Okay kids, I think I'ma take another one of my bloggy sabbaticals. Which doesn't mean I've forgotten my two requests, nor that I won't come up with some snazzy prize for Dave and Tarvis for participating in the caption contest, but I am just so stinking tired lately that I'm afraid I'm pretty worthless as a blogger. And what little creative energy I do have I need to commit to writing a few new scripts for the next couple weeks. Besides, I done been slippin' these last few weeks as it is. I also thought that, if I were going to leave good old FOMW bare for a little while, this would be a nice something to leave at the top.
We opened Pinocchio this morning. I've been looking forward to this project for quite awhile. Last summer, I was thinking very seriously of leaving my job, and one of the strongest arguments toward my staying was the opportunity to direct this show. Now, I wrote the script, and while I do enjoy directing my own scripts, that wasn't the main allure of the piece. Instead, I wanted to do it because I knew it would be a challenge. It's very different in tone, in style, and in substance from everything I've done up to this point. And it's a deceptively complicated show. This is because it's based on one of the strangest books I've ever read, and I wanted to stay true to the intent of the book (while keeping the story from spiraling into the range of "utterly incomprehensible") so I tried to keep a lot of the inherent weirdness in the story. I looked forward to the opportunity to let my imagination run relatively wild in meeting the creative difficulties we'd encounter to try to pull this one off.
That was a full year ago. Then, stuff got wacky. People started leaving the company and went unreplaced. Casting procedures changed. Tech weekends were canceled. I ended up with a pool of about seven actors to cast from, so I reduced my original cast size from six to five and changed my whole concept. A staged reading was added into the already-crowded schedule, taking out half of my production team for two weeks.
Oh yeah, and then we had another baby. Crazy. And that was just the stuff going on in my life, not to mention my cast and crew!
Needless to say, I got all the challenges I'd been anticipating plus a couple. I won't say that it's been a stressful process, which is a blessing because it could have easily become one. No, the process has been fun. Rehearsals were often the only things that kept me going from nine to five many days over this past month. Everyone poured everything they had into this show regardless of fatigue, distraction, or other crap that could have become an excuse to do a mediocre job.
Nevertheless, I was actually really nervous going into this morning. I generally have a fair bit of confidence in my scripts, and I was confident in the work we'd done, but...well, you have to understand, this play is pretty out there. It's not always comfy and cozy. It's not what most people expect from the Pinocchio story. It's not necessarily what people who come to our theatre come to expect. And for the first time, I started to wonder if maybe I'd let my creative side play just a tad too much on this one. Maybe I should have pulled back on the weirdness here or there. Perhaps I should have cut out a couple of scenes or characters. After all, it is the longest kids' show we've done in my six years here (75 minutes).
Maybe this was going to be kind of a disaster, as one high-ranking member of my company told me it would.
Today's opening audience was a rather large group from the day school of the church that hosts our performances. That means a lot of three- and four-year-olds. Like, an entire theater full of them. Fantastic. Have you ever tried to hold the attention of three or more four-year-olds? It doesn't generally happen. And although the previous night's preview performance had seemed to go over well, that was a crowd composed of at least 50% adults, and 85% of those were all good friends of one particular cast member. This was our trial run with kids. And I know I'm old school, but I always care more that the kids enjoy the kids' show than the adults.
"...for when the lights go down, the play begins!"
And we were off. One way or another, we were (essentially) locked into that room with a hundred pre-K kids and all their chattery, fidgety, small-bladdery wonder. The opening scene I knew would play well to this demographic, because it features two adult males bashing one another in the head with wood blocks. Always a winner with the younger ones, and it was today. Halfway through the scene, we stop whomping for a second to have some story. And at that point, something truly unexpected and bizarre happened: the audiences stopped roaring in laughter in order to listen to the story! And when we started up with the violence again, they jumped right back in with their giggles until it was time for more exciting storytelling/narration. And they listened to that, too! And as the play went on, it really started sinking in: the pre-K's were totally digging it! And I mean all of it! The weird parts, the wacky parts, even the talky parts. They seemed to really grasp what was going on and responded accordingly, either to the characters, their friends, or their teachers. Despite the fact that almost all of them had raised t heir hands and shouted "ME!" when asked if they had seen the Disney version of the story, they didn't seem to mind one bit that our little wooden boy hardly resembled the one in their memories at all.
