Spread this around like butter on just baked and taken out of the oven bread! *Mm*
from the New Globe Theatre website:
I am asking you to help save an amazing project: the New Globe Theater is proposing to transform a decaying military fort in New York Harbor into a vibrant performing arts venue and education center.
Despite overwhelming broad public support (from Senator Schumer to Community Board #1, from Al Pacino to Ralph Fiennes, from war veterans to acting students ... see www.newglobe.org), the National Park Service is about to disallow the plan.
If we do not act now, we shall forever lose the opportunity to create this inspiring cultural icon in New York Harbor.
Please take action today by sending an e-mail to the National Park Service immediately. It only takes a few seconds to forward the pre-written statement.
Thank you very much. (... and don't forget to tell YOUR friends!)
*
more info: http://www.newglobe.org
http://www.myspace.com/newglobe
Saturday, March 1, 2008
PLEASE APPROVE NEW GLOBE PROPOSAL
A thousand *CHEERS* to Barbara Romer and ALL that are involved!
from the New Globe Theater website:
I urge you to embrace the public-private partnership proposed by the New Globe Theater as part of your preferred management alternative for Governors Island National Monument.
This innovative vision respects the site's history while achieving three vital objectives:
* PRESERVATION OF CASTLE WILLIAMS - structurally as well as spiritually, the new Globe's architecture would show off the site in the best light;
* PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - through entertainment and education, showcasing history alongside Hamlet, the New Globe will infuse New York Harbor and its national parks with new life for years to come;
* FINANCIAL SECURITY - the New Globe's philanthropic contributions coupled with the steady revenue from theater performances and operations, over and above the park's income from visitation, will breathe new (and renewable) life into the park site, the castle and the harbor for the next generation and beyond.
The New Globe proposal has generated widespread support: from the New York congressional delegation to the entertainment, media and performing arts communities; from the public at large to a host of internationally respected civic and cultural leaders. PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS GROWING CHORUS THAT FAVORS THE NEW GLOBE AND RECOGNIZE THE TRUE POTENTIAL OF CASTLE WILLIAMS AND GOVERNORS ISLAND - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the NPS.
In his May 2007 report to the president, "The Future of America's National Parks," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne asserts: "We will engage community partners to reach young people and new audiences, enriching their lives and protecting America's treasures for future generations." Here is an opportunity to build a public-private partnership with the New Globe, reach young people and new audiences, enrich their lives and protect the treasure of Castle Williams ... which currently rests dilapidated and infested with hazardous materials.
Castle Williams was constructed to defend America against the British in the War of 1812. The "New Globe for the New World" celebrates this history by creating a unique cultural center, but this time working with our former English foe to preserve America's history and celebrate our common cultural heritage. Appropriately, the center would face the "French" Statue of Liberty (similarly united with Fort Wood) as a complementary symbol of US-UK friendship.
The New Globe plan protects and preserves the 1811 fortification and interprets its role in the defense of New York Harbor and the nation within a 3,000-square-foot museum on the ground floor - highlighting the history of the harbor's forts and exploring a wide range of themes: harbor defense systems, politics, culture, history, transportation, economy, ecology and more. In this manner, the New Globe proposal adheres to the national monument's stated purpose of providing "an excellent opportunity for the public to observe and understand the harbor history, its defense, and its ecology."
The New Globe plan fills the open courtyard with the stunning auditorium that (1) preserves the three-tiered open space at the center of the structure and (2) preserves the views onto the sandstone walls through its back walls made of glass. The Draft GMP argues that "visually, spatially, and in terms of communicating the fort's military function and history, the visitor to the National Monument would be confronted with a very large, permanent intrusion. This would not be the superlative visitor experience expected by the public." However, this statement ignores the fact that, during the public scoping period, 65% of respondents requested the presence of the theater in the open courtyard.
In March 2007, New York Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, New York delegation Chairman Charles Rangel and another dozen congressmen signed a letter which requests National Park Service approval of the New Globe plan. Additionally, some 3,000 emails in support of the New Globe were received by the NPS last year.
The planned New Globe is dedicated not just to exploring the military past via exciting interpretive exhibits, workshops and seminars, but also to creating an inspiring future that celebrates cross-cultural understanding via the performing arts.
In order to provide the financial underpinnings for the operation of this museum and for the maintenance of the historic site, and in order to attract a wider, more diverse audience to national parks, the New Globe plan also incorporates the construction of a visionary theater inside the open courtyard of Castle Williams. The reversible design by Lord Norman Foster (celebrated for his sensitive treatment of historic structures, such as the British Museum and the German Parliament) creates a stage for world-class productions of Shakespeare as well as works by modern playwrights, classical and contemporary concerts, jazz performances, lectures, and a wide range of other events. The theater, with its extensive education program (modeled on London's Globe, serving 100,000 students annually), will operate entirely independently of the museum, restaurant and roof deck, which would remain accessible to the general public at all times.
The New Globe performance space, with a total capacity for 1,200 visitors and with 400 "groundling" tickets at $10 for each show, will provide a continuous revenue stream to create a self-sustaining national park.
While the draft GMP rightfully thinks about Governors Island National Monument within the larger context of the National Parks of New York Harbor, the preferred Alternative D ("Harbor Center") duplicates a role already fulfilled by the visitor centers at Federal Hall, Castle Clinton, and others.
Drawing from the visitor base of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by forcing the Monument to "become a primary stop on harbor ferry tours," Alternative D fails to attract a wider and more diverse audience to the National Parks of New York Harbor. On the other hand, the New Globe plan provides a clear differentiation from the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, is open after 6pm, and attracts unique visitors to a new dramatic tourist destination and world-class educational and cultural center.
Furthermore, preferred Alternative D is the most expensive of all alternatives and thus proposes to spend $50-60 million in one-time capital costs plus $107-128 million in life-cycle costs to offer redundant programming to the same interest group already served by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and other National Parks in New York Harbor.
