to a remote and desert place, quite out of our dominions...
Our initial home run at Pt. Fermin in San Pedro is done. Saturday night we loaded everything (somehow miraculously) into the Penske and hit the road. Merry Wives had their first tour stop Sunday night (but it wasn't one of the ones I am doing, so to hell with them). Just kidding, I was following all of them on IG and FB to make sure all was well. However, if you want to see me in Merry Wives you have two chances remaining. Thursday in Hermosa and Sunday in Rossmoor. Although, if you want to see a great Dr. Caius, see it literally any other night, because BJ is genius.
Thursday night, both Allie and I were sick as dogs. Also the wind was not messing around. Plus lots of (after) 4th fireworks. So, remember last week when I lamented that we never get everybody at their best, with audience at rapt attention? Yeah, well... But despite all of that, we had a good show. I can't overstate how good this show is. I know that you all (the four or maybe five of you that stop by to peruse this blog to see if your name is mentioned) have heard me drone on and on over the years about how great the show is. And I meant it every time. But this one...wow! Seriously, if you come and see it and it doesn't make you cry and laugh and cry again then you are dead on the inside. Plus, I will buy you a drink and you can tell me why you don't have a soul. Steph and I have done countless shows together (I mean, you could probably count them if you really wanted to and had beyond kindergarten education, but why you gotta be a pedant?) and we both agree that this is the best of all of them. It's so fucking beautiful! The play itself is, and Steph's cutting is genius, and the cast is so talented and committed! Plus the costumes, set, and sound are gorgeous. It's special. And although I'm not playing some super-lead like I did as Iago or Macbeth, I still agree that this one stands above anything we've done so far at SBTS. (Also I directed three of these, so, hey ego hit aside...this is the one). This week you can see it in Hermosa on Wednesday, Lakewood on Friday, and Rossmoor on Saturday. All 7 PM starts. And yes, we are bringing this to you. No excuses not to make it.
As for the plague I had, I feel a lot better now (thanks for asking). I don't know how I would have gotten through a show (if I had one) on Friday. But Saturday night things really started clicking. It's settling in...the best possible way. We are free in it and available and own it now. (This is all actor speak for we know what the fuck is happening). I had one gentleman say to me that I had really grown in the role. (This wasn't really a compliment, but I appreciated it. To me it meant that he wasn't really feeling me when he saw it on opening but liked me now. Hey, I'll take it). It's an interesting thing being available after the show to everybody who wants to talk to you. In years past I've gotten such gems as: "I really liked you in this, but not so much last year." "I don't see the character that way." And "You looked like you were having fun up there." (Side note: Don't tell someone that it looks like they've lost weight. This isn't a compliment. It's stating some weird fact based on your own perspective. Believe me, I ((and everyone who has struggled to get back into shape)) am acutely aware of it. And I know you mean your best, but just say: You look great! We don't want to have to tell you of all the ways we are no longer disgusting). Most people are amazing, and 99.9% of the people who come to the shows are darling! We are nightly engaged with tons of people telling us how we moved them. My favorites are the audience members that have been coming for half of their lives. They grew up on SBTS and they are definitely the better for it. Do: Give us food and beer. Don't: tell us we are less disgusting than last year.
In the last blog (which I know you all read, right?) I talked about how sometimes a performance is better when an actor is sick. Having been sick both Thursday and Saturday, I can tell you that this is both wildly false, and maybe also a bit true. Thursday was rough. I didn't really know where I was for much of it. Words came out of my mouth that weren't actually in the script. I spent a lot of time trying not to touch (or kiss) my fellow actors. (Side note: Unless you are a psychopath, you will put the well being of your fellow actor above your own need to feel "real." There is always a work-around). So every time I grabbed for a hand and shifted to a clothed wrist, or whispered a sweet nothing in an ear instead of kissing my wife, I was very aware of being an actor onstage taking care of my fellow actors rather than Leontes. And I'm super OK with that. Hell, I'm proud of that. (I'm not here to bash "method actors," but if you ever endanger someone with whom you are working because of the way you "feel" you suck as an actor and you should become a lawyer or dentist).
