I had to keep it completely quiet until it was a done deal, but now I can
make somewhat of an official announcement: I have just been cast in a
featured principal role in an upcoming film adaptation of what, in a great
personal happenstance, is one of my favorite novels, if not my absolute
favorite novel.
At this point I am not allowed to reveal very much of anything about the
production: what my role is, what the title of novel or film is, who is
directing, or what actors are starring, though I have to tell you that
it thrills me (and intimidates me) to be working on screen with a
particular one of these actors.
I can say that I am in three scenes that will be shot in southern
Indiana just a little before this coming Christmas time. Now the big question
for me is, do I join SAG/AFTRA
or not?
Because you know, there are pros and cons, mostly cons, to being a
Sag/AFTRA actor while still situated in Southwest Ohio.
But what a great opportunity. Pretty decent paycheck, too, though I won't
be leaving my job at
the rent-payer.
AN ENTRY FOR ANY OTHER DAY:
I have inventoried the sound effect needs for the show as well as begun to
harvest music for both production and pre-show/intermission. This afternoon,
after work, I'll head to the theatre
to start plotting the procedure to plug and unplug a couple practical*
set pieces that need such attention during each performance ‐‐ as I wrote
about in the last blog entry, on March 30. I may drop in tomorrow morning
to work on this again, before my
Ohio Playwrights Circle
acting class gig.
I did not go to the theatre last night, rather I stayed home and
did some more music harvesting for the production, and some script
notes. But this morning I am at the theatre for that plotting
of the procedure to plug and unplug the practicals during performance
and other miscellaneous related work.
With both the sound design work I need to do today for
The Trip to Bountiful
and leaving town for Chicago, I need the three-plus hours I'd have to give
to the class. But I am 90+% probable for next week and see no problems
whatsoever for the rest of the OPC schedule, including the May 7 public
reading at The Guild
Remember there will be a public reading of selected works from this
class at The Guild on
Saturday, May 7 at 7:00 ‐‐ admission will be free.
This morning the TV was saying the weather will be on the verge of hideous
when I hit Chicago Sunday morning. But weather.com
says the high will be 61°, though there will be gusty winds up to 30
MPH; and that it will drop to 35° by the evening with occasional gusts
of 40 MPH.
Hopefully the 40 MPH winds arrive after I have departed.
The real consideration is that I plan to drive into the city from my motel
room in Northern Indiana, park in an all-day garage, walk about thrity
minutes to the
Lincoln Park Conservatory
and check that and the park complex around it during the morning, then take
about another thirty-minute walk to
Itto Sushi Japanese Restaurant
for lunch. Lastly, another thirty-minute walk to steppenwolf, to see the
show.
Let's hope that "high of 61°"
is not incorrect! I can argue that the gust winds will be good
resistance for my prescribed heart walking exercise.
"Glass half full," ya know.
After the show, it's
Trattoria Gianni's across the
street from the theatre. I've ate there last time I was at steppenwolf, and
in the company of the uber-talented Lauren S. Deaton ‐‐ a Chicago transplant
from the Dayton area. The meal there will assuredly max my sodium intake
for the day, if not push me over, which is why today I do no sodium, and
probably won't on Monday, as well.
I also have elected to drive back to the motel, spend Sunday night and head
back home Monday morning.....
.....probably later in the morning, though I do want to be sure to be back
in time for my cardiac rehab.
Let's see how many people get the
reference that is the headline for this entry.
For the second year in a row, I am sorry to say that I was not
able to have "actor" as a profession nor income for my
tax status. So, currently, even "semi-professional actor"
is a misnomer.
However, as for my tax return for 2015:
*there's an Easter egg in
this entry*
Two Saturdays ago, the 9th, I had to again skip the dramatic reading of
student playwright pages for the play writing class at
The Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center,
collaboratively sponsored between
The Human Race Theatre Company
and The Ohio Playwrights Circle,
and taught by local Playwright Michael London. I had the final stretch of
sound design work for The Trip to Bountiful to deal with. But, I
was able to read this past Saturday and am likely to make the rest of the
readings for this class, including the public reading at 7 pm on May 7
at The Guild.
OPENING NIGHT:
I can't speak for the whole weekend, because I was only there on Opening
Night, Friday, but that night seemed to go well. I was, as usual on Opening
Night, the house manager, so I didn't attend to the performance much, but
I did hear positive audience response and the cast and crew felt good about
the night. So there ya go.
I did, on occasion pop into the theatre proper to listen to levels and
dynamics for some of the sound cues. Since the theatre filled with audience
members has a difference ambient dynamic than when the seats are empty the
balance of the sound from the speakers can change. I was happy with what I
heard, with one exception that I adjusted after the show that evening.
PRE-PRODUCTION KICKED OFF:
Saturday we had a production meeting for the next show at The Guild, that
which I am on board as producer. It went well, and I am glad to report that
Bruce Brown is designing our set. Bruce, who was once a board member at The
Guild, has been out of the theatre game for a little while and it's great
to have him back. And his concept for the show is stellar!
We held the first round of auditions last night and auditions continue and
conclude tonight at the theatre. If you read this in time, see below for
the audition specs, or go to
www.daytontheatreguild.org/auditions/.
TRACY AND MARY PAGE:
Of course, you five will know that I headed to Chicago the first weekend
of the month to see one of the preview performances of
Tracy Letts' new
play Mary Page Marlowe at Steppenwolf.
I spent a nice Sunday in
Lincoln Park.
I drove over Saturday and actually stayed in a motel in Merrillville,
Indiana, then drove into Chicago Sunday morning and parked my car in a
garage near steppenwolf and walked the neighborhood until it was showtime.
First I trekked about thirty minutes to the
Lincoln Park Conservatory,
as I wrote earlier that I would. The plan was to then walk another thirty
minutes to Itto Sushi Japanese Restaurant
for lunch. I failed, however, to note when at the website that Itto is
closed on Sundays. As the result I started walking toward the theatre and
actually ate at Thai Bowl,
across from
Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre,
where I ate last time I was in Chicago to see
Death and the Maiden
at that theatre. *Pictures later.
Then it was on to the show.
Mary Page Marlowe essentially is a memory play and a character
study. There isn't a traditional story line, rather vignette's spanning the
life of Mary Page in non-linear presentation, with connections
back-and-forth between the scenes. It is well-written and superbly produced,
directed and performed.
I am wondering if it will have a life beyond the steppenwolf run, however.
It calls for a large cast, eighteen for the steppenwolf production, though
that could be trimmed a little bit, but not much. About six to eight of those
need to be women and girls to play Mary Page at different ages, spanning
virtually her entire life. Not being a musical it seems an unlikely
candidate for new York City, especially Broadway. My understanding is
producers don't want ot hire that many actors for a straight play and would
rather not hire that many for a musical. Seems regionals might even be shy
about that. The need to cast so many women in the title role seems a challenge,
too. Even many regionals might find it hard to pull from a pool large enough
to get sufficient actresses who all look like they might be the same woman
at different stages of her life. And community theatres?: the ones who care
about quality will probably not want to risk not being able to meet the
casting challenge. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like this play does not
have a very viable production life ahead of it.
But that production dilemma is a commerce issue. The art of the work is
solid and compelling.
ESTRAGON AND VLADIMIR
Last Friday evening I headed to
Springfield StageWorks to
check out their mounting of
Beckett's
Waiting for Godot.
It was a really nice production, directed by
Larry Coressel
and featuring mostly a cast of men I have worked with before: Chuck
Larkowski as Vladimir, Brent Eresman as Estragon, and Garry Thompson as
Pozzo, all doing fine work. But the height of the night for me, if these
men will allow me to overshadow them, was the work of Katie Eresman< Brent's
daughter, as Lucky, still cast as a male, by-the-way. It was her killer
delivery of Lucky's one, insurmountable monologue; Katie nailed it, the
speed, the range of dynamics, the precision; I was impressed.