Taking all these considerations to their logical conclusion, Alternative D will seek to allocate over $100 million of federal funding to serve a redundant target customer base on Governors Island; in the process, it will cannibalize federal funding that should be directed towards Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the NPS plan condemns Castle Williams to remain sitting derelict for a few more decades, as the National Park Service is battling an $8 billion maintenance backlog and an annual $600 million operations shortfall. To prepare the public for this scenario, the draft GMP three times states that: "The implementation of the approved plan will depend on future funding and Servicewide priorities. The approval of a GMP does not guarantee that funding and staffing needed to implement the plan will be forthcoming. Full implementation of the GMP could be many years into the future."
Thus, despite President George W. Bush's mandate to "leverage philanthropic, partnership, and government investments for the benefit of national parks and their visitors," and despite the Centennial Initiative promise that "a new era of private-public partnerships will bring greater excellence to parks," THIS DRAFT GMP PROPOSES YET ANOTHER HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLAR, FEDERAL-GOVERNMENT-DEPENDENT SITE WITHOUT A VIABLE SELF-SUSTAINING REVENUE SOURCE, WHILE REJECTING AN EXCITING, INSPIRATIONAL AND VISIONARY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WOULD ENSURE THE FUTURE FINANCIAL *AND* HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THE PARK AND ITS RESOURCES.
Thus far - 5 years after taking over management of the site - the NPS locally has been unsuccessful in securing the federal funding needed to stabilize the decaying structure.
The public-private partnership proposed by the New Globe will attract new large donors to give generously to the National Park Service, with the recognition that preservation and rehabilitation of the monument is not just the government's responsibility. The New Globe will help raise funds to forestall further severe deterioration, stabilize the structure, and remediate the building to allow for summer performances during the planning and development period. Furthermore, the proposal builds capacity for park operations and maintenance, since New Globe will provide for operation (incl. additional staffing) and maintenance of the national monument without government subsidies - thereby relieving the federal budget of an additional burden. Finally, for self-sustaining operations, an endowment will be raised from private sources. (And in the unlikely scenario that an exit strategy becomes necessary, the endowment is earmarked for the removal of the reversible theater inset in the open courtyard.)
Given the New Globe proposal has attracted overwhelming public interest and support as a bold and imaginative public-private partnership; and given the New York congressional delegation's urging "that the GMP for Castle Williams National Monument allow for the adaptive reuse proposed by the New Globe Theater," I respectfully request the National Park Service - as the American public's steward - find a way to adjust or expand the existing legislation to include the New Globe.
If in the 1880s the same rules and regulations that the National Park Service is trying to rigidly enforce on Castle Williams had been applied to the Statue of Liberty, that symbol of freedom would not grace our Harbor today. I therefore strongly urge you to listen to the general public, to be "mindful that boldness matches our history" (to quote Secretary Kempthorne's opening sentence of "The Future of America's National Parks"), and to have the vision to create another great American icon in New York Harbor - the New Globe Theater at Governors Island National Monument.
*
more info: http://www.newglobe.org
http://www.myspace.com/newglobe
from the New Globe Theater website:
I urge you to embrace the public-private partnership proposed by the New Globe Theater as part of your preferred management alternative for Governors Island National Monument.
This innovative vision respects the site's history while achieving three vital objectives:
* PRESERVATION OF CASTLE WILLIAMS - structurally as well as spiritually, the new Globe's architecture would show off the site in the best light;
* PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - through entertainment and education, showcasing history alongside Hamlet, the New Globe will infuse New York Harbor and its national parks with new life for years to come;
* FINANCIAL SECURITY - the New Globe's philanthropic contributions coupled with the steady revenue from theater performances and operations, over and above the park's income from visitation, will breathe new (and renewable) life into the park site, the castle and the harbor for the next generation and beyond.
The New Globe proposal has generated widespread support: from the New York congressional delegation to the entertainment, media and performing arts communities; from the public at large to a host of internationally respected civic and cultural leaders. PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS GROWING CHORUS THAT FAVORS THE NEW GLOBE AND RECOGNIZE THE TRUE POTENTIAL OF CASTLE WILLIAMS AND GOVERNORS ISLAND - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the NPS.
In his May 2007 report to the president, "The Future of America's National Parks," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne asserts: "We will engage community partners to reach young people and new audiences, enriching their lives and protecting America's treasures for future generations." Here is an opportunity to build a public-private partnership with the New Globe, reach young people and new audiences, enrich their lives and protect the treasure of Castle Williams ... which currently rests dilapidated and infested with hazardous materials.
Castle Williams was constructed to defend America against the British in the War of 1812. The "New Globe for the New World" celebrates this history by creating a unique cultural center, but this time working with our former English foe to preserve America's history and celebrate our common cultural heritage. Appropriately, the center would face the "French" Statue of Liberty (similarly united with Fort Wood) as a complementary symbol of US-UK friendship.
The New Globe plan protects and preserves the 1811 fortification and interprets its role in the defense of New York Harbor and the nation within a 3,000-square-foot museum on the ground floor - highlighting the history of the harbor's forts and exploring a wide range of themes: harbor defense systems, politics, culture, history, transportation, economy, ecology and more. In this manner, the New Globe proposal adheres to the national monument's stated purpose of providing "an excellent opportunity for the public to observe and understand the harbor history, its defense, and its ecology."
The New Globe plan fills the open courtyard with the stunning auditorium that (1) preserves the three-tiered open space at the center of the structure and (2) preserves the views onto the sandstone walls through its back walls made of glass. The Draft GMP argues that "visually, spatially, and in terms of communicating the fort's military function and history, the visitor to the National Monument would be confronted with a very large, permanent intrusion. This would not be the superlative visitor experience expected by the public." However, this statement ignores the fact that, during the public scoping period, 65% of respondents requested the presence of the theater in the open courtyard.
In March 2007, New York Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, New York delegation Chairman Charles Rangel and another dozen congressmen signed a letter which requests National Park Service approval of the New Globe plan. Additionally, some 3,000 emails in support of the New Globe were received by the NPS last year.
The planned New Globe is dedicated not just to exploring the military past via exciting interpretive exhibits, workshops and seminars, but also to creating an inspiring future that celebrates cross-cultural understanding via the performing arts.