Then, a little boy got up to go to the restroom. Here we go, I thought. It's all over. With this age, once one of 'em goes, they all go. But nobody else went. Not until there were about five minutes left in the show (and it's hard to blame a 4-year-old for not sitting still past seventy minutes). They were still with us. They still wanted to know what was going to happen next. They were delighted by the surprises. They laughed at the oddities. It worked. Now, I don't say this because I think pre-K's make for bad audiences; rather, they're generally among the most challenging audiences you'll encounter. I've seen a lot of our shows that just couldn't hold the little ones for very long. But we grabbed them early, and we held them for the whole show.
Afterward, sweet Sarah had decided we ought to have a celebration for the world premiere of this new play, so she and Leslie set up a small table in the theater and brought a cake from H-E-B and some leftover punch from another event, and we celebrated. Cast, crew, and friends who came to celebrate with us. Fellow company members who'd come to see the show shared their compliments. Everyone was chatty and happy. I wasn't chatty, however. I was sitting atop "the rock" by myself, looking around the theater at everyone sharing this opening morning with laughter, sweets, and praise. And it just sorta sunk in with a sort of surreal satisfaction. I looked around at the people who had spent the last month pulling out whatever they had left to bring this weird and wacky piece of theater together, and I thought, with eyes misting ever so slightly, We did it. We pulled this off.
I won't say this is the best show I've ever written or directed, though I think now that it's pretty dang good. And I won't say I've never been happier in my art, because that's probably hyperbole as well. And no, it ain't perfect. And yeah, I think I'll be making tweaks to the script when it's all over. And heck yeah, I made some mistakes putting this whole thing together. But you know what? I can't imagine feeling more satisfied than I felt in that moment: sleep-deprived, physically exhausted, utterly relieved, and proud not only of myself but of the team, I felt utterly and completely satisfied. It felt good.
The cake was pretty dang tasty, too.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
v2, d312: What's wrong with this picture?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
v2, d311: Birthday Mad-libs: Jen
I think Jen is still a FOMW reader. Every time I figure, "Oh, I'll bet Jen doesn't follow this anymore," she usually comments, so I've just decided to count her among the silent masses who at least skim my subject lines :-)
If you don't know Jen, you're missing out. I don't think anybody in the world hates Jen. Not even terrorists. She is just that nice and encouraging and personable and loving. Either that or she's plotting to destroy us all and she's really good at winning over trust. And if that is her intention, she'll probably accomplish it. Because she's just that good.
If you don't know Jen, you're missing out. I don't think anybody in the world hates Jen. Not even terrorists. She is just that nice and encouraging and personable and loving. Either that or she's plotting to destroy us all and she's really good at winning over trust. And if that is her intention, she'll probably accomplish it. Because she's just that good.
The County Fair
We went to the county fair today -- me, my wife Jen, my daughter Ninja, and my good friend Elizabeth. First we walked by all the animals. (I ran at the smell.) There were dogs, pheasants, and creepy baby spiders in stables, and a big fat dolphin in a pen. Behind the stables, some kids were having a race to see who could sheer a pig the fastest. Further on, there was a Spider Show, where each of the proud owners strutted their spider around the ring while judges pantomimed thoughtfully.
Next, we went on the rides. My wife was daring and went on the Gentle Christmas Hat of Narrating, and Ninja went on the Genuine Roller Coaster of Fantasy-sports-savvy, but I took it easy and stuck to the Robin Rides and the Joyous-Go-Round.
