Cuppa Two, Three
The second cup of leaded coffee lasted about two minutes. I was actually a little startled it went so fast. I was spell checking my last post when I noticed there was just a swallow left. Didn't remember drinking the rest of it. I waited until my entry was posted to drink the rest of the cup.
Between the venting on our trashy pop culture and the caffeine hit I am all perked up. The release is going very smoothly, so hopefully all this alertness will go to waste.
Several hours ago I IM'd with my second cousin for a bit, and we're going to go see Tartuffe in Edmonds on Thursday. This is a very nice community theatre, and I've seen some good work there in the past and some caricature work. I've two friends in this production, one a classmate the other an instructor who I worked with in a show, so I'm having trouble keeping my expectations open. I expect them to do good work. Sarah in particular, who is the education and outreach person for the theatre. I took a writing workshop from her for a while and it was a great experience. She brought in people like Craig Lucas and Steven Dietz to talk to us in addition to the workshopping and guidance. Steven Dietz was talking about writing for children's theatre, and said something I've repeated many times. "If you see two people on stage, sitting side by side in a car [he gestured like one of them was driving] and adults says, 'They're in a car.' A child says, 'Where are they going?'"
Thursday I saw Waiting For Lefty at CHAC. I had an acquaintance in the show, which was outstanding. Protest theatre from the depression. Frightening in a way. Not because of the stories it was based on, but the feeling we are inexorable being pushed into a similar extremis. The undercurrents won't go away, no matter whether we label them as communism or terrorism. I'm still hopeful we won't have to relive it all. I mentioned a while back my friend told me we don't repeat history, but it does rhyme. Here's a wish for some doggerel.
Cuppa three. Ate my breakfast, or whatever meal it is now. I was both hungry and desirous of a touch more coffee. I've been trying not to think about my theatre venture, with mixed results. The idea of working on a production, rehearsing wherever we can, and putting up the production wherever we can find an affordable (or free) space appeals to me. Not as a repeating process, but as a start towards building an ensemble and a production company. I've worked on enough shows in basically this way that it won't feel like a step down. The difference is this time I'll be working towards something bigger.
That's why I'm trying not to think about it now. A cart before the horse thing. Here I am talking about how I hope this theatre and ensemble will grow, and no one has even signed on yet. It's only been four hours, so it is too soon to start worrying. I don't want to build up my hopes. That balance between building oneself up for a greater disappointment, and being over cautious or cynical. Cynicism is not a healthy attitude for me. I don't that it is for anyone, but I can only speak for me. Caution can be sensible, cynicism is self-indulgent.
I'm about to indulge myself. Go home and sleep for a few hours. I'll still be thinking nice theatre thoughts. One thing I'm doing for myself is learning Tennyson's Ulysses. It's a slow memorization, as it is taped to the clear shower door and a learn a few sentences each morning. I'm also planning to read the Odyssey again, and do a little reasearch and such like it was an actual role. Process practice, and a classical piece with a sentiment I love. Not so much the end of days thought, but the more important thought to me, to not stop living to the fullest. You see, I want to look at two people on stage and say, "Where are they going?"
Between the venting on our trashy pop culture and the caffeine hit I am all perked up. The release is going very smoothly, so hopefully all this alertness will go to waste.
Several hours ago I IM'd with my second cousin for a bit, and we're going to go see Tartuffe in Edmonds on Thursday. This is a very nice community theatre, and I've seen some good work there in the past and some caricature work. I've two friends in this production, one a classmate the other an instructor who I worked with in a show, so I'm having trouble keeping my expectations open. I expect them to do good work. Sarah in particular, who is the education and outreach person for the theatre. I took a writing workshop from her for a while and it was a great experience. She brought in people like Craig Lucas and Steven Dietz to talk to us in addition to the workshopping and guidance. Steven Dietz was talking about writing for children's theatre, and said something I've repeated many times. "If you see two people on stage, sitting side by side in a car [he gestured like one of them was driving] and adults says, 'They're in a car.' A child says, 'Where are they going?'"
Thursday I saw Waiting For Lefty at CHAC. I had an acquaintance in the show, which was outstanding. Protest theatre from the depression. Frightening in a way. Not because of the stories it was based on, but the feeling we are inexorable being pushed into a similar extremis. The undercurrents won't go away, no matter whether we label them as communism or terrorism. I'm still hopeful we won't have to relive it all. I mentioned a while back my friend told me we don't repeat history, but it does rhyme. Here's a wish for some doggerel.
Cuppa three. Ate my breakfast, or whatever meal it is now. I was both hungry and desirous of a touch more coffee. I've been trying not to think about my theatre venture, with mixed results. The idea of working on a production, rehearsing wherever we can, and putting up the production wherever we can find an affordable (or free) space appeals to me. Not as a repeating process, but as a start towards building an ensemble and a production company. I've worked on enough shows in basically this way that it won't feel like a step down. The difference is this time I'll be working towards something bigger.
That's why I'm trying not to think about it now. A cart before the horse thing. Here I am talking about how I hope this theatre and ensemble will grow, and no one has even signed on yet. It's only been four hours, so it is too soon to start worrying. I don't want to build up my hopes. That balance between building oneself up for a greater disappointment, and being over cautious or cynical. Cynicism is not a healthy attitude for me. I don't that it is for anyone, but I can only speak for me. Caution can be sensible, cynicism is self-indulgent.
I'm about to indulge myself. Go home and sleep for a few hours. I'll still be thinking nice theatre thoughts. One thing I'm doing for myself is learning Tennyson's Ulysses. It's a slow memorization, as it is taped to the clear shower door and a learn a few sentences each morning. I'm also planning to read the Odyssey again, and do a little reasearch and such like it was an actual role. Process practice, and a classical piece with a sentiment I love. Not so much the end of days thought, but the more important thought to me, to not stop living to the fullest. You see, I want to look at two people on stage and say, "Where are they going?"
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home