In order to provide the financial underpinnings for the operation of this museum and for the maintenance of the historic site, and in order to attract a wider, more diverse audience to national parks, the New Globe plan also incorporates the construction of a visionary theater inside the open courtyard of Castle Williams. The reversible design by Lord Norman Foster (celebrated for his sensitive treatment of historic structures, such as the British Museum and the German Parliament) creates a stage for world-class productions of Shakespeare as well as works by modern playwrights, classical and contemporary concerts, jazz performances, lectures, and a wide range of other events. The theater, with its extensive education program (modeled on London's Globe, serving 100,000 students annually), will operate entirely independently of the museum, restaurant and roof deck, which would remain accessible to the general public at all times.
The New Globe performance space, with a total capacity for 1,200 visitors and with 400 "groundling" tickets at $10 for each show, will provide a continuous revenue stream to create a self-sustaining national park.
While the draft GMP rightfully thinks about Governors Island National Monument within the larger context of the National Parks of New York Harbor, the preferred Alternative D ("Harbor Center") duplicates a role already fulfilled by the visitor centers at Federal Hall, Castle Clinton, and others.
Drawing from the visitor base of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by forcing the Monument to "become a primary stop on harbor ferry tours," Alternative D fails to attract a wider and more diverse audience to the National Parks of New York Harbor. On the other hand, the New Globe plan provides a clear differentiation from the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, is open after 6pm, and attracts unique visitors to a new dramatic tourist destination and world-class educational and cultural center.
Furthermore, preferred Alternative D is the most expensive of all alternatives and thus proposes to spend $50-60 million in one-time capital costs plus $107-128 million in life-cycle costs to offer redundant programming to the same interest group already served by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and other National Parks in New York Harbor.
Taking all these considerations to their logical conclusion, Alternative D will seek to allocate over $100 million of federal funding to serve a redundant target customer base on Governors Island; in the process, it will cannibalize federal funding that should be directed towards Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the NPS plan condemns Castle Williams to remain sitting derelict for a few more decades, as the National Park Service is battling an $8 billion maintenance backlog and an annual $600 million operations shortfall. To prepare the public for this scenario, the draft GMP three times states that: "The implementation of the approved plan will depend on future funding and Servicewide priorities. The approval of a GMP does not guarantee that funding and staffing needed to implement the plan will be forthcoming. Full implementation of the GMP could be many years into the future."
Thus, despite President George W. Bush's mandate to "leverage philanthropic, partnership, and government investments for the benefit of national parks and their visitors," and despite the Centennial Initiative promise that "a new era of private-public partnerships will bring greater excellence to parks," THIS DRAFT GMP PROPOSES YET ANOTHER HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLAR, FEDERAL-GOVERNMENT-DEPENDENT SITE WITHOUT A VIABLE SELF-SUSTAINING REVENUE SOURCE, WHILE REJECTING AN EXCITING, INSPIRATIONAL AND VISIONARY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WOULD ENSURE THE FUTURE FINANCIAL *AND* HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THE PARK AND ITS RESOURCES.
Thus far - 5 years after taking over management of the site - the NPS locally has been unsuccessful in securing the federal funding needed to stabilize the decaying structure.
The public-private partnership proposed by the New Globe will attract new large donors to give generously to the National Park Service, with the recognition that preservation and rehabilitation of the monument is not just the government's responsibility. The New Globe will help raise funds to forestall further severe deterioration, stabilize the structure, and remediate the building to allow for summer performances during the planning and development period. Furthermore, the proposal builds capacity for park operations and maintenance, since New Globe will provide for operation (incl. additional staffing) and maintenance of the national monument without government subsidies - thereby relieving the federal budget of an additional burden. Finally, for self-sustaining operations, an endowment will be raised from private sources. (And in the unlikely scenario that an exit strategy becomes necessary, the endowment is earmarked for the removal of the reversible theater inset in the open courtyard.)
Given the New Globe proposal has attracted overwhelming public interest and support as a bold and imaginative public-private partnership; and given the New York congressional delegation's urging "that the GMP for Castle Williams National Monument allow for the adaptive reuse proposed by the New Globe Theater," I respectfully request the National Park Service - as the American public's steward - find a way to adjust or expand the existing legislation to include the New Globe.
If in the 1880s the same rules and regulations that the National Park Service is trying to rigidly enforce on Castle Williams had been applied to the Statue of Liberty, that symbol of freedom would not grace our Harbor today. I therefore strongly urge you to listen to the general public, to be "mindful that boldness matches our history" (to quote Secretary Kempthorne's opening sentence of "The Future of America's National Parks"), and to have the vision to create another great American icon in New York Harbor - the New Globe Theater at Governors Island National Monument.
*
more info: http://www.newglobe.org
http://www.myspace.com/newglobe
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
RIP, Dennis Letts
Dennis Letts, Actor Who Appeared in Son's August: Osage County, Dead at 73
By Kenneth Jones
24 Feb 2008
Dennis Letts, the patrician actor who created the role of Beverly Weston — the father who goes missing at the top of the acclaimed Chicago and Broadway play, August: Osage County — died Feb. 22, his son playwright Tracy Letts told the Chicago Tribune.
Mr. Letts' final role as an actor was in his son's most embraced and popular play, which is currently an audience and critical sensation at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. A failed poet whose marriage is soaked in booze and pills, Beverly hires a housekeeper in the opening scene of the play, and then mysteriously vanishes. The event prompts a reunion of the dysfunctional Weston family.
The juicy play was inspired by Letts' family history, and is set in the territory from whence the family came — Oklahoma. Mr. Letts died of cancer in Tulsa, OK. He was 73 years old, the Trib reported. He left the Broadway show in late January.
Mr. Letts created the role in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's world premiere of August in summer 2007, and moved with the troupe to Broadway. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2007 after the Windy City run.
"His choice to persevere with the New York production in the face of his devastating diagnosis is a testament to his love for the project and the people involved," Tracy Letts said in a statement. "Dad had a full and fascinating life, and August: Osage County was the cherry on top."
August will move from Broadway's large Imperial to the more intimate Music Box on Broadway in the spring. There is buzz of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award potential for the humor-laced soap-operatic drama.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Mr. Letts was a college professor who specialized in literature and writing. He taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He began acting late in his career, at age 50.