Yeah, well, Paul's doing a new show, so I'm going. Bought a ticket
last Thursday for the July 10 show in Cincinnati at the
U.S. Bank Arena.
You may or may not recall ‐‐ depending on
whether or not you are one of the five who actually, occasionally read this
silly blog ‐‐ that I elected not not see Paul when he toured last
year since it was the essentially the same "Out There!" show I had
already seen twice, in Indianapolis (2013) then Chicago (2014). There's
enough of a change to the song list this time, plus a new staging, that I
was able to justify supporting the further enrichment of Sir Paul's billions
with another $280-plus ticket.
I seem to have a comparable seat to the one I had in Chicago in July of
2014 ‐‐ my last Paul show. Not a fantastic seat, but not a bad one,
either.
This will be the tenth time I will see Paul in concert. For the record,
here are my previous Paul shows:
Here's the set list from the first show of this current ONE ON ONE tour,
which was at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California just this April 13th:
1. A Hard Day's Night
2. Save Us
3. Can't Buy Me Love
4. Letting Go
5. Temporary Secretary
6. Let Me Roll It
7. I've Got a Feeling
8. My Valentine
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
10. Here, There and Everywhere
11. Maybe I'm Amazed
12. We Can Work It Out
13. In Spite of All the Danger
14. You Won't See Me
15. Love Me Do (semi-acoustic version)
16. And I Love Her
17. Blackbird
18. Here Today
19. Queenie Eye
20. New
21. The Fool on the Hill
22. Lady Madonna
23. Four Five Seconds
24. Eleanor Rigby
25. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
26. Something
27. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
28. Band on the Run
29. Back in the U.S.S.R.
30. Let It Be
31. Live and Let Die
32. Hey Jude
Encore:
33. Yesterday
34. Hi Hi Hi
35. Birthday
36. Golden Slumbers Medley
*I suspect that the "Golden Slumbers
Medley," at least, is a separate encore ‐‐ it usually is.
Maria Barone may have been a bit annoying and more than a
little infuriating at times, but it was only because Doris
Roberts' performance was so beautifully crafted, as were her
performances always, across her career. We have lost one
class actor. May she rest in peace.
Some of you may know that I recently auditioned for a role in a show and
was not cast. In hindsight it was a good thing. I have come to realize I am
not far enough along in my recovery from the heart attack and the heart
surgery to take on a rehearsal schedule. I would have been getting to bed at
11:00-11:30 every night and I am not ready for that ‐‐ not while I have an
eight-hour work day the next day.
I opted out of a more recent audition, as well. I am recovering well, but
"completely recovered" is a ways off, I think.
The Dayton Playhouse FutureFest
2016 auditions will be coming up in about four to six weeks and I'm on the
fence about them. I will see how I am doing then. Again, my recovery is
progressing at a good pace, but, as indicated above, I am still getting
fatigued much faster than I am used to though I am getting a little
more resilient each day. In fact, I just saw my cardiologist and he was
quite pleased with my progress. Yet, I am not where my impatience wants me
to be and I will make my decision about FF auditions when they are closer,
ignoring the input from my impatience.
However, I
absolutely will be doing the Generals
for the 2016/2017 The Human Race Theatre Company
season. They will be in just a month and I will be there.
I am not sure there is a spot for me in the season but I am auditioning
anyway. I did have a recent texting conversation with a fellow local acting
colleague who also feels there is not a spot for him in the season. When I
expressed the same he responded that he believes I have a good enough
musical ear and ability that I could at least be cast as part of the
quartette in
Sweeney Todd.
I hope he is correct. At any rate, I am auditioning even if there is no
real chance of placement for this simple reason: I have a personal need to
do at least ONE professional audition during the year. I haven't
done a professional audition for quite a while; in fact, last years HRTC
Generals was my last professional audition. By and large, these past two
years or so,as I stated in the last blog entry I can't even honestly label
myself a semi-professional actor. I have to take some action to stay
connected to professional acting to some extent.
Sweeney Todd is up first in the season, and rehearsals start mid-August,
so I could be up to the schedule by then. I am not putting all my eggs in
that basket, however. just because my colleague believes I might be an in
for that one doesn't mean it's true. Honestly, as I look at the character
breakdowns for the rest of the season's shows I think there are a few roles
that I am right for, I am just skeptical about the local,
non-Equity actor's
chances against Equity professionals, be they from New York, Chicago, or
local resident artists, in any significant feature role or better ‐‐ even
if I am an EMC actor, myself. But, you
know, what? this was the case with both Grandpa Gellman in
Caroline, or Change
and Rabbi in
Fiddler on the Roof
‐‐ so, what do I know?
There are also Musical Theatre Workshops and Marsha Hanna New Play Workshops
coming up, but both seem to be this coming summer (July) so we are back to
the question of whether I can handle the rehearsal schedule.
Regardless of the variables, I am doing the Generals!
I almost went last night but decided against it. Too bad I didn't go because,
as it turns out, Black was there for a Q&A after the show. I could have
shaken his hand for the third time.
The word genius is often erroneously applied to those who
really aren't one. This man was not one of those cases. To
think he wasn't brilliant is to have an esthetic opinion
that is not worth any attention.
Yesterday I again was one of the actors who read work by the students
in the play writing class collaboratively sponsored between
The Human Race Theatre Company
and The Ohio Playwrights Circle,
and taught by local Playwright Michael London. We prepped a couple
pieces for the public reading at 7 pm on May 7 at
The Guild.
Next week we will prep the rest of the work that will be featured.
I'm 99.9∞% locked on the song. Yes, I am singing this year, partly
because of
Sweeney Todd,
but also just to keep the muscle a little worked. The Theatre Goddess
knows I don't flex it enough, partly because I really have more of a
passion for straight plays.
As for the monologue: I have no idea at this point.
ANNOUNCING THE CAST:
The show has been cast, except for, as of the time of this posting, the role
of Troy ‐‐ we need a younger actor who can play fifteen or sixteen. Here is
the current cast list, in order of appearance:
CHARACTER
ACTOR
Nat Paradis
Jared Mola
Troy Paradis-Pulcifer
Jack Lewis
Updated O5/07/16 to reflect Jack's casting
Guy Gagnon
Rick Flynn
Dwight Paradis
Dave Williamson
Cherry-Tracy Pulcifer
Rachel Wilson
Lurene Legassey Soloway
Angela Dermer
Last night was the table read
and I was to be there to do producer's stuff with the cast and also to take
on the role of Troy for the reading. However, like much of the mid-west,
there were severe storm warnings in the area where I live, and more
pointedly, flash-flood advisories. I live in a flood-zone and have come
home from the theatre in the past to find my neighborhood in several feet
of water ‐‐ happened in 2014 during rehearsals for
The Dead Guy.
I really didn't want to arrive home to such again, so I elected to stay
home and keep and eye on things. This, of course, meant that no flooding
occurred, but I am certain that is only because I stayed home. Now I will
conduct some good portion of the "producer's business with the cast"
via email.
Showing at the festival is Mitch Centers' The Tooth Man
Cometh, with myself as The Tooth Man and my talented
young co-star Ella Gallagan as my nemesis.
The cast in full:
K.L.Storer as Barry *(The Tooth Man)
Ella Gallagan as Ena
Nate Foster as Kane
Jacqueline Cook as Cari
plus, Marissa McClary and Peter Cutler (on-screen extras)
The production crew:
Mitch Centers (Writer/Director), Joe Cook (Director of Photography)
Liz Yong Lowe (1st AD, co-producer, &. Production Designer),
Louis Leshner (2nd AD), Jessica Barton (On-set Producer),
Michaela Scholl (Script Supervisor), Kel Lind (Sound Mixer),
Ethan Frederick (Boom Operator), Nick Kutskill (1st A.C.),
Olga Wagner (2nd A.C.), Aubrey Keith (Stills), Sydney Waltz
(Art Director), Colin Gleason (Art Assistant), Randy Miller
(Gaffer), Brian Merritt (Key Grip), Jerry Ankenbauer (Grip),
Leighanna Hornick (Grip), Aly Loy (Production Assistant),
Leah Byrd (Production Assistant), Michael Dib (Production
Assistant), Danny Kiwacka (Production Assistant), Mark Yungmann
(Production Assistant), Barbara Centers (Catering).
