Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Pillow Man
...by the Irish playwright Martin McDonough...Peter and I saw it tonight...with our dear pal Kevin Kilner, who is in town and staying with us for several days...he surprised us with a request for a place to stay last night when we got back home form the country, and he was at our place by 10 pm last night...we immediately went out to the Metro Diner, an old haunt, and sat for a while eating and talking. It is very very good both to see and be with him. His sheer presence is good for Peter, not only because a nice friendship is developing there, but also because Kevin is fine, strong male actor, whose career has been one created whole cloth out of his talent and determination, and thus is rather an inspiration for Peter...also, when the two of them are together, there is so much testosterone in the room, I get faint with pleasure! Such handsome and gifted men. Whew! Kev's dear and gifted wife Jordan Baker is back home in LA onstage in a new Joe Pintauro play and so Kevin is solo for this visit...he seems comfortable in our Blue Blond Guest Room....our puppies love him. It has been far too long since I was able to spend such quality time with this dear old friend. We had coffe and tea in the Roof Garden this morning. So nice.
And tonight we saw PILLOW MAN, starring Jeff Goldblum, Billy Crudupp, Michael Stuhlberg, etc. and it was powerful, iterary and deeply theatrical. I am not sure i loved it, for a variety of reasons, but it was important to see it, if only for the sheer acting skills on display, and the various ideas about story and the importance of it for people ...provocative. And again, powerfully acted. Enormous vocal demands on the actors, so that their techniques had better be in shape if they plan to do 8 performances a week, as I am sure each and every one of them do. Huge yelling and fighting and lots of loud and angry talking, for lengthy periods of time. I was conscious of this burden for them, though they sounded great. I sort of wish I had seen the National Theatre actors do it...perhaps more of the poetry of the characters would have impressed me if they were done in the original Irish or British world...Jeff Goldblum is charming as hell, but perhaps too American...and I wish his sidekick "Ariel" (played by Zelko Ivanek) had been more of a brutish bulldog of a man, a dense Brit...nonetheless, all that being said, it was powerful and skillful. A real Broadway evening of serious theater. Stuhlburg and Crudupp are nominated for Tony's for their work in this.
While Kevin went backstage to see colleagues with whom he has worked, Peter and i stayed out in Shubert Alley and watched the people watch the stars go by. Since PILLOW MAN is next door to SPAMELOT, the Alley is a genuinely star-studded one this Summer. Very festive. Such a NYC Summer thing to do, stroll the Alley.
I had such a silly and weak audition today that it stuns me to remember that despite all the experience and "mileage" one accrues, it is always a toss-up as to how it all goes, and finally, what is meant to be in the way of results. Some of my worst auditions (self-judged) have yielded me the best jobs, and some of my most stellar try-outs have yielded me nothing! It is a puzzlement! Always has been and always will be....And you would think that by now i have given up the notion of judging myself or feeling the victim of any of this silly audition stuff. Alas, not so.And this is not even for a show or role I care in any way about! Such insanity. Such silliness. And that's my life....(I am full of song quotes this evening)...
Paul is in Chicago, visiting his Mom...Peter's family will soon be here, next week. And the Summer has begun. We spent the Memorial Day Weekend Upstate, and it was terrific. Lots of sunshine and good food, talk of Buddhism, and hours of reading out on the back deck. A family time. Free of any thoughts about theater or my place in it. I wonder: am I supposed to stop being in theater now? I keep getting such signals that maybe I should stop now. But then again, I have always gotten those signals and have kept on going nonetheless.....in the Business that has always been the center of my life. Maybe it is not supposed to be the center anymore. But what is?
Nam Myho Renge Kyo. That's what.
I feel my identity undergoing a deep-sea change. So much to write about.
And tonight we saw PILLOW MAN, starring Jeff Goldblum, Billy Crudupp, Michael Stuhlberg, etc. and it was powerful, iterary and deeply theatrical. I am not sure i loved it, for a variety of reasons, but it was important to see it, if only for the sheer acting skills on display, and the various ideas about story and the importance of it for people ...provocative. And again, powerfully acted. Enormous vocal demands on the actors, so that their techniques had better be in shape if they plan to do 8 performances a week, as I am sure each and every one of them do. Huge yelling and fighting and lots of loud and angry talking, for lengthy periods of time. I was conscious of this burden for them, though they sounded great. I sort of wish I had seen the National Theatre actors do it...perhaps more of the poetry of the characters would have impressed me if they were done in the original Irish or British world...Jeff Goldblum is charming as hell, but perhaps too American...and I wish his sidekick "Ariel" (played by Zelko Ivanek) had been more of a brutish bulldog of a man, a dense Brit...nonetheless, all that being said, it was powerful and skillful. A real Broadway evening of serious theater. Stuhlburg and Crudupp are nominated for Tony's for their work in this.
While Kevin went backstage to see colleagues with whom he has worked, Peter and i stayed out in Shubert Alley and watched the people watch the stars go by. Since PILLOW MAN is next door to SPAMELOT, the Alley is a genuinely star-studded one this Summer. Very festive. Such a NYC Summer thing to do, stroll the Alley.
I had such a silly and weak audition today that it stuns me to remember that despite all the experience and "mileage" one accrues, it is always a toss-up as to how it all goes, and finally, what is meant to be in the way of results. Some of my worst auditions (self-judged) have yielded me the best jobs, and some of my most stellar try-outs have yielded me nothing! It is a puzzlement! Always has been and always will be....And you would think that by now i have given up the notion of judging myself or feeling the victim of any of this silly audition stuff. Alas, not so.And this is not even for a show or role I care in any way about! Such insanity. Such silliness. And that's my life....(I am full of song quotes this evening)...
Paul is in Chicago, visiting his Mom...Peter's family will soon be here, next week. And the Summer has begun. We spent the Memorial Day Weekend Upstate, and it was terrific. Lots of sunshine and good food, talk of Buddhism, and hours of reading out on the back deck. A family time. Free of any thoughts about theater or my place in it. I wonder: am I supposed to stop being in theater now? I keep getting such signals that maybe I should stop now. But then again, I have always gotten those signals and have kept on going nonetheless.....in the Business that has always been the center of my life. Maybe it is not supposed to be the center anymore. But what is?
Nam Myho Renge Kyo. That's what.
I feel my identity undergoing a deep-sea change. So much to write about.
Friday, May 27, 2005
And then, there's The NY Times...
