On the eve of my one year anniversary in NYC, I am reminded that I shouldn't get too comfy...
This is the story of how I got into a "tussle" with a guy taller and wider than I am @ my subway stop.
Before I swiped my card I saw he was coming down the stairs but knew I had plenty of time to swipe and go thru, plus there were other open exits. So I look down to swipe my card and there he was. I was going in and he was trying to force his way out. I told him I needed to get thru because I had swiped and then he insisted HE needed to go thru and then there was the power play which I wasn't gonna win and I said "God Damn You" and he finally shoved thru and said "Fuck You" to which I dittoed him and then he laughed his Jabba The Hutt laugh because he is such a man that he pushed past a woman smaller than him and left her tangled in the spinner.
I detangled and I had to get the booth person to let me thru the door since I'd wasted my swipe. AFTER all that the MTA person who apparently witnessed it all asked if I was alright. I told him I was just pissed off and thought - thanks for having my back! Sheesh.
And guess what?! I had been talking to my mom on the phone and completely forgot she was on the line until afterwards so she heard it all! She totally disapproves of the "f-word" used but later commented in an email that my bro can just get behind me when he visits the Big Apple because I know how to take care of myself - I'm my grandpa's granddaughter. ;) And boy was my adrenaline running!
After I got in the city the Cosmos must have wanted to balance my day as the Starbucks worker made a Grande instead of Tall for me (but I did pay for the Tall) and a stranger sharing the elevator w/ me @ work said - Have a good day Dear - have a good weekend! So simple, but it made me feel better! :)
What a city! ;)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Angels in Progress Reading - 1
Naked Angels is a great production development program that offers readings every month and on occasion puts on a program called "Angels in Progress" in which readings of plays are performed by celebrities. The best part? It's free to the public! (Donors make this possible - and a list of donors revealed that Steven Weber is one of them.) So, I went to the first of a few I made reservations for tonight. Here was the line up-
Prix-Fixe by Jon Robin Baitz
Directed by Trip Cullman
Prix-Fixe by Jon Robin Baitz
Directed by Trip Cullman
A delicious tasting menu of four courses prepared by Jon Robin Baitz.
Amuse Bouche: My Beautiful Goddamn City
Appetizer: Shuddering to Think
Entree: Coq Au Vin
Dessert: It Changes Every Year
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Keith Nobbs, Henry Stram, Fred Weller, Didi O'Connell and Blythe Danner
Danner struck me as someone that would be great to work w/. Very supportive and giving as an actress. Wasn't sure what was going on w/ Broderick as he seemed to have a bit ADD as he kept looking out into the audience - maybe there was someone there he knew? He just seemed distracted. One one-act had him act & cluck like a chicken...that was interesting.... ;)
For the most part, each actor had their turn at reading stage directions and it annoyed me that some very obviously didn't think much of the duty. I know it's not a character but it's still a very important element of the show - especially a reading. If the words are mumbled or tripped over it kind of ruins the rest of the elements.
The one-acts themselves were an interesting assortment. From actors portraying a chicken couple about to get slaughtered to Mother's Day being celebrated w/a twist (the Mother's were celebrating w/their child's partner, not their child).
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more!
On my way back I transferred at Bryant Park and they were showing the Yankees game on the big screen. I tried to get in on some of the giveaways prior to going to the reading but was too early and now all the giveaways were over. I heard the announcer say - Maybe it's time for Joba.
As I continued on to the subway @ Times Square I narrowly missed a bum spitting on the ground and having it land on my shoe. Ahhh, New York! ;)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Before I go...
Today, "leisure" was the key word. Although incredibly sore, my friend was somewhat glad to have someone there to get her up and moving as laying in bed for the day sounded like a pretty good idea.! ;)
We headed out for brunch at a place my friend highly recommended only to discover that they apparently had a management change as it took 10 minutes to get water once we were sat (that even took awhile) and 30 minutes to get our food in which part of it was cold and some parts were missing completely. A family sitting near us had to hunt down their own flatware and another group that was waiting and waiting just to get their beverages finally left. (I think it would have been different had the wait staff actually been acknowledging those that were waiting but they were just ignoring.) It wasn't until my friend got up and complained to the manager that they finally decided to help - by then though we decided leaving was better and had breakfast at A.B.P. instead.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts had free admission so we explored that before I had to head
back to NYC. Parts were closed but I still saw plenty. The Egyptian display is fascinating as are the extra tidbits they post w/ the painting info. Isabella and the Pot of Basil and Watson and the Shark really struck me. I found it interesting that a painting of the Battle of Bunkerhill was not started until years after the painter had witnessed it - so it was very much open to artistic interpretation... The "giant baby head" statues in front of the museum (you can see one on the right hand side of the pic) were modeled after the artist's grandchildren. Nice thought but still kind of weird...
We headed out for brunch at a place my friend highly recommended only to discover that they apparently had a management change as it took 10 minutes to get water once we were sat (that even took awhile) and 30 minutes to get our food in which part of it was cold and some parts were missing completely. A family sitting near us had to hunt down their own flatware and another group that was waiting and waiting just to get their beverages finally left. (I think it would have been different had the wait staff actually been acknowledging those that were waiting but they were just ignoring.) It wasn't until my friend got up and complained to the manager that they finally decided to help - by then though we decided leaving was better and had breakfast at A.B.P. instead.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts had free admission so we explored that before I had to head
back to NYC. Parts were closed but I still saw plenty. The Egyptian display is fascinating as are the extra tidbits they post w/ the painting info. Isabella and the Pot of Basil and Watson and the Shark really struck me. I found it interesting that a painting of the Battle of Bunkerhill was not started until years after the painter had witnessed it - so it was very much open to artistic interpretation... The "giant baby head" statues in front of the museum (you can see one on the right hand side of the pic) were modeled after the artist's grandchildren. Nice thought but still kind of weird...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Run, Sarah, Run!
Rise and Shine and time to head out for the big run.
The check-in area was inside Seaport World Trade Center and the race started just outside the building. Lots of vendors were set up and the environment was nothing I'd experienced before. As my friend stretched and warmed up (and I became "Official guard o' stuff" ;)) I went over the various new running terms/things I learned from my friend and took note of what others were saying around me...
- Goo:a pouch of sugar, well, goo. Runners sometimes wear the pouch of goo hooked to their shirt by a safety pin so they can just jerk on it and it's immediately ripped open to gulp and get an extra kick. Many times, it is at one of the "rest stops" where water and the like are handed out during the marathon.
- Tiny sensors are tied to the runner's shoes to accurately monitor the runner's time and to see if they are keeping on course or not...so much for a cab ride! ;)
- Although many people train with ipods/mp3s in their ears it is highly recommended that runners DON'T have music in their ears when they run a marathon so they are fully alert in case of non-alert drivers that veer onto the route, etc. I noticed that some chose to ignore that rule - my friend managed to make a friend during the route so they were able to talk and cheer each other on to pass the time...
- Something I heard one runner say to another, "Just try to get yourself in another world for 7 miles."
- One guy was wearing a Shamrock Hat and I wondered how long that would stay on during the
run...
As I continued pondering and observing, I had my friend take a pic of me and how I prepared for her race... lol.
Time to line up - thankfully for us "stuff holders" there was a Dunkin Donuts right in line with the start line so we could watch while waiting for breakfast! ;)
As the time came closer to my friend's predicted arrival I stood poised with my camera and a few of her Boston friends arrived just in time to see her finish!
The adrenaline lasted for a bit, after she cooled down and related her experience to all that were present, we headed to her place so she could clean up and we could get a meal. When we were on our way again she became more and more aware just how much the unexpected sunnier than usual day had affected her. We had lunch in Central Square outside (our food was brought out and sat in the "waiters station"long enough for us to worry whether a hovering homeless person's cigarette ashes were going to become part of our meal...ulky) and then we walked near Harvard Square upon which we started a search for A.C., ice cream and shoes that wouldn't cause sores on my heel - go figure, I wasn't even the one that ran!
We found A.C. and ice cream, well, sorbet... at Finale and my friend told the waiter to keep the water coming! Their desserts were beautiful and they have an overhead mirror set up in the prep area so you can watch them putting it together, too.
After a quick stop for flip flops we headed home so the runner could recharge.