The Cast of The Trip to Bountiful
CHARACTER
ACTOR
Carrie Watts
Gayle Smith
Ludie Watts
Ray Geiger
Jessie Mae Watts
Amy Askins
Thelma
Angela Dermer
Sheriff/Houston Ticket Agent
Scott Madden
Roy/Houston Ticket Agent
Ryan Shannon
The Promocast for Trip to Bountiful
ANOTHER OHIO PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE PUBLIC READING:
Yesterday afternoon was the last prep session for next Saturday's event
‐‐ the public reading at
The Guild at 7:00 pm;
admission is free.
Only two of the four pieces were prepped; the other two were
prepped last weekend. Because of this, only the actors reading in one of
these two were called yesterday. I am one of them but I am okay with that
because I really wanted to read this character, Tully. It's an opportunity
to legitimately play over-the-top with a really fun role.
Tully is a challenge. He speaks in very poetically dialectic prose, which
is beautiful language to use but takes some rehearsal to flow naturally. I
will be woodshedding the script a lot this week. I also will be playing with
the stage a bit as this character ‐‐ it is a reading but some scripts call
for at least some action from the actors. This one needs a bit of action by
my character; I've been given freedom with that movement. I will be on the
Guild stage this week, working that movement out. There is also a plan to go
over at least some of this one before the perfomance on Saturday.
Actually, I'm reading in three of the four play excerpts, which is a little
flattering, because I believe I was requested by the playwrights.
You know, sometimes an actor can get into a
slump and not really feel like he or she can be authentically referred to
as "an actor." Other times, one feels like it is the core essence
of his or her being. Or maybe that's just me.
Some of us in one of the other plays that was not prepped or rehearsed in
class yesterday, hope to meet beforehand the event to do a run through or
two. Of course, I am going to rehearse all three plays during the week, on
my own, if not with others. But Tully gets a bit more attention, both his
words and his action.
Friday I bought ticket(s) for another concert tour coming to the
area, Sheryl Crow, who will be in town June 30. I wrote "ticket(s)"
because, in my haste when first on-line, I snatched up a front-row seat,
but failed to notice the "limited view" warning attached. The
seat was far right, but it was front row and I initially thought it was a
pretty good seat. It may actually be a good seat, despite the
"limited view." But, I don't like the gamble. I went back as
soon as I realized the situation just to see what I might get. I got a seat
in the fifth row, over on the left. This is actually a good seat.
Now I wait for the show to sell-out then put the first one on sale,
probably at a discount.
You five will know I attended the Big Lens Film Festival this past Sunday
evening; that being the showcase for senior films by those about to
graduate from the film making section of the
Wright State University Theatre, Dance, and Motion Picture Program.
I've attended a few times in the past, once because a student who worked
for me at the rent-payer
had a film in the mix, bu others just because I was interested in seeing
the students' works. This tie, of course, I attended more because a short
that I am in, Mitch Center's The Tooth Man Cometh was one of the
films featured. Not all of the cast was there, but I was happy to be able
to sit with my talented young co-star, Ella Gallagan, and her dad, Josh.
It was nice to see the final cut of the film, despite how uncomfortable I
am about watching my performances on the screen. If you know me, you may be
surprised to find out that the self-critic in me is not often, if ever,
impressed with my work ‐‐ and so it was Sunday night.
The film itself was, however, beautifully directed by Mitch Centers off of
his oddly-sweet script, and beautifully shot by DP
Joe Cook. I'm pretty sure Mitch edited it, as well, and did a good job there,
too. As for Ella. She gave a wonderful performance and was also a delight
to work with. She's a very sweet, well-behaved, intelligent young lady.
The production crew as a whole had their act together and were the
quintessential example of "teamwork." Kuddos to them all. I
would, however, also point ou the excellent work of sound mixer
Kel Lind who managed to capture great production soundon location, to the point
that there was no ADR to replace
bad audio. I wrote of this before and how it made me very happy. I did have
to go into a sound studio during post,
but it was to replace some coughs, wheezes, and grunts, not because they
were recorded badly on location, but because Mitch wanted them to have
different intensities and tones than what I had originally done.
In terms of my performance on screen in this: I cannot say it was awful;
that would simply be disingenuous. I know it was good work. I had a lot
people tell me it was good work. Mitch was very complimentary during the
after-screening talkback on Sunday, saying that he had been having a
difficult time casting the role of Barry and it was down to the wire when
he did, and when he did, he found the perfect actor for the role. It was
quite flattering. And I don't think he or any of the others are liars or
have poor judgement. It's just that ‐‐ and I am sure I have written this
before somewhere in the life of this blog ‐‐ I have a particular vision and
image of the performances I am giving and I know they are part and parcel
to the end result that the audience sees, in theatre seats or watching a
screen. here's the thing, however, when I look at the playback, it is
different than what I envisioned; that throws me. Plus, I see all the
inequities, all the little things that could have been, and in my mind in
the moment should have been, done better. I don't know if there's
anything to be done about that. It's just the way it is. It will either go
away or it won't. I indeed am happy about the experience and feel fortunate
to have been able to be a part of the project.
It's all good!
I've posted this before, but, once again, here is the whole cast and crew ‐‐
The cast in full:
K.L.Storer as Barry *(The Tooth Man)
Ella Gallagan as Ena
Nate Foster as Kane
Jacqueline Cook as Cari
plus, Marissa McClary and Peter Cutler (on-screen extras)
The production crew:
Mitch Centers (Writer/Director), Joe Cook (Director of Photography) Liz Yong Lowe
(1st AD, co-producer, &. Production Designer), Louis Leshner (2nd AD),
Jessica Barton (On-set Producer), Michaela Scholl (Script Supervisor), Kel
Lind (Sound Mixer), Ethan Frederick (Boom Operator), Nick Kutskill (1st A.C.),
Olga Wagner (2nd A.C.), Aubrey Keith (Stills), Sydney Waltz (Art Director),
Colin Gleason (Art Assistant), Randy Miller (Gaffer), Brian Merritt (Key
Grip), Jerry Ankenbauer (Grip), Leighanna Hornick (Grip), Aly Loy
(Production Assistant), Leah Byrd (Production Assistant), Michael Dib
(Production Assistant), Danny Kiwacka (Production Assistant), Mark Yungmann
(Production Assistant), Barbara Centers (Catering).
A screenshot from the movie, The Tooth Man Cometh
Myself & Director Mitch Centers at Big Lens
‐‐
Photo by Barbara Centers
Myself & Ella Gallagan at Big Lens
‐‐
Photo by Josh Gallagan
Ella Gallagan & her dad Josh at Big Lens
We two stars of the show on location with our director
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Mitch Centers
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Director of Photography Joe Cook
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Supporting Actress Jacqueline Cook
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Supporting Actor Nate Foster
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Joe Cook & Mitch Centers. By the way, that is a
Red Scarlett camera
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Myself with Nate Foster
Me, Ella Gallagan, Jacqueline Cook & Mitch Centers
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
Is that me, or John Steed?
‐‐
Production still by Aubrey Keith
PRE-PRODUCTION NOTES:
The production team and the cast were excited because we thought we had
filled the role of Troy, but it turns out the young man who was cast then
realized he would have to be absent for two of the performances. We are
again shy one actor. Our director does have a potential lead so we may be
at full cast very soon.
Meanwhile, I haven't really started working on sound but that will be
changing quickly. There is a designers production meeting next Wednesday,
but I'll be on it before then. I also have yet to get ahold of the
playwright to seek clearance to use dialogue in the promocast.
