Changing Direction

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Richard

Accept Richard Roland's invite:
https://www.linkedin.com/e/isd/716585800/ygBzwtmr/

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Year of Perseverance

One of my resolutions for 2009 is to make an entry at least once a week on this blog whether anyone reads it or not. I’m a little overdue with this one.

By now it’s well known that VANITIES has been postponed. I’m not sure when we’ll come back, given that there’s no end in sight to this dismal economic situation. Will having a new president in less than two weeks be the shot in the arm we need to begin spending confidently again? Maybe it’ll help. I am hoping for the spring – that’d be a good time to open!

The disappointment and anger have come and gone, and I know the entire company of VANITIES has gone through the same thing. Knowing full well that we didn’t enter this business for any sort of assurance, we still have to be allowed our grief, upset and frustration of having spent the better part of the last six months clearing our calendars for this time of year. For some, it is easy to find other work, for others, not so. And at least we were given the notice of postponement over a month before rehearsals were to begin, as opposed to right before, which would have been devastating (I can’t imagine what the cast of GODSPELL felt). We were very lucky to have had the time, albeit, it’s not very easy to find work over the holiday season. We have all dispersed and gone many separate ways, and I don’t know exactly what everyone is up to, but I hope they all find something to do in the meantime. I myself just booked a couple weeks of a workshop in February (performing) but after those couple weeks, it looks pretty bleak.

I find myself planting the seeds on many projects; not just directing. While I still propose shows, both new and old, to theatres, as well as developing new shows in readings and workshops, I am still auditioning for things, I’m working with a local theatre on some fundraising ideas for them, I’m pursuing a jazz solo career – I’m casting as many nets as I can, all in the name of creativity. Some would argue that to cast so many nets, to have that much energy focused in several directions, may not be the best way to operate, and for some, it may be better to take one thing and focus entirely on that. I suppose I feel I’d be missing out on something if I didn’t keep so many fires stoked at once. Again, being creative is what I have to offer, and I’ll find a way to keep doing it. I suppose 2009 should be dubbed “The Year of Perseverance.” We have to keep creating our own projects.

One more thing: keep supporting Theatre, no matter what. There is no economic stimulus package for Theatre. The film industry will survive, television will survive, video games, internet, etc… - these will be fine during these times. If you can’t afford to come to New York to see Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, etc, then please go out in your town and support your local theatre. Buy a season subscription, buy tickets show-to-show, but please support. Don’t wait until your local theatres shut down before wondering what their productions are like. You see, not only will you be gaining a wealth of entertainment and cultural enrichment; you’ll be helping out the entire industry. Shows come and go on Broadway, this we know, and as much as Broadway is changing and experiencing a slump right now, it will always be there in some capacity. But all of us, whether once in a while or consistently, depend on the theatres across the country for employment – we direct, perform and design in many of those theatres, earning not only our incomes, but health insurance and pension benefits as well. So, if you’re able, please set aside a little money this year to specifically benefit a local theatre.

And these times will get better eventually.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

What Defines This Fascinating Creature Known As Me?

It's been eleven days since my last entry. I got down on myself at first for not keeping a more consistent record of the process out here, but I came to realize that I've been so immersed in the process and really wasn't able to step outside of it until now. Today is the last day of the first two weeks and we have all come so far and worked so hard. Innumerable discoveries have been made, and new fathoms have been reached.

Watching each of the actresses move into their characters and discover that core of who they are is like peeking in on a small miracle in the making; it's like watching someone perform a real magic spell right before your eyes - it's that remarkable. I have experienced such acute joy in being present at that moment when an actor discovers a core truth about their character; they find it, realize it and feel it, and often it is overwhelming. There are aspects of these characters that are simply unlikeable, and to find that center is sometimes painful - to uncover that pain, that raw fragility, that is the main purpose behind a character's actions, and to embrace and experience it is a grueling, stinging, and often unpalatable thing. Yet in that unpleasantness is the magic and joy of transformation. What makes these moments even more stunning is that you don't necessarily see them coming. All the elements are right and *click* - magic happens. To call this process an act of magic is bromidic at most, but after observing it, I concede there is no other way to define it. The clichéd analogy is enduring. I am witnessing something rare and singular, and there's no acting class that can really show that: it's part of the rehearsal process, and I'm lucky to be a part of it.

