The Importance of Being Ernest at PCS

You all know how much I love deep, impacting, even political theatre. There's a reason why I wrote a blog a mile long about How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, but I also believe there is something to be said for good, old silliness. I saw The Importance of Being Ernest last night at Portland Center Stage (PCS). Honestly, it was kind of nice to just sit back and escape from the world for a little while. For a few hours there was nothing but a beautiful world full of flower gardens, country homes, and elegant turn of the century dresses. Instead of worrying about wartime, or the economic crisis, or the trials and tribulations of a new presidential administration, for a few hours all I had to think about was whether Algernon and Jack would succeed in attaining Gwendolen and Cecily. In the cast I was particularly impressed by Todd Van Voris who played both Lane and Merriman, the two servants in the production. Though his role was small, he made me laugh everytime he made an appearance. I last saw Van Voris in The Seafarer at Artist Repertory Theatre (ART) in which I was also very impressed by his performance.

Speaking of the economic crisis, PCS is offering some interesting deals for The Importance of Being Ernest. Right now tickets are available for only twenty dollars, and if you produce your ticket from this play you can recieve ten dollars off your ticket for Frost/Nixon, PCS's next mainstage show, directed by Rose Riordan, written by Peter Morgan, and the basis for the award-winning film.

Clowns Without Borders

Last night I, along with several other university students, was volunteering for the Clowns Without Borders Benefit here in Portland. Clowns Without Borders is a non-profit organization that sends clowns from all over the United States to areas of crisis around the world to relieve suffering (especially that of children) through laughter. Thanks to the generosity of the Portland community, the Portland Clowns Without Borders bring in the most money for the organization of any other group.
Last night's performance brought at least five hundred people. The show was put together of several clown and acrobat acts, and everybody had a lot of fun!

Rutgers (My Visit to the MFA Program) 02

Today I sat through six hours of acting classes, and I had some really nice conversations with the faculty. I am exhausted, but I really liked what I saw, and I think that Rutgers would be a good grad program for me. If not this year, then perhaps another. I've had a blast here. The students are so warm and inviting. All of them were wonderful, but a special thanks goes to Michael Kane and Lacy Dunn who both really took care of me while I've been here.
I take the New Jersey transit back into New York City tomorrow morning, and Sunday I am flying home! Hurrah!

Rutgers (My Visit to the MFA Program) 01

So last night, after leaving August Osage County on 8th and 45th I had to run like mad with my bags to 8th and 33rd to grab a train to New Brunswick on the New Jersey Transit. It was 5:20, just about time for everyone to get dinner before going to the evening Broadway performances, or for everyone who was just coming out of work to make it to the subway, or Port Authority, or, of course, Penn Station (where I was headed) to finally get their tired city-walking feet home. To make a long story short, there were people everywhere, it was the longest twelve blocks I've ever had to travel.
I did make it to the 6:15 train, and an hour later I was stepping out onto the charming main road of New Brunswick, George Street. A few first year MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) students, who are referred to here as MFA 1's, came to pick me up, and I ended up spending my evening meeting and chatting with many of the current Rutgers graduate in acting students. They were all very excited to meet and talk to the prospective students, or "prospies," and all of them have been very helpful and informative.
This morning, after staying the night in the home of some MFA's, I, along with some other "prospies," came to class with the MFA 1's. First was their voice class, which for the part that the "prospies" were there for was more like doing Shakespeare while doing yoga. Fun. Then we headed over to the MFA 2's clowning class, which was a very interesting experience.
Right now I am writing on location at one of the Rutgers campus libraries. I'll be joining the MFA 1's in their theatre history class as soon as they have finished taking their midterm.
So far I am having lots of fun. The MFA's are incredibly busy, and the training is difficult, but they still all seem quite relaxed, happy, and comfortable with where they have chosen to train.
I really am having a good time! Tell you more later!

August Osage County

This afternoon before I had to run and catch a train out of Penn Station for New Brunswick, I went to the matinee performance of August Osage County, the winner of five Tony Awards including best play. It was great!
I fell in love with this unfortunate, dysfunctional Oklahoma family. Their many exhibited problems made me laugh, cry, and cringe.
This script is loaded with strong older female characters. Estelle Parsons (who you may know as the mother from Roseanne) as Violet Weston took my breath away! So did Johanna Day as Barbara Fordham and Elizabeth Ashley as Mattie Fae Aiken.
It was a very beautiful experience. The set was mind blowing! It's literally a three story house onstage without a wall facing the audience so all the rooms are opened like a doll's house. It exposes all the family history and some of its secrets just like the show does.