Mr. Letts has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows as a character actor, including "Little Boy Blue," "Infamous," "Secondhand Lions," "Cast Away," "A Perfect World," "Bloodsuckers From Outer Space" and "Where the Heart Is." Recent theatre work includes two original plays performed in Austin, TX: Dead Presidents' Club by Larry L. King and Sonny's Last Shot by Lawrence Wright.
Survivors include his wife, Billie; brother Ray Don; and three sons, Tracy, Dana and Shawn. A memorial service for Mr. Letts will be Feb. 28 at Mallett Funeral Home Chapel in Wagoner, OK.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115328.html
Dennis Letts, Actor & Father of 'August' Playwright, Dies
Sunday, February 24 2008 10:39p
by BWW News Desk
Dennis Letts, who was currently appearing as the patriarch-gone-missing from the highly-acclaimed new play August: Osage County, penned by son Tracy Letts, has died of lung-cancer on Friday, February 22. He was 73 years old.
Dennis Letts originated the role of Beverly Weston in August: Osage County, with both the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and the Broadway company at the Imperial Theater on Broadway. He was an Oklahoma actor and retired English university professor; and appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows in his lifetime.
Tracy Letts released the following statement: "My father was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in September of last year, following the Chicago run of August: Osage County and prior to the Broadway transfer. His choice to persevere with the New York production in the face of his devastating diagnosis is a testament to his love for the project and the people involved. Dad had a full and fascinating life, and August: Osage County was the cherry on top. My family will be forever grateful for the many kindnesses shown to Dad by the wonderful people associated with the production."
The New York Times details: "Letts, whose cancer was diagnosed in September, was an English professor for 30 years, mostly at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. He performed in community and university stage productions during those years and took up acting as a second career after retiring from teaching. His acting credits include Where the Heart Is, the film version of a novel by his wife, Billie Letts; he served as an editor for her novels."
Dennis Letts is survived by his wife, Billie; brother Ray Don; and three sons, Tracy, Dana and Shawn. A memorial service for Letts will be held on Thursday, February 28 at Mallett Funeral Home Chapel in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
http://http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25442
By Kenneth Jones
24 Feb 2008
Dennis Letts, the patrician actor who created the role of Beverly Weston — the father who goes missing at the top of the acclaimed Chicago and Broadway play, August: Osage County — died Feb. 22, his son playwright Tracy Letts told the Chicago Tribune.Mr. Letts' final role as an actor was in his son's most embraced and popular play, which is currently an audience and critical sensation at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. A failed poet whose marriage is soaked in booze and pills, Beverly hires a housekeeper in the opening scene of the play, and then mysteriously vanishes. The event prompts a reunion of the dysfunctional Weston family.
The juicy play was inspired by Letts' family history, and is set in the territory from whence the family came — Oklahoma. Mr. Letts died of cancer in Tulsa, OK. He was 73 years old, the Trib reported. He left the Broadway show in late January.
Mr. Letts created the role in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's world premiere of August in summer 2007, and moved with the troupe to Broadway. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2007 after the Windy City run.
"His choice to persevere with the New York production in the face of his devastating diagnosis is a testament to his love for the project and the people involved," Tracy Letts said in a statement. "Dad had a full and fascinating life, and August: Osage County was the cherry on top."
August will move from Broadway's large Imperial to the more intimate Music Box on Broadway in the spring. There is buzz of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award potential for the humor-laced soap-operatic drama.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Mr. Letts was a college professor who specialized in literature and writing. He taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He began acting late in his career, at age 50.
Mr. Letts has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows as a character actor, including "Little Boy Blue," "Infamous," "Secondhand Lions," "Cast Away," "A Perfect World," "Bloodsuckers From Outer Space" and "Where the Heart Is." Recent theatre work includes two original plays performed in Austin, TX: Dead Presidents' Club by Larry L. King and Sonny's Last Shot by Lawrence Wright.
Survivors include his wife, Billie; brother Ray Don; and three sons, Tracy, Dana and Shawn. A memorial service for Mr. Letts will be Feb. 28 at Mallett Funeral Home Chapel in Wagoner, OK.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115328.html
Dennis Letts, Actor & Father of 'August' Playwright, Dies
Sunday, February 24 2008 10:39p
by BWW News Desk
Dennis Letts, who was currently appearing as the patriarch-gone-missing from the highly-acclaimed new play August: Osage County, penned by son Tracy Letts, has died of lung-cancer on Friday, February 22. He was 73 years old.
Dennis Letts originated the role of Beverly Weston in August: Osage County, with both the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and the Broadway company at the Imperial Theater on Broadway. He was an Oklahoma actor and retired English university professor; and appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows in his lifetime.
Tracy Letts released the following statement: "My father was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in September of last year, following the Chicago run of August: Osage County and prior to the Broadway transfer. His choice to persevere with the New York production in the face of his devastating diagnosis is a testament to his love for the project and the people involved. Dad had a full and fascinating life, and August: Osage County was the cherry on top. My family will be forever grateful for the many kindnesses shown to Dad by the wonderful people associated with the production."
The New York Times details: "Letts, whose cancer was diagnosed in September, was an English professor for 30 years, mostly at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. He performed in community and university stage productions during those years and took up acting as a second career after retiring from teaching. His acting credits include Where the Heart Is, the film version of a novel by his wife, Billie Letts; he served as an editor for her novels."
Dennis Letts is survived by his wife, Billie; brother Ray Don; and three sons, Tracy, Dana and Shawn. A memorial service for Letts will be held on Thursday, February 28 at Mallett Funeral Home Chapel in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
http://http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25442
Monday, February 25, 2008
My Favorite Oscar Moments (there are 6):
When Tilda Swinton won for Best Supporting Actress, Michael Clayton; and her reaction to that win (One of my favorites for quite some time since, Orlando)
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova winning for Best Song, "Falling Slowly," Once
Jon Stewart allowing Irglova to give her speech after being cut-off; and her speech
Cate Blanchett's wonderful reaction to Marion Cotillard's win for Best Actress (I adore both of them!!!)
