Hello, It's Been a While

Well, I've been a bit lax, haven't I?

So much going on. Pygmalion has closed. Peyton Place getting ready to open, opening tonight, actually.

Obviously, I had some pride in Pygmalion. It was a script that I brought to the table, and the show was well-received. Great cast, good people. That said, I was happy to be done.

If nothing else, I got to shave and cut my hair. It was all gone within 24 hours of walking off stage for the last time.

Honestly, I've been slow getting on with the blog just because I've felt...slow. I'm tired. Very, very tired. It's been 12 days since Pygmalion closed, and those twelve days feel like months. I mean, I went right into full runs and tech for Peyton after Pygmalion closed, and that felt a lot like whiplash.

Then I got in a car accident. I got rear-ended, and pushed into the car in front of me. Of course, this happened on the day that was supposed to be my "day off" to relax before tech kicked in. The car's a mess, but I feel fine. The insurance company wanted to total it, but we decided to get it fixed. It's a good little car and CByrd and I love it.

Honestly, I cannot wait to not have rehearsals to go to. This year has been a blessing, I've been working on one thing or another, solid, since last...June, I think. It's great to know that so many people enjoy and want to work with me, but God, I am tired.

I want some free time again, I want to work on music (Jesus, that song and dance, again?). I have a few things on the far horizon, and I will need to start poking around for a Fall project soon, but I am blissfully free of commitments until June. I'm sure 2 weeks after Peyton Place closes, I'll have a panic attack/breakdown about never getting hired again, but I need to not be working for a bit.

In June I'll be doing a one-night performance of a lovely little script as part of Leapfest X, called Your Teacher is Out Today. It's a one-man show, and we're only doing it once. So, I'll let you know about that.

In may, it's vacation time. It sounds like we'll be kicking around England, again. Including Cardiff, where we're sure to visit this.

I'm determined to get some of this music finished. I'm also determined to get some more writing done. I'm generally determined to have some time off, and be productive with it.

Damn, Time Flies

I've been letting the blog down. I know this. I should write more, but, the simple fact is, I've been so wiped out with getting Frankenstein on it's feet, I didn't have much energy to blog. It's kinda ridiculous. I keep thinking there's going to be some glorious, golden moment in a few weeks when I'll have some free time to read, or work on music. Some time when I won't feel the pressure of my commitments.

Not bloody likely.

I'm into a Meisner scene study class now, and I was ecstatic to find out I'd be working on David Mamet's Speed the Plow. Anyone who knows me knows I love Mamet, and what you may not know is that, aside from a directing assignment where I put up a one act cutting of American Buffalo (a REALLY stupid decision on my part - never try to direct a play you really just want to be in), I have NEVER worked on a Mamet play.

But Goddamn, it's a lot of words.

On top of that, Pygmalion is on the horizon and moving in fast. Had a meeting with our dialect coach last night, and I have to start on lines for that, as well as getting the cockney in my head. I'm feeling very wary of this project. I'm not overly sure why. It's a great part, funny and lovely dialogue.

But Goddamn, it's a lot of words.

I also am feeling very, very much like I want to get back to working on my recording projects. It's been so long since I've felt like I could work on them, I may be at a point where I need to "burn the ships" again. I have one solid track done, I think (two different versions, even), and a lot of great songs starting to gel. I just find that, often, when I lose my track on where I am, and what my thought process was, it's best to chuck it all and start over.

That's why I have a home studio, isn't it? Don't cost nothin'.

My 2012-2013 Theatre Season

Well, yesterday I accepted what I have to assume will be my last show in the 2012-2013 theatre season. I mean, I guess I could squeeze something else in during April/May/June, but I also always like to leave time for a little family vacation in the Spring. Even at that, things will be falling hard upon each other from here until the last curtain falls in March. I'll probably just need a break.

September 28th to November 4th, 2012
City Lit Theatre

FRANKENSTEIN
by Mary Shelly
adapted by Bo List
Directed by Terry McCabe

Frankenstein, an instant best seller and an important ancestor of both the terror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation, genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

As I've made more than clear, I'll be playing the Creature. I won't go on about it again.

January 5th to February 10th, 2013

a co-production of Stage Left Theatre and BoHo Theatre

PYGMALION

by George Bernard Shaw

Directed by Vance Smith

associate Director: Peter Robel

In this classic play that inspired the musical My Fair Lady, dialect expert Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can teach Cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle to pass as a “proper lady.” Stage Left teams with fellow Theater Wit Resident Company Boho Theatre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first production of this timeless story.

I've been cast as Alfred Doolittle. I feel some sense of pride in the fact the I brought this show to Stage left. It's exciting to see it go up.

February 22nd to March 31st, 2013
City Lit Theatre

PEYTON PLACE
by Grace Metalious
World Premiere Adaptation by Paul Edwards
Directed by Paul Edwards

When Grace Metalious' debut novel about the dark underside of a small, respectable New England town was published in 1956, it quickly soared to the top of the bestseller lists with 60,000 copies sold within the first 10 days of its release. A landmark in twentieth-century American popular culture, Peyton Place spawned a successful feature film and a long-running television series - the first prime-time soap opera. 

