Of Guest Lists, Plays, and Other Good Things....

The guest list. Sigh...

The invention of Facebook has certainly changed the way we address wedding invitations. Since EVERYONE knows about it, EVERYONE expects an invitation. Truth be told, we're keeping things fairly small (around 50 people). Which means he gets to invite 25 and I get to invite 25. In that 25 are immediate family, wedding party members (of course), and the officiant. So we plan on doing this in 2 waves. Family and wedding party gets the first wave of invitations, and friends will get the 2nd wave. And invitations will be going out this spring and summer to give people plenty of time to RSVP for the fall wedding. While I wish we could throw a HUGE party and invite EVERYONE we love, we are keeping our budget in mind first. I want to make sure we're not in debt for years for ONE DAY. A great day, mind you, but it is ONE DAY. I can't make peace with taking out a loan for 1 day, though that seems to be the norm to finance weddings these days. We're keeping it UNDER $5k. The average wedding costs $25k today. So while our story is anything BUT average, our wedding will be financially well below the "average". And I'm sure it'll turn out just right. The people who are ment to be there will be there. Those that are ment to support us from afar will be there in spirit as well.

On to less stressful topics!

Last night, I got the chance to see a local production of a hysterical British farce, "Black Comedy". No, the word "black" is NOT a reference to race. It's a reference to the dark. Most of the hour and 20 minute show takes place in the dark.  By now, you're probably asking how that works. Well, the first 5 minutes or so of the play take place on a black stage. You hear the characters talking and walking around. See, for our characters, when the stage is black, that is actually when it's "light" in the room. When the fuse (which only an electrician can change) blows, the entire stage lights up. However the characters are in the "dark". Literally. The actors play it as if the room is completely dark, adding to the hilarity. I highly recommend this wonderful show if it's ever playing near you. British farces have a special place in my heart, since that's how I started in theater. I've done several, but I'm sorry I missed out on the chance to audition for this one. However, at Bremerton Community Theater, the cast is right on, the direction is great, and everything (aside from a few slipping accents here and there) was professional grade. You'll bloody enjoy the break from your dreary day-to-day.  Click here to help them fill seats with your laughter!


As for the other things -
 I cleaned the house, worked over 1/2 a day shift, and am about to enjoy Dream House on Vudu. The sun was out today (yeah!), I got cars reserved for our trip in 3 1/2 weeks, AND My Sailor has tomorrow off.

All good things.

Good night!

Into The Woods! Our Opening AND Review!

I have a lot more things I'm still processing, so there will probably be a LOT of blogging going on this week, but I just wanted to throw up a quick post now to get the ball rolling. Why not start this week's blogging on a high note?

Last weekend was opening weekend for Into the Woods! I'm very glad to report that the show is getting rave reviews! 

For those of you who haven't been following the blog and don't already know, Into The Woods is considered one of the most difficult musicals to perform - and it's been my favorite since my teen years. To be in it as a strong member of the cast is a dream come true for me. True, Jack's Mother wasn't my first choice, but every time I pinch Jack's cheek or inform him (in the most annoyed and annoying tone of voice I can muster) that his cow is a "she", not a he, my heart jumps a little. I have a very clear, "Wow, I'm living the dream," moment. The talent in the cast and the talent in the directing has really pushed me to a new level here, and I can't wait to keep on growing as a singer, actress, and performer. While I loved doing community theater in California, and I learned from every production, the talent AND high skill level of this group puts me in a whole new league. I may never get a leading role, but I'm starting to remember why comic relief is so much more fun! 

You can check out some photos from the local Newspaper (the Kitsap Sun) here.

Another local theater troupe is doing Into the Woods, and you'd think they'd have a leg up on us since their production takes place IN THE WOODS. They perform OUTDOORS!
We're confine our BIG characters to the SMALL space, but... I'll let the reviewer speak for himself.
Here's the "before" interview with the director.