I think I need to contact his literary agent. I sent an email to a full
inbox, so it looks like I have to call her.
ANOTHER OHIO PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE PUBLIC READING ‐‐
This Time With Me As A Reader:
Just a reminder that there is a public reading of selected excerpts from
new plays, this Saturday at 7 pm at The Guild ‐‐ 430 Wayne Ave., Dayton,
OH, 45410. Also remember I am one of the readers ‐‐ though that's not the
only reason to attend.
It's put on by The Ohio Playwrights Circle and hosted by DTG. There will be
a talkback with the playwrights to end the evening. Admission is free.
Last night a few of us actors got together to rehearse one of the scenes
we will be reading Saturday. I will also be woodshedding other scenes on
my own, as I wrote in the last post, both because of some language I need
to conquer and some movement I need to work out.
There will be another reading from new works on Sunday, June 19, 2016 at
2:00 pm.
The Ohio Playwrights Circle (OPC) exists to bring opportunities and
education to Ohio playwrights. OPC is a project of the American Artworks
Foundation. For additional information please contact Ohio Playwrights
Circle at:
As you may or may not know, I am one of the readers for this performance.
This will be close to, but not exactly, a cold read. We have, to some extent,
rehearsed the works, in class sessions and, in some cases outside of class.
For instance, three of us met Wednesday evening at
The Guild to rehearse one
of two scenes being done from the play, Memorial Day (The Last Dinner),
by Daniel W Owens. I play an ex con who could easily be connected to the
Irish mob, named Jack.
This morning I'm heading to The Guild to rehearse some things on my own.
I'll be working out movement for the character Tully from Brett Shane Cooley's
The Lesser Light. Like I wrote on May 1, Tully is the big challenge
of the night, and will be the most fun to play. He's big and broad and maybe
just a little bit crazy. I'm also going to spend some time on that poetic
but challenging language of Tully's.
The third one that I am in is Katherine, by Lisa Schreiber, an
historical accurate fiction about Katherine Wright, the sister of Orville
and Wilbur. I play Henry Haskell, who becomes Katherine's husband. I need
to rehearse that a little, too. Henry has a reserved yet still observable
emotional arch in the reading that I need to get into my cellular being,
plus a few passage that I need to work on more to get them flowing with a
natural feel.
So, I'm off in a few....
PRODUCTION UPDATE:
Two new items about this production. First is that we have cast the role
of Troy Paradis-Pulcifer with a young man named Jack Lewis.
Also, if you happen to read this in time, there is set building today and
tomorrow at The Guild. Today 10 am until 4 pm. Tomorrow, 2-5 pm. Also,
during the week, Tue-Thu, from 2-5 pm and Fri and next Sat, 10 am till 4 pm,
then Sun, May 15, 1-5 pm.
There will be more set work beyond that too. If you want to come help ‐‐
it's a beautiful, ambitious set, designed by Bruce Brown ‐‐
please drop by:
I had to spend a bit more of my time at The Guild yesterday working on
set than I had planned because for a time I was the only one who showed up
to help our set designer, Bruce Brown. After a while Director Debra Kent
showed up and the three of us did get quite a bit done for two physically
hindered guys and one woman who's not well-versed in using power tools.
There's WAY more to do. There is set building today, 2-5 pm. Also,
during the week, Tue-Thu, from 2-5 pm and Fri and next Sat, 10 am till 4 pm,
then Sun, May 15, 1-5 pm.
There may be more set work beyond that too. If you want to come help, come
on down!
I've set my appointment for the HRTC 16/17 season
General Auditions. Last
year I only auditioned for straight plays,
which meant I did two contrasting monologues; this year I am going to go
for both straight plays and musicals, since as I discussed in an earlier
post, Sweeney Todd
may possibly be my best chance of getting on those boards next season. My
appointment is on the music-only, or music-&'straight-play day, which
is a week from today, Saturday, May 21.
I wanted to be there later in the day than I will be. I wanted some leg room
after the morning business at The Guild.
There still will be a few hours before my appointment, but I was hoping it
would be about ninety minutes later than it is.
I am 100% decided on the song, but only 80-ish% locked on the monologue.
THE OPC PUBLIC READING:
It was a lot of fun Saturday night, May 7, doing the public staged readings
at The Guild. I got to play three progressively more interesting characters.
First I was Henry Haskell, who was soon to be the betrothed of Katherine
Wright, the sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright, in Lisa Schreiber's
historically-based Katherine. Henry is a soft-spoken, gentle man. We
did a couple rather low-key scenes from the play. We had actually never
rehearsed in the L. David Mirkin space at The Guild, which turned out to be
a liability. The scene is more intimate and so we played it close; as it
turned out we needed to project our voices more. One elderly gentleman did
complain, and in a rather demonstrative fashion that bordered on rude and
disrespectful. He, in fact, started his comments with, "No disrespect
intended...." which often really means quite a bit of disrespect is
meant here, and that seemed to be the case here. Regardless of that
fellow's unnecessary aggressiveness, the point was still valid that we
should have rehearsed at least once in the space so we would know that we
couldn't keep it as audibly intimate as we had been doing.
Next I got to be ex-con, Jack, in Daniel W. Owens' Memorial Day (The
Last Dinner). Jack is a boisterous old Irish-American, fresh out of
the pen and pretty unlikable. And no one had any trouble hearing me in
that role.
Last was the most delicious role of the evening: Tully, in The Lesser
Light, by Brett Shane Cooley. Tully is mentally off, a war vet probably
suffering from acute PTSD, though in the time frame of the play it'd been
called battle fatigue or perhaps even shell shock. He sees himself as a
sort of Kharon-like figure. I was able to legitimately play over-the-top,
which is always fun. And ‐‐ BELIEVE ME ‐‐ absolutely no one had any trouble
hearing Tully, at all.
* I did not include the names of the
other actors because I have lost some of the information and cannot
correctly identify a couple, and I don't want to mention some and not others;
and I have a full day and need to move on from this.
PRODUCTION UPDATE:
There has been a good complement of volunteers helping with the set
construction. Quite a lot of progress has been made, but there is a plot
twist of sorts. Set designer Bruce Brown was in an auto accident Sunday
morning, which he thought he had come out of pretty unscathed. But Monday
he felt the need to go to the hospital and they discovered he had a broken
sternum from the impact of the collision. They kept him overnight and I don't
know as I write this, how long he will stay. It's probable he will be
released today, but regardless of that. His physical involvement in building
the set clearly needs to be paired back, maybe quite a bit.
I'm also still looking for a lighting operator for the show. Email me at
my DTG addy for details:
kl.storer@daytontheatreguild.org.
Sound design is underway. Wednesday there was a production meeting before
the rehearsal specifically for technical design. I've pulled together a
couple country songs for two country swing dance segments in the show. I
have the raw recordings of several voice-overs
which feature Teresa Connair as a newscaster, Barb Jorgensen as a commercial
spokesperson, George Spelvin as a sportcaster, and Joseph Knead as a
commercial announcer.
Contacted Playwright John Cariani
via his agent seeking clearance to use dialogue in the promocast.
Unfortunately for us, Mr. Cariani declined
clearance, so we will be going with a voice-over of the director with
b-roll of dress rehearsal.
Okay. I am designing sound for the first show of the next season. Director
Jeff Sams has a production meeting this Saturday, after our monthly DTG
board meeting.
I will NOT
design the sound for all the shows next season.
Let me repeat that: I will
NOT
design the sound for all the shows next season.
I wrote a month ago that I absolutely would be doing the
Generals for the
2016/2017 The Human Race Theatre Company
season. Then, of course, last week I made an appointment to do an
audition this past Saturday afternoon.
Thursday I called and canceled my appointment.
It's very simple. My cardiac recovery is coming along very well,
but I am still in recovery. My stamina is getting better all
the time, but not at breakspeed. It's not taking a whole helluva
lot to wear me out. Each day it's taking a little more to
tire me, but only a small amount more. The recovery of my stamina
is progressing incrementally.