This is the journey of the actor. This is the process of the actor who is supported by really good writing and really good directing. Judy has created such a safe environment in which these actors can step out and try anything, and they do. I admit it is with a slight whisper of envy that I write this; I don't think I'd ever had material this good to work on as an actor, and if I did, say, in college, I certainly didn't have the faculties as an actor to really appreciate it. As I further my process as a director, I become a better actor - the process suddenly becomes reciprocal!

We have run through the show several times now, and today is our last day in the rehearsal space. We have the luxury of moving onto the stage a week early, before tech. We have time to learn how the set moves, use the costumes, sound, some lighting, etc. The drummer, Michael, is here as well, so the orchestra is starting to fill out. The elements are being added slowly, one by one, so as not to be heaped upon the actors all at once on the first day of tech next week. Since the actors in this piece are onstage all the time, facilitating scene changes, set changes, their own costume changes - again: all on stage - it is so wise to add elements little by little. They are at times still overwhelmed by the demands of this show, but at least now they're being inundated in increments!

Tomorrow's the day off, and I think it's a VANITIES day at Disneyland!

More later.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

And the planet spins and the times may change but you’re always there and you’re where it’s at...

Seventeen years ago I had my first professional job being the understudy to the cast of FOREVER PLAID at the Pasadena Playhouse. 1991 – just a couple months after the earthquake of June 29, which collapsed part of a wall of the Playhouse. Well, today, the first day of rehearsal, we rode out a 5.4 magnitude shock that blasted through just as we had started our read-through of the show. The women were just singing the very end of the opening number, and I heard this thumping. My first thought was "Why is Carmel (the musical director) pounding the floor - the singers are in tempo," and that's when it felt like the building had been picked up into the air and then dropped 10 feet, then continued to shake and roll for several seconds afterwards. I think we all knew it was an earthquake the second it hit, but there was utter silence for a few moments afterwards, as it was still rolling along, and no one moved. One person suggested we get under the tables, another suggested we cram into doorjambs, and our PSM, Pat, suggested we leave the building. That made the most sense. We calmly grabbed our belongings and went downstairs and into the parking lot. It was then that Pat announced that we were on a "ten." I love her.

It should be noted that the Playhouse utilizes the top floor of a two-floor building (a furniture store!) as its rehearsal space, so we didn't have far to go. Later on, when I got back to my apartment, which is on the 5th floor, there were several misplaced, upturned and skewed items - the swaying must have been pretty bad there. I wasn't freaked out much at all, but I'm glad I was amongst other people when it happened.

After a generous ten-minute break, we went back to work, and by the end of the day, I wasn't thinking too much at all about the nearest doorjamb. I took it as a sign of good luck! A quake on the first day of rehearsal!

Okay - back to the title and the opening line: I find myself back in Pasadena after all this time. Pasadena was my starting point as an actor; the Playhouse gave me one of my first jobs. It was the start of something, and I will always remember the excitement I felt at being a part of a show that was receiving such great attention. I never did go on, but came close a couple times and I remember being devastated when it didn't happen. I also remember being housed in an apartment complex that made the setting for "Barton Fink" look like a suite at the Hyatt. I was being paid $200.00 a week, living in a trap above a Japanese restaurant, and really riding the highs and lows of it all: elated one day that I was involved; completely dejected the next because I felt so disconnected.

