And it all Comes Crashing Down

I hate the end of the run. Full of ‘the last time I will’ moments. But let me just recount the shows because it was quite an eventful weekend before I move on to being sappy and macabre.

Friday night I was almost killed. When I run out for Sweetness all wet it’s pretty freaking slick out there. And I got to the stage a little early so I may have been a little over confident about my speed and control because I went on a wacky tumble that ended with me hanging onto the edge of the dock and pulling myself up over the edge. It very could have very well ended up with my head whacking the corner. But from my dance days I’ve learned two things. No fear. And how to fall with as little injury as possible. I still came down on my right hand hard enough to hurt my wrist a little. And the audience thought it was just hilarious so at least I got a great laugh out of it. I also hurt my right forearm when I hit G in Hearts earlier. I managed to really get angry and worked up and I just came down on her with real violence. Fortunately because of the way it’s staged I only managed to hurt myself so that’s good. Over all I thought we had an awesome show though and the audience, while small, was very fun and very responsive.

Saturday had the best Hearts performance by far. By the whole cast. Something about Saturdays sends G into a weird speed thing and the beginning and truly that gets us all on our toes. And J decided that he would make all new choices for all of his lines in our scene and that was so refreshing. And again I hit G pretty hard. So hard in fact that I had a giant puffy bruise on my arm. Still have a sore spot from it today. And then there was Sweetness. It started out great. Actually it was great. Except there was this thing on the stage. I don’t know what it was. It looked like a half eaten strawberry or something. It was slightly smeared and red. And my attention kept being drawn to it. I wanted to just ignore it. But there it was. Looking really gross. And then I told the chicken joke. The actual joke is “Why did the pervert cross the road? Because his dick was in the chicken.” The joke I told was “Why did the chicken cross the road? Because his dick was in the chicken.” And then suddenly realizing that it didn’t make any sense at all I said “Wait. What? That’s not right.” And then I went forward. And everyone said “hey great cover.” “So in character.” But the truth was I was actually just baffled for a moment. Knew I totally blew the joke and I had to try to recover…well, something. Then I was right back on track and totally had to put it out of my mind. So I guess it was all good. After the show I realized that my in-laws were there. Thank god I didn’t know before hand. It would have made making out with E weird in a way that I didn’t have to deal with thanks to the fact I was oblivious.

Sunday was a blur. We had a backstage emergency before the show. Someone left the shower on all night so the dressing rooms and the back hall were completely flooded. So it took a long time to clean that up so we were all changing in the green room. And it contributed to the only screw up we had the whole night. When J came on stage as “Daddy” in the memory sequence his shoes were all wet and he slid on and immediately smirked at me. So instead of the look of fear that I usually give him. I had to look at his collar and try to control my laughter. I managed it but it took me a long time to bring myself back into the scene so I could work myself up to the fight. So I’m afraid the whole confrontation started a little flat. My husband said the whole thing was good and he’s actually a pretty harsh critic so I trust him that most of the worry and angst was internal and maybe even fed the scene. Sweetness was bittersweet. The whole thing went quite well. But the whole thing made me sad because that show was one the most joyful things I’ve ever done. I loved laughing with the boys. We really did have a nice easy relationship on stage. And there was so much mirth and joking. I’ll even miss kissing E. I won’t miss getting doused with water in my jeans every night though. That did suck big time.

So, it’s over and now it’s time to decompress. And take a vacation. I’ll be hiatus for a while yet. Until I start auditioning again. I did get a call yesterday to read for an independent film in New Haven. But I just came off a run and I’m tired and a little beat up. And I promised the family I’d take sometime to spend with them. Which will be hard because I hate to be without project. It’ll be a little easier knowing that I’m going to be starting rehearsals for a show in January. But January seems so remote that I know that before too long I’ll be looking for a project yet again soon.

What will I miss?

Having C do my hair for every show.

“I ain’t never been young.”

Laughing with J and E.

Cast parties.

Wearing that dress in Hearts.

“Oh that’s how your gender defines itself. You’ve got to be joking.”

K, M, G, J, & E.

“Oh, I assure you there will be nothing proper about it.”

Our great minimalist set.

Being on stage.

