Friday, October 24th
The last couple of weeks has been devoted to getting 'Grease' up and running chez Andy and Tommy. Tommy is the costume designer and I have been pressed into wardrobe service and general errand running and we have both been making ourselves available backstage as dressers and general factota. Lots and lots of backstage drama on this one, due to the relative youth of the cast. The adolescent mind set of many of the performers does not yet allow them to relax about certain issues or to understand the boundaries of what they should or should not involve themselves in regarding the production process leading to a greater clash of egos than should be necessary.Despite the backstage dramatics, the onstage show looks pretty good. 'Grease' has never been one of my favorites as a stage show. It's episodic and flimsy, practically a review with minimal book to hang a bunch of great pastiche numbers together. There's not a whole lot of deep subtext or opining on the human condition going on. Some of the kids are better than others but there's no major weak links.
I'm working with my friend Ellise, who is the artistic director of the Seasoned Performers, the local seniors theatre group on a fund raiser for her and for the center for aging. A variety show entitled 'Generations' which will turn the expectations regarding age on their heads as older performers do unusual material etc. We're in the planning stages for a March performance and should be able to pull off something interesting.
Earlier this week, I was a guest at an elementary school's 'Career Day' and assigned to the Kindergarten classes. I really don't have much I can explain to the five year old set about geriatrics so we talked a lot about shots and what they are and why kids get them. If I go back, I'm hoping its for an older crowd.
posted by Andy @ 9:18 AM
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