And "after" - The Reviewer came OPENING NIGHT! Which gave use ZERO time to work out the bugs, but it went really well anyway. :)

Click Here to read the review: "WWCA Succeeds at telling a Big Story in a Small Venue."
Here's a little slide show of some show photos. Enjoy!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com
 

Ah yes... High School Drama - A review and appericiation

Last week, I was treated to a performance at Vista High School. It was a series of student written, student directed, and student acted short plays. It was facinating to sit on the audience side of the stage, and it gave me a newfound sense of gratitude for my high school drama teachers. At the time, they drove me nuts with the constant nit-picking! Now, I'm reminded of how vital those things that seemed so minor at the time, actually ARE when performing on stage.

First off, I have to give kudos to every kid who put their work on stage last night. It takes a certain amount of guts and passion to write and perform something - especially as a high schooler, where peer pressure and the opinions of critics are often taken deeply to heart.

*If any high schooler's read this, I hope they'll take this as nothing more than one audience member's opinion. Some things were great! Some things left me going "huh?". So here's a bit of both!

Overall Review:
This isn't a performaning arts focused school, but overall the kids did alright. (Afterall, I'm sure I wrote similiarly silly things when I was a teen, though some of the skits were surpisingly deep and well done!)Saddly, it's obvious that the arts have suffered at this school. While several of the actors/actresses have a lot of potential, the basics seemed to be lost on a majority of the skits.

This all reminded me of how grateful I am now for the drama instructors I had in high school (whom, at the time, I despised). They drilled the fundamentals into me and they stuck. This largely TV generation seemed to miss lessons like, "Make sure the person in the back of the audience can hear you, no matter the mic situation," and "Cheat out whenever possible."

Blocking issues:
While the kids did a great job of not blocking one another from the audience or needlessly turning their backs to the audience, for the most part, they seemed to miss the Power of the Profile dynamic.

You non-theater folks may be suprised to learn that often characters when speaking aren't quite looking at one another. At least - on stage. (Camera angles allow for more flexibility in this area for film acting.) Using a Profile look can be very intense. Take a love scene for example. The tension built as characters lock eyes and are about to kiss for the first time is almost measurable. A Profile look can also be a very strong expression when two characters are angry at one another and staring each other down, or when one turns and walks away and the other is left staring after them...

However, when characters are always talking to each other and truly facing one another, it gets very boring for an audience to watch. A lot of facial expression is lost because the audience can only see half of the actor's face. While the actors may be using it to connect to one another, the audience is largely left out of that connection. In many of these skits, the actors overused the power of Profile blocking.

Hence the tip to - "Cheat out whenever possible." It brings the audience into the characters and story more than watching half a face does. ;)

Line Delivery -
This is another basic that seemed to be missing from many performances. Delivering lines with confidence and clarity is a great fundemental skill for theater. If the last person in the audience can't make out what the actor is saying (either through volume, enunciation, or lip reading) than the audience can't get into the show. They have to understand what's being expressed, so, as important as it is to express emotion, it's vital to speak the lines at a comprehensible speed, volume, and clarity to the audience.

This is another issue that can stem from troublesome blocking. If an actor is looking upstage (toward the back wall) or standing profile (looking toward the wings), the line often gets lost. The Volume goes whatever direction the actor is facing. It's pretty much impossible to read lips when the actor is facing these directions, so projection is key when blocking calls for those angles. (Also, if the audience is straining to hear what is being said on stage, they can't sit back and enjoy the entertainment/art as it was ment to be enjoyed. They are too busy trying to figure out what's going on.)

All that said - these kids did a great job with "the show must go on". No matter what goes wrong in live theater, ya' just have to 'role' with it. ;) Afterall, that's the thrill of it right there!

Support your local high school kids! Hit up one of their prodcutions! Who knows? You may see the next star in training!

Of Acting, The Whisper House, and other things....

It's really late, but I have to write this tonight before I forget!

What's in store on this blog?

1) The Answer to the "Why do you Act?" question. I was asked this for the first time today, by someone OUTSIDE of a therapist's role. Crazy huh?

2) A Review of a Brand New Musical, The Whisper House, that I caught at the Old Globe yesterday.

