Tourin' the Schools and still time to audition

Hello everyone!  It's cold out.  Too cold for this time of year..or so I would like to believe.  But it's spring and sometimes it snows in the early spring time. I suppose that's acceptable.  Save for when I have to be up at 6:30 headed to a school to perform Shakespeare.  But I'm glad to report, even this cold weather can't get me down right now.

This tour has been amazing so far and more fun than I thought.  I realized why a little earlier today talking to Sarah.  I'm not doing children's theater which tends to be overly pedantic and more often than not talks down to kids.  No.  I'm doing Shakespeare for audiences who just happen to be younger.  We're not pulling any punches, we're not converting the language to something easier for them to understand.  We're doing Mother F^*#(&' Macbeth, bloody daggers and severed head and all.

And on top of that, this is a true tour.  We're going to schools all throughout the 5 burroughs.  It's not just one performance in one location..that my friends is not a tour. (I've seen people call it that. It's not.  For real)  And Its, dare I say it, easy.  I mean we've already done the work.  We know the fight choreography, we know the show.  It's just a matter of adjusting it for each space.  I know there are some actors out there who fear any kind of change or wrench thrown into their worlds, but to me it's an adventure to see how we're going to deal with less-then-adequate spaces.  So far there have only been minor issues.  No front light, no back stage crosses.  The curtains wont close all the way.  I know soon we're going to have shows that are not even in a proper performance space.  That will be the true test.  But so far, so good.  And tomorrow we start back up again after a few days off.  Am I excited?  You bet.  This is my job right now and I'm more than pleased.  Talking to another friend who runs Shakespeare Anywhere earlier today I realized, I'm doing what we all are trying to do.  I'm getting paid to do something I love and you better believe I know how lucky I am.

One of the best things about this gig is that I'm usually home by 11 in the afternoon.  Which leaves me so much time to continue working on acting.  I've gotten more accomplished this past week than I feel I have in the past few months.  Maybe it's the energy carrying over from the performances.  I've managed to get my reel together:

This was put together by the amazingly talented Pamela Ralat who is a close friend and I like to consider my personal editor.  She is starting to offer her services as a Reel editor to fellow actors when she's not working as an...you guessed it...editor.  She's allowed me to share with my readers who might be looking for something affordable and of amazing quality.  So if you are looking for a reel, let me know and I'll make sure she knows you found her through me.

I've also managed to secure several auditions this past week, one for a music video..yes, you may laugh.  But it could be fun, no?  And another for Connecticut Free Shakespeare.  Which I'm VERY eagerly awaiting word back.  That was one of those auditions when I felt I nailed it but wasn't expecting to.  Does that make any sense at all?  I went it with a monologue of Trinculo's because I figured they're doing the Three Musketeers.  Comedy.  And a comedy of words more than actions.  My gamble worked and they gave me a few sides, the King and ...D'artagnen.  And than another for D'artagnen.  I'm optimistic.  I know it's a long shot, but who knows.  This is a dream play of mine.  And how much longer could I play the youngest of the four musketeers?  Please anyone reading, fingers crossed!

On top of all this, I've been working on several websites...to be live soonish.  But I feel like that saying, "work begets work" is true.  More so, "creative work begets creative work."  Or at least gets those creative juices rolling.  So that's my week.  And now entering week two of the American Globe tour with great anticipation.  Tomorrow there is a van taking us to our destination school.  I'm excited to sleep on the way there.  

Road Trip!

Memorization and things of that nature

So I'm sitting here in a starbucks with ai  living example of birth control running around causing headaches and tempers and headaches to rise.  I'm here asking for this punishment because there are just too many distractions at home.  I wony focus as hard surrounded by all my toys and such.  So I'm  here....distractes by this child who desperately needs to be restained and wondering..

What do you do to memorize lines? What are you tricks, tips, habits?  What works for you?

For me personally, I write my lines over and over killing many a tree in the process.  Something about being forced to go at a slower pace with every word and every line helps to cement it in my brain.  And with Shakespeare, where every syllable counts, its become very useful.

Also blocking rehearsals.  Moving through the space while saying my lines is just as powerful of a memory charm. Perhaps its part of muscle memory. 

So those are my main two memorization tools.  Of course I love the help of a friend running lines with me.  But these I can do on my own.

Yours?

1918 The radio show is live!

It's been some time since I've last posted.  It happens.  I went away for some much needed sun and relaxing.  Be jealous all of NY, very jealous.  The day of departure it snowed...again.  Landed in sun.  It was a nice respite from work and swords and cold.  But now I'm back and have jumped right back into the thick of it.  Which for some reason is thicker than before.

So I'm back in rehearsals which are going really well.  We've started full runs and we still have a week and a half of rehearsals before opening.  Someone is in a good place.  Although last night's rehearsal was a bit of a..where am I? kinda rehearsal.  I'm pretty sure I said all my lines, perhaps not in the right order.  But they were there.  intention?  See that open window? Right out.  Even the Macbeth/Macduff fight, which I've felt really confident in, last night was a bit off.  But again we are in a good place. We are in a good place.  Tonight is another combat rehearsal and then I have some major line work to do.

In other news, and perhaps more timely, episode 1 of 1918 is out there live for you all to hear!!!

And here is the Link!

I'm quite proud of ep 1.  next week, episode 2.  So hurry up and listen and get ready.  If you all like...free download on ITUNES.  Just saying.

We've also already got our first review of the piece which you can read right here.

I quite like this quote "her brainy Allied scientist sidekick, Henry Isotope rendered with hilarious aplomb by classical thespian Patrick Pizzolorouso" 


Thank you Captain Radio.  Thank you. Depending on how we're received and feed back and all that great stuff, we will get to continue making more seasons.  So please, share.  Tell the world.  Enjoy!  And thank you for the support!

In a completely different direction I had a very productive yet frustrating workshop with Mark Gindick...Amazing Clown and friend.  I'm trying to set a piece to the Hungarian Rhapsody.  I've got the kernel of the idea but it needs a ton of fleshing out.  I always find it intimidating working with him because I'll say something and then he'll do it.  Flawlessly.  But much headway was made.  It's not the type of clowning you're thinking of.  I had a guest sitting in the rehearsal space with me who is not a fan of clowns, but soon realized this was red nose, not white face circusy "IT" clowns.  They calmed down and kinda enjoyed it.  A lot.
So I think I have good ideas, it's a matter of turning the ideas into a full fledged story.  And cutting down my music.  It's WAY too long.  But thank you garage band.

So it's been a long week and soon to be another.  But today is a full free day of...well..learning lines.  But at least it's not a tempest like last night here in NYC.  Right?

And lastly...this is turning into to a list of things.  But I met with the ever busy Sarah to finally get the ball rolling on her website.  She is one of the most consistently working actresses I know.  And just working in general.  But she has no online presence, save for her blog.  That will change.  Oh yes.  We both managed to meet up for an hour between clowns and swords and rehearsals and talked about some basics behind what she is looking for.  So hopefully that will be up and running within the next month or so.

And now off to run lines.  Lines Lines Lines