...which, almost more than anything else, is reason enough to be home. My dearest momma placed a good deal of hope and faith in a good newspaper, and she read good newspapers until she died. The Chicago Trib was her paper,(much the way the Cubbies were her team) and the NY Times was delivered to her small apartment every Sunday, (she took all week to read it, relishing every time-consuming page). The smell of newspaper ink, though smelt less in these lattter days of computer generated newsprint, nonetheless remains one of my favorite odors, and I never particularly mind when my fingers become stained with morning ink. It's a bother for the clothing, but a joyful reminder that I am toiling in the trenches of the daily newspaper readers. For me, it is a badge of honor. I have even seen NYC subway regulars put on a special pair of lightweight gloves to read the paper and then genteely peel them of when their reading chores are complete...
I may have to try that. Just for the look. Sort of like gardening the news.
In any event, waking up this gorgeous morning, sun blasting away the gloom of yesterday, the doggies behaving particularly well on their morning jog (they sense a ride to the country later, I bet), I am greeted on my return by the fat and inviting Friday Times at my doorstep, and it feels like I just got a present, or that my order has arrived from Amazon.com and i can take my time opening it.
The only time we got the Times in Virginia was on Sundays ($5.50 a shot, thank you) and I can only praise the Main Street Bookstore there for carrying it so faithfully. The only other times were either online, or when a pal sent us an article clipped from the real thing. I adore computers, but they do not and never will, take the place of good inky,smelly, tantalizing news paper.
And despite my best efforts otherwise, i do turn immediately to the Arts sections and gobble up whatever I see there. The front page comes next, and then the Metro Section, etc etc etc. And on Sundays, there are oh so many more to stroll through. The only section I have never read, and probably never will, is the Sports section. That , of course, is deplorable...I mean, I am a grown up person, and all news should interest me..but, alas, sports things never have, and I seriously doubt they ever will, unless, in my dotage, I begin to admire the young men's asses in their tight baseball uniform pants, as did my Momma with her Cubs guys. She loved to watch them run. Ah, Baron women!
The NY Times Arts Section is remarkable. Not always cutting edge, certainly biased, with tastes and enthusiasms mystifying at times, but it is so alive with it all: the scene. And, despite EVERYONE'S best efforts, it remains the final word in so many artistic lives, which, while this is truly stupid on one level, on another,is understandable, since human kind has always loved royalty and the NY Times is a kingmaker. The paid ads alone are a complete education. When I was at Northwestern, we were required to read the NY Times Sunday Arts Section weekly. It was our text book. It's how I learned what I would need to know in order to conduct a professional life later on. It became important to me even that long ago.
So, hail to the Times!! And good morning!
I may have to try that. Just for the look. Sort of like gardening the news.
In any event, waking up this gorgeous morning, sun blasting away the gloom of yesterday, the doggies behaving particularly well on their morning jog (they sense a ride to the country later, I bet), I am greeted on my return by the fat and inviting Friday Times at my doorstep, and it feels like I just got a present, or that my order has arrived from Amazon.com and i can take my time opening it.
The only time we got the Times in Virginia was on Sundays ($5.50 a shot, thank you) and I can only praise the Main Street Bookstore there for carrying it so faithfully. The only other times were either online, or when a pal sent us an article clipped from the real thing. I adore computers, but they do not and never will, take the place of good inky,smelly, tantalizing news paper.
And despite my best efforts otherwise, i do turn immediately to the Arts sections and gobble up whatever I see there. The front page comes next, and then the Metro Section, etc etc etc. And on Sundays, there are oh so many more to stroll through. The only section I have never read, and probably never will, is the Sports section. That , of course, is deplorable...I mean, I am a grown up person, and all news should interest me..but, alas, sports things never have, and I seriously doubt they ever will, unless, in my dotage, I begin to admire the young men's asses in their tight baseball uniform pants, as did my Momma with her Cubs guys. She loved to watch them run. Ah, Baron women!
The NY Times Arts Section is remarkable. Not always cutting edge, certainly biased, with tastes and enthusiasms mystifying at times, but it is so alive with it all: the scene. And, despite EVERYONE'S best efforts, it remains the final word in so many artistic lives, which, while this is truly stupid on one level, on another,is understandable, since human kind has always loved royalty and the NY Times is a kingmaker. The paid ads alone are a complete education. When I was at Northwestern, we were required to read the NY Times Sunday Arts Section weekly. It was our text book. It's how I learned what I would need to know in order to conduct a professional life later on. It became important to me even that long ago.
So, hail to the Times!! And good morning!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
A word or two about Esther Flores...
...in New York Town...a day cool to the skin and fresh to the breath..rather a depressing color, but moist and good for the pores...I went down to Bernie Telsey's office to pick up the script for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, the new musical I am auditioning for next week...I read it in 20 minutes, it is so so light, and very silly, but it brought a smile or two to my mind...I have yet to hear the music, but I imagine it is clever and also fun, in a light-hearted sort of way...these are the sorts of roles I have done so much in my career, that I cannot get very excited about auditioning for yet another one of the same sort, but I will anyway, and I will do my scintillating best...and if asked to read, i think that will be fun. The movie script I was emailed, with the pages for me to audition for in June is more interesting to me, as the story is sweet and the character i am being seen for is not....that audition will be fun to work on...and so it goes.
Because our 890 West End home is far uptown, away from the madding crush of Midtown and therefore relatively quiet and peaceful because it is near the River, I am still at the stage of NYC -return where I am surprised by the entire change of energy when I have to dive into midtown to pick up a script. This City is really very very crowded. And the crowds run everywhere.
Now that word or two:
I had a reading with Esther Flores, the 81st Street psychic a few evenings ago, and all in all , it was an actual adventure. She sits in her little cubby hole at her Botanica St.Michael, and this is a space unlike any I've every been in before, filled, stuffed and stuffed some more with religious artifacts of all faiths and creeds, persuasions and levels of mysticism, bottles and bottles of brightly colored oils and waters, labelled descriptively and exotically, each label telling what the oil or water is for...and candles, candles and more candles, mostly the kind that fill those tall heavy glass jars, also labelled for purpose and decorated with crude but stimulating art work, also specific for each candle's purpose, and I browsed the shelves like I was in a library....much dust everywhere,thick and old dust, somehow suitable for the many saints' statues adorning the shelves, and so much incense of different sizes, shapes and consistencies, that I can honestly say i have never seen or even known such incense existed...a lot of it looked really really old too..
My appointment was for 8:30 pm, but as is Esther's style, i was finally seen at 10:00 pm...she takes care of her regulars first, and spends ample time with each and every one. I almost came home and rescheduled but "something" told me I should stay and so i did. The only light in the place was an old, harsh flourescent, hanging overhead.Stark and cold. But the place itself was so small and humid, it was like sitting in a bad basement in a nightmare. Amazing that I stayed. But I did.