17 years later I feel so different: (as of today - and I don't see how it would change) I feel like an important player in this process (not that an understudy isn't important: I understudied in my last Broadway show and I like it). I always feel very welcome by everyone involved with this show, and I am viewed as a respected and integral part of the production team. So that overwhelming rush of memories, smells, sights and emotions that hit me as hard as that earthquake did as I walked into the green room of the theatre this afternoon was very soon afterwards tempered by the notion that times have changed, I have changed, and of course, the situation has changed. So has the entire staff at the Playhouse, save for one person (who I thought looked familiar, but not until we spoke did we remember and reconnect). So there are no ghosts here from the days of being a hungry young actor - only memories. There is only a new road ahead of me, and one of the stops along the way is a revisit to the Playhouse and seeing it in a whole new light, and in return, being seen in a whole new night by those who knew me back then. The Playhouse is indeed still standing strong, always welcoming in the next group of artists to convert its insides into new places, transporting all who come to view.

How else did today go? Very well. The read-through was great: it was good for all involved to speak and hear the words and music of Jack and David. Notes were taken, ideas expressed, discussions sent forth, and the good work has begun. It is wonderful to be here now; the excitement of actually putting on stage a show we've been reading and workshopping for more than a year. Lauren, Sarah and Anneliese are so good together, and it is a joy to watch them work with each other.

Judy gave me a book she just finished reading: A Director Prepares by Anne Bogart, which I had just two weeks ago considered buying and reading, but I decided to delay it in order to finish a few other books I want to read. However, it was presented to me, so the universe (and Judy) may be telling me something! I shall read it next.

Even though today's events were indeed exciting, I am hoping for a quake-free day tomorrow!

And yes, the accompanying photo was how we conducted rehearsal after the quake.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I've packed my bags, I'm first in line...

So here’s what’s happening this week: I just sent off two boxes of stuff to Pasadena. I will always overpack, and that is something I will never stop doing. I’m comforted by having my belongings with me, especially for longer visits. I honestly didn’t bring as much as I thought I would for New Hampshire, and in the end I was burned by my decision to pack lightly. By the third or fourth day, the weather had become rather warm and humid, and I was going through three changes of clothing every day. I barely made it (thanks to Downy wrinkle release and Febreeze). There simply was no laundry time. So I shipped off a bunch of clothing to LA. Granted, I’m staying in an apartment complex that will undoubtedly have a laundry facility in it, and I will at least have one day off every week while I’m there, so I will be able to clean my clothes. However, that doesn’t stop me from piling in as much as I can. I look at it this way: It’s Pasadena in the summer, I’ve played there before at that time of year, it’s hot, gross, and I will change three times a day. How’s that for justifying my need to move as much of my life with me as possible?

And just because I’m away from the New London Barn doesn’t mean that I’m not interested or even involved. Tomorrow is the photo shoot, which happens between shows. I’ve come up with a list of shots and, if all goes smoothly, all will be taken. I can’t wait to see them! Keith is back up there this week as his girlfriend is choreographing MY FAIR LADY there, so he’ll be able to assist during the shoot. And yes, I still miss being there, quite honestly. I miss the simplicity of it; the complete focused-in world of those two weeks. I know I am about to immerse myself in another world of Texas accents, mini-skirts, pompoms, cheers, and whatnot. To be honest, I’m chomping at the bit. I was on the phone with Judy the other night and we couldn’t stop saying how excited we were to get going on this!

So I get to do some of the semi-dramaturgical work before going into rehearsals. This is something that always interests me greatly, and quite frankly, the research geek in me gets as excited as Tom Cruise jumping on a couch. While a true dramaturg will work more closely with the script, I’ll be doing research for the eras of the musical: 1963, 1968, 1974 and 1990. Songs, celebrities, movies, shows, commercials, fads, fashions, news, events, you name it, I’ll be looking it up, just to have in rehearsals as references for the actresses…and us, too. I think it’s so helpful to be immersed in the period in which you’re playing – that may sound silly, but I’ve worked with so many actors who just play a period piece as if it was today – very contemporary – and it frankly bugs the hell out of me. In the little time I had with MILLIE, I had to state that keeping tabs on the period was essential! I remember one of my acting teachers in college, Jim Zvanut, telling me of the process of an actress he knew. In preparing for a role, not only did she prepare a part of her apartment in the style and décor in which she thought her character lived, but she actually attained the style of whatever period that was: clothing, posture, dialect, vernacular, everything; and made it her business to totally immerse herself in it. Now, really – we’ve seen those people lumbering up and down the upper west side and the Equity Lounge…I think they took it a bit too far, but there is something to that. I was completely fascinated by that story and from then on always applied that work to my roles. Now I get to do it as a director, and it’s just part of the fun!

