Well, dear readers, the new week is off and running. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, the new week is off and running and I am off and running with it. What am I, a horse race all of a sudden? Tonight, of course, is the “friendly” reading of the new play, which is entitled Deceit. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, as I’ve decided I hate readings, but I’m hoping it at least goes smoothly, without too many hiccups. There is just no time to get actors, no matter how good they are, and mine are very good indeed, to get a grasp on their character is six hours of rehearsal time. It’s just not possible. So, what you get is basically a reading of the text in which not all the subtleties and fun can come across. That, coupled with the fact that the play has one very long and very visual murder scene, which we have to read, and there’s just no way it can have any impact. But, we’ll get through it, and then I shall be truly looking forward to beginning rehearsals for it, hopefully sooner than later. If everything goes according to plan (and we’re not sure if it will – we’re having difficulty finding a theater to do the show in – everything seems to be booked), we’ll be casting the two male roles over the next two weeks. Prior to the reading I have many things to catch up on and also to ketchup on. I have to ship out a couple of items, and I have to go back to storage and try to find an important item, which I’m not even sure exists – but I feel I must look for it nonetheless. Speaking of nonetheless, yesterday we had a two-hour rehearsal for the play reading, and we got some of the scenes up on their feet – not with “real” blocking, but just letting the actors move around a bit to give the piece a little energy. I found it a bit depressing, because it’s not how I like to work. If I do something, I like to DO it – for real. And the poor actors – there is just so much talking in this play, including several really long monologues for both male characters, and there is just no time for them to get that comfortable with it. That, coupled with the fact that I purposely wrote the dialogue in a “heightened” sort of way – I really wanted to invoke my favorite thrillers from the stage – like Wait Until Dark, and Dial “M” For Murder, and Deathtrap – so that’s very hard to do without a lot of rehearsal, because it’s not completely natural. After the rehearsal, I worked with Tammy a bit, and then went off to sup with Miss Adryan Russ and Mr. Doug Haverty. We had a lovely time – we discussed their musical, and we ate some lovely foodstuffs. I then came back to the home environment, and had two lovely e-mails waiting for me. One from dear reader Hisaka, who wrote to tell me how much she liked the Guy Haines CD, and one from Dick Lochte, containing his wonderful blurb for my new book, Rewind. I’m hoping to get one more from Rupert Holmes, but he is just so busy that I don’t know that he’ll have time to do it. We shall see.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled My Neighbors, The Yamadas. This was the only feature film from Studio Ghibli that I’d never seen, so it was a treat to finally view it (I got an early copy of the upcoming Disney DVD). As always, one must watch these Japanese animes in Japanese with subtitles for reasons I will go into momentarily. It took a bit to get used to the animation style, which is “unfinished,” like a comic strip (it’s based on a comic strip). But somehow, even in that style, the characters have so much depth and emotion it’s just amazing. The film is simply a series of vignettes about a strange but endearing family called The Yamadas. There is no plot – just little sequences, some funny, some touching, all wise, and the whole thing is just quirky and wonderful. Of course, it’s inconceivable that a film like this could ever be made in this country. The voices are subtle and perfect, and the score by Akiko Yano is great, right up there with the best of Joe Hisaishi. And then I watched a bit of the Disney dub. Unlike some of the other dubs, this one at least doesn’t subvert the meaning of the film. But, the familiar voices coarsen everything and there is simply no magic whatsoever. So, stick with the original Japanese and give this movie a look-see when it’s released. The transfer, as you’d expect, is stunning.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, after all, the week is off and running, and so am I.
Remember, you still have until midnight to submit your answers for the Unseemly Trivia Contest. We’ve had a few correct ones thus far.
I’m just dancing on air over my blurb, I must say. I love blurbs that don’t reveal too much, but say what they’ve got to say in a really succinct and wonderful way, which this blurb definitely does. I’ll be sharing it with you very soon.
Have you ever danced on air? If so, what did air think about you dancing on it? I personally love dancing on air and, conversely, air loves dancing on me. And they’re off and running.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a play reading, I must do errands, I must drive about in my motor car, I must ship and pick up packages, I must go a’hunting in the storage facility, and I must find a moment to eat something. Today’s topic of discussion: Whether you’re a gambler or not, what are your favorite games of chance – those games you really just love playing? And, what are your favorite card games? And, what are your favorite board games? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t forget – the week is off and running and let’s hope the week is a winner and comes in first place.