Although rehearsal today only lasted for about an hour for me, we did my first scene with my assistant Max and my daughter Maggie. In the course of the scene, I pop a grape into my mouth, and then immediately spit it across the room (into the audience) when I discover that it is wax fruit. Dominic (the director) and I spent a good five minutes figuring out the funniest place to both pick up the grape, and then what to do with it once I've got it in my hand. The script wants me to have it in my hand for about six lines, including a big speech of mine, but we held it off a bit. Otherwise, I'm performing an "Alas, poor Yorick" speech to a grape.
I've got the afternoon off before I go back to work at 6 tonight, so I'm enjoying the sandwich and coffee of a place called The Grainery. It's the popular spot around town, apparently, but the biggest disappointment is that it closes at 2pm. That's the frustrating part about towns like Naples, or Bloomsburg; as pretty and friendly as they are, no businesses keep the kind of hours that actors require.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Meeting and readthrough
It's always amazing when a bunch of talented performers are assembled in one room together, and then they get to read the show they will be doing. Although I've been reading LMAT for months on my own, hearing another voice say the lines with me is a breath of life. I find myself paying more attention to what is happening when I have to read the words out loud, and I like hearing what the other actors think is funny. I have my own personal sense of humor, but I enjoy learning what they like and the kinds of jokes that really tickle them in the right way.
We also had a designers presentation today - they showed us the designs for the costume and set, which are going to be really cool. The play is set in the late 1930s, and we will be in a used and very-aged hotel room in Cleveland. The period costumer sketches are very impressive, and I'm excited to see all of us decked out in 1930s tuxedos, including my character, who they tell me will be conspicuosly overdressed.
We start our real work tomorrow on the blocking of the show, and we have the rest of Saturday off so the other cast can perform two matinees of the show that runs before Tenor. I'm thinking about exploring some of the area, and maybe taking a little trip to the towns near us that are a little larger than Naples. There is lots of hiking to be done in the area, but I'm going to save that for a legitimate day off, when I can really devote time to planning and going. These little grabs of time in the week will be filled with reading, writing, or a selection of movies from the local library.
We also had a designers presentation today - they showed us the designs for the costume and set, which are going to be really cool. The play is set in the late 1930s, and we will be in a used and very-aged hotel room in Cleveland. The period costumer sketches are very impressive, and I'm excited to see all of us decked out in 1930s tuxedos, including my character, who they tell me will be conspicuosly overdressed.
We start our real work tomorrow on the blocking of the show, and we have the rest of Saturday off so the other cast can perform two matinees of the show that runs before Tenor. I'm thinking about exploring some of the area, and maybe taking a little trip to the towns near us that are a little larger than Naples. There is lots of hiking to be done in the area, but I'm going to save that for a legitimate day off, when I can really devote time to planning and going. These little grabs of time in the week will be filled with reading, writing, or a selection of movies from the local library.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Welcome message
Hello, to any and all that are reading this. Some of you might be aware of another blog I was keeping in which I chronicled my adventures as a part of a national tour of Cinderella. Well, I'm at it again, only this time I've decided that this blog will be an ongoing one, and not only a show-specific one like last time. So to that end....
I am currently writing from the downtown library in Naples, NY (about 60 miles from Rochester.) I'm working for the Bristol Valley Theatre, where tomorrow I start rehearsals for Lend Me a Tenor. This company has been really chill so far, and they welcomed all of us new actors with a taco dinner at the home of the artistic director. We're going to go see the opening of the current show, and then have more social functions at the bar and a bonfire, before all heading home to start our own play tomorrow. We start with a readthough and dramaturgical presentation; that's what's on the schedule. I am excited to be a part of this community, although I promise that I will dedicate a future entry to describing the town itself.
Until then, I'm glad to have you along, and feel free to drop in and out. I've set this up to prevent myself from telling the same stories over and over again, and also to have a way to look back on just what it is that I do with my professional life. For those of you who are wondering what it's like to be a professional actor... maybe you'll find some glimpses of that life here.
I am currently writing from the downtown library in Naples, NY (about 60 miles from Rochester.) I'm working for the Bristol Valley Theatre, where tomorrow I start rehearsals for Lend Me a Tenor. This company has been really chill so far, and they welcomed all of us new actors with a taco dinner at the home of the artistic director. We're going to go see the opening of the current show, and then have more social functions at the bar and a bonfire, before all heading home to start our own play tomorrow. We start with a readthough and dramaturgical presentation; that's what's on the schedule. I am excited to be a part of this community, although I promise that I will dedicate a future entry to describing the town itself.