Marion Cotillard winning for Best Actress, La Vie en Rose
Amy Ryan's listening to Cotillard's speech and her emotion (the moisture/tears in her eyes--lovely); who was sitting behind Cotillard (Another favorite of mine since I saw her on a televised version of recent Broadway production of THE WOMEN on PBS)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
"Letyat Zhuravli" ("The Cranes are Flying")
Year: 1957
Director/Producer: Mikhail Kalatozov
Writer: Viktor Rozov
Cinematographer: Sergei Urusevsky
Music: Moisey Vaynberg
Film Editing: Mariya Timofeyeva
Starring: Tatyana Samojlova
Aleksey Batalov
Vasili Merkuryev
Aleksandr Shvorin
Svetlana Kharitonova
Konstantin Nikitin
Valentin Zubkov
Antonina Bogdanova
SEE THIS FILM.
Buy it through The Criterion Collection, The Criterion DVD Portal, Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, &c...
I just saw it tonight for the 5th time...? I'm not sure how many times. It played at the Walter Reade Theater. How lucky was I to see it on the big screen? It was glorious. No matter how many times I've seen it...*tears* I took a good friend with me and he totally dug it!
Director/Producer: Mikhail Kalatozov
Writer: Viktor Rozov
Cinematographer: Sergei Urusevsky
Music: Moisey Vaynberg
Film Editing: Mariya Timofeyeva
Starring: Tatyana Samojlova
Aleksey Batalov
Vasili Merkuryev
Aleksandr Shvorin
Svetlana Kharitonova
Konstantin Nikitin
Valentin Zubkov
Antonina Bogdanova
SEE THIS FILM.
Buy it through The Criterion Collection, The Criterion DVD Portal, Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, &c...
I just saw it tonight for the 5th time...? I'm not sure how many times. It played at the Walter Reade Theater. How lucky was I to see it on the big screen? It was glorious. No matter how many times I've seen it...*tears* I took a good friend with me and he totally dug it!
What a great city this is! I mean, who would think that this film would be playing here? The best part was that I wasn't the only one in the theater! There were actually more than 10 people! Ha! But, I should have known better. This is NY!
Tatyana Samojlova (Veronika) is Beautiful.
After the film, we got into a (sort-of) discussion with a Russian young lady and (after he came back from the bathroom) her Russian date/friend/boyfriend...
Now, I'm just waiting for, "Hiroshima Mon Amour," to play somewhere HERE, sometime SOON!!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Poetry-Time Cafe with red shoes on a thuuursday
BREAK OF DAY
© red shoes on a thuuursday
Tuesday, 22 January 2008 8.49a
*
Thank you "III" for letting me read it to you over the phone.
poem taken down: Saturday, 26 January 2008
by: red shoes on a thuuursday
© red shoes on a thuuursday
Tuesday, 22 January 2008 8.49a
*
Thank you "III" for letting me read it to you over the phone.
poem taken down: Saturday, 26 January 2008
by: red shoes on a thuuursday
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Inspired by one of my favorite co-workers
Adelle was one of the people that I met at work whom I really took a liking to. She's got a great energy. Anywho...the other day she told me it was her last day which I did not think was cool. I asked for her email and number so that we could keep in touch with each other.
I sent her an email and she wrote back and also sent me a link to her artwork. I'd like to share her work with y'all.
I sent her an email and she wrote back and also sent me a link to her artwork. I'd like to share her work with y'all.
http://www.adellemarcero.blogspot.com/
I was left inspired after looking at her pieces. Too bad I can't do anything with that inspiration. I'm just feeling--okay, I won't say, "dry" (even though, that's how it REALLY feels)...but--as if this period of adjustment and transition is disguising itself as a time for refueling, refocusing, regaining focus and reflection & prioritizing. *bleah*
Monday, January 14, 2008
More Dysfunction! August Gets Five Added Weeks on Broadway
Oh.My.Gooshnick!!! Say, WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How EXTREMELY Joyous does this news make me feel? Wow. So, all you out there have MORE time to see this whoop-ass show. For my friends in the area of California that is southern =P, I suggest that you make some plans before 13 April to head over to NY. Not only to see moi But to See This Show. Even if you DON'T see me and see the show instead...that would be SO fine with this gal!!! That's how much I Love-Love-LOVE this show.
This is probably the wrong word for the show but, it is sublime. Intensely sublime. Dark. It's an actor's utopia. I'm gonna stop now because I think you'd need to be sitting with me inside a NY French cafe =P, and listening to my description, my experience of the show. I'm not focused on writing about it!
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is The Show that I have been recommending to anyone since first seeing it in November. Everyone: GO.
*
By Kenneth Jones
14 Jan 2008
The Broadway engagement of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County, critically embraced and an audience favorite, has been extended to April 13 at the Imperial Theatre.
The producers announced the added weeks on Jan. 14. The play was to be seen in a strictly limited 16-week run to March 9, but the dysfunctional-family drama is like a house on fire. The Steppenwolf Theater Company production is doing big business in the 1,400-seat theatre usually known as a home for musicals. In addition to enthusiastic reviews, the staging has prompted good word of mouth, fueling the box office.
The play tells of "the Weston clan after the disappearance of their patriarch. The family returns to their three-story home in rural Oklahoma to get to the heart of the matter."
The cast includes Ian Barford, Deanna Dunagan, Kimberly Guerrero, Francis Guinan, Brian Kerwin, Dennis Letts, Madeleine Martin, Mariann Mayberry, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, Jeff Perry, Rondi Reed, Troy West, Munson Hicks, Susanne Marley, Jay Patterson, Dee Pelletier, Molly Ranson, Aaron Serotsky and Kristina Valada-Viars.
The cast does not change with this extension — the Chicago-based actors who created the central roles in the humor-spiked drama will still bite into their parts. Mutiple Tony Award nominations are assured.
Anna D. Shapiro (The Pain and the Itch, Iron) directs the production. The design team includes Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Ann Wrightson (lights), Richard Woodbury (sound) and David Singer (original music).
The Imperial Theatre is located at 245 West 45th Street. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 8 PM, Wednesday & Saturady at 2 PM and Sunday at 3 PM.