Later in the evening, it was time to refuel again so we met more of my friend's Boston friends at Asgard where I got a beer as big as my head and my friend had a celebratory drink...or two. ;)
The check-in area was inside Seaport World Trade Center and the race started just outside the building. Lots of vendors were set up and the environment was nothing I'd experienced before. As my friend stretched and warmed up (and I became "Official guard o' stuff" ;)) I went over the various new running terms/things I learned from my friend and took note of what others were saying around me...
- Goo:a pouch of sugar, well, goo. Runners sometimes wear the pouch of goo hooked to their shirt by a safety pin so they can just jerk on it and it's immediately ripped open to gulp and get an extra kick. Many times, it is at one of the "rest stops" where water and the like are handed out during the marathon.
- Tiny sensors are tied to the runner's shoes to accurately monitor the runner's time and to see if they are keeping on course or not...so much for a cab ride! ;)
- Although many people train with ipods/mp3s in their ears it is highly recommended that runners DON'T have music in their ears when they run a marathon so they are fully alert in case of non-alert drivers that veer onto the route, etc. I noticed that some chose to ignore that rule - my friend managed to make a friend during the route so they were able to talk and cheer each other on to pass the time...
- Something I heard one runner say to another, "Just try to get yourself in another world for 7 miles."
- One guy was wearing a Shamrock Hat and I wondered how long that would stay on during the
run...As I continued pondering and observing, I had my friend take a pic of me and how I prepared for her race... lol.
Time to line up - thankfully for us "stuff holders" there was a Dunkin Donuts right in line with the start line so we could watch while waiting for breakfast! ;)
As the time came closer to my friend's predicted arrival I stood poised with my camera and a few of her Boston friends arrived just in time to see her finish!
The adrenaline lasted for a bit, after she cooled down and related her experience to all that were present, we headed to her place so she could clean up and we could get a meal. When we were on our way again she became more and more aware just how much the unexpected sunnier than usual day had affected her. We had lunch in Central Square outside (our food was brought out and sat in the "waiters station"long enough for us to worry whether a hovering homeless person's cigarette ashes were going to become part of our meal...ulky) and then we walked near Harvard Square upon which we started a search for A.C., ice cream and shoes that wouldn't cause sores on my heel - go figure, I wasn't even the one that ran!
We found A.C. and ice cream, well, sorbet... at Finale and my friend told the waiter to keep the water coming! Their desserts were beautiful and they have an overhead mirror set up in the prep area so you can watch them putting it together, too.After a quick stop for flip flops we headed home so the runner could recharge.
Later in the evening, it was time to refuel again so we met more of my friend's Boston friends at Asgard where I got a beer as big as my head and my friend had a celebratory drink...or two. ;)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Return to Boston
Back in Boston for Memorial Day weekend and to cheer on my friend who is running her first half marathon tomorrow.
This time around, the weather made it much easier to enjoy the outdoors there! I arrived early in the afternoon, so we grabbed some lunch (pic is of me trying a Middle Eastern Beer, Alamaza, recommended by my friend) and then walked over to see what we could see @ Earth Fest.
On the way there we passed MIT and another pic opp stop.
When we got to the festival Cracker was on stage and LOTS of people were watching.
There were various booths around promoting various things - Like "Don't Mess w/ the Zo
han". My friend posed by the standee of Zohan and people were in line for free haircuts (not by Zohan). 
They were also giving away movie postcards/posters.Lots of food samples like free mini bags of Puffins cereal and the Whole Foods tent was giving away cans of corn!
The intent was to stick around until Cake hit the stage but the crowd got to us so we journeyed on and took a break at a little
coffee shop (non-Starbucks) and then after more 
various pic opps (including the Paul Revere statue and a shirt we found on display in a window that every Bo. Sox fan owns or wants to...)
we eventually wound our way over to Little Italy (Villa Francesca) where Sarah carbed up for her run and I carbed up to cheer her on - teehee.All too soon it was time to call it a day so the runner could get her zzzzzzzzzzz's....although, since it was her first run it proved to be more difficult than planned - too excited!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Macbeth
As promised, my friend and I are seeing Macbeth tonight, but first we had dinner @ Connolly's.
I got there before my firend and as I waited and watched people come in, I saw a guy that looked like Harry Connick, Jr. He's cute! - I thought. He was wearing a ball cap and looking very casual. He and a friend started heading my direction to be seated but they ran into someone else trying to get out so he stepped aside - which meant he stepped right in my eyeline behind the booth I was at. I caught his eye and then I realized that it WAS Harry Connick, Jr!!!! As soon as it clicked you could tell he knew it had cause he smiled. I just said "Hi" and he continued on. Sigh. ;)
The food is presented in a bit more "high class" way than their neighbors @ O'Lunney's. The Guinness pints are a dollar cheaper, too! :)
Next door @ the theatre we got settled into our balcony seats and soon "The Kicker" started in on my chair. Really? Once, I can understand - it's an accident. But several times is a bit much, I did turn to look a few times but basically I was looking @ feet so that didn't do me any good if they were looking out. The show begins and "The Sniffer" starts in beside me. It is so bad that I'm missing lines. I pull a tissue out of my pocket and hand it to him. Then "The Snorer" starts in who apparently is seated near "The Kicker" behind me and then "Knuckles" starts in behind me by cracking their knuckles and I think...maybe a pda couple sitting beside me isn't so bad after all. Ha!
Shakespeare isn't always the easiest for me to follow anyway but these distractions certainly didn't help. However, what I did catch though was brilliant. The updating (of sorts) was well orchestrated. Projections were used again to change set and at one point to create a wall of blood. The end of the 1st act manages to be a great cliffhanger even if you do know the story. Other tricks like blood flowing out of the faucet one moment and then running clear the next and a scene on a train that was created by the movement of the cast made me glad I could observe from above.
The way the witches are portrayed was probably the highlight of the play for me. They weaved in and out as maids, nurses, morgue workers, etc. I found myself always trying to spot them again in each scene. 1, 2, 3. It almost didn't seem right if they weren't lurking....
The most famous lines from the play all managed to be presented in a new way, too. What a challenge that is to make something that is so familiar to people effectively new again.
At the end, the head of Patrick Stewart (Macbeth) is held and at that moment I wished I was sitting closer just to see how detailed it was. Need to remember my binoculars the next time I go to a balcony show!
The cast took several curtain calls but I noticed that none of the kids in the show appeared. It apparently was past their bedtime...
Aside from the distractions around me, I found the show to be fascinating and if time and money allowed, it would be one I'd see again so I could catch what I missed the first time.
I got there before my firend and as I waited and watched people come in, I saw a guy that looked like Harry Connick, Jr. He's cute! - I thought. He was wearing a ball cap and looking very casual. He and a friend started heading my direction to be seated but they ran into someone else trying to get out so he stepped aside - which meant he stepped right in my eyeline behind the booth I was at. I caught his eye and then I realized that it WAS Harry Connick, Jr!!!! As soon as it clicked you could tell he knew it had cause he smiled. I just said "Hi" and he continued on. Sigh. ;)
The food is presented in a bit more "high class" way than their neighbors @ O'Lunney's. The Guinness pints are a dollar cheaper, too! :)
Next door @ the theatre we got settled into our balcony seats and soon "The Kicker" started in on my chair. Really? Once, I can understand - it's an accident. But several times is a bit much, I did turn to look a few times but basically I was looking @ feet so that didn't do me any good if they were looking out. The show begins and "The Sniffer" starts in beside me. It is so bad that I'm missing lines. I pull a tissue out of my pocket and hand it to him. Then "The Snorer" starts in who apparently is seated near "The Kicker" behind me and then "Knuckles" starts in behind me by cracking their knuckles and I think...maybe a pda couple sitting beside me isn't so bad after all. Ha!
Shakespeare isn't always the easiest for me to follow anyway but these distractions certainly didn't help. However, what I did catch though was brilliant. The updating (of sorts) was well orchestrated. Projections were used again to change set and at one point to create a wall of blood. The end of the 1st act manages to be a great cliffhanger even if you do know the story. Other tricks like blood flowing out of the faucet one moment and then running clear the next and a scene on a train that was created by the movement of the cast made me glad I could observe from above.The way the witches are portrayed was probably the highlight of the play for me. They weaved in and out as maids, nurses, morgue workers, etc. I found myself always trying to spot them again in each scene. 1, 2, 3. It almost didn't seem right if they weren't lurking....
The most famous lines from the play all managed to be presented in a new way, too. What a challenge that is to make something that is so familiar to people effectively new again.
