This has been and will continue to be a theater filled week. Not what I was expecting after wrapping up Rosencratz and Guildenstern just this past weekend, but so it goes!
Starting Monday was the beginning of living a dream in miniature... that being, playing the role of Konstantin in the Seagull. I say in miniature, because the context was that of a presentation for my friend Thomas' directing class. He needed someone on short notice who wouldn't require a great deal of directing to pull off a Chekhov role, which I fit the bill for, and inadvertently served as sort of an assistant director filling in gaps from the play and helping to shape the staging.
And you know what? It was overall one of the most artistically satisfied experiences I've had in a long time, in a weird way kind of on par with actually getting to play Tuzenbach (my favorite role after Konstantine, followed by what's-his-face that young socialist in Cherry Orchard, actually these are just Chekhov roles I can play before my mid 30s but because it's Chekhov I still love all of them). The reason being that unlike my other recent theater experiences, all of which were wonderful in their own ways... I felt a degree of freedom and also input, of true collaboration, like I was able to come in and really just do my own thing where the scene was concerned and give input without fear of overstepping a boundary (generally speaking, giving notes to other actors or on the piece as a whole as opposed to your part in it is a faux pas). And then it went from being one thing, to another, much more beautiful thing, in just three days and it was wonderful to watch that develop and feel like I took a real part in it, as more than just an actor, but again a true collaborator. (It actually got me thinking that I might be ready now to try my hand at directing, but that's for another blog post).
So that was Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday I had an audition in Melrose of all places for someone I knew in high school's exploitation film, which I'll probably do some kind of a part in, depending on what they offer me (I don't really want to do anything super explicit, and was offered the role of "naked hippy" on the spot and which I declined, so we'll see). Again, that could be a blog post in itself.
Last night I went and saw All In The Timing by David Ives at The Factory, the first production from Amazing Moustache, a new theater company founded by someone I sort of know through Improv Boston and featuring various people I know through working with them, and although I found the sketches kind of uneven throughly enjoyed it and had fun seeing the work of my peers in the theater and improv communities combined. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next from Amazing Moustache, and would definitely audition for them in the future (I totally would have gone out for this, but it conflicted with R&G, ces la vie).
And then tonight, I saw Commonwealth's Coriolanus... not the most typical play to do a big budget out door staging of, but very well acted, very well teched, and very possible to follow, with some particularly strong performances I thought from Remo Airaldi, Karen Macdonald, Maurice Parent... oh and everybody else, they were all good. And it was also pretty cool seeing people I know from Boston theater acting in the ensemble/citizen roles, as well as my classmates from Yo-el's movement class.
When I had planned on auditioning for the production (which I ultimately wasn't able to do, due to a scheduling thing the day) I illegally downloaded and watch (nobody tell the MPAA or Comcast on me!) the recent Ralph Fiennes film adaptation, which I think will actually be coming out on DVD fairly soon and when it does... oh man, Nextflix that shit, it's really fantastic. Ralph Fiennes sets in modern day Eastern Europe, which makes certain scenes extra trippy in that you could see how a crowd would go on a riot due to a food shortage and then more so when he goes cross country, hitch hiking to Volumnia and he's just completely unconcerned with making Coriolanus sympathetic he just plays him with such brutality... it's something to see.
So anyway, I think somewhat unfairly (although it also helped enhance my experience because I knew better what was going on) I spent a lot of the time that I was watching it comparing the two, and of course film is a completely different medium from theater so there's not much point in going in to the differences. This production was much more invested in giving Coriolanus a sympathetic level of depth, and was much more sparing on the text, whereas of course the movie version cut it down to shreds and back. And the actor playing Coriolanus was much more explicitly charismatic and less psychotic then Ralph Fiennes, and this version idolized Coriolanus in a way the movie didn't. I could go down the list, but even though I didn't enjoy it as much as last year's All's Well That End's Well, I think it's very worth seeing before it closes next Saturday especially because who the hell ever stages Coriolanus? Practically nobody, so check it out.
The cap to this weekend filled with theater is that I'm waking up at 8 AM to meet my collaborator on The Last Jews, Larry Jay Tish who will be driving with me out to Lenox for the next stage of the project, a staged, filmed reading, footage from which will be used in conjunction with Kickstarter to fund a full production some later this year or next, which is exciting. In addition, this particular round of readings are being hosted by my friend and also collaborator on the project, Chuck Schwager's new theater company, Pythagoras Theater Company. So I'll be hanging out in Lenox for two days, Chuck, Larry, Bobbie Steinbach and myself. We'll be doing a reading tomorrow afternoon, then seeing King Lear at Shakespeare and Company (my first time seeing it) and doing another reading on Monday before coming back.
