Metaphorically, that is. Yesterday afternoon, the show closed in Hagerstown.
Historically, my blog entry about the final show is less about the particulars of the show, and more about the fact that it is over. More of a look back. This one will be no exception, though I will say I felt almost as good about my performance as I did on Saturday. About 90% to that level, I would say. So I got to close on the second best performance I gave.
I found the worry bead, but stuck with the washer for the performance though.
This production, as I have said, seemed quite fast all things considered, though once we got to performing it seems a little slower in some ways. When I think that opening night was a mere ten days ago it's a little hard to fathom. It got fast at the end though for a different reason. There was no strike. I had been preparing to help strike the set and clean the entire theater after the curtain come down, but much to my surprise I was told that other than picking up out personal property, the cast had not striking responsibilities. This is the only company that I have been a part of that does business like that. It actually felt weird to leave the building the last time with the set still in tact. (It will be taken down later in the week.)
The cast party was also a short and sweet affair. I have been to some cast parties that lasted hours. This one was just under 90 minutes. But fun. We gave fake awards to each other, mocked each other, and congratulated each other. We even played "Heaven Can Wait" trivia, which was fun, though I only got one right. No matter. It was the show that was the thing.
Most shows improve a bit the second weekend when compared to the first, but I think Heaven Can Wait was one of the most obvious examples of this trend. The four shows on the second weekend were worlds above the three shows of opening weekend.
Which is one reason why, in the end, I have opted not to address the sensitive issues I mentioned a few days ago here on the blog. I realize that I said I would after the show was over, but by and large the issues, both from a personal and a professional standpoint were corrected. I of course would have preferred that they never happened at all, and I maintain the did not have to. But I cannot in good conscience mention the issues when so much energy was put into correcting them, eventually. So I will just leave it at this: I am relieved and gratified to know we got passed them, even if we did so too late for my tastes. That business is well concluded.
As for other things, this final show was strange for a few reasons. To begin with, as I have said a million times before here, my last exit from the show is (was...) a good 20 minutes before the final curtain. My final line was just over a half an hour before same. So I had more time to gear down, and come in for a landing with the realization that it was all over. I spend most of that time picking up my trash from the green room, getting a head start on what I thought would be strike.
Sometimes when the end of a show comes, you feel that you have done exactly what you set out to do, and that makes it easier to accept its ending. I put Heaven Can Wait in that category. I came off stage the last time knowing that I had put everything into "Tony" that I possibly could have done. I was satisfied with the overall improvement that was obvious in the entire cast in a short amount of time. And I enjoyed most of the crowds that we had. I felt it was a good place to conclude. I agree that it would have been nice to have a third weekend, because we were all just starting to hit a stride with things as it closed. But I do not regret what happened.
More importantly perhaps even than the show, was the fact that I not only introduced myself to a whole new company, (which I plan to be involved in plenty of times again in the future), but I made new friends. That doesn't always happen in a show, especially with someone as difficult to get to know and understand as I tend to be at first approach. I feel good about having a few more theatre people in my life now.
Plus, there is plenty of time to get to know some of these people more. In the past I tried to say a million things in my "final" cast email, (which I sent last night), but now I realize, in the age of Facebook, we can all take our time and get to know each other gradually. Not just by being in shows again together, (which I am sure will happen in the future), but outside of theatre as well. I've never been part of a new company in the Facebook era before...so hopefully it will help me keep in touch with some of these great actors and people now that the show is over.
So, to those involved in the show that may be reading this, once again, thank you. I will see you soon. On or off stage. I'm glad I auditioned.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Penultimate
I really should be in bed. I will be soon. I normally don't blog right afterward, and I have been going on four hours sleep the last day. But It was important to me to write about Saturday's performance now, so it wouldn't have to be combined with some half-assed post tomorrow.
Simply put, tonight was my personal best night. Thus far, Friday night was the best night for the show overall in regards to consistent quality, but tonight without a doubt was my pinnacle. I never say never, but I feel it is unlikely to be reached again with only one more performance.
Things were different from the very beginning, in a rather innocuous way, or so it seemed. The worry bead I have been using for the character while on stage, just as a flourish, was missing today. I had gotten too used to fiddling with something during certain moments, so I scoured the green room and back stage, hoping to find a quarter or some other coin. I never did, if you can believe that.
