Champlin
|
Bruce
Kimmel: Hello, Donna Lynne Champlin, and welcome to
haineshisway.com. We are very excited to have you here and, in
fact, all our dear readers are dancing the Hora in anticipation
of this interview. In between that point I went to a normal public high school and took voice, piano, dance, flute lessons, etc. on the side. I also competed A LOT in all those areas. Mostly for scholarship money cause cash was a little tight back then for my family....so if I wanted to study- I had to figure out a way to pay for it myself pretty much. But it all worked out...as I got older I taught younger student in those areas in exchange for lessons. Stuff like that. I got some financial help from grants and scholarships to go to Carnegie Mellon University as a Music Theater major and then went over to Oxford for a summer to study Shakespeare and Chekhov in the UK for a little bit on another grant- which was fabulous and then after 4 years of CMU, 3 summers seasons at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and about half a year's worth of regional gigs- I moved to NYC the winter following graduation. HOWEVER--- So-
to make matters even WORSE...that I was making my professional
debut as "sloppy girl"- yeah. Little
did I know that it was only paving the way for me to play other
enviable roles in the theatre such as the planet "Uranus"
in the workshop of STARS IN YOUR EYES. Yeah. Uut of all the planets-
they give ME "Uranus". Yet another "ensemble part"
shake down. Actually, I had a blast making her the literal "butt
of the Milky Way"- but it was after a big gulp and a momentary
weep in the lady's room, I must admit. But
most importantly I guess-- Fanny set me free in a way, At the
end of the show- she gets her "comeuppance" as it were,
well the whole family does actually----- her father is sent off
to prison, her brother is taken away, etc.- and even tho the audience
is thinking..."well good- you all deserved it, you disgusting
people"-- Fanny's life and everything she knows- is just
ruined. Oh
man....I DO remember- bragging before the very last show of DROOD
that I had made it through the whole run without EVER having to
do Datchery because for some reason....."Rosa" just
never had been voted for it- and how glad I was because I hadn't
even looked at "Rosa's" Datchery version since we were
in rehearsal. Well, wouldn't you know me and my big mouth-- comes
time for the audience to vote for a Datchery (by applause) and
the ENTIRE crew and theatre staff that were available at that
moment---all go out to the back of the house and scream their
brains out for ME to be Datchery. I swear- I nearly had a heart
attack because I NO idea.....NONE.......what was going to come
out of my mouth. I seem to recall.....you have like....3 minutes
in between your being voted for Datchery (to put on the cape and
hat) and your big Datchery number. Hahahaha all I remember is
frantically running backstage screaming "SSCCCRRIIPPTTTTTTTT!!!!!"
and of course---- "YOU BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!". But even
THAT I loved. It's just a fantastic show and fantastic part--
and that show attracts a particular kind of acting company. You
all gotta have some screws loose to pull it off and .....it was
a fun group. Insane- but hysterically funny. I have extremely
fond memories of that whole run. I mean.....it was.....it was....astonishing to me. Now, who knows. Was it my grandmother talking to me from the grave saying..."no worries...I forgive you....I brought you to this theatre to see this scene so you could see with your own eyes how everything's ok in the end"-- or ya know....maybe subconsciously I was merely seeing what I wanted/needed to see in my own grieving process- REGARDLESS....it was.....the theatre that brought me to a place of peace and catharsis, ya know? I mean, it's all about where your mind and heart is when you go to something- ya know? And I'll never forget it as long as I live....I mean, one act of an opera I can't even remember the name to- versus probably, what?- a good year and half in therapy?....I'll take the one act, thanks all the same. And.....as a performer--- let's see, let's see......Ooohhhhhhhh yeah....I remember we had done 3HREE in Philly at the Prince Music theatre in the fall and the following winter we all got together at Edison Studios for like two days and made the CD. Well, I loved 3HREE and I loved loved loved "Gracie" in LAWNCHAIR-- and when we did it in Philly we were on a really tight budget so the band arrangements were for only 5 pieces or so. Well, between the Philly run and the recording session, Robert Lindsay Nassiff had done arrangements for full orchestra in the meantime. So.....my number THE AIR IS FREE was the first to record that morning -- so I walk into the studio.....having not heard anything yet orchestrally- and....we decide to do just a warm-up take to make sure everyone's on the same page...... well. I mean.....I start singing this