As I wrote earlier, I did recently audition for a show and was not
cast. I was more than a little disappointed, though not surprised,
but I then came to realize that I wasn't ready to adhere to a
rehearsal schedule. I still am not. I don't think there's much
chance I will be auditioning this summer for
The Dayton Playhouse's FutureFest 2016.
I feel confident I'll have the endurance to handle a rehearsal
schedule at some point during the 16/17 season, but at a local
non-professional theatre company, The Guild or another such theatre.
If I can make it through rehearsals at The Race it would be later
in the season.
The typical rehearsal schedule at a theatre like The Guild is
Monday through Thursday, sometimes Monday through Friday, 7:00 to
9:00 or 9:30 for four or five weeks. Then Tech Sunday
will be the last Sunday before the show opens. That will be several
hours in the afternoon into evening. If I were also the sound designer
it would be more time, because I would be in a few hours earlier
than the cast call to
deal with things from the designers aspect. The rest of Tech Week
will be comparable to the other weeks. Typically the runs Monday
through Wednesday will start at 7:00 and the whole show will be ran
with the whole fifteen minute intermission included. Plus, there
might be stops and starts to fix problems and notes
afterward, so it might, depending on the show, be a three-hour night.
The run at Final Dress,
which will be the Thursday of Tech Week, often will start at 8:00,
but there's not likely to be ant stops ‐‐ there could be,
but only if there is a major problem that absolutely must be
addressed. There will, however, probably be notes; I can only think
of one instance at The Guild when there were not notes after Final
Dress.
At The Human Race the rehearsal schedule is far more rigorous.
Basically, with some minor variation, they will be, for musicals,
three weeks of rehearsals Tuesdays through Friday, 6:00 to 11:00,
then Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. Tech Week
usually starts with a "Tech Friday," rather than a
"Tech Sunday." Then that weekend the days are a bit
longer with the Saturday being what is known as a
Ten Out of Twelve
rehearsal ‐‐ 11:00-11:00 with a two-hour lunch break; that Sunday
is usually 11:00-9:00 with two-hour lunch break. The last two
tech rehearsals are Tuesday and Wednesday, calls at 6:00, run at
7:00. Both are usually in front of an audience. Tuesday will be
invited guests, big donors, etc. The Wednesday Final Dress will
almost always be the Pay What You Can Night.
For the straight plays (non-musicals) there is a week less of rehearsal.
The part of the equation I haven't dropped in yet, for both the non-professional
and The Human Race shows is the fact of my working a full-time job during
these rehearsal schedules. When I do an HRTC show here's the schedule, with
my usual arranged workweek at the
rent-payer:
MONDAY
work: 7:00 am-5:30 pm
rehearsal: Equity Day Off
TUESDAY-FRIDAY
work: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
rehearsal: 6:00-11:00 pm
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
work: off
rehearsal: 11:00 am-7:30 pm
To reiterate from earlier posts,
Sweeney Todd is
the most probable chance I have to get onto the boards there. Those
rehearsals start August 12. That just seems too soon for me to take on that
kind of schedule. The prognosis I have is a year of recovery before I am
back to full juice, before my heart is completely healed from the trauma
of the surgery.
If I would have had a chance at another role, later in the season, it's
just an unknown to me if I'll have recovered the stamina to deal with the
HRTC rehearsal schedule while dealing with that rent-payer.
INTO TECH WEEK:
We are into Tech Week now. Tech Sunday went as smooth as a Tech Sunday is
probably allowed to go. Sound issues were for the most part the standard
stuff. I did have a technical problem with a practical phone that I had to
divert to using a sound file of a phone ring and send to a hidden speaker
on set. I also have one sound file of a particular truck arriving that needs
tweaked; it sounds like it's going through a phase shift or something ‐‐
there are several vehicles that we hear come and go throughout the show.
And, of course, there's a lot of volume adjustment to be made during these
last rehearsals.
I have quite a few notes I made during Act I,
last night. I left before Act II was run; it
was after 9:00 and I was starting to feel my day. I knew I needed to get to
bed soon or I would not have had a good day at work today. Tonight I will
need to stay through II. I have to attend to
sound volumes and dynamics in that act.
Plus, I am shooting the DV footage for the promocast
tonight and I need to at least part of the second act. I also want to shoot
the directors notes afterward. I also have to record commentary from Director
Debra Kent for the promocast, since we were denied clearance to use dialogue
from the play.
Fortunately, I'm off work tomorrow to edit the promocast so I can be up a
bit later tonight.
INTO NEXT SEASON:
I attended Director Jeff Sams' production meeting, last Saturday, for the
16/17 season opener. Pretty preliminary in terms of sound needs. We did
discuss a few things, including music and sound during the sinking of the
ship. I haven't even read the script yet. I kind of want to audition, but
I am still skittish about even a non-professional theatre rehearsal schedule
that I would need to commit to in late summer. Actually, I haven't even
read the play, yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah: walk into a production meeting as a
designer who hasn't read the script....I know, I know.
Clearly, since last I wrote to the blog, we've come through
Tech Week and the first weekend
of performances. We had a good Opening Weekend. Technically, Friday night
was sold out, but a few ticket holders didn't show; my guess is those were
season ticket holders who didn't show because it is Memorial day weekend,
or because it was really nice weather out on Friday, and they didn't think
to call and let us know we could free up the seats.
For the record: when
I can't make a show I have tickets for, I call the theatre and let them
know. But that's just me. And, I digress....
I wasn't there Saturday, but I do know that, just as they did on Friday and
yesterday, the audiences' responses were quite favorable. They have been
liking it all weekend. I know the cast has felt good about the show. So,
we got good stuff going on again at The Guild.
The sound design is working well enough. There is a sound system problem
that is bugging the shit out of me. We are supposed to be able to isolate
each of up to eight channels into eight speakers. The first four of those
being the four house speakers, each in a corner of the ceiling in the
Mirkin Mainstage theatre space. However, there is bleed even when a sound
is assigned to only one speaker; it can be heard in other speakers where
it should not be. It pisses me off. There may be a solution and you best
be damned sure if there is, I am going to find it.
Meanwhile, yesterday I shadowed our young lighting technician, Micah
Hardman, because he can't do the second weekend of the run, so I am
pinch-hitting, operating the lights for the show both next Friday and
Saturday. Lighting Designer Marjorie Strader will run the lights Sunday,
and I might just sit in the audience that day.
By-the-way, don't get too used to the
new "Lighting Technician" icon; it won't be making frequent
appearances, whatsoever.
I've been in contact with Playwright Luke Yankee
seeking the clearance to use dialogue from the play in the promocast,
and he has been gracious enough to grant us said permission.
The film is not yet for public consumption as he is submitting it to
film festivals, many with restrictions against qualifying films being
available on-line and such.
At some point in the furtue there will be a live, public link to the
movie, at Vimeo, I believe, and when it is
out there, I will share it here.
Until then, the screenshot above, from the opening title sequence, is about
as much as I can share of the final cut.
THE MAY FILM CONNECTIONS MEETING:
For the first time in many months I am going tonight to the Film
Connections meeting, hosted by film dayton. Tonight's guest is
Adam Rabinowitz who
works in cinematic sound. Here is the bio for him at the film dayton site:
He has over 15 years news, commercial, documentary, film, live
event experience in Location Sound Mixing, Sound Design for
Film/Video/Stage, Sound Editing..., Foley/Sound effects,
Video/Film Editing....Adam has worked on Shark Tank, House
Hunters, Undercover Boss and Dateline, just to name
of few of his jobs.
As is obvious, I have particular interest in what Adam has to say. His
work as sound designer in theatre is of clear interest, but I am also
interested in sound for film, of course.
Finally....
It's been now six months since
All is Calm
closed, and thusly, a half year of not yet achieving closure through this
post-script, post-mortem essay I have been interminably promising was
"coming soon." With all the time now put between myself and the
end of the production I hope I can look back upon the experience with
better objectivity than I could have right on the heels of closing the show.
