Stage Banter: The Arena Stage Blog

The Royal Treatment

Saturday morning, January 20

A great crowd last night. Very responsive from the get-go. One of my best and oldest friends, Jen, was here visiting and was in the audience. After the show there was a little reception/Q&A in the Fich lobby. It was “Out at Arena” which is a special event for the gay and lesbian community. One of the writers from Metro Weekly was there to lead a little discussion with us. Myself, Bob, James and both Stephens were there. Some great questions and comments.

Afterwards Jen and I went to Old Ebbitt Grill for a bite and were shocked when our waiter approached to take our order and said “Well, I hear you had quite a performance tonight.” I asked how he knew and he told us that the people at Table 131 were there on a date and LOVED it and would like to buy us a round of drinks. That had never happened to me before and it was so lovely. I went over to thank them and they couldn’t have been nicer. They just loved the show and said that I was one of their favorites. What a nice surprise. Felt a bit like it was a plant. When our waiter first told us I kept thinking I was being PUNK'D or something.

Saturday night January 20

A whirlwind of a day. Got up and had bluebucks at Eastern Market with Jen and dropped her off at Union Station just in time for the matinee, which my Aunt Harriet and Uncle Ed from NY had driven to see.

They loved the show as well and both said they couldn’t remember the last time they had laughed that much. My aunt even said that she was laughing so hard she started crying and she “had to use a tissue.” I love that phrase. Well, maybe it sounds better coming out of my Aunt Harriet with a New York accent. I told her she should do the commercials for us:

NOISES OFF
   “I had to use a tissue”
      - Harriet Zaidberg

Went to Old Ebbitt with them for dinner between shows. Love that place. No fans this time though.

Had a great show tonight. Bob, the house manager, who has been so sweet to all of us in the cast, told me that there were only 60 or so seats left for the ENTIRE RUN!! I guess we are an unqualified hit. Stephen Schmidt and I share a dressing room and we say every night – “It’s nice to be in a hit!” Both of us have been in our share of ... shall we say … NON hits and it is great to be in one.

Bob Prosky’s wife, Ida, was there again tonight (I told her she is our groupie) and brought their son Andy. Two of Bob’s sons are actors; Andy is one. Had heard a lot about him so it was really nice to meet him. Hope our paths cross again – and with this business, it is more than likely.

Tomorrow we just have one show in the evening; early breakfast with the relatives and then a day to play. I still have a lot on my sightseeing list and only one week left. And next week is certain to be a crazy one as some of us are doing some school visits with Arena. These are in-class visits with students who have seen the show. Looking forward to that. And we have a photo call. And I have my White House tour. And I have got to pack. And I have to wrap up the blog. My God, I need a personal assistant.

The countdown begins.

-Jay

NOT about theater

I just have to say … I know this blog is supposed to be all about Noises Off and behind the scenes theater stuff but I just have to say that this is such a cool city. Had an amazing day today. Picked up some gallery passes from Chuck Schumer’s (my State representative) office and sat in on the Senate and the House for a bit. I had already done the whole Capitol tour but really wanted to see what it was like to watch the Senate and House.

Interesting to find out that in the Senate there are hardly any senators. It seems there are only a handful who happen to be chatting/arguing their points and unless there is a big vote or debate, the rest of them are in their offices or doing other Senatorial stuff. Odd to watch this senator from New Hampshire, I think, going on about the war in Iraq when there were literally only two other senators in that huge room. Loved that the folks who write down/record what is said have this little portable keyboard that is hanging over their necks like one of those girls in the nightclubs way back when who said, “Cigars, cigarettes!” They work on ten minute shifts and then the next one comes in with his/her own hanging keyboard and takes over.

One cool thing happened. While some Republican senator from Texas, I think, was going on about the war to pretty much no one, in walked Senator John Kerry. He stood at his desk and listened a bit and then started to interrupt a few times with a little clearing of his throat and a “Mr. President!” Finally he couldn’t wait any longer and interrupted full out and asked to make a quick interruption and then let the other guy keep talking. Well, this guy was not happy about that and wanted to know what the interruption was about. This didn’t make Senator Kerry too happy either and he started to walk out when at last the Texan said he could be put on after all the rest of them there (2 or 3) finished their babbling about the war. He left somewhat pleased.

