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 theater vs film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater vs film. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Putting It All Together
Over the past few days I've taken all the footage of mine I could collect off of Youtube and Vimeo from the various film and web video projects I've done in the past three years, and have been going through the arduous but satisfying process of cutting them together into a usable demo reel. Mind you, I have a demo reel, but since making it I've acquired some new footage, and some new perspective. Where before, I cut something together rather cheaply, this time I've been much more methodical with my iMovie cutting. I'm on draft 5 or 6 now, draft 4 is up on Youtube and so is draft 5 I think, but set up where you can't find them unless you have a link.
Stop me if this isn't interesting to you. Actually, don't bother, just stop reading all together. This ties into several things I've been ruminating about as of late, producing and taking pride in my own content, and the sense one has as an actor of "a legacy" or an impact in the longer terms of making a career and the even broader question "what does it all mean"? It's sort of a paradox but not really because the word is just too pretentious for it's own good... the way that I think live theater is capable of much more impact and meaningful change in people's lives (or so I'd like to believe) but that film, which is so often crass and commercial, is the longer lasting, sometimes even immortal medium. Of course there are crass and commercial theatrical endeavors, and films of aching truth and beauty. But I think of the theatrical work created in a given year, even as it dwindles and diminshes, versus the slate of movies that are made or come out in a given year, which ironically as theater declines are becoming much more accessible with digital cameras and the internet... that the theater has more of that "truthiness". But what do I know?
This is a prelude to the big question, as an artist, where do you focus your energy? Wherever the work is, haha! Yeah it's sort of a silly answer, but it's a silly question too, because you only have so much choice. Unless your driven to create your own stuff and your own opportunities. Which brings me to point B, creating my own stuff. In case you were unaware, I made my first video blog. A big part of this was an exercise in being front of a camera as myself, filling space, and being comfortable while I do it. I would say I'm actually pretty good at hosting gigs, I can be funny and charming as needed, and generally know how to work a crowd. I say having hosted a couple of different events over the years. And I could probably also be better at it, if I had opportunities to practice. And eventually, if I can get good and get the right opportunities, it could be quite lucrative. And the nature of technology today is, I don't need an audience to practice, although audiences make it easier. Probably, if my on camera career were to take off, I'd be put in situations where I'd be hosting against a green screen or on an empty sound stage. And because I have a web cam, I can start honing that skill now. Eventually, I'd like to record little scenes and monologues and actual scripted content.
Speaking of which, I mentioned the podcast Making It with Riki Lindhome previously (the episode I was referring to at the time was with Malcolm Barrett) and in the latest installment she talked to writer/director/member of The State Robert Ben Garant, and it's fantastic and inspiring and if you want to write your own stuff you should listen to it.
For me, writing is still hard. For a long time I could write lots and lots of poetry, but most of it wasn't very good. Now that I've become more aware of how I would like to envision my voice by doing all this acting and improv and that brief foray into stand up, I really want to start doing my own comedy writing and making my own videos. This would be with the full knowledge that probably my initial attempts will not be good. But Picasso had to practice before he became Picasso. You have to produce junk before you can learn how to make anything good or interesting. And the sooner you start, and the more you do, the sooner you'll be better.
So back to editing my reel, it's been a fun creative exercise in stringing moments together (and figuring out iMovie and by extension the principals of editing). And it ties back to that question of legacy, because this is the sum of a quadrant of my work as an actor, and the direction I think I want to take it in. It's funny, every time I finish a version, I start to think "OK this is the one" but then I look at it again and say "actually this could be better..." and so I'm on draft number 6. I think this one I'll put online and show to some more people to get feedback. OK here it is. Tell me what you think, if you've read this far. It's sort of redundant, because I should be getting in some more new footage and will have to redo it soon. But hey, fun creative excercise! Enjoy those as they come, before it's just work. And even still, enjoy them.
