Well, dear readers, I must, once again, write these here notes in a hurry as I accidentally dozed off whilst watching some irritating YouTube videos. I’m still fighting the good fight not to get sick. When I woke up yesterday after almost eight hours of sleep, I felt a little under the weather, but I wasn’t sure if I was feeling sick or if it was my allergies. After taking my allergy pill, those symptoms abated so I’m pretty sure it was allergies with a little overtiredness thrown in. The allergy issues have been with me for the entire last week and has pretty much trashed my voice. As you know, I was supposed to attend the opening of a play. I warned the person I was going with that I was having allergy issues and wasn’t sure if I should go, but by one-thirty the pill was working pretty okay, so I decided I would go and I did go and I may as well not have gone. The play was entitled Love Among the Ruins, based on the popular TV movie from the mid-1970s that starred Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn. The stars here are Peter Strauss and Jobeth Williams. This production ran earlier in the year at the Laguna Playhouse and if I’m reading the producer credits correctly, its co-author was one of its producers. The design team is pretty much the design team we had on that workshop musical I directed at the El Portal – Hit Song, The Musical – Stephen Gifford set, Jared Seyrig lighting, and Kate Bergh, costumes, and Michael Donovan casting. The sets, lighting, and costumes were excellent. I did not see the TV movie, although I’m sure with that star power it was at least fun. They sell his as a hilarious courtroom something-or-other. The one-hour first act had about two-and-a-half chuckles in it, but it’s apparently all set up for act two, where the hilarity must ensue. I wouldn’t know because I left at intermission. I found the first act precious, and the English “accents” drove me crazy (a dialect coach is listed but you can’t fool me with accents that don’t quite cut the mustard). I just couldn’t take another hour of it, frankly. The biggest problem for me was the sound. Yes, the sound. Yes, the entire cast has head mics, and the sound level is so huge that you’d think the actors were sitting on top of you. What ever happened to actors who, you know, could project for the theater? In days of old, the most amplification ever used in straight plays were foot mics. Now, it’s SOP to mic everyone, but most of the time it’s at least been subtle. Here, it’s like the sound amplification of a musical. Add to that, the hugely obnoxious woman next to me and that was enough. Oh, and thirty minutes in, what I presume was the air conditioning kicked in and sounded like an airplane taking off.
The audience was comprised of a lot of L.A. theater people, who must be on some invite list. But I saw some folks I like – Kay Cole was there, Kevin Symons, who I’ve worked with many times, and several others. I did see casting director Michael Donovan, who looked right at me and walked right past me. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional – he probably saw someone he knew and didn’t realize it was me – I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps act two was brilliant, but if I’m not engaged after an hour, I’m out, especially when I’m not feeling 100%. And should the obnoxious woman next to me be reading these here notes, why don’t you take your negative energy and, as my mother used to say, take a long walk off a short pier.
Otherwise, I spent my time at home resting and keeping my mouth shut. On the way to my motor car, I went to a pizza jernt and got three slices of pepperoni pizza, huge slices they were, too. I’d had them before and really enjoyed them, but these weren’t so hot. I only ate two of them – the third is currently residing in the refrigerator. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll continue fighting the good fight, I’m not goin’ anywhere, I’ll do some work on the project with David Wechter, and prep for this week’s rehearsals. I’m sure I’ll eat something at some point. And I’m equally sure that at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is very busy with writing and rehearsing, putting in a replacement actress for one performance of Doug Haverty’s playlet, and continuing our search for an actress replacement. I don’t know why it’s so damn difficult.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, continue fighting the good fight, do some work on the project with David Wechter, prep for rehearsals, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What straight plays have you seen that just left you so cold that you fled at intermission? I’ll start – at least five shows at the Pasadena Playhouse back when I was on their opening night list. The two I remember vividly were a dire production of Private Lives and the first incarnation of Sister Act. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall continue to fight the good fight.