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The LatestFear and LoathingSaturday, September 13, 2003I hope this won't be too terribly introspective, the point of this blog was to keep a record of how we got this show produced and to hopefully spark interest in the final result, but occasionally you have to know where you come from in order to keep moving toward where you're going. Our company has produced a lot of stuff, most of it we are proud of, none of it was a waste of time. The most difficult decision we made was two years ago today, when we decided not to continue with the production we had slated to go up in October of 2001. The play was a very personal statement about the implications of what American culture was doing to itself and the rest of the world. It revolved around a writer who quit writing for theater and began working on a completely revolutionary and totally sensory videogame. The economics surrounding the American thirst for this game inspire a series of terrorist attacks, the first one here in New York. We had settled on the cast and had done the first run through when the real terrorist attacks happened. We were stunned and we stumbled through the next couple of days trying to make sense of what was happening and trying to maintain our sense of humor. The three of us sat with about twelve friends at someone's apartment and they happened to have the Charlie's Angels first movie on in the background. Everyone twinged at each explosion, and we just knew we couldn't produce the show anymore, even though it had become even more relevant. So, going against my pessimism, we decided to use the space as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army. We brought in thirteen other productions, some of which were very successful, others totally bombed, and we managed to not quite break even. Given that our publicist provided no services for $1500, and the woman who ran the space stole another $500 from us, there was no way we could break even. Yeah, sort of makes you embarassed for New Yorkers that we had $2000 taken from us that should have gone to the Salvation Army. But, ya live and ya learn... That stopped us in our tracks, really. We have had many ideas since then, we have built several shows from the idea stage to the completed script stage, but no further. It's really hard to bounce back from what happened to us as a company. Maybe we needed a year or two to limp along and lick our wounds before we could go once more, into the breech. Once thing changed about us that day. We no longer have any interest in trying to figure out what kind of show pleases an audience. We have a clear conscience about doing theater that we would want to see. With each piece we look at, in the back of our minds we think, 'if this is the last thing I produce, ever, will I be proud?' And if there is any pause at all we don't continue. Mac said to our friend Jonathan, on September 12, 2001, ""We're both writers. No matter what our subjects ever are, we're writing about them After Today." And our show next weekend will be After That Day. If nothing else, it will be the show we want to spend $15 to see. Because we make shows, that's what we do, and we don't have any better answers. Posted at 1:25 AM by sean williams Back on trackWednesday, September 10, 2003I just got an email from Mac saying, 'Last night was pretty awesome, huh?' It could be just that your expectations get raised every rehearsal, then you have one where nothing happens and your expectations plummet, then the next rehearsal seems really great. But I prefer to think of the terrible rehearsal as a break-through and last night as the fruits of our labor. Actually, credit needs to go where it's due. Our director is one of the best I have ever worked with. There were several times last night when we went in to a scene and John stopped it and fixed the problems, and each time was just so refreshing.  Directors want to act, and when they can't act, they want to teach you acting. This is not true of Dan and Anthony, the two guys we work with a lot besides John. But so many want to give you your circumstances, tell you what your character is feeling. Maybe they do that because so many actors are just handsome people who decide they want to be famous. But last night John said things like, 'the stress is on the word "everybody"' and Jordana was like, 'oh, sure!'. At one point, he came to me and started talking about how I was screwing up a scene and I started explaining why my character was doing stuff and he said, really nicely, 'Oh, sure! It's just that it's not working with Jordana. So do what you want to do, but make sure you deliver the last line so that her next line makes sense.' So awesome. Why do directors go on and on about sense memory when 'deliver the lines so that they make sense,' is the best piece of directing I have ever heard. Mac was trying to explain his walk in one scene, about why his walk seemed tenuous, by saying his character felt nervous about the situation he was walking in to. John, in his quiet little voice said, 'That's great. I mean, I won't know what you're thinking, I'm not a mind reader and God knows, I'm no actor. But just do the walk like this, it'll be more funny.' I am sure that a lot of people want a director to go on and on about past lives and stuff. But this is one circumstance where the right script, the right production and the right cast have been married to the right director. And, since we only have three hundred seats, it doesn't really matter how many people come! Okay, that last bit is a total lie...  Mac does his best James Mason. Posted at 11:00 AM by sean williams Bad NightTuesday, September 09, 2003If this is the first time you are reading this blog, and it very well may be because we just went up on theatermania, then I would suggest you scroll down a bit. Last night was that dreaded night, the one that everyone in the theater hates. You start the rehearsals and things keep getting better. You get better with the lines, you get better at the blocking, you start discovering little things. Each rehearsal, and sometimes several times a rehearsal, the director says something or another actor delivers a line in a new way, and the play just keeps opening up for you and its so frickin' exciting you just can't wait for the next one. Then the day hits. For us, it was the added props and costumes, maybe, or perhaps we were just due. But you start the work and it feels like you're driving with the emergency break on. We had the usual crew there, plus Julie who is doing our costumes.  She's pretty unimpressed. It's impossible to explain the feeling, that horrible sinking feeling you have when you are trying to perform a piece of theater and it isn't working. I guess if you have ever felt yourself without a clue, and also in front of people, then it's pretty close. I think all the dreams people have of being naked at school are probably pretty close to how it feels when you are trying to be funny and *nobody* is laughing. We are going back in tonight, so I just have to hope it's going to be better. In the meantime, at least we have a couple of good memories from last night's rehearsal. 
Posted at 10:14 AM
by sean williams
Theatermania, 4over4, Claire and DaveMonday, September 08, 2003Everything for the show is falling in to place, but three things have to be mentioned by name. 1) Claire and Dave. They designed the postcard for us, and every time we set down a stack of postcards, people don't seem to be able to walk away from them. They are the perfect balance of eye-catching and not busy, of being enticing without trying to be sexy. It's the first time our company has done a piece of marketing that has worked. If you want them to do design work for you, drop me an email. 2) 4over4.com. We used this company once before and when we didn't like the postcard, they reprinted it for free for us. This time, although the turnaround wasn't as great as it could have been, they gave us gorgeous cards exactly when they promised and looking better than we have a right to. Also, they are a local business, located in a warehouse by LaGuardia, so I feel good supporting them. 3) Theatermania.com. These guys are great. We have gone with other ticketing companies in the past, but there was always something a little bit smarmy about them. The people at theatermania understood the show immediately. They haven't tried to push us into some marketing scheme that is wrong for this show, in fact they have yet to charge us a single penny, and the fee is half what it is anywhere else. Some people are reading this blog for hints about who to use and who to avoid, and I gotta tell you, in this show we are batting a thousand with the people we have hired. But the three I just mentioned were a chance we were taking, and all three, so far, have been miracle workers. Posted at 4:03 PM by sean williams Archives08/24/2003 - 08/30/200308/31/2003 - 09/06/2003 09/07/2003 - 09/13/2003 |
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