Kaiju New and Old, Among Other Nonsense

One of the many things I do love 

about the Day Job is that we follow an academic schedule. If schools are closed for a holiday, we usually are, as well. This Labor Day weekend will mark the start of Hell Week for Uncle P's return to the stage for the first time since my mother passed away, "Bluebird" which also marks my debut with the Langhorne Players. I am appearing as two very different characters in Simon Stephens' fascinating 1998 play about a night in the life of a London mini-cab driver and how his various fares relate to and inform his own story. I love both characters and love that I get to do two different accents in the same show. K came over tonight to help with lines (she is half--jokingly referred to among our circle of friends as the "Line Nazi"). I came in two weeks late and while I find both characters so compelling, memorization and short rehearsal periods only work well with shows I've done before or know really well. Thank goodness she came and helped. I feel so much better about opening in less than 6 days!

But that's not really what this post is about and I apologize for rambling (sort of).

Because I really want to talk about finally seeing Guillermo del Toro's Kaiju V. Giant Robots movie, Pacific Rim. I must say, I think del Toro was given short-shrift hen it came to reviews of yet another visually stunning movie from the genius who has given us Pan's Labyrinth The Devil's Backbone  and the Hellboy movies. And while del Toro always tries to make his films be about more than amazing visuals, when it comes to the Kaiju genre, there really isn't a lot of room for compelling characters, though co-writers del Toro and Travis Beacham (Clash of the Titans) do their best. The very fine Charlie Hunnam ("The Sons of Anarchy") leads a cast which includes Idris Elba (using his own accent, which only makes him sexier); Charlie Day ("It's Always Sunny in Philadephia"); "Torchwood" alum Burn Gorman and del Toro (and genre) favorite Ron Perlman in a very funny cameo as a dealer of exotic Kaiju parts. Amongst the explosions and destruction, there are plenty of moments that illicit the requisite relief laughter and moments of heroic sacrifice. You really can't ask for more from a Kaiju movie, and those who love the genre will totally get it.. *** (Three out of Four Stars)

Growing up in the 60's and 70's, there was plenty of Kaiju (though I didn't learn that word until much later) on TV. Toho Studio's "Godzilla" movies and their many spin-offs were regular Saturday afternoon fare on UHF channels (if you know what UHF was, you're probably as ancient as Uncle P) and after-school programming always included Tsuburaya Productions' TV show, "Ultraman." A benevolent alien pursues a monster to Earth, accidentally colliding with Science Patrol Officer Hiyata. Fusing with Hiyata, Ultraman is evoked using the Beta Capsule (which resembled a red, glowing vibrator, if memory serves) and Hiyata is transformed into a gigantic, Kaiju-killing machine:

For del Toro, Kaiju is obviously an extension of his desire to adapt H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness." I do hope a studio finally realizes that it would have to be a hard R, and would still make tons of money. Have they forgotten The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lambs? Both iconic films and iconic Horror,

More, anon.
Prospero

Another Hell Week

Despite what you may have heard, that's NOT Uncle P

So, maybe not having Internet access at home isn't such a bad thing this week. Not being able to get online at home has also let me work some of my own long-neglected writing. I actually completed an entire new draft of Army of the Dead and completely re-assess another I've been trying to finish for some time. Of course, it's 'Hell Week' for Jeffrey and I wouldn't be doing much blogging, anyway.

For those unfamiliar with the term, 'Hell Week' is the last week of rehearsals and production prep before a show opens. The actors finally move into the performance space; the set and lighting goes up; the costumes get their final fittings... it can seem a bit overwhelming, at times. But it always seems to come together somehow. And honestly, after 10 years of putting these benefits together, I should that we know what we're doing.

People at the Day Job keep asking, "So, are you all ready for Friday night?" And I keep answering, "No. We'll be ready on Friday." I'm glad I took Friday off so I won't have to hear them ask "So, are you ready for tonight?" I'm going to sleep in, meet my buddy Sean for lunch in New Hope and then get my hair trimmed in what I hope will be a relaxing day off before the show.

Don't expect to hear too much more from me this week (though I may pop in if I see something particularly weird, funny or very gay and just have to talk about). Hopefully, I'll have my home Internet issues resolved by the time the show is over so I can post lots of pictures. If you are in the Central NJ area this weekend and are looking for something to do while helping out some terrific charities, please consider coming to see Jeffrey. More information about the JTMF and what we do is available at our website: www.jtmf.org. If you can't come, but would like to make a donation, you do so via PayPal, right on our site.

More (hopefully), anon.
Prospero

Wig-a-licious!

Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry in John Waters' Hairspray

Before we started tonight's Hairspray rehearsal in earnest, our wig-mistress arrived with nearly 30 wigs for us to try on. And I have to be honest and say they were AMAZING! 

I took pictures (which I cannot share until after we've opened) of many of the gals in their finale wigs and me in two of mine. And while our Velma's final wig doesn't contain a bomb (as Debbie Harry's did in John Water's original film*), there are some truly awesome coiffures that will grace the stage of the Kelsey Theatre next month. The wigs for this production are sculptural, to say the least. The woman (I promise to have her name the next time I post about the show) is a genius. Our director and producer asked for 11 wigs. She made 27 (and will probably make a 28th for me).

The closer we get to opening, the more excited I am getting about the show. 

'Hell Week' for Hairspray starts April 9th (we open on the 13th). I have taken the week as a vacation from the day job because I know I'll just be too exhausted to do anything productive outside of the show. But fear not, Caliban's Revenge will not be idle. I am lining up a cadre of special guest bloggers to cover for me that week. Their posts will cover the usual range of topics (and maybe one or two more) that I do and if you read he same blogs as Uncle P, you probably know at least a few of them. I don't think regular readers will be disappointed by any of the terrific bloggers I have lined up. I'm almost as excited by this experiment as I am by the show, itself.

By the way, if you've never seen the original 1988 movie, I highly recommend it.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Easiest "Hell Week" Ever

Hell?

To Theatre Folk (who are not too far removed from Circus Folk), "Hell Week" is the last week of rehearsals before a show opens. There is often lots of flailing, wailing and running around and usually plenty of yelling, screaming and crying from everyone involved. And while this is sometimes the case with a JTMF show, more often than not, there is little of that. For Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol," there has been absolutely none of the usual Hell Week nonsense. 

After nine years of producing benefit shows, I think we may have actually gotten it down to a science. Of course, it helps that no one involved in a JTMF show has a personal agenda. The 'Diva Factor' just doesn't exist with us. We're all working towards a common goal and honoring the memory of a fallen comrade, while raising money to help those still with us.

Our Winter Event has proven to be very easy two years in a row, now. A radio play is a joy to produce: Small cast with script in hand; minimal rehearsals; a couple of Foley artists; limited light cues and basically no set to speak of all make for a simple and easy show. And working with a bunch of folks who know, respect and love one another makes the whole process so easy for all involved.

My cast and crew (as always) are amazing. My producer is my hero and the chance to perform with so many talented folks is an early Christmas present that means more than any gadget, toy or sweater ever could. 

Just know there will be more shameless self-promotion to come this week. We need butts in seats, folks! Get your tickets now! I promise you'll have a good time. And if you don't... well, you  just may well need a visit from three spirits of your own.

More, anon.

Prospero

Hell Week

I know at least a few of my regular readers are "theatre folk" who understand the phrase "Hell Week" all too well. For the uninitiated, Hell Week is the last week of rehearsal before a stage show opens. This is the week when everything we've been working towards for the last few months has to come together in a cohesive piece which can be both understood and appreciated by the audience members who have plunked down their hard-dollars and expect to be entertained in exchange for said hard-earned dollars.

It's when the acting; scenery; props; costumes; sound; lighting and makeup all have to line up to create a play. And its when a director (in this case, Uncle P) finds himself torn in a thousand directions at the same time; answering questions from dozens of collaborators while still trying to make sure his or her actors are still doing what he or she wants them to do; not to mention stroking the egos of said collaborators and actors so no one goes ballistic and sends the whole production into the toilet.

Of course, Hell Week for a JTMF show is a little different. In a JTMF show, egos are set aside because everyone knows the reason we're doing what we're doing isn't the show but rather the causes that the show supports.  100% of our ticket sales go to support the thee charities we hold dear to hearts: The Open Arms Foundation, The James Tolin Memorial Scholarship and The Trevor Project. The proceeds from our silent auction (and cash donations) are used to fund the upcoming year's show.

After nine years, we (the JTMF family) are pretty good at managing Hell Week, though it's still a stressful and occasionally painful time period. As they say, "The Devil's in the details" (hehe).

Hopefully, Hell Week for Die Mommie Die! will not be as painful as this movie seems to be from its trailer:

Yeah, it looks like that movie was made in a week. Yikes!

Tickets to the JTMF production of Charles Busch's comic thriller Die Mommie Die! are available at www.kelseyatmccc.org or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333.  If you cannot attend but want to help, a secure online donation can be made via PayPal at www.jtmf.org.

More, eventually...
Prospero

By the way, did anyone see this week's "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"? If you've been following the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark nonsense for the past year or so, you'll appreciate it.

P