Up & Running

After a morning of tech (and our first official run thru of the show w/ all it's parts together in the space we are performing in) "Call Waiting" opened to a decent sized audience at 2pm today.

I was asked by more than one person if I was nervous. And found that I was more nervous as a director than writer...why was that? Well, since I was the director I knew exactly what was happening to my show but as the director, well...I just hoped everything would pull together nicely and the audience would enjoy the show! :)

Thankfully I have a talented and smart cast and a talented and smart person running lights/sound so my stress and worry was more the "it's the first show, I hope it goes well!" variety.

Now if we can only get critics to see it! We are listed in The Village Voice (as sisters who are best friends) and in New York Magazine (as a mother and daughter who are best friends) but at least we're listed, right?! An audience member already posted on the Facebook listing for "Call Waiting" that the show reminded him of "Friends" and he wanted to know what happened w/ all the relationships. May the buzz keep building and fill seats!

After the first show was finished and everything was put away, I decided a movie was in order and ended up at Chelsea Cinema to see Two Lovers. When I bought my ticket the ticket taker told me that tonight "Earth Hour" would occur and that the Empire State Building would not be lit. Interesting - I'll have to keep my eye out....

Back to the movie- It is a creepy movie in some respects but all too real in the characters' manipulations and which "side" they share with who, how those people perceive them and how circumstances force them to settle or maybe they're not really forced they just decide to settle. As an audience member you were able to witness every moment but then you leave thinking how in real life you aren't the audience member and how limited your knowledge really is about the people that surround you regularly. So many filters...even w/social networks, you can project the image you want. Very controlled and then...do people even know what their real personality is?! Yes, it's a ponderous movie...

Time for Karaoke!

A couple friends of mine share birthdays close to each other so a few years ago they started having joint birthday bashes. This year it was at iBop. (You can rent a room and each person is charged $7 per hour they are there.) Since the crowd was full of theater folk there were lots of show tunes and outstanding performances and of course the alcohol bolstered the non-theater folk's confidence so fairly quickly there was quite a wait to get the opportunity to sing! So...alas, I did not. Which was okay - my two "go to" songs weren't listed anyway (David Duchovny by Bree Sharp & Excuse Me, Mister by No Doubt) and well...sometimes it's much more fun to watch and sing along! ;)

The American Plan

Thanks to a friend w/ a free ticket, I got to see "The American Plan" tonight.

After we got settled in our seats, I was immediately taken by the set. A pier that w/ little imagination looked like it was sitting out on the water (the slick look of the stage made me wonder how easy it was to navigate for the actors - as the transitions happened in the show, you never heard footsteps).

As the show began I was easily sucked into this time and place and not knowing a lot about the play in advance...I also wondered where it was going...the first thing that struck me was Lily Rabe's voice. I wondered how this character would come across w/ a voice that didn't sound older than the person speaking. How much work was that voice doing for the part?

Mercedes Ruehl embraces her role as a controlling and manipulating mother but although her daughter keeps warning people, it is not until you actually see her doing it that you believe it's possible. Ruehl's character can be grating but she has a charm about her that makes you want to believe she wouldn't actually destroy her daughter's future and possible happiness.

But then...the story twists further when the happiness isn't necessarily in her new found "love" but in the chance to escape her mother.

At the end of the play they flash forward and I wonder how necessary it was to add, as if the audience were given a chance to reflect on the show up until then they probably would have drawn similiar conclusions- however, it does give the characters closure.

Although the production value and acting was well executed, the play itself is certainly not an uplifting one (and has it's lulls). Especially when it is confirmed what happens to these characters. This play shows a character that tries to fight what appears to be her destiny and then eventually succumb to it. Great for drama on stage but makes you reflective on how such things play out in life. What effort is in vain and what effort is not is often not known until you have that "flash forward" distance to reflect.

All this "deep thought" aside, we had some talkative older audience members behind us that became a show of their own as people within earshot of them would laugh in response to them and not the show. Gotta love live theater! Oh - and Julie White was sitting in the row ahead of us, too. :)

39 Steps

I've been wanting to see "39 Steps" for a long time, but I kept putting it off because I felt like I needed to see the movie first. So I missed my chance to see the actor who originated the lead role, then I missed my chance to see Sam Robards in the role and finally due to another friend's interest I decided to forget thinking I was going to see the movie first and just go. So we did and I'd only wished I'd gone sooner!

What a great night of entertainment! It's clever, smart, fast paced and full of talent by the small cast that plays multiple roles. (I can't imagine how many calories they must burn each night!)

Man #1 & Man #2 reminded me of Conway & Korman. At one point it looked like they were about to crack as one kept blowing the loose strand of wig hair up to bother the other one's face. It made me wonder if this was a bit that happened every night or just a random moment...

I still need to see the movie (which I see is on Hulu now) and when I do, I may just have to see the stage show again! If you can get a cheaper ticket it's definitely worth seeing - oh, and bonus...you can pose w/ Hitchcock's silhouette in the lobby! :)

Hooters

I'm a firm believer that everyone should celebrate their birthday rather than let it go by like it's a regular day. It's the one day of the year that you can claim as your own so why not do so? I know age is often an excuse but I figure why not celebrate that you ARE a year older rather than be unhappy about it? It's another year you "survived", learned from and build from as you start to knock down another year....

Anyway... w/ all that in mind, I emailed a friend to see what he was doing for his b-day. He had nothing special planned so I suggested dinner somewhere- his choice. And his choice was....HOOTERS! Yep. I verified that he wasn't joking-he wasn't. And since I suggested dinner it wasn't like I could back out so... Hooters it was.

W/ only a few days notice, we managed to get a decent sized group together and for the first time I experienced Hooters. (Prior to the visit the only knowledge I had mostly came from "Big Daddy" and being aware that they used to have a trivia night at the now defunct location in Lincoln that an old boss and my parents used to go to.)

It was pretty much what I expected. You pay for the "ambiance" - not the food. (A combo platter of wings & dom perignon, anyone?!)

We debated about whether our waitress, "Olga" had a fake name or not as she was rather unresponsive when her name was said in an attempt to get her attention. (I wonder what the average length of time working at Hooters is for a Hooters girl before she's over the short shorts, spanx and cinched Hooters tops?)

Would I go again? For another friend's birthday-yes. Just 'cause-no. But at least now I can say I've been, right?! Right.