Musings of Fire

Opening Night

2007-11-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Here we are. Opening night has come and gone, and I don't think it could have gone better, for the performers. Last night regardless of what happened outside of their realm the cast kicked some major ass, and definitely deserved their celebratory champagne afterwards. Although it does feel weird not having a show on a Saturday I hope it brings everyone to Sunday's performance even more energized, and pays off. I couldn't ask for a better group to work with, and I honestly look forward to working with Ventoux as much as possible in the future.

VIVA LA BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Ensemble

2007-11-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

ensemble: noun: a group constituting an organic whole or producing together a single effect.

A major part of the Ventoux Process (or at least from what I've noticed) is the cohesiveness of the Ensemble. We are all individual actors that come together and perform as a whole. Our tune-ups are done as a group, a lot of the focus work is done to make us aware of ourselves, our body is our instrument, and of those acting around us. This group is not about one actor or one performance. This group is about performing a 'single effect,' the show.

Schedules and time constraints have made the cohesive aspect of this group more difficult, but we are all dedicated to the single effect, we all have the same goal; and regardless of what we have going on in our personal lives, we have to perform to the best of our ability. We owe the audience that and more.

The show has taken on a new life and we now know what the first layer of the show looks like, but in these next 9 rehearsals we'll step up the intensity and see how deep we can make the layers. We are playing the same emotions as before, playing the same intent and need, but now it's time to see how intense we can make that need. How many steps and layers into the process can we delve? That's for each actor to decide, and I'd like to challenge myself and my fellow actors... find those 6 more changes and take it to a place you never thought you could get to. Step it up and start to play for the single effect.

Cheers.

12 days til opening...

2007-11-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

i'm so scared.

i want this to be good.

i hate this responsibility.

i dread the karma.

i doubt myself.

This Is Who We Are

2007-10-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

It began in 1979 as a dream in the heart of a 14 year old boy sitting in his English class. It resurfaced in 1985 while that boy, now a young man, was making grand plans for a future with his best friend. It emerged again in 1988 as that young man immersed himself in university life. Finally, in 2007, in partnership with his best friend, and for some years now, his wife, and with the help of some of the most amazing people in Fresno, the dream took on a life of its own.

Theatre Ventoux is a dream brought to life.

This is who we are.

Theatre Ventoux has a singular mission: the creation of something wonderful. Whatever else we may intend, as a company or individually, the creation of a living, breathing embodiment of wonder is the driving force behind all that we do.

Theatre Ventoux does not audition actors. We choose and design our productions around artists whose work we delight in and whose character we respect. We choose our actors for the unique gifts that they bring to each of our productions.

Theatre Ventoux has a way of working. Dubbed the Ventoux Process, we provide our actors with specific tools which we believe nourish the creative impulse and aid in channeling that impulse into the conscious creation of something wonderful. Through work on Centering and the essential acting elements of Language, Relationship, Emotion, Action, Character and Presence we seek to clarify and challenge our craft as a means to up the stakes of our art.

Theatre Ventoux offers our patrons a money-back guarantee. If, after any Theatre Ventoux performance, a patron feels their time could have been better spent elsewhere, we will promptly refund the cost of admission. Time is all that we have; if we are wasting yours, we do not deserve your money.

Theatre Ventoux is a dream brought to life. Like all dreams, it is fragileand tenuous; it exists by virtue of the faith placed in it. So long as we have the faith of our artists, the support of our patrons, and the blessings of our family, we will continue to dream the dream.

That is what we do.

That is who we are.

Dedication or Insanity?

2007-10-30T05:43:00.001-07:00

Our cast was awesome last night. They went above and beyond the call of duty.

A storm knocked out the power at our regular rehearsal space (Greg's classroom) so we chose to have everyone to the house to run lines. This was no ordinary storm. Torrential rain, hail, wind, sheets of lightning, downed trees, flooded streets. Did that stop the "Childe Byron" cast? Nope. It took some of them a while, but they all made it safe and sound. Their steadfast loyalty and remarkable courage were duly rewarded with a huge bag of Halloween candy.

Another example of dedication or insanity: I have taken the role of Ada. I have three weeks to learn the lines. Greg has stepped in and is doing some of the directorial duties. Nora has joined us as Assistant Stage Manager. Acting was the last thing I wanted to do right now. My emotional pendulum swings between fear and anger. Work is really stressful right now (emotionally and mentally) and I am exhausted all the time. There is, though, a part of me that is so excited.

Lisa

1st Timer

2007-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I can't believe I'm blogging, seeing how I have never blogged before, so here it goes. Wow- after watching everyone get off book I can honestly say I have never laughed so much in a rehearsal, God our cast is hilarious. It's really impressive to see how fast everyone has come to rehearsals prepared and off book. You guys rock my world. I can't wait until they can't call lines and I get to give them line notes. Which shouldn't be too many because so far most the lines are right on, I'd say about 80%- which for one full week of rehearsals is very high. I'll keep this short and sweet, just like me, keep up the great work!

So.... Here we are again...

2007-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

This being my second experience with the Theatre Ventoux process I find myself taking more from the Tune-Ups than I had with "This Flattering Glass." I really love the Tune-Ups because it gives me a chance to let my world melt away and allow for my creative process to come forth. It doesn't matter what I come into the rehearsal space carrying or weighting on my mind, as soon as we focus on our breathing and start playing with the Space Ball, the world as I know it disappears for the next 3 hours and I am in the zone. It's a mini vacation from my life and playing in a life I am portraying.

"Childe Byron" is an intense, touching, and kick in the pants show that is so much fun to perform. I am loving this group of actors, most of which I've performed with before and some I've never worked with before. It really is a good range of talent.

Tonight we are to be off book. The dreaded time period (I'm sure you heard the do-do-dooooooooo music and a scream in the background) as the actors rush to make sure they know their lines better than they did last night. I spent the weekend camping and sitting by the fire memorizing my script, yes even when the drinks were getting passed around, I was memorizing my script. It's strange what we are willing to do for our art, isn't it?

I know that this week of rehearsal will be a little clunky, but that is to be expected. We are getting off book rather quickly, but I can't wait to get it out of my hands and really be able to act. I especially can't wait to further develop a particular character I am playing, knowing that it's going to be an amazing connection.

So for now, I'll be walking around my office, waltz stepping (I'll let another actor talk about the Waltz Rehearsal), memorizing and speaking in a British accent as much as I can. :-)

VLB!
AL

CHILDE BYRON: Let The Games Begin...

2007-10-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

we begin formal rehearsals for cb tonight. more of the ventoux process, dialects, rough explorations of space and relationship, on our feet playing with what is, once again, a fantastically talented and dedicated group of interpretive artists. thanks to ebay we have our props and costumes (or most of them), thanks to steve sansebastian (fresno auction company) we have our set pieces.

i guess all that remains is to rush in where angels fear to tread...but then, we're no angels. or, perhaps we are, and angels were never what we thought they were.

at any rate: VLB!!!

etonne-moi
g

Childe Byron: The Walk-Through

2007-09-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had our third informal rehearsal. The two previous had been sit-down read-throughs; this time, the actors were on their feet.

Greg took the cast through the Ventoux process: a modified version of our physical and vocal warm-up, followed by a game of "Changes." Only Melissa an Renee had played before: Suzanne, Dorian, Sam and Ricci were virgins. All I will say is that Suzanne upped the stakes to 7 changes and set the bar pretty high. It will be interesting to see who will trump her.

After the tune-up, we walked through Act 1. It was great to see that the cast had done some homework. Lots of interesting play was going on. Sam, Ricci and Dorian, who are new to Ventoux, jumped right in and each brought great things to their scenes. Melissa is the most fearless and inventive actor I've ever seen. She always finds new things to do and brings it full-on.

The relationships between Ada and Byron (Suzanne and Greg) and Augusta Leigh and Byron (Renee and Greg) are beginning to take shape. Suzanne and Greg have a nice chemistry, and yesterday's Ada was very different from the Ada of our August reading. Suzanne's Ada is nutty as a loon and stoned out of her mind, presiding as the ringmaster of her drug-induced hallucination. Greg is doing something I've never seen him do as an actor: rather than make Byron larger than life and bring it down later, he's starting in a much more subtle place, making Byron a more vulnerable, sympathetic character. Greg and Renee have worked together before, so the comfort level is already there and they can play sooner that they might otherwise be able to. Instead of playing up the incestuous aspect of their relationship, G and R are focusing more on the emotional intimacy between Bryon and "Goose."

Personally, this play is becoming more and more important, on personal and artistic levels. Personally, I am fascinated with the father-daughter dynamic. Growing up, like Ada did, without my father, I've always wondered what I would ask him if I could, and what he would tell me about why he left and why he never came back. Artistically, I feel an obligation to do justice to Byron and Ada and all the rest of the characters in this play, who were real people, not characters born in Romulus Linney's head.

The real work starts in two weeks. I can't wait!

