Katy Walsh (of The Fourth Walsh) and Joshua Volkers interviewed me for their new radio show, Chicago Theatre Off Book, on CHIRP (The Chicago Independent Radio Project). You can listen to it online by clicking here.
The interview starts just after the 10 minute mark, although before that I got to participate in one of their 60-second radio plays. (Full disclosure: I had no idea I was going to do that before I showed up for the interview. I want you to keep that in mind before you judge my performance.)
Friday, October 07, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
An Idea
I've got an idea for this thing. I call it the Secular Artists Alliance. I've gone so far as to register the domain name. Beyond that, however, it's just an idea. As I wrote on the placeholder page, "My hope is to turn this into a forum for artists of all disciplines who have, or have been inspired by, or are maybe just curious about, a secular worldview. I'd like this to be a place where artists can come for support, networking, feedback, and inspiration."
Now how do I do that?
Now how do I do that?
Monday, September 05, 2011
The Plan
The time has come -- is, in fact, long overdue -- for me to find an agent. There, I said it. I have put feelers out, and several friends have given me recommendations on where to submit, and even been kind enough to offer themselves as references. Time now to put together some resumes and headshots, write me up some cover letters, maybe tack on some quotes from reviews, and see what happens.
I have, on occasion, sent my stuff in to agents before. I have encountered no success. I also sent my stuff in unsolicited. The agents had not seen me, I had no recommendations, and few reviews to speak of. I think I've got a better handle on what I'm doing this time.
I'm fast approaching a "now or never" point in my life. Without going into detail, let me say that certain aspects of my working life in which I had been comfortable have recently become distinctly un-comfortable. I was complacent; now things are shaking up and it is time for me to get my shit together.
The funny thing is, when it comes to theater, I have never been busier. The show I wrote opens in two weeks. I've been cast in a show at my home theater that workshops this fall, and performs next winter. I've just joined a company that performs Shakespeare for high school students. And I have an audition coming up about which I am very excited. If I get that, that's five plays I'll be acting in this season. That's crazy. And awesome. But also crazy.
But as busy as I am, I have bills to pay, and my old comfortable plan doesn't seem like it's going to pan out the way I'd hoped. So now it's time to step up my game. Part of me wishes that such a move could have been played out more on my own terms, but at the same time I know myself well enough to know that if circumstances hadn't dictated it, I might have been content to let things ride as they were indefinitely.
I hate to be so vague. Nobody should be worrying about my health or anything like that. It's just time for a change. And it's stressful as all hell, but in the end I think it will turn out to be a good thing.
I have, on occasion, sent my stuff in to agents before. I have encountered no success. I also sent my stuff in unsolicited. The agents had not seen me, I had no recommendations, and few reviews to speak of. I think I've got a better handle on what I'm doing this time.
I'm fast approaching a "now or never" point in my life. Without going into detail, let me say that certain aspects of my working life in which I had been comfortable have recently become distinctly un-comfortable. I was complacent; now things are shaking up and it is time for me to get my shit together.
The funny thing is, when it comes to theater, I have never been busier. The show I wrote opens in two weeks. I've been cast in a show at my home theater that workshops this fall, and performs next winter. I've just joined a company that performs Shakespeare for high school students. And I have an audition coming up about which I am very excited. If I get that, that's five plays I'll be acting in this season. That's crazy. And awesome. But also crazy.
But as busy as I am, I have bills to pay, and my old comfortable plan doesn't seem like it's going to pan out the way I'd hoped. So now it's time to step up my game. Part of me wishes that such a move could have been played out more on my own terms, but at the same time I know myself well enough to know that if circumstances hadn't dictated it, I might have been content to let things ride as they were indefinitely.