Saturday I was feeling much better, thank you Apollo! And the wind didn't want to blow us to OZ, and we had fewer (although still a few) fireworks and screaming children in the park. And it all fell into place. And, yes, I did learn things from being sick. When you drop a line, that means you don't know it fully enough. If you say a synonym for a word in your text, that means you aren't being specific enough. So I thank Apollo for giving me such a lesson. (If only Leontes had immediately done the same it would have saved 16 years of grief).
Speaking of which, between act 3 and 4, 16 years pass. I love the element of Time in this play. As I do with all of Shakespeare's works. People spend so much time trying to figure out timelines and it just doesn't matter unless he says it does. This matters because Perdita has grown from a baby into a young woman. But other than that, who cares? And thoughts about time, age, and such have been heavily on my mind during this process. I'm fortunate in my genes that I can play anywhere from mid 30's to 50, which is the span of Leontes' journey. I've never been actually cast as somebody my own age. In this case it works out. Because Leah is younger than she looks. The last thing I want is to take the audience out of the play by thinking that our ages don't line up (or, Apollo forgive, is gross). I've already told you how amazing she is. She's so good that it humbles me to share the stage with her. And I am becoming ever convinced that true art can only be created by the young. I keep hacking away, as I will ever, but this generation behind me is so much smarter, more emotionally available, and prepared than we ever were...or could be. One of my first professional gigs was playing multiple roles in Julius Caesar at the Washington Shakespeare Company in DC. It was a great experience. It was in this unfinished building and it was awesome. And for the most part, they treated me great. But there was a time (discussing the play) where I was literally shouted down by older actors for being naive. (Incidentally a different older actor came to me after and told me that he appreciated what I said and agreed--and I treasure that). And being that person, I have tried to never be the one to poo-poo youthful artistic ideas. Leah is an artist. It doesn't matter her age. (I would call her an old soul, but that suggests some sort of disdain for the young.) She is my peer, and my scene partner, and she teaches me about acting nightly. I want to be her when I grow up.
This blog is getting long and I have heard that people don't have the attention span to read such things, so I will just bullet point some awesome things that I'm thinking about.
-Jonathan's "gentleman" walk is so glorious it makes me weep with joy.
--as are his nightly ad-libs talking about the bear ripping Antigonus apart.
---He's ridiculously talented and will be a star, I have no doubt.
----I want to be him when I grow up.
-Tom (who is a great Falstaff in Merry Wives) plays the Shepherd and one of the lords in WT. We are so lucky to have him. He is legit. Talented, professional, polished.
--As the lord, he actually gets through Leontes' jealousy for a moment that is one of my favorite moments in the play. He is so earnest and honest and simple and perfect that it washes over me like a blanket. At least for a moment.
---I want to be him when I grow up.
-Allie who is both my son and daughter (not at the same time) may be my favorite new person that I've met. I love her so much. She's so genuine and gifted. I could spend endless hours both onstage and backstage with her. She is literally delightful.
--To be able to have such a dear human portraying my children is such a gift.
---I want to be her when I grow up.
-Olivia was probably disappointed in her casting this year. She's played such roles as Hermia, Celia, Emilia, and Banquo in the past. She's a fucking star! To have an actor of her caliber play supporting roles elevates us all.
--As you know, she is my all-time favorite SBTS human.
---I really want to be her when I grow up.
-Jon C. will forever be in my heart because after the first read we sat together and he didn't do that "actor thing." He told me specifically what he liked about my Leontes.
--Having a talented colleague appreciate and name things is priceless.
---We don't have much together in the play, but man does Leontes instantly love Florizel.
----I want to be him when I grow up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was going to tell you all how much I wanted to be like all the wonderful people in my show, but I just got some dire news about a dear friend and I will cut it short and continue in the next blog.
