The Reviews Are In

And they ain't pretty. 

On what was supposed to have been the opening day of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, now postponed until March 15th and still in previews since November, national theatre critics could no longer hold their tongues and let the vitriol spill toward this ill-conceived (if not downright stupid) musical.

Most vicious was Ben Brantly at the New York Times (full review here) who said the show is "...so grievously broken in every aspect that it is beyond repair." And "...only when things go wrong in this production does it remotely feel right - if, by right, one means entertaining." Yikes!

Less nasty, but equally disdainful, Charles McNulty of the L.A. Times said "Incoherence isn't much fun to sit through." He also says the show's failure "...rests squarely on Taymor's run-amok direction." McNulty's full review is here. Meanwhile, Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune writes that show's woes boil down to "...an incoherent story." Jones seems to genuinely want to like the show in his review, but just can't. Peter Marks in The Washington Post laments "...the creature that most often spreads its wings at the Foxwoods (Theatre) is a Turkey" and that "...its more appropriate home might be off a highway in Orlando." (Ouch!)

Personally, I've said from the first moment I heard about the show that it was destined for failure. And while I may delight in a sense of schadenfreude (a word I've been using a lot, lately), I can't help but feel bad for the hardworking cast and crew of Spider-Man. I know from personal experience how tough it can be to put a show a together. But I also know that without a story to hold the audience's interest and without characters to whom they can relate, no amount of spectacle can save a bad show. I'll admit, Taymor's visuals are unparalleled and when they work (as in The Lion King and Titus) they do so beautifully.Of course, the crtics are also faulting the mostly forgettable score by U2's Bono and The Edge, citing only a few numbers as worthy of a Broadway musical, while being exceptionally kind to the cast who seem to be struggling against almost insurmountable technical, musical and scriptural issues. Honestly, I feel really badly for the poor schlubs who are contractually obligated to appear in this disaster night after night. It can't be much fun, knowing you're in the worst Broadway musical since Carrie. Sadly, all fault with the show seems to lie with Taymor and her insane vision, a lesson future backers will certainly have in mind when she proposes her next Broadway debacle.

Hopefully, this will be my final rant about this particular show. I'm also hoping that the upcoming production of the Australian import Priscilla: Queen of the Desert will outshine and eventually overshadow Spider-Man by its sheer fabulousness alone (and can guarantee it will be the show I'm willing to shill $100+ to see over Taymor's monstrosity). 

Still, I will somehow sleep easier knowing that I was right all along, and that superheroes have no serious place on the Broadway stage... Just ask the producers of It's a Bird... It's a Plane...

More, anon.
Prospero

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Turn Off the Lights, Already

Not a single thing I've read or heard about Julie Taymor's $65 million disaster, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, has been positive, unless it was coming from Taymor herself. The few folks I know who've seen the show have described an unimaginable mess which makes no sense at all: especially in the second act which involves the mythological Arachne, a weaver who was turned into a spider as punishment for her hubris. In Taymor's "vision," Arachne needs Spider-Man to release her from her curse, employing a chorus line of spidergals who sing about shoes in doing so. Really? Curiously, composers Bono and The Edge remain silent about the show and it's oft-reported accidents and ridiculous (at best) second act. Audience reactions have been reported as everything from appallingly stunned to out-and-out horrified by its lack of coherence. Indeed, the comic's defining line and central theme ("With great power comes great responsibility") isn't even uttered by the original character, Peter Parker's Uncle Ben, but thrown away by Spidey himself in a battle with the Green Goblin. Disrespectful, at best; bad writing at it's worst.

As for Taymor's vision? Just take a look at the costumes pictured above. On the left is the Green Goblin, a villain depicted in the Marvel Comics like this. In Taymor's version, he looks more like an aging club kid who's done one too many hits of E for his own good. On the right we have Swiss Miss, a villain Taymor made up just for the show, so named for her resemblance to a Swiss Army Knife. Seriously? Swiss Miss? The name makes me think of cocoa, rather than a super-villain. I certainly don't think of a metallic dominatrix with goat horns on her head. And Spider-Man's creator Stan Lee is okay with this? I think dementia must be setting in.

