Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Theatre Returns to Iraq
"The cast includes Sunnis, Shiites and a Christian. The actors are unpaid and most are unemployed. Performances are held only during the day, because the city turns into a ghost town after dark. There is no entrance fee. Audience members, most of whom are fellow actors or friends of cast members, are frisked for weapons and explosives as they enter."
Visit the link to the full article, 'Baghdad's Theater of War' by Washington Post columnist, Ernesto Londono.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ode to Michael Emerson
I'm already experiencing withdrawal. I don't know if I can wait until February of 2008 until my next fix, but there is little I can do. I just have to accept the fact that last night was the season finale of Lost and I'll have to find something else to do on Wednesday nights for the summer... and fall... and holiday season. (When do 'Celebrate Brooklyn' bandshell shows start?)
Of the many aspects of Lost that I'm addicted to, one performance stood out this season. For any drama to succeed, it needs a good villain, and thanks to brilliant writing, Michael Emerson outshines them all. Emerson's portrayal of Benjamin Linus is pitch perfect, which I think is a credit to his theatre background and training. Even though he was born in Cedar Rapids, his traits match all of the classic British villain qualities (because we all know no one plays a villain like a Brit.).
Most New York theatre goers first saw him as Oscar Wilde in Moises Kaufman's production of Gross Indecency, and later as George Tesman, opposite Kate Burton's Hedda Gabler. Others may remember him from a production of The Misanthrope* opposite Uma Thurman or as Willy Oban in The Iceman Cometh with Kevin Spacey. To horror movie fans, he's best known for playing Zep Hindle in Saw. In 2001, he won an Emmy for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series", playing the confessed serial killer William Hinks on The Practice.
Who better to play the main baddie on the most creative program since Twin Peaks? If there is any justice in television, he'll get nominated for best supporting actor. Since I don't watch much else on television (I'm currently a Netflix junkie), I can't say what his competition would be, but he's certainly worthy of the recognition. And if none of this means anything to you, then you've got eight months to catch up on the first three seasons.
*Is Elizabeth Marvel confirmed for Ivo van Hove's production of The Misanthrope at NYTW next season? Either way, I'm psyched.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Past is a Fiction
Before rehearsal today, I read a piece about Gordon Bell, the Microsoft engineer who has been described as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of computers". A certain section struck me as having to do a lot with theatre in general and the production I'm working on now in particular.
Memory revises itself endlessly. We remember a vivid person, a remark, a sight that was unexpected, an occasion on which we felt something profoundly. The rest falls away. We become more exalted in our memories than we actually were, or less so. The interior stories we tell about ourselves rarely agree with the truth...In the novel So Long, See You Tomorrow, William Maxwell writes, 'Too many conflicting emotional interests are involved for life ever to be wholly acceptable, and possibly it is the work of the storyteller to rearrange things so that they conform to this end. In any case, in talking about the past we lie with every breath we draw.'
Monday, May 21, 2007
European Stategy for Culture
"The three major objectives are:
1. the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.
2. the promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity.
3. the promotion of culture as a vital element in the EU's international relations."
Well, at least the Europeans have a plan.
See the full article here.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Deluded
The point I want to pick up on to further clarify is that of 'delusion'. I think it's an important aspect of the debate, because it brings us back to the purpose of theatre, since its origins are so closely linked to pseudo-religious ritualistic storytelling. Where I think David is taking a stab at crazy right-wing Christians, Joshua argues, in the philosophical sense, that we are all deluded. In the Buddhist sense, I totally agree, but in its literal definition, I think a new word needs to be chosen. This is from the American Heritage Dictionary.
Delude(d) – to deceive the mind or judgment of; mislead (from the Latin dēlūdere, to play false, deceive)
Delusion – the act or process of deluding; deception
Usage: Illusion and Delusion are seldom interchangeable, though closely related. Delusion refers to a false belief held without reservation as a result of self-deception, the imposition of another or mental disorder. Illusion is applicable to a false impression, frequently based on fancy or on wishful thinking, or to a false perception (such as an optical illusion) that one eventually recognizes as false.
I like the distinction made between illusion and delusion, which brings me back to ponder, what exactly are we, as theatre artists, trafficking in? Isn't a church service just another piece of theatre? I grew up in a congregation that was conservative, stuffy and boring, but from the mega-churches I see on TV, there are a number of outfits putting on a rockin' good show.
Besides the obvious reasons of obligation and guilt, people go to church to raise their spirits and commune with like-minded individuals. All of Judeo-Christian belief is based on the group. "If you believe what we believe, then you're set. Just follow the rules in this book and you'll be saved from eternal damnation." Basically, it's a non-profit social network with mandatory donations (tithing). Is there anything we can learned about audience cultivation from these folks? If only us heathen artists could figure out their secret.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Color Blind Casting
Answer: Lou Diamond Phillips, of course. I’m glad color blind casting has gotten to the point where you can cast a guy who is of Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese, Spanish, Scottish Irish and Cherokee Indian decent to play the King of England. It’s the same with the Debbie Allen revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Just as long as they don’t cast LL Cool J as Brick, I think it has a chance.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
The Profitable Off-Broadway
What is currently the longest running Off-Broadway production? (No, The Fantasticks doesn't count. That's in a league of its own.)
Here are a couple hints. It's had 8168 performances. It's not a musical or 'gimmick' show. It's starred the same actress, Catherine Russell, for its entire twenty year run. Tickets are between $41-$51. The New York Times called it "Wonderfully puzzling! A crackling thriller! Sends electric thrills up the spine!". And it's so popular, not only does it not advertise in Time Out, it's not even in the listings. (to be fair, only one of the top five advertise and are listed)
Guessed yet? It's everyone's favorite show: Perfect Crime.