Until then, I'm glad to have you along, and feel free to drop in and out. I've set this up to prevent myself from telling the same stories over and over again, and also to have a way to look back on just what it is that I do with my professional life. For those of you who are wondering what it's like to be a professional actor... maybe you'll find some glimpses of that life here.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Back at home
Our tour officially ended 0n Sunday, but we got back into town around 5pm on Saturday. We drove all day and made it home with really good speed. And by now, I'm completely unpacked, and I've even done all of my laundry. As I put my binder away, I'm going to go over all the cities that we visited, and I'll see if I can post 2 or 3 things about every town, maybe things that haven't been up here before. So stay tuned for the detailed memories...
This was certainly an interesting experience, blogging as I toured. I know, I know, I didn't really feel like I did it often enough, but we would be insanely busy for four or five days at a time. We really covered a lot of ground and did a lot of work. The final numbers are:
32 cities
60 performances
14,000 miles
I'm tired.
This was certainly an interesting experience, blogging as I toured. I know, I know, I didn't really feel like I did it often enough, but we would be insanely busy for four or five days at a time. We really covered a lot of ground and did a lot of work. The final numbers are:
32 cities
60 performances
14,000 miles
I'm tired.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Palace of Gold
Sorry that I haven't been posting this month.....
Yesterday on our way to Bridgeport, WV, we stopped by a place called the Palace of Gold, outside Wheeling, WV. We saw it on the map, had no idea what it was, and I took our troup out that way. Turns out it was a Krishna temple, built for one of their founders. We saw both the temple and the magnificient palace, literally built on the top of a mountain. It was amazing. The palace boasted 50 different types of marble, hundreds of thousands of pieces of stained glass, and furniture imported from Bombay, India. The entire palace was assembled by the devotees of the order, without the benefit of professional skilled labor. Our guide said that they were literally reading "How-To" books on marble floors and stained glass windows. It was highly successful, as the palace is truly beautiful.
Now we are at our last stop on the tour, getting set for two days worth of shows and workshops. We still need to figure out just what exactly these workshops are going to be. We haven't done anything like it yet, so it promises to be interesting.
Yesterday on our way to Bridgeport, WV, we stopped by a place called the Palace of Gold, outside Wheeling, WV. We saw it on the map, had no idea what it was, and I took our troup out that way. Turns out it was a Krishna temple, built for one of their founders. We saw both the temple and the magnificient palace, literally built on the top of a mountain. It was amazing. The palace boasted 50 different types of marble, hundreds of thousands of pieces of stained glass, and furniture imported from Bombay, India. The entire palace was assembled by the devotees of the order, without the benefit of professional skilled labor. Our guide said that they were literally reading "How-To" books on marble floors and stained glass windows. It was highly successful, as the palace is truly beautiful.
Now we are at our last stop on the tour, getting set for two days worth of shows and workshops. We still need to figure out just what exactly these workshops are going to be. We haven't done anything like it yet, so it promises to be interesting.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
On the road again
On the third day (or so) of our tour, we are staying in Brooklyn. We have shows tomorrow at Brooklyn College, which is a very large theatre space with an old-fashioned wood floor. Then after the shows, we load out and travel to another theatre in Staten Island, where we will be loading in at 7pm. Yes, it's a long day, but it also means that we will have two complete days off while in Staten Island. It's a hike to get into New York from our hotel, but we will have the time to do something - maybe see a show. I have an audition on Wednesday morning for the Texas Shakespeare Festival, trying my best to secure some work for the upcoming months. I also have a lot of friends in NYC, and I'm trying to see if I can find some time to see them. Or have them come to my show, at the very least.
We're moving steadily though the busiest week of this leg of tour, and we are flying along with honor. We need to head out to CT, then Jersey after NYC, and then we have a lot of down time before Wisconsin. Which I suppose is a good thing, since it will allow us to take our time.
It's like we never left.
We're moving steadily though the busiest week of this leg of tour, and we are flying along with honor. We need to head out to CT, then Jersey after NYC, and then we have a lot of down time before Wisconsin. Which I suppose is a good thing, since it will allow us to take our time.
It's like we never left.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Once more unto the breech, dear friends...
Tomorrow evening, we all meet up again, load up the van with our suitcases, and then we hit the road again for the last time. This time, our travels keep us in the north, heading to New York City, even up to Wisconsin. We'll be on the road until we return on Jan 27th, marking the end of the Cinderella tour. I'm looking forward to getting back on the road. I've printed our maps, called ahead; the only thing I have left to do is pack for the trip, which I'll have to do today. But soon you'll be able to expect more from this blog, since we'll be touring the country yet again.
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