song expecting...like....the regular tin pan alley arrangement.....and all of a sudden it's...18+ pieces under me......and it was so......surprising! And the song itself just kind of soars.......i felt like.....the instruments themselves were lifting me off the ground....it's so weird to describe--- but.....by the end of the number...I was just in tears--it was.....it's hard to find the words....i guess.....but anyway- i went into the booth wiping my eyes- to hear the practice take thinking I had just had this sort of spiritual experience all by myself in there....and there was Hal (Prince)....sitting there in the booth-- wiping his eyes too--- and he just gave me this look like...."can you believe it? can you just...BELIEVE our lives and how we get to have marvelous experiences like this for a living?" I mean- there was......so much in his face and we were just....i don't know. Hal Prince and I had a 'moment' and....hahahaha I sound like a MASTERCARD commercial-- "voice
lessons....$80 an hour; Of course--- ya know...with my luck- one day I'll bring it up to him and he'll be like..."OHhhhhh noooooo kid- I had just stubbed my toe and the pain was EXCRUCIATING- my eyes watered for DAYS.....oh--- no offense though- the song was real swell. just swell." And Iguess- one for the overall warm fuzzy factor....my favorite all encompassing musical theatre experience was LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS in high school. No kidding. Greece Athena High School, I was a Junior. I played "Audrey" and it was like....the cast of misfits. We all were such fantastic friends anyway.... and I got to wear fun, tight clothes which were soooooooo the opposite of how I dressed in high school- (think more ally Sheedy in THE BREAKFAST CLUB-). My brother who had already graduated was brought in to make our plants which were GENIUS- and the guy playing "Seymour" I had the HUGEST crush on. I mean- Todd Butler....I had drooled over him for like....5 years already and here was my big chance. Not only did he have to KISS me....and PROTECT me......but.he had to LOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE me. And ya know when you're an Irish Catholic 16 year old girl- nothing beats belting out some fabulous tunes- legally wearing short skirts- getting laughs- kissing the cutest guy in school and then getting swallowed by a huge puppet that you're brother is operating. I used to love that- I'd crawl through the "mouth" and there's my brother in full on Jim Henson head band- hand grips- losing 5 pounds a show with the pull system in that monster- gear--- and I'm like...."Hey Mike...what up.....gotta match?" as I squeezed by him through the back. So-
it was not ya know...even summer stock- but I look back on that
experience so fondly because I just loved everyone involved- my
brother and i got to work together- it's a great part- I got to
kiss my crush- and......I was still....ya know.....in that teenaged
place of purity where you have no major concerns like rent, bills,
salaries, your career--- it was still the time in my life where
the world just revolved around music theatre itself and to be
merely doing it was just BEYOND bliss. A wonderful time. During the run of BY JEEVES here in NYC around Thanksgiving- I got a call that Hal wanted me to come in to audition for the role of "older Helen" and so I picked up a script and went in and auditioned. I nearly had a heart attack tho because I mean, it was wall to wall carol lookalikes in the waiting room I kid you not. Ironically, I was told months later that they were specifically NOT looking for carol lookalikes at all (which would have been nice to know THEN) ---- but boy did I think it was game over for sure because it was like that sesame street song..."which one of these things is NOT like the other?"....I was OBVIOUSLY the bastard child of the waiting room. There was a ray of hope tho-....I remember I went in at the same time as Michele Pawk did on the first go around. And....it was really cool because I thought...."hmmmmmm I may not look like any of these other Carols here.....but then I again.....i DO kind of look like Michele Pawk.." and as time went on I noticed...that there were like two different "families" in the making. There were nannies and mommas and Helens from my kind of "black Irish" family tree.....and then there were the nannies, mommas and Helens of the strawberry blonde, thin, reedy family tree. When I saw Pawk there....I thought maybe I might still have a chance. So then I went in a week later for a callback, a few days later another callback and then a few days later to put my audition on tape for Carrie who was ill at the time and couldn't travel to NYC-- and then about 3 days before Christmas I got the call that I was cast. It was a great moment, not to mention over a year's worth of hoping and praying come to fruition. Then in January- I believe around the 22nd or so, we got the news that Carrie had passed away and there were a few days where a lot of us were wondering if Carol would choose to still go on with the project or maybe put it away for a little while until she had had a chance to grieve, etc.-- but after about 3 days word came to us that all systems were go and we were still on for the Goodman run as scheduled. So
