Monday, May 27, 2013

On performance dynamic.

I play a fairly small role in my current show, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline. It's an odd thing to say, because I am the only other actor in the show besides the star, and I easily occupy about a third of the overall stage time. However, it is not at all sour grapes to acknowledge the fact that I am not the person people are there to see. Her name's in the title, folks. Basically, what I do is facilitate costume changes, set dramatic tone and give Pats a breather here and there.

There's been a really interesting dynamic in this show. As a precursor, I should mention that this is our third mounting of this production, after a fairly successful run in Arizona over a year ago and a wildly received mounting in Pennsylvania prior to that. Patsy has essentially been beat-to-beat identical in all three shows, where I, in contrast, seem to be in a constant state of flux from city to city.

A bit of background: I do three comic routines, two of which are "pat" stand-up shtick from the early 1950s, appropriate to the time and place where Patsy would have held these performances. As such, the material is not the highest of high-brow; quite on the contrary it dips quite low...which was hee-larious during that time. The audience is basically expected to make the connection that this is the raw, churlish "humor of the day," not at all in step with the political correctness and strictures (thanks, Fiona!) of present day comedy. It works some nights. Other nights, BOY does it not.

I guess at this point I can say that the Pennsylvania crowd "got it" the best. This is not a value judgment, it's just what happened.  Many of the "Grand Ole Opry Comic's" jokes were of the "my wife is so fat / so ugly / so dumb" variety, and the PA crowd seemed to get a swift sense of just where I was going and guffawed along accordingly.

Then I got to Arizona.

I was stunned. Stunned by the bleak silence of a crowd that was clearly not along for the ride; on the contrary, they were not inured with the idea that this hillbilly dope with the ugly suit and cowlick was degrading a woman who was not available to comment, nor allowed to defend herself.  I was really crushed by the response. I immediately went into defense mode, questioning the intelligence of the material, the attitude of my delivery and numerous other factors. Then I thought of the words "performance dynamic."  It's a rare opportunity to be able to fine-tune material in a theatrical environment, especially after opening.  It raised concerns especially because I didn't want to feel as though I was giving in to people who simply didn't find me funny.  In a larger piece with greater emotional and plot stakes, I certainly wouldn't have been able to tailor a performance in this way...but it was the right thing to do this time. 

But...that's what I'm there for, and it's all I have to offer them, right? Right.

So, I began re-tooling. I altered the character's persona in order to show the crowd my belly, and keep the threat to a minimum. Any insulting material I converted to self-effacing humor because hey...if they liked the new jokes they'd be there with me, and if they didn't...they'd agree with the target selection!

The dynamic changed overnight. The new material got great laughs (for not-so-great-to-begin-with jokes), my fears of creating some sort of emotional block between Patsy and the audience were alleviated, and we started to have more fun as a group.

It's basically the same in Florida, though we do clearly have a group here much more anxious to get to the music. It's an East Coast vacationer crowd (even more so than the Pennsylvanians, who seem far more laid back than Florida retirees) and perhaps the best direction I got on this leg was to just speed everything up. People around here talk faster, move faster...the show is at its shortest running time ever, even the laughs come faster. It's made me think of tours I've been on- how sometimes the dynamic between cast and audience can be so different from city to city...in those sort of situations you can cite numerous reasons: regional political views, politeness of the community (nice people who love the show but are afraid to cheer), even exposure to theatre...but in a fully realized production show, there's little opportunity to tailor to the crowd. Perhaps a subtle line reading here, a drop in volume to demand attention there...but in the end, Dolly comes down the staircase, that cat's gotta get in the tire, and the fat train wins the big race.

Almost 200 people have read my entries so far. I really appreciate that. I'll keep writing them.
-c-


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Regarding Florida and Patsy Cline...

Hello.

We had our two "preview performances" of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline today, which, for those who haven't worked for this company before (both of you) means paid audiences we get notes after before our acutal "press opening" tomorrow night.

For as long as I've worked here, I've always considered Employee Preview on Wednesday night "Opening Night," but Friday comes with little meatballs and alcohol, so it's the real opening in the eyes of the Company. Now, having a cast of TWO reduces the sparkle of such an opening a tad...but it will be nice to go into the schedule. Today was also Thursday, which means we have exactly one month until rehearsals for Shrek begin, though I know the time will go far, far faster than that.

And I'm so excited I'm probably becoming a nuisance about it. Whatever...it'll be here before you know it.

I'm also going to attempt to start a little "pre-NYC-networking" to get back in Disney's good graces while I have so many Mondays and Tuesdays free in Florida, at least one trip to Orlando to the Animal Kingdom facility as soon as they have an open call that I feel I should attend...as well as trying to be seen for Royal Carribean's Hairspray production which several friends have told me I should hunt down. These are two things that I'd put a trip back to Manhattan on hold for...but there's not a whole lot else that would divert me at this point.

As for getting my life on track, I'm trying to be a lot more conscious of my caloric intake, as well as fleshing out my bigger meals with lots more vegetables and keeping my carb intake down a little. I don't always succeed, but I'm gonna need to give myself a little permission to fail at the onset here. Late night binge eating has to be curtailed almost entirely as well. Trips to the gym (especially to build up my stamina for Shrek) will begin on Monday. (we get free gym access here...woo!)

If this blog is reaching Redditors or performers that are just starting out, I'm also happy to answer questions if you post. More soon.


Thursday, May 9, 2013

What looms ahead.

Hello World.

It's always been an ambition of mine to flesh out some of this ridiculous career of mine with a written (or in this case typed) record of events.

I shouldn't have waited this long.

38. December of 2012 I turned 38 years old. It's not a particularly outstanding number, nor was it a particularly outstanding birthday. It just...happened.

Suddenly the clock began to tick. My career's clock. It's loud. It's persistent. So...the time is now. Five months later. What am I doing? Well, first of all, I'm leaving Arizona and moving back to my family home in New Jersey, where I spent the first 28 years of my life. I have had a very good run out here in AZ, but my main theatre's shut down, and out here there are precious few venues that would seek to employ me consistently enough. It's time to make the big push.

I'm marketable. That's what all my friends say. I'd know if they were lying because I have always made a point of surrounding myself with true talent. If they say I'm capable, I buy it because I deem them capable, and the goodness they individually exhibit validates my personal opinion of them. It's a good system.

I'm going to return to NJ, re-introduce myself to the New York theatre scene and book something HUGE. It's going to happen because it has to. This is what I am, and it's all I've ever been even marginally good at. So, off I go.

But first...

As of next Sunday I venture to another theatre owned by my "home" company to do three productions that will carry me through to October. OCTOBER! That means, in order to make the title of this blog (and my aspiration) worth anything, I'll have 14 months to book a big, fancy gig by age 40.


Oh, hell...I've waited this long. Bring it the fuck ON.

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (for the third time)
Shrek (OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD)
Burt & Me (Bacharach Crack? We'll see...)

and then...

Broadway By Forty.

Welcome. Have a seat. Let's all do this together.