I did however find a box of small washers in the shop. So I grabbed one of those a few minutes before I went out the first time. I didn't use it during my first entrance, but I did spend time getting used to how it felt in my hand before I went out. It should come as no surprise that it fit differently in my hand than did the worry bead. So I had to do different things with it. And those different things seemed to fit right in with "Tony". Not quite a tick, but certainly a consistent habit. Right away, walking around with it adjusted some small mannerisms in my performance, which in turn realigned a few things. By the time I got out on stage the adjustment was noticeable. Much like before, (as mentioned in recent blog entries) the skeleton of the character remained the same, but the outward expression of same changed.
It was that small change that led to bigger moments throughout the play. A bit more of a rough edge without dropping the polished look I have been working from nearly the very beginning. It left him more open to responses to other characters and situations.
By the time my first scene ended, I suddenly knew that I had struck a perfect rhythm with the character and the performance. I kept to myself between scenes even more than usual, and after my first costume change I convinced myself that it was going to be my night. And I suddenly wasn't as nervous as I had been, and felt much more secure in what was happening than before. "In the zone" as they say.
My longest segment in the play, which lasts about 10 minutes of stage time I would say, take place between myself and the lead character. Just us two for a while. It has been my favorite scene to do for a while, and tonight it was flawless. Part of that is of course due to the great performance of the actor playing against me. But part of it was the new focus I felt. Lines come out smoother, with better pacing. New ideas for gesticulations came to me at a moments notice. Subtle vocal inflections showed up when they were most useful. All props behaved as planned. Everything. The scene was as close to "effortless" and natural as an actor should get.
And through it all, the washer I had grabbed at random played a large part in the visuals.
Even my least favorite scene, (oddly, my shortest one) felt totally natural tonight. I did change one thing off the cuff. I sat on the edge of the couch when I normally stand. I did it because a sight gag is at full force during that moment, and I just seemed to be extraneous during that moment. So I figured the way to be the most invisible while that was going on was to just sit on the couch and read my newspaper. So I did. I think it worked. Everything worked, really.
One thing about the scene though, somehow I lost the washer during intermission. I looked for a while, though it had been in a pocket and I couldn't for the life of me figure out where it had gone to. But I didn't want to inflate the evening into a superstition about a specific washer. I knew the longer I looked for that one, the more likely it would become emblazoned with a false aura. So I just went and grabbed an identical washer and used that throughout act 2.
The oddest part is that through all of this, I was the more tired than I have been at any other point in the run. As I mentioned, I only had 4 hours of sleep last night, and a nap attempt mid-afternoon failed. I wonder if the fatigue had something to do with it. Maybe I was too tired for some of my unknown inhibitions. Or maybe because I was tired I had to concentrate extra hard to get everything right.
But no, I don't think either of those two things were the main cause. Contributors perhaps. But I like to think the biggest reason is the mysterious nature of hitting a stride at a certain moment. (Sadly with only one night left.)
I was drained and hot after the show today, more than usual. I had to lay down. But, all was well in the end. Nights like this make it worth it to an actor.
As do good audiences. Which we had tonight. Not a full house, but a big one. Not as responsive as last night, but responsive enough. No complaints on that front, save for the fact I can't seem to get any of my friends to be members of the audiences, much to my chagrin.
Which seems a good place to end this account. When next I blog here, "Heaven Can Wait" will itself be departed.
Simply put, tonight was my personal best night. Thus far, Friday night was the best night for the show overall in regards to consistent quality, but tonight without a doubt was my pinnacle. I never say never, but I feel it is unlikely to be reached again with only one more performance.
Things were different from the very beginning, in a rather innocuous way, or so it seemed. The worry bead I have been using for the character while on stage, just as a flourish, was missing today. I had gotten too used to fiddling with something during certain moments, so I scoured the green room and back stage, hoping to find a quarter or some other coin. I never did, if you can believe that.
I did however find a box of small washers in the shop. So I grabbed one of those a few minutes before I went out the first time. I didn't use it during my first entrance, but I did spend time getting used to how it felt in my hand before I went out. It should come as no surprise that it fit differently in my hand than did the worry bead. So I had to do different things with it. And those different things seemed to fit right in with "Tony". Not quite a tick, but certainly a consistent habit. Right away, walking around with it adjusted some small mannerisms in my performance, which in turn realigned a few things. By the time I got out on stage the adjustment was noticeable. Much like before, (as mentioned in recent blog entries) the skeleton of the character remained the same, but the outward expression of same changed.