Lisa

Pirandello's thoughts about Art and Style

2007-07-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

so i happened across this book: "Pirandello's One Act Plays" in a book store in the west village today (the book store was incredible, but that is a different note all together) and the owner of the store was great, we talked for a while about who Pirandello was and what he did, which was really interesting (but that too is for another note) and when he opened the book he said there wasn't a price in it, so he would give it to me for FREE. so i start reading the forward by William Murray and he included in his forward a few excerpts from Pirandello's journals, and i was almost in tears at the profoundness of what he said, so i thought i would share just a tid-bit with you:

"...the various styles with which he became identified: realistic melodrama, ironic comedy, philosophical discourse, the play of illusion and reality involving the participation of the audience, the use of fantasy and dream to reveal the truth behind seemingly simple, even humdrum surface situation. About the question of style itslef, Priandello wrote: 'Style can be defined as the form of one's talent. For each talent a different style; but by talent I mean that interior virtue of spirit by which a man discoveres for himself what he has not learned from others. A talent without individualality is not a real talent. And style means individuality, one's own way of thinking, feeling, expressin. In short, a person has style who has things of his own to say and knows how to say them in his own way, with a completely personal attitude and manner that does not necessarily have to be beautifu.' "

this means that at the core of an actor is some one who is true to themselves, and therin lies the key: being our selves, generously, shapes our talent and makes it our own, thus that is our "style" as Pirandello would call it. but wait it gets better:

"Pirandello considered himself first and last an artist and he had strong ideas about what art was and what it was not. Among his papers was found the following revealing fragment: 'The realists limit art to the pure and simple imitation of nature. They make not pretense at saying anything; they wish to portray exactly what nature is. It follows that the masterpiece of masterpieces will be the image reflected by a mirror. But why repeat in a human and lesser voice what nature says in her powerful one? Can one perhaps succeed in taking from nature the sun, its warmth, the perpetual mobility of its succesive aspects? To copy nature is impossible. Yes, one should study her and follow her, considering her as the greatest and most prolific teacher. Art is nature itself, but proceeding along its own lines in the human spirit. Andit is from this resemblence that the artist's love of nature derives: he recognizes himself in her, and in contact with her he assumes consciousness of his own talent.In contrast to the realists, who have resolved to say nothing, there are those who want to say too much: philosophers, preachers, priests of the Idea. Before creating a picture, a poem, a melodrama, they write the commentary on it. And when the work is finished we are confronted by a sphinz, an enigma. Certain music called Wagnerian, certain dramas, certain novels or collections of verse of the the so-called symbolistic school, certain pictures or rebuses without perspective, without color, aridly outlined, unfortunatly provide us with painful examples of this. Art has nothing in common with this pedantic, obscure, and pretentious symbolism. Art does not derive from an abstract idea. But does this mean that thought has noghting to do with art? This is what the so-called aesthetes claim who say that the artist must in no way concern himself with the essence because the form is all. What does it matter what the artist expresses, if the expression is rich and powerful, the sounds, the lines, the colors joyfully beguile the senses and surprise the imagination by the fancy of their harmonious play? The aesthetes set themselves apart from the symbolists and the naturalists; they desire the cold representation of unalterable beauty, artifice for its own sake, for the pleasure of executing it. They distingusih the form from the idea and value only the former, without realizing that to seperate these two terms - form and idea - is to suppress art, which consists in essence of the compenetration of these two terms. The idea has no value in art until it acquires feeling, until, in entire possession of the spirit, it becomes a desire strong enough to arouse the images capable of endowing it with a living expression. Art, in short, is life, not a reasoning process. Now, all the founders of a system condem the artist to reason instead of to live. The realists make an artisan of him, the idealists a philosopher, the aesthetes and the partisans of art, fot art's sake, a kind of juggler who should divert his neighbor with words, sounds, lines, and colors in bizarre interplay, like so many little globes of colored glass. In each case we have the substitution of thought for nature. Instead of allowing the work to mature spontaneously in the spirit, they compose it externally by summing up various elements whose affinity they can study. Instead of abandoning themselves to the free movement of life, they assemble, they graft, they knowledgeably combine dead limbs in order to compose a living body. Art is the living idea, the idea that, in becoming the center of the interior life, creates the body of images in which it clothes itself. The idea is nothing without the form, but what is form without the idea, if the idea is what creates it? No formulas, then, for art. Whoever desires to create beauty by a formula deludes himself. Beauty can derive from anything except premeditated reasoning. Sinc, about all, the artist must be moved, out of his being moved the work of art will be born.' "

i think that speaks for itself. so there you have it... how amazing is that?

much love

adam

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2007-07-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

...grab some salt, tequila and have a party!

Well, hell. The rights for "Equus" have been pulled, and we can't do the show. I am disappointed, as is the cast, but everything happens for a reason. Why do we only use that bit of rationalization when something bad happens?

So, it's onward and upward. I figure we had two choices: go hide under a rock and lick our wounds until "Lear," or shrug it off with a "Shit happens," let go of the "coulda, woulda, shoulda," roll up our sleeves and find something else. Which is exactly what we did.

I must extend kudos to the amazing group of people we have. So far, everyone involved in "Equus" has agreed to be part of whatever it is we decide to do instead. I am grateful for your friendship, loyalty and faith in us.

To those who were "scared" of a community theatre company taking on "Equus:" put your fears to rest. Better yet, find something more important to worry about, like global warming or the price of tea in China.

To those who posted on the Beehive and supported us: stay tuned for something wonderful...

To the haters who are rubbing their hands together with glee at our little setback: what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Lisa

before you break the buck...

2007-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

... thought I'd borrow the space for a bit to ho this show. Yeah, click for a more readable version.

And for details for what this is being paired up with CLICK HERE!

EQUUS: The Cast

2007-06-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Drumroll, please........the cast of Equus is finalized and we couldn't be happier. The production will go up this fall under the direction of Lisa Mercier-Taber, in partnership with our good friends at the California ARTS Academy. While our production is not an adaptation, it is a modern staging and revisioning of one of the more lauded and award winning plays of the last forty years. We expect it to be something wonderful, and we hope you will join us for it.

This Is Who We Are:

Martin Dysart/ Greg Taber

Alan Strang/ Stephen Torres

Hesther Saloman/ Jessica Reedy

Nurse/ Suzanne Garcia

Frank Strang/ Dave Otero

Dora Strang/ Devon Bailey

Harry Dalton/ Ronald Blackwell

Jill Mason/ Renee Newlove

The Actor's Essential Reading List

2007-05-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

OK, this is in response to a number of people recently asking me which books I would recommend that an actor read. I'm never really sure how to answer that question, because what lights my fire might not light theirs. What I've decided is that there are three distinct answers to the question, so I'll present them all here.

Answer One
I suppose that there is a canon of sorts that every serious theatre craftsman should be familiar with just in terms of history, major movements, styles, etcetera. I have no doubt that such canonical lists abound on the internet so I won't reproduce them here. Check out any online course syllabus from any drama class at any major university, or look at the reading lists on amazon.com. Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to suggest that these works are without value to the individual actor. They have great value and are canonical for just that reason. However, like so many things canonical, if not approached in the right way, they become merely relics of old ideas, read just because they happened to survive rather than to plumb their depths. I know far too many actors who have read Quintillian, and Aristotle, and Craig, and Stanislavski, and Artaud, and Brook, and Grotowski, and whoever else you might care to name, in the former manner and are no better for it except to be able to say that they have read them. By all means, read them, read them all, but read them with a drive to learn from them, not simply because someone says they're important. Life's too short for that.

Answer Two
Read anything and everything that fuels your individual fire. It doesn't matter what it is: literature, genre fiction, non-fiction, comic books, bubble gum wrappers, or Congolese midget porn...whatever fuels you creatively as a human being fuels your craft and your art. Never let anyone tell you differently. If someone does, refer them to me. Better yet, just tell them what I would tell them: "Sod off!"

Answer Three
These are specific books that have directly influenced my thoughts on theatre and acting, or have had a direct influence on my acting. They are all theatre related and in no particular order.
The Actor's Eye by Morris Carnovsky: An artistic treasure trove that so clearly crystallizes what we are trying to so as actors. Unfortunately out of print.
The Intent To Live by Larry Moss: An excellent, if somewhat indulgent, primer on the basics of Stanislavski, and much more accessible than the translations of Stanislavski.
The Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan: Provides some nice refinements to the System's basics as well as proposing some provocative new ideas.
Stanislavski in Focus by Sharon Carnicke: Clarifies a number of misconceptions and places them in their histroical context. Makes one wish for newer translations of Stanislavski's work.
The Empty Space by Peter Brook: The only book listed in everyone's canon that really did anything for me.
Playing Shakespeare by John Barton: Indispensible if you're planning to take on the Bard (and if you're not, what the hell's the matter with you?)
Speaking Shakespeare by Patsy Rodenburg: See above.
Improvisation for the Theatre by Viola Spolin: The introductory material alone is worth the cost of the book.
Book on Improvisation by Stephen Book: Takes everything you ever knew about acting and turns it inside out. The ideas and the work are immediately applicable and up the stakes like nothing else I have come across. My Bible.

The following books, also in no particular order, are not theatre specific, but I cannot emphasize enough their impact on what I belive and do.
Freedom from the Known by Jiddhu Krishnamurti: Just when you thought you knew what inspiration was....
Zen in the Art of Archery bu Eugen Herrigal: This is what training is like.
The Book by Alan Watts: Will teach you everything you ever need to know about being part of the whole.
Living Without a Goal by James Ogilvy: Will teach you everything you need to know about being in the moment.
Dune, Dune Messiah, etc by Frank Herbert: Not the stories, the epigrams.
No Boundary by Ken Wilber: Blows away all of the excuses.
Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse: Nothing is the same after this....
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran: The most sublime statement of Love and Divinity ever penned.

