Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

Bedtime

Great show tonight. Really responsive crowd. Happy as I had a bunch of friends there. This business can become such a “small world” and tonight is a perfect example. My first job out of college was doing summer stock in upstate New York at Cortland Repertory Theatre. Ended up going back there for many years and acted in many plays and musicals, as well as directing, stage managing and choreographing. Also made many, many friends and the initial group of friends I had when I moved to NYC. So, long story longer ... three of my old friends from Cortland are now in D.C. and two of them (and their spouses) came to the show tonight and out for drinks afterwards. Much much fun. Kathleen was the Development Director at the Shakespeare a while back but now takes care of her two kids. Kristin has just become one of the associate producers at Ford’s Theatre. Like I said … small world.

Great to see them. Been way too long. They all really enjoyed the show.

Alright … off to bed.

Two shows tomorrow. And two shows on Sunday. Our first five show weekend (Friday through Sunday). An exhausting thought but we will get through it. However, only if I go to bed RIGHT NOW!!

-Jay

Wednesday evening December 27th

Well, Christmas is over and we are back into the swing of things. Have had two performances so far this week. This will be our first regular eight show week. Our break was a tad too short but much needed. Some reviews have come in and though it is verboten to discuss them at the theater as some folks don't read them – I do. And they were quite good overall. The audiences have been quite good, both in response and size. So much fun to hear that amount of laughter every night. I do miss Jonathan, our director, quite a bit and wish he could be here to share in the success and mostly to hang out with us.  

I have family in town so will be showing them D.C. during the days this week. Lots to see and the weather has been great.

For those of you who are reading the blog and who come to the show, I hope you will comment on the blog with any thoughts or questions. Would love that. 

Bye for now.

-Jay

Santa gave us two and a half days off

Well, I am writing this on the evening of the 23rd but as the theater is shut down til after Christmas this probably won't get posted til then.

We have had 3 really good shows since opening. Tonight was especially lively. It sounds very schmaltzy and Hallmark movie of the week-ish to say, but I really think Noises Off is a great Christmas present for everyone involved. Not only for those of us who are involved in the making of it every night, but especially for each audience. Laughter is one of the greatest gifts and hearing the howling, shrieking, guffawing, chortling, whooping, hee-ing and haw-ing at every performance is a true joy.

Happy Holidays blog readers!

Tune in for more after Christmas (of course I realize you are reading this after Christmas ... so ... Happy Belated Christmas! More to come).

-Jay

2:30 a.m.

Just got home from opening night – well, and the party and then more partying after that. Had a farewell out for Jonathan as he leaves in a few hours.

Will write more tomorrow but it was a great night. A wonderful house and a really good show. I think everyone is pleased. Hope the reviews are good. You never know about that aspect of it.

It is so great to hear people laugh like that. 

I am really starting to becoming addicted to watching the show from offstage left. There is a small monitor there that shows what the audience sees (teeny and with crappy reception) and then if you look straight ahead you see what happens backstage. It is so fun to watch both and to see people exit on the monitor and then enter backstage and vice versa. If there were more room backstage I would say that we should sell tickets, as it is quite an entertaining show that goes on back there.

Okay, must sleep. No more rehearsal. Just up and running now. Wow. Here we go.

-Jay

Another openin', another show

A great show tonight. A few wonky moments here and there but overall a good night and great response from the audience. Our first full standing ovation, which is lovely. There is truly nothing like hearing an audience cackling, howling and shrieking with laughter and we seem to be getting lots of it. The new top of Act 2 really worked well and I am so thrilled to be doing it. I think it really tells the story well and running all over both sides of the set while it is moving is much fun.

Tomorrow is opening night. Cannot believe it is here. I think we are ready. Should be a good house too I hope. You never know. She Loves Me opening night had a great house so fingers are crossed. Word of mouth seems to be quite good already after only a handful of previews and we hear tickets sales are going strong.

We have a short rehearsal in the afternoon and then opening at 8 p.m. Jonathan seems quite pleased. It must feel good to sit out in the house and hear that response. A credit to him and the great work he did putting it all together.

Been getting some great comments from people on the blog and glad folks are enjoying reading about our hijinks. Heard from an actor who is in rehearsals for a production of Noises Off in Bloomington, Illinois playing …… you guessed it ... Tim Allgood. We should all get together – those of us who have played Tim Allgood – and start a group … or a union … or something. Tim Allgoods of the world UNITE!!!

Okay, must get to bed. Tomorrow is the big day (well, as I am writing this at 1 am ...TODAY is the big day).

Send us all your good wishes. Break a leg! Merde! etc, etc, etc…

-Jay

 

The Wacky World of Previews

Haven’t written in a few days and much has gone on. We have now done five previews and have one more until opening night. The show gets better and better and the audience response has truly been tremendous. Small house tonight but still a great response. Worked today from 12-5 on notes and some fixes as well as a few big technical changes. The opening of Act 2 has changed and I am THRILLED about it.

