Present mirth hath present laughter
Aug. 13th, 2007 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceebeegeeI very luckily happened to wake up this morning just in time to jump in the shower--I was so tired last night I forgot to set the alarm! Ahh, lovely sleep...
Four strong shows, consistently strong. During our first show the horrible PEP officer from last week who'd driven onto our stage showed up again and was stymied by the caution tape. She became quite difficult and threatened to shut down the show. She called over one of her superiors who was much more polite--even though I had permission for the tape (since FOHRP had given it to me), somehow I'd never received a cc: of the email actually extending said permission to me. The officers were supposed to come back for the second show when (according to them) we were not supposed to have up the tape but they never did and we left up the tape. Our two volunteers, Ilana and Annalisa, were kickass and very, very good about helping us police the space. Ilana especially was very supportive and loved the show--she recommended reviewers she knew, she's going to contact some publications. She said "even if it doesn't appear until after next weekened, it's still about getting out your name and building community support." I told her "absolutely, Backstage's reviews usually do not appear until after the run of the show."
Per usual, we had small audiences for the 1pm show and big ones for the 5pm show. Peter (my lovely, hot, adorable ex-boyfriend who's done lots of Broadway, including Annie Get Your Gun, 42nd Street, Imaginary Friends, On Your Toes, Singin' in the Rain and After the Night and the Music) and many episodes of ST: TNG*, came to see the second show. I didn't spy him until the Fool monologue ("this fellow is wise enough to play the Fool...")--that monologue seems to be the time when something DRAMATIC is going to happen (teeth flying out, ex-BFs showing up), much as the cops always seem to arrive during the "willow cabin" scene.
Peter LOVED it. He said he pinched himself, he thought it was so good. He thought I was adorable (which is actually a stretch for him to see me as that--like, it means he actually saw a different side of me! Generally Peter just sees me as HOTTT. Which is nice, of course :) but not necessarily how I want to play Viola. Although when he saw the Lovestreet showcase I did with Tracy, he said I had "a hell of a range"). He also really liked Duncan, Sir Toby, Maria, Tom (LOVED Tom--I've been getting a lot of compliments on Tom's performance, and "where did you find him?"s)...
La la la, my ex who's done BROADWAY--who's worked with Twyla Tharp and Graziela Daniele and George Abbott--loved my show. I'm-a just savor that for awhile.
Kelly and Leth saw the second show on Saturday and I hugged Kelly and said "when are you auditioning for Holla Holla again?" She's so talented. Mickey came to see the first show, although we didn't have much time to chat afterward. Also, Paula was at the second show Saturday and got to meet Peter, again. Elana (from the Playwrights Group) and Susan Rankus came to see the show yesterday and loved it. Elana was one who asked me where I got Tom--I said I'd worked with him before. She also loved Aldo as Sir Toby--she said there were times you didn't even know he was on book. I passed that compliment on to Aldo.
Saturday night I had some people over to watch Shakespeare in Love and make ice cream. Mmm....homemade vanilla ice cream. God, I love that movie--the screenplay, the acting, the humor and the romance and the sadness, the lushness of it.
Speaking of Trojan Women, I saw Suzanne Hayes in the train station yesterday--I was tempted to sneak up behind and say in a random South Carolina accent "The woah is ovuh!"
Someone else mentioned doing a musical and Katie said she could musical direct--she has an electric keyboard. I made a beeline for her as soon as I could and said "let's talk." I've wanted to do an all-female version of The Pirates of Penzance forever. And I would, of course, be the Pirate King! That's a dream role of mine. (Mabel would be nice but I'll be honest and say I know there are singers who could negotiate the runs better than I--if I *had* to play Mabel, I would do an okay job, but there are singers who could do it brilliantly. I have the notes and the tone quality but not the virtuosity--I've done cadenzas before but the cadenza in "Poor Wander'ing One" has those runs that are so close together. I could do the runs, say, the Queen of the Night's aria because they're made of those intervals of thirds and fifths, but not Mabel's.) And I would have so much fun playing the Pirate King! Forrrrrrrr...I am a Pirate King! (You are! Hurrah for the Pirate King!) And it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King...
