Nevermore Poster

Nevermore Evermore

We are closing in on the opening of the Neo-Gothic play "Nevermore", by Matt Ritchey of Los Angeles, California.  This will be the first production in Texas here in Tyler at APEX Theatre 20@Potter Place.  I'm going to be very narcissistic today, so please be warned.  I'm going to talk about MY reasons for wanting to do the show, and how I got the audition, and MY reaction to the process, and of course, MY character.  Like I said...narcissistic.

I have never worked with this company before.  For the last several years I've been doing "community theater" in a small town near Tyler.  And I have enjoyed it.  With a priviso:  Lately I've been playing the same parts (basically) over and over.  Once I had at least low level professional acting chops; now they have atrophied into "Waiting for Guffman" echos.  No blame for my local theatre troupe.  They're a great group of folks.  Some are more talented than others, but we all enjoy the Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.  (And yes, there are some more talented than me, nosey.)  But I was getting into a rut.  We do the same kinds of shows over and over again...pandering to an audience that probably doesn't want to be pandered to.  Afraid of offending 3 people and so not entertaining the 300.

I wanted to exercise my acting muscles.  I needed to do it. So I joined an adult improv class in said theater in Tyler to stretch myself.  It was fun, and challenging, and it petered out.  Bummer.  But during that time I saw "Equus" there and was impressed.  One of my classmates was to be the director (losing his directorial cherry) and he asked me to audition for a particular part.  Hooray...it was the same character I've been playing for the last 15 years.  But hey...give it a chance.  I told him I was wanting to challenge myself and that part I could play half asleep and probably would.  He read me for a different character, Dudley the caretaker, and that's where he put me.  Something different at last.

Their process is different than I have had before.  Audition...read through...nothing for a while-"learn your lines."  Then rehearsal once a week for a bit.  Okay, let's skip a couple. (Ack!)  Now director sick.  Now me out of town.  Now me sick.  Now other actor sick.  Now me sick again...and again.  I tend to learn my lines best on stage when paired with the blocking.  We are now just over a week from showtime and we just blocked my last scene.  I have only rehearsed with my fellow actors five times including read through.  Only twice on the stage, and both of those were for blocking.  (I repeat...Ack!)

AND YET ---

The show sounds good.  The costumes look good.  There is a really good vibe and energy around the show.  Actors feeling their parts.  Atmosphere out the gazoo!  Dammit, I think this is going to be a really great show!  I'm going to get my wish.  I'm getting to stretch my acting muscles, work with an edgier group of actors, do a different sort of play than would be allowed at our theater, and I'm having to work hard to get this right.  Subtle acting is required, not broad stereotypes.  I play Dudley, the caretaker in a "Steampunk Gothic Manor" owned by the childhood friend of Edgar Allan Poe.  I am not a nice person.  There are strange things afoot at Montressor Manor.  But that's all you get.  Come and see for your self.
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Opening our "Christmas Gifts"

Tonight at the Palestine Community Theatre was the premier for "Christmas Gifts", an original Christmas musical by Jamie Waldon King.  And with apologies to Ms. King, I was prepared for a rather maudlin rehashing of the same old themes of every holiday play ever performed by local theater.  I say apologies because I was wrong.  (I know...when you've recovered from your faint read on.)

There were several strong elements in the script which lifted it above the norm.  It dealt with teen pregnancy, adoption, divorce, gossip, disaffection, even blossoming romance, and all within a context of Christmas and Christian faith that didn't bang you over the head with a club.  Okay, there were brief moments, but hey, it's a Christmas play in East Texas.  Give 'em a break.

The story moves well between overlapping vignettes set in a small community.  Each story line is connected in more than one strand to the others.  For example, the story of the "unwed teen-aged mother" played by Sarah Ellison was not preachy, but touching, real, and compassionate.  Sarah, one of the several standout performers, played to part boldly but with pathos.  She wonderfully showed a young woman making hard choices as a result of a bad choice.  She wasn't perfect, nor were her choices, but they were real.  She also sang beautifully.  The acting of her mother (Terri Warren) was also very good, showing acceptance without condoning.  Terri, coming off some illness, struggled with some of her songs, but her strong voice carries through.

