Another Damned Rainout!

I am accepting full responsibility for this mess--before the last three shows, I have looked at my other 2 musketeers, just before going onstage, and said, " It is impossible that we will have rain tonight"--sort of tempting fate, I guess, except Fate can't seem to resist temptation...  the first time, we rained out in the beginning of the second act, last night we got a whole show in, but it rained hard a half hour after we finished, and tonight it rained a few scenes into the first act, and we halted, and waited, along with a massive amount of audience members, who hunkered under the massive trees in the park--then the rain passed, and we squeegeed off the stage, and started up again, got through Act One, and began Act Two, then lightening began flashing all around (no rain though), and as we all carry a lot of small lightening rods on our belts, the show was cancelled, almost precisely in the spot it was cancelled opening night. It is forcing our critics to put in some real time to see a show that barely runs 2 hours. 

The pic above is Dani and me backstage, during intermission--she is in her wench costume...

Opening NIght, Redux

Well, as I feared, rain played hell with our opening night. It rained off and on throughout the day, then the skies cleared about an hour before opening, and we were good to go. There was a fundraiser event out in the audience area, called the Tent Dinner, in which a circus tent is erected over the upper portion of the lawn, and a lot of contributers and mucky mucks come for a dinner and auction (I think) and then afterward carry their chairs down to the lower area and watch the show. We got off to a fast start, and things were rocking along. Lots of laughter and applause from the groundlings--we knew we were in for a fun time, when the Athos, Aramis, and Porthos got entrance applause, meaning the moment we burst through the curtain the audience broke out into applause. Lotsa fun, that.

So, we made it to the intermission, and we could hear the winds beginning to roar over the floor mics, and we knew we were screwed. Act Two begins with a montage of swordfighting, and we'd just finished that when the heavens opened up on us, and a steady rain came down, and the show was finished.

So, last night we strapped up again. It was a beautiful day, blue skies and gentle breezes, and while there was no tent dinner, there was a good sized crowd. We were a little off on some timing things, and there were some excellent costume malfunctions to keep us all entertained--Aaron Deuschle, who plays Aramis, had his hat, wig, and doo-rag blow off during a fight. Zach Hartley, who plays Porthos, lost his footing and fell badly. Later, during one of his fights, his opponent got his sword caught on Zach's belt somehow, and so lost that fight even before it began.

During intermission, the winds kicked up suddenly--it was a cold wind of the kind that must have inspired the old wives to tell of ghost winds that blow ill omens. We were a little nervous, as we hadn't done act two in three days, due to rain outs. There were some timing and costume snafus here and there, but we made it to the end of the show to strong applause and cheers.

Afterward, there was a party at Aramis' house, where I was overserved to a profound extent (even though I was serving myself from a jug of Bloody Marys I'd made early in the day). It lasted till 3:30am--at least, that's when I left a front porchful of hardcore partiers, who were still talking and arguing theatre issues as I drove away.

Today, I rehearsed the first Caliban scene in the Tempest, and came home to do a little gardening and pet cuddling before heading back to the park for this evening's performance.

Here's a link to the review which came in while we were at the party last night:

http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/29/review_three_musketeers.html

opening night!

We open tonight. Maybe. Weathermen all over the city are predicting thunderstorms, hail, lightening, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria! Last night, our final dress rehearsal was called off after 4 scenes because of rain...so we went to Gressos instead and celebrated Kristina Kopf's (Queen Anne) birthday...

The drag about the rain, besides losing a rehearsal, which is never good, is all the stuff I have wear and take off...by golly, here's a marching order of preshow activity:

I arrive at 6:15, with the other fighters. I go into the dressing hole--er, room--and get out of my 21st century clothes. I tape both ankles with athletic tape, then strap up the left one with a high ankle brace with whalebone stays, and the right one with a low ankle brace. Then I wrap both knees with ace bandages, and cover them with thin foam kneepads. Then I put on my Musketeer knicker/breeches and a tee shirt. After that, I force on the knee-high boots, which takes supreme effort after all that taping and bracing. 

Next I put on my wireless mic. This is a little involved. I have a long piece of thick wire that I have shaped like a horseshoe, except that ends curl down. To one side I have taped the long mic wire with black tape. Then I put the rig on my head, curving round the back of it and over the ears, like a headphone. The mic end is now positioned at my sideburn. The plug end hangs down my back. I run this between my teeshirt and my good ole 17th century puffy shirt. Around my waist I strap an ace bandage that holds the rest of the mic unit (about the size of a deck of cards). I have someone plug the mic wire into the unit, after having first turned it on. Oh, almost forgot--each night we roll a fresh condom over the mic unit, to protect it from body sweat. I am saving all the used condoms on the wall above my mirror. Then I tuck in  my puffy shirt, button on my vest, and go up top to the stage for fight rehearsal. 

