Line Runner

We had a great first weekend of "Superior Donuts"!  Our crowds had a bunch of energy, and our characters just came alive.  Things clicked.

So far, I've only heard of one, maybe, person being shocked at the "language."  Despite all the "mature audiences" warnings, and the word "pussy" written in big red letters at center stage, some people just don't pay attention.

But everyone else has.  They laughed at everything they should have, even getting some humor that escaped me earlier.  The crowds have been kind, congratulating us.  (People who know Russian have been impressed with Carl's accent and characterization of Max, the immigrant DVD entrepreneur.)

A delightful review came from Huntsville Theatre Reviews.  Robert Montgomery wrapped up his review of "Superior Donuts" with these words: "These are real people, with real lives-- real loves and loss, real dreams and history-- and it well deserved its opening night standing ovation."  Thank you so, so much for supporting us, Mr. Montgomery!

So many folks I know posted wonderful things on Facebook about the show!  Even my friend Anne, up in Chicago, is impressed we're doing this play.  Living in a ("better") Uptown neighborhood, she enjoyed reading Tracy Letts' play.  Too bad copyright laws prevent us from taping it.  Of all the plays I've done, I'd like most for her to see this one.

For a cast with varied roles/types and stage time, we are pretty chill together.  Being all in one dressing room helps.  We didn't plan on being in one dressing room, but with the VBC staff repairing a water leak in the women's dressing room, us gals (all 2 of us) had the options of "the green room," "the men's dressing room," or putting up with smell of epoxy and copious cement dust.  The men's dressing room is warmer and less public than the green room.  If you're wondering, we have very few costume changes, and all of us are "veterans" of community theater and know how to be respectful of others changing.  We talk smack about other things like football, drinking habits and jobs.  I think the only change is that the guys aren't using the urinals.  Then again, maybe they're shy pee-ers and don't use them around each other.  I wouldn't know.

Oh, and our cast motto is "Embrace the Pussy."
Yep.  We've made many jokes....

Now, it's the Wednesday before we start our second weekend.  We are sitting around the stage and doing a line run-thru.  We could have done a walk-thru, where we say the lines and move through our blocking, but no costumes and props/tech.  We're not doing a speed-thru, either, but we are popping out our lines at a quick, natural clip.  Thank God no one is pulling a green-dragon.  Unless everyone agrees beforehand, (and you're mentally prepared,) a green-dragon can turn into a real ego-fest.  For a show with a six-week rehearsal and that only runs two weekends, we don't need a green-dragon to "perk" us up.  We find plenty of things in the show to riff on while we're off stage.

If you're local and read this, come see this play.  We perform Thursday/Friday/Saturday (Jan. 21, 22, 23) at 7pm and a Saturday matinee at 2pm.  Ticket info at Theatre Huntsville.

Jeff White took some fabulous photos of the cast & show, that I'll post later.  But here is a scene from the fight.

Yeah, this show has everything.  It has heart.

50 Day of Christmas

So I can't schedule myself to blog every day.  I know that.  But I do like finding something to say.

I enjoyed giving you "50 Day of Christmas."  Fifty days of, I hope, good vibes and fun in what can be a sometimes disheartening world.

Almost 50 days.  This post marks 49 posts.  I'm missing one.  It's one I want put some serious thought into.  I'm looking forward to giving you "Day 17" from December 8th.

Right now, my Christmassy family.  Love y'all.

"Superior Donuts"

I'm in this sweet little holiday show called "Superior Donuts."  It's by Tracy Letts.  The dialog is full of cussing.  The set features graffiti "Pu$$y" center stage.  A character gets mutilated.  There's a major fight scene.  The cops are kind of useless.  I play a senior-citizen homeless wino.

But it really is a sweet little holiday play.

It's sweet because the premise is that some people who seem lost in their directions in life finally find their ways to being the better people they want to be.  The bad guys get defeated.  We get to eat donuts.

It's little because it's fairly short, there are few set-change elements/costume-change elements, so the scenes should move along.

It's a holiday play because the setting notes say the play takes place in Uptown Chicago over a few weeks spanning from December thru January. The average person won't realize this until the last scene when a character says "I trust you have wonderful holiday time?"  But, since theater people in Huntsville are geeky people, I have learned that the "Chicago Comics Con" takes place annually in December; one of the show characters does Star Trek cosplay at the convention which is often referenced in the play.

So, see?  Sweet little holiday play!  (Come see me wear a droopy poinsettia on my hat and hear me cuss!)