A Friend of Bill's

April 23rd is generally accepted as Shakespeare's birthday, though record-keeping 450 years ago wasn't exactly a science. We know he was baptized on April 26th and that he died on April 23rd. April 23rd is also St. George's Day in England, so it's poetic justice (if nothing else) that we celebrate the greatest playwright in the English language's birthday today. And of course, how could a blogger who takes his nom de plume and blog title from what is probably his last play not talk about him?

As with most Americans, my first encounter with Shakespeare was in a high school English class. Luckily for Uncle P, it wouldn't be my last. Of course, it took a rather brilliant acting coach and director in college to actually make me appreciate Shakespeare. It was the spring before my sophomore year when I cast as Claudius in Hamlet, set for production the following fall. The director worked his young principals all summer, teaching us how to find the rhythms of Iambic Pentameter so they made conversational sense; explaining the jokes and archaic terms and (for me, at least), how to use our voices to their fullest effect. Since then I have appeared in and/or directed some of the Bard's most iconic pieces. I played Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet (twice); Cassius in Julius Caesar; Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night; a gay Jacgues in As You Like It, as well as Gonzalo and Prospero in two very different productions of The Tempest, while acting as sound-designer/lead Foley artist for a third. I directed a box-office record breaking production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, followed by a WWII-era Much Ado About Nothing and a Prohibition-era Romeo and Juliet at Princeton. I am desperate to direct a "Splash-Zone" production of Titus Andronicus, but it seems that most theatre companies are afraid to let me. I say they don't know what they're missing out on.

Ultimately, what makes Shakespeare still popular 400 years on, was his ability to so perfectly capture what we have come to know as 'The Human Condition.' For all our scientific and technological advances, we still behave as irrationally as most of Shakespeare's characters do. We fall in love; we feel jealously, rage and sadness; we laugh and dance and carry on; we question ourselves and the very meaning of life. In his controversial book "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human Condition," author Harold Bloom posits that all we all behave the way we do because Shakespeare's plays have taught us to do so. To which I respond, "Nonsense!" Shakespeare was simply noting and commenting on human behavior as it has always been and most likely always will be. He just did it using those beautiful words of his. 

Uncle P (C) as Claudius in "Hamlet" (1982)

Happy Birthday, Bill! I hope to work with you again, sooner than later.

More, anon.
Prospero

Hot, Gay, Shakesperean, Sci-Fi Food Nonsense

Chip Off the Old Block

How's that for a post title? To be perfectly honest, all of those do apply to this post overall, just not necessarily all at the same time. 

It's been a fairly stressful weekend culminating with my mother having what her Dr. described to me as a "small heart-attack." She will be fine and is scheduled for a cath procedure on Tuesday. I am also in the midst of rehearsals for a reading of a play with some dark and very close-to-home subject matter and have really been trying to avoid anything which didn't make me smile and/or laugh when I'm not forced to go dark places. 

And while I do so love the Fall season and Halloween (which is a fun kind of darkness), it also means dread Winter is close at hand. Like plants, I don't exactly thrive in the Winter, though extra Vitamin D supplements and the rich, fattening foods of the Winter holidays help.

Attitude plays a large part of it, too. It's my choice to wallow in the dark or shine my own light through it. I realize that's kind of cheesy and self-helpy or whatever, but it is 100% true. To do that, one should concentrate on the things in life that make it worth living: Beauty, Family, Friendship, Art, Laughter, Joy... These all counterbalance the truly dark stuff. And speaking of Beauty, that's Clint Eastwood's 27 year old son Scott (via) in a photo shoot for 'Town and Country,' Undeniably his father's son, Eastwood the younger has appeared in several unremarkable films, but is suddenly all over the web (especially on the LGBT blogs). I swear, the boy gives me the vapors!

So that's the Hot. On to the Gay. "Queer Lisboa," Portugal's only LGBTQ International Film Festival, has a history of amusing and provocative advertising. This year's is no different, though I imagine it has a certain anti-Semitic, homophobic has-been crying bitter tears of righteous rage:

J'adore, j'adore, j'adore... Yes, that's the Gay. What about the Shakespearean Sci-Fi? Well, hang onto your gay geek hats. The Husky Jackal Theatre Company presents: "William Shakespeare's Terminator the Second," a fully staged production of T2:Judgement Day using only dialog actually written by The Bard. The trailer embedded below is just an amazing bit of hilarious genius:

William Shakespeare Presents: Terminator the Second - Official Trailer from Husky Jackal on Vimeo.

Which leaves us with Food, but which also ties back to Hot (you know what that is). Here's an adorable shirtless guy (via) teaching you how to correctly pronounce the names of European and Asian foods which many Americans mispronounce. Don't know if it's his mischievous grin, deliberately messy hair, his infectious enthusiasm or the fact that it's actually educational that makes me love it so much. 