Note some early curtain times, which take into account the show's three acts and three-and-a-half-hour running time.
Tickets are available at Telecharge.com and at (212) 239-6200. Prices range from $99.50 to $26.50.
*
The Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of August: Osage County is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein Company, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara Freitag, and Rick Steiner/Staton Bell Group.
This is probably the wrong word for the show but, it is sublime. Intensely sublime. Dark. It's an actor's utopia. I'm gonna stop now because I think you'd need to be sitting with me inside a NY French cafe =P, and listening to my description, my experience of the show. I'm not focused on writing about it!
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is The Show that I have been recommending to anyone since first seeing it in November. Everyone: GO.
*
By Kenneth Jones
14 Jan 2008
The Broadway engagement of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County, critically embraced and an audience favorite, has been extended to April 13 at the Imperial Theatre. The producers announced the added weeks on Jan. 14. The play was to be seen in a strictly limited 16-week run to March 9, but the dysfunctional-family drama is like a house on fire. The Steppenwolf Theater Company production is doing big business in the 1,400-seat theatre usually known as a home for musicals. In addition to enthusiastic reviews, the staging has prompted good word of mouth, fueling the box office.
The play tells of "the Weston clan after the disappearance of their patriarch. The family returns to their three-story home in rural Oklahoma to get to the heart of the matter."
The cast includes Ian Barford, Deanna Dunagan, Kimberly Guerrero, Francis Guinan, Brian Kerwin, Dennis Letts, Madeleine Martin, Mariann Mayberry, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, Jeff Perry, Rondi Reed, Troy West, Munson Hicks, Susanne Marley, Jay Patterson, Dee Pelletier, Molly Ranson, Aaron Serotsky and Kristina Valada-Viars.
The cast does not change with this extension — the Chicago-based actors who created the central roles in the humor-spiked drama will still bite into their parts. Mutiple Tony Award nominations are assured.
Anna D. Shapiro (The Pain and the Itch, Iron) directs the production. The design team includes Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Ann Wrightson (lights), Richard Woodbury (sound) and David Singer (original music).
The Imperial Theatre is located at 245 West 45th Street. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 8 PM, Wednesday & Saturady at 2 PM and Sunday at 3 PM.
Note some early curtain times, which take into account the show's three acts and three-and-a-half-hour running time.
Tickets are available at Telecharge.com and at (212) 239-6200. Prices range from $99.50 to $26.50.
*
The Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of August: Osage County is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein Company, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara Freitag, and Rick Steiner/Staton Bell Group.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
SO glad that the original cast from Chicago transferred to NY. Thank you!!! I would change no one in the cast. No.One. And it has found an audience, I believe. It's been packed both times I went. When we tried to get tickets for this past Friday night, they were sold out! So, we were lucky to get tickets for Saturday night=)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Broadway.com's FRESH FACE Interview with Deanna Dunagan
Where's the meat?! Where's the meat?!! Where's the meat?!!!
Shame on you! It's not cowboys and Indians! It's cowboys and Native Americans!
Oh, my! This woman. Last night, I watched AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY for the 2nd time with 2 of my good friends. To me, there is no weak link in the ensemble. It's so strong and down to the guts and marrow. One of the great things about the play is that there is HUMOR and IRONY. It's definitely an intense family-drama and THANK GOD (!) for the humor. *whew*
Deanna is...you know, there really aren't any words that would suffice so I will just stay silent, BUT will say THIS (atleast): If you are in NY, I beg you to please, please, PLEASE see this show. (I shouldn't have to beg) And even if you aren't in NY, you really Should make EVERY EFFORT to come to the Big Apple just to see this show. It closes on March 9th, I believe. I'm hoping to catch it atleast one more time before it closes.
Deanna Dunagan
by Kathy Henderson
Age: "I don't tell. And the reason I don't is that nobody can divorce that [number] from who you are. It starts getting that way in your 40s."
Currently: Playing Violet Weston, the pill-popping, meaner-than-a-snake matriarch in Tracy Letts' acclaimed family epic August: Osage County.
Hometown: Monahans, Texas. "It's 36 miles west of Odessa, where Friday Night Lights was set, and 60 miles west of Midland, where George Bush is from."
Lone Star Lady: "My heritage is a long line of Southern Baptist and Methodist preachers—who were all just frustrated actors," Dunagan begins, when asked about her background. "My dad was a Coca-Cola bottler and president of the Texas Historical Association. He wrote history as his avocation." Like a good southern girl, Deanna got a degree in music education and married young, but the union didn't last, and her parents agreed to fund graduate studies at the Dallas Theater Center after her divorce. Dunagan breezes through the next section of her resume—"I lived in Mexico while I was writing my thesis and was engaged to a bullfighter"—and goes on to explain that she honed her skills at regional theaters such as the Asolo in Florida and the Actors Theatre of Louisville before trying her luck in New York. (The bullfighter moved to Spain.)
Please Stand By: A star of the Chicago stage for more than two decades, Dunagan is quick to point out that August: Osage County is not her Broadway debut. "In 1979, I was an understudy at Circle in the Square in Shaw's Man and Superman," she says. "George Grizzard, Philip Bosco, Richard Woods and Mark Lamos were in it. One night I got to the theater three minutes late for half hour, and they said, 'You're going on.' Ann Sachs was sick. I was terrified! But I said to myself, 'Just go out and say the words. These are fabulous actors; just feed them their lines.' And it was one of the best performances I ever gave. The head of ICM, Milton Goldman, was in the audience and signed me the next day. They wrote a story about it in Back Stage."
Wonderful Windy City: Arriving in Chicago just before Christmas on a national tour of Children of a Lesser God, Dunagan felt at home immediately. She decided to put down roots and soon became a stalwart of the city's thriving theater scene. "I've worked at more than 30 theaters in the Chicago area, so it's always fresh," she says. "I'm a Gemini—we're communicators, but we have a short attention span. I enjoy being able to work on a show for three months and then go on to the next project. I get to do twice, if not three or four times, the number of plays I could do in New York. I love my career in Chicago."