Four people now have suggested that I actually write a book about this experience. Ted Chapin did about his experience in the original production of FOLLIES, and I believe Bob Balaban wrote of his experience with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Should I balance out my daily involvement between book and blog? Make the blog a book? Save the juicier parts for the book? I don’t know! I’m going to challenge myself, however, to at least keep a daily journal of happenings and events, even if seemingly banal and uninteresting, and I’ll then choose which parts go into the blog and save the rest as a diary.

Ah, so much to think about! And right now, I’m worried about having packed enough socks and boxer briefs…

I'll have to see if there's a Target near Pasadena...

Saturday, July 19, 2008

They said I would sing the homesick blues.

Ah, yes. Two weeks of intense, brain-sharpening, vision-narrowing, one- track- mindedness came to an abrupt end this past Wednesday evening as I watched the third performance of MILLIE. Some of the cast were tired – after all, it was the end of a two-show day, and between shows they had all auditioned for some roles in the next musical: MY FAIR LADY. There was even a missed entrance at the top of the show due to someone napping too long! As the actors began to improvise on stage, I just sat calmly in my chair, waiting and watching – anticipating the outcome. Eventually, the problem was solved, and enough dialogue was made up and one actor decided to take on the lines of the missing actor and the show moved on! Despite the hiccup at the start of the evening, the show recovered and Raymond said he loved it. So did I.

Afterwards, the cast had their bi-weekly party celebrating both the opening of the current show and the casting of the following show (the cast list for the next show is posted after the evening performance) and they asked me to swing by and when I did, they presented me with a very sweet gift consisting of two bottles: cheap bubbly (they said they had pooled together all they had…an inside joke of the acting interns there – and totally appreciated on this end!) and soy sauce! I will miss these guys. Despite having spent more time with some and not enough with others, as is the case with putting up a show in 10 days, and the awkwardness of scheduling when outside influences and events take precedence over tech rehearsals (I may explain more about that at a later date, because it was yet another aspect of being a director I hadn’t quite taken into account), and actually losing a cast member to illness (resulting in actually cutting a character, half of a dance number and quickly reassigning a couple small roles to someone else), I truly miss the cast, design team, staff and crew of that place (I neglected to mention earlier that the theatre had indeed obtained a projector for all the supertitles, and we decided that we'd use toe convention of the laundry cart as the screen - it works so well!

Upon leaving I was the recipient of some of the nicest and most warming cards, notes and little parting gifts I think I’ve ever received, and reading through them after I left the theatre Wednesday night brought me to tears, only because every gesture and sentiment was truly genuine; not forced or showy. There is a very unique group of people in New London right now, and they represent what it truly means to love theatre, and I miss them very much. Everyone should do summer stock!

Something else that I found quite interesting (and even amusing) is that a few people on the staff there regularly asked me over the two weeks how I was doing, how stressed was I and how panicked was I. I suppose they had experienced a few directors who had given in to panic and frustration in the past. Honestly: not once did I feel panicked or stressed about anything. Twice I became impatient, and those times were during tech (that’s natural), and I never let it color how I performed. As focused as that rehearsal period was, I never felt like it wouldn’t get finished. While I am looking forward to actually sleeping a little more, I didn’t ever feel my blood pressure rise, which brings me to my physical exam this morning: my blood pressure was a record low of 120/70. That’s wonderful news for someone who once had 160/95 a couple years ago (I am susceptible to city & traffic stress). So not only do I think that two weeks of being away from Manhattan and being completely focused on the task at hand had an extremely calming effect on me – I guess I was in the zone. Who knew MILLIE could be so zen? Even more than MILLIE, who knew directing could be so zen? This all feels so right. Did I ever feel this connected, this integrated as an actor? I think there were moments, but they were fleeting and I only knew them in glimpses. Again: another topic for another entry.

