Cheers to the lovely fans, friends, and family of the Keegan Theatre - or random devoted blog readers that may stumble upon our little postings. This is Melissa* coming to you tonight LIVE from the bustling city of Cork - our last official theatrical stop on our whirlwind tour. It is honestly INSANE to think that this adventure is coming to a close. But never you fear - we've still got plenty of days left for mischief and mayhem ;)
*color chosen in honorarium to my luggage which has aptly been named the pink beast or the pink behemoth - please feel free to contact me if you are in need of tips on how to pack your whole life into one bag AND carry it up three or more flights of stairs...I am now an EXPERT (and will NEVER do this to myself again...). For more efficient packing tips contact Joe Baker.
RE-CAP on THURLES
We reluctantly departed from the beautiful Albany House in Thurles this morning, leaving behind the wonderful Eleanor and Jenny. I think we all wanted to stay on the grounds for another week and use the time to decompress and enjoy the clear skies and open fields of Eleanor's home. I wish I had the capability to upload my pictures to this computer - alas that is not the case. I will just say that the B&B we stayed at in Thurles was stunning. It is an older and stately plantation type home decorated in a victorian/parisian style (complete with textured velveteen wallpaper that I think everyone caressed - and Richie may or may not have licked/tasted...hence the name of this post...just sayin'). The main house sits on acres of land which provide a home to cows, horses, chickens (the chickens graciously provide the eggs for breakfast every morning) and the occasionally roaming troupe of ruffians...OH...I mean actors.
Coming into the house after a turn around of loading out in Longford, driving to Thurles, loading in at The Source (not to be confused by the 14th street theatre of the same name), and performing a show (which was happily received - another awesome audience) in less than 24 hours was a real treat. Eleanor gave us free reign of the parlor and back patio area for late-night shenanigans - so that first evening we enjoyed the string-stylings of KJ, Daniel, Mike, and Joe in the candlelit parlor. There was some buzz about the Albany House being possessive of paranormal energy - so the candlelight was very fitting and completely in support of KJ and Mike's psychedelic improvisation. A few of us definitely nodded off in the comfort of the couch and cozy chairs. It was the perfect cap to a busy, busy day. And I must give a shout here to those who were in the vans and rolled into Thurles early - they pulled long, hard hours, did so without grumbles, and performed/called a beautiful show on Friday night despite being exhausted.
The next day we had free to roam Thurles. I wandered aimlessly for hours - no coat and beautiful weather again. Nothing too exciting there - just enjoyable conversations with shop owners. An interesting note though: All shop-keepers that I spoke with in Thurles are not actually living IN Thurles. Kind of goofy. One gentleman didn't even know what or where the Source was. Because of my "American accent" he asked what I was doing in town (Thurles is not known for being tourist central) so I told him I was performing at The Source and he asked me "Is that some kind of night club?". Now - I don't know what that says about ME ( I ASSURE you, Mom, I was appropriately attired) ... BUT SERIOUSLY?!??!? Thurles is small. VERY small. The Source is the second BIGGEST thing IN Thurles by size if not by reputation (the Cathedral would be the first). It houses a library, a theatre, and a cafe and is architecturally modern. It sticks out. COME ON! I digress...
Our second show in Thurles was just as well attended (though the aforementioned gentleman was most likely not in the audience) and well received. The Thurles audiences were, in my opinion, two of the best that we've had by way of vocalization. They were not shy to call out what they were thinking and definitely honored their impulses on MULTIPLE occasions. It was great. We then loaded out (in UNDER AN HOUR!! new record - granted we had more tools and more hands because our friends at Source are fabulous people) - grabbed some curry cheese chips (seriously USA - there is a bandwagon to jump on in the form of curry cheese chips...GET ON THAT - all I'm sayin' is Jumbo Slice meets curry cheese chips...it would be BRILLIANCE beyond anything ever before seen by mankind) - and went home to feast and toast to our 5 shows in 5 days in two venues feat.
Sadly we got home to find that our generous hostess had broken her foot! Jenny came out to the patio and had a nip with us and filled us in. Apparently Eleanor was getting ready to come to our show earlier in the evening when she had a mishap with some stairs and broke her foot. :( Poor Eleanor! She didn't get to come to the show - which is a bummer for us because we were looking forward to performing for her - worse than that, she's had to cancel a trip to Spain! But of course she was up and about this morning to say goodbye to us instead of sleeping in... If you are reading this Eleanor - I hope you are feeling a lot better tonight and thank you and Jenny again for everything!
And thus ended our stint in Thurles...
ON the ROAD AGAIN
We hit the gravel drive this afternoon and headed off to Cork with a stop at the Rock of Cashel. I could give you this whole run down of what the significance of the Rock of Cashel is - but I'll admit that it would be completely "Wikipedia'd". I failed to look up any info on this tourist destination beforehand and didn't really pay close attention to the tour guide during our visit because I was busy looking around and taking pictures ( again, I wish I could upload them). I'm not gonna lie - I'll admit I'm bad with that stuff sometimes. In my defense, I will say that it is located on the top of a hill and the wind was a-whipping and words were getting swallowed outside (though the guide had a lovely accent and clearly was dedicated to her diction). However - even without knowing the cultural significance it is a really beautiful architectural survivor from the 12th century and it's related to St. Patrick (I did half-hear those parts). I figure in this specific incidence I will do reverse research and appreciate the history of the site post-visit... for OUR further education
After a fairly uneventful drive - save a few bicuit-tossings (please consult Richie, Amanda, or Sheri for a complete definition) - we arrived in Cork at around 3:00. We are living in apartments here - so complete kitchens and living rooms are provided - much like in Galway (I just hope the shower works better than in Galway). Unable to load in today, we were left to our own devices this evening and that's why I've found myself at an Internet Cafe following dinner and some grocery shopping. While I sit here and type - I know other members of the clan are intensely anticipating the Redskins/Cowboys game and are hoping to find a pub in which to watch it - probably in search at this moment for a pint and flat-screen. I'm thinking of calling it a night (LAAAAAAAAAAAAAME) - but it's always dangerous to say that because THOSE are the evenings you end up out until the sun comes up.
MOVING FORWARD
Tomorrow will be an early call - 9 am - the earliest that we've had in a while. I love that 9:00 am to me at this point in the tour sounds like 6:00 am call would've sounded in the beginning of the tour. We'll load in, have a break, and open in Cork!
I have to say - I'm very excited to explore Cork and very excited to do the show on this particular stage - but I'm not yet ready to come home - and Cork = Closing. Don't get me wrong - I'm ready to see family and friends and not live out of a suitcase...but this really has been the best adventure of my life so far. Not to get all mushy and sentimental yet...but it's already feeling a bit bitter-sweet. That's a good thing though - just because it's been such a blast. I'm a very very lucky lady.
On that note - I shall say goodbye for now and goodnight! To all of you reading this at home - I hope everything is brilliantly well and I send sooooo much love!
Cheers,
Melissa
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Keegan in New York
I know this is not about the Ireland tour. It is about the wonderful adventures of Keegan beyond DC. In three hours I will be having the pleasure of seeing Love, Peace, and Robbery for the third time here in New York. Our new island group has, as always, brought to the stage rich performances that bring the charachters and the story to life and touch your heart. To those of you in DC -- you have a wonderful treat to look forward to when this show comes to Theater on the Run. Matt Keenan's phone conversations to his girl friend in New Jersey (with only his end of the conversation heard by the audience) makes you think you can also hear every word and intonation of Tracey in New Jersey's end of the call. Eric Lucas makes us understand how difficult it can be for any of us to stay on the high road in the face of adversity. Bruce Rauscher plays Matt's dog, Eric's estranged wife and 13 year old stepson, and a police investigator all of them completely convincing and with only minimal help from costume pieces. Dan Martin while in Ireland managed to creat lighting that in itself filled the sparce set of only three chairs. Mike Innocenti and Christina Coakley made everything run smoothly with the wonderful spirit that they bring to those life or death elements of production and stage management And under, around, and behind all of this was Kerry Waters direction that brought her imagination together with our own to make us fall in love with this both funny and touching human story.
On both Friday and Saturday evenings the theater had a full house and there were a number of the audience members who took the time to stay after the show and talk with the cast and director. (The bar in the theater provided a convenient meeting spot.)
I want to say how proud I am to be part of Keegan and what an amazing accomplishment it is to have Keegan's work being performed on both sides of the Atlantic on the same evening. We owe a great debt of gratitude to all of those members of the Keegan family who made both of these productions possible.
On both Friday and Saturday evenings the theater had a full house and there were a number of the audience members who took the time to stay after the show and talk with the cast and director. (The bar in the theater provided a convenient meeting spot.)
I want to say how proud I am to be part of Keegan and what an amazing accomplishment it is to have Keegan's work being performed on both sides of the Atlantic on the same evening. We owe a great debt of gratitude to all of those members of the Keegan family who made both of these productions possible.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Greetings from Longford!
HEL-LO!!!!
Well, friends, what can I say? This has been quite a ride, and I'm not sure we're all ready for it to end. It's hard to believe we only have 11 days left, but it's true. I remember when we were all marveling at hitting our 2-week threshold not too long ago. My, how time flies!
I think the best part about being on tour are those intangible moments that one can only truly appreciate by being here. Each town has its own unique vibe and cast of characters. The only trouble is that we move on so quickly that it's truly a challenge to remember where we were and what we did just two days ago. Galway ranks highly on the list because it's where we overcame so many challenges to get this show up on its feet. It also served as the perfect backdrop for our many, many (many) celebrations before grabbing some Charcoal Grill curry chips on our walk back to the apartments.
Isabella's place in Dun Laoghaire really gave us all a chance to enjoy each others' company on the back patio, playing music and singing songs well into the night, accompanied by the musical stylings of Daniel S. and KJ. Kilkenny was great fun, and Roscommon was a cozy little surprise of a town. One of my favorite stops thus far has been Monaghan. Because all rooms in town were booked up, we were put up in a small B&B in the sleepy village of Glaslough (pop. 500), about 6 miles away. Several of us were a bit dismayed at the prospect of staying well outside of the town center, but Glaslough's charm got the better of us.
To kick things off, the sun came out and stayed out!!! Yes, the SUN!!! As if that wasn't enough to lift our spirits, our B&B, located just outside the lush grounds of Castle Leslie, was hosted by some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Josie, the lady of the house, tended to us as if we were her own, as did her husband, Brendan, and sons Adrian and Barry. To further raise the bar on future accommodations, the B&B pub, (too) conveniently located downstairs, stayed open until the crowd, a friendly mix of guests and village locals, decided to go home. Instrument playing is encouraged, and we were only too happy to indulge. KJ and Daniel S. got things started the first night. I joined in on bass for a bit, as did Patrick/McPaddy (Miss Rocket to some of us). I hit the sack relatively early that night, but I understand the music continued well into the night.
On the 2nd night we were a bit dismayed to hear that the pub would be closing at half-twelve (12:30), but soon discovered why. Our bartender and his buddy brought in a couple of guitars and started playing an awesome set. KJ and his girlfriend, the incomparable Ithunn (HEL-LO!), joined the fray with his guitar and the party really got started, with locals and guests taking turns entertaining the crowd and enjoying each others' company. I joined the mix, as well, playing "Mary Jane's Last Dance". Amanda backed me up on vocals and McPaddy played supporting guitar. The details are fuzzy, but I believe Melissa played the shaker egg. After "Mary Jane", McPaddy took over with "The Sweater Song" and "I Will Survive". The only downside of that night was that it was the only night that Daniel S, who has been a constant and beloved musical presence on this tour, decided to turn in early. We missed you, BRUTHER! The craic was goood that night. Fortunately for Daniel, the next night was a repeat of the same. :)
On Sunday, the witty and mischievous Michael Diskin paid a visit, and took Mark, Richie, Sheri, Amanda & myself up to the village of Auchnacloy, in County Tir Eoghain (Tyrone), to watch Tir Eoghain vs. Ciarri (Kerry) in what is apparently the Super Bowl of Irish Football. Auchnacloy is just over the north border, so we weren't sure what to expect as we walked into a local pub to watch the big event. We turned a few heads as we walked in, but no one seemed to mind we were there. At one point before the match, there was a flurry of activity at the bar, after which one of the locals came over with a pint glass full of names. We were being invited to participate in the football pool!!! Whoever picks the player that makes the first goal wins the pot. None of us Americans had British pounds, so Michael Diskin gave one to Richie, who just happened to pick one of the best players on the Kerry team (we were in a Tyrone pub). That made us a little nervous, since we had no idea how hot the rivalry runs in Auchnacloy. Sheri murmured "I hope he doesn't win" at one point, which made me chuckle. The game started shortly thereafter, and everyone settled in to watch the action.
I must say, as one that doesn't follow many (okay, any) sports, Irish Football is one exciting game to watch. It's a fast-moving mix of soccer & rugby, with some basketball-style dribbling thrown in. Unfortunately, Richie's guy didn't score the first goal, but Tir Eoghain, our adopted team, won the match. The best part was when the locals broke out fries & pizza for the entire pub, including our table. I remember getting a little verklempt at the welcoming gesture and the surge of pride and cameraderie that buzzed throughout everyone in the place. It was truly an awesome experience. Thank you, Michael, for getting us out that day.