At the end, the head of Patrick Stewart (Macbeth) is held and at that moment I wished I was sitting closer just to see how detailed it was. Need to remember my binoculars the next time I go to a balcony show!
The cast took several curtain calls but I noticed that none of the kids in the show appeared. It apparently was past their bedtime...
Aside from the distractions around me, I found the show to be fascinating and if time and money allowed, it would be one I'd see again so I could catch what I missed the first time.
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Swell Season in Concert
Tonight I saw The Swell Season (aka the people from "Once") @ the Radio City Music Hall.
I love walking thru the RCMH. It always blows my mind that this piece of history was nearly reduced to rubble a couple decades ago. And the best thing is that so much of it is frozen in time. For instance - the hand dryers in the Ladies Room are run by a foot pedal. Granted it is just a few feet away from a modern day plastic changing table but still... ;)
Even though it was a sold out show it didn't seem as crazy as it was when I saw the Christmas Spectacular. Although they were still selling drinks that had parts that glowed in the dark. It was fun during the holidays but during this concert it seemed horribly out of place, tacky and distracting. Once the lights went down if someone decided they absolutely couldn't enjoy the concert w/out one then that's all you'd see bobbing thru the seats and pulling your focus as you tried to enjoy the concert.
One lady seated ahead of me did not get a glow drink but rather opted to pull out her floss and make sure her teeth were clear of the dinner she had earlier. I wondered where she put the floss when she was done...
The opening act was a group (Interference) that also appeared on the "Once" soundtrack and later came out to join The Swell Season in order to sing "Gold". The lead singer is in a wheelchair and I thought it was nice that everyone else on stage gets on his level whether it be sitting on a chair or on the floor when he is singing.
The Swell Season started their concert much like the movie "Once" w/ Glen Hansard standing in front of the mike w/ his guitar and singing, " Say it to me now". Awesome.
The rest of the group joined him after that and Glen talked to the crowd a lot giving an introduction to each song - "This song is about..." Many of them dealt w/ how unreasoning love can make a person or how impossible it is to try and put reason to love. One example he gave was that your heart is like a lion driving a train on ice and your brain says, "watch out for those rocks ahead" and your heart says, "F- the rocks!"
Because he was letting the "F-word" fly quite a bit he did give an Irish disclaimer to young ears in the audience.
Marketa Irglova's family was in the audience (they came over from the Czech Republic). She invited her sister up on stage to sing a song that was on The Wicker Man soundtrack. Having not seen The Wicker Man I was a little surprised by the lyrics of "Gently Johnny" as initially it seemed like a sweet moment w/ these 2 sisters singing @ RCMH and then it just got creepy.
Other moments -
They sang 2 Van Morrison songs and rocked the house. I think the audience might have gotten into those more than their original songs.
Glen kept trying to get the audience to sing along and then towards the end of the show he referenced his Irish heritage again and said that a show can't be over til everyone sings!
You could tell they were totally in awe of being on the stage @ RCMH and in a sold out show! Glen said that 2 years ago they passed RCMH and he pointed it out to Marketa and she had no idea how it was significant. He explained that it is the place to play. At the time they were just excited to have a sold out show of 150 people @ Pianos!
One of their band members had just recently finished an album and we found out that it was his album being played while people settled in before the concert, in between sets and after (it was available for sale @ the concert, too). They exited at one point and let him perform one of his songs. I have to say, they are a very supportive group and seem to be all about spreading the wealth of their good fortune.
Every time there was a moment of silence the audience felt the need to shout things (maybe it was those that were under the influence of glow drinks). One person said - New York Loves You! And he replied - What a lovely idea. Then someone wanted him to sing the "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy". He did and then said that they put all this hard work into putting together the concert and that song is probably what people would remember from the night!
Other spontaneous moments included - Glen randomly went into a line from Arthur's Theme - "Between the Moon & New York City" and also went into a line from "Pure Imagination" and said he was just going w/ the moment...
Although performing at Radio City was a milestone for them I can't help but think they probably feel more @ home in a pub-type atmosphere. And having been to concerts at MSG and RCMH now, I have to say I prefer RCMH. :)
I love walking thru the RCMH. It always blows my mind that this piece of history was nearly reduced to rubble a couple decades ago. And the best thing is that so much of it is frozen in time. For instance - the hand dryers in the Ladies Room are run by a foot pedal. Granted it is just a few feet away from a modern day plastic changing table but still... ;)
Even though it was a sold out show it didn't seem as crazy as it was when I saw the Christmas Spectacular. Although they were still selling drinks that had parts that glowed in the dark. It was fun during the holidays but during this concert it seemed horribly out of place, tacky and distracting. Once the lights went down if someone decided they absolutely couldn't enjoy the concert w/out one then that's all you'd see bobbing thru the seats and pulling your focus as you tried to enjoy the concert.
One lady seated ahead of me did not get a glow drink but rather opted to pull out her floss and make sure her teeth were clear of the dinner she had earlier. I wondered where she put the floss when she was done...
The opening act was a group (Interference) that also appeared on the "Once" soundtrack and later came out to join The Swell Season in order to sing "Gold". The lead singer is in a wheelchair and I thought it was nice that everyone else on stage gets on his level whether it be sitting on a chair or on the floor when he is singing.
The Swell Season started their concert much like the movie "Once" w/ Glen Hansard standing in front of the mike w/ his guitar and singing, " Say it to me now". Awesome.The rest of the group joined him after that and Glen talked to the crowd a lot giving an introduction to each song - "This song is about..." Many of them dealt w/ how unreasoning love can make a person or how impossible it is to try and put reason to love. One example he gave was that your heart is like a lion driving a train on ice and your brain says, "watch out for those rocks ahead" and your heart says, "F- the rocks!"
Because he was letting the "F-word" fly quite a bit he did give an Irish disclaimer to young ears in the audience.
Marketa Irglova's family was in the audience (they came over from the Czech Republic). She invited her sister up on stage to sing a song that was on The Wicker Man soundtrack. Having not seen The Wicker Man I was a little surprised by the lyrics of "Gently Johnny" as initially it seemed like a sweet moment w/ these 2 sisters singing @ RCMH and then it just got creepy.
Other moments -
They sang 2 Van Morrison songs and rocked the house. I think the audience might have gotten into those more than their original songs.
Glen kept trying to get the audience to sing along and then towards the end of the show he referenced his Irish heritage again and said that a show can't be over til everyone sings!
You could tell they were totally in awe of being on the stage @ RCMH and in a sold out show! Glen said that 2 years ago they passed RCMH and he pointed it out to Marketa and she had no idea how it was significant. He explained that it is the place to play. At the time they were just excited to have a sold out show of 150 people @ Pianos!
One of their band members had just recently finished an album and we found out that it was his album being played while people settled in before the concert, in between sets and after (it was available for sale @ the concert, too). They exited at one point and let him perform one of his songs. I have to say, they are a very supportive group and seem to be all about spreading the wealth of their good fortune.
Every time there was a moment of silence the audience felt the need to shout things (maybe it was those that were under the influence of glow drinks). One person said - New York Loves You! And he replied - What a lovely idea. Then someone wanted him to sing the "Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy". He did and then said that they put all this hard work into putting together the concert and that song is probably what people would remember from the night!
Other spontaneous moments included - Glen randomly went into a line from Arthur's Theme - "Between the Moon & New York City" and also went into a line from "Pure Imagination" and said he was just going w/ the moment...
Although performing at Radio City was a milestone for them I can't help but think they probably feel more @ home in a pub-type atmosphere. And having been to concerts at MSG and RCMH now, I have to say I prefer RCMH. :)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Keep on Keepin' On
Went to a couple auditions that were for more one-act shows today. One was w/ Phare Play and another w/ a group I hadn't worked w/ yet.
First stop, Phare Play - where everyone knows my name. Kinda nice to go in knowing what to expect for an audition. And w/ a snap it was over and I was on my way to another audition and ended up being there VERY early. So I killed time wandering around the 4th & Washington Square area. Lots of great little places to have a meal and then dessert (Red Mango & Pinkberry are across the street from each other!) - I need to remember to get down there more often.
Finally enough time had passed and I was able to get into the building next to Cafe Wha? to audition - I thought to myself, the last time I was here I was auditioning for the Staten Island Ferry Plays and who do I see but the same casting director that had helped w/ that and she remembered me.