I then switched over to the House. More of them there, but then again there are a lot more of them in general. Still a lot of empty seats. They were debating about Green Energy and a bill the Democrats were trying to get passed on research/technology toward Green Energy. I of course, being a Dem myself, was all for it, but a few Republicans had a few things to say on it. I love how they all say how long they are going to speak (10 minutes or two minutes, say), and then when their time is up and they get the big stick they ask for another 10 seconds or something.

Enjoyed the whole thing and love being here where all the laws of our country are made. And where all the representatives from all over the country come to fight out their agendas. Plus, the museums!! After my time in the Capitol I took in the Freer and Sackler Galleries on the Mall. Loved them both, especially the Freer. Love these wealthy folks who have these incredible art collections and then donate them to the city and create museums to house them.

I have been a bit of a sightseeing maniac. Been to the Archives, Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, National Gallery of Art, Natural History Museum, Capitol, Holocaust Museum, Old Town Alexandria, Kreeger Museum, American Indian Museum, Botanical Garden, Renwick Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum, as well as all over Georgetown and Dupont Circle, seeing theater at the Shakespeare, the Studio and the Kennedy Center, and next week I am so excited to go on a White House tour set up by Senator Schumer’s office.

I don't do this much sightseeing in New York but you never do it as much where you live. Anyway, I love this city. I still have a lot left on my list so I sure hope I am back here at Arena so I can truly see it all.

Okay, bye for now. Gotta go and do a show in a bit.

-Jay

More questions and answers

Another 12 noon matinee and an audience of mostly high school students. Great response.

Talkback afterwards. Lots of students interested in drama seemed to stay and asked a lot of fun questions about our training, the business, etc. Clarence Coo (who led the talkback) plugged my blog quite a bit so perhaps some of the students will be reading this. Any more questions … feel free to comment and ask away!

Every one of us in the play has had a different journey to get where we are and it is always interesting to hear the various stories. There is of course no ONE WAY to find success as an actor, but I think hearing as many different stories as possible helps you to shape your own.

Gotta go. Another show at 7:30.
More later,
Jay

Life Imitates Art

Back to work tonight and I don’t know if it was a full moon but a weird night for me. First off I had this strange feeling all night that I was forgetting something – a prop, a costume piece, something. Show was going gangbusters, however. Great crowd from the get-go.

So, there we are in Act 3 and my little scene with Helen which I look forward to every night. In case you haven’t noticed earlier in the blog ... I LOVE HELEN CAREY!!! Onstage and off she is just about the best you can get. Therefore, I obviously really look forward to our little scene together in Act 3 when I am thrust onto the stage as Phillip when Freddie has fallen down the stairs offstage. Tonight everything was going swimmingly in the scene – I enter and say “Final notice? Steps will be taken? Distraint? Proceedings in court?” and Helen (Dotty) asks me (Tim … well Phillip) “Who are you?” Well, when I reply, “I’m Phillip” I sometimes do this little flip of my head as if I am acting very upper crust or something. It’s not set in stone but one of those little beats that can change night to night (live theater, remember?). Well, I did the flip tonight and the way it happened just sort of cracked me up. No reason really. Full moon perhaps? But it made me break just a bit. Don’t know if the audience could tell but I was sure Helen saw it. She is so good at getting me and making me break but this time I did it all by myself. Anyway, I felt bad and for some reason decided that Helen was mad about it too. Of course I don’t get to see Helen again until the curtain call as one or both of us is onstage from here to the end.

So, downstairs back to my dressing room I go to change into the full burglar outfit for my last entrance. My head is still brewing with the fact that during my small precious moments with Helen onstage that I broke. What an amateur, I thought. This monologue continues to ruminate inside as I come upstairs to enter as the burglar. I stop and tell our amazing production assistant Lita that “I broke onstage in my scene with Helen” and how upset I was about it. I get into place offstage left with my fellow burglars Bob and James ready to make my entrance and to say the burglar’s entrance line which the audience has probably heard half a dozen times by that time: “No bars! No burglar alarm! They ought to be prosecuted for incitement!”

Amelia exits and closes the door so I can move right to the side of the window for my entrance. I am still beating myself up inside. My cue comes. I move in and break the pane in the window. Open the window. Take a breath. And say “FINAL NOTICE!”