We bade farewell to Monaghan/Glaslough this past Monday, and are now in Longford. Our first night was spent watching "RAW", a show that features the daughter of our Glaslough B&B hosts, Josie & Brendan. Her name is Charlene McKenna, and she is apparently an up-and-coming actress over here. She's quite good, actually, so look for more of her in the not-so-distant future.
Getting back to Longford. The jury is still out, so I'll write for later. Plus, the sun is STILL out, so I'm gonna go get me some.
Cheers to all!
Mike
Well, friends, what can I say? This has been quite a ride, and I'm not sure we're all ready for it to end. It's hard to believe we only have 11 days left, but it's true. I remember when we were all marveling at hitting our 2-week threshold not too long ago. My, how time flies!
I think the best part about being on tour are those intangible moments that one can only truly appreciate by being here. Each town has its own unique vibe and cast of characters. The only trouble is that we move on so quickly that it's truly a challenge to remember where we were and what we did just two days ago. Galway ranks highly on the list because it's where we overcame so many challenges to get this show up on its feet. It also served as the perfect backdrop for our many, many (many) celebrations before grabbing some Charcoal Grill curry chips on our walk back to the apartments.
Isabella's place in Dun Laoghaire really gave us all a chance to enjoy each others' company on the back patio, playing music and singing songs well into the night, accompanied by the musical stylings of Daniel S. and KJ. Kilkenny was great fun, and Roscommon was a cozy little surprise of a town. One of my favorite stops thus far has been Monaghan. Because all rooms in town were booked up, we were put up in a small B&B in the sleepy village of Glaslough (pop. 500), about 6 miles away. Several of us were a bit dismayed at the prospect of staying well outside of the town center, but Glaslough's charm got the better of us.
To kick things off, the sun came out and stayed out!!! Yes, the SUN!!! As if that wasn't enough to lift our spirits, our B&B, located just outside the lush grounds of Castle Leslie, was hosted by some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Josie, the lady of the house, tended to us as if we were her own, as did her husband, Brendan, and sons Adrian and Barry. To further raise the bar on future accommodations, the B&B pub, (too) conveniently located downstairs, stayed open until the crowd, a friendly mix of guests and village locals, decided to go home. Instrument playing is encouraged, and we were only too happy to indulge. KJ and Daniel S. got things started the first night. I joined in on bass for a bit, as did Patrick/McPaddy (Miss Rocket to some of us). I hit the sack relatively early that night, but I understand the music continued well into the night.
On the 2nd night we were a bit dismayed to hear that the pub would be closing at half-twelve (12:30), but soon discovered why. Our bartender and his buddy brought in a couple of guitars and started playing an awesome set. KJ and his girlfriend, the incomparable Ithunn (HEL-LO!), joined the fray with his guitar and the party really got started, with locals and guests taking turns entertaining the crowd and enjoying each others' company. I joined the mix, as well, playing "Mary Jane's Last Dance". Amanda backed me up on vocals and McPaddy played supporting guitar. The details are fuzzy, but I believe Melissa played the shaker egg. After "Mary Jane", McPaddy took over with "The Sweater Song" and "I Will Survive". The only downside of that night was that it was the only night that Daniel S, who has been a constant and beloved musical presence on this tour, decided to turn in early. We missed you, BRUTHER! The craic was goood that night. Fortunately for Daniel, the next night was a repeat of the same. :)
On Sunday, the witty and mischievous Michael Diskin paid a visit, and took Mark, Richie, Sheri, Amanda & myself up to the village of Auchnacloy, in County Tir Eoghain (Tyrone), to watch Tir Eoghain vs. Ciarri (Kerry) in what is apparently the Super Bowl of Irish Football. Auchnacloy is just over the north border, so we weren't sure what to expect as we walked into a local pub to watch the big event. We turned a few heads as we walked in, but no one seemed to mind we were there. At one point before the match, there was a flurry of activity at the bar, after which one of the locals came over with a pint glass full of names. We were being invited to participate in the football pool!!! Whoever picks the player that makes the first goal wins the pot. None of us Americans had British pounds, so Michael Diskin gave one to Richie, who just happened to pick one of the best players on the Kerry team (we were in a Tyrone pub). That made us a little nervous, since we had no idea how hot the rivalry runs in Auchnacloy. Sheri murmured "I hope he doesn't win" at one point, which made me chuckle. The game started shortly thereafter, and everyone settled in to watch the action.
I must say, as one that doesn't follow many (okay, any) sports, Irish Football is one exciting game to watch. It's a fast-moving mix of soccer & rugby, with some basketball-style dribbling thrown in. Unfortunately, Richie's guy didn't score the first goal, but Tir Eoghain, our adopted team, won the match. The best part was when the locals broke out fries & pizza for the entire pub, including our table. I remember getting a little verklempt at the welcoming gesture and the surge of pride and cameraderie that buzzed throughout everyone in the place. It was truly an awesome experience. Thank you, Michael, for getting us out that day.
We bade farewell to Monaghan/Glaslough this past Monday, and are now in Longford. Our first night was spent watching "RAW", a show that features the daughter of our Glaslough B&B hosts, Josie & Brendan. Her name is Charlene McKenna, and she is apparently an up-and-coming actress over here. She's quite good, actually, so look for more of her in the not-so-distant future.
Getting back to Longford. The jury is still out, so I'll write for later. Plus, the sun is STILL out, so I'm gonna go get me some.
Cheers to all!
Mike
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mark's First Post
Well, as I promised - I haven't been posting:-) I decided to at least say hi back home to my dear Keeganites (Susan, please don't pass out from me actually blogging). We have been rocking and rolling through the tour with very little off time and although exhilarating, it has beat me up a little. I am getting a wee bit older as I am sure you can tell by the photos that Sheri has posted:-) By the minute actually. However, it has been a delight to be on this tour and with this lovely group of people. We have done many things together and had many pints lifted together. Everyone supports each other so much and they have inspired me with their dedication to Keegan and the tour. Rich, Dan and Amanda have been terrific handling all the logistics of get-ins and get-outs. I get to play erector of the set and van packer (man, when you write it down, it sounds rather dirty).
Monaghan was great and fun to see old friends (Larry, Peter, Eileen, Khrista and of course, Michael Diskin who came from Belfast and showed us a great time). The audience on Saturday night in Monaghan was really electrifying. Most of it coming from 20 somethings. You don't see that enough in the states.
So, we are in Longford and as mentioned in other posts, the theater is lovely and the theater staff is top notch. We open tonight and have three shows here before heading off to Thurles to see more friends:-). It looks as if Steve 'Shiny' Shaw might be joining is in Cork to finish off the tour playing Ruckly. We all would love that.
Last night I had a chat with Eric and Kerry and Matthew Keenan and they are in NYC getting ready to open there tonight as we prepare for tonight. I started to tear up last night over a pint (okay, I am a sap) thinking about both these accomplishments and the dedicated people to this company. There is no hiding how much everything takes it's toll on me, but I need to say how honored I am to be part of this troupe.
I miss you all very much especially Susan, who is the love of my life and my best friend. I miss you babe.
Cheers!!!!!
Mark
Monaghan was great and fun to see old friends (Larry, Peter, Eileen, Khrista and of course, Michael Diskin who came from Belfast and showed us a great time). The audience on Saturday night in Monaghan was really electrifying. Most of it coming from 20 somethings. You don't see that enough in the states.
So, we are in Longford and as mentioned in other posts, the theater is lovely and the theater staff is top notch. We open tonight and have three shows here before heading off to Thurles to see more friends:-). It looks as if Steve 'Shiny' Shaw might be joining is in Cork to finish off the tour playing Ruckly. We all would love that.
Last night I had a chat with Eric and Kerry and Matthew Keenan and they are in NYC getting ready to open there tonight as we prepare for tonight. I started to tear up last night over a pint (okay, I am a sap) thinking about both these accomplishments and the dedicated people to this company. There is no hiding how much everything takes it's toll on me, but I need to say how honored I am to be part of this troupe.
I miss you all very much especially Susan, who is the love of my life and my best friend. I miss you babe.
Cheers!!!!!
Mark
Breaking the Silence...
Title in reference to my complete lack of post-age thus far (sorry Susan!)...partially due to my lack of Mac on this tour and my reluctance to crawl into a cave of a cafe to use the internet on the beautiful Irish fall days we've been having.
Greetings Keegan fans and blog-reading fiends alike - or rather "Cheers" from Ireland! This is my first time over in the Emerald Isle and my first time touring with a show - so my perspective on this ENTIRE experience is fresh to say the least. I know that I am extremely fortunate to be in this truly "lovely" (a favorite word of the Irish it seems) country and with this particular group of individuals doing this particular show. It's quite overwhelming at times in a completely wonderful way - so much so that I don't really know where to start with this posting. With two weeks left I feel I'm going to have to give a kind of "overview" dealio from my perspective. Jane, Sheri, Susan and Amanda have done beautiful jobs of documentation on here - way to go ladies! By the way - where are the boys' postings? To the dudes - STEP IT UP (said with much love and laughter because I know I haven't been much better)!!! Well - let's start with...
The audiences: AMAZING (with very few exceptions). I keep writing home to say that I am being completely spoiled by the attention and reception of the audiences. On multiple occasions we have played to nearly full houses and received standing ovations. I have not yet experienced this in the States (in my still very green theatrical career) - and it has moved me to the point of tears a couple of times. It is a privilege to perform for audiences that are so visibly and vocally on board with the cast and the story we are telling. I think one of my favorite audience moments so far was a few stops ago (I want to say in Kilkenny but could be lying...unintentionally) after McMurphy is rolled on for the last scene post-lobotomy you could hear the entire audience gasp. And gasping - unlike laughing or clapping - is not contagious. That's a one-time reaction. They were a living breathing WHOLE at that point, completely engrossed, and everyone was feeling what we were giving and had the same response in the same moment. It was great (not the lobotomy - the gasp - in case there was confusion). So audiences - keep spoiling us - you are FABULOUS and THANK YOU!
The Country: If you haven't already - you really should get over to Ireland. Everywhere we have been has been a joy and the people we have encountered incredibly warm (it's no wonder the audiences are as great as they are). On two occasions people have graciously offered free meals to the traveling actors after our performances (one official performance of the play - and another not so official performance of Bohemian Rhapsody on Karaokee night at Flannigan's in Kilkenny...). The physical beauty of the country is breathtaking as well. In the countryside everything is so green - it's no lie - and I've never seen so many sheep in my life (I want one...no really...I do...). The towns themselves definitely have their own vibes, but I've found all to be enjoyable if not outstanding - even when we've been warned that there is not much to do in a particular town we've found PLENTY to do...which brings us to
Our Cast: I think it's safe to say that we work hard and play hard. The stamina behind this phenomenal collective of actors and beloved stage manager is INSANE and it's what keeps the shows going so well. I think the shared energies that we have as a group are astonishing - this is a large cast and the vibe is definitely positive - even with two weeks to go! In fact many of us have shared that we wish we could keep it going longer than October 6...Susan and Mark - what are your thoughts :) . Just an example of that dynamic - after load-in at Roscommon we ended up moving our bags into our gorgeous and spacious rooms and everyone was kind of just tired/hungry. Some of us gravitated down to the bar to grab food - the table started at 6 of us and ended up with pretty much EVERYONE adding on. On the whole we just enjoy each other's company - it's great for us - a pity for the wait-staff sometimes I'm sure... And I know this has been touched on before - but the talent that we have amongst us in the form of musical capabilities is staggering (much to the chagrin of our neighbors in the B&Bs ... and sometimes members of our own cast who have turned in early :) ). A good number of folks are more than willing to bust out a guitar or two and a bass (M-Kozem's stick of a bass...it's tiny but can pack a wallop for sure) - and I was given the esteemed position of egg-shakerist the other evening when we were on lockdown in the lovely McKenna's Pillar House Hotel bar and lounge. Many more instruments have been purchased and will come out to play as they are learned, I'm sure - harmonicas, tin whistles, irish drums...etc. I can't personally offer much (though I'm becoming a master at the egg-shaker) but we all try to sing along. In fact - in light of the musicality of our cast, Mark has given a challenge to create an official Keegan Tour Theme-song to be presented to him in Cork - he wants multiple submissions and the winner of the challenge will receive a reward in Euros. I know some have been working on this already - but I think Amanda and I have it in the bag with our egg-shaker supported vocals (Susan - we'll work you in on the tambourine if you want :) ). Truly - this is a creative and crazy bunch - and I love us a bit much.
At Present: We are now in Longford - our first show to be this evening at 8:30pm at the Backstage Theatre. We are staying at PVs B&B - which I must note is a combo of B&B, bar, restaurant, and DISCO. YUP. You heard me right. They have a disco Thurs - Saturday nights. Eating dinner last night I looked up and saw a retractable disco-ball close to the ceiling. AWESOME. Today after breakfast with some of the cast I went for a run (to stave off the Guinness, brown bread and late night curry chips) so that Jane will be pleased with my costume fitting despite our laundry hurdles (I'm just going to blame the laundry hurdles COMPLETELY for the bit of tightness :) - I'm sure Guinness has NOTHING to do with it ) - plus it's been clear skies the last 3 days - UNHEARD OF . The weather is crisp and clear and I can't get enough of it. After that, I dropped off laundry - along with half of our cast - and was so pleased to see our poster in the shop. I still get excited when our posters can be spotted around and about town. Took an AMAZING shower - which is a big deal. Water here is tricky where showers are concerned. It likes to be funky (I don't like that. Because then I get funky. It's no bueno amigo). And now am just looking forward to performing tonight. It's going to be a good show - the space is beautiful and I'm hoping it'll be filled!