And to tell of the session itself will take another blog entry, there was so much. SO much in the way of information, predictions, sensory input, impressions, thoughts and opinions (was it a waste or was it not waste?), it will take more thought before I can write about it...I have gone to psychics all my adult life...the first back in Connecticut, when Paul and I were at Hartford Stage Company and the Greenwich Spiritualist Church was a big deal to go and visit..I had a couple of readings there...then later in LA...and a couple here in the Village...it has been at least a decade since I have gone to one...and so when Ed D. suggested Esther the other evening, I bit, and got her number...and so there I was...dank, flourescently lit,and intrigued ,in a sort of cheesy way, on 81st Street at 10:00 at night! Life does have its adventures.
Word from Rick R: SINGIN IN THE RAIN at Barter is a bonafide hit and tickets sell well....and the show is terrific too. I am happy for that. Though it did make me miss Barter a bit twingingly ( my own word)...I got a pain of sadness...will i ever not miss it? And yet THE LIGHT in the PIAZZA? That would not have happened there. And clearly the things I am to learn now, I am to learn here. So be it. OR as my Momma used to say: Let it be. Indeed. Let it...I have such a hard time doing that sometimes.
Because our 890 West End home is far uptown, away from the madding crush of Midtown and therefore relatively quiet and peaceful because it is near the River, I am still at the stage of NYC -return where I am surprised by the entire change of energy when I have to dive into midtown to pick up a script. This City is really very very crowded. And the crowds run everywhere.
Now that word or two:
I had a reading with Esther Flores, the 81st Street psychic a few evenings ago, and all in all , it was an actual adventure. She sits in her little cubby hole at her Botanica St.Michael, and this is a space unlike any I've every been in before, filled, stuffed and stuffed some more with religious artifacts of all faiths and creeds, persuasions and levels of mysticism, bottles and bottles of brightly colored oils and waters, labelled descriptively and exotically, each label telling what the oil or water is for...and candles, candles and more candles, mostly the kind that fill those tall heavy glass jars, also labelled for purpose and decorated with crude but stimulating art work, also specific for each candle's purpose, and I browsed the shelves like I was in a library....much dust everywhere,thick and old dust, somehow suitable for the many saints' statues adorning the shelves, and so much incense of different sizes, shapes and consistencies, that I can honestly say i have never seen or even known such incense existed...a lot of it looked really really old too..
My appointment was for 8:30 pm, but as is Esther's style, i was finally seen at 10:00 pm...she takes care of her regulars first, and spends ample time with each and every one. I almost came home and rescheduled but "something" told me I should stay and so i did. The only light in the place was an old, harsh flourescent, hanging overhead.Stark and cold. But the place itself was so small and humid, it was like sitting in a bad basement in a nightmare. Amazing that I stayed. But I did.
And to tell of the session itself will take another blog entry, there was so much. SO much in the way of information, predictions, sensory input, impressions, thoughts and opinions (was it a waste or was it not waste?), it will take more thought before I can write about it...I have gone to psychics all my adult life...the first back in Connecticut, when Paul and I were at Hartford Stage Company and the Greenwich Spiritualist Church was a big deal to go and visit..I had a couple of readings there...then later in LA...and a couple here in the Village...it has been at least a decade since I have gone to one...and so when Ed D. suggested Esther the other evening, I bit, and got her number...and so there I was...dank, flourescently lit,and intrigued ,in a sort of cheesy way, on 81st Street at 10:00 at night! Life does have its adventures.
Word from Rick R: SINGIN IN THE RAIN at Barter is a bonafide hit and tickets sell well....and the show is terrific too. I am happy for that. Though it did make me miss Barter a bit twingingly ( my own word)...I got a pain of sadness...will i ever not miss it? And yet THE LIGHT in the PIAZZA? That would not have happened there. And clearly the things I am to learn now, I am to learn here. So be it. OR as my Momma used to say: Let it be. Indeed. Let it...I have such a hard time doing that sometimes.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Hillary, Oh Hillary,....
...oh have you met Hillary.....my brother and I spoke this morning of her potential for being a President of the United States who would at least bring fireworks and style to the campaign...not to mention the fact that she is clearly the smartest of the bunch to try...I couldn't believe my very own brother Richard, with whom I have disagreed politically for 50 years (!) was actually saying supportive things about this dynamic, powerful woman...my dream conversation, concerning politics, with my dearest Richard....he has always been Republican..I have always been Democrat, and never have the twain met on any common ground before this morning...pigs do fly!
Before we hung up the phone, after our lengthy conversation, he said: "We should always talk."...yes. He's right, we should. And so we will. We will. My brother.
Things are slow around here theatrically, though I do have an audition coming up in June for something that would take me away to LA in the Fall...I do not want to be away from Peter at all,really, but I must accept auditions here when they come, and trust that the best will occur for all concerned...it always does. Peter is working out and losing weight and looks great, in prep for his Carnegie Hall thing in June...Alec Baldwin will now play "Billis" and tix are $850.00 each!!! A benefit for the Hall, after all....I will see it the morning of at the dress rehearsal.
Weekends at the House have been so good. Full of contemplation and conversation, as well as hard work and good meals. I love it there so much. But wil share Paul's relief when it is finally sold to the right people. Freedom to do so much else. And move on to even lovelier adventures.
I have recently heard from Ann J. that SINGIN IN THE RAIN at Barter is so good! She went on rapturously about the costumes. I am sure they are wonderful. I so want to get down there to see it. But it may have to wait until August, after my teaching gig at CAP 21...funny how far away it all seems now. Both in distance and in memory. Odd. Yet, I still miss certain people so much. And the beauty that is inherent in the Barter process. I miss that. I deeply hope the tickets are selling for the summer. And of course, as ever, am curious about all company gossip.That will not change. Nor shall my love for the place.
There is something so deep and rich about this time in my life. And, as usual, what this time will yield is still a mystery, but maybe it is simply to have mastery in this moment, without looking ahead or behind. THe mystery is the mastery. Hmmm.
Gotta go to a noon meeting. Wish I could snuggle and write all day. It's raining out, in that gentle Springtime sort of way.
Before we hung up the phone, after our lengthy conversation, he said: "We should always talk."...yes. He's right, we should. And so we will. We will. My brother.
Things are slow around here theatrically, though I do have an audition coming up in June for something that would take me away to LA in the Fall...I do not want to be away from Peter at all,really, but I must accept auditions here when they come, and trust that the best will occur for all concerned...it always does. Peter is working out and losing weight and looks great, in prep for his Carnegie Hall thing in June...Alec Baldwin will now play "Billis" and tix are $850.00 each!!! A benefit for the Hall, after all....I will see it the morning of at the dress rehearsal.
Weekends at the House have been so good. Full of contemplation and conversation, as well as hard work and good meals. I love it there so much. But wil share Paul's relief when it is finally sold to the right people. Freedom to do so much else. And move on to even lovelier adventures.