How much my intervening life-altering event, my heart attack and the
subsequent open-heart surgery, of just about five months ago, colors my
perception is good question. Yet, with or without the life-threatening
event, I look back upon the earlier endeavor with a great sense of
accomplishment, both personal accomplishment and collaborative accomplishment
with both all of my castmates and with the production team. We all have a
lot to reminisce upon with fondness, satisfaction and pride.
About a year ago, shortly after we had picked the season, and very shortly
after Director Kathy Mola had recruited me to audition, I got the
Cantus soundtrack from the
original production. Cantus being the choral group who originated the vocal
performances for All is Calm.
Let me digress somewhat to interject this: I was not the only guy Kathy
encouraged to audition. She and Music Director David McKibben threw a wide
net, trying to get as many capable male singers as possible for the pool of
casting choices. So I was nowhere near singled out; just want to make that
clear. As the
DTG facebook page
administrator, I, in fact, participated in throwing that wide net.
Back to
the original All Is Calm soundtrack.
If you have never heard Cantus, as I hadn't at the time I first got the
soundtrack, please know that they are a grade-A male choral ensemble. They
are gold-standard. They are intimidating, especially to a guy listening to
them sing the arrangements for a musical theatre piece he's slated to
audition for in a few months. I'm so impressed with the ensemble I now have
two other albums by them.
If I was intimidated somewhat by the performances on the sound track, all
those months before the auditions, it got worse later, because then I was
cast in the show and was introduced to the score, and to the technicalities
of the arrangements. To be honest, many of the arrangements are not complex,
but others are very much complex.
To reiterate from past posts, the biggest magical moment of the show was
"Shtil au Naucht" ("Silent Night"), which took more of
my own time out of rehearsal to work on than any other song, and I know
that was true for many other cast members. It is an astonishingly beautiful
arrangement and I am, as all of us in the production are, gratified we met
the challenge to present this music as it was arranged. One point of
interest was that I was assigned to sing bass on most of the song. I'm
really a second tenor, or bari-tenor. Perhaps I'm a little bit closer to a
pure baritone than I was as a youngster, but I certainly am not what can be
called a strong bass vocalist. Fortunately we had Mike Taint, who is a bone
fide bass, so the lower notes were carried much stronger by him. Also
fortunate was that a lot of the bass line was in the upper regions of that
vocal range and were comfortable for myself, and the other "bass,"
David Hallowren, who too identifies himself as a tenor. No complaints about
it though. It was a great vocal line to have been assigned. And the
arrangement is nothing less than magnificent, if a bear to learn and execute.
And, by-the-way, Mr. Hallowren had the baritone solo at the start of the
song, which he brought off magnificently.
"Shtil au Naucht" was not the only magic moment of the night,
however. There were others. Right beside it was "Auld Lang Syn,"
which I was privileged to start with the verse-one solo. This one also took
a bite out of my time and energy spent on the show, as well. It wasn't the
opening solo but the harmony work that needed all that study and practice.
There were a few other challenging arrangements, but another type of
challenge for me was memorizing lyrics in foreign languages, languages which
I don't know. What I learned is it's difficult for me to memorize words that
have no meaning to me, phrases that mean nothing to me. There is nothing to
anchor to when the words are nonsense to me. My method was to drill
phonetics into my brain cells; it was difficult to get the correct
pronunciations to stick. I know for a fact I was not alone in this
particular difficulty.
These challenges and others just made for many moments of magic. Pretty
much every member of the ensemble had at least one great moment in the
spotlight, whether it was a solo vocal or a gripping monologue. There were
lots of collaborative magic moments, with some sweet harmonies and some
great teamwork, also. I had a monologue almost at the end of the show,
where, in a British accent, I told the story of the nightly ritual in
Ypres, Belgium where
"The Last Post"
is played by a bugler and four words are spoken: "We will remember
them." From Tech Week on
into all nine of the performances, I choked up on those words every night.
It was simply a fantastic experience. I know I am not alone in that
feeling.
Here are the fine gentlemen of the All Is Calm cast:
Gage Emerson, Michael Favors, David Gaylor, David Hallowren, Chuck Larkowski,
Dave Nickel, Chris Petree, Jeff Sams, David Short, K.L.Storer, Mike Taint.
The fine production crew:
Kathy Mola (Director), David McKibben (Musical Director), Patty Smith,
(Stage Manager), John Falkenbach (Lighting Designer), Scott Wright (Lighting
Technician), Kathy Durig (Projection Technician), Carol Finley (Costume
Designer), Alex Lindon (Bugle solo).
Some of you know from reading the previous post that I am pinch-hitting as
the lighting technician (operator) for the performances this Friday and
Saturday. Last Sunday I sat in the booth with the main light tech for the
show, Micah Hardman and shadowed (observed) him running the lights. Tonight
I will drop by the theatre to do a couple
dry techs with just me, the
script, and the light board.
NO MAY FILM CONNECTIONS MEETING FOR ME:
I did not make it to the Film Connections meeting last night to hear
cinematic and theatre sound man
Adam Rabinowitz. I have
a sore shoulder, which has been interfering with my sleep the last couple
nights, and by the end of the work day, yesterday, at the
rent-payer I was worn out.
I didn't go to cardiac rehab, instead going home to see if a nap of an hour
or so might energize me to make it into Dayton and the presentation. I did
not at all feel like leaving the apartment when I woke up to the alarm. I
slept for a few more hours then got up and cooked some things for lunches
and dinners the rest of the week. Getting enough sleep is critical to my
continued recovery. If I want that old stamina, I need to build toward it,
not push it.
Lighting dry tech was diverted from
last night for the same reason I didn't attend the
film dayton film connections meeting
the night before. Because of this current, nagging shoulder sprain, which
has been messing with my ability to deeply sleep the last few nights. By
end of the work day I was pretty beat, and just wanted to go home and nap,
so I did. Now I must be committed to get to the theatre early tomorrow,
straight from the rent-payer
and do the dry tech rehearsal. I have to. I can't sit there during
performance later tomorrow evening having not rehearsed, even if only on my
own. Grant you, it is simply pushing the go button at the correct time,
but it's not missing that timing that is the concern.
Were she alive, my mother would be Ninety-nine years old today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM
June Storer
1917-1997
Monday was my last visit to cardiac rehabilitation, which I started in late
February. If the headline to this section of today's blog entry seems
celebratory it's more because I no longer have to make the thirty-minute
dash to the
The CardioPulmonary Wellness Center
three times a week, and I don't have to jockey my work hours around to
accomodate the sessions. Plus that time after work is now freed up. Though,
actually, I'll now be going back into the gym, after more than a half-year
away, far more than a half-year away.
SECOND WEEKEND DOWN:
A new POV in the tech booth: from the light board. With only one shadow performance and two solo dry techs.
The show is now past its halfway mark and has thus far had a successful run.
The audiences have all loved the show and it has received two glowing reviews.
Friday, the start of the middle weekend of run, saw me at the light board,
running lights for the show, while young Micah Hardman was in New York
City checking out some Broadway Productions.
My plan had been to drop into the theatre Wednesday evening and do a few
dry tech runs on my own, just me,
the script, and the board. I ended up not making it in, but I did manage to
get there early enough Friday to get those dry techs in. I knew Thursday
wouldn't be good because the cast was scheduled in to do a
brush-up. I am happy ‐‐
relieved ‐‐ to report there were no major screw ups on lights either
Friday nor Saturday.
There was one late light change Friday, but that was because of a misleading
note in the script. I also was a little late with a cue Saturday because I
wasn't paying as close of attention at one point as I should have been. But
neither of those were a big deal, at all. It turns out I now have to do it
again this coming Saturday.