Last, we went to the green and brown food stands and filled up on tea cakes and hamburger buns and those little bagel-kabobs with ketchup on them. (Unfortunately, some woman bumped into me and knocked my bagel all over my dorsal fin.) We had a great time, and when we got back, we were all content from the experience.
Happy birthday, Jen!
Next, we went on the rides. My wife was daring and went on the Gentle Christmas Hat of Narrating, and Ninja went on the Genuine Roller Coaster of Fantasy-sports-savvy, but I took it easy and stuck to the Robin Rides and the Joyous-Go-Round.
Last, we went to the green and brown food stands and filled up on tea cakes and hamburger buns and those little bagel-kabobs with ketchup on them. (Unfortunately, some woman bumped into me and knocked my bagel all over my dorsal fin.) We had a great time, and when we got back, we were all content from the experience.
Happy birthday, Jen!
Friday, March 25, 2011
v2, d310: Third Annual Aeros "Where Are They Now" post
Well, hockey season (regular season) is almost over, so it's time to give my annual salute to the guys I watched toil in the AHL whose hard work has paid off. It's time to check in on our beloved former-Aeros! I know most of y'all don't care, but this post is always a fun one for me. Note: these are only the guys who played in Houston since I moved here, the 2005-06 season.
We'll start off with the sad omission from this year's highlight real: my personal favorite former Aero Josh Harding. After playing himself into a season-ending injury last year, Harding rehabbed like crazy to get in game shape for this season. He took the ice for his first pre-season game feeling great...until he tore both his ACL and MCL. He's finally skating again, but he lost an entire season. Here's hoping he finds work in the NHL next year, because he's one of the great guys in the game, and it would suck to see it end this way for him.
John Scott, D, Chicago
The unlikeliest Aeros in the NHL, Scott came to Houston as an undrafted rookie with no hands (not literally), no skating ability, and a heck of a lot of work ethic. Through parts of three seasons in Houston, Scott eventually matured into an AHL vet with no hands, minimal skating ability, and a reputation as one of the league's top fighters. (Oh, did I mention he's 6'8" and 258 pounds??) And that's pretty much who he is in the NHL, too, now with the Chicago Blackhawks. He doesn't play often because, well, he's a terrible hockey player, but he's good to have on the ice if you think the other team is going to start pushing your guys around. In 40 games this year, Scott has no goals, one assist, fifteen shots, and seventy-two penalty minutes. And according to the voters at hockeyfights.com, he's never lost an NHL bout (17-0).
Odd thought: Scott is the former Aero currently most likely to win a Stanley Cup.
Here's Scott winning a fairly long bout with St. Louis's Cam Janssen:
Ryan Jones, F, Edmonton
Jones only played four games for the Aeros, and then he was a pest with the Admirals for a couple years while bouncing back up and down to Nashville. Now he's playing for the last place team in the league, but he does have 16 goals. Plus, you can follow him on Twitter.
Here's Jones going right to the net for a shorty against Dallas:
Clayton Stoner, D, Minnesota
Stoner's a guy who really took the long route getting to Minny. He'd been an Aero every year since I'd been here. And every time he started to catch a break, he'd get hurt. Glad to see him finally stick with the Wild. He's a good 6th d-man, good, tough, stay-at-home guy, and every team needs those guys to eat up some quality minutes on the back end. He doesn't score much (twice, so far), but he's been playing good defense and even getting some time on the PK.
Here's his memorable blooper-worthy first NHL goal:
Joel Ward, F, Nashville
Ward was the leading scorer on the 2007-08 team that had no business making the playoffs (but did anyway). Nevertheless, the Wild let him walk as a free agent, and he's had double digits in goals for the Predators every year since. Hm...
Ward actually has three goals against the Wild this year. This sort of thing seems to happen a lot in the NHL.