we all started mid march rehearsals in Chicago- hahahah well,
everyone but me I guess. I did the first day with everyone for
a read through/meet and greet in the morning and then I had about
a week and a half off while everyone worked on act one because
at that time- the older Helen prologue and epilogue were not in
the show-- So..... that was fantastic because I'd never been to
Chicago and I had a great time sightseeing and getting the monologue
under my belt by watching the old movies it was based on and doing
my best "Sybil" act alone in my hotel room-- but also
it was slightly unnerving because by the time i got back to rehearsal
- I felt kind of like the kid who comes to camp a week late and
either has to sink or swim, ya know? But it's a real open group
and it didn't take long to get into the flow of things. and
of course- the minute I see her I'm like...."blah blah blah
I blah blah blah worship blah blah blah you...." hahaaha,
yeah cool just isn't my strong suit I'm afraid. but she was great
about it and it only a took a couple days for me to relax and
for us to become good friends. But- every cast eventually shakes down into roles like a family....there's the matriarch, the patriarch, the class clown, the baby, the therapist, the organizer- I mean...depending on the show and your part and the other personalities you can go from being the matriarch in one show to literally the baby the next depending on all those factors. But in this show...it's funny- I think we're so close to the characters we actually play on so many levels...that the roles we have adopted in the COMPANY dynamic offstage are very very similar to the roles we play onstage. Sara's
affectionately referred to as 'the baby' and everyone watches
out for her and is very protective of her- Linda is very much
the matriarch of our company and we look to her for loving guidance,
advice and even leadership if the cast is doing something en masse-
Michele is so fun loving and free and wise like momma her dressing
room has basically become our green room since we don't have one
at the CORT....I'm, gosh...hahaha i don't know... the BCEFA organizer...the
Halloween party thrower for the kids...a little bit of the worrier,
I think- making sure everyone's ok and nobody's left out of anything
I suppose like Helen does for her family, etc. So......we're like
a real family....and there's not one person that doesn't "fit"...
And I've never had that experience before. BY JEEVES came close-
but this is definitely a very special chemistry which we have
to attribute to our casting director mark Simon and of course-
Hal, Carol and Carrie. Also the other day- we had a matinee...and ya know...sometimes....with the more 'mature' crowd you've got some patrons who are a tad hard of hearing...and they tend to....not only talk LOUDLY to each other but...give each other running commentaries when it feels right . And so.....I've done the whole monologue and have moved into the CHASING RAINBOWS song...and Linda has joined me (which by the way is always improvisational...it's a free form moment for us all)-- and in the middle of it you hear this older man in the audience YELL "WOW!!! NICE VOICING!!!". Now, I didn't know WHAT he said....cause I was singing- Linda thought he said something about us "forcing it"- Michele actually heard him correctly and burst into laughter, as did Patrick and Emily- and it basically took everything we had to get through to the end. I mean, I'm looking at Michele and she's become absolutely fascinated with the table cloth cause she KNOWS....I have to take over solo in a minute and THEYcan laugh all they want....but if I'm laughing into this next moment it's going to be really bad...so she's trying to avoid eye contact with me which of course just makes it worse.... but
we have--- had a few...."old yellers" on matinee days....God
bless 'em. The thing that I learned this go around.....is that one of the reasons why he's such an amazing director is because he literally falls in love with the show and I would even say his acting company. He has a say in everything and he will agonize over....ya know...a skirt length if he feels it's important to the character. He cares deeply for every aspect of the show and I think that comes across in his work. You can feel the love he puts into it- and I think that's why Hal's shows always resonate emotionally above all else with audiences. Hal also doesn't suffer fools gladly at all- he doesn't allow a lot of excessive discussion about things....one of my favorite things he says is "show me....show me....do it....don't talk to me about it....just show me. if it works we'll all know...if it doesn't we'll do something else...but show me." I mean....HOW MANY times in rehearsal are hours lost to endless go arounds of 'discussions' about motivations, characters, etc.