THE MIDDLE
So here I am back in Toronto in a lovely little coffee shop opposite Christie Pits called Linxus. The great guy who owns it is presently making me a special salad as they had sold out and I can’t have anything else on the menu. Bless!
So back to NY. Friday March 2. I met Bec for brunch and then we decided to have a little walk around the hood to try and find Jasmine (Bec’s daughter) a little pressie. I must admit that I was all in a daze and I can’t really tell you where exactly we went. I know we had a moment on 5th Ave. We went into Saks. It was hilarious in the perfume hall. We were set upon by several over eager sales women. When we finally escaped we smelt like a worked in a French brothel and Bec looked quite disturbed. I loved it. Those women (and gay men) are such characters, with their thick New York accents and thick makeup. Brilliant.
We then stumbled on the Austrian Arts Foundation building. The architecture was so great and different from everything around it that we decided to go back in. It was cool. I didn’t really get most of it but I remember not really getting any of the contemporary art when I was in Vienna. Give me a Klimt or a Schiele I’m all over it. The recent stuff – I don’t know. Sometimes I think modern art is so modern that I will get it in 50 years and then, well I will have missed the boat on the cutting edge scene of art. Oh well.
We then went into St Osburg’s on Park Ave. Very interesting place. It’s quite dark and dingy in there but beautiful. The pews were occupied with the homeless (catching naps and talking to themselves) and tourists looking around in wonder. I had an unsettling feeling in there and lit a candle for all of those in the church. They seemed to need the grace of god more than most. To the transient souls of New York.
After a walk over to Hells Kitchen to a flea market that was held only on the weekend (obviously I had a little difficulty reading on Friday – it had been a bit of a week!) We went back to the hotel so that Bec could get to the airport in time for her flight. I was very sad to see her go. We had a really great 48 hours and I had the feeling that I might be on my own from then on in.
Saturday March 3, 2007
I love Adam my beautiful Power book. I love the fact that he is wireless and that I can get on the internet anywhere, anytime there is a wave. However I hate the fact that sometimes the wave just disappears. I had to come to the realization that I just could not get internet in my room for long enough to actually send the show report and that I would have to come up with another idea. I also couldn’t get a signal in the lobby. So the morning was spent at Starbucks sending show reports and checking email. Pretty great to be doing that while looking out of the window at the Chrysler Building though! Oh mad NY.
I ran lights for the matinee and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had quite a fun afternoon. Alex (Front of House Manager at PS122) told us that there was going to be a school group of 50 in. Then he updated me to tell me they were probably College Students. Just before the 15 he told me that they were a group of Special Needs adults from an education facility. I warned the actors that there may be some inappropriate vocalization ect. Then had a look at the corridor to see what we were to expect. Al l the people in the corridor were older and did not appear to be exhibiting any sort of behaviours. When I challenged Alex to this he said he thought they must be high functioning. I agreed with him and carried on. It was only until the leader of the group made himself apparent that we found out the were actually the Psychoanalyst Group of New York, who go to different events and have discussions afterwards. How funny! I chuckled about it all day. After the show they had a talk back with Michael Redhill and talked about the ‘id’ of the piece…blah, blah, blah.
Quite an exhausting day all in all but a good one!
My power is running low so I will blog again later.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
I didn't realise quite how tardy I had been about my blog. Shame on me. So much has happened in the month that I haven't blogged as well. I will note that I need to tell you about my trip to see Cam, My illness in prep week and my visa hell during rehearsal week.
However I have started my New York diary whilst sitting in my favourite coffee shop called Mud on 9th and 2nd inbetween shows. So here is the beginning:
THE BEGINNING:
I arrived in NY on Wednesday Feb 28th after a torrid day of consulate visits. Sailing through Immigration and having a very short flight (I didn’t get to see the end of my House episode. Very annoying – I have no idea if the boy lived.) and went straight to the theatre. I arrived half way through the first act and loitered in the corridor until I could take it no more and snuck into the theatre. It was such a relief to be in a dark theatre seeing the guys onstage. I must admit as soon as I got there I started to put my stage manager stamp on the proceedings which in retrospect wasn’t very graceful but I had been sitting around for two days chomping at the bit.
