Ibsen Tour Day 2

Red Wing, MN

Breakfast - bad! I could just tell the continental breakfast juice was full of corn syrup and food coloring. I shudder about that orange juice. The cranberry was a bit better. I'd give it a 3/10. I didn't even attempt to get the coffee.

Stayed in the hotel room and finished reading Desire Under the Elms (I will soon be a master in reading and deciphering O'Neill's written in dialects). Then I worked on editing my statement of purpose, got some letters of recommendation requests in.

For lunch, a few of us went over to the Caribou Coffee, which had TWO FLOORS! We camped out on the second floor next to the fireplace and started work on theatre admin stuff. I sent out media interview requests for the Ibsen Festival. This is rather dull, I fear.

We drove downtown to the theatre, and I walked around a bit to scope out the shops and cafes. I stumbled across a little toy shop that had a STAR WARS tin lunchbox! It fits most of the makeup I bring for the show (which isn't much). This is definitely a form > function purchase, but I'm a diehard fan, and don't care. I will proudly tote my Star Wars lunchbox/makeup kit on tour and make it work.

THEN: Showtime!
My bud J-YO and I went to an upper mezzanine for a pre-show workshop with a teacher and his AP Lit students. Only the teacher and one student showed up, so we talked about the play, its themes, and how this particular production would differ from what they read. The teacher uses An Enemy of the People for his class EVERY YEAR (which is fascinating to me). His excitement and enthusiasm was quite infectious. I was pumped to do the show.

I have a (I think) funny little video I shot from dressing room antics. But I haven't uploaded it on YouTube yet.  I hope to later this afternoon. You won't want to miss it.

The show was odd. The crowd was humble, but responsive (certainly subdued from the politically-charged audience in Wisconsin last weekend). I had a weird concentration lapse in the final scene. I was speaking some lines, thinking I had jumped a whole page. I really hadn't, but some paranoia seeped in, and I was completely self-conscious about the whole scene. There were some little line hitches. I'm certain no one could even notice--even the actor playing Thomas said he thought I was just doing something different. In any case, it was bizarro.

LOAD-OUT: Only took 40 minutes! Our set is a bit complicated. We have quite a lot of fragile authentic props and set dressing. There's a specific order and configuration to loading the truck and the props. I'm on props crew and handle most of the newspaper scene stuff (along with marketing lobby display).

PERKINS! I wanted to save some money, but I was too hungry like many other cast mates. 5 of us went to a nearby Perkins, and I had the delicious Farmer's Omelette (with onions, green peppers, sausage, bacon, and probably a bunch of other things I'm forgetting). But it was a jolly time.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: I started an episode of this brilliant show on Netflix (thank goodness for Wi-Fi), but I was too tired and fell asleep halfway through the episode. This goes to show just HOW tired I was, because I'm usually able to make it through one episode. This show is too gripping.

We're driving off to Detroit Lakes tomorrow (a 5 hour drive). No shows until Friday (and then we have two)

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I took some pictures. I'll include the Star Wars tin, the dressing room video, and some shots of the theatre once I get them on my laptop.

Ibsen Tour: Day 1

Yesterday, we piled in the cars and started off on the road.
Our destination: Red Wing, MN--just southeast of the Cities, on the Mississippi River (about two hours away).

The jams: Ray LaMontagne and a Live Lounge Mix

The reading: I began Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill

The venue: is awesome. I can't get over how Broadway it looks. It's a deep stage with a brick wall along the back. The lobby isn't quite secluded from the house. The downstairs dressing room area just feels like an old time New York theater. I can't say for sure, but I get that aura about it.

I'm way too lazy to rotate this. So just imagine, if you will that it's right-side-up.

We had some complications this time around because we do quite a bit of acting from the house and use the aisles to get up on stage. In this venue, we aren't able to just step on stage--we have to take indirect routes, so we managed to figure all of that out. I think it's all sorted out.

Adjusting a curtain leg on this batten.

I think this may be my favorite venue so far (we've been at three other stages in Wisconsin and Iowa a couple weeks ago). I'll be able to get a better sense of this when we perform the show tomorrow.

The food: Bierstube's - a German restaurant just across the street from the hotel. I had a 1/3 pound Max burger, which includes onions, bacon, cheddar, and barbeque sauce (and excellent kettle chips). I also had a Bierstube's Red, which reminded me a lot of Grain Belt Nordeast.