Coming in close second is Blue Man Group: Tubes, costing between $69-79 (and is listed in 'Burlesque & Variety' in TONY). Third is Stomp costing $37 or $65 . Fourth is Tony & Tina's Wedding, costing $87 or $125 (and it comes with dinner). Fifth is I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change costing $75 (and until June 3, in Mandarin). And let's not forget Nunsense and De La Guarda.
Has anyone seen any of these? I've seen Blue Man Group twice in New York and once in Chicago, but that's because my best friend's wife works for them. My inner theatre snob wants to make fun of the shows above, but, since I haven't seen them, I can't be too quick to judge. They must be doing something right. The producers clearly have found a brilliant way to keep packing them in. I guess the biggest thing of all is that none of them are non-profit. Will all of Off-Broadway soon be as commercial as the Great White Way? We can be certain Altar Boyz isn’t going away anytime soon.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Future of Private Sector Giving
"Nonprofit arts organizations derive 43% of their revenue from private contributions (individuals, foundations and corporations)… Research suggests that we are in the midst of a major shift in how these organizations are supported—one that if not addressed will radically alter America’s cultural landscape."
"Since 1992, the arts portion of philanthropic giving has dropped from 8.4% to 5.2%—a value of $8 billion annually."
"Corporations are more strategic in their grantmaking and seek measurable results. Many are reducing their focus to a single funding category, such as health or education—rarely the arts."
"In 2005, private sector giving to the nonprofit arts was $13.51 billion—a 3.4% decrease from 2004. Private contributions to all charities in 2005 was $260.28 billion—a 6.1% increase from 2004."
"While 67% of the nation’s households make charitable contributions—just 8% contribute to the arts. The average gift is $215."
"Arts donor households are older, have higher incomes, completed college, no children living at home, are likely to donate to other charities and volunteer."
Check out http://www.artsusa.org for more info.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
One (might even be) Too Many
How sad is that? I know this comes as no surprise to anyone, but to have it said so straight-forwardly makes it even sadder. We’re all well aware that money is constantly the monkey on our backs, but to assert that one of the greatest plays of the 20th century wouldn’t be written today (or certainly never produced) due exclusively to finances is depressing. I honestly believe if an adventurous playwright needed 25 people to tell the story, he’d use them. Guess we just live in a world now where all those characters would have to be double or triple cast.
Is it true? Are there no good contemporary American plays with more than 10 people in the cast?
Monday, May 07, 2007
Broadway Babble
Top Five Shows on Broadway (in order): Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Mamma Mia. Two Disney movies, Two Greatest Hits albums and the freakin’ Wizard of Oz. And somehow Jersey Boys had 100.6% attendance, which doesn’t make sense to me (and they were down from last week at 100.7%).
DIGGING INTO THE TRENCHES
Next Good Show to Close: Journey’s End (probably holding out till the Tony nominations are announced)
WHERE’D THE AUDIENCE GO?
Les Miz lost 14% of their audience this week compared to last. It’s still up at 86% which is on par with Spamalot and The Color Purple, but that $100K they lost sure stings.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Playwrights Horizons Gets Saved
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Ghost in the Rehearsal
The ensemble and I have been working on this new Spanish play for a couple of months now. The script is divided into seven monologues, so I have been mostly meeting one-on-one with the actresses. As we head towards our first workshop performance on June 1st, we're starting to get together as a group again and really explore the physical world of the characters. Monodramas (or as we Americans call them 'one-person shows') are incredibly challenging, because if the audience doesn't find the character or the actor engaging, you're screwed. It's hard to keep people's attention for any length of time these days, but to keep them focused on one person is next to impossible. Eventually, they are going to get bored. In essence, the play we are working on now has similar traps. Even though the script is telling one larger story and there is a loose through-line, I’m basically directing seven separate monodramas, each between 5 and 15 minutes. If nothing else, I can hope that if the audience doesn't like one, at least they can take comfort in the fact that there will be another one in a few minutes.
Never-the-less, I had the chance to take pictures. The exercise I was leading, based on The Seven Deadly Sins, took over an hour, which allowed me a great deal of ‘down-time’ while the actors explored. As not to distract anyone, I didn't use a flash, which in the end, created some very cool effects. Since the point of the exercise was to truly physicalize vice and virtue, it was nice to see movement in the images. Some even have a ghost-like effect that, eerily enough, fits perfectly within the framework of the play. Many of my non-theatre friends ask me what rehearsals are like. Hopefully a picture speaks a thousand words.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Old Vic / New Voices
The two readings they presented were fantastic. The first was Megan Mostyn-Brown's Going After Alice. I had the chance to work with Megan last summer and I also saw a reading of hers at the Public that Meredith McDonough directed. FYI - This girl can write and she's hilarious. The second piece was Joel Horwood's Stoopid F*cken Animals. It's 'the first Western to be set in rural Suffolk'. It was that perfect British blend of darkness and humor. Very fun characters in a very f*cked situation.
As is no surprise, I'm all in favor of international exchanges, especially of young talent. I just hope we can broaden the playing field even more to include countries that don't speak English. It's not a shocker that the Yanks love the Brits. Time Out even declared that 'the Brits really are better'. If that's the case, there's an obvious reason why, which is tied into the culture, the government, the education and the tradition. It’s the kind of system that enables a theatre company like the Old Vic to sponsor this type of event. Can anyone name me an American company that flies four twenty-somethings over to London for a week just for the hell of it? I'm certainly glad someone is doing it, and it was a blast to be there.