Benoit Pouliot, F, Montreal
Man, this kid has some sick hands. Sometimes. But not often enough for a kid who was picked 4th overall. Pouliot wasn't bad as an Aero, but I had really hoped he would dominate the AHL level. He didn't, and he hasn't at the NHL, either. He hasn't been bad, mind you, and he's only 24, and he's going to finish with thirty points for the first time in his career, so things are trending upward for him. Minnesota was a pretty rotten place for a skill guy like Pouliot due to the system the team played. And Pouliot never really bought in to the whole "defense" thing. Anyway, he's got some pretty goals in Montreal, including this obscene shootout winner against my Pens.
Cal Clutterbuck, F, Minnesota
Possibly my all-time favorite Aero. He just flew all over the ice, never took a shift off, dished out hit after hit (almost all of them clean), and can score. Seems like he has a lot of haters, mostly because he doesn't fight often, but that's not his game. He's an agitator, he draws penalties, he throws big hits, he gets the team and the fans fired up, and this year, he's going to top 20 goals for the first time. He also feasts on BlueJackets, as in this clip in which he will take out two BJ's with one hit before bouncing back to his feet and putting home the rebound. Awesome.
Kurtis Foster, D, Oilers
Foster had a solid rookie season and followed it up with a couple decent years for a puck-moving d-man...until he snapped his leg. He spent a full year rehabbing and actually made it back to play for the Wild (who re-signed him despite no guarantee he'd play again, which I thought was a nice gesture on their part). He also got to rehab in Houston a few games, so we got to see him again. Anyway, last season he had a solid year in Tampa, but they let him walk, too, so now the poor guy is banished to Edmonton.
He shoots the puck pretty hard.
Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota
Here's a guy who was told he was too small to play hockey professionally and had probably best settle on some different life goals. (He's 5'9", which is small for an NHL d-man) He signed with the Wild and was expected to play the whole year in Houston. And basically, that didn't happen. Great kid, great story. Here he is scoring (as far too many players do) against the Avs.
That's our round-up for this year. Hopefully next season we can add some new names (like Wellman, Noreau, Khudobin, Almond, Gillies) to the list. Or re-instate Robbie Earl and Patrick O'Sullivan.
We'll start off with the sad omission from this year's highlight real: my personal favorite former Aero Josh Harding. After playing himself into a season-ending injury last year, Harding rehabbed like crazy to get in game shape for this season. He took the ice for his first pre-season game feeling great...until he tore both his ACL and MCL. He's finally skating again, but he lost an entire season. Here's hoping he finds work in the NHL next year, because he's one of the great guys in the game, and it would suck to see it end this way for him.
John Scott, D, Chicago
The unlikeliest Aeros in the NHL, Scott came to Houston as an undrafted rookie with no hands (not literally), no skating ability, and a heck of a lot of work ethic. Through parts of three seasons in Houston, Scott eventually matured into an AHL vet with no hands, minimal skating ability, and a reputation as one of the league's top fighters. (Oh, did I mention he's 6'8" and 258 pounds??) And that's pretty much who he is in the NHL, too, now with the Chicago Blackhawks. He doesn't play often because, well, he's a terrible hockey player, but he's good to have on the ice if you think the other team is going to start pushing your guys around. In 40 games this year, Scott has no goals, one assist, fifteen shots, and seventy-two penalty minutes. And according to the voters at hockeyfights.com, he's never lost an NHL bout (17-0).
Odd thought: Scott is the former Aero currently most likely to win a Stanley Cup.
Here's Scott winning a fairly long bout with St. Louis's Cam Janssen:
Ryan Jones, F, Edmonton
Jones only played four games for the Aeros, and then he was a pest with the Admirals for a couple years while bouncing back up and down to Nashville. Now he's playing for the last place team in the league, but he does have 16 goals. Plus, you can follow him on Twitter.