The Parent Trap: For much of the three-plus hours of August: Osage County, Dunagan's drug-addicted character spews venom (often hilariously) at her three grown daughters, sister, various in-laws and a Native American maid. After an initial reading of the play left her "devastated," the actress repeatedly turned down the role of Violet. "I have knee problems and back problems and didn't think I could do it physically," she says of walking up and down the three-story house set. "And Violet is so vicious. The pills release her inhibitions, and she just lashes out. I played Mary Tyrone [in Long Day's Journey Into Night] when I was younger, but Mary is a piece of cake compared with Violet Weston." The overall strength of Letts' play made her reconsider, and Dunagan's performance won a Jeff Award in August's premiere production last summer at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.
Big Apple Return: When Dunagan heard that August would transfer to Broadway, her initial response wasn't exactly what one would expect from an actress playing one of the season's juiciest parts. "I went into such a depression," she confesses. "For the last few weeks of the show [in Chicago] I was in physical pain, so I spent all my time after we closed seeing doctors, physical therapists and voice coaches, trying to get in shape to do this Broadway run." She missed a nephew's wedding during previews, but managed to fly to Cincinnati to see her grandson in a school play during the stagehands strike. And—happily—she's enjoying presenting the evil Violet to Broadway audiences. "It's a brilliant play—that's what makes it worth it. We want to share this wonderful work with more people. That's why we all came to New York."
Shame on you! It's not cowboys and Indians! It's cowboys and Native Americans!
Oh, my! This woman. Last night, I watched AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY for the 2nd time with 2 of my good friends. To me, there is no weak link in the ensemble. It's so strong and down to the guts and marrow. One of the great things about the play is that there is HUMOR and IRONY. It's definitely an intense family-drama and THANK GOD (!) for the humor. *whew*
Deanna is...you know, there really aren't any words that would suffice so I will just stay silent, BUT will say THIS (atleast): If you are in NY, I beg you to please, please, PLEASE see this show. (I shouldn't have to beg) And even if you aren't in NY, you really Should make EVERY EFFORT to come to the Big Apple just to see this show. It closes on March 9th, I believe. I'm hoping to catch it atleast one more time before it closes.
Deanna Dunagan
by Kathy Henderson
Age: "I don't tell. And the reason I don't is that nobody can divorce that [number] from who you are. It starts getting that way in your 40s."
Currently: Playing Violet Weston, the pill-popping, meaner-than-a-snake matriarch in Tracy Letts' acclaimed family epic August: Osage County.
Hometown: Monahans, Texas. "It's 36 miles west of Odessa, where Friday Night Lights was set, and 60 miles west of Midland, where George Bush is from."
Lone Star Lady: "My heritage is a long line of Southern Baptist and Methodist preachers—who were all just frustrated actors," Dunagan begins, when asked about her background. "My dad was a Coca-Cola bottler and president of the Texas Historical Association. He wrote history as his avocation." Like a good southern girl, Deanna got a degree in music education and married young, but the union didn't last, and her parents agreed to fund graduate studies at the Dallas Theater Center after her divorce. Dunagan breezes through the next section of her resume—"I lived in Mexico while I was writing my thesis and was engaged to a bullfighter"—and goes on to explain that she honed her skills at regional theaters such as the Asolo in Florida and the Actors Theatre of Louisville before trying her luck in New York. (The bullfighter moved to Spain.)
Please Stand By: A star of the Chicago stage for more than two decades, Dunagan is quick to point out that August: Osage County is not her Broadway debut. "In 1979, I was an understudy at Circle in the Square in Shaw's Man and Superman," she says. "George Grizzard, Philip Bosco, Richard Woods and Mark Lamos were in it. One night I got to the theater three minutes late for half hour, and they said, 'You're going on.' Ann Sachs was sick. I was terrified! But I said to myself, 'Just go out and say the words. These are fabulous actors; just feed them their lines.' And it was one of the best performances I ever gave. The head of ICM, Milton Goldman, was in the audience and signed me the next day. They wrote a story about it in Back Stage."
Wonderful Windy City: Arriving in Chicago just before Christmas on a national tour of Children of a Lesser God, Dunagan felt at home immediately. She decided to put down roots and soon became a stalwart of the city's thriving theater scene. "I've worked at more than 30 theaters in the Chicago area, so it's always fresh," she says. "I'm a Gemini—we're communicators, but we have a short attention span. I enjoy being able to work on a show for three months and then go on to the next project. I get to do twice, if not three or four times, the number of plays I could do in New York. I love my career in Chicago." The Parent Trap: For much of the three-plus hours of August: Osage County, Dunagan's drug-addicted character spews venom (often hilariously) at her three grown daughters, sister, various in-laws and a Native American maid. After an initial reading of the play left her "devastated," the actress repeatedly turned down the role of Violet. "I have knee problems and back problems and didn't think I could do it physically," she says of walking up and down the three-story house set. "And Violet is so vicious. The pills release her inhibitions, and she just lashes out. I played Mary Tyrone [in Long Day's Journey Into Night] when I was younger, but Mary is a piece of cake compared with Violet Weston." The overall strength of Letts' play made her reconsider, and Dunagan's performance won a Jeff Award in August's premiere production last summer at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.
Big Apple Return: When Dunagan heard that August would transfer to Broadway, her initial response wasn't exactly what one would expect from an actress playing one of the season's juiciest parts. "I went into such a depression," she confesses. "For the last few weeks of the show [in Chicago] I was in physical pain, so I spent all my time after we closed seeing doctors, physical therapists and voice coaches, trying to get in shape to do this Broadway run." She missed a nephew's wedding during previews, but managed to fly to Cincinnati to see her grandson in a school play during the stagehands strike. And—happily—she's enjoying presenting the evil Violet to Broadway audiences. "It's a brilliant play—that's what makes it worth it. We want to share this wonderful work with more people. That's why we all came to New York."
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Evolution of a Grab Bag Gift
Last week, I started to paint. Bad idea. At work, we picked names for the grab bag. I didn't want to give the usual (candy, gift card, lotion, &c). I should have! Ha! Late in the game, I decided to paint my person something. The price was at least 15clams. I spent 65 on the supplies! Yikes! AND, on top of that, I DIDN'T even like what I had given=( *brr-brr* I gave it anyway because I didn't Hate it=P Meh...