-- when he's absolutely right. You NEVER know until you just DO it...and it saves an incredible amount of time. not that there isn't discussion about all those things which are of course very important---but there isn't EXCESSIVE time devoted to it....he's incredibly efficient. He's also got a wonderful way of balancing....the freedom given to actors to follow their own instincts- but also having a solid vision to be able to reign the company so that everyone is still doing the same play. I think with my monologue he might have given me three pieces of direction total--which at first was incredibly terrifying....but once I'd had a chance to flesh it out on my own - he was able to give me fantastic direction on top of a foundation that I had been allowed to build and create myself. His direction- to me--- was always specific and yet applicable to the whole piece. For example, while he let me create all the different characters myself- "Ziegfeld, betty, John...." when I put it up he said to me simply "It's good, kid- and I like it.....BUT--don't ever EVER make FUN of these characters. This is NOT a skit - this is a STORY starring all of your most beloved friends from the movies...never ever make fun of them-- LOVE them, BECOME them." I mean--- that's something....I can use not only in this monologue but in every other show I ever do. And as an actress it was the absolute perfect thing to say to me and it applied to the entire piece for me. Obviously,
I just can't say enough about him, I could go on and on but suffice
it to say-- I respect him tremendously as an artist, a businessman
and I love him dearly as a person. i feel incredibly blessed that
he has chosen to work with me period. I WILL tell you this tho- in December right after I'd been cast- I was called to Hal's office with carol because they had rewritten the monologue scene and wanted to see how it played out so they could spend the rest of the winter fine tuning it. However, not having had the chance to get to know Carol at all by this point...I didn't know what to expect. So...i worked with Hal for about 20 minutes before Carol came in.....and i did it...and it was...i'd say about 60% there writing wise. And I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised when Carol just came out with "Well- this is a concern....and if we moved this...it might do this...and I'm not too crazy about this...so how do you feel about substituting this for that...." and i was like....ha HA! Wow. Fantastic! And Hal without skipping a beat said..."well- yes, I agree with you on this...but on this other thing....let's try doing it THIS way before we lose it....because I think it could work if we put it between here and here...and what if we cut this..." And
I was just...well...as an actress I just let out a huge sigh of
relief. Cause ya know...that monologue is a doozy and it's a very
very important moment in the play.....so, when I heard these two
absolute pros just short hand the hell out of this monologue in
it's early stages I knew then and there that everything was gonna
be all right. I mean, I already knew I was in great hands with
Hal--- but now seeing Carol just step RIGHT up to the plate there
and go toe to toe from the get go...I could see what a great TEAM
they actually made. Again- extremely respectful at all times---
but also....very straightforward and no crap. It was a very exciting
exchange to witness...like "shorthand for geniuses"
or something. Now with THAT said....would I say it was "daunting"? No. Would I say I felt a tremendous amount of "responsibility" to portray this character as someone who was 'based' on Carol Burnett because I have such an immense respect and love for her as a person and an artist? Hell yeah, absolutely. See- here's the THING tho, and no one was more surprised than I was when I discovered this, myself. Like everyone else-- I had grown up seeing Carol Burnett walking around with curtain rods around her neck and climbing into bathtubs with Tim Conway singing YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE....and of course...you get a certain IDEA in your head as to what she must be like in real life...she must be always cutting people up...the life of the party..the center of attention....cause she's just so NUTTY- right? I mean...she's nutty on TV....she must be nutty in real life. Well- when I met her I realized that in real life...she is EXACTLY the opposite. She is the straight man. She sets everyone else up to give the punchline. She's the one with the straight face and the one who gives everyone else center stage. She sits back a LOT and observes others. And THAT's where a lot of her crazy charcters and her brilliance comes from I think....her uncanny ability to observe human nature in OTHERS. So in reality, she HERSELF is actually quite calm, quiet and strongly centered, especially when compared to her own family as the play demonstrates very well. And