Tell those that you love that you love them! This human experiment will end. Love as much as you can! Make art! Make love! Be present! And please tell those that you love how much they mean to you. And how you want to be them when you grow up. Because those that are in your life are there for a reason. Love and cherish them while you can.
Also some good thoughts for my best of friends/brother/twinned spirit would be much appreciated.
-
Thursday night, both Allie and I were sick as dogs. Also the wind was not messing around. Plus lots of (after) 4th fireworks. So, remember last week when I lamented that we never get everybody at their best, with audience at rapt attention? Yeah, well... But despite all of that, we had a good show. I can't overstate how good this show is. I know that you all (the four or maybe five of you that stop by to peruse this blog to see if your name is mentioned) have heard me drone on and on over the years about how great the show is. And I meant it every time. But this one...wow! Seriously, if you come and see it and it doesn't make you cry and laugh and cry again then you are dead on the inside. Plus, I will buy you a drink and you can tell me why you don't have a soul. Steph and I have done countless shows together (I mean, you could probably count them if you really wanted to and had beyond kindergarten education, but why you gotta be a pedant?) and we both agree that this is the best of all of them. It's so fucking beautiful! The play itself is, and Steph's cutting is genius, and the cast is so talented and committed! Plus the costumes, set, and sound are gorgeous. It's special. And although I'm not playing some super-lead like I did as Iago or Macbeth, I still agree that this one stands above anything we've done so far at SBTS. (Also I directed three of these, so, hey ego hit aside...this is the one). This week you can see it in Hermosa on Wednesday, Lakewood on Friday, and Rossmoor on Saturday. All 7 PM starts. And yes, we are bringing this to you. No excuses not to make it.
As for the plague I had, I feel a lot better now (thanks for asking). I don't know how I would have gotten through a show (if I had one) on Friday. But Saturday night things really started clicking. It's settling in...the best possible way. We are free in it and available and own it now. (This is all actor speak for we know what the fuck is happening). I had one gentleman say to me that I had really grown in the role. (This wasn't really a compliment, but I appreciated it. To me it meant that he wasn't really feeling me when he saw it on opening but liked me now. Hey, I'll take it). It's an interesting thing being available after the show to everybody who wants to talk to you. In years past I've gotten such gems as: "I really liked you in this, but not so much last year." "I don't see the character that way." And "You looked like you were having fun up there." (Side note: Don't tell someone that it looks like they've lost weight. This isn't a compliment. It's stating some weird fact based on your own perspective. Believe me, I ((and everyone who has struggled to get back into shape)) am acutely aware of it. And I know you mean your best, but just say: You look great! We don't want to have to tell you of all the ways we are no longer disgusting). Most people are amazing, and 99.9% of the people who come to the shows are darling! We are nightly engaged with tons of people telling us how we moved them. My favorites are the audience members that have been coming for half of their lives. They grew up on SBTS and they are definitely the better for it. Do: Give us food and beer. Don't: tell us we are less disgusting than last year.
In the last blog (which I know you all read, right?) I talked about how sometimes a performance is better when an actor is sick. Having been sick both Thursday and Saturday, I can tell you that this is both wildly false, and maybe also a bit true. Thursday was rough. I didn't really know where I was for much of it. Words came out of my mouth that weren't actually in the script. I spent a lot of time trying not to touch (or kiss) my fellow actors. (Side note: Unless you are a psychopath, you will put the well being of your fellow actor above your own need to feel "real." There is always a work-around). So every time I grabbed for a hand and shifted to a clothed wrist, or whispered a sweet nothing in an ear instead of kissing my wife, I was very aware of being an actor onstage taking care of my fellow actors rather than Leontes. And I'm super OK with that. Hell, I'm proud of that. (I'm not here to bash "method actors," but if you ever endanger someone with whom you are working because of the way you "feel" you suck as an actor and you should become a lawyer or dentist).