So there it is.
Happy reading.

etonne-moi!

Shagging Fungoes (Acting)

2007-05-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond to the last post.
Good thinking, all!
I'd just like to toss out a few thoughts of my own in response to your thoughts.
I'm sure there are those audience members who go to a play or movie looking for the acting, just like there are those who go to see a magician who are looking for the trick. They miss the point. It's about losing yourself in the experience. If you want to see how the acting is done, get off your dead ass and do a show. Brecht was seeking a very particular effect for a very specific ideological reason, which is all well and good if you want your theatre to be political. But the theatre isn't about politics, though it can be political; it's about entertainment. And remember that to entertain means 'to hold among' or 'to hold the attention of.' That's what the acting has to do before it does anything else: hold the attention of the audience. Utlimately, why the audience is there and what they are looking for doesn't matter. We do what we do and gift it to them, and, like any gift freely given, they are free to do with it what they will.
As for Meryl, well, she's just damned awesome isn't she? And it doesn't matter one bit whose thoughts you're seeing, though in truth it's both: it's really the actor's, but within the imaginary circumstances of the play/movie which you have suspended your disbelief to enter, it's the character's. All that matters is that you see it and believe it. When it's good, it's transcendent.
In general I'm in agreement with what Adam said except for one thing: how you, the actor, would respond in a given circumstance is irrelevant. No playwright wrought you. If personalizations, and what ifs and magic ifs and adjustment work for you as an actor and the audience believes your behavior, then rock on. However, for most, I find this approach to be self-indulgent. Often it leads to the actor simply being himself on the stage saying a different person's words depending on the play...which is pretty damned dull after a few shows. I don't care about and don't want to see how Larry, Richard, Mel, Kevin, and Ken react to the appearance of their dead father...I want to see how Hamlet, as interpreted by those artists, reacts.
In the end it's all just attitude-driven bullshit...and that's what makes it so damned fun!
Coming Next: The Actor's Essential Reading List.
Watch for it!!!

Acting: A Working Definition

2007-05-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sanford Meisner was one of the most influential and respected acting teachers in American history. His teaching brought a new level of artistry to the craft of acting and his work is, rightly, studied by any serious student of acting. However, like most that have a significant impact on a field of endeavor, he was reacting to weaknesses he perceived in the work of others, specifically in the teachings of Lee Strasberg. In this vein, I would like to take a look at one of Meisner’s most significant legacies, his definition of acting and react to what I perceive to be a weakness therein.

Sanford Meisner defined acting as follows: living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. At the time, this was probably the most succinct and useful definition of acting put forward, and it still serves many actors well. However, there are several difficulties with this definition which bear close examination.

Of the three essential elements of Meisner’s definition, the final element, imaginary circumstances, is the most crucial in terms of setting the context for the other two, living and truthfully. Circumstances refer to all of the elements of the play that come to bear upon its performance. Here the idea of the play must be clearly understood. The play is the imaginary reality in which the characters exist and live out their imaginary lives. The play is what is directly provided by the playwright, the perceptual concept provided by the director, and the interpretive choices made by the actors in service of the playwright and the director. Everything else, e.g. lighting, costumes, music, sound, all of the elements that can be termed production, are peripheral to the play and, while they all may, and, ideally, should contribute to its performance, are not necessary to its performance. This is the fundamental reason that theatre is infinitely generative: given the same script, every new constellation of artists will generate a different play. Indeed, even if all of the production values are rigidly controlled for and precisely the same night after night, the play itself as performed will be unique to the particular artists performing it at that particular time.

The key word in this part of the definition, however, is imaginary. Nothing that happens in the play is real. The production itself is real; the play is imaginary. No matter how natural or realistic a setting may be, it is not what it purports to be. No matter how believably the actors may behave (a point I will return to), they are not the characters they portray. The play is an imaginary reality, a symbolic construct that, when successful, points to something concrete in the lives of its audience.

Acting takes place within a set of imaginary circumstances. It takes place within a framework of fundamentally unreal, though fully realized, details that create a context within which the audience may empathetically engage the play and come away changed for the experience.

So, if acting takes place within a set of imaginary circumstances, what, exactly, is taking place? It is categorically not living, nor is it truthful.

If the actor is living the part, then the actor is not acting. Living the part is not acting, it is schizophrenia, a breakdown of the distinctions between what is real and what is imaginary. The actor is always there witnessing the acting. No matter how immersed an actor may become in a role or a scene or a play, this witness always remains. Ideally, it is this witness that guides the performance, keeping it from becoming self-indulgent. This is the danger in the misuse of Meisner’s definition, it can lead to a self-indulgent quest for the actor’s holy grail: being in the moment. With the exception of the myriad misunderstandings of Stanislavski’s seminal work in the early twentieth century, no single acting concept has been so misunderstood and led to so much self-serving work. To put it plainly: characters are never in the moment. This is patently obvious when you accept that characters do not exist, they are imaginary. The actor who destroys the integrity of a scene and claims that his actions were justified because he was in the moment and that’s what his character would have done, betrays a terrible ignorance of his part of the whole play and demonstrates a narcissistic hubris of the highest degree. It is the actor that must be in the moment, not the character. The actor, as witness, must strive to be fully alive and present from moment to moment to moment in order to guide the performance, to respond properly to subtle (or not so subtle) changes in individual performances, and to revel in the playing. It is this revelry that is the actor’s greatest pleasure in performance: the scintillant joy that comes from the playing itself, a playing that is completely imaginary.

Acting is not truthful. There is nothing of the truth about it. It is a lie. At its best, it is a sublimely well-crafted lie that the audience freely agrees to buy into. At its worst, it exposes itself for the lie that it is in performances that are unwatchable and which an audience, no matter how forgiving, cannot participate in. Like living, truthfully centers the actor on himself and on his personal reality, which is of no concern to the audience. It doesn’t matter whether or not the actor feels the living truth of his character’s circumstances, it only matters that the audience does. As Stephen Book says, “We are not paid to have an experience; we’re paid to give the audience one.” Our creative and personal payoff must be in doing that, not in flailing about in the midst of our own personal and emotional reveries, an all too common form of masturbatory acting deriving from the actor’s mistaken belief that it’s all about him.

Acting is not about the actor, it’s about the audience. It’s about what we give to the audience. With that undersdtanding, I would amend Sanford Meisner’s definition of acting as follows: acting is behaving believably under imaginary circumstances. Set within the same context of properly understood imaginary circumstances, this takes the focus off of the actor and puts it with the audience. It does not matter whether or not the actor has an experience or not, feels an emotion or not, believes what he is doing or not, identifies with the character or not, it only matters that the audience finds the actor’s behavior to be believable within the imaginary circumstances of the play. The audience cannot see an actor’s thoughts, intentions, backstory, emotions, magic ifs, substitutions, or objectives; the audience can only see and experience what the actor actually does on the stage. And, to be effective, what the actor does must be believable to the audience. No matter how outrageous, or subtle, so long as it is believable to the audience, it is effective. And effectiveness, as measured by the audience for whom we play (as well as by our own artistic sensibilities), is a much better and, ultimately, finer arbiter of our work than our own, all to often, self-indulgent and self-aggrandizing feelings.

Note: Since drafting this piece, I have been fortunate enough to have read Ronald Rand’s Acting Teachers of America: A Vital Tradition. In it, Julie Garfield, daughter John Garfield, graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, and student of Sanford Meisner gave the following variation of his famous definition (attributed to Meisner, himself): Acting is the reality of doing moment to moment under imaginary circumstances.

And just like that...poof...it was gone...

2007-05-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Something Wonderful This Way Comes...

Fall 2007

Peter Shaffer's

EQUUS

This Flattering Glass

2007-05-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

damn...

Da Count: Supporters...athletic and otherwise

2007-05-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

This Flattering Glass closes tomorrow, and we cannot even begin to put into words how honored, humbled and proud we feel about the whole experience. We've never worked with a group of people more dedicated to excellence than this cast and crew.

But Da Count today is for another group of people: those who have supported us. Chris and Julie Ann for faith and space and lights. Marcel for advice, video tape, and just being there. Nora for being president of our fan club. Suzanne for being a treasure beyond value. Mike, Nancy, Kate, Patrick, Will, Donald, Jessi, and Charles for congratulations, encouragement, and very kind words. Everyone who has seen the show for taking time out of their lives.

Vive le bullshit!

This Flattering Glass: This Is Who We Are

2007-05-10T21:47:00.001-07:00

This Flattering Glass: Lovely Ladies

2007-05-05T10:29:00.001-07:00

More of Us

2007-05-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

TFG Reviews

2007-05-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the reviews for This Flattering Glass. The first was posted at www.fresnoundercurrent.net/node/446 by Jessi Hafer on May 1, 2007. The second was posted on April 30th by Donald Munro at www.fresnobeehive.com/archives/2007/04/theater_review_7.html#more

Review One: Timeless Noir, Magic Relationships
Theatre Ventoux boldly embraces Richard II, a generally unfamiliar Shakepeare play, and gives it a fresh and enthralling vibe in This Flattering Glass. This adaptation sounds true to the original, complete with “thou hast” and so forth. Visually, it looks more like an episode of the Sopranos or a classic film noir, with a carefully crafted visual style generated by sleak suits, lighting and shadows, a quick shot of alcohol between lines, actor mannerisms, and a drawing of “swords” by way of aimed guns. The play opens with a montage of quiet misdeeds set to Johnny Cash, the intensity rising through the expressions on the actors’ faces.