SO...... Soooo that was all fine with me.....cause I got the inside scoop and I knew this to be the most ACCURATE way to go....but holy crap what about the audiences and heaven forbid , the ciritcs with THEIR expectations- I mean, here I was with my OWN--- what about them? THAT if anything- was the daunting part. So I went up to Hal at one point and sort of....expressed this concern- and he just looked me straight in the eye and said "honey- you're not giving them nearly enough credit. Trust them to believe you, never EVER underestimate them, they'll get it- ya gotta have more faith, kid. We're telling the truth- how can you go wrong with that?". And
ya know in Chicago- the audiences got it...and here in NYC the
audiences get it. The response to this show is so consistent-
it's amazing. Even the Friday night after all the reviews came
out from raves to mixes, etc.-- The audience reaction was EXACTLY
as it had been during previews- So
ultimately- getting back to the "daunting" thing- And
not for nuthin' now- in the "wishful thinking" category-
I'd have to say I have a keen interest in the upcoming MARY POPPINS
musical that everyone is talking about. I always felt like my
character in BY JEEVES (Honoria) was kind of like Mary Poppins
on crack. I've always loved the movie and I think it's a great
character- because Mary Poppins herself kind of terrifies you
and loves you at the same time. An ultimately kind heart with
a spine of steel- she's like....a mismatched garanimals outfit
almost-- that just sounds like a ball to me. I don't know who's
behind it- if it's even Disney or not...but I'm sure there's also
a little latent fantasy of mine in there about wanting to be one
of those animated cartoon voices at some point, too. So- I have
no information on it all...other than I've heard about it and
I'm throwing my hat in the ring if anyone's listening, dammit. But
I also have to say.....I don't know about the whole "out
of context" thing....and also the giving up your power to
the editor. I don't know if the control freak in me would rest
so easy with that--- doing whatever work I was doing in front
of the camera and then knowing that....the way it comes out eventually
is really in the hands of someone I might not have even met. Of
COURSE...there IS always the UPSIDE to that-- where you might
not be turning it out that day and in the hands of a great editor....you
all of a sudden have an oscar worthy performance.....soooooo--- But I certainly have the desire to find out. And
of course...the pay scale for film and TV is very appealing especially
when you've been working in theatre for years.....it can be a
wonderful opportunity to explore a different artistic medium and
actually pay OFF your student loans by the time you're 50, you
know? And RESIDUALS!!! What a fantastic concept!!! I'd have no
problem with getting a residual check every so often for just
still breathing 3 years after I did a guest spot on FRASIER or
something....noooo problem at all. Sign me UP! But then plays have such powerful girth to them-- like a brick house compared to the straw hut-ness of the musical sometimes. I actually prefer above all- "dark" musicals like SWEENEY TODD. THREEPENNY OPERA and JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD because they FEEL more like plays I suppose. But then the music just....gives them an EXTRA oomph....which just feels like...a saturated sponge waiting to be wrung out by you as the actor, I love it. So
while musicals have the advantage of the more immediate add water
and stir factor of the emotional resonance in music itself-- argh-
But....if
I have to choose I'd say-- Christopher Fitzgerald in 3HREE's-
FLIGHT OF THE LAWNCHAIR MAN. AND...he's extremely brave. I remember in rehearsal we had to figure out the beginning of our act where gracie was sending jerry off (on his lawnchair with 400 helium filled balloons) as prepared as possible with sandwiches, and water, etc. Well--- hal decided that he would just give us as actors...a whole laundry basket full of stuff...and let US figure out the order...and how we were going to pack everything. Now, this idea kind of freaked me out because I'd never worked with hal before and I thought...of course "oh god what if I do it WRONG....?" whereas CHRIS....was like..."HahahahHA! Jackpot!!!" and he was like....ROBIN WILLIAMS with this stuff....he was so creative and funny and true with all these toys (walkie talkies, instant cameras...).-- that really all I had to do....was keep up and REact as honestly as I could to what he was choosing to do. And...so--- by his example...I became more brave myself...and started to come up with my own ideas.....and by the time we were done-- we had truly created TOGETHER....a very accurate and sweet set up for gracie and jerry's adventure. But