I hate to be so vague. Nobody should be worrying about my health or anything like that. It's just time for a change. And it's stressful as all hell, but in the end I think it will turn out to be a good thing.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The Other Side of the Table
I stage managed a play once in college. It was a one-act. I've since directed a couple of short late-night pieces, and "directed" a solo piece my friend Joanie did several years ago. In that instance, I just met with her a couple of times, gave a couple suggestions on blocking and pacing, and had a little input on the lighting. I have also done fight choreography on a number of shows, but was never intimately involved in those productions. Usually I'd just be asked to stop by once a week or so and check in. If I was more involved, it was because I was also performing in the show. The point is, until now I've never observed the production side of a full scale theatrical production. It is fascinating.
Actors spend little time exposed to the creative processes of the designers on most shows. This isn't a knock against actors; it's just that their work and the designers' work are done in separate places and follow different schedules. Actors usually only experience the last few stages of the designers' efforts. Working as the writer on The Count of Monte Cristo, I have a whole new perspective on the kind of work that goes into building a set, or lighting it. For weeks, thoughts and images would be passed around, ideas discussed, research referenced. Discussions would revolve around, say, a photo our set designer found of a cathedral. He would point out the feel and texture of its marble floor. This would be combined with a painting our lighting designer had found, showing stark beams of light coming through a small window, illuminating and isolating a small corner of a larger, darker space. Our costume designer would discuss images from the time period we are creating, and would remove or enhance certain details depending on what best told our story.
We are in tech now, where all of these elements and many others are finally coming together onstage, to be combined with the work the actors have done in rehearsal over the last several weeks. My job is almost done. I am reminded of the time I saw Tom Robbins give a reading. He was asked about his writing process, and how he approached revisions. He said that he doesn't stop tinkering and tweaking until the publisher finally tells him it's gone to print and it's too late to change anything else. I completely understand what he meant by that. I find myself constantly wondering if it would help if I changed this line here, cut that line there, clarified this little thing here, gave this line to that character, snipped a word or two from this speech. I don't mean to be picky. It's just that I want it to be perfect.
We have our first audience in less than a week. I am giddy with excitement. I love my cast and production team, and I am so proud of this show. I can't wait for everybody to see it.
Actors spend little time exposed to the creative processes of the designers on most shows. This isn't a knock against actors; it's just that their work and the designers' work are done in separate places and follow different schedules. Actors usually only experience the last few stages of the designers' efforts. Working as the writer on The Count of Monte Cristo, I have a whole new perspective on the kind of work that goes into building a set, or lighting it. For weeks, thoughts and images would be passed around, ideas discussed, research referenced. Discussions would revolve around, say, a photo our set designer found of a cathedral. He would point out the feel and texture of its marble floor. This would be combined with a painting our lighting designer had found, showing stark beams of light coming through a small window, illuminating and isolating a small corner of a larger, darker space. Our costume designer would discuss images from the time period we are creating, and would remove or enhance certain details depending on what best told our story.
We are in tech now, where all of these elements and many others are finally coming together onstage, to be combined with the work the actors have done in rehearsal over the last several weeks. My job is almost done. I am reminded of the time I saw Tom Robbins give a reading. He was asked about his writing process, and how he approached revisions. He said that he doesn't stop tinkering and tweaking until the publisher finally tells him it's gone to print and it's too late to change anything else. I completely understand what he meant by that. I find myself constantly wondering if it would help if I changed this line here, cut that line there, clarified this little thing here, gave this line to that character, snipped a word or two from this speech. I don't mean to be picky. It's just that I want it to be perfect.
We have our first audience in less than a week. I am giddy with excitement. I love my cast and production team, and I am so proud of this show. I can't wait for everybody to see it.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Insomnia
Rehearsals for The Count of Monte Cristo start tomorrow night. Or rather, tonight, if you consider that it is well past one in the morning right now. I can't sleep. I think it's nerves. Also, I took a long nap this afternoon, because I didn't get much sleep last night either. There was a reason for that, however: I was trying to sleep on an uncomfortable sofa-bed in a house that, while air-conditioned, was warmer and more humid than my delicate sensibilities normally prefer. Tonight I am back home and was back in my own bed for half an hour, and now I'm out on the couch typing at you fine people because I can't sleep.