3) Why "You're really in the zone. I have to ask, do you feel victimized after all this?" is a compliment of the heighest degree. I know. I lead a sometimes interesting life!

So let's dive right in (so I can go to bed), shall we?

1) "Why do you act?"
Most people ask me how I got into acting or theater. That answer is easy. My parents exposed me to theater early on. As a kid, I LOVED fairy tales and stories and telling great stories (and boy - could I tell some WHOPPERS in my day). So as a child, I remember looking at people acting and singing on stage and thinking, "I can do that." So, that's how I got into it. My mom supported me by allowing me to go to camps like Northern Arizona University's master music camp, CYT, and involve myself in school plays in high school. I know many folks stop there, but I kept that ball rolling by doing a few shows with Palomar College, local community theaters, and the like. The gig I just did tonight (excuse me, the REGULAR PAYING GIG I just did tonight - WAHOO!) is something that TheManInBlack turned me on to. More on that in #3, but why did I get into acting?

I think acting stuck somewhere around 2003. I was cast in Book of Days at Palomar College. I remember the role - Sharon, a mid-life woman who married into wealth and was the mother of the main character, a socio-pathic murderer. In case you haven't noticed, it was a real stretch for me, but I wanted to make certain that the audience could see what I saw - how Sharon was a step away from those same socio-pathic tendencies that her son acted on. One night, during curtain call, I felt this rush. I felt as if suddenly ever fiber of my being knew that tiny little insignificant me had contributed something important to the world.

One therapist would probably say that it's some innate need for attention that wasn't fulfilled in childhood. Another might say that I'm uncomfortable in my own skin, so I have to seek out others. Both may be partly true.

But I can only honestly answer with, "It's in my blood." I have a need to express to communicate. It's why I sing. It's why I write. And acting is a beautiful outlet for all those things I can't express any other way.

2) Review of "The Whisper House"

I had little idea of what to expect when I found out that the Old Globe was housing a new musical, but I do know this much - I'm not going to miss a brand new musical just because it's not yet a popular box office buster. So I went for it. Sort of an early birthday present to me.

The story is carried out in a surreal "slice of life" fashion. It's about a boy who's father is killed when the Japanese shoot down his plane during WWII. Unable to care for him, his mother sends him to live with a spinster aunt who happens to live in a lighthouse that the boy believes is haunted.

The musical has a cast of 7 cast members. 2 of them are ghosts that sing. I mean, they ONLY sing. They seem to be not truely "ghosts", but the whispering fears the boy has developed at the traumatic loss of his parents and the frightening world he lives in. There almost seem to be three layers going on during the show. There is the acting, which was EXCELLENTLY executed, in true Old Globe fashion. There is the singing - each song which stands on it's own. And there is a multi-media projection show during many songs (which, due to my seats, I couldn't really partake in too much).

However, working at the lighthouse is a Japanese man working in the lighthouse.

Let me remind you of the time period.

This takes place during WWII.

In America.

For those that don't know their history, the Japanese were treated appaulingly during this time period. One of the beautiful character peices in this play is drawing attention to the unfair treatment of the Japanese Americans back then.

It's well worth seeing, but go into it with an open mind. I found it facinating because it made me think. The music achieved it's haunting goal (and I'm now the proud owner of the soundtrack). And the acting - well, if done with a less committed, less talented cast, this show could be a serious flop. But the skill of this group made a lasting impression on me. The show is done in an original style that manages to engross the audience with simple, useful, meaningful set and characterization. It's middle of the road Avante Gaurd meets Minimalist style.

Facinating, and well worth a second peek to me. (The opening night was frought with usual opening night glitches - like a sound man who didn't have his/her cues down just yet.) I'm excited to see where this show goes! I doubt it'll disappear into the archives of musical theater obscurity.

3) Why on earth is THAT a compliment?
Tonight, I worked my regular gig for the police. It's part of a special training course where cops are taught interview and interrogation techniques. They needed a rape victim, so, for the last couple years, I've been playing the rape victim for them.

Basically, they give me an outline, with a character information and scenerio information. Then I sit down in a room with a Victim Advocate, a trainer, and a small group of cops. One of the cops has to interview me.

