Au Revoir Vieux Carre

This is the last day in New Orleans. It's raining again here, sometimes heavily, with thunder predicted. It's very warm but not uncomfortable. Yesterday, I was shown the Faulkner House Book Shop, which is located off Jackson Square in Pirates Alley. They had some photos and letters of Tennessee posted on the walls. One was typewritten with a handwritten post script requesting the recipients to bring along some seconals when they game to see him. I bought a copy of Gumbo Ya Ya, which is a collection of Louisiana stories and folk tales. They also had a number of first editions by Tennessee. A copy of collected stories entitled "Hard Candy" could be got for $275, less than I might have expected. I was taken to the store by Dr. Charles, a friend of my traveling companion Steve. He came down from Hattiesberg, MS to spend the evening with us. Dr. Charles very generously treated us to a fantastic dinner at Muriels, a restored opulent former residence that is said to be haunted by various spirits.

Talking Tennessee

I finally saw the show I had been waitng for. It was A Lonely Man's Habit, starring Jeremey Lawrence as Tennessee Williams. He has been portraying Tennessee for some time in shows such as Talking Tennessee, Five by Tenn, and Everyone Expects Me to Write Another Streetcar. As the reviews state, watching Lawrence is like spending a private evening with Tennessee himself. The day before this show, I met Mr. Lawrence, who was attending another actors' portrayal of Mr. Williams entitled "Bent to the Flame," which focused on Tennessee's affinity for the poet Hart Crane. While interesting, it did not capture the principal subject nearly as well as Mr. Lawrence does. I introduced myself to him as an actor who also wants to do Tennessee. He told me to contact him through his Web site, which I am eager to do. I feel both inspired and challenged.

Wet Cat

It POURED down rain last night in New Orleans with massive thunder and lightning accompanying. We waded across the street to the bar opposite our hotel, which wasn't very wise as the water continued to rise while we were in the bar. At one point it was up to the bumpers on the cars along the street. I'm afraid the cat on a hot tin roof got drenched!

New Orleans

From the Vieux Carre: Huge thunderstorm last night, with hours of raucous thunder and zinging bolts of lightning. Black coffee with French Doughnuts smothered in powdered sugar took the edge off. Tomorrow night I'm seeing my first Williams play, The Kingdom of Earth or The Seven Descents of Myrtle. Can't wait!

Apis Post Bellum

It was a truly satisfying experience to be a part of the cast of Apis. From the first audition onward I got a sense of the director's unique vision and mode of operation. For me, the chance to go in a different direction and grow as an actor was extremely rewarding and I thank him for providing the opportunity. It was also a pleasure to work with and learn from each and every one of the other cast members. I can only express my appreciation to our director, Jerry Mouawad, for the creative sensibility and drive that made this show happen.

The End

Tonight is the final show for Apis. A short but brave run!

King Lear Redux

The callback for King Lear turned out to be something of a tragedy. To begin with, Jeremy, the director was considerably late, so there was a back log of auditioners when I arrived. To be fair, Jeremy was delayed because he had to rush his daughter to the hospital, so I by no means fault him for being late. However, he had asked me specifically to read for the part of Gloucester, and had sent me scenes for that, but then somehow failed to have me actually read for Gloucester during the audition. Instead, I read for the Fool (even though he said he'd already decided to double the part with Cordeilia), Oswald, Cornwall, and Kent. He had mentioned Kent previously as well as Oswald, so I was prepared for that too. However, while waiting in the lobby I heard an actor tell another actor that he had been informed that it was "90 per cent certain that he would be playing Kent." He then talked about how he was renting a bus to drive everyone to the coast for a performance there, and would also be renting lodging that could accommodate 5 additional actors. Later, I read with him and he was appallingly bad, but I guess you have to cast the guy who is providing the bus. I gathered from other conversations in the hall that there are several "regulars" who always participate in the productions, as well as 10 members of the board of directors who are given preference when it comes to casting. Cronyism rears it's ugly head! I don't know if I read well or badly, but I gave it my best, and went away hoping that I wouldn't get another call. So far I haven't...

Apis Review

Click HERE to read a review of Apis in the Oregonian.

CALL BACK

Last week I auditioned for this summer's season of "Shakespeare in the Park." They are doing King Lear, followed by Henry IV parts 1 and 2. I only auditioned for Lear, presenting two contrasting monologues. One was a speech by the Fool, whom I played in a production in Los Angeles. I also did Parolles' speech on virginity from All's Well That Ends Well. I prepared it specifically for the audition. Both went well, though I felt more at home with the Fool naturally. The director called me the next day and invited me to return and read for the part of Gloucester. This surprised me as I picture Gloucester as an older man, perhaps as old as Lear. In the L.A. production, Gloucester was played by Chris Pennick, an accomplished stage, film, and television actor. The director also mentioned that he saw me as a "natural" Kent, which I can attribute to the swagger I tried to give Parolles in the audition. At any rate, I would love to be in the production, performing in the Portland parks this summer. In addition, they are performing one show at the Maryill Stonehenge replica in Washington State. It's not England, but it sounds pretty cool.

