Well, the review is out ...
Morning,
The review came out this morning. I quote,
"Actors Also Get Lost in 'Love's Labour's'
By DARYL H. MILLER, Times Staff Writer
When actors master Shakespeare, the text becomes a symphony of rhythms and textures, conveying rich and varied meaning. When Shakespeare masters the actors, however, you've got a problem.
Sorry to say, the second scenario is playing out in the Long Beach Shakespeare Company's presentation of "Love's Labour's Lost," as hard-working but under-skilled actors get lost in the verbal thickets of one of the Bard's most challenging texts.
The intentions are good. This free outdoor production in Stearns Park is meant to reach out to the community, and the 16 performers--who range from a high school student to a lone member of the Actors' Equity stage union--reflect the area's diversity more comprehensively than many other productions. Although mostly young, these actors bring a variety of cultural and life experiences to the stage.
The text has them stymied, though.
Shakespeare used in-jokes and a lot of over-elaborate language to skewer the manners of certain intellectuals in 1590s England. To most of the performers, the words are like a foreign language, spoken by rote with little nuance. Others have begun to find color in the text but fall into galloping, repetitive rhythms.
The Elizabethan-dress staging--by company artistic director Helen Borgers--is likewise dull, with little variation or artistry in the actors' movement or placement.
Still, Shakespeare's message--that life is a classroom and people are the books--filters through.
Rod Weber and Angie Paul gamely engage in the romantic sparring between Berowne, who reluctantly joins his king in forswearing revelry and women's company so that they can focus on high-minded study, and Rosaline, one of the beguiling women who immediately put the men's principles to the test.
As a couple of rustic characters at the edges of the action, Jim Belisle and Liz Hurwitz are comic free spirits. And as the zany Spaniard Armado, Benito Borjas Jr. looks like an El Greco painting come crazily to life."
Not very good, huh? As usual, I didn't get mentioned by name at all. At least we're "hard-working." It's very frustrating. I mean, with Othello, I didn't get mentioned at ALL, in TWO reviews, nor did any of my friends come to see the show, so I kinda feel like it didn't happen, you know? Even the actors I was working with, didn't mention my performance with the exception of Brandon (a very sweet 18 year old) and Joanne, who mentioned one moment that she thought was good.
I should have learned by now not to dream about how things will come about. It's the same principal as why I don't play the lottery. I buy a ticket, spend the WHOLE day dreaming about what I'm going to do with the money ... pay off bills, contribute to the theater company, and then spend the next day being VERY disappointed I didn't win. I did the same thing with this review. I dreamed of all the wonderful things that could be said about me, and then, of course, nothing.
The review says, "hard-working but under-skilled." Am I hard-working. Oh yes. Am I underskilled? Possibly, but I'm more skilled than I ever have been before, which makes the disappointment palpable. Of course, how is a reviewer going to know that? How many more years do I have to study before I'm skilled?
The review also mentions that "others have begun to find color in the words, but fall into galloping repetitive rhythms." That's very possibly referring to me, although I can't begin to tell you how much I've worked on trying to NOT fall into what are basically rhythmic couples. VERY difficult.
I hope some friends come to this show. I surprised myself by being VERY disappointed that nobody showed to Othello, even R, who said he was coming two weekends in a row. Normally, if just K shows, I'm happy. I can discuss the play in depth with her, she's very supportive and I can get an observer's feedback. However, she couldn't get off work to come see Othello, and I doubt she'll be able to get off work to see LLL. Of course, LOTS of people from the Playhouse have said they're coming ... I'll believe it when I see it. Even EK, who raked me over the coals for not coming to see her first comedy show, didn't come, and I doubt she'll come to see LLL, although at least this time I sent out e-mails to everybody, and will send one more the middle of next week to let them know it's their last chance. On the other hand, Rod, is in this show, and goodness knows the majority of the class has a crush on him, so they'll come out just to see him in tights.
On more mundane fronts. I did manage to get my bookcases moved last night, so my living room looks a bit more normal ... i.e., pre Aaron. Now, to finish cleaning the bedroom and then attack that gosh-awful kitchen. I have to make a 7-layer bean dip tonight and fried tortilla chips for a birthday bash tomorrow at work.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to do an advance against my paycheck through Wells Fargo, yet again this pay period or I'm going to end up spending $30 in overdraft fees (I'm currently showing a -.88 balance on my checking account, and Wells Fargo are BASTARDS when it comes to that stuff). Luckily, two of the charges are pending, so I can fix it before they become final.
Work is quiet today ... most of the lawyers are out and about, so I have time to do my thing.
I have to get to a regular acting class. Unfortunately, that's an additional $300 a month, which I just DON'T have right at the moment, not to mention the fact that my free time is in very short supply right now. And another two nights a week isn't going to make the theater get built any faster.
Speaking of theater building, I don't know HOW the heck we are going to pay for all this. The festival run way over budget (my fault), so we dipped into money I had put aside for rent through the end of the year. Looks like I'm going to have to make some of that money up.
Well, I suppose I should at least look I'm vaguely interested in work, today.
