I'm Baaa-aaack!

Home from my business trip to Chicago, where I stayed at the very beautiful Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, a lovely hotel with very nice rooms and comfy beds. As part of our expense allowance when travelling, my company lets us rent one in-room movie per night. I always try to to take advantage of this, especially to see more recent films that I missed in theatres. This weekend I saw two movies that I had wanted to see in theatres this summer, but missed.

First up: Director Peter Berg's "Anti-Superhero" movie Hancock, starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron. I admit to being a fan of all three of these talented and attractive actors. What the hell they are doing in this mess, however, is beyond me. Smith is the title character, an uncaring alcoholic with superpowers, but no memory of how he came to have them or why he has them. He causes destruction where ever he goes; wracking up damages in the millions, killing whales and alienating the people of Los Angeles who have begun to see him as more of a threat than the criminals he pursues. When he saves down-on-his-luck PR man Ray Embry (Bateman) from an impending train wreck, Embry sees an opportunity to turn both his and Hancock's lives around. Embry brings Hancock home for dinner with his family, where Ray's wife Mary (Theron) sees Hancock as a threat to a secret she's been keeping from her family.

Sadly, Berg and screenwriters Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan go absolutely nowhere with what could have been an intriguing concept. Instead, we get a muddied mess of a redemption story that completely wastes the talents of its cast and the time of its audience. The jokes fall flat, the CGI looks cheap and not a single character comes off as likable. The plot twists (such as they are) are telegraphed practically from the beginning and the film starts in the middle of the real story, leaving a confused audience with nothing and no one to root for. What a shame.

The next night, I watched The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Reprising his role from the first two Mummy films, Brendan Frasier returns as American adventurer Rick O'Connell, now living the quiet life of a gentrified Englishman in post-war Britain. His wife Evie (now played by Maria Bello after Rachel Wiesz wisely bowed out) has written two novels based on their previous adventures, and finds herself blocked when it comes to writing a much-anticipated third in the series. Their son, Alex (somehow missing the English accent his younger version had the second film) has taken off from college and found the above-mentioned tomb, where 2000 years ago an evil Chinese emperor (action star Jet Li) was cursed by a witch (the lovely and talented Michelle Yeoh) to spend eternity with his vast army as terra-cotta statues.

Unfortunately, what should have been a fun reinvention of the franchise, comes off as silly and trite and makes one wonder what Fraser, Li and Yeoh are doing in this movie (besides making a buck). John Hannah returns as Evie's irascible brother Jonathan, now running a nightclub (the Egyptian-themed "Imhotep's") in Shanghai. A convenient plot contrivance gets the O'Connells to Shanghai just in time for the unveiling of their son's discovery. An evil general wants to raise the Emperor from the dead so he can contain the chaos that is post-war China and eventually rule the world. There is a ridiculous romantic subplot involving the witch's daughter, Lin (the lovely Isabella Leong) and a sublimely silly tribe of helpful CG Yeti who look more like a cross between a cat and a bear than any depiction of the Abominable Snowman I've ever seen. Ford, as Alex, is flat and boring and looks barely young enough to be the son of 38 year-old Fraser. Ms. Bello, while a fine actress, is lacking the fiery spitball spunk Ms. Wiesz brought to the role of Evie. While Wiesz played Evie as an adorable nerd who finds her inner-warrior, Bello plays her as a supremely confident heroine with no hint of her bookish background. Consequently, we no longer care about the character. Writers Alfred Gough and Alfred Millar even resort to a cheap joke about how the character in Evie's novels is "a completely different woman." Fraser, as hot as ever (and maybe even a bit more-so), is game but has little to work with here. The movie ends with Jonathan taking refuge in Peru where, unfortunately, there are plenty more mummies to be found. Let's hope this the end of the run for the O'Connells and their mummy-fighting ways. Pee-yew!

As always, more of this, anon.

Prospero

October Horror

October is a Horror fan's favorite time of year. This October proves no exception, with several new movies hitting theaters.

Quarantine (Oct 10). A TV news crew follows firefighters into a building on an emergency call, only to find themselves trapped inside with something (s) that look mighty frightening. This is a remake of the Korean horror film "[Rec.]" (as in 'record' on a video camera).




Let the Right One In (Oct 24). This Swedish vampire film has an unusual twist - the vampires are children. A bullied young boy makes friends with the new neighbor girl, who happens to be killing off the kids who bully him.



