99 - Final Bow

It was an incredibly awesome run, selling out 5 of our 7 shows, but After the Murders: The Quest of Lizzie Borden took its final bow Saturday night.  Our closing night audience was as good as our opening night audience.  They fed us lots of energy, were 'into' the play.  The cast left it all on the stage, giving what I think was probably our best performance - I know it was mine.

Sometimes it's hard to close a show, to put a character away.  I had a lot of character development for Emma, and it feels in some ways like a friend has left.  Emma was overshadowed by the psycho Lizzie, so I had to show her turmoil through facial expressions and body language more than through my lines.  I felt this character grow through each show, and it seemed that just as we were finding our grove, we took our last bow.  That's the lot of community theatre.

As I've said throughout the rehearsal and run of this show, we had a remarkable cast.  Jack cast each role perfectly, in my opinion.  Only one of my cast mates had I worked with before, so my theatre family has grown again.  There are a couple that, without a doubt, I will keep in touch with even if we never walk the boards together again.

Another shout out to all of my friends and colleagues who came to see After the Murders.  You humble me with your patronage of the shows I'm in, and I appreciate more than I can say your support of me and of our community theatres.

ABET is dark now until December 4th when we open Aussie Song.  Emma fades as Mama Key starts to take hold.  It is good know that I'm stepping right into my next theatre project.  I hope to see all of you when the house lights come up again.

TTFN!

85 - Publicity

We have GREAT publicity in this weekends edition of the "Beaches Leader".  Upper left corner of the FRONT PAGE, the lead-in about the article, complete with photo of Karen and I.  Front of the Weekend section, big photo of Karen and I followed by an article about the show.  Finally, back page of the Weekend section, nice photo of two of our handsome young men, Kyle and Thomas.  Top caption is the Lizzie Borden jump rope rhyme.

Saturday's audience was tough, and I was struggling through this cold and losing my voice.  Not our best performance.  We will pick it up for Sunday's matinee.

The reviewer for the Florida Time Union was in the audience Opening Night; last night, Dick, the reviewer for Entertainment U was there.  Those should be posted this week.

TTFN!

78 - Humbled

Today was a good day.  The weather is absolutely gorgeous, and our "cue to cue" rehearsal was only a little over 5 hours long (to set 90 cues).  And yes, it seems my headache is GONE.  Part of it came back during rehearsal, maybe from standing on stage with lights shining in my eyes and not really being able to move while they worked with the light cues.  (I finally just stood with my eyes closed.)

As we were getting dressed for some publicity shots, KG made the comment about how the newness of seeing her in shows wore off with her friends.  Now it's like, oh, you're in another show, ho hum.  That's completely understandable, and I see that happening somewhat with my friends.  And it's OK.  Her comment however reminded me of how humbled I am that people come to the theatre simply because I'm in a show.  A Watson group of some sort (pictured above when they came to see The Spitfire Grill) makes it to every show.  A couple of them told me that my shows give them the excuse to get together and do something.  Hey, whatever it takes. 

For a long time, one of my goals in life is to help people find the joy in live theatre.  It's an art form that sucks you into an alternate reality of sorts; it's magic in that the show can often make the rest of the world go away; it's amazing to watch people, human beings, transform themselves into a different character than themselves to bring the audience an evening of enjoyment.  With budget cuts and the like, those of us in the theatre community fear the day may come when our local theatres can't keep their doors open.  Until that day comes, though, we will volunteer our time, our talents and gas money to rehearse, sweat and memorize so that others can go to that magical place with us.

Because of After the Murders, I was unable to go to TN for our bi-annual family get-together.  The family gathers in Townsend twice a year, Spring and Fall, to ride motorcycles together and have fun.  From what I've been told, the amount of joy and lack of fighting we have is unusual.  I think motorcycling holds us together.  After all, no one can talk too much when everyone is on their own motorcycle.  :-)  That said, Spring and Fall are typically when the community theatres have some of the best shows.  It's a struggle not being up there, and I miss them all, but I know I'm also doing what my heart loves so much by being in this show.  Sacrifice for art ... sounds kind of lame, but in some ways it's true.  Maybe I can get up to TN before women's basketball season is over... visit with family and be able to take in a couple of Lady Vols games.  Now, that's a plan!

TTFN!!