Clearly this is a case of a director's ego gone wild. Sure, Taymor's production of The Lion King is a visual feast, based on material that already existed with a clearly defined story. And her film Titus was an inspired take on a Shakespearean classic (also previously existing material with a clearly defined plot). And her well-received biopic Frida was at least rooted in reality (but came about more because of Producer/Star Salma Hayek's passion for the subject matter). Then came Across the Universe, a psychedelic love story set during the Vietnam War era, using the Beatles' music in much the same way that the disastrous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band did, weaving a story around songs that already existed (sensing a pattern here?). But the former costume designer (aha) has started to show signs that she's gotten in over her head, most recently with her ill-received production of The Tempest, a film that left critics cold and which audiences avoided like the plague, despite the presence of Dame Helen Mirren as a re-sexualized 'Prospera.' But this show, while based on previously existing material, sprung almost entirely out of Taymor's head, based on a dream she had about Arachne after 9/11. What? Yes -- look it up. Talk about hubris...

Now comes word that Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has delayed it's opening yet a fifth time, until March 15th, so additional corrections van be made to the second act (perhaps to make it make sense?). I'm thinking Taymor and company should heed the warnings of another Shakespearean play and "Beware the Ides of March." After all the accidents (4 major injuries); protests from other members of AEA and the truly terrible word-of-mouth from those who've already seen the show, the show's producers should just cut their losses and let this terrible-from-the-start idea die. Of course, $65 million dollars is quite a loss to claim on a 1040. 

How bad can be it be? Take a look at this commercial for the show and then tell me:

Honestly, as a performer and director who got his start in Musical Theatre, I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt that I am. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is destined to go down as one of the biggest Broadway disasters since Carrie: The Musical.

More, anon.....

Prospero

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A Nearly Flawless Opening Night,

That's the amazing cast and Foley crew of It's a Wonderful Life. The show opened to a decent sized crowd who just loved it. I say 'nearly flawless,' because there was one pre-recorded music cue that didn't happen, which no one noticed, except me. The mikes all stayed on; no one dropped or kicked anything before they were supposed to and all the live sound gags worked beautifully. With an audience to feed them, the cast just took off and ran. 

It's late and I'm tired, but I thought you might like to know. There are three performances left and seats are still available.

More, anon.

Prospero

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The Search for Appropriate Period Music

That's the cast of the upcoming JTMF production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, December 3rd through the 5th. Part of the proceeds from the four performances will be donated to our newest beneficiary, The Trevor Project, a charity near and dear to Uncle P's heart. In the photo, from left to right: Sean McGrath; Glen Calhoun; Damian Gaeta; Judi Parrish; Sarah Stryker; Jennifer Barron and John Maurer.

Part of the fun of doing a staged radio play is having a live Foley team, creating sound effects with physical props (tiny doors; cornflakes on a cookie sheet; a hand-cranked wind-machine). Joe Landry's script has plenty of opportunities for that kind of thing, but also calls for incidental music, underscoring and scene transition music. There are 20-odd scripted music cues, some of which I managed to judiciously cut, leaving me with exactly 20. The company that holds the rights to the show offers the show's original score on CD, but charges an outrageous royalty fee to use it. So, I am now scouring my (thankfully large) CD collection for public domain music that is appropriate for our needs (I'm listening as I type this, actually), a time-consuming task, to say the least. But one which I have done for plenty of shows I've directed and is usually quite effective when the right piece of music is found.

Luckily, rehearsals for the show (which only runs about an hour) are shorter than most, and I get home relatively early at night, so I should be able to finish by tomorrow night, giving our sound technician (not our Foley team) Tuesday night to burn the disc and Wednesday and Thursday to rehearse with it (I hope). 

And since the show opens Friday, my posts here will drop off a bit towards the end of the week, but I will be posting every night over at the JTMF blog, if you really need a fix. I'm off to listen a bit more prudently (nothing on this particular CD is hitting me, so far).

If you are in the greater Trenton, NJ area, we'd love to see you at the show. Tickets are available by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333, online at www.kelseyatmccc.org or at the Kelsey Box Office one hour before curtain. If you're unable to attend but would still like to help, you can make a safe, secure donation via Paypal at our website, www.jtmf.org. And don't forget to search for "James Tolin Memorial Fund" on Facebook and become a member. Okay, today's Shameless Self-Promotion is over and out.

More, anon.
Prospero

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It's a Wonderful Flashmob?

I know, I know... The Turkey of the Week will just have to be on Friday this week. So sue me. I have more important things on my mind right now.

That's the poster for the JTMF's first Winter production, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The graphic artist who does our posters is just terrific and always seems to manage to distill our shows into a single perfect image. I only wish I could remember his name (It's Brian Something-- not to hard for me to forget that much, at least) so I could give him proper credit. I can't wait to see what he comes up with for next summer's production of Die Mommie, Die!