Then....

SWIMMING!
After relaxing a bit, I jumped in the pool, swam around and spent some time in the hot tub. All in all, it was a fairly low key day.

We have a performance tomorrow (Tuesday night).

I'll try to keep up with these reports.

The Reading Dilemma

I’m a reader. I wouldn’t stick “voracious” or “rabid” to that title, but I enjoy reading and do a fair amount of it. I peruse quite a few book blogs and follow some great lit folks on Twitter. Their recommendations send me to authors and titles I would never known otherwise. This is all great, great, great, great!

I have aspirations of attending a Books and Bars gathering sometime. Heck, I’d like to host my own Books & Bars type club one of these days (that’s a hobby/pipedream of mine). I dream of being really down with the kids on current literature by hip authors who write excellent stuff and then discussing it with folks in Rochester or somewhere. I don’t know (oooh, Sioux Falls would be due for one)

But now that I’m working on the grad school thing (which is happening, in case you missed the announcement), I have a dilemma that’s facing me in an immediate way:

WHAT DO I BRING TO READ FOR THE IBSEN TOUR?

I’m about to embark on a two-week tour through Minnesota (performing Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People), and a large concern of mine is what books I’m going to bring (and read, that’s the idea).

I have a “Monster Reading List” for grad school (you must know that is what the document is actually titled; I’m not giving it some pithy blogging name). I’ve started work on it. I’ve been racing through some Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, and Ibsen (haha) plays this past weekend. Okay, I’ve read one of each so far, but there’s a lot more.

Here's a small, tiny, tiny taste of the stuff that I'm working on for THE MONSTER READING LIST

So I’ve got homework. I’m accountable for 67 titles before orientation begins on August 15. This gives me less than five months to dive in. I think I’m on track with 3 books a week? I've read some of the titles before and feel comfortable talking about them, if there's time I'll re-read those. 

I’m not sure if this is entirely possible. Well, yes, it’s possible. But I haven’t done this kind of thing in a long time.

Let it be known I’m NOT complaining here. I’m just trying to get a greater sense of the reality of the situation.

And the reality of this “what do I bring to read” although it sounds petty, is one that grad school actually starts NOW. In turn, this may mean that I may have to eschew all semblance of a life NOW. This means reading for fun is done (among other things).

Must I come to terms with this now? Wasn’t there some kind of period of “LET’S LIVE IT UP!” that happens before I move to Texas?

Can I risk reading a hyped mystery like In the Woods whilst on tour (while simultaneously risking “you could be reading that O’Neill play, it’s another check off your reading list…”).

Mind you, I’ve been enjoying the grad school reading so far (and I’ve a good handful of them already and enjoyed them too), and I think I’ll continue to enjoy the reading. I’ve been obsessing over grad school for a couple years. Whelp…here it is.

Must I say "goodbye until 2013" to these guys?

I think I’ll end up bringing mostly grad school reading with one or two other titles. It all depends on how much I room I have in my suitcase and backpack (and time--keep in mind, I also have actual work for the theatre to do…so I may be overestimating the amount of time I truly have).

34.

Much has happened in the past week since my last post.

35.

For one, I received an offer to attend grad school.

36.

I also accepted that offer.

37.

This means I’ll be moving to Houston in August (or the end of July). There are dozens, if not hundreds of little decisions and details to sort out.

38.

BUT I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL, PEOPLE!

40.

We started the Ibsen tour on Thursday. It was a quick jaunt over to Luther College, but a nerve-wracking set of circumstances. The major was the space. We’ve been rehearsing in an intimate thrust stage (200-seat house). This, however, was a large collegiate hall, with around 1200 seats. We guess there were around 700 people in attendance. This was also our FIRST public performance of the show. Your voice echoes and bounces off the cement in strange ways.

41.

I am grateful for my uncanny extra-sensitivity to consonants and clarity. This is from choir in college, no doubt.

43.

My grad school reading list has nearly 70 titles, including classic acting texts, plays, and other theatre odds and ends. I’m proud to say I’ve heard of many of these writers and books. I haven’t read them (in fact, I haven’t read a lot of them).

44.

I’ve decided to start attacking the list right away. I’ve made a spreadsheet, organizing the lists by priority (according to the head of program), and creating columns of whether I’ve read the title, whether I can borrow it, or if I have to buy it.

47.