Throughout the play, the driving force is not Shakespeare’s words, but the relationships between the characters. Sometimes, in other plays, you get the feeling that those acting, though talented, approach their fellow actors as if they were props. In Flattering Glass, you really sense the magnetism between the actors. It’s not simply how the characters react and interact. The true subjects of the play ARE the depths of what occurs between any two characters. Theatre Ventoux accomplishes this with a natural, genuine feel, through the ways one character will lean uncomfortably away or deeply towards another character, the way they may glance away and then back in distrust or thought.

That said, their moments alone are not lacking either. In speech, they don’t stay still or just talk to the audience, but they are always doing something that feels natural and appropriate. They deliver their lines through their postures. They deliver their state through a controlled move of a chess piece or a more random turn of a playing card.

There is risk in any adaptation in the choices of what to change and what not to change. In general, I wonder about Shakespeare adaptations that update the people without updating their speech. Why call the leader with a tie and a gun a king rather than a president or mob boss? Why call a gun a “sword,” even if tongue in cheek?

That said, overall Theatre Ventoux maintains the integrity of Shakespeare’s story and makes sound artistic choices. Historic notions of the divine right of kings (and their modern and ubiquitous equivalents) were delicately and continuously interwoven into the production’s more modern appeal. Matt Otstot is fantastic as King Richard, slimy and sleek. Angry characters (and there are many) are seething and subtle rather than explosive and uncontrolled. Those entrenched in their conniving approach their cooperatives with the caution of politicians.

Theatre Ventoux graciously cut some of Shakespeare’s original characters, shaving away some of the unnecessary duration without compromising the story. Those that are left are adeptly brought to life by several of Fresno’s finest: Ronald Blackwell, RJ Blak, Hal H. Bolen II, Melissa Geston, Arthur Koster, Rene Lastreto II, Renee Newlove, David P. Otero, Jessica Reedy, Julia Reimer, Gregory Taber, Stephen Torres.

All of the elements of This Flattering Glass come together to create an artistically mature and refined experience, a truly commendable accomplishment for the company’s first full length production. I hope you get a chance to catch one of the four (as of this posting) remaining performances: Friday, May 4; Saturday, May 5; Friday, May 11; and Saturday, May 12. All performances are held at the California Arts Academy at 4750 N. Blackstone at 8pm. Personally, I can’t wait to see what Theatre Ventoux comes up with next.

Review Two: Theater review: "This Flattering Glass"
Greg Taber and Lisa Mercier-Taber, in their director notes for "This Flattering Glass," an original adaptation of Shakespeare's "Richard II," say that the real story in this play is love. I think that's a stretch. Sure, it's possible in any work that delves into the human condition to find a connection to love -- whether it's "passionate, deep, tender, forbidden, unrequited, self-indulgent, shallow, desperate, abusive, destructive," as the directors put it -- but even in this heavily truncated version of the play, in which the number of characters has been reduced to a third and most historical references stripped from the text, love isn't what I think of. The complete and utter incompetence, obliviousness and sad detachment of a ruler for his people still seems paramount.

Still, I give this Theatre Ventoux production lots of points for ambition, verve and a strong viewpoint. There is a timelessness to Shakespeare's tale that resonates no matter if it's 1377 or 2007, and in his heavy editing of the text, Greg Taber finds an intriguing core of meaning. Today, in our society, our politicans are more likely to launch attack ads against each other than employ assassins, but the conflict (and venom) is in many ways the same.

The time and setting of the production is a sort of modern-day, Armani-tinged, Mafia-style power struggle. The men wear vibrant ties and modern suits, and the women look sleek and chic in well-cut dresses. A hint of decadence wafts through the production: hard liquor, cards, lascivious nudges and winks between principal characters. Richard (Matt Otstot, who has nice moments of smug narcissism), is more interested in flirting and pawing with his devoted cousin, Edward (nicely played by a measured Stephen Torres) than royal decorum. When another cousin, Henry (RJ Blak) becomes involved in a dispute with Mowbray (Rene Lastreto II), he takes the opportunity to banish them both.

But Richard, it seems, is not a very good politician. Even an absolute ruler must rely on some form of legitimacy, and Richard endangers his through callousness. Gaunt (a well-cast Ronald Blackwell), the ailing father of Henry, is the ultimate recipient of Richard's cruelty in a murder scene that is staged in this production with the requisite chilliness.

There are some elements of the story that get lost in this adaptation -- any subtleties in the relationship between the king and queen, for example. And the idea of the divine right of kings is also underplayed, which seems a shame, considering the political state of the world today.

What I like best about this production is its intensity. From the set -- stark but swathed with rousing purples, reds and blues, with the throne a leather Mission-style chair -- to the brooding medieval music supplemented by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Joni Mitchell, you're never far from life-and-death. The acting, overall, is not as strong as it could be in an amateur production, and sometimes the pace of the show falters, particularly in several of Richard's monologues. (There are some fine supporting performances, including Arthur Koster and Greg Taber as thuggish father and son.) But overall, there's a ferociousness of spirt that carries "This Flattering Glass" a long way. I might not totally love it -- passionately, desperately, abusively or otherwise -- but I love the idea of it. I look forward to more productions from Theatre Ventoux.

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-01T09:46:00.000-07:00
www.fresnobeehive.com

I just wanted to extend my most sincere thanks and gratitude to Greg and Lisa and the rest of the cast and crew. Without any of you we would not be able to play and WOW the audiences!

Hey, let's get together and crank this thing out 4 more times! Yay!!!! ;-)

Thank you!!!

Viva la Bullshit!

Alais!

This Flattering Glass: Edward

2007-04-29T15:35:00.001-07:00

2007-04-27T13:57:00.000-07:00
We open tonight. The show is great. Come, come, come! And then tell your friends.
Jessica

Previews!!!

2007-04-25T10:45:00.000-07:00
Well, we're finally here! It's the week of opening and tonight and tomorrow night we are previewing the show.

Dress rehearsals are always a bit tempestuous... new playing space, costumes, hair/make up, lights, props, etc. Mondays are always the worst, Tuesdays are 10,000 times better and by Wednesday/Thursday you are just ironing out the final wrinkles and the show gels nicely.

We are at that place in time where our show will reach the beauty it is meant to be. There are always 6 more changes and I have seen some new things from the cast mates even now. It is exciting and I can't wait for there to be an audience and to feed off their response.

This show kicks! I love performing in it, I love working with this group of people and I can't wait to share that love with all of you!

Thank you to all!

Break legs!!!!

Alais

Love Hurts

2007-04-24T14:41:00.001-07:00

Inside This Flattering Glass

2007-04-23T00:51:00.000-07:00
To steal this video... GO HERE!

Flattering Glass - mini-doc
Uploaded by dathang

Tonight, Tonight

2007-04-20T21:50:00.000-07:00
Tonight was the last night of rehearsals before we start the tech/ dress rehearsals at CalArts North. We've grown so much and it shows. Richard remembered to refer to Edmund as Edward's father, not uncle, Isabel remembered to pronounce her R's when she gets mad/crazed, Mowbray did a wonderful job with his fight scene, Bushy did an overall superb job tonight, though his voice did seem a bit high-pitched, Henry and Gaunt's close relationship really showed tonight, Alais was more backstabbingly evil, Eleanor made you sympathize with her more during her monologue and during her reaction to Mowbray's sentence, Edward was more affectionate towards Richard, Joan was more pitiful, yet strong, Edmund was more two-faced, Percy and Hotspur had a stronger father-son relationship....everything's just falling into place beautifully!!!!!

Da Count: Our Actors

2007-04-20T07:58:00.000-07:00
Our actors...those amazingly gifted and wonderfully beautiful people that we have been blessed to spend the last four weeks with: Renee "Alais" Newlove, Dave "Bushy" Otero, Hal "Edmund" Bolen, Stephen "Edward" Torres, Jessica "Eleanor" Reedy, Ron "Gaunt" Blackwell, RJ "Henry" Blak, Arthur "Hotspur" Koster, Melissa "Isabel" Geston, Julia "Joan" Reimer, Rene "Mowbray" Lastreto, and Matt "Richard" Otstot.

You rock our world.

2007-04-18T08:43:00.000-07:00
For the past two nights, we have played at rehearsal, in addition to working. For the first half of our time, we have had guest star appearances. This means we can be any person or character we want as we play our role. There have been some hilarious results. There were movie stars, a wide range of accents and even song and dance numbers. Next time, we will definitely have to film the event. This group is always game to try new things.
Jessica

promo video

2007-04-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

This Flattering Glass promo
Uploaded by dathang

Doin' Bushy Things...

2007-04-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

Playing...

2007-04-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

An Open Thank You...

