And on to the next...
It's now the Monday morning after the Saturday night before, and Life and Death is in the books. Thank-you to everyone who came out and made this show a success.
While this wasn't the largest or most complex show I've ever done it was a very rewarding project to work on. Sadly, I never did quite reach that "buzz" that I was hoping to attain at the outset of the process - too many things just didn't go our way for that to happen. Despite this, I don't feel embittered or wanting this Monday morning - it was a good show, and we did a good job with it. I proved to myself that you can survive a heart attack and go on to direct a decent play. I'd say that alone is accomplishment enough.
Now the hard work begins. Now we begin preparations in earnest (though they've been going on quietly for some time already) for The 18 Carat Bumpkin. I'm really looking forward to this project, but for different reasons than I was for Life and Death. That show was all about the content of the project - bringing work to the stage, including some of my own, that I wouldn't normally get to do. 18 Carat on the other hand is in the public domain - I or anyone else could bring this show to the stage at any time. Instead of being excited about the content of this show, I'm excited about the experience that it will be for the actors and the audience.
The 18 Carat Bumpkin will be unlike anything most people have ever seen before. Lillian Mortimer is not a well-known playwright - I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that she's similar to in style and tone. I think this play will be different things to different people - some will call it a comedy, some will call it a mystery-suspense, and others will call it a love story. It's all those things, and so much more. There's slapstick humour, family values, some great 1920's music - and all of it wrapped up in an honest sense of warmth and fun - it will be like going over to your whackiest friend's house for a dinner party.
I could go on and on about this play, but instead of talking about it I really should get to work on in. The set is built, but there's still so much more work to be done. And yes, we are still looking for people, onstage and off, so if you're interested in being a part of it, please let me know.
While this wasn't the largest or most complex show I've ever done it was a very rewarding project to work on. Sadly, I never did quite reach that "buzz" that I was hoping to attain at the outset of the process - too many things just didn't go our way for that to happen. Despite this, I don't feel embittered or wanting this Monday morning - it was a good show, and we did a good job with it. I proved to myself that you can survive a heart attack and go on to direct a decent play. I'd say that alone is accomplishment enough.
Now the hard work begins. Now we begin preparations in earnest (though they've been going on quietly for some time already) for The 18 Carat Bumpkin. I'm really looking forward to this project, but for different reasons than I was for Life and Death. That show was all about the content of the project - bringing work to the stage, including some of my own, that I wouldn't normally get to do. 18 Carat on the other hand is in the public domain - I or anyone else could bring this show to the stage at any time. Instead of being excited about the content of this show, I'm excited about the experience that it will be for the actors and the audience.
The 18 Carat Bumpkin will be unlike anything most people have ever seen before. Lillian Mortimer is not a well-known playwright - I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that she's similar to in style and tone. I think this play will be different things to different people - some will call it a comedy, some will call it a mystery-suspense, and others will call it a love story. It's all those things, and so much more. There's slapstick humour, family values, some great 1920's music - and all of it wrapped up in an honest sense of warmth and fun - it will be like going over to your whackiest friend's house for a dinner party.
I could go on and on about this play, but instead of talking about it I really should get to work on in. The set is built, but there's still so much more work to be done. And yes, we are still looking for people, onstage and off, so if you're interested in being a part of it, please let me know.
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