I think that should be it from me for today - that's my overview for now - and I'll try to post in the future. Many adventures are to be had in the next 13 days...
Slainte,
Melissa
Greetings Keegan fans and blog-reading fiends alike - or rather "Cheers" from Ireland! This is my first time over in the Emerald Isle and my first time touring with a show - so my perspective on this ENTIRE experience is fresh to say the least. I know that I am extremely fortunate to be in this truly "lovely" (a favorite word of the Irish it seems) country and with this particular group of individuals doing this particular show. It's quite overwhelming at times in a completely wonderful way - so much so that I don't really know where to start with this posting. With two weeks left I feel I'm going to have to give a kind of "overview" dealio from my perspective. Jane, Sheri, Susan and Amanda have done beautiful jobs of documentation on here - way to go ladies! By the way - where are the boys' postings? To the dudes - STEP IT UP (said with much love and laughter because I know I haven't been much better)!!! Well - let's start with...
The audiences: AMAZING (with very few exceptions). I keep writing home to say that I am being completely spoiled by the attention and reception of the audiences. On multiple occasions we have played to nearly full houses and received standing ovations. I have not yet experienced this in the States (in my still very green theatrical career) - and it has moved me to the point of tears a couple of times. It is a privilege to perform for audiences that are so visibly and vocally on board with the cast and the story we are telling. I think one of my favorite audience moments so far was a few stops ago (I want to say in Kilkenny but could be lying...unintentionally) after McMurphy is rolled on for the last scene post-lobotomy you could hear the entire audience gasp. And gasping - unlike laughing or clapping - is not contagious. That's a one-time reaction. They were a living breathing WHOLE at that point, completely engrossed, and everyone was feeling what we were giving and had the same response in the same moment. It was great (not the lobotomy - the gasp - in case there was confusion). So audiences - keep spoiling us - you are FABULOUS and THANK YOU!
The Country: If you haven't already - you really should get over to Ireland. Everywhere we have been has been a joy and the people we have encountered incredibly warm (it's no wonder the audiences are as great as they are). On two occasions people have graciously offered free meals to the traveling actors after our performances (one official performance of the play - and another not so official performance of Bohemian Rhapsody on Karaokee night at Flannigan's in Kilkenny...). The physical beauty of the country is breathtaking as well. In the countryside everything is so green - it's no lie - and I've never seen so many sheep in my life (I want one...no really...I do...). The towns themselves definitely have their own vibes, but I've found all to be enjoyable if not outstanding - even when we've been warned that there is not much to do in a particular town we've found PLENTY to do...which brings us to
Our Cast: I think it's safe to say that we work hard and play hard. The stamina behind this phenomenal collective of actors and beloved stage manager is INSANE and it's what keeps the shows going so well. I think the shared energies that we have as a group are astonishing - this is a large cast and the vibe is definitely positive - even with two weeks to go! In fact many of us have shared that we wish we could keep it going longer than October 6...Susan and Mark - what are your thoughts :) . Just an example of that dynamic - after load-in at Roscommon we ended up moving our bags into our gorgeous and spacious rooms and everyone was kind of just tired/hungry. Some of us gravitated down to the bar to grab food - the table started at 6 of us and ended up with pretty much EVERYONE adding on. On the whole we just enjoy each other's company - it's great for us - a pity for the wait-staff sometimes I'm sure... And I know this has been touched on before - but the talent that we have amongst us in the form of musical capabilities is staggering (much to the chagrin of our neighbors in the B&Bs ... and sometimes members of our own cast who have turned in early :) ). A good number of folks are more than willing to bust out a guitar or two and a bass (M-Kozem's stick of a bass...it's tiny but can pack a wallop for sure) - and I was given the esteemed position of egg-shakerist the other evening when we were on lockdown in the lovely McKenna's Pillar House Hotel bar and lounge. Many more instruments have been purchased and will come out to play as they are learned, I'm sure - harmonicas, tin whistles, irish drums...etc. I can't personally offer much (though I'm becoming a master at the egg-shaker) but we all try to sing along. In fact - in light of the musicality of our cast, Mark has given a challenge to create an official Keegan Tour Theme-song to be presented to him in Cork - he wants multiple submissions and the winner of the challenge will receive a reward in Euros. I know some have been working on this already - but I think Amanda and I have it in the bag with our egg-shaker supported vocals (Susan - we'll work you in on the tambourine if you want :) ). Truly - this is a creative and crazy bunch - and I love us a bit much.
At Present: We are now in Longford - our first show to be this evening at 8:30pm at the Backstage Theatre. We are staying at PVs B&B - which I must note is a combo of B&B, bar, restaurant, and DISCO. YUP. You heard me right. They have a disco Thurs - Saturday nights. Eating dinner last night I looked up and saw a retractable disco-ball close to the ceiling. AWESOME. Today after breakfast with some of the cast I went for a run (to stave off the Guinness, brown bread and late night curry chips) so that Jane will be pleased with my costume fitting despite our laundry hurdles (I'm just going to blame the laundry hurdles COMPLETELY for the bit of tightness :) - I'm sure Guinness has NOTHING to do with it ) - plus it's been clear skies the last 3 days - UNHEARD OF . The weather is crisp and clear and I can't get enough of it. After that, I dropped off laundry - along with half of our cast - and was so pleased to see our poster in the shop. I still get excited when our posters can be spotted around and about town. Took an AMAZING shower - which is a big deal. Water here is tricky where showers are concerned. It likes to be funky (I don't like that. Because then I get funky. It's no bueno amigo). And now am just looking forward to performing tonight. It's going to be a good show - the space is beautiful and I'm hoping it'll be filled!
I think that should be it from me for today - that's my overview for now - and I'll try to post in the future. Many adventures are to be had in the next 13 days...
Slainte,
Melissa
Jane's Third Post -- On Beyond Monaghan
September 23, 2008
Sitting in the one of the dressing rooms of the beautiful Backstage Theatre in Longford. Quite a contrast from the Garage in Monaghan. Although Longford is a fairly small town, this theater draws big names in Irish theater, music, opera, and dance—the backstage halls are covered in posters from the likes of the Three Irish Tenors (you can always catch them on PBS), Tommy Makem, Druid Theatre Company, and of course, all the past Keegan productions.
Needless to say, Sheri and I are in the midst of LAUNDRY. My observation of the day: ironing is much easier with an ironing board. In Monaghan we made do with a towel on a wide window sill. Other exciting laundry news from Monaghan: I managed to shrink the nurses uniforms, so Nurse Ratched is now sporting three-quarter length sleeves and both the nurses need to stay on strict diets. My personal recommendation is Weight Watchers, of course (which I have totally forgotten since arriving here, except for noting the Weight Watcher’s office in Galway on a second floor right over an amazing bakery).
So Monaghan is now a distant memory. Our two performances there were well received by two totally different audiences. Friday night’s house was small and quiet, Saturday’s was large and hung on every word—responded raucously to every funny moment, applauded numerous individual scenes, and went wild at the end (ok, a bit of hyperbole at the end, but only a bit). We’ve found everywhere we go that Irish audiences are very familiar with, and love, the film (pronounced “fill-um”) version of Cuckoo’s Nest, and Monaghan was no different. A young man rushed from his seat as we were exiting and was heard to say he HAD to meet the guy who played Jack Nicholson!
Our stay in Monaghan presented certain challenges. The theatre itself is really interesting—it’s tiny, with a small stage with virtually NO wingspace, so the set, entrances, and exits all had to be modified. Also, the theater was unable to find housing in town for us, so we stayed in a really old B&B about 6 miles out of town in a village called Glaslough. With limited wheels, coordinating the activities of our merry group took a lot of planning, both in terms of getting to and from the theater and to and from town during the day. The B&B also housed a pub, which drew a lot of locals, and provided a convenient gathering spot for socializing and music—did I mention that the musical talent of our group runs deep, and several brought guitars and those that didn’t shared or just vocalized. One of the bartenders also played and sang one night. Since in these small pubs the hours can be pretty much at the discretion of the owner—they just pull the curtains and lock the doors, but stay open for the folks already inside (it’s called a lockdown—like in prison J) the music went on into the wee hours. The pub was right below the room in which Kevin and I stayed. You can connect the dots. (Thank goodness for ear plugs.)
The owners of the pub/B&B—Josie and Brendan McKenna (a huge name in County Monaghan—which boasts 4 unrelated Barry McKenna’s—one is their son, who bartends, another who was there in the pub, is a farmer, and they’re known by their occupation: Barry, the bartender, Barry, the farmer, etc.), were delightful. They have five sons, at least some of whom help run the business, and a daughter who is an up and coming actor, now living in London. Her name is Charlene McKenna, and. I think you’ll be hearing about her. She’s done a number of films and is a currently running, very popular tv show here called Raw –think Grey’s Anatomy in a restaurant instead of a hospital. We all watched it last night in the pub/restaurant over which we’re housed here in Longford).
Our little B&B was right next door to Castle Leslie, which is still occupied by the last of the ancestral line—Sir John Leslie, who is now in his nineties. The castle is well-known (and a Fodor’s choice in my 2007 guidebook)—in addition to being Sir John’s home, it houses a cooking school, and can be hired out for events, such as weddings. There was a wedding while we are there, and it was the site of Paul McCartney’s last ill-fated marriage. Although the castle no longer provides hotel accommodations outside of the private events (and it’s REALLY expensive), there’s a lodge on the grounds with a restaurant (where Kevin and I dined one evening). Sir John Leslie is known as an eccentric world-wide, apparently—he was known to show up at raves in all kinds of exotic locales in his younger days, that is, in his eighties. Kevin and I met him on our last night in Glaslough—we went to call on the owner of a B&B two doors up from the one in which we were staying, a woman named Sophie who we heard was from Washington, DC—at the moment we found her, who was on her way to church with another woman and Sir John. He’s well over 6-feet tall, and ramrod straight, and was decked out with his customary feathered hat.
We had a wee bit of time-off after the last performance in Monaghan. The company stayed an extra night at the B&B in Glaslough while Kevin caught a bus for Dublin, to meet up with some of our friends from the States. Spent a lovely evening with them, including music at Oliver St. John Gogarty’s a famous spot for trad (traditional music)—really great, except that the place was overrun by revelers from the all-Ireland Gaelic football match that had been played that afternoon (Tyrone triumphed over Kerry), and the much of the audience was less than interested in the music. The musicians were not happy, and eventually they (and we) gave up. But it was great while it lasted. We stayed the night the hotel where we began our delayed “honeymoon” last year—in the lap of luxury for a change—and after a wonderful lunch the next day at the café where we first dined last year—we walked to Connolly Station and caught a train to Longford to meet back up with the company. Yesterday, lots of work was done without us—thanks to all for giving us our mini-vacation—and we open tonight!!! It’s very weird how being away from the show for as little as one or two days makes it feel like opening night all over again.
Well, the last load of laundry should be done soon, so I’ll post this and get to me ironing.
PS--Sheri has actually put some of my pics up! Thank goodness SOMEONE knows how to do this. Check 'em out below.
Sitting in the one of the dressing rooms of the beautiful Backstage Theatre in Longford. Quite a contrast from the Garage in Monaghan. Although Longford is a fairly small town, this theater draws big names in Irish theater, music, opera, and dance—the backstage halls are covered in posters from the likes of the Three Irish Tenors (you can always catch them on PBS), Tommy Makem, Druid Theatre Company, and of course, all the past Keegan productions.
Needless to say, Sheri and I are in the midst of LAUNDRY. My observation of the day: ironing is much easier with an ironing board. In Monaghan we made do with a towel on a wide window sill. Other exciting laundry news from Monaghan: I managed to shrink the nurses uniforms, so Nurse Ratched is now sporting three-quarter length sleeves and both the nurses need to stay on strict diets. My personal recommendation is Weight Watchers, of course (which I have totally forgotten since arriving here, except for noting the Weight Watcher’s office in Galway on a second floor right over an amazing bakery).
So Monaghan is now a distant memory. Our two performances there were well received by two totally different audiences. Friday night’s house was small and quiet, Saturday’s was large and hung on every word—responded raucously to every funny moment, applauded numerous individual scenes, and went wild at the end (ok, a bit of hyperbole at the end, but only a bit). We’ve found everywhere we go that Irish audiences are very familiar with, and love, the film (pronounced “fill-um”) version of Cuckoo’s Nest, and Monaghan was no different. A young man rushed from his seat as we were exiting and was heard to say he HAD to meet the guy who played Jack Nicholson!
