A Fond Farewell to the Rabbits

It has been a long, brilliant two months.

Watership Down was a huge success, critically acclaimed, Jeff Recommended. I don't know that I have ever had such a positive experience working with an ensemble. I do know that I have never worked this hard on a show before. It was the most physically demanding project I have worked on since summer training camp for high school football. Early on, I was not sure I would be up to the challenge. I worried that the demands of the role would wear me down. I thought for certain that my knees would eventually give out. I feared that I wouldn't make it to the end of the run, and that my understudy would have to take over.

Turns out my fears were unfounded. I wore protective knee braces, was careful about warming up before shows, and followed our movement designer's advice on how best to carry myself in performance, and by the end of the run I was noticeably stronger. My knees became less and less of an issue. Halfway through the run, the whole thing became fun.

I will miss Watership Down in a way I rarely miss shows. It deserved a longer run than we were able to give it. Being a part of this production encapsulated everything I love about theater.

Eesh. That got awfully sappy. Sorry about that.

It's Friday night and I'm on my couch. No shows tonight. The first Friday off in months. At my day job, a project three months in the building finally came to fruition, so that's another weight off. And I was able to send the latest draft of The Count of Monte Cristo to my director today, so that's another goal achieved. All things considered, it's been a pretty good time for me. I have a few weeks until Monte Cristo rehearsals start, which should give me plenty of time to finally whip through the final season of Friday Night Lights, the Blu-rays of which some friends were kind enough to lend me. I am also telling myself that I will start doing some push-ups, maybe try a little running, something to maintain the activity level -- and associated benefits -- I achieved while pretending to be a rabbit for the last two months. But then I've always been good at finding reasons to avoid that sort of thing.

Basically I've got two things on my plate. I have Monte Cristo rapidly approaching. And then once that's open I have a eight-week gap before I start rehearsals on the next project. I need to find something to fill it. I was thinking maybe a class. Or some new writing project. Not sure yet. We shall see.

Battle-scarred

Tomorrow we begin tech on Watership Down. Tonight is our last free night for a while. It couldn't come at a better time. The right side of my body is covered in bruises and scrapes. I am sore everywhere, and I have some sort of unpleasant chest cold happening on top of it. Seriously, it feels like somebody dragged a rake through my lungs. To be honest, I'm not sure how much of the soreness is show-related, and how much is a result of this cold. But I can tell you for certain that my ass has never been so thoroughly kicked. I want nothing more than to go home, climb into bed, and stay there for the next thirty-six hours or so.

This experience has served to highlight a cold hard truth, one that I have struggled to ignore for the past few years: I am getting older. I am no longer able to fling myself about the stage with reckless abandon - or any kind of abandon, really. Last night was our most successful run of the show yet, and I am happy to report that my energy level stayed up enough to get me through it, but the moment we were done I could barely walk. I am genuinely afraid of Saturdays, when we have to perform this beast twice. I'll make it through. I don't really have a choice. But it won't be pretty.

Now that I'm done whining, I can report that I think this show will be something special. It is unlike anything I've ever done before. It is intensely physical (obviously), but it's also a great story with characters unlike anything most actors ever get to play. I mean come on. They're rabbits. But this ain't no kids' show. These are some bad-ass, hardcore, tough-as-nails wild animals in a battle for survival. You haven't seen anything quite like it. I promise.

The Count of Monte Cristo

I've been sitting on this for about six weeks, but the news finally broke today. Lifeline Theatre has announced its 2011-2012 season, and the first mainstage show will be an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo written by Yours Truly. The show will be directed by my friend and fellow Lifeline ensemble member Paul Holmquist. I am excited and terrified. Mostly excited. Usually.

We had a reading of an early draft a couple of weeks ago. It was the strangest experience, hearing words I'd written read aloud for the first time. It was very difficult to be objective, and mostly I found myself watching and listening to everyone else's reactions. Fortunately, the development process at Lifeline involves a great deal of helpful feedback from the rest of the ensemble, giving me some useful starting points as I dove into the next draft. And now that the initial shock has worn off, I hope I'll be able to listen to future readings with a more critical ear.

There's still some time before rehearsals begin. I'm acting in one show closing this weekend, with another in rehearsal and opening in a little over a month. But soon enough there will be another reading or two, and production meetings, and eventually we'll be ready to start rehearsing at the end of July.

Adventure!

The Count of Monte Cristo

September 9 - October 30, 2011

Based on the legendary thriller by Alexandre Dumas
Adapted by Christopher M. Walsh
Directed by Paul S. Holmquist

"Fool that I am, that I did not tear out my heart the day I resolved to avenge myself..."

Framed by a conspiracy of three terrible enemies, Edmond Dantès is torn from the woman he loves and wrongly imprisoned for fourteen years. After escaping captivity, he enters the upper reaches of Parisian society under a new name: the Count of Monte Cristo. With the aid of Albert de Morcerf, son of his former fiancée, the Count insinuates himself into the lives of his three tormentors and, one by one, seeks to use their own secrets to destroy them. A dark tale of intrigue and vengeance, in a world premiere adaptation.

Based on the 1844 classic by French novelist Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask).

EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Best. Day. Ever.

Back On the Wagon

As of yesterday I am back on Weight Watchers. For the last couple of months I told myself I was not really off WW, just taking a break for the holidays. But as the scale informed me on Sunday morning, that was a complete lie. I am pretty much back where I started. So it is time to knuckle down and get this thing done.

I should have known it would go this way. Ten years ago I tried the Atkins Diet. I started in the fall and lost a ton of weight. Then Thanksgiving approached and I figured I could take it easy between Thanksgiving and New Years, and then pick up where I left off. I was mistaken. Why I thought it would be different this time I have no idea. I will strive not to make the same mistake again.

Rehearsals for Watership Down start a week from today. I had planned to be in MUCH better shape for this. Now it's gonna be a hell of a lot of work. Yikes.

An Honor Just to be Nominated

No, seriously. It really is.

The ChicagoNow theatre blog, The Fourth Walsh (no relation), has opened voting for the 2010 Honor Awards, "presented to 10 winners in 10 categories for his/her exceptional contribution to the Chicago theatre experience last year." Yours Truly has been nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actor for my work in Neverwhere at Lifeline Theatre last summer.

This is the first time I've ever been nominated for a theatre award, and I promise you I am completely letting it go to my head. As thrilling as the nomination is, however, I would still really like to win. And you can help! Just follow this link to vote. Voting closes February 21st.

And I have still more exciting news to come!

Coming Soon...

I have an exciting thing coming up. I can't tell you what it is yet. But I completed a big step the other day, and I'm very excited about it. It's a whole new thing for me. Theater-related. You'll see. Soon. I promise.