It's been interesting directing such a bare-bones kind of show. We're recreating the experience of seeing a live radio broadcast, just as a studio audience would have seen in the 1940's, complete with a live Foley (sound effects) crew and actors reading from scripts into microphones. The six actors in the show are playing several dozen characters, which means they must create a different voice for each character, not an easy task, even with a script in hand. Four of them are JTMF returnees (with my Dear D setting a JTMF performance record at 6 shows) and two are JTMF virgins, though I know both of them well and most recently directed one of them in Top Girls. Of course, it's the Foley team that will garner all the attention this time around, especially given the myriad props and devices they'll be using, including a miniature door; a massive wind machine; ribbon candy; tubs of water; cornflakes and high-heels. Our first truly family-oriented production is going to be quite a nostalgic treat for those who remember radio broadcasts from the period, and a fascinating look back on the past for those who have grown up with MTV, X-Box and the Internet.  If only I had the time to organize a flashmob to promote the event. 

And (what a segue) speaking of flashmobs, Joyce Maynge (Australia's slightly less glamorous Rupaul) is back with another one of her amazing flashmob events, this time featuring a medley of Kylie Minogue songs on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

Can you say "fabulous?" Sigh... maybe next summer.I've got 7 months to plan... Anyway, if you are in the Central NJ area and want tickets to see It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, please visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. For more information about the James Tolin Memorial Fund, please visit www.jtmf.org or search "James Tolin Memorial Fund" on YouTube.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Opening Night Nonsense

So, tonight is Top Girls opening night and we're still looking for a few small props. Our producer headed out to the Dollar Store today in search of brandy snifters. She didn't find them, but did come across the inexplicable item in the photo your right, which she snapped with her phone and immediately shared with me and the cast. But I have to know, what the hell is it?

It appears to be the last one, which says to me that several people plunked down their hard-earned dollar and bought one of these, whatever they are. I guess its a toy, but it seems incomplete. And is it a dinosaur? An alien? Jar Jar Binks' disabled cousin? I mean really... What the hell is it? Any ideas?

Anyway, Uncle P is in the midst of a change-of-season sinus infection, making what should be a terrific day, a miserable one. I'm loaded up on decongestants and pain relievers and hoping that Opening Night adrenaline will kick in and make me forget about it by curtain, tonight.

If you know what that thing is, or have a funny idea of what it might be, let me know. 

More, anon.
Prospero

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Musical 'Meh'

Since I've been going on and on about Top Girls almost ad nauseum, I thought I'd talk about musical theatre tonight, for a change.

Of course, the big Broadway news this year is the on-again-off-again-on-again Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, directed by The Lion King director, Julie Taymor, with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge.

With production costs estimated to be well over $100M, SM:TOD will have to run for thirty years before it sees a profit. My friend Michael thinks this is a brilliant idea for a show and can't wait to see it. I think it's the dumbest concept for a musical since Carrie White (and we all know how well that turned out - poor Betty Buckley had to play a man in her next show to wash the stink off of her career). Now I love Taymor (especially her films) and I used to love U2, but I just don't see this working, especially after seeing this clip of Taymor's, Bono's and the Edge's recent appearance on "Good Morning America:"

Pop-up book sets? And what the hell is "Swiss Miss?" You can't tell me that Stan Lee actually approved that ridiculous costume. And here's Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) singing one of the show's songs, "Boy Falls From the Sky:"

Not exactly something you'll be humming on your way out of the theatre, is it? 

But never fear. News from i09 is on the way to save the day... or is it? The Sci-Fi maniacs are reporting that Spidey will have some mammoth competition when the musical King Kong - Live On Stage opens in 2013. Construction on the animatronic ape is already underway in Australia, courtesy of the folks who brought us Walking with Dinosaurs. No word on who'll be starring yet, but you can bet they won't be monkeying around with this one (sorry - couldn't help myself).

Finally (via) out of Germany comes Hope! The Musical. A musical biography of our 44th President, Hope! The Musical is the story of the meteoric rise of Barack Huessin Obama, his wife Michelle and his rivals: Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Sarah Palin. The show is apparently huge in Europe and plans are underway for a US tour. Sung in English and German, the clip below looks to me like a combination of Hair, Rent, and Stomp as produced by Simon Cowell and the DNC:

Honestly, with shows like this in our future, I'm almost glad I stopped doing musicals a while back. 

More, anon.

Prospero

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It's Almost Soup - A Shameless Plug

I am without a doubt, the luckiest director in the entire world. Somehow, the gods continue to bless me with amazingly talented casts who are not only able to understand exactly what I want from them, but also translate that understanding into performances that go above and beyond. The photo above is from this past Monday's rehearsal for Top Girls and features five of the eight astonishingly good actresses in the show. From L: Jess (Dull Gret); Janet (Marlene); Sarah (Pope Joan); Liz (Lady Nijo) and Susan (Isabella Bird), toasting Marlene's promotion in the play's exceptionally complicated opening scene.

