Well, dear readers, we resumed performances last night, and other than some line flubs it was quite an excellent performance and we had a small but larger than usual Friday night audience, but they were wonderful, and I think they really enjoyed the play and the production. Our very own Brittney Bertier was with us, so we sat together. When I asked to have a private reading of the play last summer, she played the role Kait Haire is playing. She really enjoyed everything and appreciated some of the directorial touches, which few even realize are there, which is the way it goes when directing plays like this. The actors are so good and so natural that no one ever thinks that a director might have helped shape those performances, and because I kept this VERY simple, the magical moments seem to just happen, which is the way it should be. They’re not show off moments, just tiny but effective staging things that I’m very proud of. Anyway, it was fun to see it again after a week away.
Yesterday was a fine little day as fine little days go. I got seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, then had to go pick up five small reels of tape. I also was made privy to something that is going to make a lot of folks happy, but I was sworn to secrecy but not for long, as all will be revealed in mid-April. After that, I went to the mail place and picked up a package, then stopped at Gelson’s and got a repeat of the burger meal diet – three patties and a tomato, as I still had onion and lettuce from before.
I came home and made two burgers and ate them – excellent they were, too. I also had word that the book was with the design team – no problems foreseen, and I just asked my guy to make sure the actual team read the instruction sheet so there’d be no foul-ups like last year. I did some work on the computer, listened to music (yesterday’s excellent discovery was Ernest Pingoud – some of his pieces had a vaguely Bernard Herrmann-esque sound, although Mr. Pingoud passed away in 1942. His music is quite original-sounding and I like it very much. Not sure if anything is on CD, but I grabbed everything I could find. I’m listening to him right now, as a matter of factual fact.
I did some work at the piano, made a little recording, sent that where it needed to go, and I know the book page is being readied so we can put the book up for sale. I’m hoping that can actually happen today. Also, I was expecting an important envelope that hasn’t arrived – but I’m thinking they hadn’t put out the mail yet. Then it was time to shave and shower and then mosey on over to the theater. Once there, I listened to a few sound cues – the EQ, which had been adjusted for the stupid staged reading, wasn’t quite right, nor was the volume. Our stage manager had taken photographs of our settings, but it was hard to gauge the position of some of the knobs – I made some tiny adjustments and then it sounded fine, save for one of the speakers not being plugged in.
Then there was the show, which you know about. After the show, I came right home and made the third burger and used the little bit of leftover lettuce to make a small salad, since I had some balsamic dressing here. Both items were excellent. Then I caught up on e-mails and stuff and then it was time to write these here notes.
Today, I can sleep in, then I believe I can have a ME day doing ME things. Oh, I’ll make sure the book page goes live, I’ll eat (I’m thinking crab and shrimp if they have the crab the way I like it), I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, then I’ll relax and perhaps watch something. I’m definitely not going to our show.
Tomorrow, it turns out that the paperback show is tomorrow and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m scheduled to sign at eleven, but I’m kind of out of things – I do have Murder at the Magic Castle, GEE, and some paperbacks of Thrill Ride, so maybe I’ll bring those. But I’d have to get out of there by twelve-thirty at the latest. And I’d have to be there by ten-thirty – so, we’ll see how it all shakes out. Then I’ll attend our matinee – Kay Cole is coming, and we’ll go have a bite to eat after. Then next week is all book stuff and all Kritzerland show stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, have a ME day, eat, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, relax, and watch something. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the best-directed shows you’ve seen – but not the show-off ones – the simple ones where the director doesn’t call attention to himself, but just tells the story well and gets great performances? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be an invisible director whose work serves the play and the actors (and the audience).