I have recently heard from Ann J. that SINGIN IN THE RAIN at Barter is so good! She went on rapturously about the costumes. I am sure they are wonderful. I so want to get down there to see it. But it may have to wait until August, after my teaching gig at CAP 21...funny how far away it all seems now. Both in distance and in memory. Odd. Yet, I still miss certain people so much. And the beauty that is inherent in the Barter process. I miss that. I deeply hope the tickets are selling for the summer. And of course, as ever, am curious about all company gossip.That will not change. Nor shall my love for the place.
There is something so deep and rich about this time in my life. And, as usual, what this time will yield is still a mystery, but maybe it is simply to have mastery in this moment, without looking ahead or behind. THe mystery is the mastery. Hmmm.
Gotta go to a noon meeting. Wish I could snuggle and write all day. It's raining out, in that gentle Springtime sort of way.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Character Men..,or :men are characters!
My day was wonderfully full of my two favorites yesterday: Drew Eshelman and Ed Dixon!!! I spent the earlier part of the day with Drew, at a morning tozo, chanting and chanting some more...and then we walked and talked...he is in the midst of a 5-day cleansing fast, and doing quite well on it, so we sat and talked about the regimen he is faithfully following to cleanse. He gave me lots of literature about it. Once again, as he so often does, he is showing me the way. I fill with gratitude when I think of Drew. And soon, he will begin rehearsals for the Julie Andrews-directed THE BOYFRIEND, which will start at Goodspeed and then tour for 6 months or so around the country! He has been cast as "Lord Brockhurst" and will be utterly delightful, no doubt. He seems so happy and excited about this job.
Then, Peter and I had a terrfic dinner with my dearest Ed Dixon at a place neither of us had been to before: Ruby Foo's on Broadway at 77th Street. This was after a nice long visit with Ed in his cozy fine place on 81st Street, which I had not yet been to...Ed is in marvelous shape, and i guess I have never been prouder of him,as his home reflects the healthy way he has put his life together in the past years. His walls are tastefully crowded with framed posters of the many shows he has written and been in, and it is impressive. And he has an altar of sorts in one marvelous corner, filled with special objects of devotion, and it is a powerful corner. The place felt healthy and happy. I loved being with him and so did Peter. It has been a while since we have been. ED starts rehearsal for the upcoming tour of DR DOOLITTLE, the musical...and will be gone a YEAR! But Ed thrives on tour and he will welcome the money touring brings...the job will be easy, and for a change he does not have to carry the show or worry about anything really difficult to sing, so he can relax, travel and save money. Ed also thrives on tour! My darling men...all going away now that I am home! What gives? Such is the Business!
I also ran into another "Thernardier" (I have played in Les Mis opposite all these guys)when I was taking my power walk yestrday , and as ever it was great seeing Adam Heller and his adorable wife Kerry O'Malley......and I even ran into the indominable Madeleine Doherty (also a Les Mis alum)who is still in THE PRODUCERS and looks fabulous! What a doll! I must make a tea with her....
So yesterday, NYC felt like that large campus I have spoken of before...a small world...it was gorgeous. I felt so connected to it. It really is a cozy world , the world of show business. So many common experiences shared across so many shows and so many artistic experiences. So much in common in this uncommon world. It was heartening to remember.
Then, Peter and I had a terrfic dinner with my dearest Ed Dixon at a place neither of us had been to before: Ruby Foo's on Broadway at 77th Street. This was after a nice long visit with Ed in his cozy fine place on 81st Street, which I had not yet been to...Ed is in marvelous shape, and i guess I have never been prouder of him,as his home reflects the healthy way he has put his life together in the past years. His walls are tastefully crowded with framed posters of the many shows he has written and been in, and it is impressive. And he has an altar of sorts in one marvelous corner, filled with special objects of devotion, and it is a powerful corner. The place felt healthy and happy. I loved being with him and so did Peter. It has been a while since we have been. ED starts rehearsal for the upcoming tour of DR DOOLITTLE, the musical...and will be gone a YEAR! But Ed thrives on tour and he will welcome the money touring brings...the job will be easy, and for a change he does not have to carry the show or worry about anything really difficult to sing, so he can relax, travel and save money. Ed also thrives on tour! My darling men...all going away now that I am home! What gives? Such is the Business!
I also ran into another "Thernardier" (I have played in Les Mis opposite all these guys)when I was taking my power walk yestrday , and as ever it was great seeing Adam Heller and his adorable wife Kerry O'Malley......and I even ran into the indominable Madeleine Doherty (also a Les Mis alum)who is still in THE PRODUCERS and looks fabulous! What a doll! I must make a tea with her....
So yesterday, NYC felt like that large campus I have spoken of before...a small world...it was gorgeous. I felt so connected to it. It really is a cozy world , the world of show business. So many common experiences shared across so many shows and so many artistic experiences. So much in common in this uncommon world. It was heartening to remember.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Not A Day Goes By....
...when I don't think of writing a new blog entry, but somehow, I have not written one, for days and days...sorry for that, all who read, but life is a busy and involved thing, at places and in ways I had not expected..it has all been so good. I have been delving deeper into my Nichiren Buddhist studies, chanting more, both at home and at the House upstate, and spending a deal more time with Peter at the piano, at home, snuggling down in our comfortable living room and discussing ways we want our life to go in the future...in some ways I feel as if I have been getting to know Peter better than i have yet had time to know him. And I am so glad, because he is a terrific man worth knowing. It's true what they say: it takes a long time to really know someone, and as easy as it is to take for granted that you know what makes a person "tick", that is how hard it is to really listen to what they are saying in the moment you are with them...I am guilty of this with my own dear husband. So we've been spending some "quality" time listening to each other lately. I am so glad we are doing that. Plus which , it's fun.
Peter has been cooking our dinners lately, and he is turning into a rather wonderful cook! He is inventive and has that thing that seems to tell him what will make a dish delicious....I am not real good at that...but Peter has been coming up with the most wonderful things...and we share a bottle of good wine (we have so many from Wedding gifts,etc.) with each new meal, and we talk and talk even more. This is a good time to simply be in our home together. I value it.
Ed Sala (with whom I we did PROPOSALS at Barter) called to make contact a few days ago.It will be nice to see Ed. He has a script or two for me to take to CAP 21...
We are having dinner with our favorite Ed...Ed Dixon...Wednesday night. I can hardly wait, as we seem to see each other all too rarely, whether we are in town or not. He has many tales to tell of his 2 weeks at Kathy Lee Gifford's Florida mansion...(he performed the lead in her offBroadway musical last year)...and just in general, I miss my friend Edward. So Wednesday will be fun.