Our stay in Monaghan presented certain challenges. The theatre itself is really interesting—it’s tiny, with a small stage with virtually NO wingspace, so the set, entrances, and exits all had to be modified. Also, the theater was unable to find housing in town for us, so we stayed in a really old B&B about 6 miles out of town in a village called Glaslough. With limited wheels, coordinating the activities of our merry group took a lot of planning, both in terms of getting to and from the theater and to and from town during the day. The B&B also housed a pub, which drew a lot of locals, and provided a convenient gathering spot for socializing and music—did I mention that the musical talent of our group runs deep, and several brought guitars and those that didn’t shared or just vocalized. One of the bartenders also played and sang one night. Since in these small pubs the hours can be pretty much at the discretion of the owner—they just pull the curtains and lock the doors, but stay open for the folks already inside (it’s called a lockdown—like in prison J) the music went on into the wee hours. The pub was right below the room in which Kevin and I stayed. You can connect the dots. (Thank goodness for ear plugs.)
The owners of the pub/B&B—Josie and Brendan McKenna (a huge name in County Monaghan—which boasts 4 unrelated Barry McKenna’s—one is their son, who bartends, another who was there in the pub, is a farmer, and they’re known by their occupation: Barry, the bartender, Barry, the farmer, etc.), were delightful. They have five sons, at least some of whom help run the business, and a daughter who is an up and coming actor, now living in London. Her name is Charlene McKenna, and. I think you’ll be hearing about her. She’s done a number of films and is a currently running, very popular tv show here called Raw –think Grey’s Anatomy in a restaurant instead of a hospital. We all watched it last night in the pub/restaurant over which we’re housed here in Longford).
Our little B&B was right next door to Castle Leslie, which is still occupied by the last of the ancestral line—Sir John Leslie, who is now in his nineties. The castle is well-known (and a Fodor’s choice in my 2007 guidebook)—in addition to being Sir John’s home, it houses a cooking school, and can be hired out for events, such as weddings. There was a wedding while we are there, and it was the site of Paul McCartney’s last ill-fated marriage. Although the castle no longer provides hotel accommodations outside of the private events (and it’s REALLY expensive), there’s a lodge on the grounds with a restaurant (where Kevin and I dined one evening). Sir John Leslie is known as an eccentric world-wide, apparently—he was known to show up at raves in all kinds of exotic locales in his younger days, that is, in his eighties. Kevin and I met him on our last night in Glaslough—we went to call on the owner of a B&B two doors up from the one in which we were staying, a woman named Sophie who we heard was from Washington, DC—at the moment we found her, who was on her way to church with another woman and Sir John. He’s well over 6-feet tall, and ramrod straight, and was decked out with his customary feathered hat.
We had a wee bit of time-off after the last performance in Monaghan. The company stayed an extra night at the B&B in Glaslough while Kevin caught a bus for Dublin, to meet up with some of our friends from the States. Spent a lovely evening with them, including music at Oliver St. John Gogarty’s a famous spot for trad (traditional music)—really great, except that the place was overrun by revelers from the all-Ireland Gaelic football match that had been played that afternoon (Tyrone triumphed over Kerry), and the much of the audience was less than interested in the music. The musicians were not happy, and eventually they (and we) gave up. But it was great while it lasted. We stayed the night the hotel where we began our delayed “honeymoon” last year—in the lap of luxury for a change—and after a wonderful lunch the next day at the café where we first dined last year—we walked to Connolly Station and caught a train to Longford to meet back up with the company. Yesterday, lots of work was done without us—thanks to all for giving us our mini-vacation—and we open tonight!!! It’s very weird how being away from the show for as little as one or two days makes it feel like opening night all over again.
Well, the last load of laundry should be done soon, so I’ll post this and get to me ironing.
PS--Sheri has actually put some of my pics up! Thank goodness SOMEONE knows how to do this. Check 'em out below.
fffffireworks
My title to this entry refers to the different ideas the hilarious Joey B comes up with each and every night for what his character Billy Bibbit wants to do in the carnival scene of the show.
Finally I have succeeded in carrying out a promise and contributing to the words. As I write I am sitting in extremely comfortable theatre seating at the Backstage Theatre in Longford while my mac charges from across the left of me. Adoring the free wifi. I'm waiting for our Dan Martin to request my presence in the light/sound booth so we can go over our light cues. Not really sure where to start except that this has been the absolute blast. I've never had more fun on a tour. I had a wonderful time on the other two, very much so, but this tour has something special that I'm not sure words can describe. I'll try.
Monaghan: The most beautiful part of our stay there was Josie, the owner of our B&B. She was a lovely and loving woman who made me think of my mom and I her daughter. When I met her I knew as much. She exuded so much warmth and kindness, just when I think we all needed it the most. Her daughter is an up and coming actor who we actually watched on a show RAW last night in the pub. I think we all were beaming with pride thinking about how we imagined Josie must feel watching it....made me wish we were still there with her. Our nights there were consistently fun and filled with pints of Guinness and Carlsberg with the boys, as I lovingly refer to them, playing their guitars and singing with Melissa and I backing them up at the whims of the locals. It was a good and dangerous thing that Josie's sons work the bar and had no problems keeping it open late....very late. On that note, we've all been working hard so our time, which oddly enough we all hang out together the majority of our time, is spent playing just as hard. Although most of us preferred to stay at Josie's bar we did venture out for a short pub crawl lead by the legend Michael Diskin who as always gives us the experiences we remember most. There aren't enough thank yous I could give that man for making each visit here above and beyond. With that, earlier that day, before the pub crawl, Michael lead us just over the boarder of the Republic, into Northern Ireland to watch an Irish football game. It wasn't just any football game though, it was our equivalent to the Super Bowl, between Tyrone and Kerry, two rival teams. We walked into a local pub that even Michael hadn't been to, but knew that going into a place like that would be what it was. Amazing. And although we got the usual stares when we walked into the pub and no one talked to us, when Tyrone had their victory, they brought out chips and pizza and brought them over to us. The best. Irish football is incredible to watch by the way. For once I could see how it must feel for my brother Richie to watch Dallas play. There really are so many things that I could write from my own account, whether it be going to the Dunmore Caves or into Tulsk to the Cave of the Cat, a portal into the underworld or just the overall feeling that I'm not ready for this to be over. The thought that in two weeks that I will part with them and go back to Ohio is something that I don't like thinking about. More words will follow later.
PHOTOS!!!!
PHOTOS FROM START TO FINISH....
REHEARSALS BEGIN IN VIRGINIA:
AT THE AIRPORT - ON OUR WAY!
SET CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN GALWAY, IRELAND...
COMPLETED SET!
FINAL DRESS BEGINS...
Photos by Jane PetkofskyFriday, September 19, 2008
Jane's Second Post (with help from Sheri!)
September 18, 2008.
Hope you can wrap your heads around a little time shifting, because rather than catch you up chronologically on what we’ve been doing, I have laundry on my mind, and that’s what I’m going to write about. We arrived at the Garage (with the stress on the first syllable, as the Irish and Brits pronounce it) in Monaghan early this afternoon, and it’s now about 4:15 and I’m doing laundry. Again. Or still. Or whatever. Sheri and I seem to be doing laundry 24/7—not continuously, but it is always a major part of our day—the planning, the execution, and inevitably a lot of praying. Laundry is a challenge. Every theater has its own version of laundry facilities—ancient machines whose workings are mysterious and known only to the chosen few who actually use them. Those chosen few are often nowhere to be found. We jump for joy if we find separate washers and dryers, because the most daunting of all is the evil washer/dryer combo. TOTALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE!!! The only way to work them is to pretend you’re Tommy—blind, deaf, and mute--and operate them on sheer intuition. So mysterious is the all-in-one, that at the Roscommon Arts Center the technical manager, who had no clue how to operate the thing, seeing that we managed to get our laundry done asked us to write down the instructions for him, so he could explain it to other groups that came in! (Of course, the secret was to find the chosen one at that theater who got the thing running for us.)
The unpredictability of how the machines work, how long it takes form them to work (the all-in-ones can take days to do a single load, it seems—and they’re inevitably tiny!), and when and for how long we have access to the theater, have required me and Sherri to exercise great creativity (and they say ACTING is an art!). So each night we do the dance—can we put a load in after the show and get into the theater early enough to dry it? Can it wait ‘til the next venue that might have (oh, please, oh please) a separate washer and dryer? Ok, let’s just do the really wet, sweaty stuff. How about just the scrub tops, and not the bottoms. … Don’t even get me started on the ironing. (Note from Sheri: Jane is the Queen of ironing! I hate ironing. In fact, I hate doing laundry. How did I get this JOB?!!! Though I admit we are the lucky ones – we don’t have to put the set together or hang lights or all of those other “techie” things – it’s a girl job, what can I say?)
Enough already with the laundry, and back to Roscommon. That place really gets a bum rap. Everywhere we had traveled previously, the mere mention of Roscommon elicited sneers, chuckles, or just pity. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s a lovely little town. And I do mean little. There’s not a single traffic light. But there all the necessities. The best accomodations we’ve had, so far—a newly renovated guest house, where, as in Dun Laoghaire, we were the only guests, attached to a really first rate restaurant. We ate lunch there the first day, Unfortunately, it was closed for dinner on our one night off, but some of us did lunch there a second day, as well. There was a great pub next door, complete with pool table, and because the town was so small, this was one place we really spent a lot of off-stage time together as a group. The people of the town—hotel, theater, pub—were all amazingly welcoming. Though the pubs there are not late-night establishments (last call is at “half-eleven”), they went above and beyond for us. And in keeping with our good fortune, one of the patrons of the next-door pub who came to see the show treated us to a round afterward—he was not actually there when the drinks were bestowed upon us—he had simply left instructions with the bartender. (Another note from Sheri: Yes, I love the people in this town, but I have to mention the Slaughter House right next to the theatre. When I first heard the cows “crying” I wanted to rush in and save all of them. I know they weren’t reallly crying. They were hungry, right? I don’t think I will eat red meat again – seriously.)
Small though it is, saw some very interesting sites in the off-time. As we first drove into the town, I noticed a small stone building with a Star of David stained glass window. What? A synagogue? Not likely—as some of you know, I did some research on synagogues in Ireland because I will be here for Rosh HaShana (in Cork, actually), and I discovered there are precious few synagogues in Ireland, and certainly none in Roscommon. In my first jaunt through the town I discovered that the building is currently a tourist office/museum (tiny, like the town). The “curator” told me it had been a Presbytarian church—built from a prefab kit that was available—church and manse—and the kit included the stained glass window (he had an old newspaper article about it). He speculated that the Star of David would not have been unusual in a Protestant church because of the strong connection of those denominations with the “Old Testament.” Who knew?
Another interesting site in Roscommon is the surviving walls of Roscommon Castle (doesn’t even get mentioned in my Fodor’s guide—it’s just basically one of the gazillions of castles in Ireland, and I guess they can’t mention them all!). But the highlight of the trip was a tour arranged by our theater hosts of the site of an archaological dig at Tulsk (that’s about to be closed up, because they’ve run out of funds) and the Oweynegat Cave—which was believed in ancient times to be the entrance to the underworld. During the uprising in 1916 it served as an IRA hideout. Hard to describe the experience—the entrance is just big enough for a single person to get into, feet first, followed by a long narrow passageway down into the cave. Needless to say it was DARK down there—we only had the light of one or two flashlights and a cell phone or two for the eleven of us that went in), and exceptionally muddy (remember all my previous allusions to RAIN????), and the wonderful photos we took belie the feeling of total isolation because the flash did a good job of lighting the place up (I love my camera). Yes, one day I’ll get someone savvier than I to get some pics on the blog… My own experience of the descent was not without anxiety. You have to understand that this is something that draws a certain type of person, but it is by no means a big tourist destination that has been vetted for safety—even the major tourist spots that have some hazards associated with them are not subjected to the same kinds of warnings and protections that we would see at like attractions in the U.S. So as I’m descending, and telling myself that generations of people have descended into this cave to ward off an anxiety attack (and just before I stupidly bumped my head on a rock in front of me—like I said, it was dark), I couldn’t help but hear the opening strains of “The Ballad of Floyd Collins” running through my head (if you’re not familiar with the musical or the events on which it’s based, it’s worth looking up). Once we were all well in, we tried to have a few moments of silence in the dark just to be able to experience whatever there was to experience down there. If you know the players, you can imagine how successful that was (NOT!). We did try some low toning together which did create an interesting effect, though. We came out covered in mud—except, oddly enough, Em Kozem (Mike Kozemchak) who plays the fastidious Dale Harding in the show—he went in in jeans and a pristine white t-shirt, and came out looking every bit as clean as when he went under. Hmmmm.
Anyway, though I started this on September 18, I had to abandon it and it’s now September 19, and our opening performance here in Monaghan has just begun (I can hear the Chief’s opening monologue). Time for me to start getting into costume and make-up--my brief but pivotal (in my own mind!) appearance doesn’t happen until late in the second act.
Stay tuned for my next installment—Monaghan and beyond…
Cheers.