There is still tons of work to be done before we open next Thursday, but at tonight's rehearsal, I could feel the electricity really starting to spark. Each of them is a powerhouse in her own right, but when they are all 'on' at the same time - it's nothing short of magical.

I really do hope that if you are within driving distance of central NJ, that you get a chance to see these extraordinary women in this extraordinary play. You can order advance tickets here or buy them at the door. I know I say this all the time, but this really is a theatrical experience that you will not soon forget.

Shameless plug over. Go back to whatever it was you were doing (but do come see the show if you can).

More, anon.

Prospero

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Big Bags of Frozen Crap

So, finally, here's the poster for Top Girls. We open two weeks from tonight and still have a ton of work to do. Saturday is a set painting party and then Monday is our first full run of Act I.

My astonishingly gifted cast continues to pour everything they've got into their performances and watching them grow as we rehearse is just so satisfying... 

Tonight we ran the infamous dinner scene again, adding some hand props and food for the first time, which was... interesting, to say the least. It never ceases to amaze me how the introduction of props can throw actors into spasms of clumsiness and confusin (though to be honest, they really weren't that bad). 

We ran it once and then took a break, during which my producer and I started to discuss how we might pull off all the food props, since there really isn't a proper kitchen in the theatre. We were soon joined by sweet, sweet Emily, who is playing Griselda and Nell. The discussion turned toward the possibility of frozen meals we could nuke, when Emily says: "You could always just go to BJ's. They have those big bags of frozen crap." Q immediately turned to me and said "Please make 'big bags of frozen crap' the title of your blog post tonight." Et viola! Ze trick, she is done! For the first time in over two years, Caliban's Revenge has a title suggested by someone other than Uncle P and quite frankly, I find it refreshing (well, as refreshing as Big Bags of Frozen Crap can be, anyway).

Of course, I don't anticipate Top Girls being a big bag of frozen (or thawed, for that matter) crap, but rather an intense evening of theatre that will have our audiences talking and debating for quite some time afterward. That's the plan, anyway...

More, anon.

Prospero

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The Most Difficult Director's Note Ever

I've been directing for longer than many of my Top Girls actresses have been alive (a fact that is somewhat distressing in and of itself), but I have never before encountered a play that raises more questions than it answers. And, truth be told, Caryl Churchill really doesn't seem interested in answering any of the questions she raises in Top Girls, leaving them instead, up to her audiences to decide.

Of course, art is subjective and should inspire conversation and debate. The human condition may well be constant, but its motives, inspirations and afflictions are myriad. And therein lies the conundrum of Top Girls. Caryl Churchill may well leave the questions up to the audience to decide, but a director and cast must answer at least some of them to create a cohesive and meaningful production.

Pressed by my producer to come up with a Director's Note for this production's program in time to go to press, I found myself (for once), at sea. Regular readers know that Uncle P is rarely one at a lack for words when it comes to expressing my opinions. But my opinions on this particular play are so diverse, it was nigh on impossible to come up with only one page's worth of discussion. In the end, I decided to focus on Churchill's attention on the need for social responsibility and how those that are 'Top Girls' need to be aware of, and nurture those who are not.

Art is one of the few things that connects humans to one another. For all our differences, be they religious; political; sexual or ideological, we all share the need to be productive members of the society in which we live. How we arrive at achieving that goal may vary, but it is ultimately our artistic expressions that connect us to one another.

Of course, all this may very well be idealistic bullshit, in which case I should stop directing and just become a mindless sheep... or not. 

Wow! This entire post now seems little more to me an exercise in semantic masturbation, than anything worth really saying. I wouldn't blame any of you if never read another word I wrote...

To make up for it, here's some gratutious violence:

While that was truly awful, I somehow feel so much better.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Allusions, Allegories and Downright Rip-Offs

What Are They Sitting On?

So, we finished blocking the first scene of Top Girls tonight. It's long and complicated and filled with tales of both triumph and woe.

And since Churchill is so specific about the seating arrangements in the scene, I couldn't help but take advantage of it and use an iconic image everyone knows towards the end of it. It's not the first time I've done such a thing. I put the Sistine Chapel into The Most Fabulous Story... and hope to find a place to use this image in the scene that follows the dinner in Act I. In fact, I may very well put an iconic image in every scene of the show...