We saw the Encore production of THE APPLE TREE Saturday, at City Center, starring Kristen Chenowith, Malcolm Getz and Michael Cerveris. It was cute. And , as always, fun to listen to Kristen sing and be adorable. This was Rob Fisher's last weekend of conducting the Encore Orchestra, and after 12 years of doing so, he is moving on to "other projects"...after the show, the cast sat onstage while Kristen sang a special version of "What Makes Me Love Him" with new lyrics specially written for Rob by Sheldon Harnick, as a tributre to his departure. The audience loved it Very sweet.You could tell that the Encore experience is a close-knit one, and that the staff is proud of what they have accomplished over the past dozen years or so. Theater companies are so...well....familial. Peter had never seen an Encore thing, so I am glad we went, especially as he'll be doing that sort of concert at Carnegie Hall soon...so this was in the way of research.
Yesterday, we worked on music practically all day. We both sang and sang, and played and played. I have not done that in a very long time. Felt so good.
We are both becoming rather disenchanted with our dear, but seemingly ineffectual agent right now....we like him so much as a friend. Truly do like him. But...this is a topic for conversation at dinner on Wednesday night with Ed D. Perhaps he can help us see something we are not seeing. In any event, something's gotta give. Somewhere. Peter needs more of the push an active agent can give him. And I...well..to be honest...I'm not sure what I need right now. Which is why chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo helps so much: it focuses me and allows me to stay open to all the possibilities my own fears cut me off from. It is a powerful thing.
Darling Drew E. received the offer he was wanting to do THE BOYFRIEND (directed by Julie Andrews!!!!) at Goodspeed this summer, and then to tour it for 6 months...I am so glad...he will be utterly delightful in it, and give us a reason to visit East Haddam this summer...yay. And I believe Ed D. will go out with the new DR. DOOLITTLE musical later this year as well, so all my dear "Thernadiers" will be on the road...
As long as they are happy. As for me, I want to stay by Peter's side, be a wife...BOOK A SOAP OPERA! Or a NY-based TV thing! Still not ready for 8 shows a week..as the lovely song says: "I'd rather be sailing..."....more soon,
as ever,
Ev
Peter has been cooking our dinners lately, and he is turning into a rather wonderful cook! He is inventive and has that thing that seems to tell him what will make a dish delicious....I am not real good at that...but Peter has been coming up with the most wonderful things...and we share a bottle of good wine (we have so many from Wedding gifts,etc.) with each new meal, and we talk and talk even more. This is a good time to simply be in our home together. I value it.
Ed Sala (with whom I we did PROPOSALS at Barter) called to make contact a few days ago.It will be nice to see Ed. He has a script or two for me to take to CAP 21...
We are having dinner with our favorite Ed...Ed Dixon...Wednesday night. I can hardly wait, as we seem to see each other all too rarely, whether we are in town or not. He has many tales to tell of his 2 weeks at Kathy Lee Gifford's Florida mansion...(he performed the lead in her offBroadway musical last year)...and just in general, I miss my friend Edward. So Wednesday will be fun.
We saw the Encore production of THE APPLE TREE Saturday, at City Center, starring Kristen Chenowith, Malcolm Getz and Michael Cerveris. It was cute. And , as always, fun to listen to Kristen sing and be adorable. This was Rob Fisher's last weekend of conducting the Encore Orchestra, and after 12 years of doing so, he is moving on to "other projects"...after the show, the cast sat onstage while Kristen sang a special version of "What Makes Me Love Him" with new lyrics specially written for Rob by Sheldon Harnick, as a tributre to his departure. The audience loved it Very sweet.You could tell that the Encore experience is a close-knit one, and that the staff is proud of what they have accomplished over the past dozen years or so. Theater companies are so...well....familial. Peter had never seen an Encore thing, so I am glad we went, especially as he'll be doing that sort of concert at Carnegie Hall soon...so this was in the way of research.
Yesterday, we worked on music practically all day. We both sang and sang, and played and played. I have not done that in a very long time. Felt so good.
We are both becoming rather disenchanted with our dear, but seemingly ineffectual agent right now....we like him so much as a friend. Truly do like him. But...this is a topic for conversation at dinner on Wednesday night with Ed D. Perhaps he can help us see something we are not seeing. In any event, something's gotta give. Somewhere. Peter needs more of the push an active agent can give him. And I...well..to be honest...I'm not sure what I need right now. Which is why chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo helps so much: it focuses me and allows me to stay open to all the possibilities my own fears cut me off from. It is a powerful thing.
Darling Drew E. received the offer he was wanting to do THE BOYFRIEND (directed by Julie Andrews!!!!) at Goodspeed this summer, and then to tour it for 6 months...I am so glad...he will be utterly delightful in it, and give us a reason to visit East Haddam this summer...yay. And I believe Ed D. will go out with the new DR. DOOLITTLE musical later this year as well, so all my dear "Thernadiers" will be on the road...
As long as they are happy. As for me, I want to stay by Peter's side, be a wife...BOOK A SOAP OPERA! Or a NY-based TV thing! Still not ready for 8 shows a week..as the lovely song says: "I'd rather be sailing..."....more soon,
as ever,
Ev
Monday, May 09, 2005
Scary Nation day....
We walked into the 3:30 rehearsal for SCARY NATION down at NYU Tisch School yesterday, ready to put it on its feet in front of music stands, in prep for the 7:00 "performance" and both the director and writer took Peter aside and asked him if he would mind switching roles with the lead guy, so that he (Peter) would read the lead ("Chris") and Brian would read the role Peter had been looking at ("Taylor"). Of course Peter said yes...we had been talking about how Peter was more appropriate for that role anyway, and Brian seemed fine with it (despite the fact that he had already done some substantial work on it at home), and the reading rehearsal went forth with Peter playing "Chris". I was really proud of the way he threw himself into the job at hand, and the actual reading itself was very warmly received. Lots of good solid laughs, and the chilling point about the Christian Right was made very nicely, thank you! My "Carry Nation" was a fearsome thing to behold, but somehow sadly comical as well...the audience loved and hated her. And I had a swell time reading the role. So we did good, and fulfilled a promise to our friend Janice.
The thing I was most impressed by was the ease with which Peter and i approach the work. Barter so fine-tuned us to the sheer exercise of it, that we are truly at ease with the process of putting it all together, no matter if it is a reading or an audition, or whatever. I watched Peter function as a true pro yesterday, and there is a sort of confidence there that only comes with experience. An ease. A trust.
Now....if only some auditions would happen! I feel shamefully happy on what is beginning to feel like an extended (okay...well-earned) vacation...but Peter is not as content as I am...and, truth be told, wouldn't I just love to land a film or a tv show? Something that would give me my weekends free? I know, I know...I sound like a tired old thing...but, well...and I am sure that if the right role came and it required yet another stint of 8-shows a week,well....I guess I could rouse myself to the challlenge...all kidding aside, I am enjoying this time. More than i ever thought I could....but when that bell rings...you know what they say about old race horses...actually, what do they say about old race horses? And Peter, not being quite as old a horse as I am, really does need to run! So, I will chant for that to happen soon for him. And for me....that nice tv show....