2007-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

as of last night we concluded the first major phase of our rehearsals for "this flattering glass." the language, relationship, emotion, action, and character exploration is done (inasmuch as those things are ever truly "done.") and, while i had absolute faith in the ventoux process , it was always the actors themselves who would prove my faith warranted.

and i now find it "all unpossible" to voice the humility and honor that i have felt in their presence for the last three weeks. they are Actors! each of them, renee, dave, hal, stephen, jessica, ron, rj, arthur, melissa, julia, rene, and matt, in their own way and to their own degree, have taken what i was confident would be a workable and useful tool for actors, and demonstrated, nightly, what Will and Dedication can accomplish when melded with Craft.

as we enter the final shaping phase of rehearsals, let me simply thank you for all you have done, and for all that i know you will continue to do.

and to alissa: thank you for joining our merry troupe and for your enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication. hell, girl, you scare me...and that's just what a good stage manager should do.

and my darling lisa, my partner, my touchstone, my wife, my Love: none of this is possible without you. more importantly, without you, none of it matters.

etonne-moi
gt

I found this today and thought...

2007-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00
... you guys would get a kick out of it.

HAMLET (original)

HAMLET for the Shakespeare-impaired

Cheers!

2007-04-13T09:28:00.000-07:00
Every night I go to rehearsal and wait for the actors to experiment a little more with their role and bring something new to their part... and they do. It might be a new emotion to experience, a new direction to move during their scene, a different person to interact with or a additional prop or part of a costume to use. These performances of Shakespeare's play are going to bring a lot a new recruits to his ranks and hopefully many new followers to ours. I can't wait until there is an audience in front of us to complete the performance circle.

Vive le Bullshit? no shit!

2007-04-13T08:01:00.000-07:00
Reading these posts, one may begin to wonder if there isn't perhaps some measure of rosy glasses going on, or maybe there is some whitewash on the fence? Vive le bullshit after all..
Well, the answer is no. The picture is what it is, no whitewash needed.
It really is going as well as described. What I think is being expressed is that it is going better than many of us expected...maybe? I know I had high expectations and that so far I've not only NOT been disappointed, but pleasantly surprised most of the time.
It really is no accident. The folks involved were asked and agreed to become a part of this production BECAUSE of their focused dedication. Theater Ventoux is a creative, fun, challenging, explorative, safe environment/process within which we can bring that focus to bear. (a synonym for press...hmmm) So everyone feels free to bring what they have into this environment and we play with all these ideas and keep what feels good and work past what feels difficult. And throughout this process we are encouraged and given tools to use to further our exploration.
As to my personal experience...WOW!!! I thought I had peaked - maybe plateaued - after Tuesday night (running Act 1 Mon. & Act 2 Tues.) but after Wednesday's work I am able to distill the essence of Bushy down to the core and fill myself with that essence. For me this has been - continues to be (6 more changes) a very effective process of creative development and that is hugely satisfying.
Vive le bullshit? no shit!

"I think I'm gonna to need a doctor"

2007-04-12T23:01:00.000-07:00
I am drained. Exhausted. Entrapped. Enveloped in the world of This Flattering Glass. When I leave the rehearsal room, I literally have to sit in my car for a few moments and think, "woah, What just happened to my body? Why do I feel so strange?" This character, this play is real for the few hours we are together. The other people (characters) in the room are just as real. There is no one in that room that is not the person they're portraying, that is "acting" during our rehearsal time; it's incredible. I'm speechless. Tonight's rehearsals were amazing. There were a few new suggestions by the director and everyone was affected by them, and everyone added another layer to their acting, and it was wonderful.

I can't wait till we get to perform to an audience other than the mirrors. Dr. Frankenstein (the directors and actors) is making an exquisite monster.

Love-Fest

2007-04-12T22:32:00.000-07:00
In talking with my cast mates and working on this show, ya'll might not believe that our rehearsals are going as well as we are blogging. But it is! It is so nice to be a part of an ensemble and grow together and work together and be such a well oiled machine that anything can be thrown our way and we'll conquer it, together.

There are no restrictions. We did not all agree to only reveal the good things about what we are doing... there just isn't anything to complain about! That is so nice.

Tonight was amazing. In the scene I have with Isabel we were brought to the next level and it's powerful. I love the transitions we have made, the places we are in and I love being Alais. She is such a fun ride. Every night there is a new step and after we got off stage, Isabel looked at me and wanted to strangle me... I loved it! I love how we have been brought to this place, this scene, and it is so real it is bringing out natural reactions and making our interactions that much more profound. Thank you Isabel for being there with me! You are truly my sister in arms!

Thank you to the cast for taking what you've been given and making it real!

Alais

First Runthru: Postlude and Beyond

2007-04-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

you see, the difficulty is this: each and every single actor in this play is working so hard to deepen what they are already doing as well as bring new things to the table, that i, truthfully, find it very difficult to say anything more than i said after tonight's rehearsal...which was just, "you continue to amaze me."

This Flattering Glass, the adventure

2007-04-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

As we enter week three, I am amazed at the way this venture is taking shape. It is a grand undertaking, and we have no idea where it will take us. But we boldly step off the edge and trust our skills, intuition, and desires to take us to the heights we wish to achieve. What ever the result, we all have grown as a result of this challenge.

Thank you, Greg, for your dream and allowing us to be part of it. Lisa, you are so supporting and encouraging, we could not do this without your insight.

To my cast members, We are "This Flattering Glass". What we do reflects back our dedication and devotion to our craft.

Thank you all.

The Play IS the thing

2007-04-07T23:04:00.000-07:00
If you're reading this, then you are among the many already buzzing about this show. I am truly amazed to hear how many people know that this amazing production will take the stage at the end of the month.
With all the work, emotion and dedication this cast is putting forward... this is already one of the most memorable acting experiences of my career. To watch these actors bring life to this show and to see them showcase their abundance of skills is inspiring, to say the least.
So often actors can focus on the end result. How did you like the show? What did you think of that scene? That, too will be the case for this show I'm sure. But, it is not often one can focus on the process to bring you to your end point. With this show EVERY gathering brings new directions and new options. That can only add to what will, without question, be a much talked-about night of theatre.
And I must say I am King in character only. To be in the presence of this cast, I am truly a humble subject. And for them I simply say, "thanks my countrymen, my loving friends."

First Run Thru: Interlude

2007-04-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

a few random thoughts that i had during the course of last night's rehearsal (in no particular order): oh yes...GOOD!...i told you NOT to play with the guns...YES...i really need to learn my lines...hm, it doesn't fall out when i have it...YESYESYESYESYES...i'm so happy...damn

LAST NIGHT- FIRST RUN THROUGH

2007-04-07T13:49:00.000-07:00
Last night was our first run through, and it was absolutely amazing. There was more emotion, more characterization, more interaction (more everything!!!) than ever before. I can't wait for Monday so we can continue working- I'm so excited about this play, I find that I'm even thinking about it while I'm in the shower or trying to get to sleep...(insane?)

Thanks go to Marcel Nunis for taking the time to come and watch and film us last night.

Vestal Blog

2007-04-06T12:21:00.000-07:00
So what can I say that hasn't been said? We are almost (after tonight) through our first half of rehearsals. So far they have been exciting and well-crafted learning experiences each and every one of them. We all agreed to concentrate our collective efforts to maximize the use of our time- (anybody else flash on Mr. Hands from Fast Times? Oh well could have been just me) guess what? It works if you work it.
And each rehearsal does bring new ideas, new levels of creative input and new fun. I will soon start to repeat what has been said before but I can't help it. I too can't wait for tonights run through, for tech, for an audience...and so on. Will keep you posted...

Exciting (posted for Jesseree who is having puter issues)

2007-04-06T10:17:00.000-07:00
Exciting is when you can't wait for the rest of your day to go by so you can go to rehearsal.... This play is exciting; this theatre company is exciting!

First Run: Prelude

2007-04-05T22:28:00.000-07:00
so tomorrow is our first full run of the show and i am deliciously intrigued to see what will happen. of all the shows i have done, this is the first in which the actors deliberately and very definitely bring new ideas and new levels to each and every rehearsal. from the foundation of their own work, to communicating meaning, to playing the language, to listening, to communicating relationships, to physicalizing emotions...every night...something new...something deeper.

and not just some of them, but every one of them. i find it impossible to single out the exemplary work that one of them is doing for the simple reason that they are all doing exemplary work. and i choose to use that word very deliberately: exemplary. each of them is working at a level that is an example to each of the others. and, oh my, how they do feed on it.

so tomorrow is our first full run...and i have the feeling that something wonderful this way comes.

We Play With Balls

2007-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00
In our "focus ups" GT has lead us through a particular exercise that I find to be the most helpful. It's the Space Ball exercise. Now this is no ordinary ball, this ball can be any shape, size and it changes on a whim. This ball emotes too.

The hardest part for me is to get the Space Ball out on my head. I can picture a ball, you can say "think of a volleyball," and my mind will picture a volleyball. This is not the Space Ball exercise. The Space Ball is made of the space in front of you. It's up to you to make the Space Ball real and to play with the ball. We play with the Space Ball on our own and sometimes we combine Space Balls and play with a partner or a group. It's interesting to see what the other cast members come up with, new way to play with the Space Ball, different games to play with the Space Ball, it's all individualized and real.

Last night we played with the Space Balls as we were feeling different emotions. We were experiencing different feelings in regards to our relationship with the Space Ball. I feel bad for my Space Ball because I was more aggressive with it and it went through some abuse.