Here's Jones going right to the net for a shorty against Dallas:
Clayton Stoner, D, Minnesota
Stoner's a guy who really took the long route getting to Minny. He'd been an Aero every year since I'd been here. And every time he started to catch a break, he'd get hurt. Glad to see him finally stick with the Wild. He's a good 6th d-man, good, tough, stay-at-home guy, and every team needs those guys to eat up some quality minutes on the back end. He doesn't score much (twice, so far), but he's been playing good defense and even getting some time on the PK.
Here's his memorable blooper-worthy first NHL goal:
Joel Ward, F, Nashville
Ward was the leading scorer on the 2007-08 team that had no business making the playoffs (but did anyway). Nevertheless, the Wild let him walk as a free agent, and he's had double digits in goals for the Predators every year since. Hm...
Ward actually has three goals against the Wild this year. This sort of thing seems to happen a lot in the NHL.
Benoit Pouliot, F, Montreal
Man, this kid has some sick hands. Sometimes. But not often enough for a kid who was picked 4th overall. Pouliot wasn't bad as an Aero, but I had really hoped he would dominate the AHL level. He didn't, and he hasn't at the NHL, either. He hasn't been bad, mind you, and he's only 24, and he's going to finish with thirty points for the first time in his career, so things are trending upward for him. Minnesota was a pretty rotten place for a skill guy like Pouliot due to the system the team played. And Pouliot never really bought in to the whole "defense" thing. Anyway, he's got some pretty goals in Montreal, including this obscene shootout winner against my Pens.
Cal Clutterbuck, F, Minnesota
Possibly my all-time favorite Aero. He just flew all over the ice, never took a shift off, dished out hit after hit (almost all of them clean), and can score. Seems like he has a lot of haters, mostly because he doesn't fight often, but that's not his game. He's an agitator, he draws penalties, he throws big hits, he gets the team and the fans fired up, and this year, he's going to top 20 goals for the first time. He also feasts on BlueJackets, as in this clip in which he will take out two BJ's with one hit before bouncing back to his feet and putting home the rebound. Awesome.
Kurtis Foster, D, Oilers
Foster had a solid rookie season and followed it up with a couple decent years for a puck-moving d-man...until he snapped his leg. He spent a full year rehabbing and actually made it back to play for the Wild (who re-signed him despite no guarantee he'd play again, which I thought was a nice gesture on their part). He also got to rehab in Houston a few games, so we got to see him again. Anyway, last season he had a solid year in Tampa, but they let him walk, too, so now the poor guy is banished to Edmonton.
He shoots the puck pretty hard.
Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota
Here's a guy who was told he was too small to play hockey professionally and had probably best settle on some different life goals. (He's 5'9", which is small for an NHL d-man) He signed with the Wild and was expected to play the whole year in Houston. And basically, that didn't happen. Great kid, great story. Here he is scoring (as far too many players do) against the Avs.
That's our round-up for this year. Hopefully next season we can add some new names (like Wellman, Noreau, Khudobin, Almond, Gillies) to the list. Or re-instate Robbie Earl and Patrick O'Sullivan.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
v2, d309: Eight Characters Too Long
Wow. Ridiculously tired. Falling asleep by accident @ work and home. Maybe a daily blog is too ambitious right now. Better to aim for a daily tweet?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
v2, d308: I LOVE TECH!!
That's pretty much it. I love the point in the directing process when you start to see the pieces come together. The actors are getting a handle on their parts. The set pieces and props show up. The sounds are no longer only in your head (or your stage manager yelling "THUNDER!" during rehearsals). The costumes complete the picture. You start that you've actually got a show on your hands. It's crazy fun. Today I heard the sound design for the first time. It's pretty awesome. Tomorrow it's lights and costumes. And then we'll be ready to have a look at the whole darn thing.
It's gonna be a fun one, folks.