Theater! Oh yeah! OK I should go to sleep, check you later, blogosphere.
Showing posts with label The Last Jews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Last Jews. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Being on Stage
I had the opportunity to get on stage and perform twice last weekend in two very different situations. One was the culmination of these past two weeks work as we presented The Apology my play about incest I was cast in at Roxbury Repertory Theatre's Six Playwrights in Search of a Stage one act play festival thing. The other was earlier this evening with my improv troupe, Rebels Without Applause as part of Improv Boston's Geek Week festival as we presented our (and particularly my own) virgin foray into performing long form improv. Both were the culmination of weeks of preparation and rehearsal, both presented challenges and both were unqualified successes. Well, except for one qualification, in my mind there were things which could have gone better about both of them, despite the fact that they were very well received and practically I performed to the best of my abilities... but not to my very absolute best. Which is OK. But that's the theme of this post, I'm coming back around to the theme of a previous post, satisfaction. Being satisfied with your work.
Because the thing is, as an actor, once you put something out in the world you don't get to do revisions on it like an author or even a painter or film maker gets to do. In the case of stage acting, you might get to try it again. But each individual performance stands alone as a piece, even if it's a piece of a greater organism, the show itself and the run of performances. In the case of these two events though, it's just one show. I'm sure I'll get to perform long form again in the future. And who knows, maybe this play will come back but I don't know that the playwright would contact us about reprising our roles if it did. So for the time being, I just have to be happy with the work I did.
Allow me to obsess a little bit. In both cases, I felt like in rehearsal we were able to achieve certain things that in performance we had the facsimile of but didn't exactly achieve. This is because live theatre is live theatre, it's different every time. In the case of our improv show, I sort of felt like it could have congealed a little better. But there was a major difference between our rehearsals and our performance... for the performance it was a packed full room of people. Laughing people. Quite a bit, actually. They really enjoyed our performance. And even if it was a little more chaotic then in some of our rehearsals, it was really really funny. And hey that's what it's all about.
The other, much more serious performance was also successful. It was strange performing in a straight play for the first time since March and Swimming in the Shallows that we only had one chance to perform it live, whereas with Swimming we had like sixteen. And of course, over that many performances the piece really evolves and even if you don't get something one night, you'll get another thing the next night and another thing after that but then not this, etc. But nope, The Apology had it's brief time on stage and now it's over. That was also successful. But I do wish we'd had a longer run, because I can't escape the feeling I could have done more with it. I mean man, what an intense piece and what an intense arc to go from just hangin' out with my Mom to "oh hey I spoke to my older sister, so my older brother raped her repeatedly when we were children? Why didn't you do something" etc and granted it was much more intense and much less flippant. It was a great acting challenge, and I had some great people taking it on with me. And then there were the other pieces, all of which were delightful and all the new folks I was able to meet and all the old ones I reconnected with. In short, a great experience.
Next up is that reading I've alluded to periodically, the culmination of months of work on the writer's part and us actors meeting several times over the past few months to break down the script and give him feedback, yes ladies and gentleman THE LAST JEWS are coming to Boston Playwright's Theater this Monday. And can I be honest? Being on stage with Bobbie Steinbach is a great opportunity, and despite the fact that she is anything but intimidating in person I can't help but be a little intimidated getting on stage with someone of her caliber. You know what I mean? In the meantime, let's just say my role has been expanded and I have some work to do. We had a rehearsal this past Monday, and another one on Friday primarily focusing on the scene where I do most of the talking between the playwright, my scene partner and myself. Oh and in the meantime, Three Sisters is about to enter full speed ahead mode as we go up in a month. So that's plenty going on!
Because the thing is, as an actor, once you put something out in the world you don't get to do revisions on it like an author or even a painter or film maker gets to do. In the case of stage acting, you might get to try it again. But each individual performance stands alone as a piece, even if it's a piece of a greater organism, the show itself and the run of performances. In the case of these two events though, it's just one show. I'm sure I'll get to perform long form again in the future. And who knows, maybe this play will come back but I don't know that the playwright would contact us about reprising our roles if it did. So for the time being, I just have to be happy with the work I did.
Allow me to obsess a little bit. In both cases, I felt like in rehearsal we were able to achieve certain things that in performance we had the facsimile of but didn't exactly achieve. This is because live theatre is live theatre, it's different every time. In the case of our improv show, I sort of felt like it could have congealed a little better. But there was a major difference between our rehearsals and our performance... for the performance it was a packed full room of people. Laughing people. Quite a bit, actually. They really enjoyed our performance. And even if it was a little more chaotic then in some of our rehearsals, it was really really funny. And hey that's what it's all about.