Oh, I remember now. It's his Treasure Trail. Wow! I just went there, didn't I?

I'm wishing all of you the better week I'm wishing for myself. Of course, one of my maternal grandmother's ('Grandmom Cookie') many colorful sayings was "Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other one and see which one fills up first." Never let the dark keep you from appreciating the light, the joy and the nonsense that is our time here. Instead, embrace the dark with the light, joy and nonsense. We need the dark to appreciate the light, joy and nonsense. Learning that is never easy.

More, anon.
Prospero

Proud to Say I've Never Seen "Downton Abbey"

The Cast of "Downton Abbey"

I can actually hear more than a few friends gasping by that admission. "Downton Abbey" is a BBC import that seems to have found a rabid fan base here in the States. I have no idea as to why. It may have great acting and great characters (two of the marks of any great drama), but I seriously do not give a single crap about the lives of a bunch of wealthy, post-Victorian Brits and their servants. I honestly can't think of anything more boring, except maybe The King's Speech (more gasping from even more friends).

Look, I'm the first to say that the true hallmark of great drama is the examination of the Human Condition. This why we still perform and attend productions of Shakespeare's plays, 500 years after they were written. They have actual relevance to modern life. But they also do something else - they transport us to another world. They take us away from the doldrums and ennui of everyday living, while examining human behavior and entertaining. Personally, I find nothing entertaining about stuffy, pretentious British drama. 

I can also hear many of you gasping - "Shakespeare's pretentious, you douche!" Sorry - you are VERY wrong. Good old Will wrote plays for the common man, using common themes and common characters. He wrote entertainment. He was the J.J. Abrams or Joss Whedon of his day. Hell, he was even the Elizabethan Michael Bay.

Do you relate to a wealthy early 20th Century British aristocrat, or do find yourself more intrigued by  a young man willing to go to any lengths to be with the woman he loves? Are you more interested in a king with a stutter, or a man whose daughter has been raped and disfigured by hooligans? Would you rather watch a servant break down over a snarky comment from her employer, or see a tyrant stabbed to death by thirteen of his supposed allies? 

This is all academic, of course. I like zombies; aliens; ghosts; monsters and ghouls. You may actually enjoy the comings and goings of rich people you have no hope of being. But give me a light saber battle over a pithy comment, any day. Even better, combine the two in something that's actually interesting, enlightening and entertaining.

Yawn.... But I guess that's why (as my mother is wont to say) they make chocolate and vanilla (though personally, I prefer raspberry swirl).

More, anon.
Prospero

Try to Remember...

That's Uncle P on the right, as Claudius (conspiring with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) in a 1982 college production of Hamlet. It was the first Shakespearean role I'd ever played, and frankly, I was terrified. The director, a professor I both loved and feared, was prescient enough to cast the leads the previous spring, working with with us all summer long to prepare for the late September production.

Every year at this time, I grow a bit nostalgic for this particular production. I made life-long friends among some of the cast; learned how to read, interpret and perform the works of Shakespeare and discovered the full range of my voice, all in one show. It was truly one of those life-altering experiences.

Oh, there have been dozens upon dozens of shows, since. There have been roles I have both loved (Dysart in Equus; the Major-General in The Pirates of Penzance; Danforth in The Crucible; Roate in Wait Until Dark and Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, among many) and hated. There have also been many plays that I have directed that made me fall in love with theatre over and over again. Still, there is something about this particular production at this particular time in my life, that resonates with me almost 30 years later. I got my ear pierced accompanied by two members of the cast (and later slept with one of them - TMI, I know...). I was introduced to Devo by none other than Hamlet himself (Thanks, Steve!) and got a perm because I saw Derek Jacobi's perm in the same role on PBS. I discovered New Wave dancing at City Gardens (where I was served drinks by none other than the future Jon Stewart); found out that the Beatles were amazing and played countless games of "Password" at cast parties.

I've since gone on to play many Shakespearean characters and direct three of his plays. But it is this production of Hamlet and that year of self-discovery that will always occupy a special place in my heart. And for that, I will always be grateful. It was the September when I was a tender and callous fellow, indeed.

Oh, Jerry -- you are missed.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

It's Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd post about love...

Both of tonight's new clips are from Towleroad, for my money the best LGBT blog on the web. Andy Towle and his staff consistently provide the best stories relevant to the community, whether or not they concern LGBT issues.

First up is the trailer for Private Romeo, the story of eight cadets in an isolated military academy, studying Romeo and Juliet. Combining Shakespeare's original text with modern media, Private Romeo may well be the first gay film for the new millennium:

Written and directed by Alan Brown (Book of Love; Superheroes), Private Romeo is hardly the first time Shakespeare has been adapted for a GLBT film. Most recently, A Midsummer Night's Dream inspired a musical I still have yet (but very much want) to see, Were the World Mine:

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a bit of that potion...