Jane
Hope you can wrap your heads around a little time shifting, because rather than catch you up chronologically on what we’ve been doing, I have laundry on my mind, and that’s what I’m going to write about. We arrived at the Garage (with the stress on the first syllable, as the Irish and Brits pronounce it) in Monaghan early this afternoon, and it’s now about 4:15 and I’m doing laundry. Again. Or still. Or whatever. Sheri and I seem to be doing laundry 24/7—not continuously, but it is always a major part of our day—the planning, the execution, and inevitably a lot of praying. Laundry is a challenge. Every theater has its own version of laundry facilities—ancient machines whose workings are mysterious and known only to the chosen few who actually use them. Those chosen few are often nowhere to be found. We jump for joy if we find separate washers and dryers, because the most daunting of all is the evil washer/dryer combo. TOTALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE!!! The only way to work them is to pretend you’re Tommy—blind, deaf, and mute--and operate them on sheer intuition. So mysterious is the all-in-one, that at the Roscommon Arts Center the technical manager, who had no clue how to operate the thing, seeing that we managed to get our laundry done asked us to write down the instructions for him, so he could explain it to other groups that came in! (Of course, the secret was to find the chosen one at that theater who got the thing running for us.)
The unpredictability of how the machines work, how long it takes form them to work (the all-in-ones can take days to do a single load, it seems—and they’re inevitably tiny!), and when and for how long we have access to the theater, have required me and Sherri to exercise great creativity (and they say ACTING is an art!). So each night we do the dance—can we put a load in after the show and get into the theater early enough to dry it? Can it wait ‘til the next venue that might have (oh, please, oh please) a separate washer and dryer? Ok, let’s just do the really wet, sweaty stuff. How about just the scrub tops, and not the bottoms. … Don’t even get me started on the ironing. (Note from Sheri: Jane is the Queen of ironing! I hate ironing. In fact, I hate doing laundry. How did I get this JOB?!!! Though I admit we are the lucky ones – we don’t have to put the set together or hang lights or all of those other “techie” things – it’s a girl job, what can I say?)
Enough already with the laundry, and back to Roscommon. That place really gets a bum rap. Everywhere we had traveled previously, the mere mention of Roscommon elicited sneers, chuckles, or just pity. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s a lovely little town. And I do mean little. There’s not a single traffic light. But there all the necessities. The best accomodations we’ve had, so far—a newly renovated guest house, where, as in Dun Laoghaire, we were the only guests, attached to a really first rate restaurant. We ate lunch there the first day, Unfortunately, it was closed for dinner on our one night off, but some of us did lunch there a second day, as well. There was a great pub next door, complete with pool table, and because the town was so small, this was one place we really spent a lot of off-stage time together as a group. The people of the town—hotel, theater, pub—were all amazingly welcoming. Though the pubs there are not late-night establishments (last call is at “half-eleven”), they went above and beyond for us. And in keeping with our good fortune, one of the patrons of the next-door pub who came to see the show treated us to a round afterward—he was not actually there when the drinks were bestowed upon us—he had simply left instructions with the bartender. (Another note from Sheri: Yes, I love the people in this town, but I have to mention the Slaughter House right next to the theatre. When I first heard the cows “crying” I wanted to rush in and save all of them. I know they weren’t reallly crying. They were hungry, right? I don’t think I will eat red meat again – seriously.)
Small though it is, saw some very interesting sites in the off-time. As we first drove into the town, I noticed a small stone building with a Star of David stained glass window. What? A synagogue? Not likely—as some of you know, I did some research on synagogues in Ireland because I will be here for Rosh HaShana (in Cork, actually), and I discovered there are precious few synagogues in Ireland, and certainly none in Roscommon. In my first jaunt through the town I discovered that the building is currently a tourist office/museum (tiny, like the town). The “curator” told me it had been a Presbytarian church—built from a prefab kit that was available—church and manse—and the kit included the stained glass window (he had an old newspaper article about it). He speculated that the Star of David would not have been unusual in a Protestant church because of the strong connection of those denominations with the “Old Testament.” Who knew?
Another interesting site in Roscommon is the surviving walls of Roscommon Castle (doesn’t even get mentioned in my Fodor’s guide—it’s just basically one of the gazillions of castles in Ireland, and I guess they can’t mention them all!). But the highlight of the trip was a tour arranged by our theater hosts of the site of an archaological dig at Tulsk (that’s about to be closed up, because they’ve run out of funds) and the Oweynegat Cave—which was believed in ancient times to be the entrance to the underworld. During the uprising in 1916 it served as an IRA hideout. Hard to describe the experience—the entrance is just big enough for a single person to get into, feet first, followed by a long narrow passageway down into the cave. Needless to say it was DARK down there—we only had the light of one or two flashlights and a cell phone or two for the eleven of us that went in), and exceptionally muddy (remember all my previous allusions to RAIN????), and the wonderful photos we took belie the feeling of total isolation because the flash did a good job of lighting the place up (I love my camera). Yes, one day I’ll get someone savvier than I to get some pics on the blog… My own experience of the descent was not without anxiety. You have to understand that this is something that draws a certain type of person, but it is by no means a big tourist destination that has been vetted for safety—even the major tourist spots that have some hazards associated with them are not subjected to the same kinds of warnings and protections that we would see at like attractions in the U.S. So as I’m descending, and telling myself that generations of people have descended into this cave to ward off an anxiety attack (and just before I stupidly bumped my head on a rock in front of me—like I said, it was dark), I couldn’t help but hear the opening strains of “The Ballad of Floyd Collins” running through my head (if you’re not familiar with the musical or the events on which it’s based, it’s worth looking up). Once we were all well in, we tried to have a few moments of silence in the dark just to be able to experience whatever there was to experience down there. If you know the players, you can imagine how successful that was (NOT!). We did try some low toning together which did create an interesting effect, though. We came out covered in mud—except, oddly enough, Em Kozem (Mike Kozemchak) who plays the fastidious Dale Harding in the show—he went in in jeans and a pristine white t-shirt, and came out looking every bit as clean as when he went under. Hmmmm.
Anyway, though I started this on September 18, I had to abandon it and it’s now September 19, and our opening performance here in Monaghan has just begun (I can hear the Chief’s opening monologue). Time for me to start getting into costume and make-up--my brief but pivotal (in my own mind!) appearance doesn’t happen until late in the second act.
Stay tuned for my next installment—Monaghan and beyond…
Cheers.
Jane
Sunday, September 14, 2008
From Rainy Ireland
SUSAN! I'm blogging!!!
This is a photo of Richie in front of the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny!
I stuck my head out the window of my hotel room this morning to say GOODBYE to our fearless and extraordinarily talented Director, Susan Marie Rhea, at 7 am this morning. It was raining (surprise) and the sadness was overwhelming for me. Susan is my rock in this show (besides you Richie - aka Martini) - and to be here without her seems daunting to me. But, I will survive (hey, another karaoke song for me!).
Goodbye Susan - we will do you proud throughout the rest of the tour......we love you!
Another heartfelt goodbye (as Jane said) to Steve Shiney Shaw, who is now the second Scottish person I know (Jan at IADR is the first!). Steve - we will see you soon. It was a privilege my friend.
And to Joe Rhea - what will I do for good music now? You are always a treasure to have around. People we don't know are wandering the street calling, "JOE, JOE - meet me at the pub!" Love always....
Tomorrow we are on to Roscommon. I have never been there and can't wait to see it. Though, as costume assistant (to Jane), we have a LOT of sweaty laundry to do. (And it didn't come from the women's dressing room, I can assure you...)
What I have found most challenging in a fantastic way is adapting to each stage in each venue. Every stage is different. For instance, here in Kilkenny, there is an orchestra pit - the first thus far and we had to make sure that Patrick and Mark didn't slide off into it in their fight scene. So far, no casulties. Though, Joe Baker, watch out - Nurse Ratched has other plans for you....
We closed in Kilkenny last night to a standing ovation - again, I might add. People seem to really enjoy the show as much as we are enjoying performing it for them.
We have some very wonderful people on this tour. I am enjoying every minute! I am hoping though that I stop waking up every morning and wondering where I am!
Laura and Steven - I miss you more than you will ever know!
Hi to the IADR!
Signed,
The Big Nurse
Jane's First Post
Well, Susan's threatened to shut this down if no one blogs, so here goes. I, the technologically challenged, wrote this today, but am just finally (hopefully) getting it posted. If I can manage it before my #&#%$ battery dies, I'll try to post some photos, as well. It’s a rainy Sunday in Kilkenny—our first complete day off in some time. It seems that everywhere we go we bring good weather, to the great delight of all we meet. Then it all goes downhill. We had a couple of almost rainless days here, but the only truly dry day was back in Galway. Kilkenny is a charming medieval town, with some amazing old, old sites—Kilkenny Castle, St. Canices Cathedral, and the Black Abby, and Kyteler’s Pub, all rich in history. I’ve toured the castle, and just got back from a walking tour of the city—in the rain, of course (Sheri Herin (aka Nurse Ratched) went, too—no one else who expressed an interest managed to actually get up in time.)
We had three very good performances here at the Watergate Theatre to very warm, if not completely full, houses. Last night we bid farewell to our wonderful director, Susan Rhea, Mark’s brother, Joe Rhea, and Steve “Shiny” Shaw, our master carpenter who filled in as Mr. Ruckley while KJ mended. Very sad to see them go (though we’ll see Steve again when we return to Dun Laoghaire at the end of the tour before we fly out of Dublin). In the “small world” department, Rena Cherry Brown, a local DC actress who’s performed with Keegan in the past, was vacationing in Ireland with her husband, saw our poster in Galway, and caught the show here in Kilkenny! We were also joined this week by Joe Baker’s folks, Jay and Carol, herself a veteran of many tours. It was nice to be surrounded by the extended Keegan family for a while.
Continuing what we hope will become a tradition, started in Galway, a Kilkenny restauranteur treated the whole cast/crew to dinner last night before the show. Some of the “kids” (ok, it wasn’t just the kids) had been there in the pub for their Friday night karaoke, and apparently rocked the house. We missed it, but heard that the highlights of the evening were a rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody and an authentic Summer Nights, from Grease. Long story short, we now know where the expression “sing for your supper” comes from.
Backtracking a bit, since it’s been a while since I’ve written, on a day off in Dun Laohaire, many of us made our way into Dublin to catch some of the sights. A group went to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and traipse around the Temple Bar District. Kevin and I spent the day on our own—we took the Dart (a commuter train) into the city and then transferred to the Luas (pronounced like “Lewis”), which is an electric cable car, and then walked the remaining way to Kilmainham Gaol, the site of the incarceration and execution of many of the leaders of the 1916 Easter uprising. We visited the Gaol last year, but Kevin wanted to return, and I’m glad we did—the tour guide was great and we actually heard new and different stories than the last time. We then went to the National Museum of Ireland, housed in buildings that served as military barracks for three centuries. The museum has exhibits of decorative arts and history. We took a wonderful, guided tour but really just saw enough to whet our appetite. We might go back if we have time at the end of the tour. We returned to Dun Laoghaire to the sight of an amazing rainbow, one of the fortunate by-products of all that damn rain.
The transfer from Dun Laoghaire to Kilkenny was the most grueling so far. We closed the show one night, loaded out, got up at the crack of dawn and drove to Kilkenny, loaded in, and opened that night to a practically full house, running completely on adrenaline!
Tomorrow we leave for Roscommon, a tiny town whose theater is across the street from a slaughter house. Carol Baker described the yards outside the slaughter house and the constant lowing of the cattle that put her off eating meat ever since. I’m not looking forward to that particular site. There’s a song n the musical A Man of No Importance, which Keegan is producing next summer, in which the heroine, who from Roscommon, describes the town as one in which the most exciting activity is watching the flies on dog-shite. Stay tuned for more adventures to come.
Now I just have to find some where to connect to send this. J With luck I’ll also post on the blog and get some pics up: keeganinireland2008.blogspot.com.
Cheers.
We had three very good performances here at the Watergate Theatre to very warm, if not completely full, houses. Last night we bid farewell to our wonderful director, Susan Rhea, Mark’s brother, Joe Rhea, and Steve “Shiny” Shaw, our master carpenter who filled in as Mr. Ruckley while KJ mended. Very sad to see them go (though we’ll see Steve again when we return to Dun Laoghaire at the end of the tour before we fly out of Dublin). In the “small world” department, Rena Cherry Brown, a local DC actress who’s performed with Keegan in the past, was vacationing in Ireland with her husband, saw our poster in Galway, and caught the show here in Kilkenny! We were also joined this week by Joe Baker’s folks, Jay and Carol, herself a veteran of many tours. It was nice to be surrounded by the extended Keegan family for a while.
Continuing what we hope will become a tradition, started in Galway, a Kilkenny restauranteur treated the whole cast/crew to dinner last night before the show. Some of the “kids” (ok, it wasn’t just the kids) had been there in the pub for their Friday night karaoke, and apparently rocked the house. We missed it, but heard that the highlights of the evening were a rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody and an authentic Summer Nights, from Grease. Long story short, we now know where the expression “sing for your supper” comes from.