Top Girls is a play so filled with social commentary, I'm sure it won't be difficult to find plenty of places to add such images. The trick, of course, is finding the right image for the right scene. And since one of Churchill's characters is right out of an iconic image, I can't imagine she'd be very upset by the idea.

I'm not afraid to admit that Top Girls is probably the hardest thing I've ever attempted as a director - it's loaded with layer-upon-layer of psychology; politics; feminism; mythology; symbolism and social commentary, all of which need to be explored in order to create a cohesive piece out of a play that asks a million and five questions without answering a single one of them. 

Still, I'm confident that my most excellent cast is up to the task. They certainly aren't afraid to take the journey (and the risks that go along with it) with me, and that's what every director hopes for when he or she casts a show. I just have to convince myself that I'm up to it, as well.

More, anon.

Prospero

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LOL Actors

Just a quickie... 

So, we've finally started some real blocking on Top Girls. It's the first scene of the play, a sort-of fantasy dinner celebrating Marlene's (the main character) promotion. She is joined by five historical/literary characters including Victorian traveler Isabella Byrd; Pope Joan; Buddhist nun Lady Nijo; Bruegel's Dull Gret and Patient Grizelda from the Canterbury Tales. They're talking (sometimes all at once) and drinking and carrying on throughout the scene.

We stopped for a moment to clarify something and someone asks, "So what are we doing when we aren't speaking?" 

"Eating," was my answer. So we pick up the scene again and three of my six actresses immediately break into "Nom-nom-nom-nom..." sending all of us into fits of laughter over the dumbest Internet meme, ever. It could only have been better if they'd actually sung the song:

And people ask me why I love the theatre...

More, anon.
Prospero

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In Praise of Yet Another Cast

That's the Playbill cover for the Manhattan Theatre Club's 2008 production of Caryl Churchill's 1982 play Top Girls, which I have just started to direct. The company is Shakespeare '70, for whom I directed The Skin of Our Teeth in the fall of 2008 and for whom I have acted in productions of An Enemy of the People; An Inspector Calls and A View from the Bridge.

Top Girls sort of fell into my lap, as it were. After two potential female directors turned it down (for various reasons), the producer (my dear friend, Q) brought it to me. I'd heard of the play, but had never seen nor read it. But I adore Churchill's earlier play Cloud Nine, so I was intrigued.

Upon first reading it, I must admit to being a bit intimidated by the subject matter (more on that, later), it's non-linear structure and Churchill's carefully constructed (and often complicated) over-lapping dialog. But during a second read, I found myself visualizing the piece on stage and realized I had nothing to be afraid of, especially if I had the right cast.

Q and I immediately started thinking about actresses we thought would not only be appropriate for the piece, but who could also handle the complexities of the characters and the writing. Emails and invitations were sent; entreaties were made and one audition was held. Finally, I had a cast consisting of not only actresses I knew and had worked with previously; actresses I knew, but had not worked with before and actresses with whom I'd had no experience what-so-ever.

So, we just had our first read-through and I must say, I have to be the luckiest director on the East Coast. The women in this show are amazing! Not only do they all "get' the show, but each of them brings her own unique perspective to the characters (each play at least two) that neither Q nor I had had envisioned upon reading it on our own.

Nothing excites an artist more than a challenge. And nothing excites a director more than a cast that is up to that challenge. Top Girls may well be the most challenging play I have ever directed, but the 8 uber-talented women in this production will go a very long way in making my job as a director a delightful challenge, to say the least. I know I often gush about the casts of the shows I direct (and rightfully so), but I really think this one is particularly exceptional. And while I have directed shows with all-male casts (get your minds out of that gutter, right now!), this is the first time I have directed an all-female cast. I've already told them I feel a bit like an onion in a petunia patch, but I'm pretty sure we have ourselves quite a show on our hands.

Top Girls runs September 23rd through October 2nd at the Don Evans Studio Theatre on the campus of The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. I'll be posting more info as it becomes available and will most certainly be posting more about the rehearsal process as we move forward. I just hope it will be as exciting to read about, as it is to be a part of.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Numbers Are In

So, unofficial word came down from our producer today about the JTMF's fund-raising efforts this year...

I think I'll keep you in suspense for the moment and talk instead about the many joys associated with working on a JTMF production.

As a director, I have been privileged to work with some the area's most talented and dedicated actors, designers and technicians year after year. I was in our first two productions. I played Sterling in Jeffrey and Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy (the former was exhilarating while the latter was exhausting).

