Elissa Posted December 28, 2007 Author Report Posted December 28, 2007 (edited) Thank you for all your good wishes. 4/7 of the parts cast now - all with really phenomenal actors. One a member of the Actors Studio, one a member of the Edge Theater - also good cause they'll help bring people to warm the seats while we're up. Inch by inch as they say... Also found a wonderful fellow who I hope will stage manage and assistant direct, who knows both the theater and the director. You guys are all coming into town for it, right? That is exciting. I'm in Chicago and go to a lot of theatre, nearly all off-Loop. It is one of the few other places where you can see such a range of productions, including shoestring productions. It really is feasible for a young company to go out there and "put on a show." And there is pretty decent coverage, even of small productions, between the two dailies, two alternative weekly and Metromix. Just saw Steppenwolf's August: Osage County here. Amazing. Hope that style of theater has a resurgence - the kind of showy, 2-dimensional acting and directing - I call it Egyptian - that's been so popular of late leaves me chilly. Edited December 28, 2007 by Elissa Quote
ejp626 Posted December 31, 2007 Report Posted December 31, 2007 That is exciting. I'm in Chicago and go to a lot of theatre, nearly all off-Loop. It is one of the few other places where you can see such a range of productions, including shoestring productions. It really is feasible for a young company to go out there and "put on a show." And there is pretty decent coverage, even of small productions, between the two dailies, two alternative weekly and Metromix. Just saw Steppenwolf's August: Osage County here. Amazing. Hope that style of theater has a resurgence - the kind of showy, 2-dimensional acting and directing - I call it Egyptian - that's been so popular of late leaves me chilly. That was certainly the best thing I've seen at Steppenwolf in a while (nice that I got to see it for about half Broadway prices). I was very impressed they managed to keep nearly the entire cast together, the young daughter was replaced and perhaps the fiance. You really do get the full range here, including companies that are dedicated to doing nothing but putting on new works by contemporary playwrights. The highlight of 2007 Chicago theatre was not Osage County, however, but an even more ambitious piece called the Madelyn Trilogy which was a three part saga of a large clan (5 brothers and sisters) who come together after the death of one brother's ex-wife and then deal with the sudden reappearance of their father. There were roughly 20 people in the cast, and they did the three different plays back to back to back -- Friday, Sat. and Sun. over a roughly 2 month span. I finally managed to catch it on the last weekend, so it was a bit of an endurance test for me, as well as for the cast. Ridiculously ambitious, done on a shoestring, far more interesting than anything I've ever seen in the Loop. Oh, and the ticket price to see all three parts of the trilogy - $20. Tell me where else you are going to find that kind of a deal. Quote
king ubu Posted December 31, 2007 Report Posted December 31, 2007 Hey, I only just saw this thread - I wish you the best of luck with this project, sounds exciting - too bad I'm not in NYC! Quote
Elissa Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Posted January 16, 2008 You'd think it were opening night, what with my little heart pounding and my nerves all abuzz. But no, it's just the first time we're assembling all the cast (4 Actors Studio members, 1 fellow who teaches at the Neighborhood Playhouse) to meet, get cozy with eachother, and do a table read - which is when you just read the play all the way through. For auditions you'll hear people encourage you to 'just walk in and own the room' - but that's not the issue really, since we'll be gathering at my house. In an hour and a half. Which reminds me: I've got to clean up a bit and get some treats. Course, I'm still at work for another 20 minutes (with my tummy in knots.) Though my rock, the director, my husband, is better than he's been the past few weeks - his operation was a full month ago - he's still on crutches and fairly incapacitated. It takes 6 weeks for the titanium spike to fuse with the femur, so he's still got two more weeks off of his leg. And of course he's picked today to go off the pain pills. Initiation by fire, eh? Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted January 17, 2008 Report Posted January 17, 2008 All the best on your adventure. I really hope your dreams come true. Quote
Elissa Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Posted January 24, 2008 (edited) First rough draft of site recklessplay.com Do tell me what you think. Edited January 24, 2008 by Elissa Quote
Elissa Posted February 12, 2008 Author Report Posted February 12, 2008 Lucky to report that we've had a few miracles come to pass. The fellow playing my husband and my sons in the play (two of whom try to kill me, one of whom becomes my patient when I become a shrink!) has come on as a producer and brought goodly scads of funding. And as of today we're rehearsing in the theater. Y'all are coming, right?!? Tix and more info here. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted February 13, 2008 Report Posted February 13, 2008 I'm too far away But I do wish you well. MG Quote
Elissa Posted February 25, 2008 Author Report Posted February 25, 2008 Well, I've done my first 3 performances (ever) and have 5 more to go this run: Wed - Sun at 8. Hope some of you will come and say hi. Incredibly much fun. Such a wonderful cast and crew and so, so much fun to work with my brilliant husband. Amazing to think this is the start of us doing work we love together for the rest of our lives. Ideally. There have been about 20-30 people there each night - the space seats 65. But I've been really happy with it. Out of all the people I've invited, the 2 people who showed so far are the big beautiful security guard from my office building and the guy in my office who does the mail room. No family, no friends - kind of hilarious actually. But still really fun. My husband is so proud of me and - in truth - his approval means more to me than anything. The fellow I had ordained to marry us is a very fine actor and he's playing my 6 shrinks in this play. His wife came the other night and she has a huge career - TV (a couple Emmys), Broadway(2 Tonys), film... She loved me! Really nice to be embraced by a community to which I'm so new. My husband has been such a trooper thru this too. The operation he had in December didn't really work and he's going to have to do it AGAIN the day after we close. Which means another week in the hospital and 6 weeks off his leg to let it heal. Amazing spirit the fellow has. Do let me know if you make it by. And thanks for your support. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted February 26, 2008 Report Posted February 26, 2008 Outstanding! All the best. Quote
Elissa Posted March 1, 2008 Author Report Posted March 1, 2008 My first ever review - sorta. Just a comment really, on a listing, but an articulate one! Glee Quote
ejp626 Posted March 1, 2008 Report Posted March 1, 2008 My first ever review - sorta. Just a comment really, on a listing, but an articulate one! Glee Fantastic! The blurb was really positive. Best of luck in your next production! This is inspiring me to write up more of my notes for my own script. Perhaps I will have some news of my own. Quote
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