Saw V (Oct 24). Okay, the last one was pretty lame (despite how much I loved the first one). They are promising that V will be the last, so we'll see.



Of course, you could wait until January for David Goyer's ("The Dark Knight" screenwriter) new horror movie, The Unborn. I don't have a video to embed, but you can see the trailer at MTV:

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?vid=287594


Enjoy!

I'm off on a business trip this weekend, so I won't be posting again until Sunday night. As always, more of this anon.

Prospero

Stop Prop 8

I live on the other side of the country, but I am watching California's Proposition 8 debacle closely. As many of you know, the California Supreme Court recently ruled that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional in that state. Since then, a proposition has been introduced that would amend the California State Constitution and make same-sex marriage illegal. I'm not a political activist, by any means (though I was involved in the local "Stop Dr. Laura" movement, way back when). But I vote and speak my mind. This travesty cannot be allowed.

Proposition 8 is an insidious measure, pushed by the so-called "Christian" right, which would actually deny rights to members of the LGBT community. This is more than a travesty; it's a crime against human rights. If you live in California, I urge to vote against Proposition 8. If you don't live in California, but want to help, please donate whatever amount you can to the fight against this truly hate-filled bill at: https://secure.ga4.org/01/equalityforall?qp_source=towle (via Towleroad). It is said "As California goes, so goes the nation." Don't let California (and the nation) take a giant step backwards in human rights. Please help stop Prop 8.

Okay - enough politics. More movies, soon. I promise.

Prospero

Zebina Got Married

The 'ceremony' was at 7:15 PM in my bathroom, after the reluctant groom had settled in my sink long enough for me to catch him. "Zebadiah" quickly settled into his new home and the happy pair are canoodling as I type this. After I went online and discovered that Zebina is indeed a female, I went to get her a companion, because she seemed so lonely in that big cage (they also have two new perches, a cuttle bone and some toys). I didn't even watch as the young lady at Pet Smart snatched my new bird and boxed it up. It wasn't until I got home and got him in the cage that I realized I had a male (the deep orange beak, bright red cheeks and larger tail fan were the giveaways). Who knows, I may end up with Zebra Finch chicks.

I had no idea that directing a show would lead to a whole new world of pets for me. I still need a stand (right now, the cage is on a plant stand, but it's getting cold and my plants have to come inside soon) and a tray to catch the seeds they seem to delight in knocking to the floor. And truthfully, Zebadiah is still a little freaked out after his box-to-bathroom-to-cage adventures, but he'll settle in quite nicely. They spent about about an hour together, huddled atop the wicker "nest," peeping and squeaking away. Now they are both hopping and flying about, getting used to each other (though they were probably together in the store for a while and just need to get re-acquainted).

A short and simple post tonight. I'm still catching up on television and am off to Chicago on a business trip for my day-job on Friday. I'll start renting movies again next week and maybe writing about them sooner.

As always, more of this anon.

Prospero

Back to Real Life

I promise this will be my last "Skin of our Teeth" post.



Friday saw our biggest audience (probably S'70's largest audience ever at TCNJ - over 150!). The crowd was enthusiastic and most of the sound cues were right (I never again got my "winding crank," though). The young lady who ran sound for most of the run was also supposed to make SP lamps and a slingshot for me. She failed there, so why should she have succeeded any better in sound? (I hate lazy kids.) But, the performance was almost magical. The "Announcer' added a bizarre and stunted 'Elvis hip swivel' to his monologues, whenever he didn't get a laugh he thought he should have gotten. Strangely, his way over-the-top performance didn't detract from the rest of the show of show and somehow added yet another layer of surrealism. My Producer, myself and a few cast members laughed ourselves silly while discussing his gestures and posturing at the 'official' cast party at "Homer's" house on Friday.



Closing night was smaller (91), but good. My friends 'M' and 'J' came down to see the show. They are sweet and funny and very silly young ladies who never fail to make me laugh (we saw Xanadu together this summer). And my other beauty, "J" was there with his mother and step-father. I was so happy to see him.