I was worried about the cops on Sunday--since I haven't been able to get in touch with Laura, my FOHRP liaison--but no one showed up, except during the first show and Ilana dealt with them very well.
Kenneth made me laugh on Sunday--as we walked up the steps for our V,i entrance, Olivia and Sebastian passed us. Kenneth did a brief double take to Sebastian and said "that was weird."
One thing I love about this part of the run is how much the performances will grow. I read some stuff from the Oxford edition about Orsino to Kenneth on Saturday--there's a passage that says basically how Orsino's anger in V,i--his intensity is an indication of his growing feelings for Viola/Cesario. IOW, he's not angry that Cesario got Olivia, he's angry that someone else got Cesario. Kenneth went to town with this and the scene became much more intense. Tracy responded as well and I think that exchange is terrific now--Kenneth actually had tears in his eyes doing the scene last night. He was seriously pissed.
I thought about Viola's reaction to Orsino's threat of violence--"Come, boy, with me; my thoughts are ripe in mischief:/I'll sacrifice the lamb that I do love,/
To spite a raven's heart within a dove." I'd been neglecting the importance of that moment of choice for Viola--it *is* a choice, I decide even though perhaps it is unsafe, I want to go with him, hell or high water. It's the answer to the question--"but died thy sister of her love, my boy?" I don't want to--but I will, if necessary. Love is merely a madness, as Rosalind says--and the theme of love as madness runs throughout Twelfth Night. Oxford also mentions the relief Viola must feel when she is finally able to confess, openly, her love for Orsino, even though she's still Cesario: "After him I love/Mora than I love these eyes, more than my life/More, by all mores, than e'er I shall love wife."
I added something, quite spontaneously, during one of the shows on Saturday--when Orsino says to me "When that is known and golden time convents,/A solemn combination shall be made/Of our dear souls..." and takes my hands and puts them together. He then directs his next line to Olivia and as he does do, I lift my hands to my mouth in a gesture of profound gratitude for the marvelous events of the past few minutes.
Oxford also talks about how the reunion of the twins is the emotional climax of the show, and I've been playing with that, and adjusting the joy and wonder of that moment. So much fun! I love the minutae of acting.
*Looking up Peter's imdb page, I JUST NOW realized he was in Cop Rock. HOW did I miss that???? I must get that episode from him!!
Four strong shows, consistently strong. During our first show the horrible PEP officer from last week who'd driven onto our stage showed up again and was stymied by the caution tape. She became quite difficult and threatened to shut down the show. She called over one of her superiors who was much more polite--even though I had permission for the tape (since FOHRP had given it to me), somehow I'd never received a cc: of the email actually extending said permission to me. The officers were supposed to come back for the second show when (according to them) we were not supposed to have up the tape but they never did and we left up the tape. Our two volunteers, Ilana and Annalisa, were kickass and very, very good about helping us police the space. Ilana especially was very supportive and loved the show--she recommended reviewers she knew, she's going to contact some publications. She said "even if it doesn't appear until after next weekened, it's still about getting out your name and building community support." I told her "absolutely, Backstage's reviews usually do not appear until after the run of the show."
Per usual, we had small audiences for the 1pm show and big ones for the 5pm show. Peter (my lovely, hot, adorable ex-boyfriend who's done lots of Broadway, including Annie Get Your Gun, 42nd Street, Imaginary Friends, On Your Toes, Singin' in the Rain and After the Night and the Music) and many episodes of ST: TNG*, came to see the second show. I didn't spy him until the Fool monologue ("this fellow is wise enough to play the Fool...")--that monologue seems to be the time when something DRAMATIC is going to happen (teeth flying out, ex-BFs showing up), much as the cops always seem to arrive during the "willow cabin" scene.
Peter LOVED it. He said he pinched himself, he thought it was so good. He thought I was adorable (which is actually a stretch for him to see me as that--like, it means he actually saw a different side of me! Generally Peter just sees me as HOTTT. Which is nice, of course :) but not necessarily how I want to play Viola. Although when he saw the Lovestreet showcase I did with Tracy, he said I had "a hell of a range"). He also really liked Duncan, Sir Toby, Maria, Tom (LOVED Tom--I've been getting a lot of compliments on Tom's performance, and "where did you find him?"s)...
