, and hopefully till the next time. If there isn't one, well c'est la vie, and so adieu!
Ross
Well, it had to happen some time, the last words, the last words on this particular blog about this particular production. Who knows, it might be the last time I get asked to write a blog for New Rep, who knows and God forbid, but it might be the last time I ever work for New Rep. If life has taught me one thing, never expect anything, never assume, never predict and never take anything for granted.
I don't mean that negatively, really I don't, as I was saying to a friend of Will's, sorry Mr. Lyman, last night, I mentioned that the play makes you think about all that has happened in the past. To be honest, it also makes you think of what may and will come. It's a play of emotion, passion, all that matters, and all that doesn't matter.
There were a couple of things that happened last night, which whoever is reading this, may find interesting, and if you don't, well sorry about that. Still, I will try to give one last little insight to our goings on, for you our little stage junkie.
Last night, Will, or rather the character he plays André, was half way through his first speech as Oedipus, and there I was sitting in the chair happily listening to him, when all of a sudden it dawned on me, 'I never get tired of listening to this speech’, and yet I hated studying Oedipus at school. Perhaps it is because of a really rather dull teacher I had, but then again I'd seen the RSC do the play, and I was bored stiff with that. However, there I was thinking, 'I never get tired of Andre's Oedipus', and then I thought, 'I better start listening for my cue, otherwise I'll stuff it up and then I'll be mad for the rest of the show'.
The second thing, last night in the scene when I'm telling André about my new play, I was thinking, 'who the heck is talking, whose voice is it? It's coming out of me, but who is it?'
Was I 'in the moment'? I don't think so, after all I've been 'in the moment' before, when emotionally I am fully involved and present in the situation. But last night, it was the first time that the character was all there, and I felt possessed. I wasn't having to be conscious of my accent and inflection. It was all just coming out, a South African voice coming from my mouth, and I couldn't control it. Or as Mr. Lyman, put it, the characters are now in charge.
Finally, it's not because I want my own little 'Oscar' moment, but I just want to say thank you to the individuals I have worked with on Exits and Entrances. For they all deserve a mention.
Thank you for reading my blog. Thanks to Will Lyman (André), Chris Jorie (Director), Amy Weissenstein (Stage Manager), Candice Mongellow (Assist Stage Manager, Danielle Kellerman (Assistant Director), John Malinowski (Lighting Designer), Eric Propp (Costume Designer), Patrick Lynch (Scenic Designer), Basia Goszczynska (Prop Mistress), Dave Wilson (Sound Designer), and Ben Bryant, (The Lighting Dude)! What a team!
Also, my thanks to: Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) , Bridget O'Leary (Artistic Associate), Gia Podobinski (PR & Marketing Manger), Alison Anderson (General Manager), Mark Soucy (Development Manager), Desiree Pedrami (Development & Marketing Asst.), Christopher Webb (Education Associate), Becca Solomont (Cultivation Coordinator), Todd Michael Hall (Audience Services Manager), Rachael Donnelly (Box Office Associate), and of course Joseph O'Dea (Production Manager), (you may like the Yankees, but you are okay with me). The New Rep team! Thank you, and thank you!
Finally, to the House Managers: Dawn, Alison, Anna, Desiree and the new girls. Thank you. Oh and of course, my thanks to all the Ushers, you do a grand job and you are most appreciated.
Well that's it! Good day, God Bless, and hopefully till the next time. If there isn't one, well c'est la vie, and so adieu!
Ross
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
An Update
March 9th
Well as the weather wracks outside my window with wind, rain, snow and then whatever else has been picked up and blown across to rattle along our street. As this is all going on and the cats lie at my feet, I thought I better keep my word and jot a few more notes down for your enjoyment.
But firstly, I would like to thank the audiences. Yes, I would like to thank the public that have graced us with their company. For after all without our nightly paying guests, our performance, our 'art' would be nothing. So many thanks to you all, a very key ingredient to our production. I'd also if I may, take the opportunity to thank the House Managers and ushers, who keep the peace, tidy the theatre, become the welcoming faces at the start of the night and especially to the House Managers and Todd and Rachael in the box office who look after the theatre as we thrash about on stage. Oh and a big thanks to anyone who has kept up with my waffle, poor spelling and lapses in grammar. Oh and before I forget a big thank you to Jon and his willingness to talk about his experiences at The Market Theatre in Soweto in the 70's and 80's.