I was mildly entertained by The Adjustment Bureau. But the soundtrack was, perhaps, the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard (trite and cheesy). I am struck by how much of a deterrent that was in my enjoyment. I laughed quite a bit (mocking laugh). And when you've got other movies like The Matrix and Inception to compete with, The Adjustment Bureau pales in comparison.

49.

If you want to talk quality sci-fi, then we can talk Battlestar Galactica. I've been steadily watching episodes here and there. I love it. This is compelling television.

51.

I may be turning into a bit of a nerd. I mean, I know I am one when it comes to Star Wars and other things, but I'm realizing I'm more and more drawn to sci-fi in general. Hmm...I dunno what to think about this. Or if there's anything worth thinking about.

22.

Read this.

25.
I'm in tech week for An Enemy of the People. We don costumes tonight. I'll have a better idea of what the facial hair situation is going to be. It all depends what the other guys have. I'm quite certain, Hovstad won't be wearing a full beard. I'm guessing I may be in the mustache/goatee realm. But another curveball could be mutton chops (not that I can wear those all that well). Stay tuned.

26.
I favor these short paragraphs. This could be my blog's "thing." Is it irritating for some? I dunno. We channel surf and web surf (sometimes simultaneously). People are becoming pros at multitasking. My mind jumps and leaps from one to the other. My inspiration is this book/manifesto/quote collage called Reality Hunger. I love it. I think I may read it backwards once I finish it.

27.
I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see, and what it means.

28.
Perhaps my way of sorting things out is through writing. That doesn't happen just here (of course not). But  I have a ridiculous time articulating myself. This has been made evident in a staff meeting I just attended as well as rehearsal this afternoon. I'm not suggesting that I have to script out things, but I may have to speak them out or something before I can figure out WHAT is going on.

31.
Battlestar Galactica could be a dangerous thing that one can stream on Netflix.

32.
I'm equally giddy and anxious about what books I'm going to bring on an upcoming tour for An Enemy of the People. No doubt I'll bring too many.

33.
I'm also eager to make a playlist for all the driving around. It's going to be awesome.

Excerpts from the past couple days

2.

I must keep up with West of Here by Jonathan Evison. It’s this great novel about a fictional town of Port Bonita in Northwest Washington. It follows an ensemble of characters from the late 1800s who are out to tame the land and manifest their destinies. Then, Evison mixes it up with the folks who live in it during 2006—complete with shattered hopes and a general sense of “I’m stuck and haven’t done anything with my life.”

4.

Got a LOT of notes from yesterday’s run of An Enemy of the People. To be honest, I got upset by the sheer quantity, but they are detailed and will only make the performance better. I intend to review them a couple times before Sunday’s run. It’s all about telling a clearer, more compelling story. It’s not personal.

7.

The Hunger Games book is on my nightstand. I cannot crack it open for fear that is all I will do for the entire day.

10.

This entry is inspired by David Shields’s book Reality Hunger, which is a collection of quotes and writing about paving the wave for a new genre of literature. It’s post-post modernism / fusion reality (I made that up) that is so strange. I expect to write more about this. But he is fascinated with the idea of reality, memoir, and form. It’s a call to arms. He has no qualms about plagiarism. In fact, I think much of the book are actually quotes from other sources. He didn’t want to attribute them, but I think his publishers made him write a list of sources in the very back.

11.

I don’t know what to make of the book just yet, but it’s fresh, and promises to say quite a bit about social networking and reality television. I’m trying not to race through it (and I’m also trying to stay with West of Here).

12.

I’m not saying that West of Here is a bad read or anything like that. What I am trying to say is this: I want to keep my intake of media/culture/art/what have you more contained. So that means NOT having a bookmark in 5 different books at the same time.

15.

I was tempted to go to the Cities this weekend. There are some great events going on. But I’m glad I opted for staying in town and laying low. This means, yes, I’m still in bed at 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. I did get up for coffee and some cereal.

17.

Today’s inbox was quite full, for a Saturday. Most of them were comments on Facebook for a fan page I moderate. But another one was from the head of a graduate acting program. But it was a cryptic message. I didn’t even want to write about this, but obviously, it’s on my mind. I can say that it wasn’t an offer, but it wasn’t a rejection either.

19.

Say what you will, but I think Anne Hathaway is stunning and quite a good actor.

20.

Say what you will, but James Franco is amusing.

21.

I am, however, upset about his Ph.D. in Literature stint.