Sunday I was not supposed to be there. However, thanks to the damned
bitch, I ended up going in. I was just about to sit down to a late lunch,
well, really a very late breakfast, when I got a text from the Last Gas
sound tech, Sarah Saunders: "Uh, computer just restarted on its own..."
Curtain was just twenty-two minutes away. I texted back that I was heading
over. She texted back that it was up and running again, that an error message
popped up saying that due to internal issues Windows needed to restart.
Despite that it was back up, I went anyway, just in case. I know that
gremlin and if I had not gone in, it would have
screwed with things a little bit more. But I did go in, and all went well.
After the performance I ran a diagnostic, as best as I could, not being all
too familiar with the newer Windows systems. But I think I ran an
adequate systems check and no problems came up. So, for the moment, it
seems everything is good.
A MASTER CLASS AND A CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION:
Sunday afternoon I will see
Circle Mirror Transformation,
by Annie Baker,
produced by Fran Pesch's
Young at Heart Players
and hosted at The Dayton Playhouse.
In this production I know four of the five cast members: Cheryl Mellen, Dave
Gaylor, Steve Strawser, & Megan Cooper ‐‐ Jordan Norgaard, I don't know.
Not only do I know these four, I have been on stage with all of them.
I was a little kid when Muhammed Ali refused the draft. I
remember pretty much all the adult men in my life saying
that he was a traiter, a coward, a national disgrace. It made
no sense to me. He was refusing to go to a war that he
didn't believe was just. That seemed pretty in step with the
concept of America's freedom of speech and expression. It
didn't escape me, even at that age, that he wasn't running,
either. He was willing to stand up for his beliefs and
accept the consequences of that action. He took those
consequences with bravery, not cowardliness. You can say he
refused the draft, but if you call him a "draft dodger,"
you are simply incorrect. He didn't run to Canada, he didn't
go into hiding, he firmly stood up and said, "No."
And wasn't he pretty much vindicated before it was all said
and done? Then there's the whole civil rights involvement.
Nothing I've said here is original. Neither is it original
to say that he truly was The Greatest.
Today, after work, I return to the gym for the first time since my heart
attack, the first time in many months before that, even.
A bit of routine has been added now. I now pack my portable blood pressure
reader into my gym bag, as well as my pulse-oximeter so I can keep tabs on
my blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen counts.
It's fortunate that the elliptical machines in the gym have pulse reading
grips on them, because I am not allowed to let my heart rate get above 124,
and I found at cardiac rehab that it is more than easy to hit 130+ on the
elliptical without much effort.
Actually, I believe all the cardio-vascular machines have heart rate grips,
and I always used them ‐‐ now it's a dedicated part of the program. My
target heart rate is 113-124; I usually shoot for hovering at 120.
I'm going to start throwing some weight training in now, too. I didn't
do any resistance training at cardiac rehab, save for one time. You wanna
talk about back to basics? I never was exactly
Mr. Universe, even at the
peak of my gym workouts back in the 90's/00's; the poundage I will be
working with for a little while to come will be pretty low.
Well, I've been slacking off on the daily heart walks the last few weeks,
so getting back into the gym and making it a routine again is nothing but
good, even if I'm behind a bit in the field from where I once was. This is
all a progress-not-perfection kind of a thing.....
NO MASTER CLASS AT HRTC...YET:
I ended up not making last night's Final Dress
(Can Night) of the
The Human Race Theatre Company
production of
Master Class,
by Terrence McNally.
Now I'll have to get a ticket for an official performance night. I'm looking
at Tuesday, June 21 ‐‐ mostly because the curtain is 7:00 that night, which
gets me out of the theatre before 9:30, thus, theoretically, in bed by 10:00
or so ‐‐ which, right now, is a better thing for me.
Also, coming up is The Lion King,
coming through town, on tour, at
The Schuster Center,
with the talented Ms. Taprena Augustine
in the cast. I had the privilege of working with Taprena in
Caroline, or Change
at HRTC in late 2011; then I saw her in a tour of
The Color Purple,
killing the role of Shug Avery. I have a ticket for the June 19 performance
of Lion King.
There are other local productions, but I am not sure how I could fit them
in.
Hit the gym two days in the row. It was all cardio on Thursday, then fifteen
minutes of cardio yesterday, with some work on biceps, triceps and chest ‐‐
but nothing intense as far as the resistance training was concerned. I
certainly did push it ti a burn, working each ot the three, but not so
much that I am sore to any measure today. I do feel an ever slight
tightness, just the hint of soreness, but not anything to really mention.
Depending on my caprice in the next hour or so, I may may it back to the
gym today. But that may just turn into a short hike at one of my beloved
local forestry parks.
The show closes tomorrow after a successful run. I am pinch-hitting again
on light operation for today's 5:00 show.
I want to reiterarte that you will not be seeing this "Lighting
Technician" appear often here.
I don't know what to say about this latest mass shooting, the one
in Orlando, Florida, the one that is now that with the biggest
body count for a single day mass shooting in America.
Really.
I have no words....
Except, how sad and frustrating is it that there are a lot of
other mass shootings to compare it to.
sad
The Cast of Last Gas
in order of appearance
CHARACTER
ACTOR
Nat Paradis
Jared Mola
Troy Paradis-Pulcifer
Jack Lewis
Guy Gagnon
Rick Flynn
Dwight Paradis
Dave Williamson
Cherry-Tracy Pulcifer
Rachel Wilson
Lurene Legassey Soloway
Angela Dermer
My plans for the day had to change. Got a call last night during the
Last Gas cast party telling me that I needed to again pinch-hit on
the light board for today's show. So there shall I be.
Speaking of birthdays, yesterday was mine, and last night I was treated to
dinner by my sister Pat and my brother-in-law Joe. It's pretty much an
annual tradition. This year it was a little more poignant for me.
Six and a half months ago, on New Years Day, I posted something about how
if 2016 had been an airport, I'd have went down on my hands and knees and
kissed its pavement. There may be a few of you who don't get the context of
that. On Dec 27 of last year I had a heart attack. The next morning I was
wheeled into the O.R. for major heart surgery: a quadruple by-pass.
One artery was 100% blocked, two were about 80% blocked, the fourth was 40%
blocked. It often doesn't sink in on me that I was closer to death than it
seemed. My heart attack wasn't a dramatic event. I didn't even suffer chest
pains, but rather, radiating pains in my back, shoulders, then my left arm.
Nevertheless, the cardiologist put a stent in my main artery in order to get
me to surgery the next day.
It's not an exaggeration to say I could have easily died on December 27,
2015, had I not had enough information about the varying symptoms of a heart
attack. I was home alone and had I not realized what was (or might be)
happening until it had progressed to chest pains, which I am sure it would
have eventually, I might not have made it. I might not have been able to
make the 911 call, or the ambulance may have arrived too late, had I still
been able to call.
Statistics suggest that for someone who suffers a heart attack in my
situation, being alone and not in a hospital, even with eventual treatment
by paramedics, just shy of only 11% survive. The survival rate triples if
there is a bystander who can administer CPR and/or use a portable AED
(Automated External Defibrillator).
So, I guess two points here: 1) I need to remember how fucking lucky I am
to be alive; 2) it behooves everyone, ALL OF YOU, to know if you are at any
risk of heart disease and if you are, be educated on the symptoms of a heart
attack.
Oh, and, 3) know CPR and how to use an AED unit, 'cause you just might be
one of those by-standers someday.
Here are a couple websites that can inform you about all things heart
disease related:
But the good news is that I made the 911 call in time. And this year's
birthday was a lot less taken for granted.
Do you remember the lead guitar break in "My Love," by
Paul McCartney & Wings?
It's close to a classic guitar solo in a ballad. The
musician,
Henry McCullough,
played that solo off-the-cuff while they were doing a live
take with an orchestra. I believe they did a couple more
takes, but it was that first one that made it into the
finished product.
Unfortunately, I forgot when I bought my Lion King ticket for June
19 that the reading for the Ohio Playwrights Circle was at the same time.