The interview techniques they use involve learning get the victim (me) to relive the night of their terror three different ways. First, I relive it from the begining to the end. Then, from the end to the begining. And finally, from a different perspective. Each time I recall more and more detail. (When done correctly, I am able to piece together who the rapist was all together.)

I do that for each of 5 groups that come through my room. My reactions are based on thier use of these techniques.

Well, tonight a lady officer (an observer) came up to me after my last class and asked "How do you feel after this?" I laughed and said something to the effect of, "Exhausted. I worked all day this morning at my day job." She continued, "No, no. I mean, I saw you. You were really in the zone there. Don't you feel victimized?"

Obviously, I did my job right. Most actors will tell you that this kind of one-on-one acting with your audience, with this level of improv is very difficult. Each time I learn something new, have to think on my feet, and yet make it beliable to someone who isn't more than 3 feet away from me. They have see it in my eyes to believe it. And that - as even the most skilled actor will tell you-is the goal.

(Truth be told, my poor co-workers have to put up with an exhausted, emotionally drained, slightly depressed coder the next day. But it's worth every minute. Not only do they pay well, but I really feel like I'm doing some good. Better these cops mess up on me than an ACTUAL rape victim.)

And with that - Goodnight moon!

Realizations and Reviews from a Theatrical Weekend

Last Thursday began, what I've come to call "the great theater weekend!"
Until I find some weekend to top it, I attended 3 shows in 4 days.


Here are the reviews on those shows:

"Cats" at the Moonlight in Vista



A pretty decent show, but it seemed to lack that one essential ingredient that makes some shows truely work.

The singing was good.

The dancing was great.

The acting though... was just a tad lacking. So while it was enjoyable, it felt a bit like a variety show (which is somewhat what Cats is, so that's not too far off), but it wasn't quite there on the emotional level for me.


"Hamlet" Free Performance at the Coronado Playhouse





Kudos to each actor for knowing his or her lines well. Also, kudos to the lighting design and costuming crew. Very nice. And the price was right (free).

While it's very sad to see this theater lose it's funding, I was a bit less impressed by the overall acting. It almost felt that they didn't have enough time spent getting to know their characters. This scene depicted in the picture was probably one of Hamlet's truest scenes, but I didn't really see his descent into madness as I would have expected. Instead, the character felt more like a spoiled, scheming brat, than a truly tormented man.


Overall, it felt adequate for a community theater show, however - had I paid more than $10 for the ticket, I would have felt disappointed.



But before you think I hate everything...


"Cyrano De Bergerac" at the Old Globe Theater


THIS WAS THE MOST AMAZING PERFORMANCE I HAVE EVER SEEN!

It's this kind of well crafted show that makes my inner artist scream, "I want to be part of THAT! Tell me how I can do that. What do I need to do to be part of THAT?"



There was not a single weak link in the entire cast.

Each actor was either Equity or a student studying as part of the USD Master of the Arts Program. And it showed.

Well directed. Well acted. Great costuming, make-up, and set...

This show was 3 1/2 hours long with 2 short intermissions. And it was SOLD OUT and well deserved. If I had paid $100 for my seat (which I didn't), I would have felt I got my money's worth.

Unlike Cats, this show relied completely on excellent acting and character choices. Patrick Page and Cyrano carried the show along beautifully.


My Personal Take on the Story: Cyrano, while conflicted, was a man's man as far as I'm concerned. He knew the value of words, and had the drive to better himself to bring himself and those that knew him (comrad and foe alike) honor. While a furious villian at times, a deeper honor stood out in the sincerity of his expression to his love, as well as his interaction with the men close to him. Though he bucked society to the point of obsurdity at times, he also gave all he had to one woman - despite the fact that she may never be able to return it. Honoring those he loved was more important than his own pride in the end.

And for that, I am honored to have been able to be among the audience. It reinforced my beliefe that romance isn't optional - when it comes to love, it's a necessity.

The differences in all the shows reminded me that I am on the right road by giving this acting thing a real, definate shot.