The end, however, proved rather anti-climactic for me. We did a small strike (mostly costumes, props and foam set pieces), but by the time we reached the bar, it was last almost last call. Mind you, this was at 12:10 on a Saturday night. What kind of lame-ass bar has last call at 12:30 on a Saturday night? "Henry" and I each had a beer and then the rest left to go to a diner. I wasn't hungry, so I took Zabina to her new home (she is very happily retired from a career on stage. Tomorrow I am buying her a friend and some toys) and sent out in an email the Open Letter in my previous post. I didn't get the chance for total privacy with "Henry" that I wanted, but I did manage to tell him how proud I was of him and how much I love him. We agreed to go out for his birthday at the end of the month, so maybe we'll get the chance to talk more in depth, then.


So, when all is said and done, how did it go? Very, very well. Was it as personally exciting as my production of Midsummer or as artistically as rewarding as Much Ado or The Food Chain? Almost. It was certainly thrilling to have vindication of my ideas from people who know Wilder so well, and people who know good theatre so well. It was really gorgeous (though I do wish we could have done a better job costuming the 'extras,' but that's a budget issue, more than anything. In fact, with my dream budget, the gears in the roof and walls would have turned as they flew in and out and we would have had actual 'steam' as it all went). And "The Extinct" would have had legs that matched the rest of their bodies (it would have involved cutting foam femurs, knees and tibias and Velcro-ing them to the puppeteers pants, but we also had a time issue). Still, Tappan Wilder (the author's nephew and executor) was thrilled to see them left in, as many productions can't figure out how to do them and either change or omit them, altogether. So I guess you could say I was very pleased.


This will probably be my last posting about my personal theatre experiences until April, when auditions get underway for Paul Rudnick's The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told as part of the annual JTMF AIDS benefit. I will, however, probably post my experience with the "Eden Dreams" Gala in January (another benefit, for an organization which works with Autistic persons). Eden Dreams is both a rewarding and frustrating experience in which I usually end up as little more than a "human prop." It's a long, dull and exasperating night where relatively few in attendance actually appreciate one's participation, and one's talents as a performer are hardly challenged. But, more about that later.

So, for the next few months it's movies, movies, movies (and maybe a raving rant or rambling here and there). Thanks for listening (reading, I guess). It's been surreal...

As always, more anon...

Prospero

Open Letter to My Cast & Crew

My Dear Friends;


Every once in a while, the stars align, bringing together all the right people for just the right event. This whole mad, grand, steam-driven machine has actually been fueled by your talents and and imaginations. I turned the key and primed the pump, but once that engine roared to life, there was no stopping it. The show grew into a very, very funny and exceptionally entertaining statement on about 5000 topics, while managing to create a living world where dinosaurs as house pets made complete sense (of course, if you're an insane Alaskan governor, it already did -- sorry, couldn't help myself). Who cares if grouchy old deaf people didn't get it? Linc loved it, the conference scholars loved it and Shakespeare '70 saw some of it's biggest crowds at TCNJ, ever. I only hope that each of you is as proud of the show and yourselves, as I am of it and you. My expectations were continually and exponentially exceeded throughout the entire process. A director alone is nothing. A director with an amazing team can create an entirely new and unique new universe. Your trust in and commitment to my vision has gone above and beyond everything I had hoped for and each of your unique contributions to the show added up to far more than the sum of its parts.


Theatre began as religious worship, and I like to continue to think of in that way. As much as anything (and more than many things), art is what makes us uniquely human. And when so many people can come to a consensus about a piece of art and express it through such amazing work, the gods are pleased, indeed.


Thank you all so very much for taking part in such an important production for Shakespeare '70, TCNJ and myself. What we all managed to achieve with this production has not gone without notice and will go a long way toward cementing S'70's relationship with the College and their ability to produce more lage-scale productions on the main stage. As for myself, getting to direct in a space I know so well and love so much, on a show of such massive scale, has been both intimidating and exceptionally rewarding. Getting to share that experience with all of you has been like the gooey-fudgy frosting on a prize-winning brownie. Theatre should feed the soul, my dears. I am so very glad you were all there to partake with me.


I love and will miss all of you. I will never forget any of you and it is my fervent wish that we get to work together again and again. I'd take a trip to Excelsior (or anywhere else we might find ourselves) with all of you, anytime.


Remember to play! I promise you'll never be sorry for it. It will keep you young and happy. It has been my complete joy to play with you.And keep an eye out for those sneaky ham- bushes!


With my deepest affection and boundless gratitude, Prospero


"What hath God wrought!"