After our exercise is completed, I can feel my palm tingle as if I can still feel the ball, my arms are warm from the movements and playing, my legs tingle from focusing on moving to get the ball, and I'm a little out of breathe (because I am out of shape) from playing with the ball. My whole entire body is so focused on playing with the Space Ball, it is that real. And it's totally trippy to experience.

I love this exercise because it not only focuses my mind but my entire body too. I can put that energy into playing on stage with the actors and the space. Placing emotions into our Space Ball exercise raises the stakes and makes the playing that much more intense.

I have to say thank you to the ensemble for letting go of inhibitions, for following the exercises and for giving 100% to the space... the ensemble makes the environment open and welcome to be free to play! Thank you!

Alais

Musing Made Metamorphous

2007-04-05T10:25:00.000-07:00
Most of us who have the honor of acting on stage are very accomplished craftsmen. Many craftsmen in other pursuits become a prisoner to convention and repetition. One of our jobs as actors is make things "new" for each audience. That is a challenge and a reward. Our work on emotions last night helped remind us of our collective gifts. I, for one, am impressed by the professionalism and dedication of our ensemble. You all are gifted and unselfish in presenting your talents for all to enjoy. Vive le difference!
RL2

WOW!

2007-04-05T08:42:00.000-07:00
The cast kicked ass last night! Everyone brought new stuff to the table, and there were moments that gave me goosebumps and nearly made me cry. I cannot wait to get this beast in front of an audience! woohoo!

To those of you who took the time to read my blog yesterday (actor's obligation): thank you. The bad theatre experience I had during Rogue (the only one, actually, since everything else I saw was top-notch) stayed with me (like when you have onions for lunch and they're still there at dinner-yuck) and I had to get it out. That was mostly a PMS-fueld rant and once I got it out and had some chocolate I was all better.

...onward and upward....

lis

psst... Lisa...

2007-04-04T14:35:00.000-07:00
... part 2 is up... ya know... B.I.T.S.! Oh yeah... the rest of you can read it to.

An Actor's Obligation

2007-04-04T09:08:00.000-07:00
Have you ever been in a show where you or another actor had an "off night?" Worse yet, have you ever been in the audience of a show that was having an "off night?" Why is it acceptable to excuse a sub-par performance? Don't we, as actors, have an obligation to our castmates and audience?

We have one chance every night to make a lasting impression. The audience doesn't care if we had a bad day at work or the dog threw up on the carpet or we had a fight with our significant other or if that certain "someone" came to see the show. Each and every person took time out of their lives and money out of their pockets to see us; we owe them the best work we can give. If a cast has an "off night," are they going to offer rainchecks for people to come see a better show for free? Of course not. We shrug it off and say, "Oh well, I'll/we'll be better tomorrow." I saw a show during the Rogue on an "off night." I felt cheated, especially when a cast member said that the night before had been really good. "Thanks for coming; too bad you saw us on an off night."

What will make Ventoux stand apart is the training the actors are getting. With what everyone is learning in terms of emotions, relationships, etc. if somebody has a bad day it won't affect the performance. Every night we will bring our best game, because every night is opening night.

TO THE DIRECTOR AND ASSSITANT DIRECTOR:

2007-04-03T22:58:00.000-07:00
Emily Dickinson once wrote to her editor: " Thank you for the surgery- it was not so painful as I supposed." I believe you are entitled to receive the same message. Thank you for allowing us the freedom to try new things, to come up with our own ideas, etc., but also thank you for your suggestions and keeping us focused on our work. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

from the "intermittent in nature" theatre company

2007-04-02T20:27:00.000-07:00
Since we are and anyone hardly comes by any more... there is a new post up there.

BTW... cheers on the great work that is continuing to happen!

Breakin' Da Rules

2007-04-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

One of the goals of Theatre V. is to get past the "rules," both spoken and unspoken, we are taught as actors.Last week's rehearsals showed me that when you go against the grain and break the rules, amazing things can happen.

The actors were on their feet for the first time Wednesday, staging Act 1. GT laid out the expectations: if an actor was not in the scene, they were to be working lines/scenes in another room or they could stay, observe and reflect upon what was happening. Nearly everyone chose to stay and watch. After each scene, we shared our observations, which had to be prefaced with "Yes," "No," or "What if." Initially, there was some hesitation; As actors, we often don't give constructive criticism to our peers because that opens the door for us to be criticized. We addressed that issue, then dove in.

What followed was collaboration, exploration and experimentation I've never seen before. As the "what ifs" flew round the room, the actors brought the work to a new level. Hal (Edmund) came up with an idea that we hadn't considered, and it worked beautifully. It raised the stakes for Edmund, Percy and Hotspur, while showing Richard (Matt) in a deliciously sinister light; the connection between Richard and Edward (Matt and Stephen) is disturbing in its intimacy; Ron and RJ (Gaunt and Henry) are developing a believable father-son relationship; Renee and Melissa (Alais and Isabel) have a close, alsmost sister-like bond that takes an interesting turn in the second half of the play.

In all, the first week of rehearsal was very productive. The actors trust Greg and are willing to do whatever he asks. I am looking forward to seeing what this week brings.

Rehearsal ala Ron: On Our Feet

2007-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

B.I.T.S. Pt. 2

2007-04-01T11:24:00.000-07:00
(or... How we got over ourselves, experimented in web marketing and sold out 3 out of 5 performances at Rogue 2007!)

Is now up and can be found HERE & HERE.

Cheers!

Week 1

2007-04-01T10:18:00.000-07:00
Well here it is one week of working "This Flattering Glass". It is such a talented group, with such a passion to create. Sometimes I feel a little over whelmed, that I am not further along in my work. So I have to remind myself it has only been a week. Our Director has a different way of directing, and alot of what he does comes from the actors themselves. It is so different to be able to create our own characters from how we see them in relation to the other characters and their position in the story.
This play is coming along extremely well. Everyone is learning and contributing, It is truly a group effort.
This is my first attempt at doing Shakespeare, and I find that I struggle with the lines as it is soooo different from the way we talk, but slowly it is starting to come, and gets easier every time.
We still have almost a month before we put this up to the public and I know it is going to rock. Thank you everyone in the cast and especially Lisa for all her hard work and the invaluable help she gives.
This is going to be AWESOME!!!!

First Week

2007-03-31T23:50:00.000-07:00
This first week of rehearsals was absolutely amazing. We've accomplished so much, I feel like we've been rehearsing for weeks. It's magic, there's no other other word for it. Completely magical. This group of people came together with no qualms, no arrogance, no competition, and, by working together, is producing a beautiful piece of theatre. I've been in plays where people are in them just to add another show to their resumes, to see their names on a program and flyer, to belittle others because they could attain a part where they get more stage time, etc. With this group of people I don't see any of that happening, and I would like to thank every one of my fellow actors for giving it their all since day one. We truly are an ensemble cast; we're helping the "cause:" to do "something wonderful," and we are! I can't wait till we've memorized our lines, it's just going to get better. There's no way but up from here!!!

On Our Feet

2007-03-28T23:03:00.000-07:00
Tonight we got up and started staging the show. Relationships are starting to appear, intent is coming through, and the language is melodic.

As a character on stage witnessing the scenes unfold I didn't know what to do at first, but felt comfortable and encouraged to play. Having the freedom, I started allowing my character to flow and natural reactions poured out of me. It was amazing!

This group, ensemble is the better word, has been working so well together... I can't wait to get the scripts out of our hands and see the real playing begin!

Thank you!

Alais

This Flattering Glass...

2007-03-28T09:35:00.000-07:00
Yesterday we had our second rehearsal and I'm completely blown away by my fellow actors. It is strange to me how we all came into the rehearsal room, and we all were ready and willing to experiment, to venture out of our comfort space, to try different ways of discovery, etc. I've never experienced anything like it! I can't wait to see what kind of monster we're going to create...

TFG Day 2

2007-03-28T06:17:00.000-07:00
It's hard to believe that last night was only our second rehearsal. Everyone is doing such a great job that it feels like we've been together for weeks. In my opinion, we could stage what we've got now and give any other company a serious run for their money.

I'm enjoying watching the process as AD. I've participated in Greg's warm ups and character work, but it's interesting to sit on the sidelines as an observer. Everyone is involved and doing as much as they can, both physically and emotionally. After the warm up, we read Act II and I heard some of the best reading ever. Hal, Jag, and Renee were so centered and brought a lot to the table. RJ is a powerful actor; I can't wait to see where he takes Henry; Melissa is starting to shape Isabel and she and Renee have already begun to establish the relationship between their characters. Julia is phenomenal! Rene and Jessica were both 100% there the entire time, even though his character gets killed in the first act and Jessica's scene in Act II has no lines. Ron is overcoming his hesitation with the language beautifully. I can't wait to see Dave on his feet and being Bushy to life. Stephen and Arthur are also bringing a lot to their characters. Last, but not least, Matt is a PRO! I'm so impressed by his preparation and dedication. We are lucky to have him. The speed-read between him and Greg was too funny!