It was that small change that led to bigger moments throughout the play. A bit more of a rough edge without dropping the polished look I have been working from nearly the very beginning. It left him more open to responses to other characters and situations.
By the time my first scene ended, I suddenly knew that I had struck a perfect rhythm with the character and the performance. I kept to myself between scenes even more than usual, and after my first costume change I convinced myself that it was going to be my night. And I suddenly wasn't as nervous as I had been, and felt much more secure in what was happening than before. "In the zone" as they say.
My longest segment in the play, which lasts about 10 minutes of stage time I would say, take place between myself and the lead character. Just us two for a while. It has been my favorite scene to do for a while, and tonight it was flawless. Part of that is of course due to the great performance of the actor playing against me. But part of it was the new focus I felt. Lines come out smoother, with better pacing. New ideas for gesticulations came to me at a moments notice. Subtle vocal inflections showed up when they were most useful. All props behaved as planned. Everything. The scene was as close to "effortless" and natural as an actor should get.
And through it all, the washer I had grabbed at random played a large part in the visuals.
Even my least favorite scene, (oddly, my shortest one) felt totally natural tonight. I did change one thing off the cuff. I sat on the edge of the couch when I normally stand. I did it because a sight gag is at full force during that moment, and I just seemed to be extraneous during that moment. So I figured the way to be the most invisible while that was going on was to just sit on the couch and read my newspaper. So I did. I think it worked. Everything worked, really.
One thing about the scene though, somehow I lost the washer during intermission. I looked for a while, though it had been in a pocket and I couldn't for the life of me figure out where it had gone to. But I didn't want to inflate the evening into a superstition about a specific washer. I knew the longer I looked for that one, the more likely it would become emblazoned with a false aura. So I just went and grabbed an identical washer and used that throughout act 2.
The oddest part is that through all of this, I was the more tired than I have been at any other point in the run. As I mentioned, I only had 4 hours of sleep last night, and a nap attempt mid-afternoon failed. I wonder if the fatigue had something to do with it. Maybe I was too tired for some of my unknown inhibitions. Or maybe because I was tired I had to concentrate extra hard to get everything right.
But no, I don't think either of those two things were the main cause. Contributors perhaps. But I like to think the biggest reason is the mysterious nature of hitting a stride at a certain moment. (Sadly with only one night left.)
I was drained and hot after the show today, more than usual. I had to lay down. But, all was well in the end. Nights like this make it worth it to an actor.
As do good audiences. Which we had tonight. Not a full house, but a big one. Not as responsive as last night, but responsive enough. No complaints on that front, save for the fact I can't seem to get any of my friends to be members of the audiences, much to my chagrin.
Which seems a good place to end this account. When next I blog here, "Heaven Can Wait" will itself be departed.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Pinnacle of "Heaven"
In the last entry, I described my desire that the quality of our performances be added to a larger, responsive crowd in the future.
Last night I got my wish. It was bar none the best presentation of the show that we have yet given. Audience was huge and responsive. Cues were being hit. The lines were being snapped off with nearly peak efficiency all the way around for a tighter production.
Every single person involved in last night as a right to be proud of what we accomplished.
Laughs came at some expected moments, and at some unexpected ones. (I think somebody must have been making a face behind me during one scene, as laughter ensues after I spoke a thoroughly unfunny line.) And this audience was particularly fond of "Max Levine", though as I said, everyone was on their game.
My character, of course, is not really that funny. However there were a few lines that got some laughs, just out of a morbid sense of twisted humor, I suppose. (The man is a murderer after all.) I continued the trajectory I established last night of making him more outwardly affected by the proceedings. I took pains to not go much further than I did on Thursday, as one can adjust things too much, too quickly. But the overall result is one of which I am quite proud, if I do say so myself. Everything about what I did just seemed to run a smooth but energetic course the entire evening. )Which may be why it seemed to go faster in the first half than ever before.)
One thing I did play up with my character's antagonism with the previously mentioned "Max". That actor has from the beginning played Max as someone who cannot stand Tony, and lately I have been playing into that more as part of my enhanced performance. It does help out a bit, to have a character like mine have something to play off of directly when he is not dealing with "Joe" (the lead part.)