Next up, Randy Rainbow once again allows us a peak into his romantic life, as he and Mel prepare to spend their first Valentine's Day as a couple. The fabulous Miss Coco Peru is on hand as Randy's and Mel's couples counselor and a surprise guest stops by. No wonder Randy is so conflicted. Warning - Mel's language is very NSFW:

So there you have it, the state of gay love in 2011. And we wonder why they won't let us get married... well, at least why they won't let Randy get married. 

I hope you had a fabulous V-Day! And remember, if you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with...

More, anon.

Prospero

Overdue Thanks from a Proud Theatre Geek

27 years ago, I made my Shakespearean debut as the villain Claudius in Hamlet. I was crapping my pants scared. First Shakespeare and I'm in Hamlet? Playing 20 years older than I was (as I did in almost every show I ever did for a very long time) and cast opposite a woman who was actually 20+ years older than I., as one of the most famous villains of all time? This was no Bye Bye Birdie, my friends. This was Theatre.

I remember it being a rather intense production, The principles were cast from a Spring acting class taught by a wonderfully eccentric and often brilliant professor, who was directing the following fall. Each of us met with Sir (a name Q and I will always remember fondly) once a week over the summer to work on technique, diction and vocal production, with occasional character work thrown in. It was that summer that Sir helped me truly figure out what my voice was capable of, and how best to use it on stage. He also taught me the intricacies of playing a villain ("You must believe that your actions are not only for your own good, but the common good") and the value of advance planning as a director (though my personal directing style was much more influenced by another wonderful teacher who I promise to talk about soon).

If you haven't figured it out by now, that's Uncle P on the right, entreating Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet back to England with them. I know the young man in the middle was a British exchange student named Pip (he was with me when I got my ear pierced), though I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the brunet or who played whom. That was 27 effing years ago... I remember those faux-fur costumes were hot as hell and I went out and spent $120 on boots at some trendy store (which my father threw-out when I moved to California, briefly). I remember the massive revolving set and the performances of several cast members; Rich M. as Horatio; Terry D. as Laertes; Steve O. as Hamlet; Lillian B. as Gertrude; Rich W. as The Player and the Gravedigger... I remember the actress who played Ophelia (Betty... something...) took her mad-scene costume outside and rolled around on the ground, getting a massive grass and mud stain on her ass, which we could not look at without bursting into hysterical laughter... I remember good times and laughter to combat all the sturm und drung that is Hamlet; a very intense experience for such a young actor and in the end, a production that was actually quite good for college theatre. It was also the first time I actually understood Shakespeare without having to fight to get it (another gift bestowed by Sir). I recently reconnected with Steve O. via Facebook. Steve shared pictures from the production, which I never knew existed. And there I am...

Today, the gray hair and the goatee are real, though the perm (thank God) is a thing of the distant past. What isn't gone are those feelings of accomplishment and the lessons learned (not to mention the friendships made) over the course of one production.

The casual theatre-goer knows only what he or she sees on stage, at the performance he or she attends. Like most movie audiences, they see only the finished product (in as much as live theatre can ever be considered 'finished'). What they don't see are the months and months of planning and preparation; casting and rehearsing; prop gathering; costuming; set-building; lighting design; etc., etc. that go into that finished product. They also don't know the kind of camaraderie and even sense of family that happens among small groups of people with an intense, albeit (by definition) temporary, common experience. It's why real theatre people do theatre.

Yes, we get artistic satisfaction. We get applause and kind words from strangers (especially if we're any good). We still get to play make-believe long after every other profession in the world (Pro Wrestling nonewithstanding). If we are very, very lucky we make lots of money, become famous and win ultimately meaningless awards. Because if we love doing theatre, we love it for all the same reasons Trekkers love "Star Trek" and X-Philes love "The X-Files." It boils down to a sense of belonging, I think. Its time spent being yourself among like-minded folks, all the while creating something completely artificial to present to a group of judgmental strangers in order to seek approval. We get each other, us Theatre Folk do. Just as any other bunch of geeks get one another.

So, from a still very proud Theatre Geek, this post is dedicated to Dr. Harold Hogstrom. Teacher; adviser; director; inspiration. My TSC contemporaries will either agree wholeheartedly or call me mad (though I doubt the latter). None of them will argue that Sir had a profound effect on all of us, in one way or another.

Thank you, Sir (with love)...

Yeah, I went there. And yeah, I know I'm totally ripping off "Glee," but I don't care. The older I get, the more I realize how influential Sir would become, long after I was no longer his student. And thank you, Steve, for sharing those amazing pictures.