Backtracking a bit, since it’s been a while since I’ve written, on a day off in Dun Laohaire, many of us made our way into Dublin to catch some of the sights. A group went to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and traipse around the Temple Bar District. Kevin and I spent the day on our own—we took the Dart (a commuter train) into the city and then transferred to the Luas (pronounced like “Lewis”), which is an electric cable car, and then walked the remaining way to Kilmainham Gaol, the site of the incarceration and execution of many of the leaders of the 1916 Easter uprising. We visited the Gaol last year, but Kevin wanted to return, and I’m glad we did—the tour guide was great and we actually heard new and different stories than the last time. We then went to the National Museum of Ireland, housed in buildings that served as military barracks for three centuries. The museum has exhibits of decorative arts and history. We took a wonderful, guided tour but really just saw enough to whet our appetite. We might go back if we have time at the end of the tour. We returned to Dun Laoghaire to the sight of an amazing rainbow, one of the fortunate by-products of all that damn rain.
The transfer from Dun Laoghaire to Kilkenny was the most grueling so far. We closed the show one night, loaded out, got up at the crack of dawn and drove to Kilkenny, loaded in, and opened that night to a practically full house, running completely on adrenaline!
Tomorrow we leave for Roscommon, a tiny town whose theater is across the street from a slaughter house. Carol Baker described the yards outside the slaughter house and the constant lowing of the cattle that put her off eating meat ever since. I’m not looking forward to that particular site. There’s a song n the musical A Man of No Importance, which Keegan is producing next summer, in which the heroine, who from Roscommon, describes the town as one in which the most exciting activity is watching the flies on dog-shite. Stay tuned for more adventures to come.
Now I just have to find some where to connect to send this. J With luck I’ll also post on the blog and get some pics up: keeganinireland2008.blogspot.com.
Cheers.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Susan's Spot #5: Farewell, Stages and Sceneries ... Hello, Politics and Traffic...
greetings from lovely kilkenny*! today is the first day since we've been in town that is sunny, so i might keep this short and try to get outside to enjoy my last day in ireland...
when i last checked in we were opening in Dun Laoghaire -- we had a GREAT run with fantastic ticket sales at the Pavilion. the audiences loved the show and the staff and crew at the Pavilion were very enthusiastic about the production and the reception it was receiving by the local audiences. we enjoyed some days off there -- some of the group went into Dublin one day and others stayed in town, shopping and enjoying the incredible seaside view. we also enjoyed the company of some dear irish friends -- the indomitable ann came down from dublin to see the show on tuesday, and mike and amadine were also around for the three days we were there, along with their adorable (seriously? ridiculously cute) daughter clea.
each night after the show, after drinks were consumed and late-night food purchased, we reconvened at our B&B (either in the courtyard, weather permitting, or inside) and enjoyed more late night music sessions/singalongs. it has been really great having actors on tour WITH guitars and all this talent -- what a nice way to end each day, to hear the voices of the group rising in song... one of the very nice things about staying in a place like the Darthogue is that there are those central gathering places like the courtyard, living room, where we can spend time together as a group.
as for me, i watched the show each night and took notes whenever i was there, much to the chagrin of my poor actors who are probably ready to kill me in my sleep. as i told them last night, i'm ALMOST out of their hair ... i did take a night off in Dun Laoghaire and went to see Mamma Mia at the local movie theater -- it was a nice diversion (can Meryl Streep do ANYTHING, or WHAT? she is incredible.) and i'm sure the cast enjoyed a director-free night.
wednesday night we loaded out of the theater (done in just under an hour-fifteen!) and thursday morning the crew left bright and early (7 am) to head to kilkenny to begin load-in, with the rest if us leaving a few hours later. load-in went very smoothly and we were done with everything in time to give folks a rest for a few hours before the show! you gotta like that. there is great teamwork on this tour and so many hands that things get done much more quickly that you expect....
the show opened in Kilkenny to a nearly full theater on Thursday night, and received a rousing standing ovation! what a thrill -- i have to admit that i was expecting the show to suffer a bit Thursday night from the strain and fatigue of travel and load-in, but i could not believe what i saw unfold on that stage -- it was one of our best shows yet and you saw not a TRACE of exhaustion up there. every one of these actors put their heart and soul out there, and our fabulous amanda also called a perfect show up in the booth. what a deep and complicated experience it is, being a director. ... i struggle with the lack of control, with the letting go, but the rewards are so rich to watch this play unfold night after night. terrifying and fantastic. every misstep you feel in your stomach, every triumph just electrifies.
oh -- i just remembered one other thing -- while in Dun Laoghaire, Mark and Mike and I did a radio interview for Dublin's PhantomFM (it would be like Washington DC's WHFS, a more progressive station that plays new music ... what the "cool kids" listen to). the link to the interview is up on the blog now and on the Keegan site. i haven't listened to it yet, actually, because i'm terrified i sound like a moron. please forgive -- its rather nervewracking doing a live interview in studio for a national radio station.
ANYWAY, back to Kilkenny! we're staying in a charming hotel -- winding hallways and lots of nooks and crannies and interesting/historic artwork on the walls. this hotel also boasts a "Residents Bar," which basically means that the nightshift staff person will keep the bar open as late as you want him to, as long as you are a guest at the hotel. the poor, poor man. i'm not sure they knew what they were in for when they told this group that we can stay up as late as we want. :)
Carol and Jay are in town (hooray!) and they came to see the show last night. it was wonderful to see them and i know they loved getting to see joe on stage in ireland, too.
so ... we close in Kilkenny tonight and joe and i shove off tomorrow morning early for the States. the rest of the tour will enjoy the rewards of a FULL day and night off in Kilkenny tomorrow and they will leave for Roscommon on Monday (opening Tuesday night) ... hopefully, they'll get weather like we have today so that they can continue to enjoy this amazing town. as those of you who've been to Kilkenny know, there is so much to see and do that you could conceivably spend the full six weeks in this area of Ireland and never get bored. the Kilkenny Castle, alone, is a day of entertainment (especially if you go to the shops across the streets, where the gold and silversmiths and artisans sell their personal wares -- such great stuff there if you've got the $$$ for it).
i will miss everyone and the show so much that i'm just trying not to think about it right now. and of course i'll miss my husband so much, too -- it's very hard being apart for so long, and hard not to get to enjoy the full Irish tour at his side. but thanks to technology (hello, Skype!) we'll be able to stay in touch without breaking the bank this year, we hope.
i've told the rest of the gang that they BETTER start blogging soon so it's not just my posts up here ... we'll see if they rise to the occasion. i have cajoled, nudged, begged, but it is a bit of hard sell, telling people that rather than walking around this beautiful country they should go sit in an internet cafe and talk about it.
we'll see ... much love to all, see you soon, and BRAVO, CUCKOOS NEST!
*City of My Engagement
when i last checked in we were opening in Dun Laoghaire -- we had a GREAT run with fantastic ticket sales at the Pavilion. the audiences loved the show and the staff and crew at the Pavilion were very enthusiastic about the production and the reception it was receiving by the local audiences. we enjoyed some days off there -- some of the group went into Dublin one day and others stayed in town, shopping and enjoying the incredible seaside view. we also enjoyed the company of some dear irish friends -- the indomitable ann came down from dublin to see the show on tuesday, and mike and amadine were also around for the three days we were there, along with their adorable (seriously? ridiculously cute) daughter clea.
each night after the show, after drinks were consumed and late-night food purchased, we reconvened at our B&B (either in the courtyard, weather permitting, or inside) and enjoyed more late night music sessions/singalongs. it has been really great having actors on tour WITH guitars and all this talent -- what a nice way to end each day, to hear the voices of the group rising in song... one of the very nice things about staying in a place like the Darthogue is that there are those central gathering places like the courtyard, living room, where we can spend time together as a group.
as for me, i watched the show each night and took notes whenever i was there, much to the chagrin of my poor actors who are probably ready to kill me in my sleep. as i told them last night, i'm ALMOST out of their hair ... i did take a night off in Dun Laoghaire and went to see Mamma Mia at the local movie theater -- it was a nice diversion (can Meryl Streep do ANYTHING, or WHAT? she is incredible.) and i'm sure the cast enjoyed a director-free night.
wednesday night we loaded out of the theater (done in just under an hour-fifteen!) and thursday morning the crew left bright and early (7 am) to head to kilkenny to begin load-in, with the rest if us leaving a few hours later. load-in went very smoothly and we were done with everything in time to give folks a rest for a few hours before the show! you gotta like that. there is great teamwork on this tour and so many hands that things get done much more quickly that you expect....
the show opened in Kilkenny to a nearly full theater on Thursday night, and received a rousing standing ovation! what a thrill -- i have to admit that i was expecting the show to suffer a bit Thursday night from the strain and fatigue of travel and load-in, but i could not believe what i saw unfold on that stage -- it was one of our best shows yet and you saw not a TRACE of exhaustion up there. every one of these actors put their heart and soul out there, and our fabulous amanda also called a perfect show up in the booth. what a deep and complicated experience it is, being a director. ... i struggle with the lack of control, with the letting go, but the rewards are so rich to watch this play unfold night after night. terrifying and fantastic. every misstep you feel in your stomach, every triumph just electrifies.
oh -- i just remembered one other thing -- while in Dun Laoghaire, Mark and Mike and I did a radio interview for Dublin's PhantomFM (it would be like Washington DC's WHFS, a more progressive station that plays new music ... what the "cool kids" listen to). the link to the interview is up on the blog now and on the Keegan site. i haven't listened to it yet, actually, because i'm terrified i sound like a moron. please forgive -- its rather nervewracking doing a live interview in studio for a national radio station.
ANYWAY, back to Kilkenny! we're staying in a charming hotel -- winding hallways and lots of nooks and crannies and interesting/historic artwork on the walls. this hotel also boasts a "Residents Bar," which basically means that the nightshift staff person will keep the bar open as late as you want him to, as long as you are a guest at the hotel. the poor, poor man. i'm not sure they knew what they were in for when they told this group that we can stay up as late as we want. :)
Carol and Jay are in town (hooray!) and they came to see the show last night. it was wonderful to see them and i know they loved getting to see joe on stage in ireland, too.
so ... we close in Kilkenny tonight and joe and i shove off tomorrow morning early for the States. the rest of the tour will enjoy the rewards of a FULL day and night off in Kilkenny tomorrow and they will leave for Roscommon on Monday (opening Tuesday night) ... hopefully, they'll get weather like we have today so that they can continue to enjoy this amazing town. as those of you who've been to Kilkenny know, there is so much to see and do that you could conceivably spend the full six weeks in this area of Ireland and never get bored. the Kilkenny Castle, alone, is a day of entertainment (especially if you go to the shops across the streets, where the gold and silversmiths and artisans sell their personal wares -- such great stuff there if you've got the $$$ for it).
i will miss everyone and the show so much that i'm just trying not to think about it right now. and of course i'll miss my husband so much, too -- it's very hard being apart for so long, and hard not to get to enjoy the full Irish tour at his side. but thanks to technology (hello, Skype!) we'll be able to stay in touch without breaking the bank this year, we hope.
i've told the rest of the gang that they BETTER start blogging soon so it's not just my posts up here ... we'll see if they rise to the occasion. i have cajoled, nudged, begged, but it is a bit of hard sell, telling people that rather than walking around this beautiful country they should go sit in an internet cafe and talk about it.
we'll see ... much love to all, see you soon, and BRAVO, CUCKOOS NEST!
*City of My Engagement
Monday, September 8, 2008
Susan's Spot #4: Crowds and Critics
We're here in BEAUTIFUL Dun Laoghaire (a seaside resort town for those of you who don't know) and loving it. The theater is right on the water and last night, after we loaded in the set, most of us sat outside and toasted the tour as we overlooked the Irish sea. Just spectacular. I'm extremely happy to report that the load out and the trip to Dun Laoghaire were UNEVENTFUL. We were done loading the set, etc., into vans in basically 90 minutes -- incredible! But with a group this big (and this energetic and helpful), things really do go quickly. We drove here yesterday, with the tech gang coming in a few hours before the rest of us to get the lights and sound prepped. The set load-in here in Dun Laohaire also went more quickly than I expected -- and by 6:30 or so, we were very close to being done.
The big news of the day for many in our group was the discovery of AMERICAN FOOTBALL at a hotel bar in town. The Cowboys played yesterday afternoon in the States and we've got a few folks with us who you might call ... um, what's the word I want.... RABID Cowboys fans -- and they were chomping at the bit to see the opening game of the season for their team. We knew the game would air 9:00 pm Irish time and Richie and Joe started asking around about where we might find a bar showing American football. They got a lead on a place that might be showing the game but I was not optimistic ... we have VERY rarely had success getting American football shown anywhere in Ireland. I can count on one hand, in fact, the times it has worked out. So I didn't even walk with the gang to the hotel bar -- instead, I went back to sit in the courtyard of our beautiful B&B (more on this in a moment). Anyway, sure enough, the game was on at the hotel bar! OH JOY. Not only that, the Cowboys won, of course. We had a few happy campers in Dun Laoghaire last night, needless to say.