I hope to put up a little video of the show if I can figure that out. But I’ll be on break a bit so I hope that the three of you that are regular reader’s will check in every so often and see what I’m up to again when I start auditioning and preparing for my next show. I know I have a table read of The Night of January 16 sometime in September so I’m sure the will be a flurry of posts about that,

Opening Weekend

Opening weekend was exhausting. I have a show tonight and I am still tired from last weekend. Mostly it was the heavy partying after each show after hell week followed by a full work week where I had to get up an hour earlier than I’m used because my son is at day camp so he needs a ride at exactly the same time I do so I take the bus instead. Even writing that run on sentence about it was strenuous. But the shows went well so I am quite pleased. The only problem is that the complete lack of advertising means a complete lack of audience. Sunday I could swear we played for 20 people. Which is disheartening. I was thinking about sending around an email saying “Always wanted an opportunity to see me punch a drunk and make out with a quadriplegic? Now’s your chance!”

So, details? I don’t have a lot. Its funny performance is always like a dream to me. I just do it and then I wonder how it all went. Friday I was a little edgy. No food and lots of coffee. And I am hugely self- conscious about my accent. It keeps me from just letting go because I’m so busy wondering if everyone thinks I sound like a jack ass. And M was beautiful when she got all weepy at the end of Heart. And Sweetness of course went smoothly. It always does. Oh we are just the best. The two girls started Hearts on Saturday at really rapid pace. J asked if we were doing meth in the girls dressing room. I think they shaved about five minutes off the opening of the play. J’s entrance seemed to bring the show back on pace though. I was super relaxed through this performance. It may have been finally opening and then being exhausted from getting home from a party at 4:30 am but it was calm an easy. And that’s what I always want to achieve. Just a natural Zen like state when I am on stage. Like when I used to dance and I didn’t think. I just did. All that think really screws you up. Keeps you from being real. And Sunday well. I dunno. I hate matinees and it wasn’t a great performance. I did have a flub and called Aunt Ruth Aunt Grace instead. But it wasn’t bad really. Nothing to write home about I guess.

This break has been nice though. Although I miss everyone. Even the ones I don’t particularly care for. Closing weekend is here already! This was by far the shortest run I’ve ever had for anything.

Wet and Screwed

Tuesday was a pretty good rehearsal. And thankfully short so I could go the Roger Waters concert which was awesome. We did costumes and light make up. And I got wet for the dumped in the lake scene. I was ridiculously cold because the air-conditioning in the theater is running full blast even though the house is empty. And then after I get off stage just dripping away and we realize there isn’t even a single freaking towel in the theater. So I dry myself with paper towels and K wanted to run again. Run. Again? Well, E, J and I just bullied her into letting us go.

Last night was good and not so good. Hearts went beautifully. We ran the slap about five times before we went up so I was a little surprised that it went awry. But G is pretty new to theater and she was caught up in the moment so she forgot to put her hand up. I think it still looked ok but I think we are going to practice doing it a lot tonight so it comes more easily and more naturally. But the not so good part was the fact E didn’t show up for rehearsal. And I freaking knew it was coming too. The way he was talking on Tuesday just let me know. I’m sure he found a party or something that was way more interesting than coming to our little rehearsal. I joking said something to K about him probably being down at the half door. But truly it was only half joking. What a jerk. J, our 18 year old stage manager, had to sit in for him in Sweetness. I did not make out with him. Though I should have. It totally would have made his day. And then that was it. We went for a quick cocktail afterwards and then I went home and pretty much climbed into bed. I am incredibly happy that I don’t have to work tomorrow so that I can sleep all day and be fresh for the show. So last rehearsal tonight!

Off Topic But It's My Blog!

I wrote a review of the Roger Waters Dark Side Tour Concert that I went to after rehearsal last night at my other haunt Last.Fm. If you're interested in all things musicky it's the place to go!

pigs fly

One of my favorite moments at the Roger Waters concert last night. Tried blogging it from there but I must have been competing with too many signals or something because I couldn't get it to send even with full battery and great reception. Oh well.

I Made it Through the First Night of Hell

Hell was an excellent name for last night. No live blogging obviously. It was just too crazy. We staged the fight. Then we restaged it. And then we staged it once again. And tonight we’ll be staging it yet again. We ran the whole show twice. In costume, no makeup. It was a long evening. I started to get ridiculously tired by the time we did Sweetness. I was really goofy. Oh well.