Now in case you missed that – the line really is NO BARS, not FINAL NOTICE. FINAL NOTICE is the entrance line in my last scene.

This is where live theater is like nothing else. I realize my mistake. Actually I realize it as I am saying the word NOTICE so the second syllable of that word is sort of said on breath with no sound coming out but a teeny whisper. Then I blank. I think, “Mmmmm, that’s not the line. Mmmmm, what is the line?” All eyes are on me – the 6’2” guy upstage center dressed like a burglar climbing through the window. Brain, don’t fail me now!

I do come up with the line and the play continues. What felt to me like a half an hour actually was less than a second.

And the funniest part of the story is that when I came offstage from the curtain call and I was next to Helen I said to her “I am so sorry. I have no idea what got into me tonight” and her response was “What do you mean? Was something wrong?” She had no idea that I had done anything wrong. We laughed.

And we do it all over again tomorrow.

Night.

-Jay

Big Day for the Blog

A big day today. Just got home from the matinee and am making dinner to be followed by a nap. Today is Helen's birthday which we celebrated with a delicious chocolate cake homemade by Amber. Also, had some special guests at the show. Ann Marie, who works in the office at the theater and is responsible for turning my emails into the blog, came with her boyfriend and friends. They really enjoyed it. Ann Marie has been reading every blog entry so it was fun for her to see the show now after hearing so much about it day to day. Also, Alexander, who had seen the show once already and commented on the blog how much he liked it, came back, so I gave them all a little backstage tour. I have to reiterate again that it is such a joy, after so much hard work during rehearsals, to have audiences love the show so much every night as well as truly appreciate the hard work that went into it.

Had a friend at the show last night who brought up a comment I had not heard before. He wondered why I was wearing a tuxedo at the top of Act 2. It is in the script and every production I have ever seen of Noises Off has Tim in a tux for the top of Act 2. However, it is never really explained why. Of course I know why. Tim is the Stage Manager as well as the Company Manager and that means that he not only deals with the actors but deals with the front of house (audience, house manager, box office manager, etc.) so therefore when it is “showtime” he is always dressed up. It is referred to a bit in Act 1 when I say that I was “doing the front of house” and when Lloyd tells me to “do the company’s taxes” but I guess for some it is unclear. Anyone else see the show and feel confused by this? Let me know. Not that there is anything I can do about it, but just curious.

Have some other friends coming tonight which will be fun. Then tomorrow we only have one show as we did those noon matinees earlier in the week. I am going to the ballet at the Kennedy Center and am so excited.

That’s all for now.
-Jay

More Questions

Had another talkback tonight after the show. Really good group who really loved it and had great comments and questions. A real Brit out there who said we did the guys from Whitehall Farce proud (Whitehall Farce is something we talked about during rehearsals and something that Mark, our dramaturg, had researched for us. A real compliment for one and all).

Had a fun mishap tonight. When I come on in the dumb show with Flowers #3, Susan (Poppy) whispered to me that Flowers #1 and #2 had fallen off the stage and into the audience stage left and she didn’t know what to do. I exited soon after and backstage (the real backstage, not the Nothing On backstage) I asked Susan (our asst stage manager) to ask Amber (our Production Stage manager) on the headset if I should step off the stage during my next scene and pick up the flowers. You still with me? Of course Amber is in the midst of calling dozens of sound and light cues, so doesn’t have too much time to chat on headset, but Susan is able to get through to her and she responds that YES I should step off the stage and get the flowers. About ten seconds pass and Susan chuckles at something Amber said over the headset. I ask, “What?” Susan says that Amber told her that while I am picking up the flowers that have fallen into the audience could I also pick up the clipboard that just fell as well. End of story … I picked it all up and on we went. The anecdote got a nice laugh at the talkback though.

Helen was on the television show “House” this week and I missed it, but Amber taped it so I am going to watch it after I finish writing. Helen Carey … morning, noon and night!! Love it!

Oh yeah, another funny thing at the talkback. When Lynnda comes out I think the audience is often baffled as to who she is. Onstage as Belinda, she wears this huge black wig and a costume with shoulder pads and gold jewelry for days. In real life she is blonde and tends to wear sort of a funky Annie Hall-esque wardrobe. So, it seemed that a few in the audience tonight at the talkback thought she was the actress who played Brooke, especially as Amelia (who really plays Brooke) didn’t do the talkback tonight.