Tamera (the NY stage manager) did a brilliant job considering she had no idea or feeling for the play. However you could feel the tension in the room and everyone had obviously had a pretty hard day. As soon as intermission was called I said hi and Rebecca ran across the theatre and gave me a huge hug. Just what I needed. Ross was close behind. Ross had decided that a light run through was needed before opening and under duress everyone agreed. I thanked them all as it was basically due to me that the rehearsal was called.
We got back to the hotel and Rebecca and I went out for a drink around the corner to ‘The Chill Lounge’ – very New York. She gave me the low down on the previous two days. Things it seemed had been a little fraught down to miss communication and the fact that the company didn’t have their stage manager. It’s interesting in situations like these when you realize how important the position is. I always think that my book should be good enough that any joe could run the show and although I still believe this to be true, it’s not as simple as that is it?! After my weeks of uncertainty about my ability and career I realized that I had been dwelling on an insecurity that was founded in falsehood. There are definitely areas that I need to work on but basically I am good at my job and it was great to get back at it.
Bec and I stayed up talking until something crazy like 2:30am. She is such a wonderful person and I am so glad I got to hang out with her. Even if it was for only two days.
We decided that we would get in early on Thursday. I wanted to have a look at some of the costumes and do some notes and basically get a feel for things and Bec had some board notes to do. It was decided that I would run lights as the sound desk is in the house and the lighting is in the booth. We all felt that it was a bit to much to throw at me on Thursday so Tamera ran lights for the Opening and Bec ran them for the afternoon run. Derek (PS122 PM) hired Tamera to run lights for Friday and Saturday as well.
The afternoon run went really well. It was awesome to see a run with lights as I had only seen it in the rehearsal hall. You could tell everyone was relieved that the run had gone so well and they all went back to the hotel looking a little more relaxed than when they had turned up. I decided to stick around the theatre. Ross, Bec, Roxanne (Volcano’s intern) and myself decided to walk down to Mud (a brilliant coffee house 5 minutes from the theatre where I am writing this now) and have a bit of dinner. I was starving a I hadn’t eaten all day – nerves! (Note – New York is very good for Celiacs. Everyone is very accommodating and go out of their way to feed you. Very enjoyable.) Interesting chats occurred and I realized how bloody lucky I was to be working with Manson. I think he is a genius. A genius of the good kind – the kind that doesn’t really know it and doesn’t get hung up about himself or the work. He just works. Need I say that this experience has been a breath of fresh air.
Opening went really well. Keith (our main tech and who ran sound for the run) is one of those techs you dream about. A bit like Dano. Smart, intuitive, passionate in a very quite way and most of all accommodating. He has been an oasis in the sometimes rough water that is PS122. I must say I was relieved to get the show over with. Carol and Kent took us to a lovely restaurant about 15 minutes from the theatre for dinner after the show. I glammed up with my black dress and red heels but to be honest I was knackered. All the adrenaline and panic had gone and left a void. I had a great evening though and it was great to see everyone letting off steam. Carol and Kent are brilliant (oh it was The Carol Tambor Award the guys won in Edinburgh. Carol decided that there were so many great shows in Edinburgh that she wanted her friends to see that every year she would bring her favourite to New York. Pretty amazing. I love her. She has such a great personality and when you get talking to her she’s had an amazing life. Kent is the logistics side of the partnership. Ying and Yang. Wonderful. After a great night with the gang (including Michael Redhill, the playwright and his lovely wife Ann) I sloped off about 2:00am. Sloped because by then the glamour had gone and all that was left were very sore feet and extremely high red shoes.
I will continue later with the middle as I have to run back to the theatre.
I will do this with in the month - I promise!