Unfortunately I don't think the audition went well as those that weren't the casting director didn't give me an additional side to read and I could tell the casting director was trying to encourage them to as she said - Is that it?! Well, I know Nora, she does good work (or something along those lines...which made me giggle as she's only seen me in auditions - we have yet to work together).
By late afternoon, I received a call w/ an offer to be in a one-act for the Phare Play show. I will play a woman who has been struggling to get pregnant and has a bit of an issue w/ the fact that her lesbian sister-in-law and her partner are expecting. It's a comedy... ;)
The show opens in June!
First stop, Phare Play - where everyone knows my name. Kinda nice to go in knowing what to expect for an audition. And w/ a snap it was over and I was on my way to another audition and ended up being there VERY early. So I killed time wandering around the 4th & Washington Square area. Lots of great little places to have a meal and then dessert (Red Mango & Pinkberry are across the street from each other!) - I need to remember to get down there more often.
Finally enough time had passed and I was able to get into the building next to Cafe Wha? to audition - I thought to myself, the last time I was here I was auditioning for the Staten Island Ferry Plays and who do I see but the same casting director that had helped w/ that and she remembered me.
Unfortunately I don't think the audition went well as those that weren't the casting director didn't give me an additional side to read and I could tell the casting director was trying to encourage them to as she said - Is that it?! Well, I know Nora, she does good work (or something along those lines...which made me giggle as she's only seen me in auditions - we have yet to work together).
By late afternoon, I received a call w/ an offer to be in a one-act for the Phare Play show. I will play a woman who has been struggling to get pregnant and has a bit of an issue w/ the fact that her lesbian sister-in-law and her partner are expecting. It's a comedy... ;)
The show opens in June!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Stars in the afternoon
I got the opportunity to volunteer for the Drama League Awards today.
I have friends that had worked it before so I kinda knew how it worked but not really. ;)
My first challenge was picking out an outfit as we were told to wear something that was festive business attire. Uh?! I went to Macy's and got a royal blue jacket to wear w/ my pencil skirt. I thought it might be a little big but was determined to make it work.
Friday morning I gave up on making the jacket work and ended up wearing a button up red blouse that I already had! Doh! This last minute fashion switch of course made me run late and of course the subways were running late and it was raining so...I was a flurry of nerves when I arrived only to find out that the guy that I would be working w/ was even there yet! Sigh.
Anyway, it was somewhat of a hurry up and wait situation - we were eventually walked thru the area involving the awards in the Marriott Marquis, helped stuff programs and set them out @ the tables (sadly I wasn't listed as a volunteer as I had been added after they went to press - darn) and then sent to our posts. Mine was in the lobby on the non-Starbucks side. I was to keep my eyes peeled for celebs and others that looked like they were headed to the awards and approach them by saying, "Are you here for the Drama League Awards?" If they said, "yes" then I was to direct them to either the escalator or elevator depending on whether they were the previously mentioned celebs or "other people".
Since I was in the lobby and looking "official" I kept getting asked questions about the hotel from the people staying there. At which point I'd have to tell them I was there for an event in the hotel and didn't work there. One guy said, "Well, you LOOK like you work here."
The first celeb I spotted was Martha Plimpton, I readied myself to do my assigned task and she and her publicist (?) blew past me w/ her publicist giving me a snappish, "We know." Ohhh-kay. I hope the whole morning isn't gonna be like this...
The next person I encountered was the publicist for James Early Jones. He was very nice! He had come ahead of Mr. Jones to walk thru the route ahead of time. When the publicist came thru with Mr. Jones later he made a point of acknowledging me so JEJ acknowledged me too! :)
Rosie Perez came in by herself and was texting when I assisted her.
Peter Gallagher came in by himself, too and is a very genuinely laid back and friendly guy - unlike a lot of the celebs who kind of blew past me and I had to rattle off the info and keep pace w/ them as they passed (I never really knew if they truly knew the info already or not so felt like I had no other choice than to make sure...) he actually stopped and listened. He then spotted Marion Seldes entering from the other side and walked up to her singing. A couple girls in the lobby recognized him and asked for his picture and he was kind enough to oblige before he continued on to the elevator.
I had 2 doors to keep an eye on and one lead right to the escalator. That was the door Harvey Fierstein - the host for the awards - happened to come in on and up he went on the escalator before I had the chance to say anything. Fortunately, there were people posted on each floor to steer people in the right direction but I did scramble to let the guy @ the elevators know he was there (he had a walkie talkie to announce celebs as they arrived so people had the heads up in the press area).
The publicist for Amy Morton (the oldest daughter in August: Osage County) approached me and asked if I had seen her yet and I said that I didn't think I had but that she could have come in on the other side so she should talk to the guy @ the elevator. She did and came back to inform me that he knew what she looked like and that she hadn't arrived yet. Sigh. Apparently the car service didn't pick her up so she was headed to the hotel via subway and she was worried about Amy finding the way. So she paced near me and of course Amy came in on the other side. The volunteer @ the elevator was w/ her looking for the publicist and I saw them first so I hollered to get their attention (which they didn't hear), I tried again and by this time the publicist had seen them and kept repeating - "It's okay, I've got it. I've got it." In all the flurry I don't remember if Amy looked all that haggered from having to take the subway instead of car service - I think her publicist was wound up enough for her.
Who else did I see and somewhat assist? Laurence Fishburne, Patrick Stewart, Patty LuPone (she tossed back a thanks to me),Dallas Roberts (who seemed kinda spaced), Faith Prince, Little Mermaid aka Sierra Boggess - (most of the celebs were dressed down but she was in a very cute goldenrod colored dress enjoying here moment as a nominee), Cheyenne Jackson, Kerry Butler (haven't seen Xanadu but I recognized her from somewhere...Dirt?! No. Later I found out she was the backstabbing assistant on Lipstick Jungle!), Anika Noni Rose w/ a whole group of people, Sutton Foster (I found out later that she had been there, stepped out and came back so she really didn't need the info I gave her but she was very nice and listened - I wouldn't have known it was repetitive had the guy that assisted her previously hadn't of told me), Chazz Palminteri (he is a BIG guy - tall) and although I didn't assist her - I saw Frances McDormand get on the all glass elevator in front of me. And there are probably more but it became a blur after while! ;)
Gina Gershon was running late and blew past - I told her to go to the 7th floor - where the celebrities were to go and she said - It's not the 6th? Uhh...I hadn't been given a game plan for "celebs" that arrived in support of nominees but weren't themselves. It didn't matter - she kept walking to the elevators so she got to her destination either way.
We were finally dismissed from our posts in the lobby and were allowed to sit @ tables in the back of the room where the ceremony was being held. Everyone else sat w/ too much food and we had bottles of wine w/ a meal card from Cafe Europa. Many of us wondered if we could sneak out to get the Cafe Europa food and eat there - no one tried. Although some did go down to the lobby to get Starbucks...
The set up for the awards is very casual. All the nominees are marched thru from the back to the stage and take their seats in a tiered set up of tables. Then they begin eating their meals just like everyone else (except the volunteers...more wine?!). W/ maybe half the meal left Harvey began the "ceremony". Each nominee gets to stand up and speak and after several had spoken they'd break to present an award.
Some choice speech moments...
Anika Noni Rose saying that someone from the press asked how it felt to start the awards march and she told him this was it (she wasn't nominated for a Tony) and w/ that in mind she said she would take her moment and time talking. ;) She told a story about auditioning for Chazz long ago and knowing that she sucked but he was very nice anyway.
Chazz Palmenteri told a story about being an understudy and explaining this job to his friends. These particular friends offered to "take the actor out" so Chazz could be on stage but he opted to turn them down (although it took a lot of convincing as his friends thought he "just didn't want to be involved" so they offered to do a mugging that couldn't be pinned to him). He added that the actor wasn't that nice and he often wanted to tell him - You don't know how lucky you are...
Dallas Roberts said he had something really important to discuss and people laughed and he started to get irritated and emphasized that it was serious and people laughed more. Then he got out a cigarette and soon it became apparent that he was going to talk about smoking bans but as soon as he acted like he was going to actually smoke and the audience didn't respond well he said he was joking. Harvey followed it up by saying - Acting, Ladies and Gentleman...
Patrick Stewart got up towards the end so people were done clanking around their dinnerware. He asked that they continue as that was the closest he had been to performing dinner theater.