The other, much more serious performance was also successful. It was strange performing in a straight play for the first time since March and Swimming in the Shallows that we only had one chance to perform it live, whereas with Swimming we had like sixteen. And of course, over that many performances the piece really evolves and even if you don't get something one night, you'll get another thing the next night and another thing after that but then not this, etc. But nope, The Apology had it's brief time on stage and now it's over. That was also successful. But I do wish we'd had a longer run, because I can't escape the feeling I could have done more with it. I mean man, what an intense piece and what an intense arc to go from just hangin' out with my Mom to "oh hey I spoke to my older sister, so my older brother raped her repeatedly when we were children? Why didn't you do something" etc and granted it was much more intense and much less flippant. It was a great acting challenge, and I had some great people taking it on with me. And then there were the other pieces, all of which were delightful and all the new folks I was able to meet and all the old ones I reconnected with. In short, a great experience.
Next up is that reading I've alluded to periodically, the culmination of months of work on the writer's part and us actors meeting several times over the past few months to break down the script and give him feedback, yes ladies and gentleman THE LAST JEWS are coming to Boston Playwright's Theater this Monday. And can I be honest? Being on stage with Bobbie Steinbach is a great opportunity, and despite the fact that she is anything but intimidating in person I can't help but be a little intimidated getting on stage with someone of her caliber. You know what I mean? In the meantime, let's just say my role has been expanded and I have some work to do. We had a rehearsal this past Monday, and another one on Friday primarily focusing on the scene where I do most of the talking between the playwright, my scene partner and myself. Oh and in the meantime, Three Sisters is about to enter full speed ahead mode as we go up in a month. So that's plenty going on!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Habits
I have a habit of habitually checking sites like Craigslist (where I first started finding acting gigs before I had the sense to finally pay for Stagesource), New England Film and New England Theatre 411 for auditions, if I'm really bored, sometimes more than once in a day. I think I'm getting better about it. This is in spite of the fact that I'm presently more or less booked out.
How booked out? As you know I'm doing Three Sisters this June, which now that the director has finished with her other directorial commitment for the Spring will be picking up in frequency of rehearsal, intensity and momentum and then the thing you don't know because I haven't told anyone I'll be playing Alfred in Apollinaire's summer outdoor production of Rosencratz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I'm happy with this part. Obviously, of the speaking roles in the show of which there are only like eight if you think about it, Alfred is the smallest. But he's not a spear carrier, he's a living human being with a troubled past. Also he gets to wear a dress, and I'm sure I can find some fun physical comedy type business for him to engage in as part of the ensemble of tragedians. And he gets to imitate Gertrude. All in all, I think it's a win for me. It is a family show, and we are toning down the elements where the Player offers him as a uh... prostitute to Rosencratz and Guildenstern, but hey while I'm not doing anything else I can build those given circumstances into my portrayal. I mean think about it, this kid has been really actively abused up to this point. Probably he was sold to the Player, who hits him and makes him do things he doesn't want to do to the point of... yeah. How would someone who'd gone through that carry some selves? I mean this kid is a victim of serious trauma. Oh yeah though, it's a comedy. Look at the funny man in the dress!
So that'll be exciting. Another habit I have is not preparing as well I should. I have quite a bit of getting off book to do. For Three Sisters and for The Apology the one act which we're presenting on Friday at 7 PM in Roxbury, for free so come see that because I think it's going to be really good.
Also my staged reading of The Last Jews by Larry Jay Tish featuring Chuck Schwager, Amber Williams, myself oh and BOBBIE STEINBACH which is May 7th at Boston Playwrights Theatre. Our rehearsal for that is next Monday and it's pretty exciting too.
Before that though, my improv troupe is trying our first stab at doing long form at Improv Boston's Geekweek this Sunday at 7:30. So many awesome opportunities for you to see me doing great stuff. Which is to say if you are reading this you are invited to those things. So come see them. Or not. I'll understand.
