Topic: THE NYMF NIGHTMARE (Read 33710 times)

bk · « **on:** September 21, 2007, 11:22:42 PM »

Well, you've read the notes, the notes were long and short, and now it is time for you to post until the nightmare cows come home.

bk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:24:09 PM »

And the word of the day is: NOSTOMANIA!

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:35:04 PM »

Hooray.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:35:36 PM »

It's been a while since I had "first post" (not counting, of course, BK's first two).

Cason · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:39:50 PM »

Well, in spite of all of tonight's frustrations from a crew/creative team standpoint, I have to say morale backstage was through the roof.

Coming off of last night, we were basically ready for whatever response the audience might give us - and when we held for near 40 minutes, we figured "what the hell - let's just do this show for ourselves"...and then, everything worked like gang-busters (thanks in a huge part to the self-referential lines of some of the nonsense that happened).

In a weird beautiful way, we found our show tonight. And for that, I can't be more excited for Tuesday!

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:40:17 PM »

Kudos to the actors for being the true professionals!

Pox on NYMF officials for being a pain in the butt!

FJL · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:40:42 PM »

So many posts, so much to atone for.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:41:57 PM »

Hey Cason!! Have a great show on Tuesday...

Sounds like you and your fellow castmates were the consummate professionals: Calm, collected and focused!

FJL · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:41:59 PM »

Times-critic vibes to BK!

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:44:30 PM »

Cason, I am glad to see that you and Alet are hitting your stride! Great job!!

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:44:53 PM »

Critic vibes for bk!

Cason · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:45:29 PM »

Quote from: DakotaCelt on September 21, 2007, 11:41:57 PM

Hey Cason!! Have a great show on Tuesday...

Sounds like you and your fellow castmates were the consummate professionals: Calm, collected and focused!

We had our moments tonight - I mean, there was lots of unexpected stuff that happened, but THAT'S the magic of theatre, whether or not anyone likes it. I mean, we could lock in every single gag a certain way and do that over and over, but at that point, we might as well do it once and film it and call it quits.

Everything that happened tonight - good and bad - is exactly why we go to see theatre. And it is nights like these that I crave as an actor...especially in a show like this, where you pull the audience into the jokes so often. The more everyone is laughing together, the better the whole experience - which is precisely what tonight was.

Cason · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:49:20 PM »

I mean, consistency is important - and for the most part, the show was the show it always is, but the way it is written, there are moments where we allow the audience to (sometimes literally) participate and we just have to play off of that. It's the conceit of it, it's what makes me so excited to go out there and have high expectations of the audience. Sometimes that makes you fall flat on your face (last night) and sometimes that's the thing that makes you soar (tonight).

I think the show surprised some people in the cast tonight - and now they know how it works when it works...and then BJ and I were spending the whole evening just basking in the feeling that we had so often in LA. So, you never know - but tonight was one of the nights I'll take with me for a long time - in spite of our technical difficulties.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:50:44 PM »

Cason, that is one one of the beauties of the craft. Taking everything into consideration, weighing it and then flying with it. If it works, that is all the better, if now try a different approach.

It is fun to watch actors engage the viewers, it makes them part of the story and part of the joke or gag.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:52:52 PM »

The rewarding nights as an actor are the most fun when you feel it click with the audience...

From the sounds of it Cason, so would I....

I am looking forward to hearing you guys knocking it out of the ballpark on Tuesday....

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #15 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:55:23 PM »

The other pearl is that audience saw through the technical problems and paid attention to the story that the actors were telling. A compliment!

bk · « **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:56:01 PM »

I think the point is as I always say: There are two ways to approach things - positively and negatively, and I always try the former as hard as it is sometimes. NYMF cheaped out on all venues and brought in the worst sound equipment imaginable and now they are going to have to make it right and pay that price. I've told them in no uncertain terms that we will not play on Tuesday unless our sound designer is paid (by them) to come in on Tuesday morning, deal with whatever the new board is, and make sure our show disc is working and that all those written cues work with the new board. Of course, long before Tuesday they have to deal with the problems, as there are shows every day - luckily for the show tomorrow, they don't play until four-thirty, so they'll get the benefit of our travails and NYMF's now having to fix everything before their show. Believe me, these discussions are only beginning.

bk · « **Reply #17 on:** September 21, 2007, 11:58:27 PM »

In any case, the cast chose the right route and the show played like gangbusters. I'm amused that some of the cast were surprised by how well it worked, based on only our opening night performance as a barometer. They should know better, frankly - we never even had a damn preview or even a damn proper tech - there was no way the opening performance was going to land, especially as we'd just done a completer, full-on run-through just three hours before - finishing exactly ninety minutes before doing opening night.

bk · « **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:00:00 AM »

Cason covered brilliantly for some problems

bk · « **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:00:54 AM »

Welcome twelve GUESTS. I'm going to bed now.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #20 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:02:06 AM »

IMHO, they have messed up big time. Perhaps I am ignorant of how things are done but it is a disservice to the show trying to impress the audience and critics for future venues or perhaps for further production.