It's gonna be a fun one, folks.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
v2, d307: Dial-A-Story
Here's a classic commercial that has a new meaning for me. (And everyone needs to watch. It's only thirty seconds)
These last couple of days have been kind of rough, and not just because the latest project was a bit...turbulent. See, the last couple of days, I've had to stay at work past Robbie's bed time. (And last night, Kim's, too) There also wasn't enough time for me to get Robbie from day care, run home, and get back before my evening shift started, so Kim drove Robbie to day care in the morning and I just got a ride with a coworker, which means I basically didn't see my family at all yesterday. Unless you want to count early morning, and if you've ever seen me in the early morning, you already know that doesn't count. I just don't function quite right. I sometimes have conversations (and agree to do things) while I'm actually still asleep. It's not good. Anyway, it's tough, and it's even tougher on Kim, who is trying to wrangle two little boys by herself while I'm working. Robbie's also always a bit extra agitated when he doesn't get to spend time with me at some point in the day. So last night, during a break in rehearsal, I disappeared for a while and called him on the phone. They were having dinner, but it was the last break I was going to get before bed time, so I told last night's Harry Bear bedtime story over the phone. It was both touching and heartbreaking at the same time.
(Tonight was a bit better. Kim brought the boys to the theater for dinner, and Robbie and I got to run up and down the aisles for a few minutes before eating. He behaved much better at home, too)
This is getting hard. Between this and my Wednesday and Sunday nights at church, I'm not home much. And now my Saturday mornings are gone, too, and soon I'll be taking early-early morning bookings again. I'm already sleeping four or fewer hours per night, and we're getting into heavy tech for Pinocchio tomorrow (preview performance next Tuesday night). Sooner or later, something has got to break, folks. And it might end up being me.
That said, I'm still "up." I'm still happy and excited about life. I'm stoked to be in tech for Pinocchio. These are good times. I go from one sleeping child's room to the other's and realize how good I have it right now in the brief moments I'm alert enough to appreciate it. And those moments are still worth it.
Besides, after that fourth (or fifth?) cup of coffee today, I was feeling pretty dang good! Yeah!! (I told Tarvis I would post this tonight)
These last couple of days have been kind of rough, and not just because the latest project was a bit...turbulent. See, the last couple of days, I've had to stay at work past Robbie's bed time. (And last night, Kim's, too) There also wasn't enough time for me to get Robbie from day care, run home, and get back before my evening shift started, so Kim drove Robbie to day care in the morning and I just got a ride with a coworker, which means I basically didn't see my family at all yesterday. Unless you want to count early morning, and if you've ever seen me in the early morning, you already know that doesn't count. I just don't function quite right. I sometimes have conversations (and agree to do things) while I'm actually still asleep. It's not good. Anyway, it's tough, and it's even tougher on Kim, who is trying to wrangle two little boys by herself while I'm working. Robbie's also always a bit extra agitated when he doesn't get to spend time with me at some point in the day. So last night, during a break in rehearsal, I disappeared for a while and called him on the phone. They were having dinner, but it was the last break I was going to get before bed time, so I told last night's Harry Bear bedtime story over the phone. It was both touching and heartbreaking at the same time.
(Tonight was a bit better. Kim brought the boys to the theater for dinner, and Robbie and I got to run up and down the aisles for a few minutes before eating. He behaved much better at home, too)
This is getting hard. Between this and my Wednesday and Sunday nights at church, I'm not home much. And now my Saturday mornings are gone, too, and soon I'll be taking early-early morning bookings again. I'm already sleeping four or fewer hours per night, and we're getting into heavy tech for Pinocchio tomorrow (preview performance next Tuesday night). Sooner or later, something has got to break, folks. And it might end up being me.
That said, I'm still "up." I'm still happy and excited about life. I'm stoked to be in tech for Pinocchio. These are good times. I go from one sleeping child's room to the other's and realize how good I have it right now in the brief moments I'm alert enough to appreciate it. And those moments are still worth it.
Besides, after that fourth (or fifth?) cup of coffee today, I was feeling pretty dang good! Yeah!! (I told Tarvis I would post this tonight)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