I should have just left the painting as it was. But, no. I painted over it. And over it. And over it. And over it. And, finally, over it. Yes, folks. There are 5 paintings on top of each other on that canvas for my grab bag person! I took pictures of the first painting, third and final. I would leave the piece and come back hoping that I would like it. Didn't work. Eventually, I had to surrender at around 2.30 the morning that it was due to my supervisor.
My person told me that she had to take a peak at it and she said from what she saw she liked it. So, who knows... I feel like I should get her a consolation gift! *ugh*
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+beginning).JPG)
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+middle).JPG)
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+end).JPG)
To think that if that painting is x-rayed...Ha!
I should have just left the painting as it was. But, no. I painted over it. And over it. And over it. And over it. And, finally, over it. Yes, folks. There are 5 paintings on top of each other on that canvas for my grab bag person! I took pictures of the first painting, third and final. I would leave the piece and come back hoping that I would like it. Didn't work. Eventually, I had to surrender at around 2.30 the morning that it was due to my supervisor.
My person told me that she had to take a peak at it and she said from what she saw she liked it. So, who knows... I feel like I should get her a consolation gift! *ugh*
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+beginning).JPG)
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+middle).JPG)
+for+terry+(evolution+of+a+gift+-+end).JPG)
To think that if that painting is x-rayed...Ha!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER With Amy Morton
By Robert Simonson
19 December 2007
19 December 2007
Meet Chicago actress Amy Morton, who plays a rumbling volcano of a wife-mother-daughter in Broadway's August: Osage County.
*
Much of the pre-opening press about the cast of August: Osage County centered on Deanna Dunagan, who plays Violet, the vicious matriarch of the triple-decker Tracy Letts drama about three dysfunctional generations of a small-town Oklahoma family.
But Amy Morton, who plays Violet's strongest daughter, Barbara, is actually on stage more and tracks the more expansive character arc. Over three and a half hours, we watch her comfort her mother, then challenge her, outright attack her, verge on becoming her and then abandon her altogether, all while putting out sundry immediate and extended familial fires. Barbara is played by Amy Morton, one of the most dominant actresses and directors in her hometown of Chicago, but a talent almost unknown in New York. Morton mustered up the energy to talk to Playbill.com about the show that has been a thrilling and exhausting experience for her.
Playbill.com: Is this the biggest acting assignment you've ever had?
Amy Morton: Uh, yeah, this being a three-act play (Laughs), this is probably the most time I've been on stage.
Playbill.com: Have you ever been in one of Tracy Letts' plays before?
AM: No. I've been in quite a few shows with him as an actor, and I've directed him.
Playbill.com: When you read the play, did it come as a surprise to you, knowing his previous work?
AM: The breadth of it came as a surprise to me, meaning the size. That many characters, that many generations, that big a set, yeah. I had no idea that was what he was working on. It didn't surprise me it was as good as it was.
Playbill.com: Are you from the Midwest?
AM: Yes, I grew up in a suburb of Chicago.
Playbill.com: I grew up in Wisconsin. When I was watching the play, even though the action takes place in Oklahoma, I recognized many of the attitudes of the characters and the family dynamics and behavior. Did any of the writing speak to you of your own experience growing up?
AM: Absolutely. It was interesting. Most of the cast members of this play come from small towns. All of us in the original Chicago production were from the Midwest. In the New York production, all but two are from the Midwest. And it's a very Midwestern tale. (Laughs.) I don't mean because it's got sensationalism or any of that stuff — the huge surprises you find in the play. I think it's stoicism, its pent-up pain — it's certainly Midwestern.
Playbill.com: Letts has mentioned quite a lot that the character of Violet is based on his own grandmother. Has he said that your character is based on anyone in particular?
AM: I think my character is an amalgamation of a few people in his family, but not specifically just one.
Playbill.com: Your character has an incredible arc in the play. What was the hardest part of achieving that journey?
AM: Stamina. Building up the stamina. Physical and emotional. It's a long haul and it's a tough uphill slog. It takes a while for your emotional muscle and your physical muscle to be able to withstand the whole three hours and 20 minutes. I remember during the previews in Chicago thinking, "Oh my God, it's the third act and I can't act anymore."
Playbill.com: You were out of acting!
AM: That took a little while. But the great thing about the play is it doesn't require a lot a preparation, emotionally or anything like that. It's written so well, you just get on the ride and there it goes.
Playbill.com: What's the most difficult scene for you?
AM: No particular scene. It's jumping up and yelling as much as I do. You see, your body doesn't know you're lying. At the end of the show, the next day you wake up and feel a little bit like a cripple, because as far as your body's concerned, it thinks you're in trauma eight times a week. So, I'm sure the show has taken a number of years off my life, but that's OK.
Playbill.com: Is there a scene in the play that is the most fun for you?
AM: Well, certainly the scene where I say, "Eat your fish, bitch!" That's a fun scene. I get to get away with murder. It's just fun.
Playbill.com: Do you take your days pretty easy to rest up?
AM: Yeah. I really can't do much. It's just too hard to do. I had all these fantasies that "During the day, I'll go to the museum and blah, blah, blah." That's not happened so much.
*
Amy Morton is one ferocious mama. I bet she would eat your eyes if you were a horrible collaborator! (JUST KIDDING) Thank you to Matt who told me to get a ticket to the show when I met up with him to watch Pinter's THE HOMECOMING (great performance by Eve Best).
It's a small world. I know her husband. Matt and I worked with him while we were doing LIFE IS A DREAM at South Coast Rep. He was one of the composers.
For me, there really was no weak link in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. But, of course, my favorites were the mother (Deanna Dunagan) and the eldest daughter (Amy Morton). Watch out!
I'm so glad that I have more opportunities to see the show. They extended 3 weeks because of the strike. They close on March 9th, I believe.
Get ready to go if you're a friend of mine that lives in NY or that will be visiting before March 9th...!
PS This article came out yesterday the 19th, which--by the buy--was my parents' anniversary. Thirty-one years, folks!
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