Carnegie Hall has been calling for Peter to give them all sorts of vital info,he has signed his contracts, but it appears that the June 9th Benefit Concert is all sold out, so we are a bit worried about getting tix for Peter's family...I will probably watch a dress rehearsal the morning of...and June 9th is just a month away! I seem to see Reba M. everywhere lately. She will be a swell "Nellie Forbush". And Brian Stokes Mitchell, an intriguing "Emil"...
My darling Peter. He was so good in that reading yesterday. Me makes me feel so proud.
The thing I was most impressed by was the ease with which Peter and i approach the work. Barter so fine-tuned us to the sheer exercise of it, that we are truly at ease with the process of putting it all together, no matter if it is a reading or an audition, or whatever. I watched Peter function as a true pro yesterday, and there is a sort of confidence there that only comes with experience. An ease. A trust.
Now....if only some auditions would happen! I feel shamefully happy on what is beginning to feel like an extended (okay...well-earned) vacation...but Peter is not as content as I am...and, truth be told, wouldn't I just love to land a film or a tv show? Something that would give me my weekends free? I know, I know...I sound like a tired old thing...but, well...and I am sure that if the right role came and it required yet another stint of 8-shows a week,well....I guess I could rouse myself to the challlenge...all kidding aside, I am enjoying this time. More than i ever thought I could....but when that bell rings...you know what they say about old race horses...actually, what do they say about old race horses? And Peter, not being quite as old a horse as I am, really does need to run! So, I will chant for that to happen soon for him. And for me....that nice tv show....
Carnegie Hall has been calling for Peter to give them all sorts of vital info,he has signed his contracts, but it appears that the June 9th Benefit Concert is all sold out, so we are a bit worried about getting tix for Peter's family...I will probably watch a dress rehearsal the morning of...and June 9th is just a month away! I seem to see Reba M. everywhere lately. She will be a swell "Nellie Forbush". And Brian Stokes Mitchell, an intriguing "Emil"...
My darling Peter. He was so good in that reading yesterday. Me makes me feel so proud.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
The Light in the Piazza
I remember when I was a youngster, maybe 14 or so, maybe younger, I saw the movie of WEST SIDE STORY and was so deeply moved by it that I started weeping in the movie house and kept weeping until I could get home and write about it in my journal...I think I was so overwhelmed by the experience that i even spoke into my little portable tape recorder about it, because I had to talk about it with someone, and get the words out of me, because to contain how I felt about what I had just seen was painful...I needed to communicate about it...Bernstein and Sondheim's music and lyrics, the acting of Natalie Wood (whatever did happen to Richard Beymer? and who was he anyway?) and the stunningly emotional choreography of Jerome Robbins all added up to telling a story that was almost too much for my young heart to hold.It stimulated my need to be in the theater and be an actress.
Well, yesterday, at a matinee performance, Peter and I saw Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' The Light In The Piazza, at Lincoln Center, directed by Bart Sher, and for the first time since London, certainly for the first time since being back in NYC, the same sort of feelings of discovery and rapture filled me again. This several hours contained the perfect blend of theatrical arts: song, a perfect book, clothing, scene design, all joined together by some of the best acting I have ever seen on a musical stage. Bart Sher's direction was inspirational, and if Tony Awards are not won all around, why would I ever want another Tony Nomination? Every so often, a standard is set...for me, seeing the work yesterday was one of those standard-setting times. I wanted the matinee to never end...I wanted to go back to the box office and buy seats for the evening show immediately...if I had been alone, i would have...but part of the utter joy of it was being able to share it with Peter, and I wanted to share a nice dinner with him too, which is just what we did do...
ANYWAY: Adam Guettel is the miracle writer of our age....Jason Robert Brown is deeply gifted, clever and melodic...his work is archly virtuoso...THE LAST FIVE YEARS hits all the right nerves and I consider it a seminal theater piece that captures what modern people need and feel and laugh about...but Adam Guettel is another thing altogether: he has within him the ability to write music that seems more like "channeling" than writing...his characters musically speak through him...he writes down their needs, in notes and melody and rythyms, he follows where the characters' journeys take him... the world of the play writes note to follow note, rather than Guettel writing music for the actors to follow.
FLOYD COLLINS thrilled and surprised me every turn of the way...and its totality, its need to be an entire story told from beginning to end, is underscored by the fact that none of the songs are as good sung separately as they are in the body of the story...no "cabaret" material there...it all needs to be performed together to be most powerful. I think that is what good theater music writing needs to be. And I felt the same seamlessness in PIAZZA: each song came from and went into the unfolding of the story; each musical expression sighed from the exact moment in the journey the character needed it to...and like a sigh, the expression is delicate and ephemeral, yet sturdily filled from beginning to end with the very soul of the person sighing. It is no accident that parts of songs are filled with the simple syllable "ah" or "oh"...what else can be said when the sheer act of melody says it all? And when the story has brought the character and the audience right to the same point of knowing exactly what the moment emotionally calls for?
No words are needed. All words are understood.
The cast, from one end to the other, is powerful and perfect. Victoria Clark will win, must win, all awards. She is wonderful as the mother. Kelly O'Hara is a gorgeous and full-throated daughter. Matthew Morrison is perfect and believable as the italian boy, and his whole family is pitch perfect:Patty Cohenour as the mama, Sarah Berry as the sister-in-law, and on and on...Marc Harelik is a wonderful,warm and soigne Italian haberdashery-store-owning Poppa...all the actors are blessed to be in such a show.
But above all: ALL of us are blessed to have Adam Guettel in our midst. This is no ordinary talent, because his is one of those that changes the way we hear, that demands we change the way we hear music in our musical theater.
Peter is already ordering the CD, which comes out May 24th. And I want to get my voice in shape in case I ever get a chance to play that Mother role! That's the same way I felt when i was 14 and encountered WESTSIDE STORY, the movie! Inspired.
I can barely wait to see THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA again.
Well, yesterday, at a matinee performance, Peter and I saw Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' The Light In The Piazza, at Lincoln Center, directed by Bart Sher, and for the first time since London, certainly for the first time since being back in NYC, the same sort of feelings of discovery and rapture filled me again. This several hours contained the perfect blend of theatrical arts: song, a perfect book, clothing, scene design, all joined together by some of the best acting I have ever seen on a musical stage. Bart Sher's direction was inspirational, and if Tony Awards are not won all around, why would I ever want another Tony Nomination? Every so often, a standard is set...for me, seeing the work yesterday was one of those standard-setting times. I wanted the matinee to never end...I wanted to go back to the box office and buy seats for the evening show immediately...if I had been alone, i would have...but part of the utter joy of it was being able to share it with Peter, and I wanted to share a nice dinner with him too, which is just what we did do...