The next year, in an effort to attract a wider audience, we went with a perennial favorite: Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (not an actual pic from our show). I was asked to direct and in an effort to make the show more relevant to our core audience, I updated some of the dialog and cast a woman in the role of Speed. It actually worked quite well, though did nothing to increase our audience.

The next year we did two One Acts: Paul Rudnick's Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach and Nicky Silver's The Altruists. Taking a cue from Rudnick's piece, we called the evening "What Causes Homosexuality?" Again we saw some low audience numbers, but it introduced us to some very talented folks, including an exceptionally talented young man who would go on to become one of my best friends and an ardent supporter of our cause. Of course, I'm talking about my Dear D (not an actual picture of him, either -- in case you haven't figured that out by now). Gorgeous, talented and just an all-around terrific human being, D is the kind of person one hopes all of one's friends are like and he has been in every production I've directed since, including The Skin of Our Teeth for another company.

Anyway, the following year was our 5th Anniversary, and we celebrated with a gorgeous production of Charles Busch's Psycho Beach Party. It was our second most successful year and Opening Night featured a Red Carpet Gala, hosted by "Joan Rivers" and attended by "Peggy Lee" and "Diana Ross," among other JTMF "Celebrities." After that came Joe Orton's hilarious sex farce What the Butler Saw, followed by a rather magical production of Paul Rudnick's The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. Which leads us right up to this year's production of Del Shores' Sordid Lives.

As with most JTMF shows, Sordid Lives created a microcosmic family, of which I am proud to be a member. My astonishingly good cast (which included both K and D) jumped into the show with full abandon, trusting me and having the time of their lives playing these outrageous (but very real) characters. Thanks to expanded media coverage (provided with the help of another dear friend) and some terrific performances by an amazing cast, Sordid Lives proved to the JTMF's 3rd highest grossing show and we managed to raise nearly $7000.00 over the course of just three performances.

Not only was Sordid Lives a financial success, but so many people told us it was one of the best shows we've ever done, I can't help but think of it as an artistic success, as well. In addition, a cast member (who shall remain nameless until he decides it's appropriate) came out to yours truly on the second night of the run, citing the supportive and safe atmosphere of the company as one of his reasons for doing so. I can only consider this a double mitzvah for the production.

Okay -- I promise to stop writing about this show, except to say that it is still not too late to take part by making a donation at our website, or volunteering for our first ever Winter Fundraiser, featuring a staged Radio Play version of It's a Wonderful Life this coming December. I won't be directing this one. Instead, I'll be heading up the live Foley crew, creating live sound effects the old-fashioned way.

Finally, before I'm off to the Land of Nod, I have to give a shout out to the terrific tech support staff at HP; and in particular to Nicole and Phil E., both of whom were instrumental in ridding my PC of the virus which caused me so many problems over the past week. You guys rock!

I promise a return to my usual nonsense tomorrow.

More, anon.
Prospero

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A Fond Farewell to Winters, TX

And so I'm back from Winters, the fictional Texas town in which Del Shores places his hilarious play, Sordid Lives.

As you know, I've spent the last two months or so there with the amazing group of actors on your right.

It is thanks to these very talented folks that the JTMF production of Sordid Lives was such a rousing success and they deserve to be praised again.

They are: (standing from L) Glen Calhoun; Mike Lovett; Heather MacHenry; Rob Sampson; Tracy Hawkins; Matt Donohoe; Jennifer DeVenio; Doug Edelson and Uncle P,* (seated from L) Kathy Garofano; Alice Weber; Damian Gaeta and Nicole Patrick. If you need actors, don't ask them - they're mine and I don't want to share.

I'm still having PC problems at home, but I'll hopefully be back up and running with my usual nonsense, soon.

More, anon.

Prospero

*And no, I'm not actually a giant, I just play one in cast photos...

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Uncle P Goes AWOL

There's something almost Soviet about this military poster (from I'm guessing the '60's). Those are some pretty harsh consequences, but I'm willing to risk it for art's sake.

Truth be told, I'm going into "Hell Week" for Sordid Lives and I simply won't have time to say "Boo!" let alone write a coherent and semi-interesting post. I will be posting during the day on the JTMF Blog, though there will not be a Zombie Zone post next week.

Today was our load-in at the actual theatre. No more rehearsals in cramped, ill-equipped classrooms! Yay!!!!
Our set has no walls, just furniture, most of which we pulled from stock. I drove up to Anything But Costumes to pick up some props, and by the time I got to the theatre, the cast was leaving. The real coup of the day was getting a real casket, prie-dieu and a wheeled catafalque. You have no idea what a relief that is. And my producer (bless her), spent yesterday morning scouring the gigantic Columbus Market and found what may actually be the easiest and best solution to our prosthetic limb issues (yes folks, it's that kind of show). I'll let you in on the magic, after you've seen the show. All this bodes well for the few things we're still missing (I'm having some computer issues which are affecting my ability to record the sound plot,* but I know there are solutions available, so I am not panicked yet.