So if you had read my last blog, I described how I tried to avoid direct emotional experience to enhance the performance. Unfortunately, I didn't say it was unavoidable, did I? Also while working so closely with Will for so long, there are now those moments on stage where I don't know if it's 'in the moment' or the fact that as I've shared the company so long with this incarnation of Andre, that I really do get very choked with emotion at the end, and as a by product I can't help reflecting on my friends and loved ones that I have lost in my life.
As for talking about losing my Dad, I thought about that for a snap second on Saturday, and I nearly lost the plot, so I will stick to thinking of my character's father in future, and after all isn't that what having the God given gift of imagination is all about. That after all is what part of the challenge of acting is - the use of imagination.
One thing that I should report, last night as Andre was saying 'To be or not to be', I lapsed into dwelling on one friend I lost recently. Guardsman Darryl Hickey KIA in Helmand, Afghanistan 2007. So I suppose Daz, that one was for you. I also want to add that once again this has been one of my most treasured Theatrical experiences and I will always be in debt to Mr. Lyman. After all 'Everybody loves Will'. (If you have been to the talkbacks you'd really know what I'm talking about, although yes there is a little bit of inspiration to Raymond.)
Well must go.
Yours Aye,
Ross
Well as the weather wracks outside my window with wind, rain, snow and then whatever else has been picked up and blown across to rattle along our street. As this is all going on and the cats lie at my feet, I thought I better keep my word and jot a few more notes down for your enjoyment.
But firstly, I would like to thank the audiences. Yes, I would like to thank the public that have graced us with their company. For after all without our nightly paying guests, our performance, our 'art' would be nothing. So many thanks to you all, a very key ingredient to our production. I'd also if I may, take the opportunity to thank the House Managers and ushers, who keep the peace, tidy the theatre, become the welcoming faces at the start of the night and especially to the House Managers and Todd and Rachael in the box office who look after the theatre as we thrash about on stage. Oh and a big thanks to anyone who has kept up with my waffle, poor spelling and lapses in grammar. Oh and before I forget a big thank you to Jon and his willingness to talk about his experiences at The Market Theatre in Soweto in the 70's and 80's.
So if you had read my last blog, I described how I tried to avoid direct emotional experience to enhance the performance. Unfortunately, I didn't say it was unavoidable, did I? Also while working so closely with Will for so long, there are now those moments on stage where I don't know if it's 'in the moment' or the fact that as I've shared the company so long with this incarnation of Andre, that I really do get very choked with emotion at the end, and as a by product I can't help reflecting on my friends and loved ones that I have lost in my life.
As for talking about losing my Dad, I thought about that for a snap second on Saturday, and I nearly lost the plot, so I will stick to thinking of my character's father in future, and after all isn't that what having the God given gift of imagination is all about. That after all is what part of the challenge of acting is - the use of imagination.
One thing that I should report, last night as Andre was saying 'To be or not to be', I lapsed into dwelling on one friend I lost recently. Guardsman Darryl Hickey KIA in Helmand, Afghanistan 2007. So I suppose Daz, that one was for you. I also want to add that once again this has been one of my most treasured Theatrical experiences and I will always be in debt to Mr. Lyman. After all 'Everybody loves Will'. (If you have been to the talkbacks you'd really know what I'm talking about, although yes there is a little bit of inspiration to Raymond.)
Well must go.
Yours Aye,
Ross
Friday, March 06, 2009
Keeping it fresh
March 6th
The awful truth dawned on me last night, we haven't got long left! It's bad enough to know that after a year, I actually don't know when I will act again. But compounded to that fact, we have only days left to go, okay a week and a bit, but really it's not long left, and it's sad. Well it, the situation, saddens me, after all shortly I will be like the 'Playwright' reflecting on what has been.
Oh well, lets not get too depressed, after all, the good news, you (whoever you may be) will not have much of my blogging waffle left. I will try and provide enough amusement over the last few articles, although sadly not much scandal.
We had the added joy of a double show yesterday, which during the break I managed to enjoy a nice hard run to and from Cambridge. Word to other like minded actors, it's a great way to enjoy those double show days and a way of not spending your hard earned pennies in the delights of Pannera.
Alright, I know this is all really a lot of harmless waffle, so for anyone that may be wanting to glean some sort of, words of wisdom about 'the craft' of acting during production.
Well firstly you've come to the wrong place, but secondly in all seriousness, I'd say the following. We or rather I, during my drama school training was encouraged to 'the colouring of the word', this is especially useful in Shakespeare and indeed any well written play. You see, day in, day out, you cannot rely on being ' in the moment' it's not always there for you, especially during a long run.