However I have started my New York diary whilst sitting in my favourite coffee shop called Mud on 9th and 2nd inbetween shows. So here is the beginning:
THE BEGINNING:
I arrived in NY on Wednesday Feb 28th after a torrid day of consulate visits. Sailing through Immigration and having a very short flight (I didn’t get to see the end of my House episode. Very annoying – I have no idea if the boy lived.) and went straight to the theatre. I arrived half way through the first act and loitered in the corridor until I could take it no more and snuck into the theatre. It was such a relief to be in a dark theatre seeing the guys onstage. I must admit as soon as I got there I started to put my stage manager stamp on the proceedings which in retrospect wasn’t very graceful but I had been sitting around for two days chomping at the bit.
Tamera (the NY stage manager) did a brilliant job considering she had no idea or feeling for the play. However you could feel the tension in the room and everyone had obviously had a pretty hard day. As soon as intermission was called I said hi and Rebecca ran across the theatre and gave me a huge hug. Just what I needed. Ross was close behind. Ross had decided that a light run through was needed before opening and under duress everyone agreed. I thanked them all as it was basically due to me that the rehearsal was called.
We got back to the hotel and Rebecca and I went out for a drink around the corner to ‘The Chill Lounge’ – very New York. She gave me the low down on the previous two days. Things it seemed had been a little fraught down to miss communication and the fact that the company didn’t have their stage manager. It’s interesting in situations like these when you realize how important the position is. I always think that my book should be good enough that any joe could run the show and although I still believe this to be true, it’s not as simple as that is it?! After my weeks of uncertainty about my ability and career I realized that I had been dwelling on an insecurity that was founded in falsehood. There are definitely areas that I need to work on but basically I am good at my job and it was great to get back at it.
Bec and I stayed up talking until something crazy like 2:30am. She is such a wonderful person and I am so glad I got to hang out with her. Even if it was for only two days.
We decided that we would get in early on Thursday. I wanted to have a look at some of the costumes and do some notes and basically get a feel for things and Bec had some board notes to do. It was decided that I would run lights as the sound desk is in the house and the lighting is in the booth. We all felt that it was a bit to much to throw at me on Thursday so Tamera ran lights for the Opening and Bec ran them for the afternoon run. Derek (PS122 PM) hired Tamera to run lights for Friday and Saturday as well.
The afternoon run went really well. It was awesome to see a run with lights as I had only seen it in the rehearsal hall. You could tell everyone was relieved that the run had gone so well and they all went back to the hotel looking a little more relaxed than when they had turned up. I decided to stick around the theatre. Ross, Bec, Roxanne (Volcano’s intern) and myself decided to walk down to Mud (a brilliant coffee house 5 minutes from the theatre where I am writing this now) and have a bit of dinner. I was starving a I hadn’t eaten all day – nerves! (Note – New York is very good for Celiacs. Everyone is very accommodating and go out of their way to feed you. Very enjoyable.) Interesting chats occurred and I realized how bloody lucky I was to be working with Manson. I think he is a genius. A genius of the good kind – the kind that doesn’t really know it and doesn’t get hung up about himself or the work. He just works. Need I say that this experience has been a breath of fresh air.
Opening went really well. Keith (our main tech and who ran sound for the run) is one of those techs you dream about. A bit like Dano. Smart, intuitive, passionate in a very quite way and most of all accommodating. He has been an oasis in the sometimes rough water that is PS122. I must say I was relieved to get the show over with. Carol and Kent took us to a lovely restaurant about 15 minutes from the theatre for dinner after the show. I glammed up with my black dress and red heels but to be honest I was knackered. All the adrenaline and panic had gone and left a void. I had a great evening though and it was great to see everyone letting off steam. Carol and Kent are brilliant (oh it was The Carol Tambor Award the guys won in Edinburgh. Carol decided that there were so many great shows in Edinburgh that she wanted her friends to see that every year she would bring her favourite to New York. Pretty amazing. I love her. She has such a great personality and when you get talking to her she’s had an amazing life. Kent is the logistics side of the partnership. Ying and Yang. Wonderful. After a great night with the gang (including Michael Redhill, the playwright and his lovely wife Ann) I sloped off about 2:00am. Sloped because by then the glamour had gone and all that was left were very sore feet and extremely high red shoes.
I will continue later with the middle as I have to run back to the theatre.
I will do this with in the month - I promise!
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