As I said, I think it's nerves.
It could also be Civilization V. The video game. I got it last Christmas, but wasn't able to get the upgrades necessary to actually play it until last week. I played for several hours before trying to go to bed. So that also may have something to do with it. When I close my eyes I still see the map I slowly uncovered as my campaign grew. I pushed on until my civilization discovered gunpowder. The game usually stops being fun (read: too difficult) for me after that, so I packed it in. I certainly felt tired enough when I shut the computer down. And yet here I am.
And I've got these rehearsals starting in a few hours, and I am certain that I have forgotten to do something vital to the success of this show. I don't know what it is. Maybe I should have done more tweaking since I presented the most recent draft. That was a few weeks ago. I wanted to let the script rest until rehearsals began. But now I'm wondering, should I have looked at that one section again? Should I have tried to work that one idea in somewhere? I thought they were small enough fixes that it would be no big deal, but now there is a part of my brain yelling that we start tomorrow and THE SCRIPT ISN'T FINISHED.
Of course, this is a Lifeline show, and I've done enough of these to know that the script is not finished until opening night. I still have six weeks to get it right. And I have a fantastic team with me to help me see it through. And the script really is in decent shape, I think. I'm excited about where it's headed. I can't wait to finally start seeing this stuff up on its feet. This will be an entirely new experience for me. I wonder if the work I do in rehearsal will be as fun as the work I did on my own was.
Still not tired yet. Any other interesting news? I sent my headshot and resume to an agent a couple of weeks ago. No response yet, but I think that's normal. I'm not worried about it. If it happens, then cool. If not, oh well. I'm too old to be sweating about it.
After 1:30 now. I really should try to get some sleep. Sure, rehearsal isn't until tomorrow night, but I also have to put eight hours into the bill-paying job between now and then. And that job has been requiring stamina lately. If I am not well-rested, the day could become unbearable.
As I said, I think it's nerves.
It could also be Civilization V. The video game. I got it last Christmas, but wasn't able to get the upgrades necessary to actually play it until last week. I played for several hours before trying to go to bed. So that also may have something to do with it. When I close my eyes I still see the map I slowly uncovered as my campaign grew. I pushed on until my civilization discovered gunpowder. The game usually stops being fun (read: too difficult) for me after that, so I packed it in. I certainly felt tired enough when I shut the computer down. And yet here I am.
And I've got these rehearsals starting in a few hours, and I am certain that I have forgotten to do something vital to the success of this show. I don't know what it is. Maybe I should have done more tweaking since I presented the most recent draft. That was a few weeks ago. I wanted to let the script rest until rehearsals began. But now I'm wondering, should I have looked at that one section again? Should I have tried to work that one idea in somewhere? I thought they were small enough fixes that it would be no big deal, but now there is a part of my brain yelling that we start tomorrow and THE SCRIPT ISN'T FINISHED.
Of course, this is a Lifeline show, and I've done enough of these to know that the script is not finished until opening night. I still have six weeks to get it right. And I have a fantastic team with me to help me see it through. And the script really is in decent shape, I think. I'm excited about where it's headed. I can't wait to finally start seeing this stuff up on its feet. This will be an entirely new experience for me. I wonder if the work I do in rehearsal will be as fun as the work I did on my own was.
Still not tired yet. Any other interesting news? I sent my headshot and resume to an agent a couple of weeks ago. No response yet, but I think that's normal. I'm not worried about it. If it happens, then cool. If not, oh well. I'm too old to be sweating about it.
After 1:30 now. I really should try to get some sleep. Sure, rehearsal isn't until tomorrow night, but I also have to put eight hours into the bill-paying job between now and then. And that job has been requiring stamina lately. If I am not well-rested, the day could become unbearable.
Friday, June 24, 2011
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.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
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.
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.
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