PS - One last thing about teamwork (and if you've already heard or read this, it bears repeating. Plus, it's the short version):


Confucius dreamt that he visited hell. Hell turned out to be a huge dining hall, filled with tables laden with every delicious and delightful dish known to mankind. The damned were all seated around the tables, starving. They had each been given ten-foot long chopsticks with which to eat and try as they might, they couldn't maneuver their chopsticks to reach the food into their mouths. They wept from hunger and despair. Then Confucius visited Heaven. Heaven turned out to also be a huge dining hall, filled with tables laden with every delicious and delightful dish known to mankind. The people seated around the tables in Heaven had also been given ten-foot long chopsticks with which to eat, but they were all happy and well-fed, taking great pleasure in the bounty before them. The difference? In Heaven, the blessed used their chopsticks to feed each other.

Academia, Etc.

Tonight (Thursday, Oct. 2nd) saw the first performance of the second and final weekend of The Skin of Our Teeth. It was also the "official" performance of the First International Thornton Wilder Society Conference: "Wilder in the 21st Century."
http://www.tcnj.edu/~wilder/conference/


We had a good and only momentarily silly pick-up rehearsal last night, so I was confidant going in. It was our biggest house yet (and probably will be) and, as tired as some of the conference attendees were, attentive and responsive. Their energy fed the cast and it was a lovely performance, despite some technical issues (sound is still a horror-show; that's what I get for not running my own sound board - or at least having my best friend, "K,"* run it for me). The "extras" are either really terrific or truly horrible and although the shadow puppets are better (they at least make sense, now), the simplicity of their operation remains a complete and incomprehensible mystery to the manipulators (the above mentioned "extras"). All in all, I'm still very unhappy with the shadow puppets. They are surreal and funny, but awkward and not what I had hoped they would be. Unlike the simplicity of their roles in the other two Shakespeare '70 productions in which student extras from correlated English Department classes were employed, the complexity of this show required more commitment and attendance than the professor was willing to impose upon them. Subsequently, several of them don't care about what they are doing because it's only slightly less effort than writing a paper. A few care, but are completely inept on stage and shouldn't even consider minoring in theatre. One or two care and are into what they are doing, and actually created characters for themselves.



But enough bitching. this post is about crowing! About 25 or 30 people stayed afterwards for the talk-back, and I spent most it sitting there listening to several of the nation's top scholars on Wilder talk about how much they loved my production. I'm not being narcissistic or egotistic in the least. The President of the Society (who is also the English professor at TCNJ who specializes in Wilder and drama), said that we had found things in the play which no other production he had seen had found (in particular, a true character arc for the usually-neglected Gladys) and another conference attendee said he loved the Steampunk concept.


In addition to those folks, many of my colleagues from various companies were in the audience, all of whom were very enthusiastic in their compliments.


In all fairness, though, I must give credit where credit is due: my amazingly talented cast and design team. This was an exceptionally ambitious production, not only because of the design concept, but the technical requirements inherent in the text. There's a dinosaur and a mammoth on stage, for heaven's sake (not to mention the Atlantic City Boardwalk).


My cast - my amazing, surprising and inventive cast! It took a while for all of them to get it, but when they did... Kapow! It was like lightning in a bottle. "Fred Bailey" (AKA "Mammoth Puppeteer") continues to provide the funniest performance in the show. My "Announcer," however, wins the Honey-Glazed Virginia-Baked Award (there's a special place in Director's Heaven for me, just for putting up with him). My "Sabina" is a gift from Thespis and "George," while a curiously cantankerous fellow, is brilliant. "Maggie," my dearest and longest friend; my muse; my support; my left and right arms for this show (she also produced, God love her), just so gets it. "Gladys" is a riot, especially in Act II and the "Fortune Teller," while still a little too fast, is a study in 'young actor goes for broke.' Then there is my "Henry." I can't be more proud. I have worked with this young man on four shows now, and his skills as an actor continue to grow and amaze. His trust in my direction is without question and he is willing to go wherever it takes to get the right result. Nothing gets a director more excited than an actor who is not only willing to do what you want him to do, but understands what you want and delivers it so well. He is quite beautiful and continually degrades himself as 'dumb,' but really good actors aren't dumb, and he is a really good actor. And to top it all off, he's just a terrific person. A polite, funny, personable and gorgeous young man.


So, I am very happy. Two more performances to go. I am sorry to leave this "family." We've had much fun together.


As always, more anon.
Prospero


*She and our mutual friends all know who she is, so there's no need for elaboration. Anonymity is the lure of the Web, isn't it?