How booked out? As you know I'm doing Three Sisters this June, which now that the director has finished with her other directorial commitment for the Spring will be picking up in frequency of rehearsal, intensity and momentum and then the thing you don't know because I haven't told anyone I'll be playing Alfred in Apollinaire's summer outdoor production of Rosencratz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I'm happy with this part. Obviously, of the speaking roles in the show of which there are only like eight if you think about it, Alfred is the smallest. But he's not a spear carrier, he's a living human being with a troubled past. Also he gets to wear a dress, and I'm sure I can find some fun physical comedy type business for him to engage in as part of the ensemble of tragedians. And he gets to imitate Gertrude. All in all, I think it's a win for me. It is a family show, and we are toning down the elements where the Player offers him as a uh... prostitute to Rosencratz and Guildenstern, but hey while I'm not doing anything else I can build those given circumstances into my portrayal. I mean think about it, this kid has been really actively abused up to this point. Probably he was sold to the Player, who hits him and makes him do things he doesn't want to do to the point of... yeah. How would someone who'd gone through that carry some selves? I mean this kid is a victim of serious trauma. Oh yeah though, it's a comedy. Look at the funny man in the dress!
So that'll be exciting. Another habit I have is not preparing as well I should. I have quite a bit of getting off book to do. For Three Sisters and for The Apology the one act which we're presenting on Friday at 7 PM in Roxbury, for free so come see that because I think it's going to be really good.
Also my staged reading of The Last Jews by Larry Jay Tish featuring Chuck Schwager, Amber Williams, myself oh and BOBBIE STEINBACH which is May 7th at Boston Playwrights Theatre. Our rehearsal for that is next Monday and it's pretty exciting too.
Before that though, my improv troupe is trying our first stab at doing long form at Improv Boston's Geekweek this Sunday at 7:30. So many awesome opportunities for you to see me doing great stuff. Which is to say if you are reading this you are invited to those things. So come see them. Or not. I'll understand.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Excitement
I'm inexplicably part of a very exciting collaboration, the members of which convened this morning to discuss it's current state and future implications. I'm being all vague because I feel like if I bring up who's involved or what it is or what we are thinking of doing with it (I shouldn't really say "we", I pretty much feel like I'm along for the ride) it could jinx it. Anyway it's an exciting prospect, and here I am at the ground floor! I don't know, I just came away from our meeting this morning feeling all excited, you know? I guess I'll admit it's a new play, one which I previously blogged about being a part of, so if you really want you can search through my previous posts and you'll figure it out (not that you are that invested). But it's just cool being part of the shaping of something like this, and the aspect of it being shaped around me and my personality as an actor. And did I mention the people involved? I guess I did indirectly. Well, they are super awesome. And it's not like it's just me and some dudes sitting around and dreaming, this is a committed group with a solid piece in the process of being fleshed out, and that's exciting.
It makes me think of one of the main things missing from my life artistically; writing. I guess I'm writing this, that's something. But I really should be developing more stuff for myself, skits, movie and play ideas, *cough* stand up *cough*. Whether or not any of this stuff is any good, I mean it won't be at first, getting the bad stuff out of the way now I'll be ready for when it actually matters later in my career, when I'm in a place where I really need to start making opportunities for myself by doing what artists and actors inevitably do, creating for myself.
I saw Three Viewings at New Rep tonight, and enjoyed it throughly. There were a handful of aspects I have reservations about, in particular the age of the actress of the middle piece didn't feel like it added it up with the time line of events her story was telling, but overall it was a very well acted, well designed piece and I found it worth going to.
Uncle Vanya is going well. I'm particularly excited for next week, when I get to sit and just watch Johnny Kuntz work. Did I mention I love Chekov? Because I do.
I don't know where this second piece in a row came from. Well, I guess the excitement of this morning combined with reading blog entries from earlier in the year, it felt like I was much less precious about what I wrote. I need to get back into that mind set. Writing is one thing, editing is another, you know what I mean? You write, write, and write some more, and then edit it later. That's how it work.
It makes me think of one of the main things missing from my life artistically; writing. I guess I'm writing this, that's something. But I really should be developing more stuff for myself, skits, movie and play ideas, *cough* stand up *cough*. Whether or not any of this stuff is any good, I mean it won't be at first, getting the bad stuff out of the way now I'll be ready for when it actually matters later in my career, when I'm in a place where I really need to start making opportunities for myself by doing what artists and actors inevitably do, creating for myself.
I saw Three Viewings at New Rep tonight, and enjoyed it throughly. There were a handful of aspects I have reservations about, in particular the age of the actress of the middle piece didn't feel like it added it up with the time line of events her story was telling, but overall it was a very well acted, well designed piece and I found it worth going to.
Uncle Vanya is going well. I'm particularly excited for next week, when I get to sit and just watch Johnny Kuntz work. Did I mention I love Chekov? Because I do.
I don't know where this second piece in a row came from. Well, I guess the excitement of this morning combined with reading blog entries from earlier in the year, it felt like I was much less precious about what I wrote. I need to get back into that mind set. Writing is one thing, editing is another, you know what I mean? You write, write, and write some more, and then edit it later. That's how it work.
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