---
EDIT: Since writing the part up top, we had our third performance of Three Sisters, and it was super intense and satisfying. During my big climatic pre duel to the death scene, I felt as in the moment as I've been through this process and my scene partner shed a tear. It was legitimately very moving. I think what it was, for me, was that I finally brought all of Chekhov's poetic language about trees and our slavish existence to fate all together finally and brought it down for Irina as a way to try to make her feel better about what I had to do and that's what the scene is really all about. I'll blog more about it later, our second performance is tonight!
Stop me if this isn't interesting to you. Actually, don't bother, just stop reading all together. This ties into several things I've been ruminating about as of late, producing and taking pride in my own content, and the sense one has as an actor of "a legacy" or an impact in the longer terms of making a career and the even broader question "what does it all mean"? It's sort of a paradox but not really because the word is just too pretentious for it's own good... the way that I think live theater is capable of much more impact and meaningful change in people's lives (or so I'd like to believe) but that film, which is so often crass and commercial, is the longer lasting, sometimes even immortal medium. Of course there are crass and commercial theatrical endeavors, and films of aching truth and beauty. But I think of the theatrical work created in a given year, even as it dwindles and diminshes, versus the slate of movies that are made or come out in a given year, which ironically as theater declines are becoming much more accessible with digital cameras and the internet... that the theater has more of that "truthiness". But what do I know?
This is a prelude to the big question, as an artist, where do you focus your energy? Wherever the work is, haha! Yeah it's sort of a silly answer, but it's a silly question too, because you only have so much choice. Unless your driven to create your own stuff and your own opportunities. Which brings me to point B, creating my own stuff. In case you were unaware, I made my first video blog. A big part of this was an exercise in being front of a camera as myself, filling space, and being comfortable while I do it. I would say I'm actually pretty good at hosting gigs, I can be funny and charming as needed, and generally know how to work a crowd. I say having hosted a couple of different events over the years. And I could probably also be better at it, if I had opportunities to practice. And eventually, if I can get good and get the right opportunities, it could be quite lucrative. And the nature of technology today is, I don't need an audience to practice, although audiences make it easier. Probably, if my on camera career were to take off, I'd be put in situations where I'd be hosting against a green screen or on an empty sound stage. And because I have a web cam, I can start honing that skill now. Eventually, I'd like to record little scenes and monologues and actual scripted content.
Speaking of which, I mentioned the podcast Making It with Riki Lindhome previously (the episode I was referring to at the time was with Malcolm Barrett) and in the latest installment she talked to writer/director/member of The State Robert Ben Garant, and it's fantastic and inspiring and if you want to write your own stuff you should listen to it.
For me, writing is still hard. For a long time I could write lots and lots of poetry, but most of it wasn't very good. Now that I've become more aware of how I would like to envision my voice by doing all this acting and improv and that brief foray into stand up, I really want to start doing my own comedy writing and making my own videos. This would be with the full knowledge that probably my initial attempts will not be good. But Picasso had to practice before he became Picasso. You have to produce junk before you can learn how to make anything good or interesting. And the sooner you start, and the more you do, the sooner you'll be better.
So back to editing my reel, it's been a fun creative exercise in stringing moments together (and figuring out iMovie and by extension the principals of editing). And it ties back to that question of legacy, because this is the sum of a quadrant of my work as an actor, and the direction I think I want to take it in. It's funny, every time I finish a version, I start to think "OK this is the one" but then I look at it again and say "actually this could be better..." and so I'm on draft number 6. I think this one I'll put online and show to some more people to get feedback. OK here it is. Tell me what you think, if you've read this far. It's sort of redundant, because I should be getting in some more new footage and will have to redo it soon. But hey, fun creative excercise! Enjoy those as they come, before it's just work. And even still, enjoy them.
---
EDIT: Since writing the part up top, we had our third performance of Three Sisters, and it was super intense and satisfying. During my big climatic pre duel to the death scene, I felt as in the moment as I've been through this process and my scene partner shed a tear. It was legitimately very moving. I think what it was, for me, was that I finally brought all of Chekhov's poetic language about trees and our slavish existence to fate all together finally and brought it down for Irina as a way to try to make her feel better about what I had to do and that's what the scene is really all about. I'll blog more about it later, our second performance is tonight!
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