After the awards it is kind of a free-for-all as celebrities and "common man" mingle. I came face to face w/ Lois Smith but couldn't think of anything spectacular to say so I just opted for "hi". Bobby Cannavale was getting stopped for pictures. Patrick Stewart was leaving @ a rapid pace w/ a girl in her 20s rapidly following him saying - But you don't understand, I am such a HUGE Star Trek fan, I'll follow you to the elevator... Not sure how that turned out.
Nearly ran into Rufus Sewell coming out a door and then later he was on the escalator behind me listening to a guy tell him he saw Tom Stoppard's Rock n Roll more than once. Rufus didn't respond at first and the guy wondered why. Rufus said, I can't believe you actually sat thru it more than once! I saw Laura Linney standing in line to get her coat @ coat check just like everyone else - funny how they keep everyone separate in advance but in the end everyone is tossed together. And I managed to get a pic taken w/ Peter Gallagher on behalf of a friend who is a BIG fan of The OC.
The Drama League was going to have a gathering @ a pub w/ a free drink & appetizers after everyone cleared out but I didn't stick around for that. Just wanted to get home, eat a regular meal and decompress.
I have friends that had worked it before so I kinda knew how it worked but not really. ;)
My first challenge was picking out an outfit as we were told to wear something that was festive business attire. Uh?! I went to Macy's and got a royal blue jacket to wear w/ my pencil skirt. I thought it might be a little big but was determined to make it work.
Friday morning I gave up on making the jacket work and ended up wearing a button up red blouse that I already had! Doh! This last minute fashion switch of course made me run late and of course the subways were running late and it was raining so...I was a flurry of nerves when I arrived only to find out that the guy that I would be working w/ was even there yet! Sigh.
Anyway, it was somewhat of a hurry up and wait situation - we were eventually walked thru the area involving the awards in the Marriott Marquis, helped stuff programs and set them out @ the tables (sadly I wasn't listed as a volunteer as I had been added after they went to press - darn) and then sent to our posts. Mine was in the lobby on the non-Starbucks side. I was to keep my eyes peeled for celebs and others that looked like they were headed to the awards and approach them by saying, "Are you here for the Drama League Awards?" If they said, "yes" then I was to direct them to either the escalator or elevator depending on whether they were the previously mentioned celebs or "other people".
Since I was in the lobby and looking "official" I kept getting asked questions about the hotel from the people staying there. At which point I'd have to tell them I was there for an event in the hotel and didn't work there. One guy said, "Well, you LOOK like you work here."
The first celeb I spotted was Martha Plimpton, I readied myself to do my assigned task and she and her publicist (?) blew past me w/ her publicist giving me a snappish, "We know." Ohhh-kay. I hope the whole morning isn't gonna be like this...
The next person I encountered was the publicist for James Early Jones. He was very nice! He had come ahead of Mr. Jones to walk thru the route ahead of time. When the publicist came thru with Mr. Jones later he made a point of acknowledging me so JEJ acknowledged me too! :)
Rosie Perez came in by herself and was texting when I assisted her.
Peter Gallagher came in by himself, too and is a very genuinely laid back and friendly guy - unlike a lot of the celebs who kind of blew past me and I had to rattle off the info and keep pace w/ them as they passed (I never really knew if they truly knew the info already or not so felt like I had no other choice than to make sure...) he actually stopped and listened. He then spotted Marion Seldes entering from the other side and walked up to her singing. A couple girls in the lobby recognized him and asked for his picture and he was kind enough to oblige before he continued on to the elevator.
I had 2 doors to keep an eye on and one lead right to the escalator. That was the door Harvey Fierstein - the host for the awards - happened to come in on and up he went on the escalator before I had the chance to say anything. Fortunately, there were people posted on each floor to steer people in the right direction but I did scramble to let the guy @ the elevators know he was there (he had a walkie talkie to announce celebs as they arrived so people had the heads up in the press area).
The publicist for Amy Morton (the oldest daughter in August: Osage County) approached me and asked if I had seen her yet and I said that I didn't think I had but that she could have come in on the other side so she should talk to the guy @ the elevator. She did and came back to inform me that he knew what she looked like and that she hadn't arrived yet. Sigh. Apparently the car service didn't pick her up so she was headed to the hotel via subway and she was worried about Amy finding the way. So she paced near me and of course Amy came in on the other side. The volunteer @ the elevator was w/ her looking for the publicist and I saw them first so I hollered to get their attention (which they didn't hear), I tried again and by this time the publicist had seen them and kept repeating - "It's okay, I've got it. I've got it." In all the flurry I don't remember if Amy looked all that haggered from having to take the subway instead of car service - I think her publicist was wound up enough for her.
Who else did I see and somewhat assist? Laurence Fishburne, Patrick Stewart, Patty LuPone (she tossed back a thanks to me),Dallas Roberts (who seemed kinda spaced), Faith Prince, Little Mermaid aka Sierra Boggess - (most of the celebs were dressed down but she was in a very cute goldenrod colored dress enjoying here moment as a nominee), Cheyenne Jackson, Kerry Butler (haven't seen Xanadu but I recognized her from somewhere...Dirt?! No. Later I found out she was the backstabbing assistant on Lipstick Jungle!), Anika Noni Rose w/ a whole group of people, Sutton Foster (I found out later that she had been there, stepped out and came back so she really didn't need the info I gave her but she was very nice and listened - I wouldn't have known it was repetitive had the guy that assisted her previously hadn't of told me), Chazz Palminteri (he is a BIG guy - tall) and although I didn't assist her - I saw Frances McDormand get on the all glass elevator in front of me. And there are probably more but it became a blur after while! ;)
Gina Gershon was running late and blew past - I told her to go to the 7th floor - where the celebrities were to go and she said - It's not the 6th? Uhh...I hadn't been given a game plan for "celebs" that arrived in support of nominees but weren't themselves. It didn't matter - she kept walking to the elevators so she got to her destination either way.
We were finally dismissed from our posts in the lobby and were allowed to sit @ tables in the back of the room where the ceremony was being held. Everyone else sat w/ too much food and we had bottles of wine w/ a meal card from Cafe Europa. Many of us wondered if we could sneak out to get the Cafe Europa food and eat there - no one tried. Although some did go down to the lobby to get Starbucks...
The set up for the awards is very casual. All the nominees are marched thru from the back to the stage and take their seats in a tiered set up of tables. Then they begin eating their meals just like everyone else (except the volunteers...more wine?!). W/ maybe half the meal left Harvey began the "ceremony". Each nominee gets to stand up and speak and after several had spoken they'd break to present an award.
Some choice speech moments...
Anika Noni Rose saying that someone from the press asked how it felt to start the awards march and she told him this was it (she wasn't nominated for a Tony) and w/ that in mind she said she would take her moment and time talking. ;) She told a story about auditioning for Chazz long ago and knowing that she sucked but he was very nice anyway.
Chazz Palmenteri told a story about being an understudy and explaining this job to his friends. These particular friends offered to "take the actor out" so Chazz could be on stage but he opted to turn them down (although it took a lot of convincing as his friends thought he "just didn't want to be involved" so they offered to do a mugging that couldn't be pinned to him). He added that the actor wasn't that nice and he often wanted to tell him - You don't know how lucky you are...
Dallas Roberts said he had something really important to discuss and people laughed and he started to get irritated and emphasized that it was serious and people laughed more. Then he got out a cigarette and soon it became apparent that he was going to talk about smoking bans but as soon as he acted like he was going to actually smoke and the audience didn't respond well he said he was joking. Harvey followed it up by saying - Acting, Ladies and Gentleman...
Patrick Stewart got up towards the end so people were done clanking around their dinnerware. He asked that they continue as that was the closest he had been to performing dinner theater.
After the awards it is kind of a free-for-all as celebrities and "common man" mingle. I came face to face w/ Lois Smith but couldn't think of anything spectacular to say so I just opted for "hi". Bobby Cannavale was getting stopped for pictures. Patrick Stewart was leaving @ a rapid pace w/ a girl in her 20s rapidly following him saying - But you don't understand, I am such a HUGE Star Trek fan, I'll follow you to the elevator... Not sure how that turned out.