More ramblings, anon.
Prospero

Why Facebook Is Awesome

Back in the mid-90's, your Uncle P found himself in a playing Mushnik (for the 2nd time) in a production of Little Shop of Horrors for Princeton University's "Princeton Summer Theatre," a program which allowed students the opportunity to run a repertory-style theatre company for a summer. They were desperate; I had done it before; I was cast with what was barely an audition.

It was during this production that I met a young man playing the voice of Audrey II, who would go on to cast me in the role which would eventually inspire the name of this blog. This tall, gangly, funny and talented fellow had an unusual vision for The Tempest. He set it in an abandoned subway, transforming the shipwreck to a train wreck and turning Ariel into the spirit of a Broadway hoofer and Caliban into an NYC homeless person. It was the first of many guest performances I have been privileged to have on many NJ college and university campuses, and one of my favorite roles of all time. The PST Board then asked me to direct the following summer, which led to my first time directing Shakespeare. My consequent production of A Midsummer Night's Dream not only proved to me that I actually could direct, but went on to break PST Box Office records, resulting in SRO sales and a long list of hopeful standbys. It also made me the first (and as far as I know, the only) person outside the campus community to direct a production at Princeton, a distinction I will always hold near and dear to my heart. It also allowed me, the following year, to direct the aforementioned production of Much Ado About Nothing, during which Q and Dale fell in love.

Over the years, I lost touch with that young man, though I thought of him (and several other young folks from that era) often. When I first created my Facebook account, I searched for many of those talented folks, to no avail. They had scattered to the winds (as college graduates are wont to do).

A few days ago, through a random connection I had just made with one of my favorite Midsummer cast members (Yes, Suzanne, I'm talking about you), the young man in question (now married with child) made a "Friend" request. You can't imagine how happy it made me to reconnect with someone who not only "gets" me, but for whom I have always had a genuine affection. Dallas from Fort Worth is the original "Dear D" (no offense to the Dear D we all know and love, who will always and forever be that to me) and you have no idea how happy I am to reconnect with him.

People may bitch and whine about Facebook and it's ever-changing policies and layout, but I will always be happy that it's there to help me reconnect with people I have known and loved over the years. And Dallas, if you are reading this, thanks for finding me. I'm so glad you did. Dead Rats, forever! (And yes, that's a private joke.)

More, anon.
Prospero

Dudencrantz and Dogenstern

I was going to get all political tonight and talk about CBS and their decision to run a Superbowl ad from the Anti-LGBT group Focus On the Family, but when I ran across this item earlier today, I decided it had been a while since I talked about a movie I really need to see and went with it, instead (though tomorrow I'll probably go full rant on CBS's ass).

As you can probably imagine, I visit tons of movie sites every week. Some, more often than others. And as Genre Queen, I often visit Horror movie sites. About once every two weeks or so, I visit UHM (Upcoming Horror Movies), just to see what's on the Horror horizon. Today, I found a listing on UHM for a movie that pushed all my buttons at once.

My first experience as an Shakespearean actor was playing Claudius in a college production of Hamlet in 1983. The director, a brilliant but possibly insane man whom I adore (and who actually taught me how to use my voice to its best advantage), cast the principal roles in the Spring and worked with all of us throughout that Summer in preparation for a late Fall production. When classes resumed that Fall, he cast the remaining roles and I was introduced to our Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for the first time. Both of them were exchange students (one from England and one from Canada) and both of them were absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love with one and later slept with the other (I'll never tell which is which), and both of them were with me when I got my ear pierced (it was the 80's, after all).

Not long after that rather amazing show, I saw Tom Stoppard's brilliant 1966 play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, in which Stoppard dissects Hamlet and skewers theatrical convention, all through the eyes of two of the play's most enigmatic, though relatively minor characters. It wasn't until 1990 that the movie was made, starring Gary Oldman, Tim Roth and Richard Dreyfus, and I immediately fell in love with the material again.

By now, you may well be asking yourself what any of this has to do with Horror movies. Well, just see the poster I've put up at the top of this post, and you will have your answer.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead is the story of a fellow who is hired to direct a rather unorthodox production of Hamlet. It turns out (to the joy of Marlowe conspiracy enthusiasts everywhere), that Shakespeare was not the author of Hamlet and it actually involves both the Holy Grail and... vampires! As ridiculous as it sounds, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead has all the earmarks of a fun, campy horror movie written and directed by someone (Jordan Galland) who knows his way around Elizabethan drama and Vampire lore. Take a look at the hilarious trailer and see if you don't agree:

UHM lists the movie as "Awaiting Release." I, for one, am waiting impatiently.

More, anon.
Prospero