So I will miss that.
This story of true love is set in 1591 in Timbuktu. (A city
on the edge of the Sahara in what is now Mali). The play
focuses on the lives of three women in this Islamic, African
city, renowned for its wealth and scholarship. The play is
a mixture of light and dark. Despite what can be crushing
obstacles, each of the six characters, 3 female and 3 male,
seek love.
Abide In All Things is directed by Saul Caplan and
is performed by Pamela Byrd, Franklin Johnson, Terry
Matthews, Tia Seay, Nabachwa Ssensalo, Naman Clark, &
Garry Pritchet
Not a bad seat for the show. Row J, fifteen rows
back.
Well, saw Disney's The Lion King yesterday afternoon at The
Schuster Center. It certainly does live up to the hype. Lovely music,
magnificent puppetry, and great performances.
As an extra treat, actor
Ben Lipitz
did his five-thousanth performances as Pumbaa. Got to shake the
man's hand afterward and congratulate him in person. Very cool!
I think I've vaguely alluded to this but not actually outright stated that
I have volunteered to AD (assistant direct)
The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin,
by Steve Levenson, for Director Marjorie Strader.
This will be our third show of the upcoming 2016/2017 season. Actually, I
could easily audition for this show as there are a couple roles, including
Tom Durnin, that I am good for, but I want another credit as an AD; it's
been a while since my last stint AD'ing at The Guild, which was for
I Never Sang for My Father
in 2006, a decade ago. My reason for wanting to get another AD credit is
that I submitted a play to the Playreading Committee for the 17/18 season,
and if they choose it for the season I am throwing my hat in the ring to
direct it.
I, of course, in a classic case of "getting ahead of myself," am
already plotting out specifics for directing it, premature as that action
may be.
Last night sound design for
The Last Lifeboat
officially began in earnest as I began to scrutinized the script and
catalogue obviously needed and potential sounds and music.
Every summer, as the first show of the DTG season approaches, I tell myself
that I am going to get a jump on things and contact all of the playwrights
for the whole season, or their representatives, to request clearance to use
dialogue in the promocast DV movies,
and that I'll get it all done by the end of summer. Then, I don't do it.
Let's see if I can follow through this summer, huh?
There seems to be at least a minor controversy, though "controversy"
may be too strong a word, surrounding the production. Ms. Girten was
diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1992, a disease that affects the
brain and spinal cord. It often effects memory, especially short-term memory
and this is one of the symptoms Ms. Gorten experiences. As the result, as
Kevin Moore,
President and Artistic Director of The Human Race, said in his curtain
speech, "certain accommodations [were] made for her" during the
production.
Ms. Girten had the script in a binder that was a prop for Maria Callas as
well as on index cards so that she could refer to the script during the
performance whenever needed to jog her memory. I found that I was able to
overlook this and found Ms. Girten's performance to be a strong one, despite
this anomaly. I have seen actors on stage during performance with the script
in their hands a few times in the past when they were last-minute replacements
who did not have time to get off-book (have all the lines memorized) and in
all the cases the actors were skilled enough to make me ignore soon into
their first appearance that they had it in their hand. That was the case
here, too.
Less than a week from now, next Thursday, to be exact, I see Ms. Crow for
the second time. The first was the summer of 2003, and it was one of the
last straws to break the camel's back and get me back to acting, if you
can believe that.
And in just a little more than two weeks, I see Sir Paul for the
TENTH time!
This was something I considered auditioning for right before I decided I
wasn't ready to get home and to bed late (11:00 is late right now for me).
I even went as far as buying the perusal copy of the libretto before I
decided I should wait until I am better recovered to audition for things.
Well, any role I would have been good for had actors closer to type in
them anyway, so the production got along just fine without me.
Congratulations to Director
Doug Lloyd!
And congratulations to his cast:
Brad Bishop as Gomez Addams
Becky Barrett-Jones as Morticia Addams
Eric Neuenschwander as Uncle Fester
Camille Millar Wednesday Addams
Tyler Smith as Pugsley Addams
Dawn Roth Smith as Grandma
James Wright as Lurch
Michael Shannon as Mal Beineke
Lynn Vanderpool as Alice Beineke
Ben Douglas as Lucas Beineke
The Addams Ancestors:
Kurt Cypher
Jeffrey Murphy
Krystal Cockerham
Amanda Carter
Tori Kocher
Sandra Hyde
Faith Whitt
Shalie Hull
David Thomas
Rob Breving
Jarrod Davis
Gavin D'amico
So as the Sheryl Crow concert is coming up I realized that I had not heard
some of her latest releases. I opened my
iTunes and downloaded the two
studio albums I did not already have by her. One of these is the one to
the left, 2008's Detours.
Okay. So this album came out eight years ago and I missed it. Though it
wasn't a juggernaut commercial success it was received well critically and
was nominated for a Grammy; I understand why the latter two are true.
This is a good stuff that I wish I had been on top of when it released in
2008. Well, I got it now.
There's a song on it called "Motivation"
that I pick as a great opener for her show. But as I have seen the playlist
for the new tour, it doesn't seem she does anything off Detours,
which is too bad because the material is as strong as any in her canon.
I was hanging out on facebook
Sunday afternoon and a link to a full-length concert movie came up in my
news feed posted on one of the Beatles pages I follow. It was a movie on
youtube of a 2012 concert at
Vega, a
Copenhagen concert venue.
The concert was a one-time tribute to Sr. Paul for his seventieth birthday,
performed by Danish recording artist
Tim Christensen
and American musicians
Mike Viola and
Tracy Bonham, and
also featuring Christensen's band,
The Damn Crystals.
According to the Wikipedia page for the project, to which the graphic of the
album cover is linked, Christensen and Viola discovered that Paul's second
solo album, Ram,
is their mutual favorite album, thus the tribute concert was conceived and
they started the set list for it with a virtually faithful cover of the
entire Ram album, each song in order as presented on the original
recording.
The approximate second half of the concert was other music from Paul's
post-Beatles career up to, and including, the hit,
"Coming Up,"
all also performed faithfully close to Paul's original performances. Full
disclosure here: "Coming Up" is not on my list of favorite songs
by Paul, but I don't hate it, and it's given a good presentation in this
tribute concert.
Seriously, this whole concert is a great jam! I started watching it and I
had to watch the whole thing. Christensen and his compatriots just simply
kick ass! I downloaded the album from
iTunes only minutes after I
finished watching the concert. There's a DVD out there but it seems to be
difficult to get hold of. I will keep trying.
Click here
to see the full concert movie on youtube ‐‐ while it's still up.
But be warned! If you're much of a Beatles or McCartney fan, you may be
compelled to watch the whole thing in the first sitting.
I do note, of course, that the album from 2013 bears the same title as
the new collection that Paul, himself, has curated of music spanning his
post-Beatle carrer. I'm not wholly convinced that's a coincidence.
Ms. Majerski and her business has been involved as producers for regional
and national commercials as well as such features as
4192: The Crowning of the Hit King,
a documentary about the hit-winning record of
Pete Rose while he was with
Cincinnati Reds, and the
suspense/thriller,
7 Below, with
Val Kilmer attached.
Her presentation was informal and she talked mostly about development of
projects with some focus on fund-raising and the associated pitch. The big
lesson I learned was if and
when
I direct and produce a movie with a budget ‐‐ modest as it'll probably be
‐‐ I need a co-producer who knows how to fund-raise, and I'll need a good
line producer, if he or she is not the same person as the other.
Another thing to note is one of Ms. Majerski's mottos:
The two N's --
"Network" and "Never give up."
The first of those, I must admit I am not as good at as I ought to be, that
being more or less a tragic understatement: the other, I suppose more or
less is a reality of my life.
bitch, I ended up going in. I was just about to sit down to a late lunch,
well, really a very late breakfast, when I got a text from the Last Gas
sound tech, Sarah Saunders: "Uh, computer just restarted on its own..."
Congratulations to Director