My producer and I were talking about how we are curiously relaxed. as opposed to some past JTMF events. But we realized (as we did last year), we've been doing this for eight years now and if we aren't on top of things by now, we should just give up.

Okay - it's late and I still have to cut up fruit and make my lunch for the day job, tomorrow.

More, eventually...
Prospero

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In Praise of My Cast

I love the smarmy look on D's face in this picture. I also love that everyone seems to be having such a good time while gathered around a casket. It certainly says "black comedy," doesn't it?

This picture was taken in April at the funeral home next door to our producer's house. The lighting was terrible, so it didn't get used as an official publicity photo for the show, but it has a certain skewed quality about it that I really like. From left to right that's K; Alice W.; D; Glen C. and Nicole P*, all of whom I have worked with before (this is D's 6th show with me and Thespis only knows how many shows K and I have done since we met in 1989).

These 5 people were the first I invited to play with us this year and each of them said "Yes," immediately. That left six roles left to fill. Heather M. and Tracy H. also immediately said "Yes," when I asked, Jenn had worked with us on The Odd Couple and said she wanted to do so again, so she was in and Snoop Doug (the whitest gay Jew -- and a dear friend who will totally agree with this statement -- in all of NJ) was the only ever choice for Brother Boy. That left two roles open at auditions, both most ably filled by Rob S. and Matt D.

I have worked with some talented folks in my day. You may remember how I gushed about last year's JTMF cast. Well, I am gushing again. This cast has brought their "A" games from the beginnning, and they continue to play, grow, explore and invent with every rehearsal. We have load-in and costume parade on Sunday, and then just 4 more rehearsals before we go up. Yikes! Still, if they are having half as much fun as I am, then that should translate to a whole lot of fun for audiences.

The worst part about a JTMF show is its brief run. I always feel that the show is just getting where it should be, and then it's over. Of course, that's part of the beauty of live theatre; each performance happens only once, and can never be exactly replicated again. Try that with your Blu-Ray edition of Avatar.

Tickets for the 8th Annual James Tolin Memorial Fund AIDS Benefit featuring Del Shores' Sordid Lives are still available at www.kelseyatmccc.org, by phone at 609-570-3333 or at the Kelsy Box Office, one hour before curtain. For more info, please visit www.jtmf.org.

More, eventually...
Prospero

*You can find out all of our real names at the JTMF site and blog, but I like the semi-anonymity afforded here.

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I'll Be Back on Friday

Uncle P is tired, ya'll! These past several weeks spent investigating the lives of folks in Winters, TX have left me just about ready to fall asleep while putting my toys away...

Tomorrow is the show's first full run rehearsal... I am cautiously optimistic. Tonight was really productive (once I lit a fire under their heinies) and there was some really solid, creative work done.

This is my last week to spend the majority of my attention on their performances and we need to make the most of our time. For some reason, some of them are holding back (I think they're afraid of going too far, but too far in theatre is easier to fix than not far enough -- especially in a piece like this) and I need to convince them to let go and play even more. I laughed harder tonight, than I ever have while watching that "chapter." I just hope they keep that up.

I'll be home late tomorrow through Thursday, so I have no idea if I'll be posting or not. Until I do, I'll leave you with one more entreaty to purchase tickets or make a secure donation via PayPal.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Overdue Thanks from a Proud Theatre Geek

27 years ago, I made my Shakespearean debut as the villain Claudius in Hamlet. I was crapping my pants scared. First Shakespeare and I'm in Hamlet? Playing 20 years older than I was (as I did in almost every show I ever did for a very long time) and cast opposite a woman who was actually 20+ years older than I., as one of the most famous villains of all time? This was no Bye Bye Birdie, my friends. This was Theatre.

I remember it being a rather intense production, The principles were cast from a Spring acting class taught by a wonderfully eccentric and often brilliant professor, who was directing the following fall. Each of us met with Sir (a name Q and I will always remember fondly) once a week over the summer to work on technique, diction and vocal production, with occasional character work thrown in. It was that summer that Sir helped me truly figure out what my voice was capable of, and how best to use it on stage. He also taught me the intricacies of playing a villain ("You must believe that your actions are not only for your own good, but the common good") and the value of advance planning as a director (though my personal directing style was much more influenced by another wonderful teacher who I promise to talk about soon).

