We're still settling down after watching Randy's preview performance of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It was fabulous watching Randy act in a full play. He did a great job, although he says he dropped two lines. Hey, it was only the preview and he'd had such a long, busy work day. I've been running lines with him and I didn't notice it.
Tomorrow is opening night. That should be very good.
The show was great. It has mysterious and puzzling parts, comic bits, action, suspicion, and builds to an intense ending. I wish I could write more about it, but it is a mystery and it would spoil the fun if I divulged anything I shouldn't.
If you live in Western Washington, do come. Go to www.DriftwoodPlayers.com to enquire about tickets. The show runs June 11 to 27.
Showing posts with label Randy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Randy. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Raise your hand if you're kinesthetic
. . . and if you're not, you can just sit. I won't make you move.
Randy's show opens in a little over a week (Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None at Driftwood Players in Edmonds; do you have tickets?) and the biggest issue he's having right now is blocking.
Randy is not kinesthetic. A kinesthetic person remembers body movement well. That's not him. He can listen to music and pick out the key and the instruments and all sorts of stuff I can't - but that's not a help in this particular show. So, he's working extra on his blocking, which for those of you who don't know, is an actor's movements during the show. At which lines does one walk upstage right, or sit on the couch, or rush towards the butler downstage left? And if the butler forgot his blocking and is not downstage left, where do you go?
It's made a bit more difficult by the fact that the actors are still in their rehearsal space, which is more cramped and doesn't have stairs . . .
One lesson I learned from helping Randy is that next time I direct, I need to be very specific about where to tell the actors to be. Randy was looking at his notes and saying, "Well, he said to go downstage here, but I think he meant to go to the window since that's where I talk to this other person . . . " It's hard to memorize something that one is vague on in the first place. So, yes, I shall try to be very specific.
Randy's show opens in a little over a week (Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None at Driftwood Players in Edmonds; do you have tickets?) and the biggest issue he's having right now is blocking.
Randy is not kinesthetic. A kinesthetic person remembers body movement well. That's not him. He can listen to music and pick out the key and the instruments and all sorts of stuff I can't - but that's not a help in this particular show. So, he's working extra on his blocking, which for those of you who don't know, is an actor's movements during the show. At which lines does one walk upstage right, or sit on the couch, or rush towards the butler downstage left? And if the butler forgot his blocking and is not downstage left, where do you go?
It's made a bit more difficult by the fact that the actors are still in their rehearsal space, which is more cramped and doesn't have stairs . . .
One lesson I learned from helping Randy is that next time I direct, I need to be very specific about where to tell the actors to be. Randy was looking at his notes and saying, "Well, he said to go downstage here, but I think he meant to go to the window since that's where I talk to this other person . . . " It's hard to memorize something that one is vague on in the first place. So, yes, I shall try to be very specific.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Is my Mother-in-Law Insane?
In some cultures, sending someone a picture of a dead pet is a threat. "Ya don't wanna sleep with da fishes, do ya?"
In the world of my husband's mother, it's just a cute way to say, Happy Birthday!
That's right. In today's mail was a birthday card for Randy. On the cover is a picture of a black and white cat, drawn in pastel markers several years ago by Randy's mom. Inside, the inscription reads, "Happy Birthday -- Mona."
Mona is not the name of my MIL. Mona is the name of the cat - who died about 25 years ago.
Maggie complains that the cat's eyes are looking at her -- from beyond the grave.
For the first 4 or 5 years of our marriage, I used to get small Christmas presents from Mona. "Who is Mona?" I asked the first year, wondering if I had overlooked a relative. "Oh, she's our dead cat," the family replied.
In the world of my husband's mother, it's just a cute way to say, Happy Birthday!
That's right. In today's mail was a birthday card for Randy. On the cover is a picture of a black and white cat, drawn in pastel markers several years ago by Randy's mom. Inside, the inscription reads, "Happy Birthday -- Mona."
Mona is not the name of my MIL. Mona is the name of the cat - who died about 25 years ago.
Maggie complains that the cat's eyes are looking at her -- from beyond the grave.
For the first 4 or 5 years of our marriage, I used to get small Christmas presents from Mona. "Who is Mona?" I asked the first year, wondering if I had overlooked a relative. "Oh, she's our dead cat," the family replied.
Monday, April 19, 2010
And Then There . . . was Randy on stage!
Most people with a somewhat hectic schedule look forward to times when they can relax. Randy, my husband and lyricist/songwriter, looked at his calendar, saw a relatively blank time between putting on the Easter show and gearing up for the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop and said to himself, "Why don't I audition for a part in a community theatre production?"
I was proud of him just for deciding to audition. He's been co-writing with me, and editing me, and helping me as I direct, for years, but the last time he acted was when we were performing skits for the kids Sunday school a few years ago. Hardly the resume for an actor.
But he typed up a resume anyway, Maggie took pictures of him for his 8x10 headshot, and he practiced his British-accented monologue for me.
He auditioned on a Saturday, but received merely a polite "thank you," so we were quite excited when he got a call-back. After the call-back, in which they asked him to run through a bunch of accents as he read all sorts of parts, we just waited. Randy was thinking maybe he'd get the boatman, a minor character in the first act.
Friday night, the director called to offer him a part! It is a wonderful part but I can't tell you much more or it may give away the plot.
The show is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians). It runs June 11 to 27 at the Driftwood Players theatre in Edmonds. Here's a link to their site. Okay. The link isn't working, but you can copy this URL into your browser: www.driftwoodplayers.com
If you live in the area, please think about coming to see the show. Randy will play the part of the judge. Meanwhile at home, I will play the part of the patient wife holding down the homestead while he spends every evening in rehearsal.
I was proud of him just for deciding to audition. He's been co-writing with me, and editing me, and helping me as I direct, for years, but the last time he acted was when we were performing skits for the kids Sunday school a few years ago. Hardly the resume for an actor.
But he typed up a resume anyway, Maggie took pictures of him for his 8x10 headshot, and he practiced his British-accented monologue for me.
He auditioned on a Saturday, but received merely a polite "thank you," so we were quite excited when he got a call-back. After the call-back, in which they asked him to run through a bunch of accents as he read all sorts of parts, we just waited. Randy was thinking maybe he'd get the boatman, a minor character in the first act.
Friday night, the director called to offer him a part! It is a wonderful part but I can't tell you much more or it may give away the plot.
The show is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians). It runs June 11 to 27 at the Driftwood Players theatre in Edmonds. Here's a link to their site. Okay. The link isn't working, but you can copy this URL into your browser: www.driftwoodplayers.com
If you live in the area, please think about coming to see the show. Randy will play the part of the judge. Meanwhile at home, I will play the part of the patient wife holding down the homestead while he spends every evening in rehearsal.
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