I just didn't get it. Morfee hooked me up with a ticket through his friend Mike Shannon. I gotta say - i was a bit bored. And found the story to be familiar territory. Some good ensemble work - particularly a sequence where a guy is dressed and undressed repeatedly in the uniform of the Black Watch Battalion through the ages as he explains its history.
But aside from one spectacular special event, I was left pretty unmoved. I get what Brantley was saying in his review
for the most part. But didn't connect emotionally the way he did.
I am a heartless bastid.
Friday, November 9
Casting continues
I am wiped out. Judy Bowman has done an exceptional job bringing in incredibly talented men and women for WIDOWS. One more long day to go. I guess we've seen about 35-40 people a day - and I am sure we will call back 2-3 people for each actor we are hiring, so that's a solid 50 people...for call backs, easily...
Man.
the hardest part to cast has been Fidelia - the little girl who ends up holding the baby at the end of the play. how on earth do you have someone parse that monologue - so dense, so esoteric...well. Some people have done very well.
i have had some of the women sing. I will want the "women of the valley" to sing, or chant, but mostly its a chance for me to see how the connect to some poetic material - if I can't really get a true sense of them from the yanina, alexandra sides.
Man.
the hardest part to cast has been Fidelia - the little girl who ends up holding the baby at the end of the play. how on earth do you have someone parse that monologue - so dense, so esoteric...well. Some people have done very well.
i have had some of the women sing. I will want the "women of the valley" to sing, or chant, but mostly its a chance for me to see how the connect to some poetic material - if I can't really get a true sense of them from the yanina, alexandra sides.
Wednesday, November 7
Casting WIDOWS
It's a lot less painful than EPAs. The first four actors we looked at were better than anyone we saw all day last week. Whoa.
I do my best to honor the actor - they've schlepped over here to read the sides
I do my best to honor the actor - they've schlepped over here to read the sides
Monday, November 5
Sunday, November 4
READINGS - what are they good for?
This question comes from my mom,
Eadie Brooks.
I told her I'd been extremely busy with readings. My mom asked, what are they used for? Or what's the use for them?
Very good question, mom.
There are a variety of appropriate answers.
A theater company may produce a reading for any one of the following reasons:
1) they are interested in producing the play, and just want to be sure.
2) they are interested in the playwright, and use the reading to cultivate a relationship
3) they are doing it as a favor to the playwright (which accomplished the same result as 2 - cultivating a relationship)
4) they just want to keep busy - and it is a way of seeming more or less like they are doing something - at very little cost to the theater/producers.
5) they are producing the play, and it is an opportunity for the playwright, director and producers to hear it and implement any changes before going into rehearsals.
I remember meeting with Mel at Casarotto in London - and she maintained that she they didn't have readings - implying that if you knew how to read a play, you could determine on your own if that play was ready for/worthy of production.
For the director, it's a chance to cultivate relationships with writers, producers, literary managers and actors. You cannot do much beyond casting well give the limited amount of time, though despite the limitations, I feel I am actually pretty good with the four hours you often have. Good meaning effective. I implement nice general "peppery" notes, so that the actors can get quickly into the world of the play.
For the writer, can a reading be damaging? I think only if it is an audition. And it is very hard sometimes not to feel like it is. I have been involved with readings where you could see the devestation on the playwright's face when we knew right away that our last minute replacement was in fact, well, completely miscast and that whatever chances the play had at being produced were gonna collapse instantaneously.
Techniques? I dunno. I try to have the stage directions figured out before hand. And if it all possible, i make sure I know beforehand where to seat the actors and if we are gonna stand or use music stands, etc. the logistics.
Eadie Brooks.I told her I'd been extremely busy with readings. My mom asked, what are they used for? Or what's the use for them?
Very good question, mom.
There are a variety of appropriate answers.
A theater company may produce a reading for any one of the following reasons:
1) they are interested in producing the play, and just want to be sure.
2) they are interested in the playwright, and use the reading to cultivate a relationship
3) they are doing it as a favor to the playwright (which accomplished the same result as 2 - cultivating a relationship)
4) they just want to keep busy - and it is a way of seeming more or less like they are doing something - at very little cost to the theater/producers.
5) they are producing the play, and it is an opportunity for the playwright, director and producers to hear it and implement any changes before going into rehearsals.
I remember meeting with Mel at Casarotto in London - and she maintained that she they didn't have readings - implying that if you knew how to read a play, you could determine on your own if that play was ready for/worthy of production.
For the director, it's a chance to cultivate relationships with writers, producers, literary managers and actors. You cannot do much beyond casting well give the limited amount of time, though despite the limitations, I feel I am actually pretty good with the four hours you often have. Good meaning effective. I implement nice general "peppery" notes, so that the actors can get quickly into the world of the play.
For the writer, can a reading be damaging? I think only if it is an audition. And it is very hard sometimes not to feel like it is. I have been involved with readings where you could see the devestation on the playwright's face when we knew right away that our last minute replacement was in fact, well, completely miscast and that whatever chances the play had at being produced were gonna collapse instantaneously.
Techniques? I dunno. I try to have the stage directions figured out before hand. And if it all possible, i make sure I know beforehand where to seat the actors and if we are gonna stand or use music stands, etc. the logistics.
LADY by Craig Wright
Had my first conversation with Craig Wright, whose LADY I will be directing at Asolo in Florida in April. I have no idea why this one has not yet had its NY premier. But who can guess these things. In the meantime, he is the busiest man in showbiz, next to my cousin Matt Weiner, and JJ Abrams I guess. That is, until the writers' strike. He, I think, produces DIRTY SEXY MONEY, and wrote and produced for Six Feet Under and Lost.
We discussed in brief the three characters: Kenny, Dyson and Graham and what they represented. And briefly talked about the design. He wants to expand the character of graham somewhat, rounding him out.
We are due to talk more in depth in a few minutes.
We discussed in brief the three characters: Kenny, Dyson and Graham and what they represented. And briefly talked about the design. He wants to expand the character of graham somewhat, rounding him out.
We are due to talk more in depth in a few minutes.
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