Well, if anyone’s looking for a show that’s funny with a terrific cast in a town that’s breathtakingly charming with great restaurants (Four Corners Grill, Jack’s, and The Millstone); all settled in the New Hampshire mountains, drive on up to New London. If not MILLIE, this group of actors will not disappoint with the next two musicals: MY FAIR LADY and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

I have a few days before I head out to California but there are so many things to do – Dad’s turning 80, I’ve got some temp work, lots of laundry and shipping to Pasadena of items I can’t afford to fly with – and by that I basically mean checked luggage.

More to come...

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Goodbye, Good Goody Girl

You win a few, you lose a few. Today's events certainly confirm that pithy phrase. We ran the entire show, which really went well. We are all so pleased to be in such a good place with it. This means that we get three more run-throughs before we give in to the tech rehearsal process on Monday! That was the winning part.

The losing part is that we say goodbye to a cast member today who has an illness which will just not allow her to continue to perform this season. To be more specific, I believe she has been battling mono and just needs to go home to recover. The schedule up here is most likely to blame for her illness, or at least it prevented her from ever recovering from what most likely started out as a common cold. This is just one of those schedules that is unforgiving and doesn’t really allow time for healing. At first it was decided that MILLIE would be her last show here, but that was before the seriousness of her condition was fully understood.

Not only is she most likely devastated and heartbroken by this (when she left rehearsal for the hospital she was in tears and afraid because she was having trouble breathing), but to see how this affected the rest of the company moved me. They are terribly saddened and shaken by this, however I do see some good that can come out of all of it: this might shake the rest of the company up and make them take care of themselves; something which may have not been a priority. At this point, however, it’s imperative. There are three more shows to rehearse and perform after MILLIE. Obviously, the schedule’s only going to get worse before it gets better, and not only don’t I want anyone else to have to leave the company, I also don’t want any of them to miss out on what a wonderful opportunity this summer has given them.

And, of course, this brings me to the next thing: leadership and example. I want to say something to my cast about how important it is that they take care of themselves and each other during this time, but I am immediately reminded of how I really resent those “take care of yourselves” speeches. The truth is, I resent the “take care of yourselves” speeches when they involve ultimatums and/or they are delivered by producers who have not one clue of what it is to be a performer and handle the schedule of a rehearsal process while balancing out everyday life. And I guess what insults me most about those speeches is that they’re often delivered as if the recipients were drooling, spastic idiots incapable of going to the bathroom by themselves. My cast, let me assure you, is no group of idiots. This is a very smart and loving group of people. So maybe all I do is reassure them that that is how I view them, and through that I express my confidence that they will support one another and themselves and just take care. I will add that in no way do I even think that the staff or producers here would even approach their acting company as anything less than intelligent and wonderful human beings, but sometimes hearing the “stay healthy” advice from a new face makes the difference. We all know I ain’t really the one to be giving out that advice, but I am now in the position as Director to do so. I think it comes with the job. We’ll see.

Restructuring the show is the priority for part of the day tomorrow, before our second run-through. It won’t be so hard, I think. We just have to move a couple people around here and there, reassign some dialogue, make a couple of dance cuts and we’re gonna be okay. Nonetheless, I will miss seeing our departed company member at rehearsals, but not nearly as much as her fellow actors will. She is indeed talented, enthusiastic and works very hard; doubly so through her illness. I won’t forget that. I wish her safe travels home and a speedy and restful recovery.

And with all sincerity and hopes for better health and catching up on sleep I say “Good Night!”