Opening Night

Full house last night--about 230 people. The show went well. I am exhausted today, which I find amazing, since the show only runs for an hour. My mother went into the hospital emergency yesterday afternooon, feeling weak and short of breath. They are keeping her a couple of days for observation. I'm concerned.

Bathos

My word for the day is "Bathos." Here is the definition:

Description of bathos - American Heritage® Dictionary

NOUN: 1a. An abrupt, unintended transition in style from the exalted to the commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect. b. An anticlimax.

This is how the play, Apis, ends. If you see it, you will understand. However, in the case of the play, the transition is intended.

Tech Week is OVER

Tech week is now over. And it wasn't so bad, which is an inexplicable rarity. Maybe it's because the cast isn't allowed to talk when we're on stage...We are off tomorrow night, but from Saturday on we will be rehearsing every night until we open on FRIDAY MARCH 13!!! The cast is bonding, the cast is made up of nice and talented people. And three weeks from now we will disperse--like bees moving on to start a new hive.

Meeting a Friend

This morning I met an old friend at Powell's Books, the greatest bookstore in Portland and the greatest bookstore I know. The friend was Margaret Lehman, and I hadn't seen her for probably 7 years, and then probably 20 years before that. She was a friend of mine during my last year of college and after. I was in my early 20's and she was around 40. Now I'm 53 and she's 70. We met in the coffee shop of Powell's. Her hair was white, but I still recognized her right away. Powell's was a bit hectic, so we went to another coffee place. She told me about her life, I told her about mine. There was a good deal of warmth between us. Margaret is one of a kind. As we were leaving the shop, she pointed out her car to me--a bright yellow Porsche. Good for you, Margaret, in more ways than I can say here.

APIS--Papering the House

Papering the house means giving away lots of tickets for free. Apis will play only four nights--March 13 & 14 and March 20 & 21st. Each of the cast members has a night when he or she can offer complimentary tickets to as many guests as he or she wishes. My night is Friday, March 20th. Here is information about the show:


APIS, or The Taste of Honey
Opera Beyond Words
March 13 - March 21
All Seats $10, Fri/Sat 8PM
Click here for tickets

Artistic Co-Director Jerry Mouawad stages play without words that fuses a military prison with the world of the honey bee. Rated ‘R’ for mature audiences.

Work

I worked online yesterday for eight hours rating TOEFL essays. Prior to that I had only done four hour shifts, which I learned are far more suitable for that kind of work. At 6 pm I closed my folder and logged off, after which I realized I was supposed to work until 6:30. So I logged back in and completed the final half hour. The online work is convenient but can be tortuous!

The Wrestler

Steve and I went to see The Wrestler tonight. We saw it at Cinema 21, a great old Portland theater. I am a fan of the director, Darren Aronofsky, who also did Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain. Each of his films are very different from the others, but he does have some trademark characteristics. As Sasha Krane would say, his films end with question marks rather than exclamation points. The Wrestler is no exception. I thought Mickey Rourke did an excellent job as did Marisa Tomei. I liked both of them more than ever. There is a scene with Mickey Rourke and his daughter in which he cries. Later she takes hold of his arm to show him that she will give him another chance. For me the latter moment was more moving somehow.

Bees

The director of Apis told us that the title means "bee" in Latin, and that the behavior and life cycle of bees are the foundation of the play. It all makes sense: A group of men, who inhabit a cell overseen by a single woman, escape each day and return at night with hordes of money. That's how the play was described in the audition notices. Change "men" to "drones," "single woman" to "queen bee," and "money" to"honey" and you have it. Since I'm playing a prison warden, I guess that makes me a sort of chief beekeeper. Will knowledge of this underlying schema make the play more comprehensible to audiences? I hope not!

A Quote

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." --George Eliot

I came across this quote yesterday on the desktop of Thea's computer. It's my new life philosophy!

Sunday and Monday

I had a very full Sunday yesterday. To begin with, I worked out for about an hour at the gym. Then I met Jon for coffee at Trew Brew. I secretly invited our mutual friend Rob J, who showed up as a suprise guest. Next, I went to Thea's house and did something for her on her computer while she was at her Estonian choir rehearsal. When she got home, we and her mother went to dinner at the Bombay Cricket Club over on Hawthorne St. It is a very good restaurant. I'd been craving Indian food ever since seeing Slumdog Millionaire. I suspect that Indian restauranteurs are grateful for that movie. After dinner, I headed out to my parents' house to spend the night and help them with some things this morning. My mom forgot to tell me that they both had doctors appointments today, so I am here alone at the moment. Rehearsal tonight will be four hours. I'm going to stop by Goodwill on my way home to look for intersting suits that I might wear in the show.

One Week Down

One week of rehearsals is already finished and I'm still in--looks like it's a go. Next week we will rehearse 4 hours every evening. I haven't kept a regular schedule like this for some time--It's definitely an adjustment. But one I make very willingly. Can't wait to see what's in store next week.