I stretch and stretch, using a program of exercises Angela Barch  (fight choreo) taught us back in April. Then I go through my list of fights with my fellow combatants, first just marking it (meaning going through the motions), then doing it up to speed.

By now it is nearly 7pm, and the other actors have arrived and the dressing room is jammed (there are around 25 people in this show, with 70 costumes). At my tiny little table (I will post pics of the dressing hole in the near future), I sit and try to apply a little makeup. Long experience in Schiller Park has taught me to be sparing of it, because it will all sweat off in 10 minutes anyway--actually, it sweats off in the dressing room. 

Next I put on my tabard, which is a kind of smock, blue, with the fluer-de lis design on the front. Then I tie a lace collar over the tabard, and then buckle on my sword belt over that.

Now the wig. It is long and straight--not the wig seen in the previous post--and difficult to manage. I put on a wig cap, and then with Angela and Dani's help, we pull on the long wig. It has a shortish ponytail that needs freshening up each day, and all the dangling hair needs brushed out and combed. The ladies pin it all up, arranging strands and spraying down the flyaway bits.

By now it is about 7:45pm, 15 minutes till curtain, and all I have left to do is place my cloak and  jacket backstage (these I put on later in the show), jam my too small musketeer hat over my wig, then put on the long black gloves, put my sword in the sword belt scabbard (called a frog), and pace around, getting my brain around the coming performance.

So last night I did all that, 8 pm comes, the show begins, and 10 minutes later we are back in the dressing room, taking it all off, as the rain blows in thick sheets all over the park.

Tonight, signs point to the same result. But the rest of the weekend looks wonderful--low to mid 70s and clear, mid 50s at night--maybe a trifle chilly for the audiences, but perfect for us on stage.

And so begins my summer. For the next ten weekends, from Thursday-Sunday nights, I will be in Schiller Park--the first five as Athos, the dark and dangerous musketeer, and the last five as Caliban, the green and dangerous "hag-born whelp" from The Tempest.

The Three Muskies

We have a week and a day till opening, and we're getting there, slowly, slowly. Lots of things changed when the set was installed, and we've spent the last three days working out transitions and re-staging fights, and so forth. Monday night, while running off stage on the dark (no back stage lighting yet) I stepped on an electrical extension cord and my ankle buckled and I went flying. For the last two days I have had it taped and braced, and still can't move very well.

Which hacks me off mightily! When I first accepted the role of Athos, I thought I better get into shape for all the fighting it requires. I lost about 15 pounds, stopped smoking ( 5 weeks now), and started light workouts and lots of stretching and flexibility. I was feeling pretty good. In fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time. But I forgot that while I was getting into a little better shape, I still have bum ankles and bum knees. The structure is faulty, even though the surface is getting some new paint. So, I will be wearing the usual puffy shirt, wig, big boots, and so forth, and underneath, I will be swathed in bandages, tape, and braces, on pretty much any part that moves. 

It's like I told my father years ago when I first started Arden Shakespeare--I asked him to build a few set pieces for my production of 12th Night--a sundial bench, a period-looking bath, and a a few other items. When I visited him to inspect the stuff, I found them half done, and he was taking his time. My dad is a craftsman when it come to carpentry--nobody better, and he takes great care over everything he produces. I finally had to tell him " Dad, this only has to look good...from a distance...for 3 weeks...then we tear it all down." He was aghast. 

Well, that's going to be me. I just have to try to look good--from a distance-- for 4 weeks, and then I can break down completely. 

One of my castmates is leaving the production for a weekend to attend a premiere of a film she did that is being shown at the Hollywood Black Filmmakers Festival, or something like that. One of the wenches in the show will step up to fill her role for that time. When this was announced, I leaned over to Dani and whispered "Tell me again why I am missing MY premiere??" Of course, my role in the play is larger and more complicated with the fights and all, but still...

Robin Christopherson as Milady De Winter, and me as Athos

genitalia

Why is a jerk called a "dick", but a brave guy has "balls?" A wimp is a "pussy", but a real uber-jerk is a "cunt." And both "dicks" and "cunts" can also be "assholes."  

You're welcome...

Suzuki Method of Actor Training

I've been reading a lot lately on the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, and while I'm sure many people have derived great benefit from it's teachings (which include such tenets as awareness of the body's corporal center, the relationship of the feet to the center, the development of energy through off-center exercises, etc), I have to quote Spencer Tracy, when asked about the Method:

"I am too old, too tired, and too talented to care."

Been a little while...

Haven't posted much lately, but not for any lack of things to say--just too busy, directing The Crucible at the high school by day, and rehearsing The Three Musketeers at night. But soon I will be back, and dear readers, both of you will be happy!