Also for some reason, last night was the physically hottest night for me on stage, I think. Perhaps it was due to a combination of so many people in the house, and the extra energy being burned on this top notch performance.
The director relayed a message to the cast to "have fun with the curtain call". So we did.
This curtain call never has been, thankfully, an in-character affair. I do not generally approve of curtain calls that require actors to bow "in character". In theory it is saving the 4th wall, but to me after the final curtain, the fourth wall is history. So I have enjoyed the informal nature of our final bows as a cast.
Last night it was kicked up another notch. I decided to bring the gun that I use during the play on stage during the curtain call. When I walked out with my group to bow, I pulled a 007; I spun towards the audience, and threw my hand back, pointing the gun towards the house, (but not at anybody particularly of course.) The way 007 does at the beginning of the older films. (Like Thunderball) I think I got a few laughs. If not from the audience, certainly from the cast. (Though one of the cast mates thought I was pissed off at first, when I walked out.)
Afterward, some of us went out to eat. "Joe" mentioned a fear of my blogging about some of the conversations going on during that event...but since that was after the play I don't suppose it technically belongs here on the blog. For now...
Two more nights. Some think we peaked last night. There is of course no way to be certain of this until the show is over. But if we cannot really top last night, I think that we should be able to match it at least one more time. It is Saturday, afterall. Historically, more shows I have been in have peaked on the second Saturday than any other day. (Though I am told Playmakers shows often do best on Fridays.)
None of my friends have come to see me in this production.
Hopefully, a lot of other people will though.
Last night I got my wish. It was bar none the best presentation of the show that we have yet given. Audience was huge and responsive. Cues were being hit. The lines were being snapped off with nearly peak efficiency all the way around for a tighter production.
Every single person involved in last night as a right to be proud of what we accomplished.
Laughs came at some expected moments, and at some unexpected ones. (I think somebody must have been making a face behind me during one scene, as laughter ensues after I spoke a thoroughly unfunny line.) And this audience was particularly fond of "Max Levine", though as I said, everyone was on their game.
My character, of course, is not really that funny. However there were a few lines that got some laughs, just out of a morbid sense of twisted humor, I suppose. (The man is a murderer after all.) I continued the trajectory I established last night of making him more outwardly affected by the proceedings. I took pains to not go much further than I did on Thursday, as one can adjust things too much, too quickly. But the overall result is one of which I am quite proud, if I do say so myself. Everything about what I did just seemed to run a smooth but energetic course the entire evening. )Which may be why it seemed to go faster in the first half than ever before.)
One thing I did play up with my character's antagonism with the previously mentioned "Max". That actor has from the beginning played Max as someone who cannot stand Tony, and lately I have been playing into that more as part of my enhanced performance. It does help out a bit, to have a character like mine have something to play off of directly when he is not dealing with "Joe" (the lead part.)
Also for some reason, last night was the physically hottest night for me on stage, I think. Perhaps it was due to a combination of so many people in the house, and the extra energy being burned on this top notch performance.
The director relayed a message to the cast to "have fun with the curtain call". So we did.
This curtain call never has been, thankfully, an in-character affair. I do not generally approve of curtain calls that require actors to bow "in character". In theory it is saving the 4th wall, but to me after the final curtain, the fourth wall is history. So I have enjoyed the informal nature of our final bows as a cast.
Last night it was kicked up another notch. I decided to bring the gun that I use during the play on stage during the curtain call. When I walked out with my group to bow, I pulled a 007; I spun towards the audience, and threw my hand back, pointing the gun towards the house, (but not at anybody particularly of course.) The way 007 does at the beginning of the older films. (Like Thunderball) I think I got a few laughs. If not from the audience, certainly from the cast. (Though one of the cast mates thought I was pissed off at first, when I walked out.)
Afterward, some of us went out to eat. "Joe" mentioned a fear of my blogging about some of the conversations going on during that event...but since that was after the play I don't suppose it technically belongs here on the blog. For now...
Two more nights. Some think we peaked last night. There is of course no way to be certain of this until the show is over. But if we cannot really top last night, I think that we should be able to match it at least one more time. It is Saturday, afterall. Historically, more shows I have been in have peaked on the second Saturday than any other day. (Though I am told Playmakers shows often do best on Fridays.)
None of my friends have come to see me in this production.
Hopefully, a lot of other people will though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