New York and Rutgers

Surprise, surprise, I am on yet another theatre business trip! Between going to Chicago, spending a week at home, going to Idaho, spending two weeks at home, now being here in New York City, and tonight traveling to New Brunswick, I feel like I just keep falling asleep and waking up in new cities.
I am here because during U/RTAs, Rutgers asked me to come visit to get an in-person look at their graduate in acting program. It's a very intense three year program in which you graduate with a Masters in Fine Arts (the highest degree available in theatre). I'm really excited to check out the school and program over the next couple days!
I made a point of flying in and out of New York City, however, because I wanted to see some friends, and I figured as long as I was in this part of the country, I should seize my opportunity to see some New York theatre. This afternoon I have a ticket to the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning show, August Osage County at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. I'll tell you how it goes!

How to Disapear Completely and Never be Found at PCS

It's been a little embarrassing that my schedule forced me to wait this long to see the American premiere of How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found at Portland Center Stage (PCS). I feel like I've already talked about it with everyone. I've had to run out of a hundred conversations with my hands over my ears saying things like, "don't tell me anything, I'm seeing it next Friday," as though we'd been discussing a new blockbuster film or the end of the final Harry Potter book. What I gathered from literally everyone I talked to about the show was that it was great and that they could not believe I had not seen it yet.
OK, OK, everybody, you were right. I did love the show!
Going into the production I was curious to see how the book How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found, the highly intriguing, occasionally humorous, and always surprising manual to erasing your life, could be turned into a piece of theatre. I wondered if this show would be like the other more educational productions PCS has had in their current season like R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe and, more recently, Apollo. While How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found retained the manuaul-like humor of the book in parts, I found it fascinating that British playwright Fin Kennedy decided to take the "what you could do" tone of the book and create a haunting, biting story of what place a person would have to be in to disappear, and what would happen to them.
I was very impressed by the intensity and intrigue of the piece. It held my complete attention the entire way through. The abstract, angular set was interesting to watch, but it still remained unintrusive, while costume design was simple and affective. Cody Nickell, who played Charlie (though his name is Adam later) gave a strong performance. His character deals with extraordinarily painful experiences, and being an audience member I could almost feel his hurt, sick, and exhaustion from my seat. The other characters were all distant in their own way, leaving Charlie contantly alone even when he was surrounded by people. Honestly, I was impressed by each member of the cast. Ebbie Roe Smith was entertaining with every character he played, he served as a much needed beacon of warmth in the show as Mike. I was also quite drawn to Kate Eastwood Norris as Sophie, her character was gentle and mysterious as she calmly added even more confusion to the show. Laura Faye Smith, who I last saw in The Receptionist at CoHo Productions, and Darius Pierce are both local actors, and they were just delightfully corporate and cold throughout most of the show. One of my favorite parts was with Pierce as the "buerocratic" court records keeper.
Well, I've talked too much, but I must say that How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found certainly lives up to all its praises throughout the community. It's playing until March 22nd, so please go see it!

Stop Kiss at UP

Wow, the second university theatre post I've created in two weeks... oh well.
Tonight I went to see the small student production of Stop Kiss at the University of Portland. I liked the play. I loved that it was a series of scenes about real people who are all dealing with a difficult situation from their unique perspectives. No fancy gags. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, the whole plot is affected by the central occurrence of characters Callie and Sara being attacked in a New York City Park because they are kissing. What I thought was fascinating was how each character in the show had to reconcile how they felt about this incredibly offensive, violent occurrence, and also the homosexual relationship between Callie and Sara they are suddenly faced with.
There was a talk-back after the show that included members from two important campus groups, the Gay/Straight Partnership and the Feminist Discussion Group. Talk-backs are cool. Personally, they give me a sense for how the play is resonating with its community immediately afterward, which, as an artist, is both helpful and inspiring. During this particular talk-back, the audience discussed a lot about society's need to label its interpersonal relationships, and how Stop Kiss is not a play about "lesbians," though that seems to be the common interpretation, but that it is a play about two friends who fall in love. I found it really interesting.
Stop Kiss is also showing tomorrow night. It begins at 7:30 and it's free admission.