An aha moment

Funny how these things creep up on you. One thing just sort of leads to another, or maybe not even leads, but you see connections and everything falls into place . . . or at least points in a direction. Wondering where the next solo piece will come from and working on other stuff when I see a photo on Facebook of my cousin from Memphis posed with the mascot of my alma mater (Marshall University). He mentions a place in Kentucky with shared roots . . . which I have never been to. Seems his connection with the place goes a lot deeper than mine as I have never been there. So that gets me thinking about digging a little deeper into that side of things. Then there's jury duty which brings up some stuff I had never even shared with my wife (on the day after an audition for August Osage County which is about a very troubled family)AND then there is A Thousand Acres, which is a phenomenal book which slowly but surely exposes the nerve endings . . . I put the book down yesterday and sat on the porch with my dog (it was my birthday and I took the day off) and my mind was so blown by that book . . . which I haven't even finished yet . . . and the realization that despite all my work with the writing and performing . . . I hadn't really gotten into the deep personal shit . . . I do fold little autobiographical tidbits into everything . . . but to really dig deeply into what I feel and who I am? Hasn't happened . . . yet . . . and the question becomes: do I have balls enough to confront myself in that way in public . . . to be really honest. And if so will that take me to another level or will it end up being a brief detour . . . nothing really horrendous in my family backgroud . . . that I know of . . . but maybe the journey to dig into my shit will be enough . . . worth experimenting a bit to see where it goes. In any event . . . this whole aha moment unfolded slowly and slapped up side the head yesterday afternoon . . . the sign is pointing 'This Way' . . . I guess you go this way.

Meanderings

Had an interesting time auditioning for 'August: Osage County' last week. I felt ready and the parts are all wonderful and nearly all the men are in my age range. The audition went ok, not tons of laughs and it was on the stage in a 400+ seat theater, with two people in it . . . so it was all very workman like. In any event I didn't get a call back. Probably for the best really. Trying to make money at work and rehearsing would have been a delicate balance to say the least. But I have plenty to keep me busy. The Fringe Playwrights Unit starts up again on Tuesday and I am diligently working on getting my new piece typed into the computer (diligently except for today as I'm blogging instead of typing!) It will be great to have that third piece of the puzzle done for the 'miners trilogy'. I've taken some stabs at it before, kind of knew that it would take place in Beulah's; but my previous version was about Beulah's shutting down, which was kind of not that universal alongside the first play (miners on the picket line) or #2 (miners trapped in a roof fall). So in working on this one it's more about the declining fortunes of miners as the mining jobs dry up. We'll see what happens with it. On another note: entered Letter of Resignation into One Man Talking. AND I have the possible beginnings of a new piece about my family history, which is starting to take an interesting turn as I find things out about my shared history from my cousin in Memphis, could be something to explore, especially when it comes to universal themes and such . . .

Post show discussion

Everything went well at the Fringe. 'It Can't Happen Here' was well received, and a lot of fun to do, though the commute could be a tad daunting at times. It was a real joy to work with everyone, no head games, no divas just a group of people cherry picked by Wallace to bring his play to life . . . we were pretty simpatico. Bette and I had two scenes together and it was just so much fun to let it rip as the troubled parents of a troubled teenager. Bette and I ended our involvement for this year with readings. I read my newest solo piece, Letter of Resignation and Bette read Next. It went very well. Nice turn out, warm response from the audience . . . all in all a nice way to end it (though we're going up on Sat. to see the readings and Rain Pryor). So 2012 has been an amazing theatrical year for me. From Old Hickory in Nyack to Like a Sack of Potatoes at the One Man Talking then Letter at the Fringe (unless my calculator is broken, that's three solo pieces this year . . . I need to figure out how to package them as an evening) No idea what comes next, but I'm ready for it. Actually I do have an idea what comes next: back to the writing. I've been negligent in the last few weeks (can't imagine why) but I need to go back to work on the Beulah piece, which is part three of my miner's trilogy, and I have some ideas for a new solo bit that might gestate into something. But it's nice to take a moment to reflect and appreciate. My daughter is safe in Peru (though Isaac disrupted her getting there) and all is well on the home front. And last but not least on the artistic front as well! In fact I just completed my application for New Dramatists, haven't done that for several years, but they made it easy - all electronic so you don't have to print and mail and all that daunting stuff! So . . . a day or two to be lazy . . . and then the great work continues!