A young couple in the play and in life were Matthew Raybin and Shannon Smith.  I have nothing but praise for their performances.  I have watched each of them grow from children to adults in that theater and their talents grow with every performance.  They shone with confidence, maturity, and complexity of character not often seen in actors of their age.  Sure of their performances even when their characters were unsure.  Wonderful.  Their singing was spot on.  Again, improving every time I see them perform.  I can't wait for their next appearance.

Always a pleasure to watch and hear was O
livia Santone.  She has a range of characters that is remarkable for one so young.  And in that, her age is hard to pin down.  She can play a teenage or an adult with equal aplomb.  Her singing is always strong and full of passion.

There were many other actors that did fine jobs, although most were simply good to okay.  There's no shame in that, of course.  There were times where songs were sung in different keys- at the same time; or out of sync.  And especially complex number at the beginning seemed to get away from them.  Once that happens it's really hard to rein it back in.  The singing of some of the actors was the biggest problem and the greatest strengths.  Of course the gum chewing teenaged chorus member was a real distraction to me.  That's a balance hard for any director.  The dancers were a very nice addition to the numbers where they participated.

Two things more I must mention.  First, I was disappointed in that canned music was used.  I fully understand.  This time of year especially, live musicians are in hot demand for churches, schools, parties, dance recitals, this, that, and the other.  In this case, pre-recorded music was probably the only good alternative, but it is still one of the very few times it has been used at PCT.

Second and lastly, a beautiful surprise by the name of Zaylee King.  Her part was not large, but it was important.  She sang with the voice of an angel and the face to match.  Placed near the end of the "Nativity Sequence", she was a sweet blessing to the ear and eye and brought a nice closure to the piece.

Strong story, well designed and constructed sets, well done costumes and staging.  I would recommend this for anyone looking for solid family oriented holiday entertainment.  But hurry-- there are only two more performances.

RENT this space

This past Saturday night, Kathy and I braved the chilly East Texas version of winter to travel to Tyler, Texas to see a performance of RENT at the Liberty Hall theater.  (This despite the fact that I had just rolled in from a four-day conference in Houston minutes before.)  Neither of us had seen anything in the Liberty, so we were looking forward eagerly to this new space.  We found a good parking spot, took the de rigueuer selfie from the opposite side of the street, and found our way inside.

We were greeted with convivial smiles (and wine) and a couple of familiar faces.  Good start.  We already had our tickets in hand and so walked on in.  Goodness continues.  Sat next to some lovely people.  Things look good.  Lights dim... magic begins.

[In review like this, it is customary to be universally positive in order to remain on good terms with people you might be working with sometime soon.  There is much good to talk about.  There are also problems about which I will write in order that we may grow as performers, and so that you can believe what I write is true and not whitewash.  Enough disclaimer-- on with the review.]

Let's start with the positives...  The acting was really good.  At times it was great.  Of special note were JC Schimdt (Angel), Kristen Bedevian (Joanne), and Joshua Carpenter (Tom).  Their acting was spot on with emotional highs and lows that carried the audience with them.  There was a lot of honesty in their work.  Even though the character of Angel is an "over-the-top" personality, the portrayal was very honest.  I've known people like Angel and that's how they are (or were).  Joanne's frustration with an inconstant and mercurial partner were apparent, yet completely believable.  She showed power and vulnerability with poise and pain.  The best part of Joshua's performance as Tom was at the beginning and the end.  It was the painful contrast of the high of rapturous joy in love found and the crushing pain of a loved one lost.  The love itself is never lost.

The music was both a strength and a weakness.  The band sounded great!  But they frequently overpowered the vocals. [suggestion: let the electric instruments have a volume control on the sound board as well as with the musician.  On stage the balance is hard to hear.]  Also in that same vein, there were microphone problems galore.  It is hard for an actor to deliver a balanced performance with they must shift from talking to shouting with no notice.  Sometimes it can't be helped...sometimes it can.  Another strength and weakness in the music came from the vocals.  Wonderful strong voices, full of passion and joy and angst.  But tuning became an issue.  I'm picky- understand that- more than almost anyone in the audience has a right to be.  But there were wonderful emotional moments ruined for me by flat notes from the primary vocal.  It may have been the inability to hear themselves over the stage band, I don't know.  For most around me, there was no problem.  Maybe it was just me.  I'll stop there about that.

