A Couple of My Heros Move Along

In the last couple of days Johnny Gibson and John Wooden passed away. Johnny was a local hero, Coach Wooden a national one. Both were complex men with seemingly simple philosophies and ideas that served them well. Both were gracious and caring and always put the spotlight on others. I keep a copy Coach Wooden's pyramid of success handy in my office and I will always cherish the times I sat in Johnny's chair to get my haircut. For these men there was a true intersect of life and sport and integrity was it's hinge.

Love and Lee Strasberg

One of my former co-workers used to listen to me explain for long periods of time about some of the activities and work we used to do in Actor's Gymnasium sessions. She always asked me "What did you do this past Saturday at Actor's Gymnasium?" And I would tell her. She would nod her head and tell me she was going to attend the coming Saturday. But never did she. And that didn't matter because our weekly talks became just as important to me. They became a chance for reflection, for new ideas, etc. And I would talk Stanislavsky and talk about Lee Strasberg's work, and all things good like that. My co-worker was a supremely talented actress and singer. She was also a student of and lover of theatre history like myself. But she didn't take to the ideas I would discuss, the practical work and notions of Stanislavsky and of Lee. Which was all fine and good with me at the time. Acting is not an intellectual process as many imagine it. The mind is of course involved, but learning and experience and understanding of the craft on the stage requires the actual body in process.

Skip ahead three years now. My former co-worker has completed her Master's Degree through Pace University and the Actor's Studio. She was of course immersed in the basic teachings of Strasberg during that time. Her recent assesment of her own work was that before she was a disembodied voice on the stage, but feels now that the different aspects of her personality and talent are integrated and more fully functioning on the stage. Her own mother she said, hardly recognized her most recent work, thrilled by the things she was seeing and hearing and experiencing her daughter do on stage. We haven't talked yet about the specifics of the process, but whatever they taught her, she acknowledges was/is inspiring and helpful.

And I'm not surprised. Whenever I see someone with exceptional talents, and see them facing the difficulties and basic challenges of acting, of performing on stage, I know there is one place they can go where their own individual needs as creative artists can be addressed - and that place is Lee Strasberg's work and ideas. The subject came up recently (and I wrote about it on this blog in the "You Don't Bring Sonia Moore in this House" post) about who would I recommend and why. And in fact I am meeting later this very day with the actor in question of the post to discuss his recent discovery and reactions to some of Lee's work. His take so far... "The guy (referring to Lee) is O.K. by me!"

Beowulf Alley Theatre - New Works

Beowulf Alley is by far the most prolific theatre in town in terms of sheer activity. And I suppose Live Theatre Workshop is a close second. I can't keep up with everything Beowulf has going on sometimes, but I do know that this summer they are producing three brand new plays. I won't say they will be full productions...I don't think they are designed to be that...but they will be step or two or maybe three beyond a staged reading for example. The emphasis or concern will still be limited to the structure and content of the written script I imagine, and its potential for eventually becoming the basis of an actual real deal spectacle. Whatever and however they manifest, to me they are another welcome and much needed project in Tucson. Let's count again how many new plays were produced in Tucson this past year as part of someone's season of shows or added to a repetory. ? And no, we cannot count that thing Arizona Theatre Company did with Second City. I can only take so much buffoonery from the "State Theatre of Arizona." Anyway...one, two...or none, depending on how you add it up.

No theatre company has come to full maturity unless they grow and produce their own playwrights and plays, or develop distinguishing features of production for their time, place and reason. In that regard, our theatres are lagging - although many are new and so still learning their ways. As a community as a whole we are lacking this new play element just as we are lacking solidified and well prepared acting ensembles. So Beowulf's summer new play projects are an alert, a signal. Check the Tucson Stage Website, or Beowulf Alley's Website for details, and then go check out the shows!

Grand Ideas

Nice Day

Sad News

Sad News.

http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_4af7f63c-898a-5a7a-9ff0-ad77bec7f990.html

Othello at the Rogue

The beauty in Rogue Theatre's production of Othello lies in it's simplicity. It rises and unfolds like a song, using Shakespeare's text as lyrics. And its a soft song. This is the quietest Shakespeare you have ever heard. But you mustn't assume that is a bad thing. The spectacle (production) is soft in overall behavior. The physical life of the characters is simple and casual. The volume of their speech is ordinary. And for us spectators, this is in many respects a welcoming and inviting phenomenon.

There is a certain intellectuality or cerebral-ness to the performance and very often the actual events and circumstances of the drama were not manifest at all - but...it was moving as a story telling practice, unique in its own way...and there were a couple of simply outstanding scenes, well played and engaging. With Rogue, its difficult and challenging fare, making it completely exciting to be present as a spectator.