Nearly ran into Rufus Sewell coming out a door and then later he was on the escalator behind me listening to a guy tell him he saw Tom Stoppard's Rock n Roll more than once. Rufus didn't respond at first and the guy wondered why. Rufus said, I can't believe you actually sat thru it more than once! I saw Laura Linney standing in line to get her coat @ coat check just like everyone else - funny how they keep everyone separate in advance but in the end everyone is tossed together. And I managed to get a pic taken w/ Peter Gallagher on behalf of a friend who is a BIG fan of The OC.The Drama League was going to have a gathering @ a pub w/ a free drink & appetizers after everyone cleared out but I didn't stick around for that. Just wanted to get home, eat a regular meal and decompress.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Catered Affair
It was dinner & a show w/ a friend tonight.
We had planned to meet @ Connolly's Pub for dinner but my friend got her pubs confused on 45th so we met @ O'Lunneys instead! The place is huge! I went in one door to look for my friend and she was on the other side - neither of us knew there were 2 entrances! The food was your basic pub food - I imagine one general goes there for the atmosphere rather than the food.
Time to head for the show - Catered Affair. On our way, we passed the theatre where MacBeth is being performed and decided we'd see that next Tuesday! :)
Since our tickets were cheap we were in the balcony and somehow managed to get seated between 2 pda couples. I have to say if I was on a date and money was spent on tickets to see a show, I'd save my own "show" for home as that is free and it can happen @ anytime! ;) But that's just my philosophy... giggle.
Catered Affair starts the show by giving you some backstory w/ the gossiping neighbors - I thought this was a clever twist rather than having some poor character be stuck w/ several lines of exposition. The other thing I liked is that although the set wasn't exactly "basic" (they had a working stove top - you could smell and see the eggs cooking on!) they stopped short of going overboard by utilizing projections to "change" the set.
The story itself was okay. Harvey Fierstein was himself and added most of the levity. Probably the funniest moment is when he gets huffy and says he's going to bed - which means the company has to clear the couch as that is his bed! lol!
My friend and I found ourselves more invested in the parents (played by Faith Prince & Tom Wopat) than the young couple getting married. In fact, during the young couple's "love" song I kinda zoned out.
Although there is a song about the rollercoaster ride that love/life is, there never really seemed to be a peak moment of happiness, just an it is the way it is and it will be okay. I guess that is better than nothing thou, right?!
And on a totally different note, I really think the daughter could have at least gotten the wedding dress and worn that to her court house wedding! ;)
At the curtain call, Faith Prince ran out and when she turned to head towards the front of the stage she slowed to a walk/strut. My friend said that Patti LuPone does that, too. When the cast exited, Tom Wopat lingered and gave the audience a wave w/ his hat. It was a nice and genuine moment.
We had planned to meet @ Connolly's Pub for dinner but my friend got her pubs confused on 45th so we met @ O'Lunneys instead! The place is huge! I went in one door to look for my friend and she was on the other side - neither of us knew there were 2 entrances! The food was your basic pub food - I imagine one general goes there for the atmosphere rather than the food.
Time to head for the show - Catered Affair. On our way, we passed the theatre where MacBeth is being performed and decided we'd see that next Tuesday! :)
Since our tickets were cheap we were in the balcony and somehow managed to get seated between 2 pda couples. I have to say if I was on a date and money was spent on tickets to see a show, I'd save my own "show" for home as that is free and it can happen @ anytime! ;) But that's just my philosophy... giggle.
Catered Affair starts the show by giving you some backstory w/ the gossiping neighbors - I thought this was a clever twist rather than having some poor character be stuck w/ several lines of exposition. The other thing I liked is that although the set wasn't exactly "basic" (they had a working stove top - you could smell and see the eggs cooking on!) they stopped short of going overboard by utilizing projections to "change" the set.The story itself was okay. Harvey Fierstein was himself and added most of the levity. Probably the funniest moment is when he gets huffy and says he's going to bed - which means the company has to clear the couch as that is his bed! lol!
My friend and I found ourselves more invested in the parents (played by Faith Prince & Tom Wopat) than the young couple getting married. In fact, during the young couple's "love" song I kinda zoned out.
Although there is a song about the rollercoaster ride that love/life is, there never really seemed to be a peak moment of happiness, just an it is the way it is and it will be okay. I guess that is better than nothing thou, right?!
And on a totally different note, I really think the daughter could have at least gotten the wedding dress and worn that to her court house wedding! ;)
At the curtain call, Faith Prince ran out and when she turned to head towards the front of the stage she slowed to a walk/strut. My friend said that Patti LuPone does that, too. When the cast exited, Tom Wopat lingered and gave the audience a wave w/ his hat. It was a nice and genuine moment.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Seeing shows @ the theatre(er)
I've been doing a lot of observing of actors on stage and screen lately.
Here's a rundown...
The Fever Chart:Three Versions of the Middle East @ the Public Theater
3 stories that are presented to the audience on a minimal set that are thought provoking, heartbreaking and at times prompt you to want to make a call to action but then wonder...how?
Maybe by just walking away w/ more knowledge of what was and what is, is a start. The playwright, Naomi Wallace, listed recommended reading for her pieces and the theater had a table in the lobby w/ all the books available for purchase.
The first one-act consisted of a soldier "guarding" the zoo that had been wrecked by war and contained animals who's bones were showing, a mother who remembered the zoo as it used to be and went there to remember her daughter who had been killed and an architect who was sent to rebuild. The communication barrier was reflected most in this play and thruout all 3 one-acts a theme beyond the Middle East seemed to thread them together - we are all human, we all have a story, whether you understand it or not - we hurt like you hurt and we mourn our loved ones that have passed.
The second one-act was a father who had also lost his child and was looking for a person that received his son's lungs in a transplant operation. He yearned to connect w/ what was left of his son but wasn't totally prepared for the person's beliefs and actions that now housed them.
The final one-act/monologue was an amazing show of talent by Omar Metwally. His character describes an almost Eden-like Middle East before war broke out during the first Bush's presidency. His "land of dates" disappears and his beloved birds who he had shown @ competitions and cherished as much as a relative (although he warns never to name a pet after a relative because if the pet dies, that may not bode well for the relative...) would soon become his only source of income and someone else's meal. But he went back and requested the bones to keep - A memory of what was. He tells a story of his friend being shot when attempting to surrender to the U.S. soldiers and other stories that make you shake your head at what goes on during war and what (many times) is easily swept under the rug and forgotten about by those who weren't the victims' relation. Where does "reasoning" exist among this place - or does it anymore? His Eden had become a living nightmare and the horrible part is that this isn't fiction.
I left the show feeling emotionally heavy, sad and helpless. It was a well acted show, I just wasn't sure what to do w/all the info I walked away processing.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall -
I was tempted to wait til video on this one but I was going to another one-act show in midtown later that evening and had a couple hours to kill so I thought, why not watch a movie? And FSM's start and end time fit my time frame perfectly.
I had already heard about the full frontal scene w/ Jason Segal and was somewhat prepared but I hadn't thought about the general audience reaction. It was hilarious. EVERY time "too much" was seen there were yelps and squeals. The audience continued it's dialogue when Jason's character started to make a bad decision towards the end of the movie - groans and "What are you doing?!" could be heard. Sometimes an audience can kill the movie experience and sometimes they can make it much better - thankfully this time it was the latter.
A few other observations about the movie -
If Kristen Bell is that skinny on screen, how tiny must she be in real life?! Yikes! It was a little concerning to me.
Jason's SATC tribute of sorts while he drank a cosmo was a kick! "Hi, I'm Samantha."
And...what is up w/ boys and cereal? There were huge bowls of cereal being eaten in this movie,which reminded me of Adam Sandler eating cereal in Big Daddy which reminded me of how my brother used to eat cereal out of a large mixing bowl which reminded me that Jerry Seinfeld even has a cereal fetus of sorts. I mean, I like cereal but never so much that I dumped almost the entire box in a mixing bowl to eat in one setting.
Once Sarah Marshall was over I had to scurry out before I saw the bit playing over the credits because my timing wasn't as good as I thought. I had to get to...
Bent,Broke & Blessed @ Stage Left Studio-
My friend was in the show and a former co-star had produced the show as well as wrote the 5 one-acts, directed 2 and acted in 3.
Stage Left Studio is a great space run by Cheryl King who is the resident acting coach for All My Children. She was there selling tickets and is a great promoter of the shows that are performed in her space.
Once again, this show was not exactly filled w/ "feel good" fare. One one-act actually seemed a bit out of place when it had a somewhat upbeat ending. But overall I was just impressed by the overall accomplishment of someone I actual know in the acting community here pulling together a showcase for themselves.