They should be ashamed of themselves. If they want the shows to be professional in spirit they should also conduct themselves professionally.

That means they should be using workable equipment and have and avenues to make the best presentation possible within a fair budget.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #21 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:03:37 AM »

Just shows how classy of a person Cason is...

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #22 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:07:22 AM »

:: Listening to Brain ::::

Actually is Cason's number!

Cason · « **Reply #23 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:09:22 AM »

Ha - there's nothing classy about it.
It's just something you do - you either pick up the line and keep the scene going or just stand there and expect the actor to get on track by him/herself...which in my humble opinion is pretty petty and makes you look just as foolish.

As our (wonderful) musical director said tonight, "It's past time for details right now - we're in survival mode."

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #24 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:15:13 AM »

Quote from: bk on September 21, 2007, 11:56:01 PM

I think the point is as I always say: There are two ways to approach things - positively and negatively, and I always try the former as hard as it is sometimes. NYMF cheaped out on all venues and brought in the worst sound equipment imaginable and now they are going to have to make it right and pay that price. I've told them in no uncertain terms that we will not play on Tuesday unless our sound designer is paid (by them) to come in on Tuesday morning, deal with whatever the new board is, and make sure our show disc is working and that all those written cues work with the new board. Of course, long before Tuesday they have to deal with the problems, as there are shows every day - luckily for the show tomorrow, they don't play until four-thirty, so they'll get the benefit of our travails and NYMF's now having to fix everything before their show. Believe me, these discussions are only beginning.

Well, when Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland headed to the backyard to put on a musical they never had soundboard problems!

der Brucer

Are you sure someone doesn't have a Kimmel voodoo doll (complete with stage). I vision some old hag gleefully jabbing pins into amps and snipping wiring.

DakotaCelt · « **Reply #25 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:25:30 AM »

All in all, i truly think you will do very well!

George · « **Reply #26 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:28:34 AM »

There is nothing like the joy and terror of live theater!!

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #27 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:30:08 AM »

Quote from: Cason on September 22, 2007, 12:09:22 AM

- you either pick up the line and keep the scene going or just stand there and expect the actor to get on track by him/herself...which in my humble opinion is pretty petty and makes you look just as foolish.

I feel your pain.

When I was playing Capt Fisby the Teahouse of the August Moon I had a similar "rescue the show moment". Many of the scenes opened with Sakini (the Okinawan houseboy) doing a monologue which I then interrupted and we then went into the scene which his monologue has set up. One night he went on stage in ACT One and launched into a monologue from ACT Two! I was speechless in the wings when the director pushed me forward hissing "do something!. So on stage I went with a "Hello, Sakini" much to his surprise. I hastily improvised a bunch of lines trying to pull him back to Act One. He kept giving me very strange looks while he threw back answers until the light dawned and he launched into the correct monologue. After the show the Director said it all really worked out; we both stayed in character and the audience was probably none the wiser (unless they noticed the repeated monologue lines in Act Two!)

der Brucer

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #28 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:36:47 AM »

Good Morning!

I'm up, well... I'm still up... Just been watching some TV, and chatting with my roomies. -We're all trying to make sure we sleep in tomorrow... and not hear the doorbell... Since "the roomie" has a new bed being delivered tomorrow morning "sometime"... Of course, she's currently out of town this week for a wedding, so... -But she did say we could leave it in the hallway... Hmm... -And I'm also wondering if she told the delivery people that there are steps to deal with, since many delivery places charge extra for bringing large items up a set of stairs... Well... We'll see...

George · « **Reply #29 on:** September 22, 2007, 12:37:19 AM »

Yesterday, PennyO wrote:

Quote

My own show opens tonight! Dress rehearsal last night, after a long tech week, wiped me out - and I slept WAY longer than usual. Woke to a bee-yoo-tee-full sunny Northwest autumn day.

Penny, I hope you had a great show! I'll be there tonight!!

Yes, I bought a ticket to see Penny's show "Jewish Thighs on Broadway" in North Bend, WA! It's about an hour and a half away from where I live (assuming traffic is cooperating). I'll make sure I bring my camera so that I can take some nice pictures...hopefully.

News:

Author Topic: THE NYMF NIGHTMARE (Read 33710 times)

FJL

FJL