I always find it so funny that people watch you onstage for 2 and 1/2 hours and then have no idea what you look like. I went to the Kreeger Museum this afternoon (which by the way was extraordinary and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Besides the fact that we wouldn't have a theater if not for him!) and the woman who took my admission was asking where I was from, and I was telling her about the show. She then asked if it was the same play with Bob Prosky. At this moment the docent giving my tour walked up and overheard us, and asked if we were talking about Noises Off, as she had just seen it a few nights ago and how much she enjoyed it.

I said yes and that I was in it, and she looked at me as if I was from Mars.

Just a funny thing about being an actor. There are of course many times where you are recognized as well.

By the by, just a reminder to please feel free to ask any questions or make any comments in the comment section of the blog. Would be happy to reply to anything you may have to say.

-Jay

Another morning of Farce

Had another noon matinee today with a talkback afterwards. Really fun to hear the audience’s comments and questions. Folks really seem to appreciate the complexity of doing this play and have a sense of how hard we are working.

Some great questions too.

There is a wonderful article in the Washington Post today about the show as well. Interviews with Bob, Helen, and Amelia and even Jonathan via e-mail in London. I know Amelia’s Mom Ann will be thrilled.

Have another show tonight. Tomorrow at last we men get haircuts/trims. Mine is close to being an afro and it ain’t pretty on me. In Act One I wear it purposely crazy, then slick it down for Act Two. However, by Act Three, after putting the burglar hat on and off a zillion times, it is a disaster. Will be so happy to have a trim.

Funny thing yesterday. I heard from an actress friend who is in her second week of rehearsals for a production of Noises Off in Greensboro, NC playing Belinda; she called frantically to say that rehearsals were so difficult and frustrating and everyone was having so much trouble learning lines and blocking and she was desperately worried that the production was headed for disaster. Now that we are up and running and through all of that hell, I chuckled and told her that all would work out and consoled her with the fact that we went through the exact same thing during rehearsals. Told her to read the blog as it covers our insanity from day one. Glad it could help someone so soon.

Okay, a nap and then back to the land of farce.

-Jay
 

Rise and shine … it’s time to do Farce!!

Just back from the noon matinee. Really good house. Mixture of students and adults. Had a talkback afterwards where we come out (in street clothes) and do a Q&A with the audience. Much fun. Led by Mark Bly. Some very good questions and comments.

An Englishwoman asked which of us where actually English as she thought the accents and specific regionalisms were spot on. The only real Brit we have is James and he didn’t stay for the Q&A. Nice to hear we are passing as Brits though.

Others asked questions about timing, the differences between theater and Film and TV, what rehearsals were like, if anything has ever gone wrong (YES), etc.

Now tonight is off, which is so odd. Going to have dinner with friends. Then another noon show tomorrow followed by our regular 7:30 performance.

Bye for now,
Jay

It’s Helen Carey Seven Nights a Week … and I LOVE IT!

It’s the day off and I went to see the extraordinary film Little Children and our own Miss Helen Carey has a lovely featured role in it and is so so wonderful. I am president of her fan club. She can do pretty much anything. Farce, Shakespeare, Comedy, Tragedy, Film, Television, Musicals even ...

If you haven’t seen the film, I highly recommend it. Totally my cup of tea. Dark and funny, and creepy and sexy.

Tomorrow is our first 12 noon curtain. Oy vey.

-Jay

One more thing

I forgot something hilarious that happened recently (can’t remember if it was Friday night or Saturday matinee). At the end of our Act Two there is a scene change and the whiskey bottle is set downstage of the curtain. Then at the end of my little curtain speech that opens Act Three, I notice this whiskey bottle and, embarrassed by it, stumble over my speech and exit only to have my hand reappear to “sneak” the bottle away.

Well, at this particular performance some audience member (seated stage right) took it upon themselves to “help” us out – when they saw the whiskey bottle set downstage of the curtain, they assumed it was a mistake and actually got out of their seat to move the bottle UPSTAGE of the curtain. Oy vey. In a show full of “planned mistakes” you would think by that point they would realize that this was yet another planned mistake. Ah well, I faked it as best I could and am praying that future audience members are less “helpful”.

We'll see ...

-Jay