Saturday I was feeling much better, thank you Apollo! And the wind didn't want to blow us to OZ, and we had fewer (although still a few) fireworks and screaming children in the park. And it all fell into place. And, yes, I did learn things from being sick. When you drop a line, that means you don't know it fully enough. If you say a synonym for a word in your text, that means you aren't being specific enough. So I thank Apollo for giving me such a lesson. (If only Leontes had immediately done the same it would have saved 16 years of grief).
Speaking of which, between act 3 and 4, 16 years pass. I love the element of Time in this play. As I do with all of Shakespeare's works. People spend so much time trying to figure out timelines and it just doesn't matter unless he says it does. This matters because Perdita has grown from a baby into a young woman. But other than that, who cares? And thoughts about time, age, and such have been heavily on my mind during this process. I'm fortunate in my genes that I can play anywhere from mid 30's to 50, which is the span of Leontes' journey. I've never been actually cast as somebody my own age. In this case it works out. Because Leah is younger than she looks. The last thing I want is to take the audience out of the play by thinking that our ages don't line up (or, Apollo forgive, is gross). I've already told you how amazing she is. She's so good that it humbles me to share the stage with her. And I am becoming ever convinced that true art can only be created by the young. I keep hacking away, as I will ever, but this generation behind me is so much smarter, more emotionally available, and prepared than we ever were...or could be. One of my first professional gigs was playing multiple roles in Julius Caesar at the Washington Shakespeare Company in DC. It was a great experience. It was in this unfinished building and it was awesome. And for the most part, they treated me great. But there was a time (discussing the play) where I was literally shouted down by older actors for being naive. (Incidentally a different older actor came to me after and told me that he appreciated what I said and agreed--and I treasure that). And being that person, I have tried to never be the one to poo-poo youthful artistic ideas. Leah is an artist. It doesn't matter her age. (I would call her an old soul, but that suggests some sort of disdain for the young.) She is my peer, and my scene partner, and she teaches me about acting nightly. I want to be her when I grow up.
This blog is getting long and I have heard that people don't have the attention span to read such things, so I will just bullet point some awesome things that I'm thinking about.
-Jonathan's "gentleman" walk is so glorious it makes me weep with joy.
--as are his nightly ad-libs talking about the bear ripping Antigonus apart.
---He's ridiculously talented and will be a star, I have no doubt.
----I want to be him when I grow up.
-Tom (who is a great Falstaff in Merry Wives) plays the Shepherd and one of the lords in WT. We are so lucky to have him. He is legit. Talented, professional, polished.
--As the lord, he actually gets through Leontes' jealousy for a moment that is one of my favorite moments in the play. He is so earnest and honest and simple and perfect that it washes over me like a blanket. At least for a moment.
---I want to be him when I grow up.
-Allie who is both my son and daughter (not at the same time) may be my favorite new person that I've met. I love her so much. She's so genuine and gifted. I could spend endless hours both onstage and backstage with her. She is literally delightful.
--To be able to have such a dear human portraying my children is such a gift.
---I want to be her when I grow up.
-Olivia was probably disappointed in her casting this year. She's played such roles as Hermia, Celia, Emilia, and Banquo in the past. She's a fucking star! To have an actor of her caliber play supporting roles elevates us all.
--As you know, she is my all-time favorite SBTS human.
---I really want to be her when I grow up.
-Jon C. will forever be in my heart because after the first read we sat together and he didn't do that "actor thing." He told me specifically what he liked about my Leontes.
--Having a talented colleague appreciate and name things is priceless.
---We don't have much together in the play, but man does Leontes instantly love Florizel.
----I want to be him when I grow up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was going to tell you all how much I wanted to be like all the wonderful people in my show, but I just got some dire news about a dear friend and I will cut it short and continue in the next blog.
Tell those that you love that you love them! This human experiment will end. Love as much as you can! Make art! Make love! Be present! And please tell those that you love how much they mean to you. And how you want to be them when you grow up. Because those that are in your life are there for a reason. Love and cherish them while you can.
Also some good thoughts for my best of friends/brother/twinned spirit would be much appreciated.
-
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