For me, one of the highlights of this show was the "second intermission".  Right after the second act began, just as "Seasons of Love" is coming to a conclusion... the smoke alarms went off due to an overzealous smoke machine.  We cleared the theater into the cold.  On the sidewalks the cast and audience together began a rousing chorus of "La Vie Boheme" to the defiance of the demon enemies of Thespis.  Once cleared, we went back inside and rebooted Act II.  That last burst of comraderie only cemented the wonderful feelings and bonds of caring for what was happening on stage.

With all my carping and bitching and moaning, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  The emotion was real.  The passion showed through.  The pure delight in performance pervaded the night.  I can't wait to see what's next.

Canadian Godspell in Crockett, Texas

Last Friday night, November 29th, Kathy and I went to the Piney Woods Fine Arts Association presentation of "Godspell" from Moonglow Productions out of Toronto.  This is an updated version based on the Canadian version of Godspell.  As such it was very different from the Godspell of my youth, but quite enjoyable.  The David Rogers set design was also very impressive.

The ensemble cast performed the classic songs but with a modern rhythm and tone.  Lyrics have been updated, too, to reflect today's cultural reality.  There is even audience on-stage participation!  But that's not what I enjoyed the most.  Of all the things on stage, I was most impressed my the energy and elan of the performers.  Their voices reflected that energy with clarity and humor and pathos.  I found myself smiling and singing along (softly, I promise).  In Act II, of course, I found my eyes leaking a little, both from their touching performances and my memories of my past productions.

After the show, we had been invited to join the cast, crew, and PYFAA patrons for a reception.  It was lovely.  The performers all came and were delightful in person as well...genuine, appreciative, and wonderfully (and undeservedly) humble.

They are coming back to Texas in February to the Windmere in Dallas.  I may have to get a road trip together. Yeah... it was THAT good.

I'm just a Poe boy...

I've been meeting with my friend, Gerry Goodwin, to work on my lines and performance for "Nevermore".  It's been fun and productive working with Gerry.  I get to try different delivery styles and line readings, all in the comfort of my living room.  The last Tyler rehearsal was cancelled for whatever reason, and there is no rehearsal until the 10th of December, at which time I must be off book.  This I will do, even though I will be at a Gifted Teaching conference in Houston, Texas most of next week.

As I have said in my blogs and in the non-digital world, everything is balance.  Dudley, the character I play, is a case in point.  Without providing "spoilers", I must be careful what I give away while remaining honest within my own character.  If I give away too much, the twists in the plot are ruined.  If I don't keep true to my character, the audience will feel cheated.  The same is true for other characters as well.  We have to keep the red herring moments not too fishy so that when the twists are revealed the audience can say, "Oh Yes!  That's what he meant by....."  Instead of, "But wait, that's not what he indicated earlier."

Integrity with mystery- balance.

MisQuoth the Raven, "Ever More"

Forever Plaid is going to have to wait.  I'll keep listening to the music and trying to get my part, but the rest of life is kicking my butt right now.  We got together and watched the movie archive of the stage show.  It was really great.  I see that this is a huge undertaking for folks with day-jobs.
*sigh*

We've had three rehearsals for "Nevermore".  I have a problem- I'm not giving the director what he needs for the part of Dudley.  I'm just not sure I'm good enough (or have enough spare focus) to react to the changes he's making.  Dudley is one of the most subtle characters I've gotten to play.  Well, I wanted to be challenged!  Be careful what you wish for.  My vision of the show does not match the director's, and it must be his vision that prevails.  It's his show...he's the director... that's the way it should be.  I just hope I'm good enough and flexible enough to get the job done.  I won't give anything away here, so just stop it.  No...stop asking... I won't tell you.

My day job is also demanding more and more of my attention, as it should.  As always, I have spread myself too thin.  It's like peanut butter on a piece of bread:  too thin and there's no taste left- just bread.
*sigh part II*

I will "endeavor to persevere".  Those things kicking my ass right now shall in their turn have their asses kicked by me.  I will prevail!  (cue heroic music)