We are staying at the FABULOUS Darthogue B&B with the charming Isabella at the helm. We adore her and it's always awesome to come back to Dun Laoghaire to see her and to stay in this B&B, with its courtyard and comfortable beds and homecooked breakfasts. Last night, those on tour who were NOT watching football sat in the courtyard around the picnic table and enjoyed a singalong with KJ and Daniel on guitar. We had to sing somewhat sotto voce given the late-ish hour, but it was grand to relax and enjoy the Irish evening with the bulk of the load-in work behind us. This morning, about half of the company were called to do final touches at the theater to prep the stage, and now there's nothing left but the show tonight. We have about 13 members of the media coming to review the show tonight, which is a tad nervewracking considering its our first night in a new/different performance space. We're meeting at 6:15 tonight, when I'll give notes and the actors will walk the stage and familiarize themselves with entrances, exits, etc. Oh, ahem, I should mention that -- as in Galway -- the show is SOLD OUT. What a thrill for these guys!
Speaking of reviews, one review has already come out in the Irish Times, and it was rather ... tepid. The critic loved Mark (as well he should!), saying his performance makes you forget about Jack Nicholson (quite a compliment), but said the play was dated and that my direction only hit the mark half of the time (?). He definitely doesn't like the script and feels it doesn't hold impact in this day and age anymore, given that the atrocities (electroshock, labotomies) that occur in Cuckoo no longer are permitted and characters like Nurse Ratched don't exist anymore (I don't know about that one). The funniest thing about the review to me was that he says the show no longer has impact when he was part of our opening night audience that leapt to its feet at the end! Clearly they didn't agree. Anyway, obviously the review hasn't affected ticket sales given how well we're selling at Pavilion. We've noticed this before in Ireland -- word of mouth is what sells a show. It isn't like in the States, where people think critics are gods. Irish audiences go by what their friends say, what the word on the street is. It's so refreshing. Anyway, we'll see what the mass of critics tonight have to say, but if the buzz stays as positive as it has so far, I don't think we have anything to worry about, regardless.
(no, Mom, you can't track down the Irish Times critic and give him a piece of your mind. I know your protective bristles are up to hear of anyone criticizing your daughter, but we'll have to agree to let it go, ok? I can take it!)
I guess that's all for now... I'm off to prep my notes for tonight and grab a quick bite before the show. We're here through Wednesday. Thursday is going to be insane, as we drive to Kilkenny, load in, and open all on the SAME day. I think there are two such days like this on this year's tour, and they are a bear. Luckily, we know the Watergate Theatre (aka "The Theater Of My Engagement") like the back of our hands, so at least its familiar territory.
The big news of the day for many in our group was the discovery of AMERICAN FOOTBALL at a hotel bar in town. The Cowboys played yesterday afternoon in the States and we've got a few folks with us who you might call ... um, what's the word I want.... RABID Cowboys fans -- and they were chomping at the bit to see the opening game of the season for their team. We knew the game would air 9:00 pm Irish time and Richie and Joe started asking around about where we might find a bar showing American football. They got a lead on a place that might be showing the game but I was not optimistic ... we have VERY rarely had success getting American football shown anywhere in Ireland. I can count on one hand, in fact, the times it has worked out. So I didn't even walk with the gang to the hotel bar -- instead, I went back to sit in the courtyard of our beautiful B&B (more on this in a moment). Anyway, sure enough, the game was on at the hotel bar! OH JOY. Not only that, the Cowboys won, of course. We had a few happy campers in Dun Laoghaire last night, needless to say.
We are staying at the FABULOUS Darthogue B&B with the charming Isabella at the helm. We adore her and it's always awesome to come back to Dun Laoghaire to see her and to stay in this B&B, with its courtyard and comfortable beds and homecooked breakfasts. Last night, those on tour who were NOT watching football sat in the courtyard around the picnic table and enjoyed a singalong with KJ and Daniel on guitar. We had to sing somewhat sotto voce given the late-ish hour, but it was grand to relax and enjoy the Irish evening with the bulk of the load-in work behind us. This morning, about half of the company were called to do final touches at the theater to prep the stage, and now there's nothing left but the show tonight. We have about 13 members of the media coming to review the show tonight, which is a tad nervewracking considering its our first night in a new/different performance space. We're meeting at 6:15 tonight, when I'll give notes and the actors will walk the stage and familiarize themselves with entrances, exits, etc. Oh, ahem, I should mention that -- as in Galway -- the show is SOLD OUT. What a thrill for these guys!
Speaking of reviews, one review has already come out in the Irish Times, and it was rather ... tepid. The critic loved Mark (as well he should!), saying his performance makes you forget about Jack Nicholson (quite a compliment), but said the play was dated and that my direction only hit the mark half of the time (?). He definitely doesn't like the script and feels it doesn't hold impact in this day and age anymore, given that the atrocities (electroshock, labotomies) that occur in Cuckoo no longer are permitted and characters like Nurse Ratched don't exist anymore (I don't know about that one). The funniest thing about the review to me was that he says the show no longer has impact when he was part of our opening night audience that leapt to its feet at the end! Clearly they didn't agree. Anyway, obviously the review hasn't affected ticket sales given how well we're selling at Pavilion. We've noticed this before in Ireland -- word of mouth is what sells a show. It isn't like in the States, where people think critics are gods. Irish audiences go by what their friends say, what the word on the street is. It's so refreshing. Anyway, we'll see what the mass of critics tonight have to say, but if the buzz stays as positive as it has so far, I don't think we have anything to worry about, regardless.
(no, Mom, you can't track down the Irish Times critic and give him a piece of your mind. I know your protective bristles are up to hear of anyone criticizing your daughter, but we'll have to agree to let it go, ok? I can take it!)
I guess that's all for now... I'm off to prep my notes for tonight and grab a quick bite before the show. We're here through Wednesday. Thursday is going to be insane, as we drive to Kilkenny, load in, and open all on the SAME day. I think there are two such days like this on this year's tour, and they are a bear. Luckily, we know the Watergate Theatre (aka "The Theater Of My Engagement") like the back of our hands, so at least its familiar territory.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Susan's Spot #3: Holy Cuckoo, Batman!
Packed house, standing ovation, a company of actors giddy with accomplishment and its reception, and a director humbled and awed by her colleagues -- I am still at a loss for words. So I'm going to let Virginia say it in hers. Below is the text of an email she sent this morning to the Keegan Theatre Board of Directors.
*****************
After Susan’s cliff hanger email yesterday, I thought I would let you in on the next episode in the Keegan adventures.
Our wonderful troupe performed miracles and appeared on stage before a full house of Irish theater goers. I sat in the middle of this audience, who were spellbound from beginning to end. They found the humor in all the usual places and in some new ones. There were moments when they were so still, I was worried they were unhappy, but I was wrong. They were collectively holding their breaths with the emotion that was coming at them from the stage.
It was one of those shows when there is a long and worrisome pause before the audience applauds. But again the pause was a moment of awe followed by an audience that leaped to their feet with appreciation. The cast was so stunned they were uncertain about taking a second bow, but gathered back on stage to let their success slowly sink in. Mark had to take an additional bow by himself – a rare and well deserved moment.
The Keegan will and spirit have carried us through many challenges and this week proved that Keegan is hale and hardy and first and foremost committed to bringing deeply moving performances to the stage. This could only have happened with a group that was fully committed to doing whatever was needed to for as many hours in the day and night that it took. As always the Keegan spirit has shone through behind the scenes and on stage.
*********************
Thanks, Virginia. I couldn't have said it better myself.
The word on the street is out, and the buzz has been enthusiastic. What a ride it has been ...
Anyway, two more shows, and then we pack it all up and move to Dun Laoghaire -- we drive on Sunday, load in Sunday, tech on Monday, and open Monday night. Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming our way -- I've no doubt that our success last night was due in part to the love from across the ocean that all our friends, family, and fans sent our way.
*****************
After Susan’s cliff hanger email yesterday, I thought I would let you in on the next episode in the Keegan adventures.
Our wonderful troupe performed miracles and appeared on stage before a full house of Irish theater goers. I sat in the middle of this audience, who were spellbound from beginning to end. They found the humor in all the usual places and in some new ones. There were moments when they were so still, I was worried they were unhappy, but I was wrong. They were collectively holding their breaths with the emotion that was coming at them from the stage.
It was one of those shows when there is a long and worrisome pause before the audience applauds. But again the pause was a moment of awe followed by an audience that leaped to their feet with appreciation. The cast was so stunned they were uncertain about taking a second bow, but gathered back on stage to let their success slowly sink in. Mark had to take an additional bow by himself – a rare and well deserved moment.
The Keegan will and spirit have carried us through many challenges and this week proved that Keegan is hale and hardy and first and foremost committed to bringing deeply moving performances to the stage. This could only have happened with a group that was fully committed to doing whatever was needed to for as many hours in the day and night that it took. As always the Keegan spirit has shone through behind the scenes and on stage.
*********************
Thanks, Virginia. I couldn't have said it better myself.
The word on the street is out, and the buzz has been enthusiastic. What a ride it has been ...
Anyway, two more shows, and then we pack it all up and move to Dun Laoghaire -- we drive on Sunday, load in Sunday, tech on Monday, and open Monday night. Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming our way -- I've no doubt that our success last night was due in part to the love from across the ocean that all our friends, family, and fans sent our way.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Susan's Spot #2: Deep Breaths...
deep breaths... breathin deep.
it is THURSDAY morning and we open tonight -- mark and the folks who run town hall theater decided to cancel last night's preview -- the primary reason for this is we've got a wounded actor and he needed to rest...
so, as to that story: one of our actors on tour -- he plays dr. spivey and also doubles as patient Ruckly -- had a seizure on Monday while we were building the set and had to be taken to the emergency room in Galway. it was absolutely terrifying for those of us who were present -- frankly one of the scariest things i've seen in my adult life, and certainly something i hope to never see again. this guy is a big boy, and when he fell down and started seizing/convulsing he dislocated his shoulder -- he was seizing very badly and had blood coming out of his mouth and everything -- turns out it was from biting his cheek during the seizure, but we didnt know that and MAN OH MAN. well, you can imagine. it took several of us to hold him from banging his head on the cement while he was seizing and others were holding various limbs, etc., to try to keep him from hurting himself. the crew guy from galway called the ambulance and after the seizure stopped (a few minutes i'd say? who knows. time stopped.)
finally he opened his eyes, but still wasn't really communicating (he doesn't remember anything about the incident, from 10 or so minutes before it happened until about an hour later). no one knew what was going on and we were all so scared. Sheri and Kevin were out getting soda for everyone when this happened, and when they returned (while we were still waiting for the ambulance, which came very quickly actually), Sheri told us that he had told her that he has had seizures before -- not many, but it has happened before. he has never been formally diagnosed as epileptic (those Icelandic doctors!) -- but that is basically what he's got. when he was talking to Sheri about it (just the day before), he actually mentioned that he was intending to talk to Mark about it on the OFF CHANCE that it were to happen while on the tour. he hadn't gotten around to doing that though (yes, you bet we will be adding medical disclosure to the Ireland tour checklist next year.. you do NOT even need to mention that...) so at least when Sheri arrived we had some context for it. anyway, he spent the day in the hospital (they ran blood tests, brain scans, etc.) before he was released. he was given some anti-inflammatories but no painkillers, so he's been having a rough time. he did finally get some prescribed tuesday afternoon thankfully at a follow up appointment. he's been a bit woozy but he was able to rehearse yesterday for our late run through. The role of Ruckly calls for the actor to have his arms spread as if on a cross for huge chunks of time, so obviously he can't do that at the moment! He is supposed to keep
his arm in a sling for six weeks (!!!!), so he might wear a sling for the role of the doctor. he says he's ok without it, but we're letting him play that by ear and we are fine with it either way.
so. our MASTER SET BUILDER, steve, has agreed to stand in for the role of Ruckly for the duration of Galway and also for Dun Laoghaire, our next stop on tour. steve is a friend from past tours (he does build and tech work at the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire) and is kindly doing us this favor (we just gotta knock his scottish accent out!) yesterday during the run through we worked Steve into the show. he's our saviour!