Act 2 opens, and we are backstage of Nothing On – Poppy and Tim (me) are trying to deal with the latest backstage drama right before the show is supposed to begin. Well, as it was, the curtain came up on me pacing center stage and Poppy at the stage manager’s table stage left. Jonathan felt (and I concur) that the audience was a bit confused by what they were looking at and it took them a bit to figure out that it was the backstage of Nothing On. He also felt (and I also concur) that we have this fabulous turntable that revolves the set and yet the audience never gets to see it revolve, as it happens when the curtain is down. So, now the curtain comes up on Act 2 and we are in the set of Nothing On that we just watched in Act 1, and I come onstage and adjust props as the turntable moves and we slowly go from watching the onstage to seeing the backstage. It is a great effect – we did it tonight and I think it will work really well. More importantly I am THRILLED to ride the turntable. I am a sucker for any sort of rides or special effects and I have been desperate from day one to walk on the turntable while it is moving. So, my wish has come true.

We also put in the new ending with a wonderful effect that I am not going to spoil so you have to come and see it for yourself. (Trust me … it’s fun!)

Lots of little futzes here and there but we are close to being done with rehearsal and sadly, for all of us, that means that Jonathan leaves us and heads back to the UK. We all adore him and will really be sad to see him go. I cannot say enough about him and I know my cast mates would agree. He is quite a gifted director and such a lovely, respectful, thoughtful, and delightful man. We are all hoping to cross paths with him again.

Speaking of directors, Michael Kahn of the Shakespeare Theatre was there tonight with a friend and really seemed to enjoy it. His friend did as well and told us backstage that he laughed so hard during the third act that he actually got a nosebleed. This is of course hilarious as Freddie gets nosebleeds throughout the show. Michael remarked how he never liked the third act of Noises Off and felt that it never could top the second act, and how he thought our third act solved that problem and he really loved it.

Sad also that our designers, one by one, seem to be leaving us. Linda Cho, the costume designer, left today and Alex Dodge, our set designer, is leaving tomorrow. We are so blessed to have such a talented design team and all such lovely people.

I wanted to tell you a little about our composer and sound designer, Lindsay Jones. Lindsay has composed all original music for Noises Off and it is truly hilarious and truly spot on. Jonathan had given him an idea of the types of music he was looking for to use for certain parts of the play, and Lindsay has created some original stuff that is brilliantly in the style of the world of Noises Off (and Nothing On). The amazing thing to me, after speaking to Lindsay about how he works, is that he DOESN’T READ MUSIC OR WRITE MUSIC. Yes, you heard me right. He actually can create the music in his head (in up to EIGHTEEN PARTS) and then sing it to the gang of musicians he works with and create a piece of music. I asked if he recorded it so he could play it back to himself or to other musicians, but he said that he creates it and is able to remember it, as he doesn’t know how to write it out. Truly amazing. Listen for it when you come. Hilarious and exactly right on the money.

Okay, that is all for now. Rehearsal again tomorrow. Opening night is coming fast.

-Jay

A Balm for our Souls

Just home from first preview and happy to say that after two days of low spirits we seem to have a show. Long way to go still but lots and lots of laughs. Bob put it best in the green room to me tonight hearing huge laughs over the monitor – “It’s like a balm for our souls.”

Didn’t go into it much yesterday but last night’s invited dress rehearsal left a lot to be desired in all departments. We were not on our game and though the teeny audience seemed to enjoy themselves, none of us were living up to the show’s potential. There seemed to be lots of late entrances and searching for lines. The set had all sorts of new masking (“masking” is done around the sides of the set and by the entrances so the actors are not seen unless they are supposed to be). Anyway, there was new masking we had never seen and walking out of a door suddenly put you into a wall that had never been there before.

Act 2 started off with a bang for me personally. Act 2 opens with myself and Poppy frantically worrying about whether the show will go on or not. So as the curtain goes up you see me center stage pacing and Poppy stage left at the stage manager’s table. Well, last night … curtain up.  

Me pacing.
No Poppy.
Me.
Alone.
Center stage.
Pacing.
Alone.

You go into this weird place onstage where time lingers for what can feel like an eternity. Usually it is only a few seconds but actors are famous for telling war stories about being left alone onstage for 5 or 10 minutes and having to improv. Three seconds feels like three minutes and it was probably only about 4 seconds of pacing before I shouted offstage, in the direction of the stage manager’s table: "POPPY!!!" About 3 seconds (or what felt like 2 minutes) later she emerged and we continued on.

Then in the following scene I have with Lloyd, we are talking at cross purposes. He is going on about Brooke and I am going on about Dotty.

I say, “She’s had bust-ups with Garry before, of course”
and Lloyd says, “Brooke’s had a bust up with Garry?!”
to which I reply, “Brooke?! Not Brooke! Dotty!”

Well, last night I said, “She’s had bust-ups with Garry before, of course”
to which he replied, “Dotty’s had a bust up with Garry?!”
to which I responded (after a quick beat), “Yes. Yes, Dotty’s had a bust-up with Garry!”

Anyway, we all had moments like this. But we got through it.

Came in this afternoon for notes and fixes, and then did a run with everything but hair and makeup – Act One went pretty smoothly but Acts 2 and 3 fell a bit flat.