Chris....is just....always there...and always honest....and always
AWARE and....keeping it real and from the heart-- and...THAT makes
for a really FUN time because....with the TRUST that you establish
with someone like that-- the more free you ARE to HAVE fun.....and....I
just adored him and felt so lucky to have him as my partner--
we just worked extremely well together, and I really look forward
to working with him again at some point. But getting back to the "compliment" thing-I have a theory about that based on a personal experience I had during previews. I literally had 5 different friends all come to the same show and sit together and they ALL came back and had a completely different journey. All five of them even picked a different character to identify with and it was absolutely fascinating. One said it was one of the funniest shows they've seen in ages- another said it was one of the saddest and most touching plays they'd seen in a long time......another found it to be so inspirational that they decided to go to one more audition because "if Helen can follow her dreams then so can THEY"..I mean....i even had one friend who was quite upset by the whole thing...she found herself even ANGRY at the audience for laughing at such...."serious issues" to her....but then again she herself has battled alcoholism for many years and so of course...she would......be uncomfortable faced with that issue for an evening. I
mean....i think that's a sign of a fantastic play, if you ask
me. This play comes off as very simplistic, but I think...it is
actually working on a whole bunch of different levels and I think
it's one of the reasons that the response to it has been so varied. And....speaking
of reviews...I have to say that the one reviewer who I think "got
the play" the best is John Simon in New York Magazine. And
I don't say this because it was a lovely rave...I say this because
the words he chose to use, the parts of the story that he chose
to bring out and mention, the actual vocabulary and phrases in
that review are the closest I've read so far to the actual words
I heard over and over in the rehearsal process directly from Hal
and Carol's mouths. "Affection", "trust",
"sympathy", "warmth", "fallibility",
"keep both the farcical and the maudlin at bay", "love"....it
was really amazing actually. He seemed to be most in "tune"
and quite honestly the most "receptive" to what we were
trying to create and convey with this piece. And I would venture
to say that it is because he SEEMS to be the reviewer that went
to the show with the LEAST expectations- (and I mean "least"
expectations-NOT "lowest", right...cause there's a big
difference there). And therefore, it seems to me he was the reviewer
that was able to see most clearly what the show actually "was"-
and not what the show "wasn't" compared to what he expected
or even WANTED to see based on perhaps his own personal ideas
of Carol Burnett, the time period, addictions, family- what have
you. I mean- look, critics are....necessary. Especially with ticket prices going up and people being more protective of their money...it's a comfort to have someone ELSE make a decision for you and decide FOR you what you will or will not like, It's less of a risk, it's less responsibility and i totally understand that. but-- in the long run I think.... reviews.... ultimately cheat the actual theatergoer out of their own experience...and I would encourage everyone to just follow their own instincts and go see what they want to see- what appeals to them- regardless, because that's really what it's about. So- I understand the critic's position-and even respect how difficult their job must be- I know that I couldn't do it for more than a month, tops, just like I suspect- they couldn't do mine. But- I think....the danger of critics nowadays is not necessarily the critics themselves but the power that the general public GIVES THEM because they just assume for whatever reason (fear of wasting their money, fear of not going to the "hottest" show, fear of basically not enjoying themselves) that these critics are in a sense..."100% right". Like
I was saying earlier with my grandma/ DIALOGUE OF THE CARMELITES
story... So ya know, if people have told you that AMOUR sucks- but you love Legrand and Paris and Malcolm Gets, then get your ass to that show and SEE IT and support it and LOVE it- ya know? Same thing with BY JEEVES or you know...REEFER MADNESS even- And
on the opposite spectrum- take something like HAIRSPRAY or THE
PRODUCERS- How long did it take, even after they got raves all
over town... that they were fighting expectation themselves? Some
people expecting the most earth shattering musical experience
ever because the press TOLD them that's what it was- walked out
of that theatre thinking... "hmmmmm well- it was good but
NOT AS GOOD AS so and so made it out to be in the paper....."
and how fair is THAT ultimately? And
I only say this because I am totally guilty of the same thing.