So, there's nowhere to go but up.

lis

This Flattering Glass: Day 1

2007-03-26T21:44:00.000-07:00
What an amazing beginning we have made. I cannot thank the cast enough: Renee, Hal, Dave, Jessica, Arthur, Matt, RJ, Julia, Melissa, Dave, Ron, Jag, Rene...you all dove in with both feet and more! If we opened tomorrow I would be proud of this show.

I look forward to where you take me. And thank you, Lisa, for keeping me on task.

etonne-moi
g

The Tao of B.I.T.S. (Butts In The Seats)

2007-03-25T16:33:00.000-07:00
(reprinted from JungleWebs.net)

ARTS MARKETING of THEATRE
(or... the Internet - it's not just for porn anymore)
by Marcel Nunis (Theatre J'Nerique)

As a playwright, director and producer in the theatre I was plagued for years with these nightmare questions:
How do I push the show without "selling out"?
Will I compromise my "art" by marketing my show aggressively?
How do I compete with big media for an audience on a budget?
Let us first admit to our own sins. Yes, there does exist a snotty "holier than thou" attitude in the world of the arts. We roll our eyes over a marketing budget and campaigns. We protest with excuses like... "That's going to cost too much!" or "This show is brilliant enough to sell itself!" Then we capitulate "within reason" insisting on "traditional arts marketing" (posters, flyers and press releases) and exercise care not to "go overboard and compromise our art" through "aggressive and crass" commercialization. Our show opens and performances are barely selling a third of the house with audience members made up mostly of family, friends and "supporters". Our show eventually closes and we are relieved that it broke even.

In the meantime, someone else's show opens. We hear the first weekend is bringing in "sold out" crowds. We turn up the second weekend to "support our comrades" only to be met with lines wrapped around the block. In fact, we are one of 30 people turned away at that performance. We envy their success (never admitting it outwardly) and inevitably discuss (gossip) in hushed tones about the "pedestrian quality" of THAT show while drowning our sorrows at the local bar without having even seen it yet.
"Did you see their poster? She was almost naked in it!"
"Those people in line are not a REAL theatre audience... they don't even have a subscriber base like we do."
"We don't need a hit... we are artists!"
"Can you believe they used the Internet to market their show... with promotional videos??"
The discussion eventually descends into moaning about "the death of theatre" and how the mediums of film, TV and videos are destroying the communal shared experience of "live" performance.

Let us take a few steps back, shall we? Perhaps we need to be reminded of several important factors concerning the craft we are engaged in. This cuts across the board... weather we practice theatre as a hobby, amature, professional, or student. These factors concern ANY level of theatre including, academic, community, dinner, repertory, fringe, independent, profit or non-profit. In fact, many of these factors also apply to almost any discipline in the arts.

FACTOR 1- Every discipline of the arts is a medium of communication.
Through our various mediums we utilize creativity to communicate... stories, ideas, issues, etc. Our mediums are dependent on an audience to communicate these ideas to. Without an audience... our "art" does not exist. Just because we have rehearsed our show for 4 to 6 weeks does not mean anybody is going to turn up to experience it unless they are aware that it is happening. This is where the next level of "communication" comes into play through effective marketing and creating a buzz.

FACTOR 2 - The success of our "art" has always been dependent on "buzz".
It can be argued that "showbiz" as we know it today was invented by The Bard and his peers over 400 years ago. I'm even willing to bet that in the earliest recorded history of western theatre, buzz was a major factor in getting the word out for a show.

DIOMEDES: We really have to check out that new play at the Theatre of Dionysis!
KADMOS: What's it about?
DIOMEDES: A guy who kills his father and marries his mother. Totally scandalous!
KADMOS: Yeah, everyone at the market is talking about it! That wacky Sophocles... what will he think of next?!

I will argue that until 40 to 50 years ago, practitioners in the arts were always on the cutting edge of marketing. Until the early 60's many of the "hit" songs on radio were showtunes from Broadway shows (which in turn helped sell those shows at the theater box-office).

Then a malaise set in and there seemed to be a collective rise in the "victim" attitude all around. It is true that the popularity of film and TV diminished the box-office returns of "live" theatre. Plus, trends and tastes in music were changing, showtunes began to lose it's popular voice and it became expensive to advertise in the new media.

So, do we roll over and play dead or do we pick ourselves up and exercise creativity developing new methods with a brand new affordable medium (hint: the Internet) that puts everyone on a level playing field?

FACTOR 3 - All "art" is the skillful craft of manipulating thought and emotion.
A playwright does it through the structure of plot and design of language. The director does it by conceptualizing an emphasis that . The actor does it through the physical control of his or her instrument. Designers (set, lighting and sound) do it through the cunning arrangement in their areas of stagecraft.

Let's face it... there is a lot of creativity and innovation involved in creating our "product". Shouldn't the same energy and emphasis be given to selling it?

FACTOR 4 - At least 95 percent of those "great plays" we learn about in theatre history made money!
Sure, there were some that were "closet masterpieces, flops or were "just ahead of their time" but most of them were successes at the box-office. (Some of those "ahead of their time" flops came back to do boffo box-office.)

Even "great works" have to be effectively marketed to create a buzz to get B.I.T.S. Then, the strength of the show (product) further amps up the buzz to create more "sold out" shows. Really folks, "Death Of A Salesman" (a serious non-musical drama) that "American theatre classic" did good box-office.

Perhaps all of us in the theatre (and in the arts in general) need to rethink how we market our craft. I truly believe that a new day is emerging. The novelty of movies, TV and videos have plateaued. Audiences are ready to get out again and partake in "live" performance once more. Theatre can become a vital (and profitable) medium again. It really does not matter the style of theatre you engage in... it can all be vital once more.

We just have to put aside our stuffy attitudes and fears and strike out to once more become innovators. Not just within our craft (and the products we create) but also in marketing them. Perhaps if we are willing to learn once more we can take note of the techniques utilized by our brethren in rock and roll, film, etc and pounce on the new affordable media like the Internet which is capable of reaching out to a new audience.

The choice is to rise from the embers or to diminish into the ash of irrelevancy.

click here for more on Web Arts Marketing.

2 playwrights chatting

2007-03-17T10:53:00.000-07:00
reposted from my personal blog... marcel

Last night, after catching up with a friend on her return from New Zealand I ran into fellow playwright, Ross Howard who fielded 2 shows at the recent Rogue Festival. This one & this one... both excellent plays in my book ( I saw them both in my quest to seek out original works during the festival). I was actually on my way home but just couldn't pass up the opportunity to commiserate with someone who I think is a bright emerging talent in this waning field.

Ross is English and came to this country to pursue an MFA in playwriting. Curious... considering that he hails from the land of the Bard.

I cannot really explain what fun and how much of a luxury this was for me. It is rare in these parts to come upon a fellow comrade in the trenches to share ideas with... especially one who is open to sharing without the (natural) paranoia of their ideas being stolen. (This is a malady that often plagues many in our craft... lol.)

We chatted about all sorts of things. A light dissection of each other's shows (he had also come to see mine and I his)... working techniques (discovering to our delight that our process is similar)... discussions of playwrights works we (both) admired... our mentors (and we share a couple) ...and future plans and projects we are considering. It was also a joy to be able to chat with someone who shares a common "blue collar" attitude to the work.

We both agreed that theatre is first and foremost a "gig"... and some of it transcends to evolve into art... that the over analysis emphasized in academia has taken the gig out of it which in turn perpetuates the perception that it is inaccessible to regular folk. (Then, they wonder why they can't get an audience.) Instead of mutual support and encouragement... too often in this world of theatre (sadly, more true than not) folks get caught up in a competitive back-stabbing, holier-than-thou snob attitude that really does no one any good and only contributes to the further erosion of the craft... simply because they buy into the idea that everything they create is art.

It was so refreshing (and encouraging) to be able to converse with someone in a "common language". The language of the theatre is common enough among practitioners of the craft but there does exist various "dialects" within this small (and ever shrinking) world. Chatting with actors about a show is quite different than speaking with designers, etc. To be able to converse with a fellow playwright for me presented the unique opportunity to speak in "short-cuts" brought about by a common understanding through the labor of our work that does not require explanation... like two carpenters discussing the best techniques for dovetails without explaining what a dovetail is.

We even half jokingly chatted about spearheading an "indie garage theatre" movement... not unlike the indie garage band or indie film movements that have done so much to refresh those forms over the recent years. Perhaps that is what is needed... to bring a sense of rock n roll back to theatre. Strip away the "jizz" and and allow the works to really sing through performance without the distractions of unnecessary "production value".

I stayed out longer than I thought I would last night... but returned home happy, rejuvenated and much encouraged by the conversations that transpired between Ross and I. It was nice... akin to running into a fellow countryman from the same village in a foreign land.

Halfway Point

2007-03-05T14:11:00.000-08:00
Well, we've done two shows and have two to go. I have to say this has been the most fun I've had onstage ever. Our cast has become so tight over the last couple of weeks it feels like we've been working together for months getting this thing ready, rather than six hours.

Last night was spot on. We had a couple of snafus backstage (the overflowing men's toilet - no turds tho!) and one of our actors got locked in the women's room five minutes before curtain. It was hysterical. No one panicked, though and our brave actor was rescued and the show went on.

The air conditioning in the venue wasn't working well last night and that helped feed the claustrophobic atmosphere of Parkview. We all found our characters and Tom was able to blend in seamlessly with us and do fantastic work. The thing I love about this show is the total freedom we have; we can enter anytime we want, move around or not, interact with the other actors and even the audience, which makes each performance different.