At least it's not for me, and if it is for you, good for you, but if you are putting yourself through an extreme emmotional process day in, day out, and bear in mind I've been off book for 5 weeks, and I've been in productions that have lasted two months, it's not healthy, I mean after all I have to talk about a Father dying in this one. If I thought about my actual Dad, (who thankfully is still here in good health and long may he be), I'd be a wreck by now.
So anyway what I try to do, to keep it fresh, is that I try to keep everything new, by the way in which I work the script. I basically think about what I am saying (I can hear my mother saying, 'that's a first'), I let each thought come to me as I am finishing the last thought, just in the way I am writing this lot of old nonsense at the moment. I'm moving from one sentance to another, and if I find a particularly colourful thing to say, well I go ahead and say it. Sometimes, when I talk about the moon, I think about a full moon that I've seen on a clear night in Spain, the Alps, Africa, and even on all those clear nights in Afghanistan and when I talk about that moon, I really try and say it with the feeling of the way I saw one of those moons.
If I talk about dying I give the necessary weight to the word, the inference of the pain and the suffering, and the loss, but I really try to avoid thinking about the loved ones who've gone, or even those odd occasions when I dealt with death out there in Helmand Province in 2007. Occasionally I admit things slip, last night for example my final scene with Andre, I couldn't help but think about my old friend and neighbour, Michael Murray-Grant, and before I dwelt on his loss, I cheered myself on the bitter sweet moments of late night heated debates over numerous bottles of this and that. All this going on, whilst waiting for my cue, and staying in the scene, so you see for all those who go through the psycho-emmotional method, sometimes you'll find yourself so wrapped up in the process, that you'll forget about the person you are dealing with and the scene you're in.
On the other hand there are those who need to work on their gravitas, anyway before I sound like a critic. I'll be off The wife will be home soon, we need to have some time together, and of course give some attention to the cats.
Good day, God Bless and talk to you soon.
Ross
The awful truth dawned on me last night, we haven't got long left! It's bad enough to know that after a year, I actually don't know when I will act again. But compounded to that fact, we have only days left to go, okay a week and a bit, but really it's not long left, and it's sad. Well it, the situation, saddens me, after all shortly I will be like the 'Playwright' reflecting on what has been.
Oh well, lets not get too depressed, after all, the good news, you (whoever you may be) will not have much of my blogging waffle left. I will try and provide enough amusement over the last few articles, although sadly not much scandal.
We had the added joy of a double show yesterday, which during the break I managed to enjoy a nice hard run to and from Cambridge. Word to other like minded actors, it's a great way to enjoy those double show days and a way of not spending your hard earned pennies in the delights of Pannera.
Alright, I know this is all really a lot of harmless waffle, so for anyone that may be wanting to glean some sort of, words of wisdom about 'the craft' of acting during production.
Well firstly you've come to the wrong place, but secondly in all seriousness, I'd say the following. We or rather I, during my drama school training was encouraged to 'the colouring of the word', this is especially useful in Shakespeare and indeed any well written play. You see, day in, day out, you cannot rely on being ' in the moment' it's not always there for you, especially during a long run.
At least it's not for me, and if it is for you, good for you, but if you are putting yourself through an extreme emmotional process day in, day out, and bear in mind I've been off book for 5 weeks, and I've been in productions that have lasted two months, it's not healthy, I mean after all I have to talk about a Father dying in this one. If I thought about my actual Dad, (who thankfully is still here in good health and long may he be), I'd be a wreck by now.
So anyway what I try to do, to keep it fresh, is that I try to keep everything new, by the way in which I work the script. I basically think about what I am saying (I can hear my mother saying, 'that's a first'), I let each thought come to me as I am finishing the last thought, just in the way I am writing this lot of old nonsense at the moment. I'm moving from one sentance to another, and if I find a particularly colourful thing to say, well I go ahead and say it. Sometimes, when I talk about the moon, I think about a full moon that I've seen on a clear night in Spain, the Alps, Africa, and even on all those clear nights in Afghanistan and when I talk about that moon, I really try and say it with the feeling of the way I saw one of those moons.
If I talk about dying I give the necessary weight to the word, the inference of the pain and the suffering, and the loss, but I really try to avoid thinking about the loved ones who've gone, or even those odd occasions when I dealt with death out there in Helmand Province in 2007. Occasionally I admit things slip, last night for example my final scene with Andre, I couldn't help but think about my old friend and neighbour, Michael Murray-Grant, and before I dwelt on his loss, I cheered myself on the bitter sweet moments of late night heated debates over numerous bottles of this and that. All this going on, whilst waiting for my cue, and staying in the scene, so you see for all those who go through the psycho-emmotional method, sometimes you'll find yourself so wrapped up in the process, that you'll forget about the person you are dealing with and the scene you're in.