We all went home for a quick bite, rest, shower, whatever – well, I should say those of us who are out-of-towners and live in the apartments next to the theater went home – the folks who live in the area probably didn't have time to go home. Anyway, we came back for the show tonight and all had crossed fingers and were prepared for anything. Well, right from the get-go the audience was with the show. Jonathan was quite right in that he said the audience should (and would) enjoy Nothing On when it goes right. And of course the brilliant thing that Michael Frayn did in this play is that EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENS is a set up for a payoff yet to come. So, to have the initial set ups get such nice laughs made the payoffs even bigger.

I was so happy to hear over the monitor Helen and Stephen, and Bob … well, everyone really … getting such nice laughs. We have all worked so hard and it was such a treat to hear the audience enjoy it so much. When you work on a comedy you find out all the things that are funny, and then as the weeks go on in rehearsal it all usually becomes painfully unfunny. Well, that is where we were and to be reminded about how funny it is was a great, great thing.

Okay, enough babbling. More to come. I had a lovely chat last night with our composer and I have some great stuff to share about that. Tomorrow though.

For those of you reading ... thanks for crossing your fingers. It worked. But, keep crossing them. And more importantly, I can finally say with a great sense of pride …

COME SEE NOISES OFF!!
YOU’LL LOVE IT!!

-Jay

Well ... it can only get better

In the greenroom of the Fich on the computer (bought by the Prosky Fund I should say) moments after our invited dress rehearsal. We survived but I have to say it was rocky. A small and kind crowd but I just don't think we were ready for people yet. Too many changes in blocking, props, staging and on the set with a lot of new masking that confused all of us. Suddenly, where you had always made an entrance, it was blocked off and you felt like you were stuck in a maze.

Anyway, I am not going to go into every detail – mostly because I am exhausted but even more because there is a little shindig going on in the Fich lobby and I really need a beer.

More to come. Much much more.

-Jay

Terror

A quickie. Just back at the apartment for a quick bite and shower and then back for the invited dress rehearsal. We are all terrified I have to say as we just BARELY got through the whole thing this afternoon and there are so many aspects that need more rehearsal and attention. Jonathan told us to really treat it as a REHEARSAL tonight and that he might stop or any of us could stop at any point. In theory that is great but once you are in front of an audience and the adrenaline is pumping it is often hard to remember.

Anyway, wish us luck. More to follow tonight.

-Jay

Tech, Tech and More Tech ... Part Two

11:15 p.m. Wednesday night and just got home. Sorry to say that we only just got through with Act 2 and won’t begin tech-ing Act 3 until tomorrow. That throws off the plans for a run tomorrow afternoon before we have the invited dress rehearsal. So, tomorrow night will be the first time ever running it without stopping. Now of course, at any invited dress rehearsal the director usually reminds whatever audience is out there that it is a “rehearsal” and that we may stop at any time. In my experience, though, you rarely stop. However, I have to say that with Noises Off I would put money on it that we will stop. It is all just so overwhelming and with all the changes that have gone on in the past days in blocking and entrances and timing as well as the addition of costumes, props and stairs, doors, etc. … well, wish us luck. I know we are supposed to say “break a leg” but in the case of this play I am not so sure. We are all finding ourselves knocking wood quite often.

Bob said that he had an actor friend who made it a point at every invited dress and for the first previews to call for “line” early on in the performance to remind the audience that they were watching a “work in progress.” The fact is that we as actors obsess and have nightmares about things going wrong and not being ready but audiences love that stuff. Of course, with this show it needs to be a rehearsed chaos as it is an evening about things going wrong. I said to the gents in the dressing room tonight that those improvs we did a few weeks back about keeping the show going on no matter what went wrong will definitely come in handy.

The next few days are truly going to be a case of “life imitating art imitating life imitating art … and so on and so on … ” The terror that the actors who are putting up Nothing On are feeling will be quite genuine for the actors who are putting up Noises Off. No acting required. Truly a case of having no idea of what comes next.

Robb reminded everyone tonight that we will be doing a “fight call” before every performance of the show. Fight call is done before any show that requires any fights or physical stunts, and is a chance to take those moments and “remind” the body of what they are. Now we are in a schedule where we are working together almost 24 hours a day but once the show opens we will all have our days to ourselves and will show up with whatever energies we have to come together and do the show. So, the fight call is a safety and also a chance to sort of make your “mistakes” before the show, so once you are doing the show everyone is in sync and each moment works as it should. Now, most shows don’t involve that much fighting. Many of Shakespeare’s plays, of course, have great battle scenes, but your average play has maybe a punch or a slap or a fall, etc. Noises Off, on the other hand, is full of fights, falls, trips, stunts, etc. So, of course, the question is … what will fight call consist of? That is to be determined. More news to follow.

There are so many hilarious bits of business in this play. I am so excited to have an audience see them and to see the response they will get. A few faves: Bob dropping trousers, Helen on her belly tying Stephen’s shoelaces together, Amelia falling blindly over the sofa, James with cactus bits on his bum, and the list goes on ... We are almost there. Stay tuned.

-Jay