I've been cast as Tom Makris...and I think it may provide one of my favorite lines I've ever gotten to say on stage. I laughed out loud when I read it..



I'm really happy about a number of things here. The most important thing, is that all of these roles are, very, very different. Not only emotionally, but the physical looks are gonna be miles apart. It's a great arc for my year of work.

We have the lyrical brutality of Frankenstein's Monster, which scares the crap out of me, because I, truly, don't know if I can pull it off. That alone makes it tremendously exciting for me. It's such an opportunity to show different facets of myself. Innocence, loneliness, betrayal, and love. It's a great part, and Bo List has managed to keep much of what I loved about the novel. Top that off, the brief make-up discussions I've been party to have been exciting in how extreme my look might end up being. So cool.

Then, the knowing hucksterism of Doolittle, and a chance to say a lot of things about class in society that I feel may be more on-the-nose than we'd like it to be. Plus, it's a hellishly funny part. A nice explosion outward from what, I think, will be a very internal performance as the Creature.

Ending with what I can only describe as my shot to play Don Draper. We go back internal, and a chance to be "Mr. Ruggedly Handsome." To indulge that sort of uber-masculinity that the 50's and 60's wallowed in. Plus, the pure sexuality of the whole story is gonna be great fun after two relatively sexless show, and it gets me that line I was talking about. I'm gonna need to order a whole case of Aqua-Velva.

I'm also happy to be back at City Lit, who's shown such faith and trust in me, and my work. Going all the way back to Puddin'head Wilson, through Dashiell Hamlet, and The Copperhead, they've bet on me a lot, and I'm happy to be part of this season, as they prepare for their move to Evanston. You can subscribe to CityLit's 2012-2013 season here (Call or print and mail the form).

I'll also be appearing in a Stage Left mainstage production for the first time as an actual member of the Ensemble, my first time since The Day of Knowledge way back in 2009. You can subscribe to Stage Left's 2012-2013 season here.

London Theatre 2011 - Part 3 - Pygmalion

The third evening of theatre we took in was Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre.

I have fond memories of The Garrick, as this is the theatre where I saw my first West End production in 2007, Treats with Billie Piper. That show knocked my socks off, mainly because I knew nothing about what I was going to see before I sat down. I would still love to work on that script, in some capacity.

Anyway...

Pygmalion was a bit of a similar situation. Of course, I know the play, but I confess I have never seen a production. I've also not read the script since college. I, like most people, am probably far more familiar with the musical version My Fair Lady.

That's a damn shame, but we'll get to that in a minute.

The idea of Everett as Henry Higgins was intriguing, as was seeing Dame Diana Rigg live and in person. Yes, I'm one of the generation at least partially led to sexual awakening by Emma Peel on The Avengers. Otherwise, I went in with a bit of a blank slate.

What I got was a nice black comedy with a bit of a mean streak. A much more interesting take on the subject that My Fair Lady will ever provide. I can't help it, people start singing, and I start to zone out on character and relationships. It becomes pretty things being paraded around the stage, and I think My Fair Lady is exceptionally guilty, especially when this source material is so rich.

Again, I think most people who might take the time to read this probably know the plot of this play, so I'm not going to trudge back over it. Suffice to say that I think the questions this play raises about women, men and identity are still very, very valid. The show felt very fresh.

Everett is perhaps a bit too dour. I've just read a review that compared his first interest to the appearance of Jack the Ripper. I wouldn't go that far, but I think that he might've allowed Higgins to enjoy his experiment, and the presence of Eliza, a bit more. The show seems to want to spin Higgins as an overgrown man-child, and that's as valid a take as any, but I think a man-child would enjoy things a bit more.

That said, the man is wonderful with the turn of a phrase, and enjoyed great chemistry with Peter Eyre as Colonel Pickering.

Dame Rigg, however was able to tap into that childish joy and glee with Mrs. Higgins. the show took an upswing every time she entered the scene. A wonderful character, well rendered.

But, really, I will save my highest praise for Kara Tointon, a British soap star (EastEnders) making her West End debut. For an actress with very few listed stage credits, she KILLED as Eliza Doolittle. She hits all of the comic beats, from the street urchin flower girl, to the almost robotic "trained" Eliza that first appears, and then nails the emotional wallop of the ending. I have her to thank for the fact I may not be able to hear someone say "how do you do" again, without laughing. Kudos for an excellent performance from a stage newcomer.

It was also nice, as we moved toward the climax of the show, my mind sticking in elements form My fair Lady, that Pygmalion takes a much darker, and interesting turn. I loved it, and I think I may be outright annoyed with the changes made for the musical. What Bernard Shaw gives us is a story about the true dangers of reshaping and playing with human beings, instead of a simple romantic comedy. When Eliza takes her life into her own hands, and asserts herself, it's an ending that brings the point home, rather than undercutting it with a weakened romantic denouement.

Nice production of a show that I should've paid more attention to before now.