Light and Laughter,
Travis
The review came out this morning. I quote,
"Actors Also Get Lost in 'Love's Labour's'
By DARYL H. MILLER, Times Staff Writer
When actors master Shakespeare, the text becomes a symphony of rhythms and textures, conveying rich and varied meaning. When Shakespeare masters the actors, however, you've got a problem.
Sorry to say, the second scenario is playing out in the Long Beach Shakespeare Company's presentation of "Love's Labour's Lost," as hard-working but under-skilled actors get lost in the verbal thickets of one of the Bard's most challenging texts.
The intentions are good. This free outdoor production in Stearns Park is meant to reach out to the community, and the 16 performers--who range from a high school student to a lone member of the Actors' Equity stage union--reflect the area's diversity more comprehensively than many other productions. Although mostly young, these actors bring a variety of cultural and life experiences to the stage.
The text has them stymied, though.
Shakespeare used in-jokes and a lot of over-elaborate language to skewer the manners of certain intellectuals in 1590s England. To most of the performers, the words are like a foreign language, spoken by rote with little nuance. Others have begun to find color in the text but fall into galloping, repetitive rhythms.
The Elizabethan-dress staging--by company artistic director Helen Borgers--is likewise dull, with little variation or artistry in the actors' movement or placement.
Still, Shakespeare's message--that life is a classroom and people are the books--filters through.
Rod Weber and Angie Paul gamely engage in the romantic sparring between Berowne, who reluctantly joins his king in forswearing revelry and women's company so that they can focus on high-minded study, and Rosaline, one of the beguiling women who immediately put the men's principles to the test.
As a couple of rustic characters at the edges of the action, Jim Belisle and Liz Hurwitz are comic free spirits. And as the zany Spaniard Armado, Benito Borjas Jr. looks like an El Greco painting come crazily to life."
Not very good, huh? As usual, I didn't get mentioned by name at all. At least we're "hard-working." It's very frustrating. I mean, with Othello, I didn't get mentioned at ALL, in TWO reviews, nor did any of my friends come to see the show, so I kinda feel like it didn't happen, you know? Even the actors I was working with, didn't mention my performance with the exception of Brandon (a very sweet 18 year old) and Joanne, who mentioned one moment that she thought was good.
I should have learned by now not to dream about how things will come about. It's the same principal as why I don't play the lottery. I buy a ticket, spend the WHOLE day dreaming about what I'm going to do with the money ... pay off bills, contribute to the theater company, and then spend the next day being VERY disappointed I didn't win. I did the same thing with this review. I dreamed of all the wonderful things that could be said about me, and then, of course, nothing.
The review says, "hard-working but under-skilled." Am I hard-working. Oh yes. Am I underskilled? Possibly, but I'm more skilled than I ever have been before, which makes the disappointment palpable. Of course, how is a reviewer going to know that? How many more years do I have to study before I'm skilled?
The review also mentions that "others have begun to find color in the words, but fall into galloping repetitive rhythms." That's very possibly referring to me, although I can't begin to tell you how much I've worked on trying to NOT fall into what are basically rhythmic couples. VERY difficult.
I hope some friends come to this show. I surprised myself by being VERY disappointed that nobody showed to Othello, even R, who said he was coming two weekends in a row. Normally, if just K shows, I'm happy. I can discuss the play in depth with her, she's very supportive and I can get an observer's feedback. However, she couldn't get off work to come see Othello, and I doubt she'll be able to get off work to see LLL. Of course, LOTS of people from the Playhouse have said they're coming ... I'll believe it when I see it. Even EK, who raked me over the coals for not coming to see her first comedy show, didn't come, and I doubt she'll come to see LLL, although at least this time I sent out e-mails to everybody, and will send one more the middle of next week to let them know it's their last chance. On the other hand, Rod, is in this show, and goodness knows the majority of the class has a crush on him, so they'll come out just to see him in tights.
On more mundane fronts. I did manage to get my bookcases moved last night, so my living room looks a bit more normal ... i.e., pre Aaron. Now, to finish cleaning the bedroom and then attack that gosh-awful kitchen. I have to make a 7-layer bean dip tonight and fried tortilla chips for a birthday bash tomorrow at work.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to do an advance against my paycheck through Wells Fargo, yet again this pay period or I'm going to end up spending $30 in overdraft fees (I'm currently showing a -.88 balance on my checking account, and Wells Fargo are BASTARDS when it comes to that stuff). Luckily, two of the charges are pending, so I can fix it before they become final.
Work is quiet today ... most of the lawyers are out and about, so I have time to do my thing.
I have to get to a regular acting class. Unfortunately, that's an additional $300 a month, which I just DON'T have right at the moment, not to mention the fact that my free time is in very short supply right now. And another two nights a week isn't going to make the theater get built any faster.
Speaking of theater building, I don't know HOW the heck we are going to pay for all this. The festival run way over budget (my fault), so we dipped into money I had put aside for rent through the end of the year. Looks like I'm going to have to make some of that money up.
Well, I suppose I should at least look I'm vaguely interested in work, today.
Light and Laughter,
Travis