The director at one point said that she prefer we use the term tech week rather than hell week. Well, she can wish anything she wants. Its still hell week. But all complaining aside it was nice to be on stage with actual props. K was confused when we all laughed when she said she wanted to reblock something in Sweetness. “Why are you all laughing?” Why? I have never reblocked and then blocked again. And again. And still reblocking so close to the opening. I mean I’ve had reblocking because something doesn’t work out exactly as planned on the actual stage but this is just crazy. I keep expecting her to tweak the blocking right after a performance for the next day. Or during pick up rehearsal between weekends. Or hell stop a performance and reblock a scene.

I went out for a quick drag between shows and the Artistic Director H came out and gave me some very nice compliments about the way I move on stage. And then he cast me in a show called The Night of January 16 by Ayn Rand which will be playing in February. As “an ice cold bitch.” He asked me if I thought I could handle it. Hell yes I can handle it.

I was tired when the rehearsal ended that I took off my costume for Sweetness that is my own Supergirl T-shirt and jeans, picked up some stuff, and then put them back on as if to go home in them. But tonight should be better. We should start earlier and I think we will only run once. I hope we will only run once. Will try the live and microblogging thing again tonight.

Hell Week

And so it begins. This is my opportunity to try out live blogging tonight and throughout the week because except for work I will not see the outside of theater until Friday night. Just a little bring up to date because I have clearly been too lazy to blog regularly for a while. On Monday we had an absolutely excellent rehearsal for Hearts wherein I learned the secret of Chloe’s character is far too much caffeine on an empty stomach. I was so caffeinated I was vibrating. And while I definitely will not be recreating that effect with actual iced lattes with an extra shot of espresso I now know how she should move and behave so yippee for that. We made K, the director, cry. In the good way. And on Tuesday I just had a ridiculous amount of fun doing Sweetness. And no reblocking. Woo hoo.

So tonight we will be finally choreographing the fight for Hearts and the fall from the platform in Sweetness. So thank goodness and wow am I nervous about those two events as they both heavily are focused on me.

I did my shopping for the make-up to cover the dark tattoo on my ankle. Freaking $88 in make-up and brushes and it’ll probably still show. And I only need it covered for about 2 minutes. It’s completely covered by my clothes all other times. I also bought the most bizarre undergarment I’ve ever owned. It’s an adhesive push up bra. Which means it’s a bra that sticks to your boobs with no straps of any kind so you can wear it with a backless dress. It’s kind of disturbing.

So, if I figure out this live blogging thing tonight I’ll be posting pictures and microblog entries. Which should be interesting. To me anyhow.

And We Reblock Once Again

I open in 11 days. Eleven. Wow. Doesn't seem like we had any rehearsals. And on Saturday there was MORE new blocking. If I have one complaint with K as a director it's the amount of reblocking that she does. Granted a lot of the reblocking is easier and makes sense but there are moments of limbo where I am completely uneased by not know where the heck I am supposed to move to. I guess this keeps me on my toes.

Hearts went quite well on Saturday I thought. The altercation still won't be blocked until Sunday because that's when we will finally have the platforms that we need. I am very much looking forward to it. But I thought the feel of the play overall was quite nice. I worry about that one a lot. And I'm not sure why. I know the words and the whole feel of my character is starting to be quite comfortable.

The reblocked kiss in Sweetness is done now too. And I think kiss is no longer that right word at all. I'm going to go more with make out session. The first time I tried it the whole wheel chair started to roll away from me and when J went to throw me backward into the "water" there was no way. I could only continue to fall further forward until I landed with my face in E's lap. It got quite a laugh but the show cannot go forward until I fall and TJ and Jake believe that Jules has drowned. I think I got over my trepidation about making out with E. Simply because climbing all over him and the chair is kind of fun. K did it first to show me what she wanted and I guess when I saw her do it I was like fuck it I can do that too.

Well, big rehearsal tonight with H, the theaters artistic director, and I'm a little nervous. But not that much. He is always very complimentary of my work. I think it's hilarious that Sweetness is the show he's coming to watch. It's not nearly as complex as Hearts and it's really very short. It's my last working rehearsal before hell week too so I'm a little freaked that we will reblock once again. But even if we do I'm sure it will be fine.