I have spent...many minutes wasted in a theatre while watching
a show that had gotten panned- thinking..."what is the matter
with THEM, I love this....wait, what's the matter with ME, I love
this." ya know....WASTING TIME in the theatre....second guessing
my own ENJOYMENT of something because I cannot let go of my own
expectations of it since I've already chosen to believe someone
ELSE. It's sad really and the person who really misses out is
me in the end. And I get it, I really do. And--- I respect their
job and I wouldn't want it for the world....but I just wish people
wouldn't give them so much....power, that's all. It's like...the art teacher who asks their students to draw a picture of a tree and the sky and one kid hands in a picture where the sky is red and the tree is purple and the art teacher gives that kid an "F" because according to the TEACHER-- all trees are green and all skies are blue and that's what they know and that's what they EXPECT and that's what in THEIR minds- is "right". I mean, personally- I dig a purple tree and a red sky every once in a while- don't you? And who's to say in some sort of reality-- the sky actually ISN'T red and trees aren't actually purple? Perhaps a better teacher might say- "wow, ok...the red sky and the purple tree are not what I would have chosen to do, and honestly....that's something I didn't expect from you-- but what an interesting choice to make, and now that I look at it, quite beautiful." So, the student is not necessarily WRONG...the student is just bringing a different slant to the project. And yeah- you can give a kid a "B minus" for that if you want...but to "fail" someone for that-- is....well, it's now more a....reflection of your own disappointment and expectations really, and not necessarily on the drawing itself anymore, I think. But
ultimately, as an actress what needs to concern me ONLY....that
we are all doing our very best- and if Hal is pleased and Carol
is pleased- and we are telling their story the way THEY want it....then
there is nothing more to it. And I highly encourage people to
take all reviews with a grain of salt -- both raves and pans--
because....theatre is so subjective....art is so subjective...if
you have a yearning toward piece--- trust your guts and go experience
it and make your own decisions--because that's the WHOLE point
of it, really. A few years after that with her permission I expanded on it and turned it into a one woman show for myself called EVERYBODY REJOICE. I did it at the now defunct PEACHES a few times again through the Genisius Guild-- it was a grand time-- I'm a big story teller (as you've guessed by now I'm sure)-- so...my cabaret style if I have one at all...very much revolves around personal experiences and story telling. I find the story I want to tell first and then wrap appropriate songs around it- it was....more than anything a personal healing adventure for me. I'd do it again--- but I've sort of moved on from that place I was in when I wrote it... I'd have to write another one I guess...but it's fun for me...to write.....because I compose a bit and I'm a pianist myself so I get to put the book together, get my transposition skills back up to par....I enjoy the process of putting it together almost as much as the process of performing it I guess. And
then there's BCEFA and ACTOR'S FUND stuff...I'm always up for
singing a tune here and there if I'm asked. I love being a part
of those causes--- they are dear to my heart. As
far as people I've seen from a far- Again-
I mean....anyone who's-- even got remote name recognition as a
creative in the business... deserves kudos because you KNOW...it's
like... already ten years of slogging it to get that far---i just...I
wish there was even MORE...support for new stuff. That's my Christmas
wish, I guess. "more money, more risks and less fear for
new stuff!" But
I think the DESIRE is still there and the idea is still there...to
find a 'star' and give them a vehicle....Of course---- since we
have a lot more fear around the bigger budgets and risks, "suits"
and everything than we did 30 years ago-- So then you have a star who is trying to fit into someone ELSE'S star vehicle that was written for them- because someone is wanting to make them a star but is really only half assing the whole thing because they figure...well- if this NEW star doesn't pan out...at least....the FAME OF THE FORMER star might still get people in here on title recognition factor. So...upshot...I
think they ARE still writing/ producing star vehicles-- I just
wish they were actually more ABOUT the personality of the actual
STAR starring IN the show NOW...and not the "all encompassing
accessibility factor" we were talking about earlier, that
seems to muddy such good intentions up a bit.
|