La la la, my ex who's done BROADWAY--who's worked with Twyla Tharp and Graziela Daniele and George Abbott--loved my show. I'm-a just savor that for awhile.
Kelly and Leth saw the second show on Saturday and I hugged Kelly and said "when are you auditioning for Holla Holla again?" She's so talented. Mickey came to see the first show, although we didn't have much time to chat afterward. Also, Paula was at the second show Saturday and got to meet Peter, again. Elana (from the Playwrights Group) and Susan Rankus came to see the show yesterday and loved it. Elana was one who asked me where I got Tom--I said I'd worked with him before. She also loved Aldo as Sir Toby--she said there were times you didn't even know he was on book. I passed that compliment on to Aldo.
Saturday night I had some people over to watch Shakespeare in Love and make ice cream. Mmm....homemade vanilla ice cream. God, I love that movie--the screenplay, the acting, the humor and the romance and the sadness, the lushness of it.
Speaking of Trojan Women, I saw Suzanne Hayes in the train station yesterday--I was tempted to sneak up behind and say in a random South Carolina accent "The woah is ovuh!"
Someone else mentioned doing a musical and Katie said she could musical direct--she has an electric keyboard. I made a beeline for her as soon as I could and said "let's talk." I've wanted to do an all-female version of The Pirates of Penzance forever. And I would, of course, be the Pirate King! That's a dream role of mine. (Mabel would be nice but I'll be honest and say I know there are singers who could negotiate the runs better than I--if I *had* to play Mabel, I would do an okay job, but there are singers who could do it brilliantly. I have the notes and the tone quality but not the virtuosity--I've done cadenzas before but the cadenza in "Poor Wander'ing One" has those runs that are so close together. I could do the runs, say, the Queen of the Night's aria because they're made of those intervals of thirds and fifths, but not Mabel's.) And I would have so much fun playing the Pirate King! Forrrrrrrr...I am a Pirate King! (You are! Hurrah for the Pirate King!) And it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King...
I was worried about the cops on Sunday--since I haven't been able to get in touch with Laura, my FOHRP liaison--but no one showed up, except during the first show and Ilana dealt with them very well.
Kenneth made me laugh on Sunday--as we walked up the steps for our V,i entrance, Olivia and Sebastian passed us. Kenneth did a brief double take to Sebastian and said "that was weird."
One thing I love about this part of the run is how much the performances will grow. I read some stuff from the Oxford edition about Orsino to Kenneth on Saturday--there's a passage that says basically how Orsino's anger in V,i--his intensity is an indication of his growing feelings for Viola/Cesario. IOW, he's not angry that Cesario got Olivia, he's angry that someone else got Cesario. Kenneth went to town with this and the scene became much more intense. Tracy responded as well and I think that exchange is terrific now--Kenneth actually had tears in his eyes doing the scene last night. He was seriously pissed.
I thought about Viola's reaction to Orsino's threat of violence--"Come, boy, with me; my thoughts are ripe in mischief:/I'll sacrifice the lamb that I do love,/
To spite a raven's heart within a dove." I'd been neglecting the importance of that moment of choice for Viola--it *is* a choice, I decide even though perhaps it is unsafe, I want to go with him, hell or high water. It's the answer to the question--"but died thy sister of her love, my boy?" I don't want to--but I will, if necessary. Love is merely a madness, as Rosalind says--and the theme of love as madness runs throughout Twelfth Night. Oxford also mentions the relief Viola must feel when she is finally able to confess, openly, her love for Orsino, even though she's still Cesario: "After him I love/Mora than I love these eyes, more than my life/More, by all mores, than e'er I shall love wife."
I added something, quite spontaneously, during one of the shows on Saturday--when Orsino says to me "When that is known and golden time convents,/A solemn combination shall be made/Of our dear souls..." and takes my hands and puts them together. He then directs his next line to Olivia and as he does do, I lift my hands to my mouth in a gesture of profound gratitude for the marvelous events of the past few minutes.
Oxford also talks about how the reunion of the twins is the emotional climax of the show, and I've been playing with that, and adjusting the joy and wonder of that moment. So much fun! I love the minutae of acting.
*Looking up Peter's imdb page, I JUST NOW realized he was in Cop Rock. HOW did I miss that???? I must get that episode from him!!
