Snippitts of Illusions

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes

macbeth opened last night.
it's been a trial of patience and frustration, but the show went.
it's not spectacular.
not yet.
don't know if it ever will be, but it has it's moments.
brandon pearson as macbeth is intense, and at times, simply leaves folks speechless.
rebecca johnson as lady m has more than proved her mettle.
how can such a petite sweet woman be so huge on stage?
i don't know, but she is.
the rest of the cast is a mixed bag.

many people are bitter and frustrated with the show.
the set is a monstrousity.
some blocking has had to be changed repeatedly since tech for the set.
the matter of not running the entirety of the show until first dress rehearsal was detrimental to it also.
why this happened, i don't know.
poor planning perhaps.
the fights... well they are a mixed bag too.

i'm not much for stage combat.
i come from a fairly violent family, where contact when play fighting was expected.
my nephews and i beat each other with sticks and pvc pipes growing up, and occassionally we still do.
i was the least rough and tumble of the group too.
so the idea of not making contact is a little hard to wrap my head around.
so i'm sure my fights look shitty, though i'm trying.
the second fight in particular, simply because my partner and i haven't ever been able to fully establish what it is we're doing.
don't get me wrong we have things laid out, the first dozen strikes are there.
sadly... it varies on whether we have to do more than that.
the timing is always off.

the intensity was better last night.
but a large chunk of the cast has grown lackadaisical.
it shows too.
they've been doing the play because they agreed too, or because they want it to pad their resumes.
the play isn't the directors, nor is it the designers any more.
it's the actors play and sadly most don't realize it.
i have, just in time.
we will fumble and stumble along at times.
but by hell we as actors need to take up the trumpet and torch and intensify this show.
bad acting aside (there is some pretty mediocre acting in this show, and i can't say i'm not to blame either), energy alone will make the audience focus, and pay attention.
that's what needs to happen.
tyson was correct in his critism of us.
it was harsh, but he was dead on.
and i appreciate his honesty, and his willingness to lay it out like he did.
he was right; we need to pick it up, we need to give more.
the only actors who are blameless in this regard can't give any more.
because they've given it thier all.
and i'll be damned if i am not enthralled by thier performance.
i gave alot last night.
i'm tired for it too, but i don't care.
i'm going to give more tonight.
i don't care if i'm dead by the end of this show, and sleep for weeks.
i will do what i can to get that energy level up.
both on my end, and inspiring others.
to hell with anybody else, i'm a selfish bastard, and i'm doing the show for me.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 12:14 PM