If you haven't figured it out by now, that's Uncle P on the right, entreating Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet back to England with them. I know the young man in the middle was a British exchange student named Pip (he was with me when I got my ear pierced), though I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the brunet or who played whom. That was 27 effing years ago... I remember those faux-fur costumes were hot as hell and I went out and spent $120 on boots at some trendy store (which my father threw-out when I moved to California, briefly). I remember the massive revolving set and the performances of several cast members; Rich M. as Horatio; Terry D. as Laertes; Steve O. as Hamlet; Lillian B. as Gertrude; Rich W. as The Player and the Gravedigger... I remember the actress who played Ophelia (Betty... something...) took her mad-scene costume outside and rolled around on the ground, getting a massive grass and mud stain on her ass, which we could not look at without bursting into hysterical laughter... I remember good times and laughter to combat all the sturm und drung that is Hamlet; a very intense experience for such a young actor and in the end, a production that was actually quite good for college theatre. It was also the first time I actually understood Shakespeare without having to fight to get it (another gift bestowed by Sir). I recently reconnected with Steve O. via Facebook. Steve shared pictures from the production, which I never knew existed. And there I am...

Today, the gray hair and the goatee are real, though the perm (thank God) is a thing of the distant past. What isn't gone are those feelings of accomplishment and the lessons learned (not to mention the friendships made) over the course of one production.

The casual theatre-goer knows only what he or she sees on stage, at the performance he or she attends. Like most movie audiences, they see only the finished product (in as much as live theatre can ever be considered 'finished'). What they don't see are the months and months of planning and preparation; casting and rehearsing; prop gathering; costuming; set-building; lighting design; etc., etc. that go into that finished product. They also don't know the kind of camaraderie and even sense of family that happens among small groups of people with an intense, albeit (by definition) temporary, common experience. It's why real theatre people do theatre.

Yes, we get artistic satisfaction. We get applause and kind words from strangers (especially if we're any good). We still get to play make-believe long after every other profession in the world (Pro Wrestling nonewithstanding). If we are very, very lucky we make lots of money, become famous and win ultimately meaningless awards. Because if we love doing theatre, we love it for all the same reasons Trekkers love "Star Trek" and X-Philes love "The X-Files." It boils down to a sense of belonging, I think. Its time spent being yourself among like-minded folks, all the while creating something completely artificial to present to a group of judgmental strangers in order to seek approval. We get each other, us Theatre Folk do. Just as any other bunch of geeks get one another.

So, from a still very proud Theatre Geek, this post is dedicated to Dr. Harold Hogstrom. Teacher; adviser; director; inspiration. My TSC contemporaries will either agree wholeheartedly or call me mad (though I doubt the latter). None of them will argue that Sir had a profound effect on all of us, in one way or another.

Thank you, Sir (with love)...

Yeah, I went there. And yeah, I know I'm totally ripping off "Glee," but I don't care. The older I get, the more I realize how influential Sir would become, long after I was no longer his student. And thank you, Steve, for sharing those amazing pictures.

More ramblings, anon.
Prospero

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Two Weeks From Tonight

You know what that image means. I'm up to my eyeballs in the show. I put up a guest blogger's post over at the JTMF blog, but don't have a whole lot to say here, tonight. Shocking, isn't it?

But it's probably a good thing. I wrote about 10 pages of notes for the new screenplay the other night, and this is the perfect opportunity to implement some of them. The show becomes all-consuming starting Monday and tomorrow I have an appointment with the costumer to find a dress, PJ's and a frilly robe for Doug, who is playing Brother Boy (and no, that's not really Doug in that linked picture).

I've been in email contact with my lighting designer, though we won't meet until next Sunday. We try to be as simple and minimalist as possible, so we have no walls on stage, just furniture (and the show lends itself to that, quite well). Some hard-to-find props have already been found, and there are solutions available for the ones we don't have, yet. In fact, if you are in Central NJ, and find yourself in need of some weird or special prop for your stage production or film, then I highly recommend Anything But Costumes in Flemington. Good prices and an outrageously inclusive collection of period furniture, props and set-dressings make ABC an invaluable resource for theatre and film companies throughout NJ.

Tickets are still available for the upcoming JTMF production of Sordid Lives, June 25, 26 and 27. If you are unable to attend, but would like to support us and our causes, you can make a safe and secure donation via PayPal at out website, www.jtmf.org.

Catch me tomorrow at The Zombie Zone.

More, anon.
Prospero

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