ANYWAY: Adam Guettel is the miracle writer of our age....Jason Robert Brown is deeply gifted, clever and melodic...his work is archly virtuoso...THE LAST FIVE YEARS hits all the right nerves and I consider it a seminal theater piece that captures what modern people need and feel and laugh about...but Adam Guettel is another thing altogether: he has within him the ability to write music that seems more like "channeling" than writing...his characters musically speak through him...he writes down their needs, in notes and melody and rythyms, he follows where the characters' journeys take him... the world of the play writes note to follow note, rather than Guettel writing music for the actors to follow.
FLOYD COLLINS thrilled and surprised me every turn of the way...and its totality, its need to be an entire story told from beginning to end, is underscored by the fact that none of the songs are as good sung separately as they are in the body of the story...no "cabaret" material there...it all needs to be performed together to be most powerful. I think that is what good theater music writing needs to be. And I felt the same seamlessness in PIAZZA: each song came from and went into the unfolding of the story; each musical expression sighed from the exact moment in the journey the character needed it to...and like a sigh, the expression is delicate and ephemeral, yet sturdily filled from beginning to end with the very soul of the person sighing. It is no accident that parts of songs are filled with the simple syllable "ah" or "oh"...what else can be said when the sheer act of melody says it all? And when the story has brought the character and the audience right to the same point of knowing exactly what the moment emotionally calls for?
No words are needed. All words are understood.
The cast, from one end to the other, is powerful and perfect. Victoria Clark will win, must win, all awards. She is wonderful as the mother. Kelly O'Hara is a gorgeous and full-throated daughter. Matthew Morrison is perfect and believable as the italian boy, and his whole family is pitch perfect:Patty Cohenour as the mama, Sarah Berry as the sister-in-law, and on and on...Marc Harelik is a wonderful,warm and soigne Italian haberdashery-store-owning Poppa...all the actors are blessed to be in such a show.
But above all: ALL of us are blessed to have Adam Guettel in our midst. This is no ordinary talent, because his is one of those that changes the way we hear, that demands we change the way we hear music in our musical theater.
Peter is already ordering the CD, which comes out May 24th. And I want to get my voice in shape in case I ever get a chance to play that Mother role! That's the same way I felt when i was 14 and encountered WESTSIDE STORY, the movie! Inspired.
I can barely wait to see THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA again.
Friday, May 06, 2005
On the other hand.....
...there's nothing in the world quite like sitting around a table full of absolute strangers, actors with whom you have never worked before, gathered by a director you trust, to open up the fresh pages of a brand new script and, together, for the first time DISCOVER IT!! That's what Peter and i did last night down at the Tisch School at NYU....7th Floor, Grad Writing...gathered with others to open the new pages of a play by Zach Udko called SCARY NATION... ...and we had fun! And, as it happens, the play is oddly strong and affecting, driven by a powerful political message and peopled by a group of rather interesting characters...I play the risen ghost of Carry Nation, the savage fundamental crusader against all things alcoholic and sinful at the turn of the last century...she comes complete with Holy Bible and hatchet to transform the face of gay politics in America and it is a passionate, hysterical ride, until you realize how serious the playwright is about the terror of it all. Six actors will read the piece, taking on various roles, except for the lead two of us: Carry and Christopher, the young politician she has come to change...and it was a strong table of actors...Peter reads Taylor, the jilted boyfriend. I was pleasantly aware of the "newness" of them all to both Peter and to me: we have not worked with actors other than Barter actors in a long itme, not reading a serious new play at any rate, and I , for one, was thrilled by this new experience. I had forgotten the amount of sheer talent that exists in this City, per square inch, and most often NOT on Broadway, but rather in workshops, readings and small rooms where new art is being created! Last night was like that...and it felt so good.
We rehearse it again on Sunday afternoon, then do the public reading that night.Down at the Tisch School...it is Zack's "thesis" play, his last before receiving his Master's Degree. I liked him.
We are going to see the Light and Laser Show at the Rose Planetarium tonight with Ed L. and Sandy L....I can hardly wait...That is one of my extremely favorite NYC places to go: The Rose Planetarium. It is utterly and profoundly unique. Deeply gorgeous and highly spiritual in the broadest possible sense. And Ed says the current show is wonderful fun...
Peter is at his desk and keyboard across the office from me putting the finishing touches on our Wedding Song, and I have to say it is one very beautiful song. He had a version of it ready for our Disney Wedding a year and a half ago, but has wanted to sit down and really finish it to his own standards, and finally he's had the time to do that. I am thrilled with it because, first, it is really really pretty. And secondly, I think Peter's talent as a writer of music is perhaps the talent that touches me the most. He has strong , unusual things to say, musically, and I often feel he talks more eloquently in his composing than he does with speaking words...(and he speaks words pretty damned well)...but he gains access to something so true when he composes, so genuine and truly his own. Also, his musical vocabulary continually surprises me. The song is called TWO PEOPLE
and it is ours.
They have asked me to teach another class at CAP for the summer...why not? So I will teach two, instead of the one I had originally said yes to...I will still try to keep it a reasonably relaxed summer, but will be spending more time downtown. This way, I can help Eliza V. plan the Shop schedule for the Fall, and have serious discussions with her about the beginnings of the Company she wants to gather for the work.There are couple of writers whose work I want to introduce into the process, and already we have planned some "in-house" readings of things I have suggested as possible Wolff Reading Series entries. I will direct as much as I can. And so, it will be a CAP 21 sort of summer....i envision sunny mornings by Frank and Eliza's pool, afternoons reading plays...seeing the Ocean from their little Hampton town.
And time to catch up on a friendship I value highly. There are worse things one can do...So bring it on! Rev up that hot tub!
Today we work on music with Lori Kay H. This has become a regular thing on Friday afternoons...good for all involved.
Have a great weekend!
We rehearse it again on Sunday afternoon, then do the public reading that night.Down at the Tisch School...it is Zack's "thesis" play, his last before receiving his Master's Degree. I liked him.
We are going to see the Light and Laser Show at the Rose Planetarium tonight with Ed L. and Sandy L....I can hardly wait...That is one of my extremely favorite NYC places to go: The Rose Planetarium. It is utterly and profoundly unique. Deeply gorgeous and highly spiritual in the broadest possible sense. And Ed says the current show is wonderful fun...