On the other hand there are those who need to work on their gravitas, anyway before I sound like a critic. I'll be off The wife will be home soon, we need to have some time together, and of course give some attention to the cats.
Good day, God Bless and talk to you soon.
Ross
First Week of Performances
4th March
Well here we are 5 days later and still nothing of note. So really here we go!
Our first week of performances is well and truly over. Our director has gone west, seeking new opportunities, so sadly Boston's loss is California's gain. I am selfishly keeping fingers crossed that Chris has a successful meeting or two in San Francisco as Alison (the wife) and I would love a working holiday out there, well work for me, holiday for her!
We started last week, with a preview with more than a glitch or two! Which was frustrating in itself, and hardly a nice warm up for our 'first night', but well Will and I put that behind us and took 'Press Night' in our stride. Adrenaline was a big mainstay, and it wasn't so much the idea of 'the press' that stirred the nerves, but more the fact that Kate Warner, New Rep's new Artistic Director, was out there, and a few too many peers of the Boston Theatre World. Thankfully there were also a lot of 'home fans' in friends, and of course the wife! All in all it was an enjoyable night and a good way to kick off 'the week'.
The funny thing about when a show is up and running, there is always the challenge of keeping it fresh, of trying to keep it new, not to dwell on 'bits' that seemed to go so much better the night before, or as was the case on Sunday night, finding something so new that it completely throws you and you forget your next three lines!
I am told the audience weren't aware of the mistake, but it wasn't helped by the fact that in the matinee, I was so sure I said my line, that I didn't know I hadn't, until Will informed me after the show, which explained the strange line that he threw to me as a lifeline. Still it's what keeps us on our toes!
It's been a long time, since I've enjoyed myself so much on a show. The script is simply fantastic, and the story of the friendship that centres around these two men is incredible. (It actually reminds me of a friendship I had with a neighbour, who sadly passed away about three years ago.)
I also can't get over how much I am enjoying my craft each and every night out there on the stage. I admit though from time to time I am getting a little tired pulling 'listening faces', and sometimes wondering if I am overacting in my listening, but so far Will has said nothing!
I am sure he will, if my 'shocked face', grows to 'oh my goodness, an Oscar for me' face. Mind you if in the ten million to one unlikely event of that happening, I think I'd be expressionless due to the fact that I would have keeled over and died from the surprise of not only winning but also the fact that I should have put a dollar down on those odds!
Ross
Well here we are 5 days later and still nothing of note. So really here we go!
Our first week of performances is well and truly over. Our director has gone west, seeking new opportunities, so sadly Boston's loss is California's gain. I am selfishly keeping fingers crossed that Chris has a successful meeting or two in San Francisco as Alison (the wife) and I would love a working holiday out there, well work for me, holiday for her!
We started last week, with a preview with more than a glitch or two! Which was frustrating in itself, and hardly a nice warm up for our 'first night', but well Will and I put that behind us and took 'Press Night' in our stride. Adrenaline was a big mainstay, and it wasn't so much the idea of 'the press' that stirred the nerves, but more the fact that Kate Warner, New Rep's new Artistic Director, was out there, and a few too many peers of the Boston Theatre World. Thankfully there were also a lot of 'home fans' in friends, and of course the wife! All in all it was an enjoyable night and a good way to kick off 'the week'.
The funny thing about when a show is up and running, there is always the challenge of keeping it fresh, of trying to keep it new, not to dwell on 'bits' that seemed to go so much better the night before, or as was the case on Sunday night, finding something so new that it completely throws you and you forget your next three lines!
I am told the audience weren't aware of the mistake, but it wasn't helped by the fact that in the matinee, I was so sure I said my line, that I didn't know I hadn't, until Will informed me after the show, which explained the strange line that he threw to me as a lifeline. Still it's what keeps us on our toes!
It's been a long time, since I've enjoyed myself so much on a show. The script is simply fantastic, and the story of the friendship that centres around these two men is incredible. (It actually reminds me of a friendship I had with a neighbour, who sadly passed away about three years ago.)
I also can't get over how much I am enjoying my craft each and every night out there on the stage. I admit though from time to time I am getting a little tired pulling 'listening faces', and sometimes wondering if I am overacting in my listening, but so far Will has said nothing!
I am sure he will, if my 'shocked face', grows to 'oh my goodness, an Oscar for me' face. Mind you if in the ten million to one unlikely event of that happening, I think I'd be expressionless due to the fact that I would have keeled over and died from the surprise of not only winning but also the fact that I should have put a dollar down on those odds!
Ross
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