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard - Phare Play Productions
This play uses 2 different eras to tell the story of love lost, discovered and all the mysteries in between.
It wasn't until the 2nd act that the actors and storyline seemed to gel and clip along but not sure if it was the production itself or the script.
Needless to say w/ all the the winks and tie-ins to past and present (and the accents) I know I missed a lot of things so eventually it is on my list of "scripts to read" as I'd like to see what it is I missed and gain a better appreciation for the the story. The friend I went w/ said every time she reads or sees the show she catches something new she hadn't noticed previously.
Iron Man
A good start to what looks like will be a promising franchise although I hope they figure out what color they really want Paltrow's hair to be. Did anyone else noticed the inconsistency?! I know, I know...minor details.
A scene @ "Edwards Airforce Base" made a pic my friend emailed a year ago who's husband is actually stationed there make sense. At the time she was asking who the celebs in the pic were and said they were there waiting on news of a potential NASA shuttle landing but in reality I'm sure they were doing research for the movie! Sly dogs.
I also had to email my myspace friend, Jon Favreau and let him know I'd be willing to be a reporter for the fictional TV station in the movie - KNKV. My initials are part of the call letters and I have an acting/broadcasting background how much more qualified could I be?! ;) So far he has not answered my note. Will keep you posted! lol
Stretch (a fantasia) at The Living Theare
I found this play while looking for auditions. The subject intrigued me - Nixon's Secretary's last days in a nursing home during the 2004 election in Ohio w/ flashbacks to her days @ the White House and the Watergate controversy. Even better - The Living Theatre/New Georges offered a "pay what you can" night so I was able to enjoy a $10 meal of Burger & Bottled Beer (w/ bonus fresh made biscuits) before the show @ Clinton Street Bakery w/out totally breaking the bank! :)
A side note on the area where the theatre was located - Besides Clinton Street Bakery there were a lot of little eateries and bars that looked like they were worth stopping @ in the future including The Cocoa Bar that serves chocolate w/ their drinks. :)
The show itself was fantastic. No special makeup was used to age the lead - just her face and posture. When she'd go into her flashbacks/dream sequences a small orchestra was revealed in a stage behind her and it was complete w/ a young woman "playing" the typewriter! Genius.
A parallel plotline dealt w/ the younger generation (one was a caretaker @ the nursing home). It kind of worked for me but not quite - and I can't put my finger on what would have made it better or fleshed it out more.
Out of all the plays I'd seen this seemed to have the most refreshing and unique presentation. I would like to see another show in this space to fully appreciate how much of the set was created for the show or just created based on the space.
Here's a rundown...
The Fever Chart:Three Versions of the Middle East @ the Public Theater
3 stories that are presented to the audience on a minimal set that are thought provoking, heartbreaking and at times prompt you to want to make a call to action but then wonder...how?
Maybe by just walking away w/ more knowledge of what was and what is, is a start. The playwright, Naomi Wallace, listed recommended reading for her pieces and the theater had a table in the lobby w/ all the books available for purchase.
The first one-act consisted of a soldier "guarding" the zoo that had been wrecked by war and contained animals who's bones were showing, a mother who remembered the zoo as it used to be and went there to remember her daughter who had been killed and an architect who was sent to rebuild. The communication barrier was reflected most in this play and thruout all 3 one-acts a theme beyond the Middle East seemed to thread them together - we are all human, we all have a story, whether you understand it or not - we hurt like you hurt and we mourn our loved ones that have passed.
The second one-act was a father who had also lost his child and was looking for a person that received his son's lungs in a transplant operation. He yearned to connect w/ what was left of his son but wasn't totally prepared for the person's beliefs and actions that now housed them.
The final one-act/monologue was an amazing show of talent by Omar Metwally. His character describes an almost Eden-like Middle East before war broke out during the first Bush's presidency. His "land of dates" disappears and his beloved birds who he had shown @ competitions and cherished as much as a relative (although he warns never to name a pet after a relative because if the pet dies, that may not bode well for the relative...) would soon become his only source of income and someone else's meal. But he went back and requested the bones to keep - A memory of what was. He tells a story of his friend being shot when attempting to surrender to the U.S. soldiers and other stories that make you shake your head at what goes on during war and what (many times) is easily swept under the rug and forgotten about by those who weren't the victims' relation. Where does "reasoning" exist among this place - or does it anymore? His Eden had become a living nightmare and the horrible part is that this isn't fiction.
I left the show feeling emotionally heavy, sad and helpless. It was a well acted show, I just wasn't sure what to do w/all the info I walked away processing.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall -
I was tempted to wait til video on this one but I was going to another one-act show in midtown later that evening and had a couple hours to kill so I thought, why not watch a movie? And FSM's start and end time fit my time frame perfectly.
I had already heard about the full frontal scene w/ Jason Segal and was somewhat prepared but I hadn't thought about the general audience reaction. It was hilarious. EVERY time "too much" was seen there were yelps and squeals. The audience continued it's dialogue when Jason's character started to make a bad decision towards the end of the movie - groans and "What are you doing?!" could be heard. Sometimes an audience can kill the movie experience and sometimes they can make it much better - thankfully this time it was the latter.
A few other observations about the movie -
If Kristen Bell is that skinny on screen, how tiny must she be in real life?! Yikes! It was a little concerning to me.
Jason's SATC tribute of sorts while he drank a cosmo was a kick! "Hi, I'm Samantha."
And...what is up w/ boys and cereal? There were huge bowls of cereal being eaten in this movie,which reminded me of Adam Sandler eating cereal in Big Daddy which reminded me of how my brother used to eat cereal out of a large mixing bowl which reminded me that Jerry Seinfeld even has a cereal fetus of sorts. I mean, I like cereal but never so much that I dumped almost the entire box in a mixing bowl to eat in one setting.
Once Sarah Marshall was over I had to scurry out before I saw the bit playing over the credits because my timing wasn't as good as I thought. I had to get to...
Bent,Broke & Blessed @ Stage Left Studio-
My friend was in the show and a former co-star had produced the show as well as wrote the 5 one-acts, directed 2 and acted in 3.
Stage Left Studio is a great space run by Cheryl King who is the resident acting coach for All My Children. She was there selling tickets and is a great promoter of the shows that are performed in her space.
Once again, this show was not exactly filled w/ "feel good" fare. One one-act actually seemed a bit out of place when it had a somewhat upbeat ending. But overall I was just impressed by the overall accomplishment of someone I actual know in the acting community here pulling together a showcase for themselves.
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard - Phare Play Productions
This play uses 2 different eras to tell the story of love lost, discovered and all the mysteries in between.
It wasn't until the 2nd act that the actors and storyline seemed to gel and clip along but not sure if it was the production itself or the script.
Needless to say w/ all the the winks and tie-ins to past and present (and the accents) I know I missed a lot of things so eventually it is on my list of "scripts to read" as I'd like to see what it is I missed and gain a better appreciation for the the story. The friend I went w/ said every time she reads or sees the show she catches something new she hadn't noticed previously.
Iron Man
A good start to what looks like will be a promising franchise although I hope they figure out what color they really want Paltrow's hair to be. Did anyone else noticed the inconsistency?! I know, I know...minor details.
A scene @ "Edwards Airforce Base" made a pic my friend emailed a year ago who's husband is actually stationed there make sense. At the time she was asking who the celebs in the pic were and said they were there waiting on news of a potential NASA shuttle landing but in reality I'm sure they were doing research for the movie! Sly dogs.
I also had to email my myspace friend, Jon Favreau and let him know I'd be willing to be a reporter for the fictional TV station in the movie - KNKV. My initials are part of the call letters and I have an acting/broadcasting background how much more qualified could I be?! ;) So far he has not answered my note. Will keep you posted! lol
Stretch (a fantasia) at The Living Theare
I found this play while looking for auditions. The subject intrigued me - Nixon's Secretary's last days in a nursing home during the 2004 election in Ohio w/ flashbacks to her days @ the White House and the Watergate controversy. Even better - The Living Theatre/New Georges offered a "pay what you can" night so I was able to enjoy a $10 meal of Burger & Bottled Beer (w/ bonus fresh made biscuits) before the show @ Clinton Street Bakery w/out totally breaking the bank! :)
A side note on the area where the theatre was located - Besides Clinton Street Bakery there were a lot of little eateries and bars that looked like they were worth stopping @ in the future including The Cocoa Bar that serves chocolate w/ their drinks. :)
The show itself was fantastic. No special makeup was used to age the lead - just her face and posture. When she'd go into her flashbacks/dream sequences a small orchestra was revealed in a stage behind her and it was complete w/ a young woman "playing" the typewriter! Genius.