Peter is at his desk and keyboard across the office from me putting the finishing touches on our Wedding Song, and I have to say it is one very beautiful song. He had a version of it ready for our Disney Wedding a year and a half ago, but has wanted to sit down and really finish it to his own standards, and finally he's had the time to do that. I am thrilled with it because, first, it is really really pretty. And secondly, I think Peter's talent as a writer of music is perhaps the talent that touches me the most. He has strong , unusual things to say, musically, and I often feel he talks more eloquently in his composing than he does with speaking words...(and he speaks words pretty damned well)...but he gains access to something so true when he composes, so genuine and truly his own. Also, his musical vocabulary continually surprises me. The song is called TWO PEOPLE
and it is ours.
They have asked me to teach another class at CAP for the summer...why not? So I will teach two, instead of the one I had originally said yes to...I will still try to keep it a reasonably relaxed summer, but will be spending more time downtown. This way, I can help Eliza V. plan the Shop schedule for the Fall, and have serious discussions with her about the beginnings of the Company she wants to gather for the work.There are couple of writers whose work I want to introduce into the process, and already we have planned some "in-house" readings of things I have suggested as possible Wolff Reading Series entries. I will direct as much as I can. And so, it will be a CAP 21 sort of summer....i envision sunny mornings by Frank and Eliza's pool, afternoons reading plays...seeing the Ocean from their little Hampton town.
And time to catch up on a friendship I value highly. There are worse things one can do...So bring it on! Rev up that hot tub!
Today we work on music with Lori Kay H. This has become a regular thing on Friday afternoons...good for all involved.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Having Too Much Fun!
...doing relatively little! Could it be I actually need this time to gather my energies, recuperate from the Barter years (enjoyable yet inexorable), and rethink my priorities? All I know is I like this time in my life. And I am mildly surprised at the lack of anxiety I feel since I have always been driven by what I used to label my "ambition"...Thinking more clearly about that, I realize it was more fear than anything else, fear, and the need to prove to someone (the world) something about myself I was not too sure about within me: my talents, my worth, my very reason for existing. These things, with age and experience, and as I deepen my
Buddhist studies, seem to have not exactly faded into the background, but are definitely in a different perspective than they used to be, and this leaves me so much more room for genuine creativity and happiness. Perhaps this is what "they" mean when they refer to the wisdom of age....I hope so, because it feels so good!
In any event, things are relatively calm right now....I did have a fun voice-over audition yesterday at Bernard Telsey's office...and Peter and I lunched with Janice Goldberg, old pal and gifted director, who has asked us to do a reading of new NYU thesis play: SCARY NATION, later this week...she gave us the scripts, and we caught up on life missed together in the three years we were in Virginia...I spent last evening with Drew E., dining at Zen Palate and going to Gongyo at SGI in 15th Street...i love having the time to spend with Drew, and diving into more SGI activities here. I missed that (when I had time to) at Barter very much. As Spring begins to spread over more of the City more of the time, it is a pleasure to simply walk the various neighborhoods.NYC seems in very good condition these days. Or is it me?
I imagine I will begin to spend more time down at CAP 21 soon, especially as I will be teaching several hours of class this Summer Session...but , except for seeing one brief section of final demos, and going to various Board meetings (next week is an Executive Committee Meeting), I have consciously stayed up in our neighborhood and have been working on the apartment with my husband. We love being in our home together.
Am I too dull for words? Do you all crave news of the great theatrical life here in NYC? Well, I am sure there will be more to come of all that. There always is. But for now, be happy that I am happy and content in my home, with time to rest, re-nourish my artistic "soil", and stock up on the energies necessary for the projects that surely lie ahead. I did promise to write more about SHOCKHEADED PETER and BEAST ON THE MOON....but as so much is lately, theater seems not nearly as important as simply cleaning out the next closet! THIS IS ALL SO ODD FOR ME!!!! AND SO VERY VERY GOOD! Rick R. has e-mailed and asked that i go to a reading of a new play later this month on his behalf...that will of course be a pure pleasure...I still miss them all so...but: all in good time!
Things will get busy again all too soon....so if I can remember to carry some of this relaxation over into the time when that does happen, I will truly have matured in a way that serves my life!
Meanwhile, I shall try to write of more entertaining things soon.
We are meeting Mitchell D. (brother of Barter pal Mark D.) for lunch today...that has some professional energy to it...I look forwrd to that.
But tonite, a simply dinner cooked with my man, another stack of stuff gotten through, thrown away, organized, and another chance to savor the simple moments together. I never used to be able to do that very easily. ANd I am grateful that now I can.
Love to all.
Buddhist studies, seem to have not exactly faded into the background, but are definitely in a different perspective than they used to be, and this leaves me so much more room for genuine creativity and happiness. Perhaps this is what "they" mean when they refer to the wisdom of age....I hope so, because it feels so good!
In any event, things are relatively calm right now....I did have a fun voice-over audition yesterday at Bernard Telsey's office...and Peter and I lunched with Janice Goldberg, old pal and gifted director, who has asked us to do a reading of new NYU thesis play: SCARY NATION, later this week...she gave us the scripts, and we caught up on life missed together in the three years we were in Virginia...I spent last evening with Drew E., dining at Zen Palate and going to Gongyo at SGI in 15th Street...i love having the time to spend with Drew, and diving into more SGI activities here. I missed that (when I had time to) at Barter very much. As Spring begins to spread over more of the City more of the time, it is a pleasure to simply walk the various neighborhoods.NYC seems in very good condition these days. Or is it me?
I imagine I will begin to spend more time down at CAP 21 soon, especially as I will be teaching several hours of class this Summer Session...but , except for seeing one brief section of final demos, and going to various Board meetings (next week is an Executive Committee Meeting), I have consciously stayed up in our neighborhood and have been working on the apartment with my husband. We love being in our home together.
Am I too dull for words? Do you all crave news of the great theatrical life here in NYC? Well, I am sure there will be more to come of all that. There always is. But for now, be happy that I am happy and content in my home, with time to rest, re-nourish my artistic "soil", and stock up on the energies necessary for the projects that surely lie ahead. I did promise to write more about SHOCKHEADED PETER and BEAST ON THE MOON....but as so much is lately, theater seems not nearly as important as simply cleaning out the next closet! THIS IS ALL SO ODD FOR ME!!!! AND SO VERY VERY GOOD! Rick R. has e-mailed and asked that i go to a reading of a new play later this month on his behalf...that will of course be a pure pleasure...I still miss them all so...but: all in good time!
Things will get busy again all too soon....so if I can remember to carry some of this relaxation over into the time when that does happen, I will truly have matured in a way that serves my life!
Meanwhile, I shall try to write of more entertaining things soon.
We are meeting Mitchell D. (brother of Barter pal Mark D.) for lunch today...that has some professional energy to it...I look forwrd to that.
But tonite, a simply dinner cooked with my man, another stack of stuff gotten through, thrown away, organized, and another chance to savor the simple moments together. I never used to be able to do that very easily. ANd I am grateful that now I can.
Love to all.
