Well, dear readers, all I have to say is oy and vey. I am getting to these here notes quite late, and I must write them speedily, for she of the Evil Eye will be here shortly and not only that, I have a very busy day and evening ahead of me. Therefore, we will dispense with the formalities and cut to the chase, notes-wise. Yesterday, for example, was a day. I began the day at Staples, getting the Linda Purl script copied and in binders. I then came home and notated light cues into one of the scripts, then went off to rehearsal. We began rehearsal going from cue to cue but doing all the patter. I also staged a duet Linda does with her musical director, Ron Abel. That came out very cute, and they picked it up easily and already have it in their heads. We then ran the act in its entirety and it actually ran very smoothly, without more than a couple of little memory mishaps. Linda is a total pro and when she “gets” something in her body and head, it’s there forever, locked. She sings a lot of songs and it’s a lot to remember but she’s getting it all just fine. The first act ran a perfect 45 minutes and the second act ran 42 – just right. Best of all, the act’s structure is sound, it has a point, she’s playing it all beautifully, and it’s funny, touching, and there aren’t any extraneous there for no reason numbers. So, tonight we’ll find out how it actually plays in front of people. After the rehearsal, I stopped at Gelson’s and got a little sushi (vegetable roll and shrimp), went home and ate it, then got ready for the performance of the play. Tammy and Matt and I ran some things and talked about why the previous evening was such a bore. The first act went much better last night, but the second act, thanks to my actor, was, for me, almost unwatchable, and I’m afraid I have now made the decision that I will not allow the extension unless we find someone new. I’d said that originally, but everyone talked me out of it – but I simply cannot endure watching my play be mangled like this. There is nothing else I can do – I’ve been as patient as patient can be, I’ve given every kind of encouragement and direction that is humanly possible to give, but he’s in his own head, his own space, doesn’t give a crap about the play or his fellow actors, and I’m done with it. I’ve told everyone they have the next few days to find a replacement, or, if they really want to do the extension, that I could do it myself, even though I really don’t want to. I may be a bit old for it, but better that than someone who just doesn’t get the character or get the way the character has to be played. So, we’ll see what the next few days will bring. I just don’t think I’ll be bendable on this, not anymore.
After the show, I met up with Pogue, his friend Larry Drake, and an acting guru named Stephen Book. I regaled Mr. Book with stories of trying to deal with this actor, and he just shook his head in disbelief and said whoever the actor’s acting coach is/was should be run out of town on a rail. The food was wonderful, the conversation sparkling, and now Pogue will be heading back home to Kentucky.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because oy and vey I need to hit the road to dreamland.
This morning I must attend to various and sundried things, then I’ll be meeting Miss Linda Purl and Mr. Ron Abel at the home environment of Miss Purl, and we’ll all be heading to Whittier to do a walk-through of the show, to set the lights and get Linda used to her playing space. Then we’ll have some supper, and then we’ll have our first performance of her brand spanking new show. Tomorrow she and Ron head up north somewhere, but it’s a four-hour drive and they’re going to stay over, which I cannot do, since I have to be at Vinnie’s bright and early Monday morning to mix the STAGE CD. It should be fine – she has the light cue/script book, and Ron knows what he’s doing. We’ll have a little post mortem after the Whittier show, just in case we want to fix anything.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, go to a place called Whittier, I must attend a performance, I must be on my toes, and on my elbows, and I must try to have a very good time so that I don’t have to say oy and vey. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite British rock-and-roll songs from the classic era of the 60s and early 70s? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and keep the home fries burning until my returning, which will be late.