A parallel plotline dealt w/ the younger generation (one was a caretaker @ the nursing home). It kind of worked for me but not quite - and I can't put my finger on what would have made it better or fleshed it out more.
Out of all the plays I'd seen this seemed to have the most refreshing and unique presentation. I would like to see another show in this space to fully appreciate how much of the set was created for the show or just created based on the space.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Auditioning to be a Millionaire
Today, I went to an audition to be a contestant for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".
When I arrived @ the address they gave @ the appointed time there were dozens waiting on the sidewalk outside the building. It was a cattle call.
As I stood in line, I found out that the lady standing behind me had been a 1 time winner on Jeopardy about 10 years ago. She said that she can never be on Jeopardy again until Alex Trebeck retires. When she won she beat out a 2 time winner and apparently he held a grudge as a few years after the win he found her online and emailed her about the winning answer. The answer had been "Ash Wednesday" and the guy was convinced she'd won because that was part of her religion. She informed him that it was a lucky guess as she is Jewish. LOL! Get over it dude.
When we got inside the building we had to go thru a metal detector before checking in and receiving a manila envelope that held our test as well as being assigned a #. (First you have to pass the test, then you get interviewed so they can judge your personality and look over a questionnaire you filled out in advance and then you wait to get a postcard in the mail to tell you whether you are on standby to be a contestant or not. But just because you get the postcard doesn't mean you are going to be on it.)
They had several cafeteria style rectangular tables set up for people to sit at and as we waited for everyone to file in, they handed out magnets and tossed t-shirts. They asked if anyone had NOT seen the show and a guy raised his hand. The t-shirt tosser said, "I hope you're kidding, sir" as she tossed him a shirt. They also announced that they were having a special wedding addition and asked if there were any engaged couples in our group. There wasn't. Apparently if you win you get your wedding paid for - but do both parts of the couple need to pass the test to qualify?!
In between freebie handouts I studied the promo posters around the room. One for Nightline said - Just because its after hours doesn't mean you have to be kept in the dark. And they also had an ESPN promo posted that is a favorite of mine. It shows a baseball card w/ the statement - W/out sports it would just be gum.
Finally, it was time to get our instructions and ask any questions. The test sheet was a fill-in-the -circle kind so they can send it to a machine to immediately find out if people qualify or not. We had 10 minutes to answer 30 multiple choice questions. They told us that a blank answer is worth the same as a wrong answer so we might as well guess if we didn't know the answer. They would not answer what percentage of right answers you have to have to qualify - apparently that is a big secret...
Then we were told to open our packets and begin. Some examples of questions included what a maillot was, what show was Dr. McDreamy on, which listing of international airlines was based in Spain, what was Michael Clayton's occupation in the movie, and so on. Some were easy, some...not so much. (I had actually played the game online to "study" and the test seemed to be harder than the online game.) Time was called and soon they had the list of those that qualified. They started calling out numbers and I saw that the Jeopardy winner got in! Then I started to space as I watched the people that had been called get their pics taken and realized that I wasn't listening to numbers! Eeek! I remained focused for the rest of the listing but never heard mine called. I was tempted to ask the lady about my # just in case it was called during my spacey moment but didn't want to appear to be one of those people that was in such disbelief they didn't pass the Millionaire test that they had to "make sure". So I just left w/ my souvenir magnet and my test pencil (that had the "Millionaire" logo on it, too). A LOT of us left and I would be curious to know the average percentage of people that go to the next step out of those groups. In other words, was the group I was in smarter or dumber than the average bear?!;)
I can audition again but the way my schedule is I'm not sure I really want to schedule and spend time again - kinda feel like I've been there, done that. And even though I didn't pass the test, I still think I'd be a pretty good lifeline if anyone is looking for one! :)
When I arrived @ the address they gave @ the appointed time there were dozens waiting on the sidewalk outside the building. It was a cattle call.
As I stood in line, I found out that the lady standing behind me had been a 1 time winner on Jeopardy about 10 years ago. She said that she can never be on Jeopardy again until Alex Trebeck retires. When she won she beat out a 2 time winner and apparently he held a grudge as a few years after the win he found her online and emailed her about the winning answer. The answer had been "Ash Wednesday" and the guy was convinced she'd won because that was part of her religion. She informed him that it was a lucky guess as she is Jewish. LOL! Get over it dude.
When we got inside the building we had to go thru a metal detector before checking in and receiving a manila envelope that held our test as well as being assigned a #. (First you have to pass the test, then you get interviewed so they can judge your personality and look over a questionnaire you filled out in advance and then you wait to get a postcard in the mail to tell you whether you are on standby to be a contestant or not. But just because you get the postcard doesn't mean you are going to be on it.)
They had several cafeteria style rectangular tables set up for people to sit at and as we waited for everyone to file in, they handed out magnets and tossed t-shirts. They asked if anyone had NOT seen the show and a guy raised his hand. The t-shirt tosser said, "I hope you're kidding, sir" as she tossed him a shirt. They also announced that they were having a special wedding addition and asked if there were any engaged couples in our group. There wasn't. Apparently if you win you get your wedding paid for - but do both parts of the couple need to pass the test to qualify?!
In between freebie handouts I studied the promo posters around the room. One for Nightline said - Just because its after hours doesn't mean you have to be kept in the dark. And they also had an ESPN promo posted that is a favorite of mine. It shows a baseball card w/ the statement - W/out sports it would just be gum.
Finally, it was time to get our instructions and ask any questions. The test sheet was a fill-in-the -circle kind so they can send it to a machine to immediately find out if people qualify or not. We had 10 minutes to answer 30 multiple choice questions. They told us that a blank answer is worth the same as a wrong answer so we might as well guess if we didn't know the answer. They would not answer what percentage of right answers you have to have to qualify - apparently that is a big secret...
Then we were told to open our packets and begin. Some examples of questions included what a maillot was, what show was Dr. McDreamy on, which listing of international airlines was based in Spain, what was Michael Clayton's occupation in the movie, and so on. Some were easy, some...not so much. (I had actually played the game online to "study" and the test seemed to be harder than the online game.) Time was called and soon they had the list of those that qualified. They started calling out numbers and I saw that the Jeopardy winner got in! Then I started to space as I watched the people that had been called get their pics taken and realized that I wasn't listening to numbers! Eeek! I remained focused for the rest of the listing but never heard mine called. I was tempted to ask the lady about my # just in case it was called during my spacey moment but didn't want to appear to be one of those people that was in such disbelief they didn't pass the Millionaire test that they had to "make sure". So I just left w/ my souvenir magnet and my test pencil (that had the "Millionaire" logo on it, too). A LOT of us left and I would be curious to know the average percentage of people that go to the next step out of those groups. In other words, was the group I was in smarter or dumber than the average bear?!;)
I can audition again but the way my schedule is I'm not sure I really want to schedule and spend time again - kinda feel like I've been there, done that. And even though I didn't pass the test, I still think I'd be a pretty good lifeline if anyone is looking for one! :)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Bird's Eye View
My friend from Boston emailed me to let me know her Dad was going to be in NYC for business and wondered if I'd be interested in joining them both for dinner @ the Marriott Marquis. Well, of course I was!So after they spent the day touring in the city, I met up w/ them @ the restaurant. The bummer was that it was a bit overcast so the view wasn't as good as it could be but it was still awesome to be up there!
My friend has been in fine dining for a while and knows all the ins and outs of good service. She wasn't impressed w/ our waiter as among other things he told us what was unavailable AFTER we tried to order it. But we all concluded that service probably doesn't matter all that much as they know the tourists and the like will still keep coming for the novelty of it all. The way the food was presented on the plate though was a visual delight - and pretty tasty, too! ;)
When we were finished w/ our meal and had rotated once around and then some we went upstairs to The View Lounge where their cocktail napkins actually serve as reference to know what you are looking @ as you rotate past the city skyline! (Wished they had those downstairs, too....)
I was very thankful to my friend's father for the experience. And I realize that although it may be easy to get a in a rut there really is no reason to run out of new things to do in this city (even things that aren't quite as pricey as the The View Restaurant and Lounge...;))
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