First week at the Fringe

Today is the final performance for this week of It Can't Happen Here at the Woodstock Fringe. It has been going remarkably well. Audience response has been good and the performances seem to grow with everyone finding new stuff all the time. To be honest, I was a little wary of how this would turn out. This time last week we had yet to move into the theater which of course means that NONE of the technical aspects of the play had been addressed. It could have been a real disaster. But thanks to the vision and patience of Wallace (director/author of the piece and Artistic Dir. of the Fringe) it all came together beautifully. Of course, it involved lonnnnnggggg rehearsals (3p-10p Mon-Wed) but it was worth it. I worked half days on top of that, so my days were really long (didn't want to chew up too much of my remaining vacation days at work). At any rate, the set is about 16 boxes which are moved around during transitions, so the first order of business was choreographing that, and there are major sound and light cues along with projections . . . and . . . oh yes, we did rehearse the play a bit too. The first time we ran it in a stumble through on Wed. night I didn't expect much but it went very very smoothly . . .amazing how these things pull together. A great group of people to work with as well. The cast is pretty special (not to mention getting to do my scenes with Bette - my wife for those of you who don't know - it is just an incredibly cool moment for us). My daughter came with her fella last night and she was a tad freaked, that she was watching her parents play the parents of someone else her age . . . but she liked the production over all and said nice things about her acting! At any rate, one more today for this week, then three next weekend with the last one followed by my reading of Letter of Resignation (I found a bow tie to wear yesterday, now I need to learn how to tie it!) and Bette's reading of Next. More on all that soon.

Last Rehearsal in the City

Last night was the final rehearsal in the city. I'm very excited about working in Woodstock again; and though I won't be able to stay up there this time, the commute is just about the same, time-wise, as getting into Manhattan and when you're at Byrdcliffe everything just sort of tumbles off of you. It is a wonderful place to be. Wallace (for those of you not paying attention: Wallace Norman, producing artistic director of Woodstock Fringe and director of Old Hickory) has assembled his 'dream cast' (his words not mine) and it is a very very simpatico bunch of people. Victor Truro I know from the playwrights unit and he is a pro, been around a while and a sweet sweet man, Michael Bergen has been to the workshop a few times and I saw him in a play in last year's Fringe, he's doing wonderful work as well, and Alessandro Ciari, who plays my son is just a really deep young actor. He has a lot on his shoulders carrying this play but he's doing an excellent job. Bette and I play Alessandro's conflicted parents. Bette is a force of nature. Our scenes together with Alessandro (and later with Victor)call for a lot of colors and are very challenging, but being on stage with Bette is always special. We've worked together, three times I think, always memorable but being in the same play doesn't mean having scenes together necessarily but this time we do. We did a lot of scenes together in Ed Morehouse's class, which were always highlights (especially when Ed referred to us one time as the Lunts . . . that kind of praise does not come easily from him; I think that was a scene from Come Back Little Sheba). And I can't say enough about working with Wallace. An amazing person who wants nothing more than to make the experience of working in theater the deep pleasure it should be. He's a pro and he treats you like one (and is loving and funny to boot - he keeps thing tight and loose at the same time . . . no mean feat!) All he has to do is ask and I'm there. He is a lover of theater and of people in it . . . which is one of the things that makes us a 'dream cast' for him . . . we're all on the same page. Keeping the Fringe going for ten years is quite an accomplishment! I have to mention our two hard working interns as well . . . Clarisse and Stephanie. Can't be easy being an intern, but they seem to be having fun and they will both get acting credits out of this as well. So now a few days off and then we start intense work in Woodstock. I can't wait!

Rehearsals and writing

Time sure flies don't it? It's been over a month since I posted and for a while there I was doing it every day . . . life intrudes that's for sure, plus I don't want to post and say the same thing every time and the news right now is rehearsals for 'It Can't Happen Here' and poking around the ice on pond of my wrtiing to see on which piece the ice is thickest right now (which translates to, what do I want to work on). I did some work on Letter of Resignation, which I will be reading at Woodstock and I think it may be better for it. Nothing major, just cleaning it up a tad. I need to practice tying a bow tie, but I keep forgetting. Bette says he could wear a clip on but I don't think so; people who wear bow ties, wear bow ties . . . not clip ons. Though it woould be easier . . . I just need to get some reps in . . . Rehearsals for Wallace's play (It Can't Happen Here) are going well and are a lot of fun. For one thing I love Wallace and working with him is always rewarding; and Bette and I are having a lot of fun doing it too! We are the parents of a teenage boy with some issues and our first scene with him confronts him when he comes home drunk. The scene was really crackling Wed night when we worked on it . . . A bit of a pause on the Beulah play and there is another solo piece that I'm thinking about . . . we shall see . . . nice to be back to blog land . . . I've missed it!

An incredible year just keeps on getting incredibler!

After a brief hiatus from the mania of the first quarter of the year, the next couple of months is gonna rock! Bette and I will be acting in my friend and conspirator Wallace Norman's 'It Can't Happen Here' at the Woodstock Fringe Festival this summer, August 16-26. (Wallace is the visionary who saw promise in 'Old Hickory' and directed it) On top of that, on the 26th Bette and I will be reading the pieces we read this past May in the city after the final performance of Wallace's play. I always love doing my stuff at Byrdcliffe. The audience is supportive and it's just such a nice place to be. Can't wait! I'm also chipping away at a new piece (not a solo one this time). What's more: I'm having fun with it! Should be finding out in the near future about OH in the United Solo festival. If it is accepted for that, that's two more opportunities to live with that for a while ... I love doing that piece and I really want a chance to do it in the city again (it has come a long way from two years ago in One Man Talking!)