I can't wait for Thursday and Friday, but I'll be sad when it's done, which is rare for me. A couple of weeks off then into rehearsals for TFG. That will be my first experience as an A.D. and I am looking forward to seeing what the group brings.

vive le conneries!
lisa

Viva le Bullshit!!!

2007-03-02T14:01:00.000-08:00
Yay! Tonight we open this monster, and I feel blessed to be a part of it.
To everyone who has given their time and dedication to this project: I thank you, for giving me confidence again, for teaching me things just by being yourselves and for the infectious joy that happens every time we've gotten together and played.

Our rehearsal process has been amazing. I personally can't stand it when I'm not given room to explore because how do you now what feels right until you've tried it? In the midst of our searching and exploring, I was constantly surprised by what would pop up, seemingly out of nowhere. And to finally allow myself to feel something I knew was patiently waiting to come out, in such a safe environment, was a joy, not just for the character, but for me as a person who is still experiencing life on the outside of the theatre walls.
That brings me to another wonderful point: the safety. It is rare to work with a group of actors where you truly feel safe to become vulnerable. Many times at rehearsal I feel like I'm constantly auditioning, proving why I'm there in the first place. Competitive and inhibiting. But I felt as though I trust every other soul in the room, a respect for each others' talents and humanity.

It's going to be hard to let go of this one. A part of me wishes we could still meet as a group, to work and learn. The most important thing it has been is fun. It's been fun! I was starting to forget that it could be.

So yeah ... break a leg tonight, everyone!!! Much love...
Viva le Bullshit!
*end scene*

A Muse of Fire, Part Four: The Rest Is Silence

2007-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

rehearsals are done. the show has become a dark, roiling thing that none of us could have ever conceived of...and it is wonderful
thank you, all
see you at the rogue!!!

A Muse of Fire, Part Three: Thank You

2007-02-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

after much reflection, all i can really say after tonight's rehearsal is thank you. thank you to the amazing group of people who joined us (both in body and in spirit) at theatre taber for a wonderful, astounding, inspirational, and humbling evening of totally attitude driven bullshit...and some of the finest acting i have ever been privileged to see.

thank you and thank you and thank you.

and a special shout out to marcel and renee for your support...it's good to know who your friends are. and to mister albritton: thanks for chronicalling the event. we look forward to working together again.

as to the rest....the proof is in the work.
etonne-moi
g

A Muse of Fire, Part Two: Character Counts!

2007-02-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

tonight's rehearsal was devoted entirely to character work. one solid hour of complete and total, full-body physicalization of a character's emotion core, spine, effort action, image, and attitude line. the intensity was such that i found myself, as director/coach, having to do a step-out to detach from what was happening.

we began with a game of red light, green light to get warmed up and to get the nature full-body involvement squarely seated. from there it was straight into emotion core: the single, central, driving emotional force within a character. lisa's terrifyingly helpless regret almost brought me to tears and stephen's rage shimmered like blacktop on a hot summer's day. spine work opened up some new vistas for a number of people. finding the character's essential need (beyond the limits of the scene or the play) brought a delicious vulnerability to suzanne that was simply compelling. when we began the effort work, the physical transformations were astounding. from light to heavy, indirect to direct, sustained to sudden, and free to bound the actors ran the gamut of what the body can become. i've never seen devon freer, and i thought dave was going to collapse in on himself. then they combined the elements into full effort actions and gave birth to brand new people. with imagery new physicalizations blossomed. i have no idea what the images were that they were using, but i couldn't take my eyes off jim's hands except for those moments when i was being drawn into arthur's subtle, but undeniable, presence. we ended our focus work with attitude line and, once again, the transformations were striking.

the evening finished with a couple of monologue runs. i can't say much about that for fear of spoiling the surprise...but i can say that ron brought it all to bear and owned the room.

tomorrow is our last official rehearsal: a little warm up, a little play, and then some well deserved and highly anticipated sharing of the work for group response...and then a little wine and a lot of good talk with even better people. and it just struck me that, whatever this show becomes, and we won't know that until next friday, we'll have done it all on about four hours of rehearsal.

well whaddya know about that...?

A Muse of Fire, Part One

2007-02-21T05:47:00.000-08:00
we had our first group rehearsal for muse of fire last night... i am still stunned almost 12 hours later. we've worked individually on visualization, fluency, language, relationship, emotion, action and character, and we continued in that vein as a cast yesterday. the dedication to the craft, the commitment to artistic excellence, and the willingness to rush blindly into new territory were palpable. everyone brought their own work to the process and then enagaged this new process of ours as fully as they were capable...and who could ask for more?

tonight we move into specific character work and i'm so looking forward to what emerges.

thank you all (lisa, tom, jim, dave, ron, suzanne, devon, stephen, arthur) for being who you are and for doing what you do.

etonne-moi

g

Bravo!

2007-02-12T10:36:00.000-08:00
Congratulations, mes amies! The cast of "The Flattering Glass" looks superb (just so sorry i was unavailable. please ask again.) Can I use this blog to promote my own show? Okay, I will: please mark your calendars for "Handler" at Fresno City College. (lisa and greg, will you add a link to their Theatre Dept.?) Runs March 9-11, 13-17. I'm one of the guest community performers. Come see me handle snakes and speak in tongues! And, then go catch a Rogue show! Bottom line: we've gotta support all of the productions in town. It's a rich and beautiful time for we lovers of theatre in Fresno...

We Have a Cast!!!!!

2007-02-04T13:25:00.000-08:00
"This Flattering Glass" is a go! We've found the perfecct actor for each part and, after a few missteps, the vision and the reality are the same.

I find my thoughts going back to summer, when the idea of staging Richard II was nothing more than wishful thinking. In the earliest stages of preproduction we made some unofficial casting choices; as time went on, circumstances necessitated changes. Naturally, there were actors who were not pleased with the new direction we took. Interestingly, though, the most vocal dissenters were people who aren't even members of the company whose primary objective (in my never to be humble opinion) was to make us look bad. We were able to put our the most pressing fires but realized that rumor control is a full-time job neither of us wants. So, the rumor mill continues to turn.....

Enough negativity! It's time to wake up the Muse! Soon we start rehearsing for Rogue, and we've added some new actors to the mix (thank you Ms. Snow!), then jump into "TFG." I can't wait!

The best part of this experience so far has been the great people who have come into our lives. To all of you: you continually give me insight and inspiration. Let me cook you dinner!

To the casts of both shows: you are a tremendous group of artists and I am so proud you are joining us. Together we will make magic!

:*

lisa

Cast Meeting

2007-01-06T20:27:00.000-08:00
Thank you all...

what an amazing group of people. that such a group would sit and listen to me blather on for an hour... thank you...thank you...and thank you... nothing, absolutely nothing, that we are attempting is even remotely possible without each of you. i know i tend to come across like an arogant sob (and i am) but you humble me...you remind me of what we are truly about...and you keep me honest, grounded, and focused on what is important: the work, the show, the audience. regardless of everyone else's incessant rumors, the childish backbiting, and the ever-present-no-matter-how-hard-you-try-to escape-it bullshit, you were all here...and committed...and inspirational.

thank you, chris and julieann for your consumate professionalism and dedication
thank you to the casts of Muse and TFG for being who you are and for doing what you do (and for being willing to do what i know you can do)
thank you, lisa, for a passion for excellence that puts us all to shame
thank you.
and the rest (as the man said) is silence...

etonne-moi
gt

This Flattering Glass Cast

2006-12-29T10:03:00.000-08:00
In April/May of 2007, Theatre Ventoux will present "This Flattering Glass", our adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Richard II", at the Severance Building.

The following people have graciously consented to give of their Time and Artistry to this small drop in the lake of Wonderful.

Stephanie French as Alais
Dave Otero as Bushy
Hal Bolen as Edmund
Stephen Torres as Edward
Jessica Reedy as Eleanor
Ron Blackwell as Gaunt
Raul Vasquez, Jr. as Henry
RJ Blak as Hotspur
Kimberly Guevara as Isabel
Tessa Cavalletto as Joan
Jaguar Bennett as Percy
and
Matt Otstot as Richard

etonnoe-moi
gt

It begins...

2006-12-28T10:13:00.000-08:00
It is said that all creation is a suffering.

It is certainly true that birthing something out of little more than passion and force of will is, shall we say, taxing. Yet, for all of the angst, here it is...a new theatre company. Unproven, untried, uncertain... undaunted, unbowed, unabashedly wide-eyed.

We have but one goal: "To create something wonderful." That's all, nothing cosmic. We're not out to make a buck, or change the world, or bring theatre to the masses, or even to provide a venue for the artist. Sure, all of that would be nice, and I hope we do all of those things; but more than anything else, first and foremost, it's about the wonder...the kind of wonder that makes you shiver and quake in a tangle of passion drenched sheets...the kind of wonder that makes you jump that last foot into bed because you just know there's something under there...the kind of wonder that makes you laugh and cry for reasons no one else can fathom...the kind of wonder that makes others want to know what they're missing...the kind of wonder that touches.

So there it is in a relatively longer that it probably should be nutshell. Stay with us...because something wonderful this way comes.

etonne-moi
gt