GEE, WHAT ELSE HAPPENED THIS WEEK? oh, right! you recall i mentioned that Joe was driving the van to Dublin to pick up the gurney? while on his way back, Joe stopped for gas and accidentally used the wrong pump (in ireland GREEN is not used to indicate DIESEL like it is in the States. the truck took diesel, so Joe used
the GREEN pump, accidentally filling the van with gasoline.) he went to start the truck and ... whoops. no go. then he realized what he had done and called Mark and Richie here in Galway. you can imagine, right? so mark is thinking he's now going to have to pay for a ruined van and rent a second one. richie and mark spent an hour or so trying to find a mechanic or someone to drive out to where Joe was to get the van taken care of/see what could be done. meanwhile, back at the van, Joe started to get rained on. to get out of the rain, he hopped back into the stalled van and, while sitting there, decided to give it a second go. it sputtered to power and joe decided to try driving it. miraculously, the van got him back here and -- though driving rather rough -- its still operational at the moment. stay tuned on that one. joe's new nickname is VanDiesel.
so yesterday we went full tilt to try to finish the set and tech, working from 10 am until 3 pm, taking a two-hour break, and returning with actor hats on to run the show at 5:00 pm -- a long stop-and-start tech run with fixes that had us at the theater until just before 11. today, about half of the company has been working since this morning (rich gave some folks the morning off), and we will run the show at 1 pm (final dress) and open tonight. all the folks who had tix to the preview last night are bumped to tonight, so it should be a full house. cancelling the preview last night (in addition to giving our wounded actor some downtime) also bought us some MUCH NEEDED time to finish work on the set -- I suspect there will still be some final touches tomorrow, but we're getting there... all this to say, its been a rough week. that said, you'd be surprised how high spirits are -- perhaps adrenalin? perhaps dementia? i'm not sure. but everyone is soldering on. those of us in charge of specific areas (me as director, richie as production manager, dan as Technical director, mark as producer) are perhaps shouldering a bit more of the panic, with an ultimate goal of keeping everyone encouraged and energized. its exhausting but ultimately, we hope, for the best in terms of the final product. not sure what else to say ...
also there's been tons of press activity -- i had a radio interview yesterday and i have another next week along with two of the actors (they want a live excerpt to be performed on the radio, which is just ... wierd. but.), and mark has had several. in the galway paper on monday we opened it to see a FULL PAGE (seriously people the WHOLE PAGE) picture of Mark and then a few pages later a very nice article about the tour and the show. oh, and yesterday in a different galway paper there was anadvertisement for our production accompanied by a picture of ... JACK NICHOLSON. ah, geez. and we sent them press photos from our show!!! good grief. so now mark is scared that everyone is going to think the show is starring jack nicholson and they're going to pelt him with potatoes when he comes on stage. way to pressure, people.
speaking of this, we're often asked by the locals here why we are in Ireland and when they learn we are here to do a show at the town hall theater, and they hear WHAT show it is, we are INEVITABLY asked one or both of the following questions: "which one of you is nurse ratched? ah, you're the evil one!" and "who is playing jack nicholson?"
more tomorrow...
it is THURSDAY morning and we open tonight -- mark and the folks who run town hall theater decided to cancel last night's preview -- the primary reason for this is we've got a wounded actor and he needed to rest...
so, as to that story: one of our actors on tour -- he plays dr. spivey and also doubles as patient Ruckly -- had a seizure on Monday while we were building the set and had to be taken to the emergency room in Galway. it was absolutely terrifying for those of us who were present -- frankly one of the scariest things i've seen in my adult life, and certainly something i hope to never see again. this guy is a big boy, and when he fell down and started seizing/convulsing he dislocated his shoulder -- he was seizing very badly and had blood coming out of his mouth and everything -- turns out it was from biting his cheek during the seizure, but we didnt know that and MAN OH MAN. well, you can imagine. it took several of us to hold him from banging his head on the cement while he was seizing and others were holding various limbs, etc., to try to keep him from hurting himself. the crew guy from galway called the ambulance and after the seizure stopped (a few minutes i'd say? who knows. time stopped.)
finally he opened his eyes, but still wasn't really communicating (he doesn't remember anything about the incident, from 10 or so minutes before it happened until about an hour later). no one knew what was going on and we were all so scared. Sheri and Kevin were out getting soda for everyone when this happened, and when they returned (while we were still waiting for the ambulance, which came very quickly actually), Sheri told us that he had told her that he has had seizures before -- not many, but it has happened before. he has never been formally diagnosed as epileptic (those Icelandic doctors!) -- but that is basically what he's got. when he was talking to Sheri about it (just the day before), he actually mentioned that he was intending to talk to Mark about it on the OFF CHANCE that it were to happen while on the tour. he hadn't gotten around to doing that though (yes, you bet we will be adding medical disclosure to the Ireland tour checklist next year.. you do NOT even need to mention that...) so at least when Sheri arrived we had some context for it. anyway, he spent the day in the hospital (they ran blood tests, brain scans, etc.) before he was released. he was given some anti-inflammatories but no painkillers, so he's been having a rough time. he did finally get some prescribed tuesday afternoon thankfully at a follow up appointment. he's been a bit woozy but he was able to rehearse yesterday for our late run through. The role of Ruckly calls for the actor to have his arms spread as if on a cross for huge chunks of time, so obviously he can't do that at the moment! He is supposed to keep
his arm in a sling for six weeks (!!!!), so he might wear a sling for the role of the doctor. he says he's ok without it, but we're letting him play that by ear and we are fine with it either way.
so. our MASTER SET BUILDER, steve, has agreed to stand in for the role of Ruckly for the duration of Galway and also for Dun Laoghaire, our next stop on tour. steve is a friend from past tours (he does build and tech work at the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire) and is kindly doing us this favor (we just gotta knock his scottish accent out!) yesterday during the run through we worked Steve into the show. he's our saviour!
GEE, WHAT ELSE HAPPENED THIS WEEK? oh, right! you recall i mentioned that Joe was driving the van to Dublin to pick up the gurney? while on his way back, Joe stopped for gas and accidentally used the wrong pump (in ireland GREEN is not used to indicate DIESEL like it is in the States. the truck took diesel, so Joe used
the GREEN pump, accidentally filling the van with gasoline.) he went to start the truck and ... whoops. no go. then he realized what he had done and called Mark and Richie here in Galway. you can imagine, right? so mark is thinking he's now going to have to pay for a ruined van and rent a second one. richie and mark spent an hour or so trying to find a mechanic or someone to drive out to where Joe was to get the van taken care of/see what could be done. meanwhile, back at the van, Joe started to get rained on. to get out of the rain, he hopped back into the stalled van and, while sitting there, decided to give it a second go. it sputtered to power and joe decided to try driving it. miraculously, the van got him back here and -- though driving rather rough -- its still operational at the moment. stay tuned on that one. joe's new nickname is VanDiesel.
so yesterday we went full tilt to try to finish the set and tech, working from 10 am until 3 pm, taking a two-hour break, and returning with actor hats on to run the show at 5:00 pm -- a long stop-and-start tech run with fixes that had us at the theater until just before 11. today, about half of the company has been working since this morning (rich gave some folks the morning off), and we will run the show at 1 pm (final dress) and open tonight. all the folks who had tix to the preview last night are bumped to tonight, so it should be a full house. cancelling the preview last night (in addition to giving our wounded actor some downtime) also bought us some MUCH NEEDED time to finish work on the set -- I suspect there will still be some final touches tomorrow, but we're getting there... all this to say, its been a rough week. that said, you'd be surprised how high spirits are -- perhaps adrenalin? perhaps dementia? i'm not sure. but everyone is soldering on. those of us in charge of specific areas (me as director, richie as production manager, dan as Technical director, mark as producer) are perhaps shouldering a bit more of the panic, with an ultimate goal of keeping everyone encouraged and energized. its exhausting but ultimately, we hope, for the best in terms of the final product. not sure what else to say ...
also there's been tons of press activity -- i had a radio interview yesterday and i have another next week along with two of the actors (they want a live excerpt to be performed on the radio, which is just ... wierd. but.), and mark has had several. in the galway paper on monday we opened it to see a FULL PAGE (seriously people the WHOLE PAGE) picture of Mark and then a few pages later a very nice article about the tour and the show. oh, and yesterday in a different galway paper there was anadvertisement for our production accompanied by a picture of ... JACK NICHOLSON. ah, geez. and we sent them press photos from our show!!! good grief. so now mark is scared that everyone is going to think the show is starring jack nicholson and they're going to pelt him with potatoes when he comes on stage. way to pressure, people.
speaking of this, we're often asked by the locals here why we are in Ireland and when they learn we are here to do a show at the town hall theater, and they hear WHAT show it is, we are INEVITABLY asked one or both of the following questions: "which one of you is nurse ratched? ah, you're the evil one!" and "who is playing jack nicholson?"
more tomorrow...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Susan's Spot #1: Greetings from Ireland!
i've only got a FEW minutes before i'm called back to the theater for a sound cue run and then a stumble through on our partially completed set. we open to a preview audience tomorrow night and HOLY COW is there a lot to get done yet. our fearless leaders, though, are proving formidable and i have no doubt that there will be a show of great passion tomorrow night (even if parts of the set are held together by duct tape...). every single person has been working their tail off -- we have a great group and lots of hard workers, so we don't lack in that department... it's just SO MUCH to do. we haven't run the show yet, although we have had a line run (outside, on the niland house deck -- some of you may remember that fabulous deck, overlooking the galway bay...), so today will be the first the company has gotten on its feet as ACTORS and not crew members. i think everyone is anxious to do this and excited to get back to the business of acting, at least for a few hours!
speaking of a sound cue run, last night was THE FIRST TIME i heard the sound cues for the show, if you can believe that. thankfully they are quite perfect and what a relief that there's nothing to be fixed or added ... i do not know how that would have gotten done. dan has run into one technical glitch after another and we've powered our way through several laptops and computer towers in attempts to download and use the sound cues. its been quite cursed, actually, so -- again -- it's a huge relief to finally have it up and running as the sound cues are so critical to this show. i was trying to think of ways we could do LIVE sound (having actors make the noises... seriously) -- that's how desperate things had gotten. good times. but we're rockin now and Matt, wait til you hear what Tony has done with your beautiful score -- just awesome work all around. the voices of your nieces are the OPENING sound cue, taking us to blackout. no offense, but man are they creepy.
the set is MASSIVE and mark has had to rent a second van for the tour to fit the set, all the luggage, and the furniture and props. as you may imagine, he's not too happy about that. it's been one expensive snag after another with the sound issues and ... just lots of surprises have popped up that are straining the budget ... yesterday we were all painting and building away and one of the crew members came up to mark and said "can i get some cash from you -- i'm running out to get more paint" and mark pulled his wallet out of his pocket and threw it in the middle of the room and screamed "JUST TAKE IT, PEOPLE! YOU ARE KILLING ME!!! JUST TAKE THE WHOLE THING!!!!"
good times.
when i have more time i'll write more, but it likely will not be until after we open -- we'll DEFINITELY still be working on thursday even though we preview on wednesday. there's no way we will be done with everything wednesday night so that audience is definitely seeing a preview! on friday, though, hopefully i'll have a day to relax a bit and i'll let you all know how it went ...
i can let you know that we've had one actor detained at customs and almost refused entry, we've had one actor taken by ambulance to the emergency room, and we've all been eating alot of fried chicken (GO SNACK BOX!). dont worry, we're walking it off. BOY are we walking it off. joe baker and i were on a props mission yesterday and walked the entire town twice over before landing back where we started, at a store about 100 feet from where we are building, where we found what we had been looking for. could have saved ourselves a few hours (and sore feet) had we tried that store first. WHOOPS.
joe rhea is in dublin today picking up a gurney -- a long way to go for one piece, but its a critical piece. we tried to get the local galway hospital to loan us a gurney, but got nowhere. what jerks. (kidding. the galway hospital has already taken GREAT care of one of our own. so really. kidding.)
anyway, i'm off. much love to friends, family -- at 3 pm your time tomorrow, please throw a prayer up to the theater gods. we can use it!
speaking of a sound cue run, last night was THE FIRST TIME i heard the sound cues for the show, if you can believe that. thankfully they are quite perfect and what a relief that there's nothing to be fixed or added ... i do not know how that would have gotten done. dan has run into one technical glitch after another and we've powered our way through several laptops and computer towers in attempts to download and use the sound cues. its been quite cursed, actually, so -- again -- it's a huge relief to finally have it up and running as the sound cues are so critical to this show. i was trying to think of ways we could do LIVE sound (having actors make the noises... seriously) -- that's how desperate things had gotten. good times. but we're rockin now and Matt, wait til you hear what Tony has done with your beautiful score -- just awesome work all around. the voices of your nieces are the OPENING sound cue, taking us to blackout. no offense, but man are they creepy.
the set is MASSIVE and mark has had to rent a second van for the tour to fit the set, all the luggage, and the furniture and props. as you may imagine, he's not too happy about that. it's been one expensive snag after another with the sound issues and ... just lots of surprises have popped up that are straining the budget ... yesterday we were all painting and building away and one of the crew members came up to mark and said "can i get some cash from you -- i'm running out to get more paint" and mark pulled his wallet out of his pocket and threw it in the middle of the room and screamed "JUST TAKE IT, PEOPLE! YOU ARE KILLING ME!!! JUST TAKE THE WHOLE THING!!!!"
good times.
when i have more time i'll write more, but it likely will not be until after we open -- we'll DEFINITELY still be working on thursday even though we preview on wednesday. there's no way we will be done with everything wednesday night so that audience is definitely seeing a preview! on friday, though, hopefully i'll have a day to relax a bit and i'll let you all know how it went ...
i can let you know that we've had one actor detained at customs and almost refused entry, we've had one actor taken by ambulance to the emergency room, and we've all been eating alot of fried chicken (GO SNACK BOX!). dont worry, we're walking it off. BOY are we walking it off. joe baker and i were on a props mission yesterday and walked the entire town twice over before landing back where we started, at a store about 100 feet from where we are building, where we found what we had been looking for. could have saved ourselves a few hours (and sore feet) had we tried that store first. WHOOPS.
joe rhea is in dublin today picking up a gurney -- a long way to go for one piece, but its a critical piece. we tried to get the local galway hospital to loan us a gurney, but got nowhere. what jerks. (kidding. the galway hospital has already taken GREAT care of one of our own. so really. kidding.)
anyway, i'm off. much love to friends, family -- at 3 pm your time tomorrow, please throw a prayer up to the theater gods. we can use it!
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